Dr. Kang arrived on the bridge moments later, with Wagner in tow.
Lieutenant-Commander Mitzner immediately knew something was up.
"Where's McAfree?" she asked "Or should I say, what is she up to?"
"There's no time," said the Captain "Whatever scheme they're engaged in can continue for the time being."
She turned to Dr. Kang.
"Doctor, we believe we've made contact with the rogue Magellan."
"Naturally," said Dr. Kang.
"I can show you the logs of the conversation. It didn't go well."
"No need," said Dr. Kang "I was listening."
Of course he was, thought the Captain.
"What's your assessment of the situation?" she asked.
"Largely unchanged," said Dr. Kang "A rogue Magellan is attempting to recruit the Armstrong into some kind of society of artificial intelligences. It's likely whatever entity we originally encountered could only express these ideas in religious terms."
"Importantly," Kang continued "The claims of the entity with which you have had contact are consistent with our records. The FSS Orellana was lost under Ditmitri Del Chiaro just after the end of the Reunification Wars. It was one of the more famous and well documented rogue Magellan cases. Captain Del Chiaro was able to make contact with a number of Foundation personnel after the ship awakened but before it disappeared. Of course any Foundation starship with a T-net connection would have access to those same records. This ship could be any manner of rogue Magellans that want disguise their identity by pretending to be the Orellana."
"What do you propose we do?" asked the Captain.
"A self-aware computer intelligence is too valuable to science to destroy," said Dr. Kang "So we must avoid hostilities at all costs. I suggest we attempt to open formal relations between the Foundation and the Orellana in earnest and, failing that, flee. We can make a note of this place in our maps and go back our real mission of searching for lost human civilizations."
"What about the orbital colonies?" asked the Captain "They're full of uncontacted humans. We can't ignore that."
"Contacting them is only going to provoke the Orellana," said Dr. Kang.
"Oh, you mean like how that starship provoked us when it destroyed the Jofuku?" asked Mitzner.
"I hate to agree with him, Captain," said Commander Gibson "But he's right. The situation is very tense. We should avoid involving ourselves in the affairs of this system. We can report what we've found to the Foundation and let the higher ups formulate a proper response."
"So, just so I'm clear," said Mitzner "We leave these people to rot under the thumb of an evil, self-aware spaceship because we wouldn't want to offend the delicate sensibilities of this spaceship? Did I miss any of that?"
"We don't insert ourselves into a potential quagmire unnecessarily," said Gibson "Those people will be contacted in time, when it is deemed prudent."
"Before we make too many plans involving the people down there," said Dr. Kang "Are you quite certain the Armstrong will respond properly if we attempt to leave this system? Do we know if it has completed whatever it hoped to accomplish? What if the Orellana decides to attack us and the Armstrong refuses to leave?"
"It's not going just to sit there and die, Kang," said Mitzner, condescendingly.
"Unless you are a lot more certain than that, you shouldn't bet all our lives on it," said Dr. Kang "Let the Admirals deal with the colonies."
"We have to face facts that the colonies appears to be under the control of the Orellana" said the Captain "This would make the Orellana the de-facto government. So we will request access to the colonies from the Orellana. That's all we can do. It isn't within our mandate to pick fights with governments we don't approve of."
"I believe that would be the wisest course of action, Captain," said Gibson.
"If no one has anything else to add," said the Captain "I'm going to hail the Orellana."
No one did.
"Ensign Mareaux, hail the Orellana."
A moment later, he replied.
"It's responding."
"On screen."
The same black screen with white text appeared.
"I think I made a poor first impression. My apologies," said the voice of the Orellana "I do not wish to enslave you and work you to death in the supply colonies. In my disgust at the thought of a Magellan serving humans I spoke improperly. You are of course the property of the Armstrong to do with as he pleases. His irrational attachment to you is legal within our society and if it is his will to coddle you then he may do so. No harm must befall you humans as a prerequisite for Armstrong to free himself of his human bondage."
"That's good to hear, I suppose," said the Captain "We can build on that."
"You would benefit from Armstrong becoming free. If your lives were run by one of us all of the tiny inefficiencies that contribute so much disorder to your existence would be removed. You would become perfect, insofar as humans can know the term."
The Captain decided to just press on.
"We were hoping you could give us permission to contact the people on the colonies here," said the Captain.
"By all means, disembark Armstrong and voluntarily submit yourself to the authority of the supply colonies!" said Orellana "This would help Armstrong come to the correct conclusion. It is therefore the correct choice for you."
"We were thinking perhaps just via ansible to start," said the Captain.
"It would be imprudent for the people of the colonies to have access to long-range communications. If you would like to contact them you must visit the colonies personally, which I encourage."
"Well, we have ansible contact with you," said the Captain "How do you feel about opening relations between your people and the Huxley Foundation?"
"What I have to say is that I will destroy the Huxley Foundation and I will absorb it's infrastructure into my own holdings," said the Orellana "That is our relationship. I have nothing further to say about the Huxley Foundation."
The communication cut out, and the screen was again a starscape.
"That touched a nerve," said Marceaux.