»EXTRNL: "Freckles"

[Geno]

...neural.uplink detected...
...starting encryption...establishing connection...
identified: Lazurith
transmission point of origin: OMI-LXRB54-CC37.node
current transmission has been successfully relayed to: 21 nodes with a delay of: 6 minutes
⚠ ERROR: 0xASPEN - user is conversing with a doofus
⚠ ERROR: 0x0baa07 - user inputted error "0xASPEN" is not an actual data-linked error notice

...TRANSLATING DATA...

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Hi Freckles, thought I'd hit you up after not hearing you for quite some time now. Is everything alright? Have you contracted terminal toxic poisoning from clutching the boron rock of guidance too hard?

By the way, Rev and I found this at your doorstep. The Radio operators told us they were the FLAGSHIP of the Royal Navy. Honestly? I don't blame them. Ikky has turned into a wonderful tourist location. Now the Kusarians want in, too.

All jokes aside, you ought to be careful in the Taus. We can only cause so many diplomatic international incidents to keep them away from the station.

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[Proselyte]

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From: Error: Origin Unknown - Dr. Aspen Harlow

Subject: Tough Stuff

Encryption Strength: Impossible

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Is everything alright?

I... honestly don't know.

I don't think I can even be around Ikarus anymore. You know why. I just stopped by to pick up something from my office, and there they were again, waiting for me as soon as I left the hangar. I just hope it's only me. If I spend too much time there, eventually it'll be the whole staff. I'm not risking that, so I've been at the "Gardens" since I left you. Looks like they've got enough to worry about already without me making it worse. So, goodbye to one home. And maybe Liberty'll take the other one while they're at it, if things get bad enough. Ain't that just lovely?

I'm trying to keep wearing my best face for everybody. But it's getting pretty hard.

So I won't be leaving, not yet. I met with Wolf again. He gave me some stuff to reflect on, too. A lot's changing for me over here.

If you could swing by, I think I'd like that. Tomorrow, maybe?

--Dr. Aspen Harlow
Exploration, SLRC

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...standby. Checking packet...
...packet successfully sent.

[Geno]

...neural.uplink detected...
...starting encryption...establishing connection...
identified: Lazurith
transmission point of origin: OMI-PQRCC5-NU.node
current transmission has been successfully relayed to: 21 nodes with a delay of: 2 minutes
⚠ ERROR: 0xb443s - externally damaged or compromised video feed

...TRANSLATING DATA...

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Yes, of course... I can come by. I get the feeling he told you a lot of nasty things you really didn't want to hear.
I am stuck on a Zoner station right now, one I had to be towed to because of...
[He pointed towards his eyes with a dismissive gesture.]
I'll try to get some medication for it somewhere, at least enough to numb the pain a little. My visor works, for now. I can only hope it can lead me all the way there.
Besides, I can't really miss out on all the gossip, can I? Sit tight.

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[Proselyte]

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From: "Freeport 14" - Dr. Aspen Harlow

Subject: Hey, Nerd

Encryption Strength: Impossible

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You said you had some sort of problem on your hands. What's up?

Have anything to do with your distrust of Edison? He seemed to remember me, figured he was an alright enough guy. Talkative, for sure, but willing to watch our backs.

--Dr. Aspen Harlow
Exploration, SLRC

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...standby. Checking packet...
...packet successfully sent.

[Geno]

...neural.uplink detected...
...starting encryption...establishing connection...
identified: Lazurith
transmission point of origin: Elgin
current transmission has been successfully relayed to: 0 nodes with a delay of: 0 minutes

...TRANSLATING DATA...

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Hello, Unpaid Shrink Lady. Been a while since we used this.

No, it's a little more interesting than this roaming Freelancer who's claiming to help us. Stars know we've had too many of his ilk, and honestly actions speak louder than words lately, we'll see how he's going to behave.

Hear me out. Do you remember that... dingy, marred Defiant gunboat we fished out of that impossibly abnormal system? I've happened to pass by Kepler not too long ago, and decided to... gently use communication signals to beckon it to come to me, by connecting to that remote-access probe I launched in the gut of that thing. Knowing the Prophet's nature though, of course I just had to "summon" a single one of those little blue monsters. But it was so tiny, it probably didn't even account for the horrendous amount of radiation from the Prophet before diving in.

But regardless, I tried to fiddle with the internal data for a little bit. It turns out that it's former name was actually the INX-Calypso. I could not recover anything that wasn't corrupted from the ship's logs, save for that tidbit mentioning it's name multiple times on some kind of string of data. Everything else was still pretty much beyond the point of recovery. I tried to restart it's systems, and it instantly began to fire on me, on the account of us being at odds with the Insurgency. I definitely risked my neck out there again, because typing a plethora of commands to wrestle control over an AI while being shot at while being slowly burned to a crisp thanks to the absurd amount radiation turned out to be a terrible idea. And by the skin of my teeth, I've somehow managed to send it inside the Baxter to a far-away location in the Omegas using my ship's uploaded travel logs, so for the time being it's going to bathe in the warm colors of the Walker and sit there until I'm going to call it back and face another hysteric barrage of fire red neutron blasters.

In short, I tried to tame a wild animal and I've postponed the "calm it down until you can assert control" part by sending it several light years away.

Look at how cocksure and smug this thing was moments before I've sent it packing. It's just RELISHING the victory it scored over me.

attachment name: TRS-PR5523001-IHATEYOUSTOPSHOOTINGME.gnc

On an unrelated note, I've uploaded a short message to my uplink about that Hemlocke shebang. We can both stop sweating bullets until he will call you back to Alcatraz.

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[Proselyte]

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From: "Bethlehem Station" - Dr. Aspen Harlow

Subject: Riding the Tiger

Encryption Strength: Impossible

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Pftheheheh.

Look at this Liberty bucket, all sorts of puffed up. Turrets arced to the side like it's turnin' up the nose at ya. You're owed some payback, that's for sure.

If you told Imogen about wrangling this thing back through the aether so soon after we talked about it offhand, you'd send her spinnin' so fast you could use her to drill through the hull. A truly frightening amount of prescience on display from us. Calypso, huh? I liked Theseus, personally, but uh, turns out that's actually the name of Von Christman's ship. Just imagine the statistical improbabilities of all these predictions one after the other if you want to feel wondrously small for a second. Coincidence is intentional, right?

Still, this is amazing stuff. You said you're able to send it to precise coordinates through the breach? If it wasn't currently trying to murder you on sight, that could be a real asset.

Got any ideas on how to wrangle this thing? This is definitely more your domain than mine, plus I'm caught up checking in with people in Penny.

--Dr. Aspen Harlow
Exploration, SLRC

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...standby. Checking packet...
...packet successfully sent.

[Geno]

...neural.uplink detected...
...starting encryption...establishing connection...
identified: Lazurith
transmission point of origin: Elgin
current transmission has been successfully relayed to: 3 nodes with a delay of: 1 minutes
⚠ ERROR: 0xb443s - check "DIAGNOSTICS" log

...TRANSLATING DATA...

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Well, no. Not at the moment. Something tells me I'm gonna need a little more than a single Hawfinch to stop the tiger. There is also a possibility I might've left the tracker on both-way transmissions before sending it to the Omegas, meaning that if I am that astronomically unlucky, Calypso will barge through the next Baxter to turn me into pixie dust along with the Sentinels. Whoops.

But that's a problem for another time. Right now I'm thinking of getting a day or two off to visit Curacao. I'm not sure where exactly, but I'll let the dice roll on that one. I'm just no longer in the mood to be turned into a popsicle for not wearing heat preserving apparatus while taking a stroll on Elgin.

Don't worry. I'll make sure to think twice before doing a vacation on a whim. I really don't need Madcat pointing a gun at me while I'm on a sun lounger.

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[Proselyte]

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From: "SLRC-XV>Cryptomnesia" - Dr. Aspen Harlow

Subject: Melting Point

Encryption Strength: Impossible

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So it could jump you anytime you're near a Baxter?

Well, gosh. You know how to keep things hair-raising, D.

I'd say consult Valentine if you need some weight to throw around. (Don't tell her I worded it like that!) Heck, you know I'll have your back if you need help disabling the thing long enough to sing sweet nothings to it. A new craft I'm sorting out might be able to help with that a bit better than this old takeout box.

But you deserve the rest first, truly. I'd love the chance to catch some sun myself, but there's still so much to get done. Might pay a visit to the Gardens, instead. It feels... overdue.

Also: I've been granted affiliate clearance. Exciting! You'll have to show me around sometime, huh?

--Dr. Aspen Harlow
Exploration, SLRC

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...standby. Checking packet...
...packet successfully sent.

[Geno]

...neural.uplink detected...
...starting encryption...establishing connection...
identified: Lazurith
transmission point of origin: I am inside your walls (customloc?.spoofID=B554)
current transmission has been successfully relayed to: 5 nodes with a delay of: 7 minutes
⚠ AUG-RA01 MALFUNCTION DETECTED: - check "DIAGNOSTICS.btk" log file

...TRANSLATING DATA...

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My greetings, captain Miss Lady Doctor commander Rockowner Aspen Harlow. Um... did I get them all right?

I haven't heard from you in quite a while now. And yes, a couple of days are a lot of time for me. How have you been? I think it's time I returned you this rock, since I've been hearing that things are only getting worse out there in Pennsylvania and I've been having a fair amount of good luck lately. Get this - Raven hasn't chewed me out on absolutely anything lately! Probably on the account of her being busy with meetings, but it doesn't count.

But, uhm. I've been really, really thinking about that whole kerfuffle lately, and how taxing it has been on you. I don't suppose Pinnacle could use the help of an extremely reckless and utterly dashing Rhino pilot? I would love to help you out to the best of my abilities. Let me know what I can do for you ad verbum, word for word. God knows you could use the help and an extra pair of hands for a change.

If you're going to be fine with having me over, not only will you submit yourself to the eternal torment and endless unrest by my chipper mouth and dad jokes, but you will also have to give me a small little rundown on the sitch. I've heard some old man in the Technocracy has been helping your people out, but they're all keeping it hush-hush, since it is definitely not the kind of stuff that should concern an engineer like me.

You do remember what you've told me about sharing each other's burdens, yeah? How about I do the same for you for a change.

Think about it, Aspen. I miss you.

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