After a learning curve that had been driven by an arduous process of trial and error, reprogramming samples of basic ring material had been successful under lab conditions. The key was in the upper command set of the ring material. If the probe functioned as hoped, it would overwrite the upper command set. When the probe came into contact with ring material, those instructions would spread like a virus to the rest of the orbiting material.
The nanobots ejected from Mercury used microscopic solar sails to migrate into their stable orbit around the sun. If the modifications worked as planned, their vectors would be altered so that the Vert-Ring would eventually be perpendicular to their original orbit, stopping when the new Vert-Ring reached a radius of forty million kilometers. The researchers were fairly certain that all they needed to do was overwrite the orientation information in the Ring’s particles. They did not know whether the Island would still form when the Vert-Ring reached a height of three hundred thousand kilometers and if it did, whether the deceleration lasers would still be pointed in the right direction. Whether the encoded programming would have the inherent flexibility needed to maintain its structural and functional integrity when it followed new commands was an open question.
Once the ring material left the gravitational pull of Mercury, it was even capable of leaving the solar system if such a voyage proved necessary. Ring material flowing in unexpected directions was one of the greatest fears of the project’s researchers. The most pessimistic commentators contended that crude alterations to the Ring’s programming could potentially send particles streaming toward Earth.
Molly felt confident that the solar-powered material would stay close to the sun, not wanting to stray too far from its source of energy. Once the ring material moved into its pre-programmed position, it would await its signal to trigger the deceleration lasers. Molly also believed that even if the program became corrupted, the ring material would not deviate far from a forty million–kilometer distance from the sun.
Eight hours after the probe entered the stream, a portion of ring material deviated from its previous path. The ring material moved vertically, away from the original Ring’s orbital plane. Within thirty hours, two symmetrical arms began arcing upward on opposite sides of the Vert-Ring. Molly extrapolated from the snapshot data and created a profile of Vert-Ring generation.
“We’re there. It’s transitioning into a perfect spiral orbit. The material knows where it needs to go and is figuring out the path on its own. My calculations say that in exactly four rotations around the sun the nanobots will have reoriented the Ring as programmed. Send a message to Aki Shiraishi. Tell her that her dream of a Vert-Ring is coming true.”
ACT VI: OCTOBER 20, 2028
AFTER THE FIRST successful mission, another probe was sent to Mercury in April of 2027. The defense mechanism did not react to the gaseous spray of altered Vert-Ring ejecta introduced into Mercury’s fledgling atmosphere, allowing the instructions to eventually take root on the surface. Within two short weeks, the code embedded within the Vert-Ring’s particles was rewritten at the source—the mass drivers themselves. The exact mechanism that allowed the new code to infect the Builders’ automated production facilities was poorly understood. Not unlike how burning moxa to warm regions and acupuncture points of the body stimulates circulation and finds a way to smooth the flow of blood and qi throughout the body, the mechanism of the code was elusive but effective. A blog compared the success, especially with the incomplete analysis of the mechagenetics, to being as statistically unlikely as the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being thrown into the air and randomly assembling themselves into the proper picture as the pieces landed.
The triumph of the mission meant that the UNSDF ships were no longer required to face the dangers of dismantling the Ring every few years. As Aki had planned, the Vert-Ring was reconfiguring in a way that would not cause substantial harm to Earth. All humanity waited for the new ring to grow to a height of 300,000 kilometers, following the growth cycle on a kilometer-by-kilometer basis in the mass media. If the Island formed at that point, as it had before, and if the deceleration lasers functioned consistently, the braking system would be able to usher in the Builders’ ships. The deceleration lasers, provided the lasers formed as they had before, would be complete by 2043.
Research to expedite this process was underway, but there had not been any breakthroughs yet. The braking system would not be ready for at least another fourteen years. Given the range of the estimated arrival window, Aki would be in her sixties when that day finally arrived. She knew she would have lived a long life by then. If the Builders arrived before these rushed preparations, Aki could not help but predict tragedy and disappointment. She did not want that dark cloud of despair to hang over her for much longer. She had waited so long to make contact. She needed to communicate with the Builders in person. After her substantial efforts to atone, the pain of watching the Builders speed by with no means of slowing would be too much to bear.
Why are you sending a fleet here? Are you fleeing your home, or are you being pulled to our solar system for reasons of your own? I wonder what you want to know; what you are like. Whatever is bringing you here, I beg the stars that you do not come too soon. We need time to prepare for your arrival. I need to meet you.
“LEAVING THE PERSONNEL selection for the Mercury Base Station up to UNSDF Headquarters? You have got to be kidding!” Aki blurted at the Science Subcommittee. Even though they were not integrated with the UNSDF, the personnel selections for ringology research had always been made by the Science Subcommittee.
“The initial stage of the project has ended. Now that we’ve started to unlock the Ring’s nanotechnology, the UNSDF is seeing its enormous potential. Let’s admit that some of these research applications are beyond our scope. It makes sense to select researchers that fit their needs,” Carol Horning, a long-time member of the subcommittee, had said.
“But—” Aki stopped herself, unsure whether she was arguing due to feeling territorial or because of a legitimate objection that she could not yet articulate.
“Our race against the clock to rebuild the Vert-Ring is over, Aki,” another member said. “I know it’s hard and it hurts, but you should face the reality of the situation. They gave the decisionmaking authority to us at first because we were a small group. We could come to a consensus quickly and take action. Our having the responsibility was nothing more than an emergency measure. You didn’t think they were going to give us free rein forever, did you?”
“I supposed that they would do what was right.” Fuming, Aki had always known that the UNSDF might decide to assert control over her research. She could not help but think of how hard Molly and Anastacia had worked at the RMRF. Aki knew that her colleagues had already accepted defeat on the matter and that she had no choice but to give in. This was a battle she could not win. “Rum-ruff ” had grown into a large-scale space facility and been renamed the Mercury Base Station. At any given time, there might be as many as forty researchers stationed aboard. Combined with the rest of the rotating crew and support personnel on Earth, there were now over one thousand people involved with the project. Its scale was far greater than what the members of the Science Subcommittee were capable of overseeing. Finally accepting the facts, Aki felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Now she could focus on more practical pursuits.