"This is Synth Foods Escort 13 Leader! We've lost... Ms. Rodham! Repeat! Gemma Rodham is dead!
Her liner was torn apart down by a Liberty... a goddamn... Siege Cruiser! I'm being pursued by LSF ships! They're using Magma Hammers!
My coordinates are Delta-7-C-0, near the New York Jump Hole! I'm right here! Hellllllllp! Hellllllllllllllllllllllp!"
-"Open Pending File 1 of 1 for editing. Line 2, change Liberty for pretty, change Siege for Rogue, change LSF for HF. Line 3, change Delta-7-C-0 for Delta-3-C-0, and change York for Galileo. Display Pending File 1 of 1 with these edits please."
Displaying Current Edit of Pending File 1 of 1...
"This is Synth Foods Escort 13 Leader! We've lost... Ms. Rodham! Repeat! Gemma Rodham is dead!
Her liner was torn apart down by a pretty... a goddamn... Rogue Cruiser! I'm now being pursued by HF ships! They're using Magma Hammers!
My coordinates are Delta-3-C-0, near the new Galileo Jump Hole! I'm right here! Hellllllllp! Hellllllllllllllllllllllp!"
-[laughs out loud] "Great, save changes and upload. Scan for new signals now."
ARCHIVED FILES PENDING FILES >SIGNAL SCAN<
Scanning...
Two Signals detected.
New Signal 1 of 2: Message | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Auxesia | Security: Very High
New Signal 2 of 2: Transmission | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Xenos | Security: High
-[sighs] "Disregard New Signal 1 of 2. Display New Signal 2 of 2."
Displaying New Signal 2 of 2...
"...get that funny ol' fool Dix to meet me in 12 hours, I need some doggone rest first. Tell the boss our donut rat gave us somethn' niiiiiiiiice this time [laughs] [spit].
Hey Computer, say where we are, ya stupid mindless woman."
-"Our coordinates are Beta-7-C-0, sir."
-"Thanks now leave me alone. Scan for computer flu or somethn'. Allright, Lipsy, let the boss know and we can have a drink when I'm back, eh?"
-[whispering: "Allright this one's for you, Sonja"] "Select New Signal 2 of 2. Line 1, highlight 12 and highlight somethn'. Line 3, highlight Beta-7. Set Label: "Xenos and Police number one-zero-five". Set Directive: Have fun, Sonja, love you! Send to Sonja Kerensky."
Sending...
Signal Sent!
-"Close program please."
Saving infman.win data. Closing program...
>T:\> exit
Logging off SO173...
Exiting Neural Net Interface Command Mode... -[sighs loudly] "Well, that wasn't so bad..."
"It is a cold universe until you know God as your Father, and then it becomes a home. Even the next life simply becomes the Father's house, home."
—David Pawson
Displaying primary functions list...
Equipment - E
Check System- K
Navigation - N
Programs - P
Subspace - S
Tools - T
Wipe - W
> T:
Beginning diagnostic on available tools...
161 out of 162 tools are accessible.
T:\> infman.win
Program infman.win is now loading...
SO666 Information Manipulation, System: Shikoku, Location: Epsilon-8-TR-24U, Dateline: 823.10.17.0345
ARCHIVED FILES PENDING FILES >SIGNAL SCAN<
Scanning...
Three Signals detected.
New Signal 1 of 3: Transmission | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Hogosha | Security: Medium
New Signal 2 of 3: Message | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Kusari Naval Forces | Security: Very High
New Signal 3 of 3: Transmission | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Lane Hackers | Security: Very High"Display Signal One, please."
Displaying New Signal 1 of 3...
- Aniki, are you sure we took the right course? Oy! Aniki!
- Shut your mouth, Kô. You do what [static]
- I can't see anything on my scope, there is nasty noise coming from the hull. Oy! This is not good!
- Pathetic excuse of a [static]. You should not have gambled so much in the Casino. Now either we take your sister or you do this job for me.
- But I don't want to die!
- Your sister then. We will do good use of her.
- No! Plea [static]
- Then you use the Jump-hole and you stay in Komatsu cloud until you reach grid [static] in Reppu cloud [static] Colorado to deliver those artifacts to our business partners. If you do this, a fair part of your debt will be cleared.
- I.... What about the Police?
- Who ca [static] sari citizen.
- I... I will do it!
- Good. We will wait for our [static] to confirm...
[signal lost]
"Please select New Signal One. Please set Label: "Hogosha Artifacts smuggling"; set Directive: "Please identify the other party of this transaction, Mr. Reeves. If not possible, please make sure to inform Liberty Police Inc. Thank you." Send to Reeves, Avery."
Sending...
Signal Sent! "Display Signal Three, please."
Displaying New Signal 3 of 3...
Echo Twelve, we have detected an intrusion in Neural-Net holistic band. Source : Kepler/Deshima trade lane #3. Signature is reminiscent with Liberty Security Forces signal scanning technology. Cease all operations. Close backdoor Kanpai. Return to the forever alone mesa.
[signal lost]
"Terminate this session and purge the program memory, please."
Saving infoman.win data. Closing program...
>T:\> exit
Logging off SO666...
Exiting Neural Net Interface Command Mode...
Displaying primary functions list...
Equipment - E
Check System- K
Navigation - N
Programs - P
Subspace - S
Tools - T
Wipe - W
> E:
Beginning diagnostic on available equipment...
30 out of 32 equipment is accessible.
E:\> infman.win
Program infman.win is now loading...
O742 Information Manipulation, System: Galileo, Location: Gamma-7-TL-0, Dateline: 823.10.23.0359
ARCHIVED FILES >PENDING FILES< SIGNAL SCAN
Loading...
One Pending Signal detected.
New Signal 1 of 3: Transmission | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Hogosha | Security: Medium "Display Signal, please."
Displaying Pending Signal 1 of 1...
- Aniki, are you sure we took the right course? Oy! Aniki!
- Shut your mouth, Kô. You do what [static]
- I can't see anything on my scope, there is nasty noise coming from the hull. Oy! This is not good!
- Pathetic excuse of a [static]. You should not have gambled so much in the Casino. Now either we take your sister or you do this job for me.
- But I don't want to die!
- Your sister then. We will do good use of her.
- No! Plea [static]
- Then you use the Jump-hole and you stay in Komatsu cloud until you reach grid [static] in Reppu cloud [static] Colorado to deliver those artifacts to our business partners. If you do this, a fair part of your debt will be cleared.
- I.... What about the Police?
- Who ca [static] sari citizen.
- I... I will do it!
- Good. We will wait for our [static] to confirm...
[signal lost]
"Display Directive, please."
Displaying: "Please identify the other party of this transaction, Mr. Reeves. If not possible, please make sure to inform Liberty Police Inc. Thank you."
"Wonderful, I get to play the guessing game in regards to something I have no sources for. Let's see here.. One of them's definitely named Aniki, and they seem to have an informant working for them on the inside, that's the best I can deduce."
"Forward above signal to Liberty Police Database anonymously along with attached key observations - Suspect Aniki, Smuggling, Hogosha, Informant and leak, please."
Forwarding...
Signal Forwarded!
>E:\> exit
> T:
Beginning diagnostic on available tools...
161 out of 162 tools are accessible.
ARCHIVED FILES PENDING FILES >SIGNAL SCAN<
Scanning...
Three Signals detected.
New Signal 1 of 3: Transmission | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Xenos | Security: Medium
New Signal 2 of 3: Message | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Junker Congress | Security: Medium
New Signal 3 of 3: Transmission | Sender: Unknown | Transponder Family: Hogosha | Security: Medium"Bingo, display Signal 3, please."
Displaying New Signal 3 of 3... - Oh please God help me...
- You there! What are you doing so close to Denver with those objects in your hold!
- No! Officer, please! You don't understand!
- Oh, I understand alright! You're gonna split the prof' with me or go down with flames.
- They have my sister! If I give you any they'll kill her or worse!
- You picked flames then!
- Wait N- [static]
[signal lost] "Please select New Signal Three. Please set Label: "Hogosha Artifacts smuggling-2"; set Directive: "Modify potential implications of internal corruption and attempt identification of responding officer." Send to Skyfield, Eli."
Sending...
Signal sent! "Terminate and purge session, please."
Saving infoman.win data. Closing program...
Logging off O742...
Exiting Neural Net Interface Command Mode...
Pending File 1 of 1 - Label: "Hogosha Artifacts smuggling-2" | Relayer: Avery Reeves | Type: Transmission | Directive: "Modify potential implications of internal corruption and attempt identification of responding officer."
"Display Pending File 1 of 1"
Displaying Pending File 1 of 1...
"Oh please God help me...
- You there! What are you doing so close to Denver with those objects in your hold!
- No! Officer, please! You don't understand!
- Oh, I understand alright! You're gonna split the prof' with me or go down with flames.
- They have my sister! If I give you any they'll kill her or worse!
- You picked flames then!
- Wait N- [static]"
"Computer! Upload signal information to sensor array as "Alpha" and close program!"
Saving infman.win data. Closing program...
>T:\> E:
E:\> trace alpha
Tracing signal...
Signal origin found!
Coordinates: Colorado Epsilon-3-C-16D
E:\> jam e-3-c-16d yellow
Yellow Jam: Rerouting Auxiliary power to subspace array...
Absorbing subspace signals...
14 subspace signals absorbed!
WARNING: Subspace array energy level critical!
WARNING: Time to emergency subspace array shutdown: 00:00:02:13
E:\> exit
Logging off SO173...
Exiting Neural Net Interface Command Mode... "Emergency power to weapons."
Skyfield closes in on the target zone. The Hogosha transport, armed with "Charon" heavy turrets, has sustained heavy damage to its outer hull, but the Police vessel, a modified Eagle, has its shields down. Without hesitation, the LSF Operative nearly empties his fighter's power core reserve on the Police Eagle in a surprise attack, destroying it completely. The automated ejection system saved the Police pilot, and the escape pod was quickly tractored in by the Operative. Disabling signal jamming with time to spare, he proceeds to message the Hogosha vessel.
"This is LSF Black-2. Give me full remote control of your ship's nav and comm systems, and my Agency will take care of the rest. Besides, you've got no choice. Black-2, out."
"It is a cold universe until you know God as your Father, and then it becomes a home. Even the next life simply becomes the Father's house, home."
—David Pawson