Session 1.15 Index Session 1.17
Next morning, we discuss stealing money from the rich terminally ill people Scarlett discovered in the hospital. "We're here for revenge, not larceny," objects Ak.
No-one really disagrees with this.
We pay to have the 'Fantasy's life-support system topped up for the next five weeks at a cost of 10000 Cr.
We decide that we want access to the genetic engineering laboratories dome, preferably in the same way that we gained access to the hospital via Wilhemina and Ashandra.
Ozymandias thinks that we need a second layer of cover story, just in case someone digs too deeply into our prospecting story. We decide that 'we are private investigators hired by the relatives of Chutnis Garner (an old woman, one of the people in low berth at the hospital whose names Scarlett noted down) to look for a way to get some of her money.'
We worry that using our rakish ways to get into the domes may be rather obvious, and may be seen as some form of espionage. However, this seems unlikely.
We log onto the Gorre Town newsgroups in case anything is being discussed which we should know about. The local alt.space.traffic.spotters group is definitely talking about us and our ship. They seem to have acquired our names from somewhere too.
On the soc.interesting newsgroup, which seems to be mainly devoted to gossip, our arrival has prompted the first postings in a month or more; now there are many active news threads. It does spill the beans on our Ak and Ozymandias going off with Wilhemina and Ashandra, but seems to be mainly what people have seen rather than in-depth investigative reporting.
We also notice that there is an 'alt.conspiracy.megacorporations.susag' newsgroup, with no posts at all in it...
At breakfast, Szechuan announces that he has developed a gene-scanner detector, as well as a gene-scanner jammer.
Scarlett suggests that we should keep Bingbong and ourselves as separate as possible, as he is currently not particularly linked to us other than by past association. A fair point.
From the newsgroups and from Ak's logging back into the security system, it seems that no-one noticed Scarlett while she one her expedition into the dome. And that no pictures were taken of any of us while we were in Gorre Town (though we are all wearing disguises in any case).
We discuss plans. We agree that we need access to the genetic engineering laboratories. Could we follow someone leaving the lab and target them for seduction? Possibly.
Ozymandias suggests that we could correlate the use of the security turnstiles with the people in the company shop's cafe, and look for someone with the right access level. This Ak does, and it turns out that there were three people in the cafe last night who have full access to the genetic engineering labs, all scientists:
All are Senior Research Associates, and all are in their forties. However, no job details are specified.
We use Ak's log-in to look into the security arrangement for the genetic engineering labs. There are six distinct security areas:
Some people do have access to all of 1 to 5. For the record, Amanda does not have full access, but only access to areas 1, 2 and 4.
We check further. There is no clinic (where, for example, old people might be looked after) as a distinct area. Support staff (cleaners, maintenance staff and so on) do have access to the secure areas too, but have separately tagged identity cards, and they seem to have access to areas 1, 2, 4 and 6, not to 3 and 5, which seem to be highly restricted.
Perhaps we could abduct Professor Orkisthros? We conclude that this might be possible, but it rather tip our hand, so it is very much a final act. We could replace Amanda or use her pass for a while, instead.
Roughly four thousand people work in the genetic engineering facility. They are divided among the six security areas as follows:
Those cleared for area 3 are generally not the same as those for area 5.
At this point Ak has a cunning and Devious idea. "Does diabetes exist in the Caliburn system?" he asks.
A check of the internet reveals that it does. That being so, Ak hacks into the medical systems of Gorre Town. His thought is that older people have diabetes and other diseases more than younger people so we could find whether, and where, any old people (who may be test subjects for the anagathic virus) are by the flow of drugs through the labs.
He quite quickly finds a list of drugs going into the labs, and filters it on 'old peoples' drugs. This shows that most of them are going area 3 of the labs, with requests being approved by Professor Orkisthros (for particularly rare and expensive drugs) and Professor Hoemier, Dr Melgarin, Dr Trevor and Dr Hwang for other drugs.
He looks for what else is going that way, and to where.
After some checking he finds that it all seems to be going to Room 672 of area 3. Other things of interest going to that room seem to include sedatives, pain medication, medical slow and fast drugs, various kinds of anti-viral drugs, and various immune suppressants.
Further investigation shows that Room 672 seems to be a stores and dispensary area. The people who run this stores area instantly become high-priority targets for any kidnapping we may choose to do...
Ak then looks for a map of area 3, but there does not seem to be one on the systems he can access from here. Maps of areas 1, 2 and 4 are available. Maps of areas 3, 5 and 6 are not. However, from the accessible maps it can be seen that there are sixteen access points to area 3, which seems to be spread over four floors, with four doors per floor, each floor being roughly a thirty-five by thirty-five metre square. Area 5 is above area 3 (but with no access between them). Area 6 is at the very top of the dome. Area 2 surrounds area 3, and area 4 surrounds area 5.
He then looks for where computer backups are stored. After a while it becomes clear that, wherever the backups for area 3's computers are stored, they are not stored outside area 3.
We wonder if we can compare the maps of the other domes to get an idea of the layout of the hidden areas in the genetic engineering dome. We check the accessible maps for the other domes, and find that, unfortunately, we cannot do that. Although the domes are built to the same generic plan in terms of elevators, the life support core, support pillars and so on, the locations of non-structural doors, walls and so on does vary from dome to dome. Damn.
Perhaps we could use stealth robots instead? Perhaps by modifying the ship's housekeeping robots, and upgrading them to have better sensors, communicators, stealthing and so on. This would probably be do-able. We could probably plant a robot in the air-conditioning system, as, in the other domes at least, the air-conditioning seems to run everywhere and link the entire dome.
We check, and find that the air-conditioning is maintained by people from Tenalphi Contract Services Limited (TCSL).
That done, we review ways to hopefully let us turn doctors Lazenskii, Soya and Stravinsky to our will. Any of the seven deadly sins seem to be out, but Dr Soya does have a family, and perhaps we could get at her through it. Or perhaps we could gain access by criminal means - forgery and so on again.
Scarlett makes the good point that the more we use forged and 'borrowed' cards, the greater our chance of detection. And if we are detected, then we are in trouble. No-one argues with this.
We conclude that we need to get a spy robot into at least area 1 of the genetic engineering dome.
Could we borrow Amanda's pass? We could invite the Dinnergongs to lunch, then take them on a joyride, with Scarlett being 'indisposed' and 'remaining in her room' throughout. Sounds like a plan...
We find out what the TCSL air-conditioning engineers wear for the purposes of disguise. It seems to be coveralls with the TCSL logo on the chest, toolkits, and hard-hats. We have coveralls in a similar colour. Perhaps we could dye them? There is certainly a dye of that colour in the company shop, and the ships three-dimensional printer can certainly produce copies of the TCSL logo. Hardhats and toolkits we have.
Ozymandias suggests that we include the gene-scanner jammer in the toolkit, just in case. This would also be do-able.
We worry that there might be gene-scanners in the genetic engineering labs. Ak checks, and does not find any in area 1.
With a plan in place, Ak and Szechuan set to work modifying a housekeeping robot, 'Binky', into a robot super-spy. Unfortunately, they irreversibly break it instead. Damn.
A more cautious approach is tried instead.
After a while, Ak and Szechuan discover that they can modify the robots to drop bugging devices made from the sensor clusters of other robot cleaners, and modify its tools to include a cutting device, a manipulator hand, and a sensor pod on an arm (for looking around corners and so on). They cannot make it able to self-recharge by tapping power cables, but it can recharge itself by plugging into mains electricity outlets. Its software is also modified to wipe itself in event of capture, and an encrypted stealthed data link is added.
All of these modifications take several days, and at the end we have spy-robot 'Binky 2' ready to go.
While all this is taking place, the 'Fantasy' goes up into orbit and resumes surveying. We find a fairly big mineral deposit.
Towards the end of the three days, we get a call from Bingbong on the secure communicator. He tells us that he has got an interview for a lab technicians job in area 1 of the genetic engineering labs, with the possibility, if he gets the job, of working up to higher things as he proves himself. Good news!
Ak and Szechuan decide that we may need to add a relay for Binky 2's transmissions. Although the domes are not radio-shielded they do cut down on signal strength, so a relay is probably a good idea.
Ak comes up with the alternative idea of adding a link relay into the general network of area 1, and relaying messages to and from the robot by encrypted posts to a newsgroup. We find a low-traffic newsgroup for this - sci.medical.sunburn - that accepts binary attachments and set this method up. This takes another day.
And with everything set up, that evening Ozymandias calls the Dinnergong residence. Amanda Nesh-Dinnergong takes the call.
Ozymandias introduces himself and asks about himself and the crew meeting her - perhaps for dinner on the ship tomorrow night. "We feel a strong obligation to Bingbong, who we see as family after he spent so long with us," he says.
Amanda hums and haws a bit, then says that she will be in the shop's café at 7PM tomorrow.
She rings off. Ozymandias cackles insanely.
We call the café and arrange a fine dinner, the 'President's Special Feast' for seven people, to be delivered to the ship tomorrow evening. This will include someone to serve the food, and cost 1000 Cr per person.
We continue to survey until the last moment. While we do this, we call Bingbong and tell him that Amanda's pass must be accessible during the meal. He says he'll do what he can.
Scarlett plans her intrusion into the genetic engineering labs. She'll change in the toilets of the café, into frumpier, less noticeable clothing, then go into the dome and change again, this time TCSL coveralls, leaving her things above the ceiling tiles until she returns. Then she will head into the genetic engineering labs.
We land at Gorre Town. At 6 o'clock our server, Kevin, arrives with the 'President's Special Feast' on a large trolley. We set him to work sorting out the common area ready for the meal; the common area has galley facilities anyway, so this is not hard. Music is also set to play, and the ship is set to record everything that takes place inside it onto its holorecorders, with everything being 'watermarked' for veracity.
Szechuan goes and hides in engineering (again). Scarlett is 'feeling ill', and so remains on the ship. This is partly so that Kevin is not left on his own. Ozymandias and Ak go into Gorre Town and to the café, where they buy drinks.
Five minutes before the appointed time, the Dinnergongs arrive. Bingbong quickly spots Ak and Ozymandias and leads Amanda over. He greets us insincerely. Introductions are made. Ozymandias kisses Amanda's hand. She stammers a little.
Amanda asks us about the places we have been to. We describe Rhylanor to her. She listens attentively. "I've never been outside Caliburn other than to go to university," she says.
Ozymandias tells her that the star-faring life is uncertain one, but you do get to see the universe.
Ak and Ozymandias escort the Dinnergongs onto the 'Fantasy'. Bingbong takes their equipment (vacc suits and so on) and stores them in a ship's locker.
Ozymandias tells Scarlett that our guests are here. She emerges from her stateroom to show her face, then makes her excuses and 'goes back to rest'. In reality she waits until they are gone from sight, then goes off to the ships locker, borrows the identity cards there, and leaves the ship...
The Dinnergongs are given a tour of the ship. Szechuan is dismissed as 'a practical joker', 'ill', and 'eccentric'...
In Gorre Town, Scarlett changes in the café's toilets, then, using Amanda's card, heads into the town itself. She uses a set of public toilets to change again, into her fake TCSL coveralls, hides her things above a ceiling tile, and heads off to the genetic engineering labs.
As before, at the monorail terminal there are a few people going to and from the lab. She keeps her head down and tries to look inconspicuous.
In the labs themselves, there are lots of people in white coats moving around - scientists, medical doctors, technicians and so on, as well as maintenance people like her. As with the hospital, the labs here seem to be of a much higher technology than Gorre Town itself. There are some visible security cameras on the approaches to areas 2 and 4, and the gene-scanner detector picks up the presence of gene-scanners on those entrances. She avoids the secure areas, only going to the maintenance and service areas in area 1.
Before too long she finds a quiet service area with an air-conditioning grille and a web terminal. She quickly inserts the Binky 2 into the air-conditioning duct and hooks up the communications relay to the internet connection. Then she closes the grille behind it.
Back on the ship, dinner is served. Kevin proves to be a proficient, but definitely amateur server. However, the dinner is very good. Polite conversation takes place while this goes on until, once dinner is over, Kevin is sent on his way.
More conversation occurs. Ozymandias does his best to draw Amanda out. She does start to talk more; she will not discuss the commercially sensitive parts of what she does, but seems quite happy to drone on about her work for ever.
We ply her with drink and wait for her to let some useful information slip...
She does get quite drunk, quite quickly, so we begin trying to get information out of her. "Can't tell you, lose m' job," she slurs, shaking her head.
We assure her that we won't tell anyone anything, but she seems oblivious to hints in general by this point.
Ozymandias makes up a secret to tell her - about a cargo of narcotics we once transported.
She's shocked. "It was only cannabis," protests Ozymandias.
"You should be in jail," she slurs. Then she rounds on Bingbong - did he know about this.
"No," says Ozymandias. "This was before he joined us."
"Now you have power over me," Ozymandias tells Amanda. We ask her for a secret about SuSAG in return.
She says that she has heard that psionics research is going on. "No!" we exclaim.
And lots of commercially sensitive things. Some of which is maybe a bit unethical. 'Experiments on people', apparently, only some of whom are volunteers. She tells us that some of them broke out last year, from area 3. She guesses they were not volunteers. There were big gun battles. All very scary.
We ask whether the volunteers couldn't have just checked out of the facility, but apparently the contracts they signed don't allow this until the treatment is complete. "The escapees stole a ship and everything," she says. "There was an investigation, but I'm not cleared to know what came of it..."
She asks us where we have been.
We tell her about the worlds we have visited since Rhylanor, then branch out into fiction when we run out of real anecdotes...
Elsewhere, Scarlett leaves the genetic engineering labs and returns to Gorre Town. She does the two-step change of clothes, then returns to the ship and goes to sleep, ignoring the continuing party in the common area.
Eventually Amanda nods off at the dinner table.
Bingbong will take her home. The rest of us complement him on how married life seems to agree with him (not actually the case!). He tells us that she was, from what she has said to him, involved in the anagathic virus research.
We tell him to find out more. He nods and leaves...
Everyone else goes to bed.
The next morning, Scarlett reports on her mission.
Ozymandias suggests that we steal their computer backups. Might be a plan.
We set the spy-robot to mapping the lab complex while we return to orbit and continue surveying.
As it maps, the spy-robot encounters maintenance robots in the air ducts, which ignore it. The internal grilles in the air ducts are actually doors to let the robots through.
After a while the robot makes it into area 3, and before long finds the stores, room 672. As it maps, it seems that the main parts of area 3 are laboratories, several small hospital wards, various sensor suites (containing body scanners and so on), coffee lounges and offices. The place seems to have good quarantine facilities - each area can be individually quarantined. There are also signs of the security facilities having been upgraded fairly recently.
There are plenty of people about in area 3. We listen in to them via the robot. By this means we find out that Professor Orkisthros is a tall, severe-looking woman in her fifties or sixties. She seems to spend most of her time reviewing the work of others, and doing administrative tasks, rather than performing research as such. Doctors Hwang and Trevor are also identified; both are oriental-looking men in their forties. Again, everything we record is 'watermarked' for veracity.
Peering out from air-conditioning grilles, it seems that of the five small hospital wards, two are currently empty. The rest do contain patients; in one are old people, in another middle-aged people, in a third young people. All of the patients seem to be restrained and drugged, and all are taken for regular body scans.
In the laboratory areas, there are large tanks of bubbling fluids, some with things suspended in them, various types of analytical equipment, and lots of activity.
The lab seems to operate twenty-four hours a day, in shifts, so that there are roughly 170-180 people around at any one time. Professor Hoemier and Dr Melgarin seem to run things on the two shifts when Professor Orkisthros is not present.
We have the robot concentrate its spying efforts on the hospital wards. The patients in the wards seem to be referred to as 'subject 627' or whatever. We overhear the doctors and scientists talking about the progress of the virus, and how the memory effects are affecting this group. An Anagathic Regression Virus - strain HB10 (ARV-HB10) is referred to.
It seems that the memory loss these patients are suffering is similar to that which affects us - emotion-linked memories are lost much more than simple factual memories. There are apparently various sub-strains of the virus under test, but all seem to be having the same effects.
We wonder where the earlier test subjects are...
Some time later, the robot overhears Professor Hoemier talking to someone else. "Get rid of subjects 625 to 632 in the usual way," he orders. Those numbers refer to the young-looking people in one of the wards.
We have the robot observe these test subjects. They are wheeled out of the ward and put into the hands of what appear to be psychiatric nurses, who, as they wake from the sedatives they have been dosed with, tell them that they have all been in an accident which has caused them to lose their memories. "We'll help you get better," the nurses tell them, as the eight members of that group are taken out of the genetic engineering labs.
We check, and discover that there are psychiatric units in the Research Hospital. However, Wilhemina and Ashandra do not work there, so we cannot go back to them and get information...
As the robot continues its wandering of area 3 it does find a central computer room - a very high-tech one. There are huge quantities of non-volatile backup storage there - somewhere in the region of exabytes (millions of terabytes), Ak estimates.
We want to know where people come from before they are made young again, and set the robot to searching for clues. Eventually one of its bugs overhears Professor Hoemier recording a message to the Administrator of the Elderly Employee Care Facility at Ricasso, asking for new subjects to be sent here as soon as possible. Ricasso is where we had all retired to in our former lives....
As we think on this, Bingbong calls on the secure communicator to tell us that he has got the lab technician job in the genetic engineering labs, but has not been able to find out anything else from Amanda. We congratulate him, and tell him what we have found out. "Bastards," he says. It is not entirely clear whether he talking about us or SuSAG.
He rings off...
As few days later a Plavix-class (Dolobid-type) ship, the 'Mepron' lands at Gorre Town. We observe ten or so doddery old people in vacc suits being led off it and into Gorre Town.
As this happens, people in Gorre Town, judging by the newsgroups at least, are wondering why the area between the port and the monorail terminal has been sealed off again. From examining the messages and newsgroup gossip posted it seems that something like this happened three or four times a year.
Various cargoes are unloaded from the Mepron into Gorre Town, after which things from the Research Hospital and the two laboratories are loaded on board. This takes a day or so.
When the loading is completed, at about 4 AM the next day, eight people in vacc suits are led out of Gorre Town and onto the Mepron. From the way they more they are young people. Viewing their faces through the ships sensors quickly identifies them as subjects 625 to 632...
With subjects 625 to 632 on board, the Mepron takes off and heads out into space, apparently towards the settlements of Fuchi or Tip in the Caliburn Belt itself.
We wonder whether SuSAG are, perhaps, disposing of people back into society. We watch the Mepron as it goes...
And at this point Scarlett points out that it is three months until the information we set aside for delivery the Inspector Spintle of the TIPA on Rhylanor, is delivered. And, as it would take a message ten weeks to reach Rhylanor from here, we have two weeks to decide whether we want to stop it being released or not...