PBEM Turn 91.01e (722 lines, 29 300 characters)
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This is PART 5 of 5. It covers the fifth half hour or so.
***** current position of ships, etc. ****
Definitely NOT to scale :=)
(Top View) Ring and Alcyon orbiting CCW as seen from here.
W = Westwind, ~2 AU from Alcyon, 15 minutes each way for signals
GA = Gemini Arbiter ~1.2 AU from Alcyon, 10 min. each way
B = Bernoulli and Aurora, 6 minutes one way signal to Alcyon
S = Shuttle, 1 min. one way
T = Trakh, no time delay to speak of now
All the rest within a few seconds for round-trip signals
P = Paladin, taking a couter-rotation sweep for faster mapping?
K = Kingfisher ~ 10 minutes to Alcyon
Al = Alcyon
Ta = Talisman
__-----__
/ \
W / \
/ \
GA | |
| |
| |
Al | * |
| |
| |
| |
P\ /
KT\ /
STa\--_____--/
Au
B
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Gemini Arbiter
- ---------------
N: Somebody went active! A Merchant ship.
A: What!? Hope he isn't trigger happy!
N: Picked up a message pulse. Just looks like he's getting prepared.
A: (spoken matter-of-factly) Must be a military type!
N: (in a sarcastic tone) That's not necessarily true. You heard the
Admiral. Just because we're in a military zone doesn't mean HE'S
military (snicker, snicker).
[sometime later. . .]
>At the appearance of the latest ships from outside the ring and the
>...
N: Wow! Look at him!
A: Who?
N: The Aslan.
A: What's he upto?
N: Looks like he responded to the Merchant.
A: This is starting to look bad!
I think it's time to prepare for the worst.
N: You might be right but lets hold off for a while. We'll take turns
watching the sensor display and see what develops.
A: (walking towards the bridge exit)
Yeah. We're still a ways away so maybe we'll be able stay out of it.
AND, since it's your idea you get first watch. I'm going to take a
bath!
N: (getting huffy at the console)
That's not fair!
A: (looking over her shoulder and exiting the bridge)
See ya!
- -------------
Westwind
- -------------
Nick Talon and Hur'Shurvan exchange glances.
"Who ARE these clowns?" says Talon. "I don't think they've made up
their minds whether they want to blow us out of the sky or offer us
a job!"
Hur'Shurvan taps delicately at his hand computer. "I'll put this
down as a law level zero system, shall I, Nicholas?" he asks solemnly.
Talon nods rather absent-mindedly. His attention is turned towards
the navigational display he has just called up. "Shit. They were
right about one thing, at least. We're going to need their help to
get out of here."
"And it seems that we are not the only ones in such a predicament."
"Yeah. Weird, that, isn't it? Several ships misjumping into the
same system and arriving almost simultaneously. The odds against
a coincidence like this must be incredible."
"Coincidence?" Hur'Shurvan murmurs more to himself than to Talon.
"Hmmm... I wonder..." He peers closely at his hand-comp display.
"Anyway," says Talon, "I guess we'd better humour them." He opens a
hailing frequency again.
"This is ISS Westwind. We will approach on your given course as
requested. It'll take us a few hours to get there. Meanwhile, we'd
really appreciate it if someone would be kind enough to explain just
what is going on around here."
- -----------
Talisman
- -----------
Getting some data now, sir.
On the long-range sensor holo, the Aurora and Bernoulli are
clearly in view. A high-magnification synthesis in one corner
shows first Doctor Vander Merwe with three other figures leave
the Bernoulli for the Aurora, and then few moments later, the
mission XO.
The Aurora had just tuned onto its new course and heading to leave the
mothballed Bernoulli behind and rendezvous with the Westwind and the
Gemini Arbiter, when its radio signal pings suddenly halted. Scans
show the Aurora drifting along the same course, no longer accelerating,
still warm and emitting neutrinos normally but showing NO EM activity
whatsoever. It's as if someone pulled her plug.
- ------------
Trakh
- ------------
As tensions between the fleets rise rapidly, Akhouw sits back in his
command chair to review his options, quickly. No telling what sort of
an admiral that Darrian was, whether faster to the trigger than most or
not was unclear. Too much was happening, too fast, with only the barest
of information to go on. Akhouw gnashes his teeth in silent frustration
and worry. No shots had been fired, yet, but that could change quickly.
Time slowly ticks by as the fleets warily consider each other, Akhouw
thinks, much as combatants in a ritual duel. Just as deadly, just as
earnestly serious.
Suddenly, the sensor board begins to beep softly and new information
glows into existence in the holotank. Akhouw turns to see what has
happened; maybe some action by the rogue scouts? As his eyes comprehend
the information in front of him, Akhouw is in shock. His whisper is
succinct. "Ihel taih iy'airl... (O, what danger has come...)"
He turns to his communications officer, urgency reflected in every
syllable. "QUICKLY, Aiwi, short tight-beam burst, ALL SHIPS IN RANGE,
the following message -- 'MOST URGENT: Hostile Imperial Fleet leaving
jumpspace, this system. Twelve ships. CONSIDER IMMINENT DEFENSIVE
ACTION.'" Turning to his own station, he punches up a comm panel and
commandeers a communicator. Directing it to the shuttle, he transmits
on the Emergency Channel. "Admiral Nanadh -- request immediate conference!
Urgent that we coordinate. Respond please."
Akhouw gazes at the holotank yet again. His fear is gone, replaced by the
confidence of his race. "So much to gain," he mutters, "and if it must
be paid for in the blood of an usurper, so be it." He growls in anticipation
of glory yet to come.
- --------------
Gemini Arbiter
- --------------
N: "Well it's about time you got here!"
A: (walking into the bridge looking very refreshed and eneergized)
"What's been happening?"
N: (getting up to leave)
"Nothing much. Looks like the Bernoulli rescue is coming
along nicely. The Aslans are still on intercept course and there
seems to be some sort of communications going on."
A: "Maybe there won't be a fight after all."
(talking over her shoulder as Nikki leaves) "By the way, I've
drawn up a bath for you!"
N: (grining ear-to-ear) "That's great! I knew you were good for
something."
- -------------
Aurora
- -------------
"And based on his predilection for cybergear," Vouf sighs,
"I'd say your patient is partially responsible."
He sighs again, and turns to Tweel (if he's conscious) or Oscar (if Tweel
isn't). "I would HATE to have to blow this ship up and everyone on it
to safeguard my mission and the vital IISS Intel Division data your
virus accessed. But I'll do it, in an instant, and I can't be stopped.
I want to know just what you were trying to accomplish by hijacking
our ship, when you knew damned well it couldn't make the Jump out of here
on its own. I need alternatives to murder/suicide, gentlemen."
Tweel's eyes drift open and focus on the Vargr as he speaks. His head
flips upside down to stare at him. The focus is variying when his
attention suddenly diverts to the AGNIS camera floating over the
Subcommander's shoulder.
Recognition of the unit is intsantateous. "Rrreporrrterss?... What
are damn rrreporrrterrss doing on an IISSss ship?"
A look of pain crosses his face with sudden realization...
"WIND SHEAR!!! NO INTERVIEWS!!!!! My ssship's been ssabotaged my friend
murdered and you want to know how it *FEELS!!!*"
"Ignore the AGNIS unit," Bhyarrvouf says mildly. "I stole it from an
INN newstaper as a practical joke. And speaking of sabotage, I'd
like to know why you, claiming to be a loyal IISS member, have infected
this ship with a virus designed to take it over. We would have been
glad to repair the Bernoulli and get it going again, once we had the
time and resources, but you've forced our hand."
He leans over the Ael Yael and says slowly and carefully, "I know you're
in bad shape right now, Doctor, but we need your help. How do we stop
the virus? We'll die out here, slowly and agonizingly or quickly and with
a very loud POP, all of us, if it can't be stopped. Your treatment is NOT
contingent on answering-- my colleague is a medical doctor in the finest
sense of the wors, and will do his best to help you no matter whether or
not you choose to help us."
His voice becomes insistent. "HOW DO WE STOP THE VIRUS!"
Tweel slowly recognizes the sounds being made by an irate Vargr as
'words' understands the problem and responds.
"You may not trrrussst me, but I have had nothing to do with thiss
virusss. I sssee you have taken the main computer core of the Bernoulli.
In the windss I have flown, I find it verrry nessesssary for virus
prrotection.
"You will find that the Bernoulli's banks have vaccine programs.
Since your main computer issss crrasshed, ssubsstitute Bernoulli's CPU."
"Who is above us to be dropping virus prrogrrams on uss?"
Tweel raises his head. The long neck craning around like a giant snake.
Shakily he stands on the examining table, and spreads his 5 meters of
wings. Blood flows into the outstreched wings, pumping hard.
His talons grip the table and he takes a few exercizing strokes, the
heavy muscles of his keel and wings pumping blood and adrenalin like a
fire hose.
His wings begin to glow pale red. Two large spots on his wings turn
from white to fire-engine red, like the eye spots on a giant butterfly.
He raises his head and screeches a hunter's cry that echoes in the ship.
"KEHARRRRRRR!"
"All right! I've been betrrayed! Ssabotaged! My besst frriend is dead!
I've been Blown up! Sshot down! Sshut in! Kicked out! And generallly
sstamped on!"
"None of this was in my hands! I could do nothing but watch it happen!
Now your ship is being attacked... Prrobably by the same KKrrreeecks that
bombed my ship and killed Macin! But this time it's something I *CAN*
fight! You there! Varrgrr what'ss yourr Name! Sshow me a damn terrminal
and I'll kossh your Blassted Merrchant-Loving virruss!"
"The great hunter got close, he had me in his sights! But I escaped him!
I'll be damned if I won't lead the Great Bastard a damn good chase if
he wants my head on a wall!"
"A virus loose! Eh?!" Tweel's head cranes around and fixes on Oscar.
"No sence taking chances. Oscar, recognize Trrrweeeerrrlll, Kresssh,
Doctor! Priority command: Land on the floor and shut down all systems."
Oscar Sierra Foxtrot Four lowers quickly to the floor with a resounding
clang and shuts down.
"Triple Three! recognize Trrrweeeerrrlll, Kresssh, Doctor! Priority
command: ECM to maximum alerrt sstatuss! Cut all power to interrnal
weapon ssysstemss! In case of unauthorized acccesss you are dirrected to
sshut down *ALL* ssysstemss and ssubssidiariess.
Now Get me ssome food! I've rregurrgitated enough to feed thirrty ssixess
of nesstlingss!"
Tweel's head snaps round at 'Vouf with a glare of fire and a blaze in
his voice. "You! Varrrgrrr! I don't carrre if you trrrusst me orr not!
Get me a terminal so I can fight! KEHARRRRR!!!"
Bhyarrvouf watches the Ael Yael's outburst with a mixture of alarm,
interest, and dawning respect. He nods slowly.
"So you can fight, hrrrrm?" He grins, displaying long white teeth.
"From one born prey-killer to another, those are words I've missed
hearing."
He heaves up the CPU unit onto the table in Sickbay. "You'll work in
here," he says briskly, "So the Doctor can keep an eye on you. You
may FEEL like killing a Crested Jabberwock bare-handed, but you're
still weak." He indicates a huge duffel bag on the floor near 333.
"Your robot cleared out your personal effects," he says. "You should
find your computer gear in there. Failing that, I've rigged a special
system to do some exploratory work of my own." He holds up a small
hand-computer. "No I/O except one port. Keypunches in, screen display
out. No chance for mischief."
He hooks up the CPU to the unit and types, saying the words out loud.
"Hi there...me again...comfy?"
He barks a loud laugh, and waves a hand to the CPU. "Trust breeds trust,
Doctor Ter-Weerl." He cocks a thumb at himself, and Tweel notices for the
first time that both of his arms are encased in gleaming metal to the
elbows. "I'm Bhyarrvouf, IISS retired--among other things. Call me 'Vouf.
My aenrra with the med gear and the worried look on his face is Doctor
Sir Christian van der Merwe, IISS, Order of Starship and Crown. Here's
your virus. Eat him alive for us!"
He turns to leave. "The two backup computers are in pieces on the Bridge
floor," he says. "They MAY not be infected. But be careful--Moira was
a TL-15 monstrosity of a computer, and this thing went through her defenses
like they weren't there. NO uplinks or radio connections to the infected
machines. If you get hungry, you can drag in a groat before it gets col--"
He stops dead. His eyes widen. "Radio uplink," he whispers. "Kae, kakh
TSAKHA! The fleet must think we've been destroyed! And with those Aslan
nearby--"
He doesn't finish. He's already running for the door.
Tweel's eyes fall upon the good Dr. Van Der Merwe, his head turns upside
down fixing the Doctor with an odd stare of recognition.
"Doctorrr... Van Derr Merrwe? Chrrisstian? What arrre you doing herrre?
And ssince when did you get wisse and trrade those Navy ingrratess for the
Ssscout sservicce?"
Tweel makes a painfully slow glide to the floor, weak and unsteady, even
in .1G, he still wobbles a bit. "Sso I have you to thank for my life, Kh?
Well let'ss ssee what we can do about this virruss and I'll rreturrn the
favorr."
"Christian, unless those mark seven medbots of yours are custom, they have
no ECM. Unless you think they may be needed, I suggest you shut them
down. Oscar has milgrade ECM, but I don't like taking chances, but I
need Triple three."
"Triple three, get my hand comp and some holochips... and get me one of the
grroats, I haven't been able to hold solid food for six days."
"Commander 'Vouf, I seriously doubt that the other two computerr assemblies
are free of a virus. After all the purpose of a trrinarry computer
system is that all thrree rrun in parrallel cross checking their answerss.
When one CPU's answerrs are inconssisstant with the otherr 2, it iss out voted
by those two. If one is conssisstantly inconssisstant, it is sshut down for
rrepairrs. Now you know your system betterr than I, where do you suggesst
we sstarrt?"
- -----------------
Gemini Arbiter
- -----------------
A: (yelling into the air) "NIKKI!"
N: (abruptly broken out of her reverie, slips and almost
drowns herself)
(climbing out of the jacuzzi, and thinking to her self 'This
had better be good.')
A: "The Aurora just went dead!"
N: "What?"
A: "No EM signals whatsoever are coming from her."
N: "Arby. Do a full scan of the ship."
A: "We're still a little to far for the other sensor.
(noticing that Nikki, bending over the console, is still
dripping wet from her bath)
"Hey! Watch it! You're dripping all over the console! Go dry
off and get some clothes on!"
N: (straightening up with hands on hips, glaring at Aurelia)
"You called me up here! Besides a little water won't hurt
anything."
(looking back at the sensor display)
"Did the Aslans do someting?"
A: "No. Not a thing. The Aurora was separating from the Bernoulli
and a few minutes later, nothing."
N: "Let's call the Westwind."
A: "Right. They can back us up while we go in."
N: "My thoughts, exactly."
"Westwind. This is Gemini Arbiter..."
A: "I'll start the maneuvering. YOU, go get some clothes on!"
N: "Oh, all right!" (mumbling under her breath) "You DID call me
up here! Ruined my bath! grumble, grumble, grumble"
+++scan report+++ (echos the computer)
A: (looking at the holodisplay and talking to herself)
"No thrust, just drifting, power plant looks like it's still
functioning, lifesupport looks okay. I wonder what happened?
Hell-of-a time to start maintenance on electronics!"
N: (looking a litte better) "Anything new?"
A: "No. Still the same."
N: (settling into her station) "Interesting scan report. Well,
let's go."
(pause)
(sarcasticly) "And don't run into them!"
A: (looking exasperated, but with affection) "Good thing we're
sisters!"
- -----------
Aurora
- -----------
The Aurora glides silently through the inky blackness, still straight and
true for the rendezvous but no longer accelerating. "One problem at a
time," Bhyarrvouf pants, hauling a huge tangle of gear out of the airlock
and gingerly making his way out onto the hull of the Scout. The Bernoulli
is already barely visible behind them, and ahead of them is the occasional
flare of thruster plates against the impossible green band of the Ring.
"A pretty theoretical problem," he pants to himself as he works. "Two
misjumps into the same area of space in the same week." With a grunt, he
attaches a set of bootclamps to the hull, and fastens himself securely
down. "Postulate a 36-parsec-radius sphere of known space." He begins
to wire components together carefully. "Given troop and civilian
movements, number of ships in the sky, and problems with nav control,
missed maintainance and fuel supplies, two misjumps SOMEWHERE in that
sphere are quite reasonable." He connects a cable to a power conduit.
"Ergo, we may conclude that something in R-Alpha's construction serves
as a strange attractor in the Jumpspace n-dimensional manifold, causing
a focussing effect upon the normally misdirected high-quantum Jump
continua." He makes a delicate adjustment, checks a sight readout.
"In other words, a misjump magnet of cosmic proportions."
He pauses, panting. "That means that this big krafla-hoop has been sucking
in ships for millenia, and we STILL haven't heard about it until now."
He pauses. "I could win the Germantown Award or the Ishagga Prize if
I could figure out how it does that. And hey! That means R-Alpha will
be swarming with marooned spaceers looking for something like the
Alcyon! Now THERE'S a pleasant thought."
Finally done, he hefts his jury-rigged monstrosity to his shoulder and
sights down it. In anything other than zero gravity it would be impossible
to lift, a cannibalized communication system wired to a high-gain antenna
and a huge laser cannon. It dwarfs him as he scans the horizon. "Pretty
little problem, in its own way," he whispers. "Like hitting a moving
starship with a laser pulse at half an AU with no computer to help you."
Wavering ever so slightly, the crosshairs settle on the Kingfisher.
"God, I hope you're listening, Zben," 'Vouf mutters, pulling the trigger.
*click*
A slight pan to the left, and there is the Paladin, dead in his sights.
"Charyn, PLEASE don't be asleep on the job...." *click*
And the Korondor Talisman, off to the side....
He hesitates, then turns away. "Nah," he sighs, "Too busy to listen."
Several seconds of scanning the skies ahead, and there is the slim
wedge of the Gemini Arbiter, a long way off.
"Worth a try, assuming those bitches know bytes from barbecue...." *click*
And last but not least, all the way across the ring, barely visible, the
tiny moving speck that is the Westwind.
"No chance, right? Kakh, I feel lucky." *click--PAF!*
"Hrm?" 'Vouf notices a puff of gas crystallizing into ice at his shoulder.
He quickly examines himself and the device. "Blew the lasing tube on that
last one, you stupid old wolf," he mutters. "Unless we get the damn
computer up and running, we won't have a second chance." He turns back
to the airlock. "Not that the FIRST one was worth all that much...."
As he climbs down to re-enter the ship, he starts to sing to himself.
"I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone reads my
I hope that someone reads my
Message in a bottle...."
The airlock shuts, and the sky is still once more.
- ---------------
Gemini Arbiter
- ---------------
"Westwind. This is Gemini Arbiter."
"Hi Nick, this is Nikki. We're going in to see what's the problem
with the Aurora. As you've probably noticed, we don't have any
ship-to-ship weapons so we would like to suggest that you cover
us while we check out the Aurora."
"Together we might be able to figure out what's happening without
getting killed."
"Gemini Arbiter. Out."
- -------------
Paladin
- -------------
The sensors record a flash from the Aurora. Simultaneously, Charyn,
who has tightly coupled herself to the sensor array emits a groan and
falls to the floor. Limner's console, with the psi detection program
running, starts flashing, in bright yellow, *UNIDENTIFIED* over and
over.
Automatic relays pass the data immediately on to the Kingfisher and
to the Alycon.
The main computer, a TL16 glory of human engineering, slows for a
moment, and the lights dim...
Making no noise, but moving as though fire, Goughzar goes for the
manual controls and starts activating backup systems that were
isolated from the main.
- --------------
Aurora
- --------------
"Precisely my point," 'Vouf sighs. "If they all MEAN that stuff about
'the peace of the cosmos,' maybe we'll LIVE through this...."
Leaning against the bulkhead, Christian mutters "Peace? That would be
a first." A note of anger appears in his voice. "Turnskaad lures us all
aboard with a beguiling tale of mystery and untold potential for
scientific discovery. Yet at every *damn* turn, we find death, violence,
sabotage, more threats, danger, on and on and ON, dammit. If it wasn't
for the importance of this discovery, well, aenrra, I'd be sorely tempted
to tell 'Skaad to zark off and go my own way..." Christian subsides into
a tired pose, the strain of recent events clearly wearing him down.
"Opinions, Doctor? We may have no choice in the matter. Christian?"
Christian shrugs. "I figure if it was going to kill us, by design or by
accident, we would have known that by now." Despite his weariness, a
spark of curiosity is evident in his voice. "Communication, fellow
sophonts, is key. If we cannot or should not stop this being, clearly
we must try and ensure that we reach some sort of understanding."
Concern returns to shadow Christian's face. "Of course, it is clearly
curious, but even curiosity can kill if allowed to grow unbounded. If
it is open to persuasion, perhaps we can convince it to exercise some, ah,
discretion."
"Hrf? Oh!" 'Vouf lifts a gauntlet and performs a subtle hand motion.
"Disarmed," he says happily. "I was kinda HOPING I wasn't gonna hafta
blow us up...."
Startled, Christian shoots a questioning glance at 'Vouf. "You were
ready to destroy all of us?" Christian is surprised; the knitting of
his brows and his vocal tone indicates unhappiness. His next cutting
remark is wholly unexpected. "When I go to meet Charissa, I don't want
to arrive in a surprized daze of suicide stupidity." His hurt expression
is more eloquent than any spoken words. He looks at 'Vouf and his gaze
wavers. Christian turns silently and stalks off to his stateroom in
search of solitude.
He staggers to his feet and throws a careless salute at the computer.
"I know when I'm beat," he giggles. "Yes, SIR! Repairs proceeding at ONCE,
sir!"
He opens the sickbay door, laughing, "Come on, Hunter-Above! There's a
dozen groats that're gonna go moldy if we don't eat'em. We may as well
have a last meal while we put Junior back together...."
>From the direction of the small but complete galley, the varied smells
of a meal in progress slowly waft along the corridors, along with the
faint sounds of clattering cookery. The odors vaguely suggest a cooked
synthosteak with a side of spicy, sauced vegetables. The noises subside
into Christian's stateroom, followed by a nearly inaudible *snick* as
the door closes and locks.
For the first time in 'Vouf's memory, the voice of Christian Van Der
Merwe is not heard aboard the Aurora. Usually, Christian is bantering
with 'Vouf or conversing with Moira or simply engaged in some sort of
activity.
The silence is deafening.
- ------------------
Westwind
- ------------------
"Westwind to Gemini Arbiter. I don't know how to break this to you,
Nikki, but we're not armed either. I'd strongly recommend that you
keep your distance from the Aurora -- at least until we get a clearer
idea of what's happening. Those Turnskaad guys might get very touchy
if they think we're meddling with one of their ships. They may
prefer to deal with it themselves. Maybe we should ask Admiral Ger
if he wants us to investigate."
- ------------------
Aurora
- ------------------
"Basically," 'Vouf smiles, "The company lawyers think I'm working on you
to sign a contract joining our mission. If you work with the two of us,
it's not likely that there'll ever be a need to actually hand over the
paperwork. Of course, you legally can't be paid for your part, but if
your pride won't let you subcontract out to merchants, well, tough."
Tweel listens to 'Vouf's news in stunned silence. Merchants... A whole
damn fleet of them. The battle for Jayelya was not that long ago.
Aels with percussion cap revolvers vs. human mercenaries with battle
dress and fusion guns. The slave camps. Genocide. Wing clipped
slaves forced to mine the floor of the glittering sea. All under the
eyes of the Megacorps. All in the name of profit.
Tweel's wings turn fireengine red as he listens in silence. He raises
his eyes to look at a ceiling that is much too close for comfort.
Oh for the skies of Jayelya...
He answers absently, "What? A lawyer? Sign Papers?"
Lawyers. The most dangerous enemy. Even when the Aels had practically
driven the merchants from the surface at a horrible loss of lives, the
companies lawyers fought to make certain that Aels were not seen as
intelligent beings...
Grandfather and his old recipie book, He did say barbequed Lawyer was
the best dish he'd ever had...
Tweel's brain raced with crazy thoughts. Maybe he could kill them all
before they got him. Maybe OSF-4 could swing the battle. Turn the Aslan
against them...
But that mightn't help R-Alpha from becoming another slave labor camp
run by insane profitteering merchants. Great Hunter, why do humans
threaten the entire galaxy? Humans and their stupid 'Governments'
No, they still have the herd insticts, but perhaps not enough. They
kill members of their own herds. No, Humans are NOT civilized. The
Rebellion has shown that humans will never be able to handle the
freedom of anarchy as Aels enjoy.
But they do realize this. One of their philosophers said,
"The government that governs best, governs least." But they can
never be ready for true freedom.
This corporation must not exploit the sophonts of R-Alpha. Sure, let
them trade, but if they try their old slaver tactics... But how can I
stop them? Need more information... I need to verify the truth of this
Vargr's words.
Tweel's voice is toneless evan as his talons claw absently at the air.
"Verry well, Misterr 'Vouf... I will sign
these papers you speak of... But first I want more evidence than just
your word on the matter... Chrristian's testimony also... Under scan
by Oscar's NAS scanner. Then, I'll KNOW the truth of where you stand."
"Trriple Thrree, go and rreactivate Oscar and brring him herre.
I need him here now..."
Tweel sits silently as 333 rushes off to the deactivated warbot.
- -------------
Aslan Pinnace
- -------------
"Admiral, I respectfully must request that you give me the coordinates
of the enemy fleet again. My feeble sensors cannot distinguish it from
the background of deep space."
- ----------------
Aurora
- ----------------
The Aurora's EM signature is back, as if it were never gone.
A moment later, a coded datapulse from the Aurora is received
by the Kingfisher, the Korondor Talisman, the Paladin, the
Trakh, and even the Gemini Arbiter and Westwind. Some pulses
are encrypted in the agreed-upon codes; messages to the Aslan
and the two new ships are in clear Galanglic.
- --
Richard Johnson [email removed]
Sue Congress!