"'...a planet has been found... The boat is now in surface orbit around it...'" (p. 106)
What is "surface orbit"?
The inhabitants of Shadow Earth have aimed a set of meson-pion bursts "'...directly at the center of the planet where the boat was.'" (p. 107)
The boat was at the center of the planet? The speaker, Commander Nathans, continues that this:
"'...proves an ability to send a particle beam straight through their world. Whether they have a tunnel, or use some induction effect, or whatever, this is something that man cannot do.'" (ibid.)
So the communication is not between the planet and space but through the planet.
We are told that the communication is just beginning but not any of its content. The only issue for the human explorers is whether to stay at Shadow Earth and continue the communication or to return to Earth. The story ends at a beginning.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
This is puzzling, altho a physicist might grasp what Anderson was describing. I'm almost done rereading "Time Lag," next comes "In The Shadow." Sorry, Julian May!
Sean
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