Chapter 10: Year 300, Days 7 and 8

[joertexas]

A new computer would be lovely. It is 160 thousand, in the box, without installation or software. If we have that much money to spend, is this the best use of it?

"I might add that the computer threatened me when I pressed it about accessing the simulation," Indrani says darkly. "Either we take it out, or I go in with a high voltage probe and burn out every diode it has. In any event, I'm not flying with it. Ever."

[BackworldTraveller]

Assana
I know someone who'd take the old computer off your hands. And second hand versions are available from the salvage trade.

[The Bindoner]

by BackworldTraveller » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:50 pm
Assana
I know someone who'd take the old computer off your hands. And second hand versions are available from the salvage trade.

There is too much of interest in our Queen to sell or trade her. Data that could help or harm us.

Could you find a computer we can afford and trust our lives to? I hate to think what a salvaged machine would bring with it... Nālani makes a disgusted face at the thought.

[joertexas]

by BackworldTraveller » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:50 pm
Assana
I know someone who'd take the old computer off your hands. And second hand versions are available from the salvage trade.

There is too much of interest in our Queen to sell or trade her. Data that could help or harm us.

Could you find a computer we can afford and trust our lives to? I hate to think what a salvaged machine would bring with it... Nālani makes a disgusted face at the thought.

"THe only way that thing is getting off the ship is as slag from my plasma cutter," Indrani says. "Ideally, I'd want to set it up within a false environment that it thinks is the ship, but I don't know if we have the resources to do that."

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

She complies with the phone request and summons the waiter to gather drink orders. Noor orders a bottle of fine wine and examines it when it returns. "This will be fine. Thank you."

"I think I understand the what. But I keep sticking at the how and why. How did this occur? The chip placed by the raiders? But it was acting oddly before that, with the compartmentalized VR. No, I still firmly believe that there is information hidden in the system by someone. The why is also confusing. Is the queen responding to the new chip with heightened defenses to protect what is on the system?"

"As for why we keep being targeted, you heard the Captain speak of the Finns, right? He misunderstood what it meant. It refers to the dolphins. Those genetically modded ones on Poseidon. My Mother was heavily involved with tracking down who was responsible for them and suspected that it didn't stop with dolphins in 277."

Noor takes a drink and motions for others to join her. "We must preserve the system and determine what it holds. I don't know enough to say if we can isolate it or not, but isn't there another solution? Can't we enter VR and deal with the challenges there? It seemed like it was set up for exploration and we just need the correct key. Someone set this up, years ago, and if they just wanted to wipe the info they would have. That we saw what we saw indicates a possible way to access and restore it."

[BackworldTraveller]

n.b. Both Reven and Nālani can recall that the core was a plain cube when they were last aboard

[The Bindoner]

"THe only way that thing is getting off the ship is as slag from my plasma cutter," Indrani says. "Ideally, I'd want to set it up within a false environment that it thinks is the ship, but I don't know if we have the resources to do that."

I might be able to do design that. It is only a matter of replicating expected inputs and responses.

"I think I understand the what. But I keep sticking at the how and why. How did this occur? The chip placed by the raiders? But it was acting oddly before that, with the compartmentalized VR. No, I still firmly believe that there is information hidden in the system by someone. The why is also confusing. Is the queen responding to the new chip with heightened defenses to protect what is on the system?"

"As for why we keep being targeted, you heard the Captain speak of the Finns, right? He misunderstood what it meant. It refers to the dolphins. Those genetically modded ones on Poseidon. My Mother was heavily involved with tracking down who was responsible for them and suspected that it didn't stop with dolphins in 277."

Noor takes a drink and motions for others to join her. "We must preserve the system and determine what it holds. I don't know enough to say if we can isolate it or not, but isn't there another solution? Can't we enter VR and deal with the challenges there? It seemed like it was set up for exploration and we just need the correct key. Someone set this up, years ago, and if they just wanted to wipe the info they would have. That we saw what we saw indicates a possible way to access and restore it."

The chip was there long before the raiders, that is plain. They disabled the computer, if it were theirs they would have used it.

I believe you are right, it is a secure environment for the storage and transfer of confidential information, and it is using the computer to defend itself. In itself it is not a threat, beyond the sending of data, and we can prevent that. Whatever is in there, it is too valuable to destroy, so, we must access it. Whoever designed it had a way in, a password. I am sure that between us we can solve that problem.

These dolphins, they are an interesting complication. What do you think their connection to Jusu's project might be?

[joertexas]

These dolphins, they are an interesting complication. What do you think their connection to Jusu's project might be?

"If I may," Indrani says, lifting a hand in apology, "I believe that our first priority is to install another computer that can safely operate the Queen. I do think it's important that we not damage the existing computer, but we need to operate the ship first. So, how do we go about meeting that goal?"

[The Bindoner]

By fixing the one we have. I believe that is possible in less time than installing a new one. We used our corrupted Queen to get here, and she did not kill us. I think the purpose of this parasite is to gather, store, and transfer information, not destroy the ship or its crew.

This officer we were sent thought he could remove the chip and whatever program it was running. I prefer not to do that, because the artificial environment contains too much vital information, but that would purge the Queen of what concerns you, and save our funds for something more profitable.

We could look into these second-hand computers. A second machine might be a good investment, as a back-up. It could handle comms and avionics while we work on the Queen.

[joertexas]

We could look into these second-hand computers. A second machine might be a good investment, as a back-up. It could handle comms and avionics while we work on the Queen.

Indrani nodded in agreement at this last part. "A backup computer is a good compromise, I think. We can install and test it, after we disconnect the current computer from anything vital." She frowns. "Not to shoot holes in my own idea, but I wonder if disconnecting the current computer from inputs and outputs external to itself would cause it to wipe its data?"

[The Bindoner]

Well, we shall find out. As I said, I disconnected it from the comms. It was calling someone, there was no other choice.

[joertexas]

Well, we shall find out. As I said, I disconnected it from the comms. It was calling someone, there was no other choice.

Indrani nodded. "All right, a second computer. Can we afford one, and where and when can we get it?"

JR

[BackworldTraveller]

The waiter appears with colleagues and distributes the starter course about the table. Enquiries are made about drink status and those orders are fulfilled promptly.

[Monsieur Rose]

I'm trying to confirm a timeline, is this correct?

a) 295--ends contract with PLDES, Reven and Nalani stop working with crew--system is normal as far as they can tell
b) 295-300--impounded and used by multiple parties for clandestine activities, Saffa found on board
c) 300--new crew and captain--system is found to have unique VR subsystems, but not the blue crystal addon
d) 300--raiders board and afterward the 'officially' stolen intelligence crystal is found attached

Examination during period C, before raiders, the Queen was concealing, but not seemingly hostile. After raiders and crystal found, Queen has become more hostile and protective.

Are there any nuances I missed, or are somethings just wrong?

[The Bindoner]

I'm trying to confirm a timeline, is this correct?

a) 295--ends contract with PLDES, Reven and Nalani stop working with crew--system is normal as far as they can tell
b) 295-300--impounded and used by multiple parties for clandestine activities, Saffa found on board
c) 300--new crew and captain--system is found to have unique VR subsystems, but not the blue crystal addon
d) 300--raiders board and afterward the 'officially' stolen intelligence crystal is found attached

Examination during period C, before raiders, the Queen was concealing, but not seemingly hostile. After raiders and crystal found, Queen has become more hostile and protective.

Are there any nuances I missed, or are somethings just wrong?

I don't know if we can say when the blue chip was installed, because we didn't open the conduits/cabinets to find it until we needed to perform repairs after the attack. It may be where the VR environment comes from, in which case it has probably been present for some time prior to the raiders. That's just my impression.

[BackworldTraveller]

Almost - the ships was arrested 10 months after Reven and Nalani left. The two happenings were not quite synchronous!
The quotes about 'officially' are potentially libellous.

[Monsieur Rose]

I don't know if we can say when the blue chip was installed, because we didn't open the conduits/cabinets to find it until we needed to perform repairs after the attack. It may be where the VR environment comes from, in which case it has probably been present for some time prior to the raiders. That's just my impression.

BT, is this correct? Do we know if it was present before the raiders or not? I know that Maggie mentioned that it was recently stolen, do we have a timeline for that? Before or after we took possession of the Queen?

[BackworldTraveller]

I don't know if we can say when the blue chip was installed, because we didn't open the conduits/cabinets to find it until we needed to perform repairs after the attack. It may be where the VR environment comes from, in which case it has probably been present for some time prior to the raiders. That's just my impression.

BT, is this correct? Do we know if it was present before the raiders or not? I know that Maggie mentioned that it was recently stolen, do we have a timeline for that? Before or after we took possession of the Queen?

They were stolen about 2 months before the queen was impounded. About 8 months after Reven and Nalani left.

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth "I'm not much use with computers, but i did have time to look through some of those chips we found in the cabinet. I think there may be clues in them about this surveillance system that's subverting the Queen. But, i'm not much of a user, someone else best take a look."

[The Bindoner]

Reven Stiilpahth "I'm not much use with computers, but i did have time to look through some of those chips we found in the cabinet. I think there may be clues in them about this surveillance system that's subverting the Queen. But, i'm not much of a user, someone else best take a look."

I would be interested in the contents of those chips. The list of names alone needs analysis, and, as you say, there are likely clues to the construction and function of the parasite construct. Assana's new machine and mine both have security software, and mine is built for holo. Between us, we ought to be able to process the chips safely.