Rarely did Marshall's penetrating green eyes miss anything of importance. The blip he had seen earlier on his long range screen had become no easier for his equipment to resolve as it had moved closer. It was there one minute and not the next but it was now joined by another. The second shadow was therefore either not there last time he had looked, or he had slipped up. The last possibility was the least likely, a thought confirmed by the fact that the second shadowy blip had become the one at the extreme sensor range, and that in the same way as the first shape, it was not showing any sort of ID tag. The first shadow, when it was actually visible, was continuing towards the hyperspace pipe leading to Junker's Moon. It was travelling faster than the ships limping their way in, and so would arrive in hours, rather than days.
Marshall had only ever heard in one context of ships which used some sort of stealth technology and neither displayed a trade colour, nor bore a recognisable ID tag. He felt a shiver pass through him when he realised that such things had only been mentioned in hushed and tense tones on the subject of pirates. Space pirates were said to be as vicious and ruthless as their sea-faring counterparts of previous centuries. They would attack without mercy, and take whatever they could gain from, be it hostages, valuable cargo or personal possessions. Every story of space pirates Marshall had heard or read about involved bloodshed and theft. Again a chill passed through him, but he knew that one thing he must do was take action.
After several moments thought, he pressed the kill switch on the voice coms system. All the Junker's Moon radio voice coms were routed through the computer. Across hundreds of channels, every conversation was recorded on a twenty-four hour loop. It was a FBIS regulation, allowing collection of evidence, should it ever be needed. Marshall wanted what he was about to say to be off the record, so he took off his headset and brushed dust off a device he had been told of but had never actually used. He disentangled it from under a bundle of optical fibre leads and raised it to his face. A buzzing sound from the device reached his ear. With his finger poised over a small number pad, he searched for the code he needed.
Everyone in the workshop listened for several seconds to a curious, shrill ringing sound. A black oblong mounted on the wall was emitting the noise which only one person appeared to have heard before. A mechanic working nearest to the device went over and lifted it off its rest, finding a handset attached to a base by a curly wire. As soon as it was lifted, the ringing stopped and Marshall's voice squeaked out of one side of it. Instinctively the mechanic said, 'Hello? Mr Brion?'
'What is it?' someone nearby asked.'
Everyone put down their tools, straining to hear the squeaky voice.
'It's Mr Brion, he's asking for Judith.'
Judith chuckled as she ran across the workshop, weaving carefully between the workbenches.
'Haven't any of you seen a telephone before?'
Judith took the handset and waved the girl who had passed it to her away. She was sure that if Marshall was using an old landline connection, he had something to say that he didn't want broadcast. Work recommenced around her but the sound of hammering and power tools had never been so subdued.
'Marshall, it's Judith here.'
'Judith I need you to go up to the moon.'
'Are the coms broken?' Judith said, trying to understand Marshall's use of the telephone.
'No they are not, but it looks like we've got something rather unpleasant inbound.'
Judith had known Marshall since he was in short trousers, and she had no reservations about being direct. 'Marshall, spit it out.'
'Pirates.'
Judith was silent for several moments. 'I always knew we should have had a plan for that.'
'We've got one now. Listen, will you do it?'
Judith looked around the vast workshop. Everyone was pretending to continue with their tasks but they were all trying to catch a clue as to what was going on.
'Anything to protect Junker's, it's our life.'
'Take the taxi, and I want you to pull the transponder before you leave.'
'But you won't be able to track us, and it's illegal.'
'I don't need to track you because I'll know exactly where you're going, and as to pulling the transponder, pirates aren't exactly legal, are they?'
'Won't they be able to see the taxi on their sensors?'
'Judith, I do have a plan but we need to iron out the details.'
'I'll come right over.'
Judith hung the phone back up its base and glanced around the workshop before leaving. She went directly to the equipment she'd been working on and made it safe before heading straight for the door.
Marshall reactivated the site-wide coms system and his voice came over the PA system, relayed to each of the workshops. 'We have a situation developing with unwanted visitors. Please continue with your usual schedules until otherwise informed. I am doing everything possible to apprehend the visitors, without them being able to make planet-fall.'
His words had the exactly opposite effect of that intended and everyone in the workshop put down their tools and began talking.