Do you want to know what was happening at that moment on the distant Earth? For example, I do. If you do not tolerate know what happened with Jennifer and Max you can safely skip the first chapters of our fascinating narrative, and read the next chapter. And for those who are interested to know everything, I advise you to read everything without missing anything.
Max knew a lot about Jennifer. But he did not know of one, perhaps the most important thing. Jennifer was an FBI agent for two years after graduation of university. And she has been assigned to Max to monitor what he was doing in the US. The reason for this attention from federal agencies was not Max but his uncle, Colonel of Security Services of Ukraine Nikolai Podgorny. Well, now everything seems took into places. But what did not know Jennifer herself that was the fact that the locket given to her for her birthday two years ago, her best friend Stacy Dodd had a built-in transmitter. It was not surprising when she left the locket with the transmitter on the Martian pyramid; the device began to transmit an encoded signal at a particular frequency. Of course, the transmitter was not designed to broadcast at a great distance.
None of the developers had no idea that their agent will be on Mars before any planned terrestrial expeditions. And, most likely, just a weak signal would dissipate in space, if not earth Martian station, «Incredible» which carry out its program, still continued to work on the red planet. So she caught the first signal as that which belonged to the living beings. As suggested by the station itself to Martians. After all, she was searching for extraterrestrial living beings.
Thus, the signal came at NASA. There, too, at first thought it was a failure, and they got the usual coded signal. But there was such a junior researcher as Patrick Dawson who was not too lazy to stay after work for a couple of hours and recheck everything. If when he got the result he stood he probably would have fallen. If he has something to eat, he probably would have choked. But Patrick was a disciplined employee, knowing what a serious organization works, so during work did not allow himself to drink or eat. Only in designated special time.
That’s why, when he familiarized with the rechecked result, he didn’t fall or choke. Only grinned, grunted and jumped in the chair. That's a good peace of luck! This is a real sensation! The signal is really from Mars. No, not the Martians who appeal to earthlings for help. It was transmitted by NASA’s terrestrial transmitter which used for this purpose the coded frequency.
Patrick was not a hacker, not interested in access passwords to different organizations, but the signal was able to translate into meaningful symbols him here, he had lost his temper, his eyes widened. The frequency at which worked unknown transmitter belonged FBI! How and who could transmit on the frequency of the Federals from Mars, Patrick had no idea. Again and again he checked the data. Make changes to the computer program. Checked, changed the filter.
The dates stubbornly repeated the same – the transfer is from Mars, from real Mars. Had believed that it was true, the young scientist of course could not. In order to broadcast from the red planed which situated at a distance of thirty millions kilometers from Earth, it is, at least, the transmitter itself should be on the planet's surface. How transmitter could get there, the scientists did not know. On Earth, there was not still a spacecraft capable of delivering a live crew on the red planet.
There was, however a possibility that the transmitter was on one of the stations and continued to autonomous transmission. It is unlikely, but still more possible than to assume if someone on Earth wielding the unknown technology, built the spacecraft and, ahead of them, the Americans first landed on Mars. But why the transmitter uses the government’s frequency? Maybe saying roughly the transmitter was broken? Maybe the virus changed the frequency? But how could the virus change the frequency? No, it’s nonsense! In side the head of Patrick aroused a great idea.
Not far away from that place from which was broadcasting the unknown transmitter, mainly it was SOS signal was the Martian’s station Incredible. A year ago, the station fulfilled its program, but still continued to function. Station and transmitter were separated by the distance of no more then the two kilometers. Quite nothing when viewed from the distance that separates the two planets. Patrick was about to activate the station and sent to the area of transmission, but he stopped. His mind overcame his feelings.
He knew he had no authority to take such a step; to risk with an expensive equipment of station. Suddenly it turned out, that the source of signal was on Earth? If it happened he would look ridicules and everybody will laugh at him for years. Patrick decided to consult with his friend programmer, and also an astronomer Nick Stone. He was on duty today. A colleague did not immediately respond to the call; he just corresponded with some girl in a social network Facebook.
Patrick turned on Skype, dialed Nick. The first thing he saw was Nick’s profile. As he expected, Nick as usual entertained some girl stories about the greatness of the cosmos. Patrick even heard a snippet of dialogue.
At first, what the girl was saying:
‘Do you promise?’ She asked.
‘I swear!’ Nick assured her.
‘Well, I’m not sure about it. Let me think.’ In a voice of invisible for Patrick girl was sounding hesitation.
‘I swear I’ll do it or I wouldn’t become a well-known programmer!’ Nick promised quite convincingly.
Patrick gradually getting interest in their dialogue for a moment forgot about the signal from Mars. He was wondering what figured out Nick? What does he promises this time in exchange for girl’s reciprocity?
‘If I agree on a date with you, do you promise to call my name the comet, which as you told me, you soon will discover?’ She asked.
“Ah, that's it!” Patrick exclaimed inside his head, thinking that it was right time to interfere and interrupt their sweet dialogue. There were not enough in the space comets that Nick could assign to them the names of all his girls: both real and virtual.
‘Hey, Nick, sorry for interrupting. Could you spare me a minute?’ said Patrick and greeted the girl with a bow. ‘Just now we’ve got a strange signal. Would you like take a look at it? I’d like to know your opinion.’
‘What? What? Again caught a signal of broken IR oven? Again aliens?’
‘No. At this time only the Martians. While, yes. They are also the aliens.’
Nick fairly well studied during their collaborative work the nature of Patrick, and he knew that it wasn’t in his habit to bother his colleagues for nothing. Something happened serious. Had said “Goodbye” to his virtual girlfriend, he turned to the screen.
‘I full of attention, all at your disposal.’
‘It would be better if you come to me. So it will be much easier than to explain everything.’
‘Even so. OK, I’ll be in a sec.’ Nick switched off his Skype.
A few minutes later he was sitting at the desk of Patrick and was attentively became absorbed in the data from satellite. Patrick sat beside to him and waited silently what he would say.
After examining the data obtained from the transmitter, Nick was silent for a while, thinking about the information, and then said quietly:
‘According to these data the signal really was received from Mars. But since it is a priori impossible, we probable have deal with the program’s error or hackers. For example, someone entered our frequency to transmit signals to the space station, and she, in return, processed, and gives us for a signal from Mars. It is theoretically possible, but practically implement such a venture is very difficult.’
‘But took fly to Mars and leave the transmitter there absolutely impossible undertaking.’ Patrick agreed. ‘What do we do?’ Will tell our bosses?’ Patrick felt like he was relieved. But he already imagined so many things that would be enough for a cheap science fiction novel. Genius, an unknown inventor self-taught invented secretly from all mankind the spaceship, went to Mars, and as if mocking at all earth’s scientists, sends them out a SOS signal. How could he even think for a second that the signal does come from Mars? Patrick did not understand, but he felt that there was something wrong. They before, many times, received the strange signals from space, but they were too weak, not clear, quickly decayed or the reason for their appearance was quickly found out.
‘Virus’s attack on our system?’ supposed Patrick. ‘But I checked all. Everything works fine. There are no viruses. Only a genius capable alone imperceptibly sneak into our system.’
‘I’m thinking about another possibility.’ Nick looked at the distant Martian’s landscape on a computer’s monitor. ‘We still have time to inform our superiors about the event which occurred. But what if for our own risk and our own responsibility send the station Incredible in the area where the imaginary transmitter works? Just clear situation?’
‘You too, thought about it? We do not have such authority. We can not activate together the station’. Patrick nodded his head. ‘We do not have access codes.’
‘Station is out of registry. All its recourses expired. I was in a group of developers who designed it. In fact, it was me who wrote the access codes.’ modestly said Nick.
‘You?’ Patrick was surprised. ‘I thought it was Steve Spike’s team. He and you have always been the rivals, even in a college.’
‘He didn’t make it.’ It seemed to Patrick that Nick replied evasively. ‘But I did.’
Patrick really wanted to stick to the adventurous venture, but without the permission of administration he could not afford it. The consequences of such arbitrariness can be very unpredictable.
As an argument to dissuade Nick, he brought the following:
‘If there's no transmitter, we’ll become a laughing stock for all our fellows here. They will not allow us walk here without jocks and mockers. Think about it. It will better to do it with the permission of our authorities.’
‘It’s true.’ After some reflection, agreed Nick. ‘OK. You are in charge here today. You are, so to speak the man who discovered the Martian’s signal. So do it!’
‘This is what I said about. You’re already laughing at me.’ Patrick looked at him.
‘Sorry, man. You are right. It is better to let know about what happened here our bosses. We’ll wait till guru of science say out their opinion. If something goes wrong it won’t be our responsibility. In any case, without jokes, you’re still a discoverer of Martian’s signal! Congrats.’
On that point, they agreed. Nick returned to his office.
Patrick had gathered the necessary information and went to the office of the Department of Steve Hoover. He felt a sensation was brewing. He could not explain why, but he just felt it and his premonition never deceived him yet. Something big was going to happen.
 

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