LibriumArcana.Games

"Please start search pattern gamma," Eli said. He normally wouldn't bother to speak the request aloud, but his voice was modulated to be calming and reassuring to al-Bahth. "If there's anything there, we'll find it."

Don nodded and followed along, eyes roaming. Reading people in an environment like this was an acquired talent. There'd always be talkers, one simply had to wander into their vicinity and then become available to be talked to. Talkers, however, had highly variant levels of actual utility. Some were ...

"Right," Don said. "Now to find a bar, or something similar. Gotta be a place where people drink and bitch their lives away."

"Well then," Eli said, his voice still entirely reasonable and warm, his face radiating paternal concern. "We'll take a closer look. Muninn, I think a probe launch is in order. In the meantime, let's stay low emission, shall we?" Eli's face sat placidly warm even as his mind began to run calculation...

Eli stood by his side. "Easy now," he said, voice modulated to be warmly reassuring, almost paternal in nature. "What's the specific sensor profile you're looking for?"

"So," Don muttered softly. "Police state's got their own little Patriot Act going on." Seeing the lack of comprehension to a modern American reference in the other two he shrugged. "It's a thing where... I'm from. Anyway, those're to let the pigs peep on the citizens." He lit a fresh cigarette and l...

Don looked around to see if anyone was watching them in particular, and if not he crouched down to squint into a hole.

Eli remained in his couch, as everyone else should have in case sudden maneuvers were needed. As βEli's report came in, he spoke without look over at the others. "Protocol will be to engage in pursuit once the fork determines optimal point for stealthy pursuit. We've bought some time. If detected, t...

"What?" Don said, as he caught them staring at the buildings. "Something wrong?"

Decades came and went, and yet the most secure covert communication available still remained the antique laser tightbeam. Sensing no overt threat in the confusion evinced by the bogey, βEli waited patiently for the optimal point to attempt a message, laser bursts pulsing out in factions of a second...

βEli awoke in the cold dark of space, drinking in data. It was all passive sensor data at the moment, and none of it yet notable or interesting. However βEli soaked up the information regardless, understanding that it was his purpose to gather this information and make one or more critical decision...

The process of creating was notably uneventful for the person being copied. The command impulse was sent and moments later an icon would flash the announcement that the fork was created. Downloaded into the probe, the fork would remain inactive until probe launch, a merciful measure to minimize the ...

"Right. We'll get some food, get our gear, and get a place to bunk down. Night's rest, and then we're to work." He grinned suddenly, that burst of expression he suddenly got when his normal dourness evaporated briefly. It most commonly occurred when he was thinking about doing unpleasant things to l...

"Hardwick's gets us the first day and night, and a chance to get our bearings," Don said. He'd noticed that his hand kept habitually drifting toward the space where his revolver had been, as though seeking what had become a familiar and comforting weight. Was it possible to have phantom pain for a t...

Eli nodded to Mal and Jameson, then made his way to a couch to plug in.

"Vaya con dios," he said softly. Breaktime was over.

Eli's head lifted slightly, and a plan transmitted to Mal and Jamison's MUSEs, as well as Muninn. Maps and schematics unfolded in their systems, numbers popping in describing thrust values, signature and emissions levels, and projected course vectors. *** Muninn would deviate path toward a presumabl...

As Eli's MUSE downloaded fundamental naval tactics, Eli began running cross-comparisons between tactical maneuvers and Muninn's available capacities. He stood rock-still as he downloaded maneuver capacities, threat-globe theory in interplanetary combat maneuvers, weapons and countermeasures. If they...

Eli blew air through his teeth as he considered. "We have to subvert their expectations of our actions," he said. "Stand by please." He directed his MUSE to begin downloading naval tactical doctrine. Ground fights he had some familiarity with, albeit as an observer more than as a participant, as he ...

"Interesting," Eli murmured. "Whatever their capabilities, it suits them to wait until we've reached our specified point before they initiate their next phase. Muninn, how many probes do we have, and can we make more?"

Don reached back, growling a small assurance in Jakat and offering her his hand.

Eli glanced at Mal. "Logical conclusion- someone with an interest in our potential find is waiting for us to reveal the location."

"I'm good with that too. Let's get our money situation worked out, find us a place to park, and then work the problem." Don lit a cigarette and shook his head at the mess. "Got a feeling we're up for a fuckin' rougher go than some of the shit we've been in. This isn't going to be a quick one." He st...

Eli arrived moments later. As was generally the case, he projected an air of calm, unruffled ease, the sort of contagious confidence that could infect a room. He nodded at Mal, then fixed his gaze on Jameson for a long second. His subsequent nod had the sense of being more of an internal confirmatio...

Don swore and kicked a rock as he stepped away, hand over his mouth and nose. "Fuck that's fucking terrible fucking fuck shit fuck." He took a moment to collect himself, face twisted in revulsion at the smell. "This isn't going to be a fuckin' easy fix," he said at last. "So we need to get set up, f...

Don gave him a friendly cheerful wave, then glanced at William and Eve as he jerked his head toward the back.