“Just above Kanchenjunga a cyclone about one hundred and fifty kilometers wide is now unfolding. Let’s keep this in mind in our plans,” said Mr. Dordain.
People began to rise from their seats.
In a minute several people had gathered around Jean-Jacques Dordain’s table: Igor Komarov, Charles Bolden and others.
Charles Bolden began:
“We have checked the signal quality and determined that this is definitely a recording from Voyager 2. This is it.”
“Okay,” reasoned the head of the ESA aloud. “We have a signal that we sent into space to inform about our location.”
“But the signal is coming from the Earth,” added Igor.
“On the frequency of space transmissions,” Charles nodded.
“A weather anomaly, an electromagnetic flare…” Jean-Jacques Dordain pondered. “We need at least something. Some kind of clue.”
Monsieur Dordain’s young assistant couldn’t take it anymore:
“Perhaps our message has been received,” he hesitated, “and now it has been sent to us using some device that exists on the Earth.”
Everyone turned to the assistant.
“A little more realistic, Francois,” said Monsieur Dordain grudgingly.
At the other end of the hall, Bernard Bajolet was sitting at his desk, dialing Jean-Pierre’s phone for the third time. “The mobile phone you are trying to call has been switched off, Please Try again Later.” He closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts. Then he called the accounting department.
“Good afternoon, this is Bernard Bajolet, please find me the phone number of my assistant’s wife, Jean-Pierre Biro,” he paused. “As quickly as possible.”
Debby listened intensely. She searched for something to latch onto in the surrounding sounds, but found nothing. All she could hear was the wind rubbing against the hull of the plane. It sounded like a whistle or a hum. Debby closed her eyes and felt her rib cage rise and fall heavily. She listened to her unnaturally loud breathing. Someone ran to the door and stopped. She heard Jean-Pierre shouting outside in English:
“Hurry, we’re here!”
He ran inside, out of breath, but with burning eyes. His face said, “we are saved!”
“There are people! They are coming to us!” he swallowed. “How do you feel?”
Debby closed her eyes and exhaled, her lips expressing either a smile or despair. The pain didn’t stop for a moment, but she felt joy. Now they were going to get help. Consciousness, clouded by pain, suddenly sank into euphoria.