They fall into the "not particularly interesting" bin - they're basically additional demonstrations of the same principles, only they have fancy jargon for specific cases. It's the material science version of IUPAC nomenclature, where even fairly mundane stuff can get stuck with long names that can sound cool but are basically just super detailed descriptors.
The Secrets' Crusade
- Thread starter Snowfire
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
So Third Secret is more of a power generation and transmission sort of thing, since Gravity weapons already move at light speed that particular benefit is of minimal use in lasers, which are probably less effective anyway given that distortion of space is going to be a lot harder to defend against than heating up the armor a lot. Still, better shields is probably an option.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
They're just special cases of the other classes. Metamagnets in particular are noteworthy for having different behaviors depending on factors such as temperature and external field strength, but this is true of all magnets and "metamagnet" is just what we call the ones that have more dramatic changes.
If we're talking Secrets then the exotic magnet types really don't matter all that much for military technology, because Emitters can manipulate the EM field directly. About the only use I can imagine would be if you're trying to build some sort of passive magnetic armor that can deal with other magnetic attacks without needing an Emitter... but Emitter-based shielding is ridiculously effective as it is, and it works on lasers in addition to magnetic / electrical attacks.
(Metamagnetic materials could be fun for entertainment, though. Being able to have an object that changes how it acts in that manner might be useful in developing new sports or toys.)
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
So, Metamagnets might be useful for Blitzball. Could it be used to mess with fusion power and the like? If it can mess with electric attacks, it's only logical it can mess with electrical current in general. More powerful shields you mentioned, but extra power is always useful, and something akin to a Star Trek phaser could be useful if only to avoid being one-trick ponies in terms of capital ship weapons.
- Location
- Here
If there's going to be a magnet-based Secret, ten to one it's monopoles.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
Laser weapons aren't awful. 5S shielding doesn't AUTOMATICALLY no-sell them like it does missiles and mass drivers. It still DOES block them because the laser has to pass through warped space to get them, but it's not so blatantly terrible. But 3S shielding does no-sell laser weapons. They could still have use as point defense, though -- picking off drones or intercepting missiles, especially if you need precision to avoid hitting friendlies.
Our current leading idea for 3S use in warfare is to provide active cooling for weapon and armor systems, allowing us to pump way more energy into our grav guns / shield generators without them melting.
If you're using magnetically-constrained fusion (like we do IRL) then your reactor is already magnetically shielded. Once the electricity has left the reactor, it's the same as any other electricity.
We... probably COULD use the 3rd Secret to build something like a phaser, now that you mention it. A phaser is a constrained plasma weapon, and 3S could probably do that. I'm not entirely sure just how effective it would be. Maybe it would be better as an infantry weapon. (Maybe we already have them in that role.)
We already have the magnet-based Secret. It's the Third. Monopoles... probably? Don't have confirmation on that but I don't see why not.
In addition to power generation, cooling, and EM shielding, the fourth thing that the Third Secret is useful for is personal protection. Emitters are apparently really small, man-portable by default, so they integrate really well into the Iron Maiden armor that Mary has already developed (and no doubt distributed, since this isn't a comic book). Combine this with the thought-acceleration tech we already have and you have all the components of the Extremis Suit from Iron Man.
Still not as powerful as a Unisonbound, but our infantry should be getting close in capabilities to the Shiplord commandos we saw on the Tribute Fleet, and it should all be in a compact enough and portable enough form that every member of our space fleet ought to have something similar to use as a space suit / escape pod, built right into their uniforms. Anything that cuts down on personnel losses when ships are brought down is a wonderful thing, and I'm amused by the idea of a Shiplord vessel destroying a human one, only to let out a swarm of very angry flying lightning ants.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Except that particle beams are just as good on an accuracy level, and can dual-purpose as a viable secondary armament. Naval weapons mix is grav, particle beams and missiles for a reason.
In addition to power generation, cooling, and EM shielding, the fourth thing that the Third Secret is useful for is personal protection. Emitters are apparently really small, man-portable by default, so they integrate really well into the Iron Maiden armor that Mary has already developed (and no doubt distributed, since this isn't a comic book). Combine this with the thought-acceleration tech we already have and you have all the components of the Extremis Suit from Iron Man.
Still not as powerful as a Unisonbound, but our infantry should be getting close in capabilities to the Shiplord commandos we saw on the Tribute Fleet, and it should all be in a compact enough and portable enough form that every member of our space fleet ought to have something similar to use as a space suit / escape pod, built right into their uniforms. Anything that cuts down on personnel losses when ships are brought down is a wonderful thing, and I'm amused by the idea of a Shiplord vessel destroying a human one, only to let out a swarm of very angry flying lightning ants.
What Mary (and Iris) engineered from the tech used to make the latter's skin was time intensive to produce, to the point that as of the TBOS the full functionality was only being deployed to command staff. It also didn't have 3S integration as you'd literally only just worked out how to use it. Recall that the Shiplords that went after Amanda during the SBOS were hanging around in the same general close combat ballpark. Iris can't do that, at least not physically, so humanity has a ways to go before they can match up against Shiplords on a personal combat level. They're closer than they were, certainly, but still not there yet.
What everyone in the TBOS did have, however, was a nanoshell escape pod built into their uniform. Of course, given the energies involved a lot of people still died. But it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
I would argue "good enough" instead of "just as good" because particle beams aren't lightspeed. But good enough is indeed good enough, because in exchange for only moving at .95c instead of 1c you get several orders of magnitude more damage output, and at point defense ranges the difference in velocity is negligible.
But the reminder about particle beams is a good one -- phasers are a type of particle beam, so while our point defense weaponry doesn't really strictly match the definition of a phaser they're close enough to be a meaningful comparison.
- Location
- Somewhere.
...Okay, there's actually one thing I'm wondering.
Is it at all possible to weaponize whatever principle is behind the lagless comms?
Is it at all possible to weaponize whatever principle is behind the lagless comms?
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Work out how they work and find out
My semester is now officially done, and I have a week off before the second one starts, which means the edge stress of waiting for grades to come through is gone. I passed, in case people are interested.
I will update before the end of this month. It's just...yeah. It's way too easy to stress about things when you care about them.
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- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Work out how they work and find out
My semester is now officially done, and I have a week off before the second one starts, which means the edge stress of waiting for grades to come through is gone. I passed, in case people are interested.
I will update before the end of this month. It's just...yeah. It's way too easy to stress about things when you care about them.
In 40K, they have Conversion Beamers, which release small streams of anti-matter particles, presumably contained in a magnetic bubble, that pops when they hit something with significant density and releases its deadly payload. The downside being that they're stupidly heavy because of all the safety measures and capacitors. Because anti-matter and you don't want that field breaking down early. They also have Grav-Pisols, which can project a field of altered gravity at a target, making it more dangerous the more mass the target has. They even figured out how to make mauls with the same tech, though they functioned like warhammers. Finally, they have Neutron Lasers, which fire streams of neutrons to ripe enemy armor apart on the molecular level, and fry nearby systems from the EM wave. Any of this viable?
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The grav-pistols are pretty much just handheld versions of the standard grav-shear naval weapons, so possible but might need a bit more experience with the Fifth Secret to miniaturize. Neutron Lasers and Conversion Beamers as you describe them are just subtypes of particle weapons, so they're in pretty much the same boat where it's just a question of manufacturing ones of the desired size. Assuming Practice-verse humanity considers making super fancy high-energy infantry weapons worth it's while, which they might not.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Hey, do you want to get in melee range of Shiplords?
- Location
- Somewhere out there
If you're within pistol range you're already too close.
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
If you're within pistol range you're already too close.
Fair enough. What about machine gun/cannon range?
Can Speaking be delivered via comm?Work out how they work and find out
Human power armor is barely able to keep up with the autonomous drones that Shiplords seed around as a distraction. For the forseeable future, if the Shiplords ever get close enough to field an actual infantry deployment on a planet we'd be more likely to survive by just glassing the planet from orbit and moving to orbitals and space stations.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
To be fair, our power armor has gotten better since then. But we were also fighting Regular Fleet class enemies... who knows if War Fleets are packing even better infantry.
Based on the way War Fleets are apparently all guns/FTL and routinely carry a sunbusting weapon to make sure they don't have to fight inside a stellar exclusion zone, I'd assume War Fleets also lie in the "Don't bother with ground combat, just glass the planet with naval weaponry" school of doctrine. Except, you know - sometimes with sun being used instead of planet.
I agree, to the extent that there's no real upside in investing research into ground-based weaponry beyond what will just come naturally from space-based weapons (Third Secret emitters, Sixth Secret spacesuits, neural acceleration, etc), but I don't think we can say categorically they won't have any ability to project an infantry force. And, once the War Fleet is destroyed, we might well have to worry about massed ground forces in tandem with the second War Fleet that gets directed our way.
In addition, unless we want to play the Shiplords' game and escalate to nova-bombing their stars, we'll have to consider ground invasion forces eventually, especially if we're going to try to force a surrender rather than commit xenocide. Just because we haven't yet seen any sign that the Shiplords aren't anything other than an unbelievably vicious monoculture of insincere, hypocritical religious zealots doesn't mean that they truly are all evil. We'll need to go out there and investigate, and we can't do that if we nova-bomb every hostile planet we come across.
- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
We don't even know how Shiplords organize their infrastructure and whether their culture even has a "civilian" group. Planetary groundside Infantry/spacemarine training will eventually need to be addressed though, if we ever want to get more than just wreckage out of them.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
I shall state for the record that these answers below are essentially all correct:
Points for asking, but no.
You were fighting Tribute Fleet class enemies, actually. But according to Insight, there isn't that much of a difference between the Regular Fleet drone troops and the Tribute Fleet ones. The Shiplords appear to be fans of the same ground combat development philosophy that @TheEyes has suggested humanity follow.
Insight has given you confirmation that they do have a pretty significant civilian population. You actually have some cultural data on them, but it's kinda unhelpful for your purposes. No easy fracture points as far as you can tell, and there's a bunch that was scrubbed from the databases when it became apparent that they might be captured.
Update is finally done and currently getting betaed. I'll post it before I head to bed.
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A Fleeting Morn
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
"You're sure?" Mary asked quietly from the seat next to you, her slender hands wrapped around the mug of coffee that was her morning drink of choice. Delicious smells filled the air, and the gentle crackle and hissing of bacon and pancakes came from beyond the partition that led through to your home's small kitchen. Iris' work, this time. She'd been quite insistent about it.
Warm light filtered in through the open windows, and the flowers and small trees in the garden beyond stretched up towards its gentle caress. The Martian summer was moving into full bloom, and it was hard to imagine a more idyllic picture. Green grass, stretching out to a thicket of trees where you both knew children from all over the neighbourhood often played. White curtains framed the image, a picturesque vision of peace that you knew was true. And yet also a façade, for the reality just beyond it, far above the sky.
"I trust what I experienced," you said, replying to the most obvious question. You weren't actually sure which one your friend was asking. "Whatever it was, Mary, it wasn't a dream. Sidra's looked over it all, and they believe it's true, too. There's no way to prove it, not without Tahkel contacting Insight, but-"
"Not that," Mary shushed you gently, moving one hand from her cup to rest on yours. Your fingers twined together a moment later. "I trust you, Mandy. You know that," there was no reprimand to the reminder. "I meant are you sure you want to do this today?"
"I don't think I have a choice," you sighed, helplessly. Your fingers tightened, squeezing gently. "I know that my memories won't fade, Sidra can keep them. But there's no chance that the Shiplords didn't get away with full resolution scans of Kaliah's event and my," how did you express that? Almost losing control when I'd never thought I had anything to lose control of? "My," you tried again, only for the words to slip away.
"Your outburst?" Iris asked, appearing at the doorway from the kitchen with three plates balanced precisely in the air around her. Her hair was longer today, and much brighter; a swirling mix of vibrant greens and blues. She smiled a little shamefacedly. "You know I can't help hearing most of the time. Not for you and Mary, not after," she broke off, not wanting to say what she'd wailed into your arms the night before. Not something that she wanted to think about right now, and you wouldn't make her.
"That's a good word. Outburst, I mean," you added before her look of confusion could spread too far. But it didn't detract from your point. "The difference in how the Tribute Fleet and the Regulars reacted to Practice use on that scale was telling, but I can't imagine that Insight got it wrong. When the Regulars get to a relay we're going right to the top of the priority list, even after the rest of the Group of Six gets involved. And," Iris reached the table, and the plates around her glided down to the table settings, bringing you up short.
"Not when there's food on the table, mom," your daughter said primly, making you both smile. It was a rule you'd instituted when Iris had still been a child, and which you'd held to since. Life as President had made working during your meals a simple reality. But you'd remembered a similar rule from your own parents, that meals were a place for family. Not work, or the fears of tomorrow. And, well, you had a feeling that you should grab those moments as often as you could. In the yawning abyss that was opening before humanity, the time for even this might become hard to find.
"This looks lovely, Iris," Mary remarked, poking experimentally at one of the pancakes before grinning. "You've been practicing, haven't you?"
"Yes," your daughter nodded, her eyes sparkling with the joy of a job recognised as well done. "On Aya and Nei," she laughed. "Aya kept on telling me that pancakes for breakfast every day isn't a balanced diet. But she always ate them."
"Exactly how many months did you make these for them until you were satisfied?" You asked casually, taking a quick bite from your own plate to avoid your daughter's glower. They were done just right.
"How many months did you make them until you were satisfied?" She riposted in good cheer, placing carefully sliced sections of bacon onto each of her pancakes.
You laughed. "I didn't do it concurrently, that makes it different."
Mary looked back and forth between you, then shook her head. "You're absolutely hopeless," she said, around a warm smile. She took another bite, chewing considerately before swallowing and nodding once. "But I guess that good pancakes make you both worth it."
"I suppose that there are worse things to be wanted for than your skillet," you mused, a sly smile stretching across your face as you turned to look at Iris. "Is that why Aya and Nei put up with you?"
There was a simple pleasure in getting your daughter to blush solid scarlet. The laughter that followed was good, but the feelings behind it meant so much more. Maybe that was the point? The soul existed; it was something that could be quantified. You were even starting to understand it. But the heart was more than anyone could yet put words to. Laughter was good for the soul, but family…family was good for the heart. You knew which one you valued more. That you'd always value more. After all, it hadn't been the soul that had made the Circles work. Not in the beginning.
:You will need to leave soon, if you want to make your meeting,: Sidra sent, as you swallowed down the last few bites of your breakfast. The Unison's voice was apologetic.
:I know,: you replied, wrapping your message in the same feelings that you felt surrounding you. They were part of your family too. They deserved to feel this. :Are we going together, or are the others coming?:
:That's their choice,: it was almost a reproof, but the care behind it was obvious. :But what do you think?:
:That I don't make sucker bets: Your mental tone was a smile, and the feeling of a breaking dawn. It wasn't hard to put an echo of that into the words you spoke verbally a moment later. "So, after we get these dishes done, will you be joining me?" It wasn't, quite, a violation of the rule. Close, yes, but still acceptable.
"We'll go with you," Mary said, "but being in there with you? That's up to you, Mandy, at least for me."
"Hmm?" You asked wordlessly, directing your gaze to Iris. Your daughter's hair brightened in tune with her smile.
"Vision's busy with cleanup," she said simply. That would explain it. With only two AIs in the entire system, there was a limit to the amount of safe storage available. If Vision was busy, Iris was the only being capable of operating the highest level of security apparatus whilst ensuring a full record would be kept. She could secure her memories of the event, for future generations to remember. No other could. And she was willing to shoulder that burden, even now.
There was nothing else for it. You leant across the table, and pulled the young AI into a fierce hug. She made a small sound of surprise, but leaned into the motion without complain. "I'm so proud of you," you murmured into her hair.
"I had good role models," she said quietly, speaking only as you both drew back from each other. "You and Mary, and my friends. I'm…going to have to see them again, soon. I hope they're all alright." It wasn't just Aya and Nei that she was worried about, either.
"I can't imagine that we won't be staying a few days, sweetie. And the Residence is always open to you." It was something of a moot point, given how she had access to the security protocols, but it was the thought that counted.
"Thanks, mom." Iris straightened, her hair fading into gentler shades. She nodded resolutely. "I think I'll take you up on that. But we shouldn't keep Adri waiting."
"No," Mary said from the door, setting your three plates down into the washer. "We definitely shouldn't. Did Sidra file a flight plan?"
You checked. :Thanks,: you sent, speaking a moment later. "We have an administrative priority path, courtesy of our host. There's a Cabinet shuttle waiting for us at the spaceport. Do either of you need to take anything?"
"Anything we need, we can get there." Your friend stated, stepping back into the room and heading for the door. "Let's go."
The flight to Prometheus proved uneventful and you put the quiet to good use. You and Mary went over the notes you'd made, making sure to tease out every single detail with Sidra's help. Your Unison's ability to look back into your mind and pick out what had occurred was utterly invaluable in that endeavour. With that, and your friend's help, you were able to lay everything out and then split it down into three distinct sections. As your shuttle began its approach towards the most powerful of humanity's defence platforms, hanging tens of thousands of kilometres above Earth, only one question remained. Which one to begin on?
That question stayed with you through docking, out into the secured bay you'd visited less than six months ago, to discover the date of the invasion your species had just smashed. It stayed with you as you followed the same path of shining, empty corridors deep into the station to the secure conference room at its heart.
And it was still with you as you reached the door to that place, and found Mary beside you, her face drawn. "Do you want me to come with you?" She asked, at last. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go into that room, if she should come with you. And in this, you knew, your opinion would matter. If you wanted her there, then she'd be able to enter. Given where your encounter had taken place, it was more than likely that Mary would be asked to lend her expertise to the conversation. But that would be someone else asking. Did you want to?
Do you ask Mary to come with you?
[] [Mary] Yes
[] [Mary] No
Yet the larger question still whispered at the edge of your mind. Once you'd introduced the event responsible for this meeting, where did you take the conversation next? Tahkel had offered your race a great deal, and the explanations would give your audience context as to the nature and capabilities of the Uninvolved. It was easy to say that you knew they were telling the truth, but the people you were about to talk to had to weigh those words against all of humanity.
Then what if the best option would be to begin with the truest promise they'd offered, and one that you knew would strike close to home now that the war was upon you all. Tahkel had only offered you the possibility, but you knew what the cost of this war would be if you fought it as Insight had predicted you would. Entire star systems would burn, and when the war finally ended, the victors would reign over a shattered galaxy. For freedom, that cost was worth it. But what if it didn't have to be paid? A chance to change the shape of victory could be worth more than anything else. The only problem was that starting there might be too much as an opener.
The door hissed open, to reveal a room that you knew well by now, and you stepped inside. Adriana and the rest were already there, and you noted your daughter's movements slow a touch as she interfaced with the security systems. She'd done so before, you knew, but this was her first time doing it alone. Of course she'd be careful.
"You really don't believe in doing anything by halves, do you Mandy," The harsh lines on Adriana's face reflected the tiredness that you'd felt this morning, and you doubted she'd had time to sleep properly since. You hoped she'd pay attention to those needs soon. The advanced versions of Prologue and other Sixth Secret systems she possessed could hold them at bay for a while. They couldn't eliminate them entirely.
"I can honestly state that I'm completely innocent this time," you replied, meeting the gaze of your friend and protégé with a warm smile. The Presidency had exacted the costs it always did, you could see them in her green eyes. The sparks of a bright, caring mind cut sharp by the world that she sought to protect. You recognised that look. You saw it every day, in your mirror. "Hello, Adriana."
"What have you got for us?" Straight to the point, then. But which one?
How do you begin your explanation?
[] [Begin] What is Offered – Begin with what Tahkel had offered humanity, and the reasons why. Not for your help, but because they felt it was owed. They might not exist in the physical world you know, but they are still the same as you, in some ways. And they have offered a great many gifts, freely.
[] [Begin] A New Shape – Get the bombshell out of the way. That there might be another way out of this war, and that the Uninvolved are offering you a way to find it. It needs said. Everything else is secondary.
[] [Begin] To Give Freedom – The Uninvolved are beings of vast power, you know this, but the truth of their ability to wield that power is very different. So different, in fact, that humanity is capable of offering them something. Explain the Shiplord web, why the Uninvolved fear them, and how humanity might be able to change that.
Warm light filtered in through the open windows, and the flowers and small trees in the garden beyond stretched up towards its gentle caress. The Martian summer was moving into full bloom, and it was hard to imagine a more idyllic picture. Green grass, stretching out to a thicket of trees where you both knew children from all over the neighbourhood often played. White curtains framed the image, a picturesque vision of peace that you knew was true. And yet also a façade, for the reality just beyond it, far above the sky.
"I trust what I experienced," you said, replying to the most obvious question. You weren't actually sure which one your friend was asking. "Whatever it was, Mary, it wasn't a dream. Sidra's looked over it all, and they believe it's true, too. There's no way to prove it, not without Tahkel contacting Insight, but-"
"Not that," Mary shushed you gently, moving one hand from her cup to rest on yours. Your fingers twined together a moment later. "I trust you, Mandy. You know that," there was no reprimand to the reminder. "I meant are you sure you want to do this today?"
"I don't think I have a choice," you sighed, helplessly. Your fingers tightened, squeezing gently. "I know that my memories won't fade, Sidra can keep them. But there's no chance that the Shiplords didn't get away with full resolution scans of Kaliah's event and my," how did you express that? Almost losing control when I'd never thought I had anything to lose control of? "My," you tried again, only for the words to slip away.
"Your outburst?" Iris asked, appearing at the doorway from the kitchen with three plates balanced precisely in the air around her. Her hair was longer today, and much brighter; a swirling mix of vibrant greens and blues. She smiled a little shamefacedly. "You know I can't help hearing most of the time. Not for you and Mary, not after," she broke off, not wanting to say what she'd wailed into your arms the night before. Not something that she wanted to think about right now, and you wouldn't make her.
"That's a good word. Outburst, I mean," you added before her look of confusion could spread too far. But it didn't detract from your point. "The difference in how the Tribute Fleet and the Regulars reacted to Practice use on that scale was telling, but I can't imagine that Insight got it wrong. When the Regulars get to a relay we're going right to the top of the priority list, even after the rest of the Group of Six gets involved. And," Iris reached the table, and the plates around her glided down to the table settings, bringing you up short.
"Not when there's food on the table, mom," your daughter said primly, making you both smile. It was a rule you'd instituted when Iris had still been a child, and which you'd held to since. Life as President had made working during your meals a simple reality. But you'd remembered a similar rule from your own parents, that meals were a place for family. Not work, or the fears of tomorrow. And, well, you had a feeling that you should grab those moments as often as you could. In the yawning abyss that was opening before humanity, the time for even this might become hard to find.
"This looks lovely, Iris," Mary remarked, poking experimentally at one of the pancakes before grinning. "You've been practicing, haven't you?"
"Yes," your daughter nodded, her eyes sparkling with the joy of a job recognised as well done. "On Aya and Nei," she laughed. "Aya kept on telling me that pancakes for breakfast every day isn't a balanced diet. But she always ate them."
"Exactly how many months did you make these for them until you were satisfied?" You asked casually, taking a quick bite from your own plate to avoid your daughter's glower. They were done just right.
"How many months did you make them until you were satisfied?" She riposted in good cheer, placing carefully sliced sections of bacon onto each of her pancakes.
You laughed. "I didn't do it concurrently, that makes it different."
Mary looked back and forth between you, then shook her head. "You're absolutely hopeless," she said, around a warm smile. She took another bite, chewing considerately before swallowing and nodding once. "But I guess that good pancakes make you both worth it."
"I suppose that there are worse things to be wanted for than your skillet," you mused, a sly smile stretching across your face as you turned to look at Iris. "Is that why Aya and Nei put up with you?"
There was a simple pleasure in getting your daughter to blush solid scarlet. The laughter that followed was good, but the feelings behind it meant so much more. Maybe that was the point? The soul existed; it was something that could be quantified. You were even starting to understand it. But the heart was more than anyone could yet put words to. Laughter was good for the soul, but family…family was good for the heart. You knew which one you valued more. That you'd always value more. After all, it hadn't been the soul that had made the Circles work. Not in the beginning.
:You will need to leave soon, if you want to make your meeting,: Sidra sent, as you swallowed down the last few bites of your breakfast. The Unison's voice was apologetic.
:I know,: you replied, wrapping your message in the same feelings that you felt surrounding you. They were part of your family too. They deserved to feel this. :Are we going together, or are the others coming?:
:That's their choice,: it was almost a reproof, but the care behind it was obvious. :But what do you think?:
:That I don't make sucker bets: Your mental tone was a smile, and the feeling of a breaking dawn. It wasn't hard to put an echo of that into the words you spoke verbally a moment later. "So, after we get these dishes done, will you be joining me?" It wasn't, quite, a violation of the rule. Close, yes, but still acceptable.
"We'll go with you," Mary said, "but being in there with you? That's up to you, Mandy, at least for me."
"Hmm?" You asked wordlessly, directing your gaze to Iris. Your daughter's hair brightened in tune with her smile.
"Vision's busy with cleanup," she said simply. That would explain it. With only two AIs in the entire system, there was a limit to the amount of safe storage available. If Vision was busy, Iris was the only being capable of operating the highest level of security apparatus whilst ensuring a full record would be kept. She could secure her memories of the event, for future generations to remember. No other could. And she was willing to shoulder that burden, even now.
There was nothing else for it. You leant across the table, and pulled the young AI into a fierce hug. She made a small sound of surprise, but leaned into the motion without complain. "I'm so proud of you," you murmured into her hair.
"I had good role models," she said quietly, speaking only as you both drew back from each other. "You and Mary, and my friends. I'm…going to have to see them again, soon. I hope they're all alright." It wasn't just Aya and Nei that she was worried about, either.
"I can't imagine that we won't be staying a few days, sweetie. And the Residence is always open to you." It was something of a moot point, given how she had access to the security protocols, but it was the thought that counted.
"Thanks, mom." Iris straightened, her hair fading into gentler shades. She nodded resolutely. "I think I'll take you up on that. But we shouldn't keep Adri waiting."
"No," Mary said from the door, setting your three plates down into the washer. "We definitely shouldn't. Did Sidra file a flight plan?"
You checked. :Thanks,: you sent, speaking a moment later. "We have an administrative priority path, courtesy of our host. There's a Cabinet shuttle waiting for us at the spaceport. Do either of you need to take anything?"
"Anything we need, we can get there." Your friend stated, stepping back into the room and heading for the door. "Let's go."
***
The flight to Prometheus proved uneventful and you put the quiet to good use. You and Mary went over the notes you'd made, making sure to tease out every single detail with Sidra's help. Your Unison's ability to look back into your mind and pick out what had occurred was utterly invaluable in that endeavour. With that, and your friend's help, you were able to lay everything out and then split it down into three distinct sections. As your shuttle began its approach towards the most powerful of humanity's defence platforms, hanging tens of thousands of kilometres above Earth, only one question remained. Which one to begin on?
That question stayed with you through docking, out into the secured bay you'd visited less than six months ago, to discover the date of the invasion your species had just smashed. It stayed with you as you followed the same path of shining, empty corridors deep into the station to the secure conference room at its heart.
And it was still with you as you reached the door to that place, and found Mary beside you, her face drawn. "Do you want me to come with you?" She asked, at last. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go into that room, if she should come with you. And in this, you knew, your opinion would matter. If you wanted her there, then she'd be able to enter. Given where your encounter had taken place, it was more than likely that Mary would be asked to lend her expertise to the conversation. But that would be someone else asking. Did you want to?
Do you ask Mary to come with you?
[] [Mary] Yes
[] [Mary] No
Yet the larger question still whispered at the edge of your mind. Once you'd introduced the event responsible for this meeting, where did you take the conversation next? Tahkel had offered your race a great deal, and the explanations would give your audience context as to the nature and capabilities of the Uninvolved. It was easy to say that you knew they were telling the truth, but the people you were about to talk to had to weigh those words against all of humanity.
Then what if the best option would be to begin with the truest promise they'd offered, and one that you knew would strike close to home now that the war was upon you all. Tahkel had only offered you the possibility, but you knew what the cost of this war would be if you fought it as Insight had predicted you would. Entire star systems would burn, and when the war finally ended, the victors would reign over a shattered galaxy. For freedom, that cost was worth it. But what if it didn't have to be paid? A chance to change the shape of victory could be worth more than anything else. The only problem was that starting there might be too much as an opener.
The door hissed open, to reveal a room that you knew well by now, and you stepped inside. Adriana and the rest were already there, and you noted your daughter's movements slow a touch as she interfaced with the security systems. She'd done so before, you knew, but this was her first time doing it alone. Of course she'd be careful.
"You really don't believe in doing anything by halves, do you Mandy," The harsh lines on Adriana's face reflected the tiredness that you'd felt this morning, and you doubted she'd had time to sleep properly since. You hoped she'd pay attention to those needs soon. The advanced versions of Prologue and other Sixth Secret systems she possessed could hold them at bay for a while. They couldn't eliminate them entirely.
"I can honestly state that I'm completely innocent this time," you replied, meeting the gaze of your friend and protégé with a warm smile. The Presidency had exacted the costs it always did, you could see them in her green eyes. The sparks of a bright, caring mind cut sharp by the world that she sought to protect. You recognised that look. You saw it every day, in your mirror. "Hello, Adriana."
"What have you got for us?" Straight to the point, then. But which one?
How do you begin your explanation?
[] [Begin] What is Offered – Begin with what Tahkel had offered humanity, and the reasons why. Not for your help, but because they felt it was owed. They might not exist in the physical world you know, but they are still the same as you, in some ways. And they have offered a great many gifts, freely.
[] [Begin] A New Shape – Get the bombshell out of the way. That there might be another way out of this war, and that the Uninvolved are offering you a way to find it. It needs said. Everything else is secondary.
[] [Begin] To Give Freedom – The Uninvolved are beings of vast power, you know this, but the truth of their ability to wield that power is very different. So different, in fact, that humanity is capable of offering them something. Explain the Shiplord web, why the Uninvolved fear them, and how humanity might be able to change that.
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Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
This took way too long. I've expressed the reasoning further up, but for those who weren't monitoring it had to do with waiting for my end of semester results coming through. That is now done (I passed, huzzah!)and thing should settle back into the usual schedule again over the next few weeks. Really sorry about the long wait, this update just refused to come together until the last few days - funnily enough, after I got my last marks back. Many thanks go to @Baughn for betaing this for me, and I hope you've found it an enjoyable read!
The following sections will cover the basic introduction of movers and shakers to the Uninvolved becoming, well, Involved, and also what humanity decides to do with that knowledge. Those of you watching closely will probably be able to guess why I was saying that research ideas might be...less than directly useful for this quest once this 'chapter' is done. I'll be aiming to get onto the next one by the end of February.
The following sections will cover the basic introduction of movers and shakers to the Uninvolved becoming, well, Involved, and also what humanity decides to do with that knowledge. Those of you watching closely will probably be able to guess why I was saying that research ideas might be...less than directly useful for this quest once this 'chapter' is done. I'll be aiming to get onto the next one by the end of February.