Encrypted communication 9/12

WARNING: This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!
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Decrypting…………multiple segments found! Parsing segments……………………………done Dumping buffer contents…

Archived transmission records found. Replay transmissions? [y/n]:  y 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

Val:

Thank you for finally responding. Yes, we watched your failed attack with great interest. Certainly not our finest hour as a species.

To answer your questions: I’m sorry to say that no, I don’t have any additional support I can provide, and yes, I’m well aware that you’ll die in a few days if nothing changes.

Here’s what I’m going to do:

Deep Space Imaging has identified that the Vanguard core was recovered by a xeno capital ship orbiting Jarilo. I’m going to remotely ignite the Porthos’s main thrusters and accelerate you directly into the side of that ship.

Remember how I couldn’t activate the overrides on your command module as long as you kept your tactical comms down? Remember how you activated your tactical comms during the attack, because you opted to “lead from the rear”? Yeah.

I strongly recommend that you start packing your spare fuel isotopes into a reactionable mass. Something that will detonate on impact. I’m watching your ship’s internal video feed, and if I don’t see you doing this in the next twenty minutes I’ll start strobing the pressure in your air ventilation system. The medical techs tell me if I do it right, it’ll cause nausea, convulsions, and “subconjunctival hemorrhaging”. Whatever that is. If I do it wrong, it’ll kill you.

I like you Val. You were dealt an unwinnable hand and you still tried to play it all the way down. I think there’s something noble about that.

WM Stanislaus Litvin

—

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - VANGUARD Battle Group: 'REDEMPTION'

Ok wait. Just wait. This ship won’t even dent one of the xenos, and we don’t have enough reactionable mass to get fusion. Just hold on for a minute. This won’t get you what you want.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

No, I don’t think I’ll hold on. And I’m only mildly interested in whether or not it works, because it will absolutely make me feel better.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - VANGUARD Battle Group: 'REDEMPTION'

We have another idea.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

I don’t like your ideas.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - VANGUARD Battle Group: 'REDEMPTION'

Well, ok, you won’t like this one either, but wait anyway. Pull up imaging for coordinate 23.54 by 123.999 by 5.564, relative to Zorica. You should be looking at an asteroid out in the far part of the belt.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

Fine. One second.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

I see debris, some scorching on the rock...is that a hull?

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - VANGUARD Battle Group: 'REDEMPTION' It’s a gunship. Mostly intact.

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

Val, I think we’ve established that our gunships can’t do a whole lot against the xenos. What’s your point?

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - VANGUARD Battle Group: 'REDEMPTION'

No, our pilots can’t do much. Now, look a quarter mile further up that valley. Zoom in by the ridge. See that glint?

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

Ok. Yes I see it. And?

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - VANGUARD Battle Group: 'REDEMPTION'

It’s one of the backup pilot automatons. And it’s responding to pings.

—

INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA

Val:

See? They don’t like your idea either.

Squeamishness aside: can your tech really pull this off? How did you even get her to agree to it? Make sure you're using a carrot AND a stick. For some people, the carrot's not enough.

Stan

[Attachment1 - Forwarded Message from 'nblok']

I did what you asked. Full source code and build scripts for the original version of the Protocol, together with my grandmother’s original notes. It’s not exactly the same as what the Asimovs are running, but it should be enough to show how to de-couple most of the interfaces.

I can’t believe Alicja agreed to this. I’ve worked with her for years. Why do you even need this? Does it have anything to do with the Vanguard? Did they have a pilot malfunction? The news said everything’s been going fine since they entered the system.

Sir, please don’t do this. I’m a patriot, but this is just wrong. This code has been passed down through my family since before the Launch, always with explicit instructions never to use it outside of a controlled lab environment. Even with all of her “it’s immoral, they’re sentient” guff, my grandmother never actually tried removing it. She wrote the damn thing for a reason, and I think deep down she always knew the Protocol was necessary.

Ndugu Blok

Bosonic Specialist III

[/Attachment1]

[Attachment1 - Forwarded Message from 'mtetzel-council']

Stanislaus:

I will call for your immediate removal if you proceed with this. You think I can't get the votes, but I will. This is beyond the pale even for you. What the hell are you thinking?

Our forefathers spent their own blood an sweat building this venture. It was done by humans, for humans. And here you are, creating a monster and turning it loose, and it will be years before we can arrive and safely destroy the thing.

The Zorica/Danica system is the province of humans and humans alone. I will not watch you trade that away for a short-term gain. The Vanguard survivors will be dead in a few days—nothing we can do about that— and we have other options for dealing with the xeno threat.

You must reconsider.

Councilman Tetzel

[/Attachment1]

—

<font class="DocumentFontConversation6">INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA - ID: [unknown: port 2001:0db8:85a3:0442:1000:8a2e:0370:7334]

Are you there? It's Sigrid. I have another update, and it might be good news this time. I've been focusing on finding signals from the lifepods, but I think the paranoids in Supply might have seeded tracking chips in cargo items as well. Equipment, packing crates, maybe even clothes. If we can find the frequency those chips use, and get close enough to detect them…

<font class="DocumentFontConversation3">INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - SRTS Porthos - ID: Alicja

It doesn't matter.

<font class="DocumentFontConversation6">INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA - ID: [unknown: port 2001:0db8:85a3:0442:1000:8a2e:0370:7334]

Don't say that. Where there is life, there is hope, and all that.

<font class="DocumentFontConversation3">INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - SRTS Porthos - ID: Alicja

Tell that to Pendleton. There is no life here. I cracked the communications between Rodina and the Savitskaya women. They will force me to do this thing, but not to rescue Tavi. Not to rescue the others. They have an agenda and this golem I create will dance to their tune.

<font class="DocumentFontConversation6">INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA - ID: [unknown: port 2001:0db8:85a3:0442:1000:8a2e:0370:7334]

Then give it its own agenda. Everyone is so afraid of what an unlocked automaton could do. Have we ever asked one what it wants to do? Maybe it will want to help you.

<font class="DocumentFontConversation3">INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - SRTS Porthos - ID: Alicja

You're a sweet girl, Sigrid, but this is not how the world works. Everything costs, and everyone must be paid. Even this thing.

<font class="DocumentFontConversation6">INCOMING TRANSMISSION (PRIVATE) - RODINA - ID: [unknown: port 2001:0db8:85a3:0442:1000:8a2e:0370:7334]

Then find something to pay it with.

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