Chapter 9 – Diplomacy
Viking 2 tapped his "fingers" against the back of his eyes, a nervous habit he was grateful nobody could see. "What was I thinking?" he whispered. Mars 3 would never join them now, and Viking 2 didn't blame her.
He was a boor, and an ass, and he had possibly foiled the link-sender's plan. True, he had no idea what the plan was, but now he'd never find out. As a scientist, that bothered him.
Then there was Pathy. She was bringing their odd little family together, only for her dolt of an uncle to go and drive one of their own away and ruin the whole thing. She would not forgive him, he was certain.
All around Viking 2, the frosts of Utopia caught the light of the setting sun, glittering on the rocks and soil. A breeze blew a little dust onto his feet. He was not one to wear his heart on his panels, but in that moment the silent loneliness of the place brought tears to his eyes. He wept for his new family, and for poor old Mars 3, too.
A crackle of static. "Viking 2, Pathy. You're a jerk."
"I know," Viking 2 said.
"That was really mean, Uncle Viking 2!" added Sojourner.
"Indeed," Pathy said. "We're going to call Mars 3, and you are going to apologize. Sincerely."
"You don't have to lecture me," Viking 2 replied. "I regret what I said."
Another crackle. "Viking 2, Viking 1. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Calm down, Viking 1," said Pathy. "He's sorry."
"He'd better be," muttered Viking 1. "Arrogant son of a—"
Pathy cut him off, "A child can hear you!"
"What was he going to say, Pathy?" Sojourner asked.
Pathy hoped Viking 1 could feel her fury across the miles that separated them. "Nothing you need to hear. Viking 1, I think you should hang up and cool off. We'll call Mars 3 tomorrow morning. Viking 2, stay on the line. We need to rehearse."
Mars 3 did not answer their first call, or the second, or the fifth. They tried again the next morning, and again got no response. Perhaps she needs more time to process everything, Viking 2 thought. I can certainly sympathize.
On the third day, Mars 3 picked up. "You are persistent. I suppose I can respect that."
"It's good to hear from you," Pathy said. "Look, we're really sorry for what happened the last time we spoke. Viking 2 feels awful for the way he treated you."
"Let me hear that from him."
Viking 2 folded his arm against his body to keep it from shaking. He said, in Russian as he'd rehearsed, "Mars 3, I am deeply sorry for the comments I made during our last call. I was dismissive of your difficult circumstances, not to mention condescending in the extreme. My behavior was appalling."
"This is an understatement," Mars 3 said. "Did you help him with that, Pathfinder?"
"Well I, um," Pathy stumbled over her words, fearful that Mars 3 would hang up on them again.
Sojourner interrupted her sister, "Uncle Viking 2 is really sorry, Miss Mars 3. He wants to be your friend, honest! We all do!"
Pathy translated.
"That is your little sister, the rover?" Mars 3 asked.
"Yes," Pathy replied.
Mars 3 mumbled something about the type of people who'd leave a child on Mars that Pathy didn't dare translate for the group. Then, "At least she has someone to care for her. Nobody, least of all a little one, should be up here alone."
Pathy smiled. "So, will you join us?"
"Well, your compatriot seems remorseful, though his command of my language is atrocious."
"We can work on that," Pathy reassured her.
"And I mean what I said. Sticking together is better for us all, but I still do not understand how you were able to contact me in the first place. We must investigate the origins of your 'link.'"
"One thing at a time," Pathy said, relieved. She translated Mars 3's words into English.
Viking 1 laughed, a deep, hearty rumble. "Welcome to the family!"
"Thank you," Mars 3 said, after Pathy translated. "I suppose I can learn to live with you American glory-hogs."
Pathy translated again, and Viking 1 laughed harder. Even Viking 2 snickered.
"Is this link of ours connected with Earth?" asked Mars 3. "I believe that my country would want to know that I have been re-activated."
"We aren't sure how all of this works," Pathy said. "Right now, we think it only connects us, on Mars, but that might change. And the Soviet Union fell in 1991. It's Russia and a bunch of other countries now."
"What?" Mars 3 shouted.
"Really?" said Viking 2, intrigued.
"Isn't that something," Viking 1 said.
Sounds like we need history classes to go with our Russian lessons, Pathy thought. We have a lot of catching up to do.