Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Rocket

Still five million kilometers away, the glare from the rocket's plasma brake jets could already be clearly seen from the telescope on Endeavor.Now that there was no more secrecy, Newton reluctantly gave a second, and perhaps final, order to retreat.But he has no intention of leaving until things get too close. When the rocket completed its docking maneuver, the unwelcome guest from Mercury was only 50 kilometers away from Rama. It apparently carried two television cameras, one at the front and one behind, with a set of small antennas and One side guides the antenna dish, aiming steadily at distant Mercury.Newton was guessing what instructions the antennas were receiving from Mercury, and what information they were sending back.

Mercury doesn't supposedly get to know anything more than Endeavor, and all of Endeavor's discoveries have been broadcast throughout the solar system.But the craft, coming here at record-breaking speed, must have a purpose.In the end for what, will soon know.Because in three hours the Mercury ambassador will be speaking at the United Planetary Congress. Officially, the rocket does not exist.It bears no logo, and its radio signal does not use standard frequency bands.These are serious breaches of the law, but the Space Guard has not formally protested.Everyone waits nervously and impatiently to see what Mercury will do next.But the Mercury man has been obstinately silent.

Many psychologists believe that the minds of people born on Mercury are incomprehensible.They were banished from Earth forever.At most, they can only look at their ancestor planets from the moon across the narrow space of the moon, but it is impossible to visit them in person, because they cannot stand the gravitational pull of the earth.They had to console themselves by declaring that they didn't want to go. They pretended to belittle the drizzle, the land, the lake, the sea and the blue sky - which they only knew from the video.On Mercury, where the daytime temperature is often 600°, they think they are strong, but they can't stand the test, because they can only survive in a completely insulated environment.Even if they can withstand the gravity of the earth, they can't stand an ordinary hot day at the equator.

But on the other hand, they are tough.Overcoming that planet, and living there, produced the Spartans with an admirable culture.They themselves have a joke that if the sun is going to change, they are willing to accept the contract to repair the sun, as long as the appropriate fee is negotiated.Children living on Mercury were sent to work rice fields as long as they showed an interest in the arts, philosophy, or abstract mathematics. Newton had been to Mercury once, was deeply impressed, and made many Mercury friends.But their strong discrimination against people beyond the orbit of Venus made it impossible for him to live.

"A triple-A letter from Earth, Captain," said the person on the bridge, "commander-in-chief's voice transmission and text attachment. Are you ready to receive it?" "File the text attachment; send the voice transmission over." Admiral Hendricks' voice was calm and matter-of-fact, as if giving general orders to the fleet rather than dealing with one of the most extraordinary events in space history.Of course, he is not within ten kilometers of the bomb's lethality. "Commander-in-Chief, Captain of the Endeavor. The following is our summary of the current situation. You know that the general meeting will be held at 1400, and you will hear the progress of the meeting. It is possible that you will have to act immediately without asking for instructions, so please pay attention.

"We have analyzed the photos you sent. The vehicle is a standard space rocket, modified into a high-speed thruster, and may have a laser speed booster attached. Judging from its size and mass, there are five to one billion tons of nuclear fusion bombs . "Our experts believe this is the minimum amount to destroy Rama. If it exploded at the weakest point of the shell, the bottom of the Cylindrical Sea, the shell would be punctured, and its rotation would completely disintegrate the whole of Rama. "We think that if the Mercury people take such measures, they will give you enough time to escape before they act. By the way, the lethal radius of the gamma rays caused by the explosion is 1,000 kilometers.

"But that's not the main danger. Several tons of Rama fragments, thrown out at a speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour, can destroy you at an infinite distance. Therefore we recommend that you fly along the axis of Rama's rotation , there is no debris thrown in this direction. 10,000 kilometers is the safe limit. "This communication cannot be intercepted, because it is broadcast using the multi-channel-false-random method, so I can express it in clear language. Your answer is not guaranteed, so you must be cautious and use a password if necessary. I will speak to you again immediately after the conference discussion. The communication is over. Commander-in-Chief"

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