hexarchate_rpg | Chapter 3.3: a belated meeting

yhlee posting in

At 0800 local time, Ashari sends out a notice that everyone [= all the PCs and associated NPCs] should assemble for a planning meeting at 0830 in Conference Room A (the ballroom from last night).

At the same time, Ashari specifically messages Dar and asks her to set out a quick breakfast for the meeting, "nothing elaborate necessary, sorry about the short notice." [Dar is free to argue with this over the messaging system.]

Ashari will be in Conference Room A at 08,00 themself, pacing around and muttering and looking agitated, for anyone who shows up early. Among the early birds are Gerae, who keeps checking a nanny-cam app on his slate that keeps an eye on Fluffy and the baby Vraselian pseudo-dragons, and Istradez, who is looking around wistfully for non-sweet food.

ETA:
When most of the group has assembled, Ashari, still clearly ill at ease, says abruptly, "Some of you may be aware of the staggering emptiness of this timeline. I have decided that we need to evacuate, and soon, even though it means abandoning the base. Discuss."

[Please feel free to continue/wrap up threads from the previous move, Ch. 3.2. I will be responding to some threads there shortly.]

[Jedao's report to Sasha and Reshad will be forthcoming in a comment to this post shortly, once I remove a certain catten from my desk.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

zuhrovet

Sasha has chosen a seat at the other end of the long table from Ashari. When they call the meeting to order, she asks, "What timeframe do you envision, for complete evacuation?"

[Is Ashari eating breakfast? If they have food, Sasha will take one of the buns with duck; otherwise she's sticking to tea for now.]

From:

hoardingpearls

This is the first Reshad has heard about evacuation, but the lack of panic on various faces places this as a prudent, rather than an urgent, move - at least for now. It's better to avoid overstressing the artificial ecosystems of moths; one cannot step out the back door for a breath of air.

Which leads to another question, on the heels of Sasha's. "Evacuation to where?"

From:

stormglass

By meeting kickoff, Xiulan has a second cup of tea in front of her at a seat by the wall. Some stimulants for emergency use have been tucked away in a pocket inside her jacket.

Sasha and Reshad lead with a couple of key questions and Xiulan crosses them off a mental list.

“What’s the viability of leaving a monitoring system behind, in case there’s eventually something ‘interesting’ to detect here?”

This is asked generally given the nature of the question, with a particular look to Remi and Alaric. “Or would the only way to retrieve data be to physically return to this timeline?”

Options to do otherwise seem they would include considerations of rifts, gatespace, and more, but beyond that...well, that’s what a science team is for. If it’s not feasible in the time they have - or at all - there are plenty of other things to sort through.

From:

slybrarian

"Viability?" Alaric says. "Ansibles are pretty much out. You might be able to use an invariant tight-beam or laser if your parked a relay at each end, but rifts tend to throw off all sorts of garbage on the EM spectrum and you'd need a pretty powerful transmission to have a chance at punching through. It'd be pretty noisy, but only at light-speed."

He pauses a moment to consider. "Maybe some sort of drone, hardened enough to survive the rift transit could work. The question I would have is still whether it'd be a good idea. How thorough of a survey has been done to verify the lack of civilization? Right now it's not clear to me on whether this is just spoooooky emptiness, or whether there are a bunch of radio shells that terminate suddenly."

From:

zuhrovet

"I am specifically concerned that the threat might be a creature related to the moths. We know that their dimension contained predators, that they can consume energy of many types, and that they are sensitive to small gravitational signals. I find that last particularly worrisome, because I don't know how the fuck to hide that mass is moving."

While Sasha speaks, she watches Ashari, the way their lips purse in thought, the tension of their fingers against the tabletop. They might actually be listening. This isn't a calendar that offers extra lives.

From:

yhlee

[catching up, sorry! am currently migraine-free, hoping that condition lasts LOL]

Ashari is eating a bun with a certain amount of disdainful decorum, and washing it down with adulterated tea (lots of sugar). "Timeframe for evacuation: as soon as we can make it happen after this meeting," they say. They slant a gaze at Sasha and add, "I need an estimate from your people as to how soon that will be, so that we can coordinate with the other groups."

Regarding evacuation to where: "I myself will be taking the Sedulous Eel with Ankat in command in search of a less dangerous long-term base of operations. Kaliyan will be taking the Typhoon to negotiate with some of our other-rift suppliers. Sasha, your team will relocate to a rift in 1211, in a timeline where Hexarch Mikodez takes power and, apparently, proves how dangerous he is by murdering two of his own cadets. Some of my sources indicate that Quill may have contacted the hexarch or his people; we want to find out what she's up to, and what she hopes to gain. Is the incident with the cadets related? What does he know about the source of the rifts, or about Quill's motives?"

On the empty universe and moth-eating predators: "The base's science team could only tell me," Ashari says, frowning thoughtfully in Alaric's direction, "that we were caught up in a vastly resounding emptiness. We frankly don't have the instrumentation to determine much beyond that, and I'm not sure I want to stick around to find out. What do we know about moth-predators, anyway?"

From:

zuhrovet

"What role do you expect us to play in dismantling the base? And how long is the transit, between here and 1211? What sort of contacts do we have on the other end?"

Aymad might be able to handle taking the base's grid apart. But that assumes Ashari has recognized that it is necessary.

From:

yhlee

"Unfortunately," and Ashari grimaces slightly, "completely dismantling the base without leaving a trace for people with the right kind of detection equipment is not feasible in any short timeframe. We especially can't blow it up." They eye Alaric a little suspiciously, as though they think he would suggest it. "So we aim for an 80% job by dismantling and recycling the modular habitat units, and accept that we won't be able to get rid of the last 20% if someone comes sniffing around." Ashari locks eyes with Sasha and adds, "I don't know how long it will take to scrub the local grid?"

On the transit: "Transit from here to 1211, via a nearby rift"--Ashari shares its coordinates over the grid--"will take approximately three weeks. You will have two contacts on the other end who are not aware of each other. It will be up to you to decide whether to make them aware, although I advise against it. One is an alt named Kesser who works as an analyst/clerk for Hexarch Mikodez's own assistant, Shuos Zehun. The other is a disaffected non-faction freelance assassin--the best type, if you ask me--a woman named Mae."

From:

venndaai

"There are some supplies we should restock on, and items we could make use of, when the base is dismantled," Sulen says, not making eye contact with Ashari. "I have a list."

From:

flowersforgraves

"I can probably handle at least some of the supplies," Deyna volunteers. She's kept fairly quiet thus far, still trying to gauge the group dynamics. "Unless you need me for something else, of course." Her eyes flick from Sulen to Ashari, questioning.

From:

stormglass

[Sorry, it’s been a really rough week at work; I will try to get replies out to everything else this afternoon or evening.]

Xiulan listens with avid interest to what Alaric says; regardless of whether monitoring here is feasible, this is great information to have for many other reasons. The news Sasha imparts about moth predators is just as interesting, striking in a way that causes her attention to sharpen noticeably.

Starfish and sharks, she thinks. Are the moths somehow related...?

”I need an estimate from your people as to how soon that will be, so that we can coordinate with the other groups."

A few taps on her tablet and Xiulan sends the evacuation plan drawn up to Ashari [whether their augment or something else, whatever makes sense]. “I just sent what we have so far - time estimates are in the first section. Sounds like we can ignore the third option.” Her mouth pulls over in the dry half-smile that showed several times the evening prior.

[The timing estimate options:

1. Timing for an outright emergency evacuation (aka, under attack scenario)
2. The option they’re discussing now: planned evacuation, taking what supplies they can, getting out quickly.
3. If the base needed to be destroyed.

Player is distressingly terrible at coming up with time (or money!) estimates without lots of data, but Xiulan is not*L* so if we can assume something reasonable here, based on what she would know of the base and likely supplies that need to be loaded up, I would very much appreciate it.

The estimates would be on the more aggressive side than laidback, but achievable.]

From:

zuhrovet

Sasha displays the summary page of Xiulan's report on one of the conference room screens. Sulen's lists aren't hard to find; she displays those as well.

"Just wiping the base grid would take about half a shift. But that would still leave clues about when and where we're from, and how many people were present. It might be possible for someone to recover our files, though they'd still have to decrypt them. It would be better to overwrite the nodes a few million times with junk data, where we can't arrange their physical recovery or destruction. Of course, at that point we'll see significant degradation of the base's capability." Sasha grins at her own understatement. "We have a tradeoff between speed and noise, here--say another half shift to a shift if we're quick, and if we aren't worried that something out there might notice the nodes grinding away."

"The other tradeoff is the moths." She holds Ashari's eye contact, though it might be more accurate to say she doesn't know how to look away, not when the stakes are this high. "We don't know much about the moth predators. The Cantata says the moths wondered why their enemies aren't seen in the heptarchate, though I doubt they would have heard about a ship lost here or there. It's possible that alert moths seem tastier. But a moth that is awake can sense predators, and run. The Cantata says they're faster than the things that eat them. We should unharness the moths on the Typhoon and Sedulous Eel, as soon as we can."

From:

yhlee

Ashari considers for a moment. "I appreciate the reports," they say to a point midway between Xiulan and Sulen. "We'll go for speed when it comes to wiping the grids, and hope that we can get away before anything notices."

Meanwhile--"Tell me," Ashari says to Sasha, "do you or your people have contingency plans if something goes wrong with the moths on the Typhoon and Sedulous Eel? If unharnessing causes one to fall into a coma, or run away, or turn hostile?"

From:

hoardingpearls

Reshad shows interest at the mention of Hexarch Mikodez, and her gaze sharpens at the name of Zehun. How many timelines can have both of them in positions of power?

It touches the central question, doesn't it? How much is a person themself, when in another time. When something or everything may have gone different.

"I'm from a timeline where Mikodez is Hexarch," she offers. "If there are substantial deviations in history from mine, I might be able to help spot them." Whether those are effects of rebellion activity or not, that's another question.

She's never thought her hobby would come in so useful.

The conversation about evacuation plans is of interest, and she nods respect to Xiulan's evident preparation. "If movement of matter is attractive to the predators, what if we jettison a data core after its wipe? Let it draw the hunters, and if they destroy it..." she slants one shoulder in a shrug, and sips her tea.

If the problem isn't moth predators being able to read the core, then let them help in disposal.

Edited Date: 2020-02-29 03:05 am (UTC)

From:

yhlee

[responding both to Reshad (above) and Sasha's comment here to consolidate]

Ashari nods sharply at Reshad's remark. "Your expertise will be appreciated. Keep Sasha apprised of your observations." To the rest of the team: "We can afford to sacrifice a data core, unless there are scientific or security considerations I'm missing?"

Ashari's answering smile at Sasha is a mirror to her own. "I am thrilled," they say, drawing the word out, "to hear about your contingencies. Since time is a consideration, please be specific about the 'appropriate response' in case of a moth emergency. After all, the other two moths are not, strictly speaking, here as volunteers."

From:

zuhrovet

"The moths do not have control over the weapons with which they are equipped, nor can they directly affect internal life support. A hostile moth could ram the base, but at that point they are effectively doing our work for us. If they decide to flee while our team is still aboard, it might become necessary to restore the harness for the protection of our team members. I don't fucking like that option, but we have the technical capability."

"But everything we know about the moths suggests that they are sociable and care for each other. And they are innocent of the heptarchate's crimes. So the question is, Ashari"--Sasha leaves a little space, where their faction title might have gone--"how many beings would you bind and enslave, because of something that you fear might happen?"

Sasha sips her tea. She wonders if she would notice, if Ashari's eyes flickered to blue, or if she would only become more aware of the stark planes of their face.

From:

slybrarian

"I've got a question, too," Alaric says, raising his hand. "The dubious ethics of complaining about ill-timed slave revolts aside, how sure are we that the moth drives are reliable in the first place? The entire reason for this discussion is that this is apparently a dead universe. The moth harness relies on the high calendar. If there's no people around - or at least no living humans - then the calendircal environment should tend toward invariant conditions, or at leave very unstable ones due to rift-leakage. I'm no a professional stategic planner, but it feels like it'd be preferable to shut the harnesses down in a controlled manner instead of having them fail while running from ravenous space monsters."

From:

bariolage

With everyone else focused intently on Ashari, whether or not her eyes are doing things to force it, Ione—who may or may not be particularly affected by Andan enthrallment, it's not been tested—lets her glance wander for a moment.

If she's also reaching out a tiny, tiny tendril of power, an attempt to read at a distance, despite the fact she promised her mentor of childhood she would never ever do that? It's because she likes Sasha and Sulen, and thinks it would be useful for them to know ...

She looks over at moth advocate and expert Remi, to try to make out his face, and maybe what's on the surface of his emotional spectrum if she's lucky, as this conversation unfolds.

From:

venndaai

There may be some mild interference from Sulen, who is sitting very still and radiating extreme frustration and a strong desire to kick Sasha in the shins under the table.

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

yhlee - Date: 2020-03-02 01:48 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

zuhrovet - Date: 2020-03-02 02:45 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

yhlee - Date: 2020-03-03 04:54 pm (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

stormglass - Date: 2020-03-03 05:55 pm (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

hoardingpearls - Date: 2020-03-03 06:21 pm (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

yhlee - Date: 2020-03-05 02:50 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

flowersforgraves - Date: 2020-03-05 04:03 pm (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

yhlee - Date: 2020-03-05 09:56 pm (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

slybrarian - Date: 2020-03-06 02:59 am (UTC) - Expand

Re: the meeting proper - paging everyone

From:

yhlee - Date: 2020-03-06 08:48 pm (UTC) - Expand

From:

slybrarian

[EDIT: Ninja'ed, shifting this up to Sasah's reply.]

Edited Date: 2020-03-01 03:13 am (UTC)

From:

chomiji

Dar listens to the arguments about the moths. She can understand the importance of not keeping intelligent beings in servitude. On the other hand, none of them are going to get out of here and stop the He*archate if they can't use the moths.

That's all above her paygrade, though. She focusses on the other quartermaster she'd met in the past week, and the servitor situation. She'd worked with a few of the robots when she was transferring party supplies around, but she's not sure how many are available and how many of them are heavy duty, suitable for hauling large flats and crates of supplies. She taps into the Grid to check this out.

From:

yhlee

The grid claims that approximately thirty servitors are available around the base, but only ten are heavy-duty, and that they would require human supervision by aa quartermaster type to authorize moving Important Things. The grid asks if she would like to delegate any tasks at this time.

From:

chomiji

Dar puts in whatever the equivalent of of a reservation is for 3 of the heavy-duty servitors for the next full standard day.

She decides to wait for the moth discussion extravaganza to die down before raising the issue of whether the other quartermaster folk have been briefed on the need to evacuate.

From:

zuhrovet

"I have considered the appropriate response if any of our team members turns suddenly and unreasonably hostile," Sasha tells Ashari, with a smile that is not a smile.

She should have worn the fucking feather pin.