The Lucky Penny - Elsewhere thread

[happyturtle]

This thread will be for posting teasers of things happening Elsewhere in Known Space. OOC comments in this thread are fine, just stick them in a spoiler tag.

[happyturtle]

"Will you turn the field off?" the Puppeteer asked.

"I shouldn't," answered Dr Violet Macaura. She did not show it, but she was surprised at his speaking. The Puppeteer had said nothing for many days.

"I will not tell your superiors. If they took you away, there would be no one left worth talking to."

"You hardly talk to me as it is."

"Nevertheless."

"What will you do with the field off?"

"I will use the trance you taught me. I will try and heal."

"My superiors will know without you telling them. The field activity is logged."

"In the computer. Computer records can be amended."

"That would turn an inadvisable activity into an illegal one. You're the criminal, not me."

"Dr Macaura, I am not a criminal."

"So you say, and yet you advise me to commit a crime on your behalf." She tapped at her computer. "The field is off. You have one hour."

"I thank you."

Dr Macaura watched the Puppeteer fold his legs and tuck his unwounded head beneath him. The wounded one stuck out at a painful angle. She had fought for medical treatment, but Dr Rozanes had overruled her. They were legally entitled to withhold treatment until the prisoner cooperated, so long as his life was not in danger, a point that was debatable. Macaura argued that his life was in danger already, Rozanes was confident that they had several more days until amputation was required.

She opened the computer log showing the field activity. Instead of deleting the records, she appended a note. 'Field deactivated for one hour by Macaura.' Let them ask her if they wanted to know why.

She felt a stabbing pain in her head. Migraine. She reached towards the small desk mounted autodoc, but the injured Puppeteer was still in her thoughts. She drew back her hand before inserting it into the 'doc. We'll suffer together, she decided.

[happyturtle]

"It will be soon. I am certain of that. Will you be ready?"

"You doubt my honour?"

"Your honour is unquestioned. I doubt your strength. You are wounded."

"I will be ready when the kzeerkti come. And then I will come for you."

"No. Leave me. First the Pride must be warned."

"They will not take warning from a leaf-eater."

"You are my zarameer. They will listen to you."

"I will come for you when I can."

"It matters very little. While you live, I live as well."

[happyturtle]

She readied her weapon and the door closed in front of her.

-discontinuity-

The door opened. For her, the barest second had passed. Outside that door it had been... how long? Was it a friend or enemy meeting her? She reached out telepathically and absorbed the nearest mind. Georges, as usual. It had been sixteen months. She'd been brought out early, and in an instant, pulled the reason out of his mind.

But better to let him tell her. Not everyone knew what she could do.

"Date?" she asked. He told her. "It's early. Good news or bad?" She lowered her weapon. She'd known she was safe from the first instant she'd touched Georges' mind.

"Bad news I'm afraid, Fra. We've lost the BIANCA prototype, as well as Dr. Clarke and his team."

"Anything else to report?"

"No, Fra."

"Very well," she said, and emerged from the stasis box. "Tell me the whole story. And no, I don't need anything to eat or drink."

"You haven't eaten in four years, Fra."

"This is only the second time I've been out of the box since then, and it's only been an hour for me. Now go on. Tell me what happened."

"The transport was found abandoned, with the entire crew shot dead. Dr Clarke and the prototype were missing."

"I knew he was getting too attached to it," she said. "So he decided to run off somewhere and indulge his paternal feelings. Pity he never had a real child. It would have inoculated him somewhat."

"We lost his trail at the Olive Coast. There's an extensive cave structure there. He may be hiding out there. If he'd prepared ahead with supplies, he could live there indefinitely."

She had already decided what to do, when she'd first pulled this information from his mind. "Collapse the caves. Every known entrance. Use it as a testing ground for missiles."

Georges was shocked. "I thought you would want to recover the--"

"The prototype was a dead end technology, and Dr Clarke's expertise is of little use in other fields."

"But Nora thought--"

"My dear Georges, Nora is a romantic, who thinks a single assassin can change the course of history. I am not. The one individual I would choose to assassinate is not someone who will be susceptible to Bianca's charms. Anyone else can be dealt with in a more traditional--and less resource intensive--fashion. I should have pulled the plug on the project years ago. If Nora objects, then send her to me."

"Yes, Fra."

"Where is Nora now?" she asked, her manner softening. Nora was one of her favourites.

"As of ten days ago, she was on Wunderland. Presumably recovering more specimens."

"Open the box the next time she is here. It has been too long since I've spoken to her."

"Yes, Fra."

She allowed herself twenty minutes outside stasis to catch up on current events, then returned to the box. Again, she readied her weapon, and the door closed in front of her.

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'Fra' is evolved from the German 'Frau' and is used on Wunderland as a term of respectful address to a woman.

[happyturtle]

Blue Sky News. Blue Sky... for a better tomorrow.

Amidst rumours of Kzinti infiltration on the Olive Coast, the Home Guard today began evacuating the region in preparation for missile testing. While General MacInery refused to confirm the reports of Kzinti sightings and missing persons in the area, a Cabinet insider admitted that the Home Guard was closely investigating the situation.

"The Patriarchy denies that they have any operatives on Blue Sky, but of course we urge citizens to report any possible Kzinti sightings, as well as any missing persons or livestock. The missile testing is, of course, an unrelated event, but it is best to be always vigilant."

Residents of the region expressed relief that the Home Guard was getting involved. Long-time Skyer Tarya Schmidt said she doesn't mind having to be resettled after 28 years, because it's all for a good cause.

"I served my time in the Home Guard, and if blowing up my house will help keep the ratcats at bay, then I'd like to be the one to push the button."

During the missile tests, the Westernary Starport will be closed. All ships will be diverted to Memorial or Nordenfeldt until further notice.



OOC:

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Unlike the other items in this thread, this is public information which can be treated as IC knowledge for anyone who is following the local news.

[Thanatos 51-50]

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Is it cool if we Assume Dan is following the news for possible breaks in security and may have read this article, in preperation for the operation?

[happyturtle]

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Yes, is cool.