Chapter 10: Year 300, Days 7 and 8

[joertexas]

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.

"What can we do for an operational computer while we work on the rest?" Indrani asked.

[BackworldTraveller]

Assana

As I said, I think I know someone who could get you a replacement - There are a number of quite impressive computer bits circulating after the Navy's efforts at reducing the independent shipping fleet in the belt. If you were a navy supporter, they'd sell it to you as scrap for almost nothing. And a lot of stuff circulates on the black-market too - mostly ex-navy!

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth digs into a pocket and hands over most of the chips.

[The Bindoner]

Reven Stiilpahth digs into a pocket and hands over most of the chips.

Nālani accepts the chips with a subtle squeeze of the hand and puts them in the secure pocket of her bag.

Thank you Reven. I will keep them safe and return them when I have copied any data that relates to the current puzzle.

[BackworldTraveller]

Assana
OK - So a power 10 computer. I'm sure he'll be able to find one...Who wants to talk price? Olav could always run circles about me and persuade me I really needed to pay to feed his clan if I wanted to buy a memory chip!

[The Bindoner]

Assana
OK - So a power 10 computer. I'm sure he'll be able to find one...Who wants to talk price? Olav could always run circles about me and persuade me I really needed to pay to feed his clan if I wanted to buy a memory chip!

A good question.

I have been making deals with people like Olav for years, but then he has been playing against opponents like me for years too. We probably know each other's game, so I expect we will reach a fair price.

On the other hand, Noor, you are known as a talented negotiator, but I doubt Olav has sat down with anyone like you. Perhaps you will get better odds and a bigger win?

[joertexas]

"So, Nalani, please head up the effort to obtain us another computer just as soon as you can make that happen. Indrani takes a sip of her water. "That leaves the current computer. The reason we are meeting here is so it cannot eavesdrop on us. When we get back to the ship, we will immediately disable the computer and remove its modules from any power or data transmission source. Everyone will have a role to play, and we will execute our plan as soon as we come back aboard. Questions?"

[SpinwardMarch]

Maggie

Mostly thinking aloud...

None, so far. Creating an air-gapped operational system separate from the current one would be the best thing to do. Given how the AI is set up, it seems to be as much brain surgery as hardware replacement.

Do we really have any idea of how deep into the physical ship the connections go? Is there just one spy chip, or are there others? The theft involved multiple chips.

She is thinking about distributed systems, where there are multiple nodes, all interacting with each other. Will taking the central computer physically offline completely solve the problem?

[BackworldTraveller]

There is a brief moment of silence as the main courses are delivered and the drinks refreshed by the staff.
Will that be all Captain?

[ateno]

Pranit gets nervous and looks around, he did his best to keep this as under the radar as possible. It could be innocent that the waiter is calling her Captian after what she said, but neverless Pranit straightenes up and looks around, hand going towards throwing spheres and getting Thacho's attention.

Pranit

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

"I'd be glad to negotiate with you, Nalani. Let's talk soon about what the exact requirements are. I need a refresher course." She smiles and takes a drink.

"I hear your concern, Captain, really I do. But isn't there another way? Risking the loss of whatever is there is too high a cost in my opinion. Maybe we focus on trying to engage it in VR and defeat the safeguards there. Someone said something about disconnecting it from some of the life support systems and such to limit its reach." She looks around. "Or is that what you're suggesting? I'm a bit over my head, technically."

"To be clear, the queen is my strongest lead to who killed my mother, who is trying to kill me, what happened to Saffa, and a whole host of other concerns. Some of which have system-wide implications. We cannot just trash it."

[The Bindoner]

Noor

"I'd be glad to negotiate with you, Nalani. Let's talk soon about what the exact requirements are. I need a refresher course." She smiles and takes a drink.

"I hear your concern, Captain, really I do. But isn't there another way? Risking the loss of whatever is there is too high a cost in my opinion. Maybe we focus on trying to engage it in VR and defeat the safeguards there. Someone said something about disconnecting it from some of the life support systems and such to limit its reach." She looks around. "Or is that what you're suggesting? I'm a bit over my head, technically."

"To be clear, the queen is my strongest lead to who killed my mother, who is trying to kill me, what happened to Saffa, and a whole host of other concerns. Some of which have system-wide implications. We cannot just trash it."

Nālani smiles at Noor: Ah, we will be a formidable team, I am sure.

I also think there is valuable information in the Queen that I cannot risk destroying. Reven, Assana, her family and I are all targets of the conspiracy that placed that chip. The same people that murdered Saffa, and now seek the death of Noor and the rest of us. I do not doubt that you too, Indrani and Pranit, are now on the same list. This should give you reason to seek the same answers. I am in favour of diverting the Queens control routines into a simulation, or merely isolating them, and engaging the simulation. I am sure we can defeat it, once we do not have to worry about its control of ship systems.

[joertexas]

Noor

"I'd be glad to negotiate with you, Nalani. Let's talk soon about what the exact requirements are. I need a refresher course." She smiles and takes a drink.

"I hear your concern, Captain, really I do. But isn't there another way? Risking the loss of whatever is there is too high a cost in my opinion. Maybe we focus on trying to engage it in VR and defeat the safeguards there. Someone said something about disconnecting it from some of the life support systems and such to limit its reach." She looks around. "Or is that what you're suggesting? I'm a bit over my head, technically."

"To be clear, the queen is my strongest lead to who killed my mother, who is trying to kill me, what happened to Saffa, and a whole host of other concerns. Some of which have system-wide implications. We cannot just trash it."

Nālani smiles at Noor: Ah, we will be a formidable team, I am sure.

I also think there is valuable information in the Queen that I cannot risk destroying. Reven, Assana, her family and I are all targets of the conspiracy that placed that chip. The same people that murdered Saffa, and now seek the death of Noor and the rest of us. I do not doubt that you too, Indrani and Pranit, are now on the same list. This should give you reason to seek the same answers. I am in favour of diverting the Queens control routines into a simulation, or merely isolating them, and engaging the simulation. I am sure we can defeat it, once we do not have to worry about its control of ship systems.

Indrani sits back and looks around the table. "The Queen is a ship, not a research station. While I appreciate the value of the computer, the fact is that it's unreliable and dangerous as an operation al unit. Therefore, we need to immediately isolate it from all ship's systems, and install another computer to control the ship. We might be able to leave the current components in place, but that is an evaluation to be made later. The longer we stay at the dock, the more trouble we attract. So, let's be about it."

[BackworldTraveller]

The waiter returns, clears his throat and says I'm sorry to interrupt. There is an insistent young man on the phone - he says that he thinks someone is trying to do something to your ship and his boss is calling him away.

[ateno]

Pranit stands and holds up his finger to the Captain and heads to take the call. He turns his wrist comp to record noise.
Then goes on alert looking for suspicious characters as he transits.

Pranit

[BackworldTraveller]

While the line is open, there is no sign of anyone on the other end

[The Bindoner]

The waiter returns, clears his throat and says I'm sorry to interrupt. There is an insistent young man on the phone - he says that he thinks someone is trying to do something to your ship and his boss is calling him away.

Nālani tells the waiter: Bring my comm, immediately, please.

She then retrieves her and Assana's computers from the foil-lined bag and, walking a short distance from the table, powers up.

When her comm comes in range she logs in to the CCTV feed and cycles through looking for problems.

Using her HUD she simultaneously calls for a fast taxi to pick the group up from the restaurant.

[BackworldTraveller]

Regrettably - access to the nearest surveillance cameras appears to be denied...Electronics (Computer) roll please!

[ateno]

Pranit sprints back to the group. Grabbing a waiter along the way.

Arriving.

"PROBLEM, Everyone ready, waiter where is the the employee exit?

Pranit

[The Bindoner]

Regrettably - access to the nearest surveillance cameras appears to be denied...Electronics (Computer) roll please!

[_2d6]=(5+2)=7 (+1 skill, +2 Int = 10 ?)

Captain, would you call the authourities and request assistance? We are regrettably poorly equipped and located to deal with this situation alone.