Metafire

"Yes, George?"

"You have a bomb on us?"

"Yes, George."

"We have a bomb on you."

It took a moment for the statement to sink in. Then John said without emotion, "Tell me about that George."

"It's in Bluebird. In the aluminum box. Don't move Bluebird away from New Boston. We'll explode it, if you do. It's nuclear John."

The five people on Bluebird overheard the conversation. Bluebird was still being used to filter message traffic on Metafire. Jim looked over at the aluminum box. He immediately broadcast to both Ferguson and George, "What happens if we touch the box, George? What can we safely do?"

"You should do nothing, Bluebird. Do not touch it. We are monitoring your location. If the box does not receive our periodic messages, it will explode. I would hope you will relay those messages since the receiver in that box is probably nearing the point of being too far. It'll receive VHF, channel three twenty nine. Can you handle that?"