As we wait for Bingbong to ring us back, we discuss the situation. We conclude that the backup information would be useful, but given what we have already, perhaps not necessary.
Ak suggests that we could attempt a hijack of the backup ship, the Fragmin, and claim success even if we had not actually succeeded.
Ozymandias suggests an alternative plan that we could put a monitor on the data cable and claim that it had been there all the time.
Scarlett points out that this would need to be plausible, though.
Ozymandias agrees, as they know we arrived here after the Fragmin had been here for a week or two.
Ak comes up with the plan of doing it all in software - hacking the system to make it look like we had siphoned off all of the data using something put in place beforehand.
Ozymandias suggests piping it all to Bingbong's terminal, after which Bingbong can physically carry the data to the ship (even if it is fake). Then he and Amanda, who we would need to bring along so she could not destroy our story using the facts, leave with it, and us. Or perhaps we could do an imitation of a large download from the backup information stream to Bingbong's terminal, and then to us, with a 'cover up', but not too good a one so they can find out that we 'did it'.
Ak starts looking at ways we could do this. After a while he finds out that he could put in a fake tap of the data stream, set up by Bingbong, with 'hidden' evidence of what has been done. We could not actually download all of the data due to constraints of the data link to the Fantasy - we only have a relatively low-bandwidth cable/wireless link (as opposed to the huge cable going into the Fragmin). However, we could feasibly have monitored it and coarsely filtered and compressed it by a factor of a hundred, bringing the amount of data down to a manageable size.
But it does look like we will have to kidnap Amanda...
At this point, Bingbong rings us back. He invites us to dinner in the cafe of the company shop. In return, we counter-invite him and Amanda to dinner on the Fantasy, enticing him with nice fresh ingredients imported from Caladbolg. He and Amanda agree to come to dinner on the ship. He rings off.
Then we ring him back on the secure link. When he answers, we explain the plan to him. We point out that it only holds water if he is happy to emigrate (with Amanda), but also that she will be able to ask whatever salary she wants from SuSAG's competitors. And we have, after all, found much nicer places to live than Caliburn...
We leave it to Bingbong to broach the subject to Amanda, about perhaps leaving one day.
Scarlett worries about bugs in Bingbong's quarters overhearing our chats on the secure link. Then we realise that, given how long we have been here for and what we have talked to him about, it would appear that there are no bugs.
Ozymandias wonders whether we want to do this ourselves, as it very much burns our boats.
Scarlett points out that it makes the lives of the victims better, though.
"At the cost of ours," says Ozymandias. Given that we would then be indefinitely on the run from SuSAG.
Scarlett says we could vanish.
Ak comments that we would still have the data to hold over them.
Ozymandias thinks we should return to Rhylanor to reinforce the credibility of our threat by 'delivering more data' to our data pack. We could go to Rhylanor, return here, then ask to be recruited as people to look after post-experiment test subjects, on a small wage. This would make it seem as if we have done it all for altruistic reasons. We want SuSAG to accept us as a normal part of their existence, and as a small price to pay for their having a quiet life.
"We need to ensure that they don't just destroy the 'evidence'," says Scarlett.
We consider the various types of experimental victims - the dead, the mad or deformed, the mind-wiped, and us. We decide that we would have to do spot-checks on them.
Ak points out that as long as our demands are not ludicrous, and cheap, they are probably all right. SuSAG will probably go with our plan in return for a quiet life and a bit of money.
Scarlett says that we have got to survive too, so they can pay us a bit of money.
We assemble a 'ransom note'. We want the experimental victims to have the average standard of living of people of their apparent age. Again, nothing excessive. This note will not be delivered until we have been to Rhylanor and back.
With that done, Ak goes to work on simulating the piping, compression and re-piping of the backup data stream.
While he does that, the others check on our spy-robot. Unfortunately it seems to have seen everything there is to see, and is now essentially repeating itself without finding out anything new.
Scarlett suggests that we leave it there as evidence of our cleverness.
Ozymandias suggests we include, in our ransom note, an apology to the security officers who are going to lose their jobs over this.
Scarlett agrees, and says we should point out the holes in their security too. Fair point.
And as the time for the Dinnergongs to come for dinner is approaching, Ozymandias goes off to cook.
Ak begins work on setting up the fake data-tapping plan. He attempts to get a sample of real data from the backup stream, but it seems quite well protected, and he cannot access it.
And at the appointed hour, Bingbong and Amanda arrive at the Fantasy. We let them on board, and offer them real wine, from Caladbolg.
Unfortunately, Amanda does not like it, seeming to prefer the processed and largely artificial (though nutritious) stuff you get in Caliburn. We are not impressed.
We offer her another wine, but she doesn't like that either, for the same reason.
Dinner is served, with the finest foods from Caladbolg - dinosaura steak and vegetables, with fruit for desert. The Dinnergongs eat all of it, though Amanda does look a little dubious about it.
As usual, stilted and uncomfortable conversation is made until the meal is done. Then we describe the great time we had at Caladbolg, showing them our photographs from our visit there and generally singing praises of the place, making the not-very-subtle point that there are much nicer places in the universe to live and work than here.
Amanda again does not look too enthusiastic, saying it all seems rather unnatural to her. We decide she is very dull.
"Variety is good," says Ozymandias. "There are many wonders to see in the universe."
As we talk we attempt to indoctrinate Amanda (and incidentally Bingbong) on the joys of travel and being elsewhere than Caliburn.
Amanda is, again, not keen. She says her work is here.
We sing the praises of other places of work. Ak suggests that they could perhaps come with us on holiday to Caladbolg.
In private with Amanda, Scarlett tries to paint Bingbong as having 'itchy feet', and that Amanda may need to adapt her behaviour to keep him. Scarlett is trying to be more feminine than usual here, without too much success.
"He would never do that!" exclaims Amanda.
We all lay it on thick...
Amanda is definitely a bit worried by this point. She also resists our attempts to get her drunk and talkative again.
We decide that we will have to kidnap her regardless. We cannot let her return to SuSAG.
Scarlett talks to Bingbong about Amanda's leaving Caliburn.
Bingbong says she is very attached to her work here, but will see what he can do.
Encouragingly, Scarlett suggests that bad things might happen to Amanda if he goes along with our plan and if he doesn't.
Bingbong says he is intending to stay with Amanda indefinitely.
When he hears this, Ozymandias thinks it is rather strange. He is of the opinion the Bingbong should not base his life on a tissue of lies.
"We could tell her the truth and see what comes of it," Ak suggests.
"But not while we're here," says Scarlett.
"We'll see how it goes," says Bingbong firmly.
And eventually the evening draws to a close, and the Dinnergongs leave. Phew.
Ozymandias wonders whether we could locate, somewhere, some memory-erasing drugs to wipe the last few months from her mind. This would probably make her much happier.
Scarlett thinks she would probably react badly to being kidnapped.
We discuss Bingbong and Amanda, and the possibility of getting her work elsewhere. Or perhaps we could include Amanda in the compensation deal we plan to screw out of SuSAG? We decide to worry about finding her something later.
We wonder whether Amanda's behaviour is explained by the fact that LFM drug people to make them want to stay here. And whether she will just adapt if we take her elsewhere...
In the absence of Szechuan, the engineering-related jobs fall to Ozymandias, so he spends the day in the engine room and doing other Engineer-type tasks.
Scarlett cleans all of the guns on the ship, then does some very haphazard housework-type cleaning (so haphazard that if all the crockery and glassware were not made of strong high-tech materials they would all now be broken). As she does this she plans how she would assault the planetary defences should the need arise. She concludes that surprise would definitely be needed.
When he realises what a bad job she has done, Ozymandias re-does all of Scarlett's cleaning.
At about this point, Bingbong rings the ship. This time he invites us to dinner in the company shop's cafe at 8 PM, after which they'll come back to the ship with us for drinks. We agree to this plan.
We ask Bingbong whether he has been able to get the big stuffed animals we wanted (to cover the smuggling out of 'data' stolen by monitoring the download of the backups).
He tells us that he has. However, we cannot use them yet, because the download is not complete yet. We say we'll have them for our leaving party instead. He rings off.
We worry about getting several large (and heavy!) stuffed animals past the security people at the Gorre Town airlocks. Perhaps we will have to abduct the guards at gunpoint, too. Or perhaps we will have to crash the entry control part of the security system to get out. Or perhaps both.
We call Bingbong on the secure channel again and discuss the situation.
He thinks she will have to be abducted, and says he has a few of her personal things packed for when it happens. We will probably need to have some kind of counselling strategy ready for her, though. Scarlett volunteers for this, having done a bit of study in this area when we were trying to help Szechuan.
We ring off again.
At about this point, Ak finishes his work setting up the decoy data tap in the system, and pulls out, leaving the planned traces in his wake. He also makes sure that we can remotely disable the entry control on all the doors in Gorre Town too.
We discuss the coming dinner. We plan to give Amanda less of a hard time about emigration this time.
And at the appointed time, we leave the ship and head into Gorre Town for dinner. The security guard at the door is slightly more thorough in his checking today than he has been in the past, but we pay this no mind.
Inside the shop, it also seems rather quieter than it has been before. However, Amanda and Bingbong are there, waiting at the table they have booked in the cafe. We go over to join them.
After we have sat down and got drinks Amanda asks us why we want to travel.
Ak tells her you have to try it to see why.
Ozymandias continues in this vein, telling here that there are a cornucopia of experiences out there, and you can either choose one thing - blancmange every day - or a large mix of things.
Ak insults the level of excitement available in the Caliburn system
Scarlett is also unimpressed by Caliburn, and says so.
Though, we point out, it is a safe place. As long as the company cares for its employees.
In the spirit of having interesting things, we all order curries. Amanda and Bingbong do not.
The food arrives after a while, with the curries proving to have a rather chemically taste to them.
As we eat, Amanda is quizzed about her ambitions and interests. She tells us that she likes to watch the TV and read scientific papers. She wants to get security clearance for area 3 of the genetic engineering labs. The only thing she says she would do differently in her life, if given the chance to be young again, would be to meet Bingbong earlier.
It is about this point that we all begin to feel unnaturally woozy. This does not seem to be a good sign. We ask Bingbong about the availability of stimulants, but he says he does not have any. He says he will go and check the medicines aisle of the shop for us, and gets up. Amanda gets up and goes with him.
We decide to head for the airlock and back to the ship.
We get into the airlock and close the inner door. There is no sign of the security guard. We get our vacc suits on as quickly as we can; Scarlett is much quicker at this than Ak and Ozymandias. As we do this, we notice the lights in the shop dimming, and vacc-suited figures with guns moving about inside. Bad!
Ak pushes the 'disable security' button in case the airlock has been secured, then we cycle the airlock and step outside.
The landing pad is dark, much darker than it normally is. We flip down the light intensification goggles on our vacc suit helmets, but as we do this, spotlights from the Fragmin illuminate us and all of the area around the airlock. Bugger.
A voice over our suit radio calls on us to throw down our weapons and surrender. It looks like we have no choice.
We throw down our weapons and surrender.
The voice tells us to kick the guns away, then lie down with our hands on our heads. We fall asleep before we can fully comply. Bugger...
To each wake up alone in a cell, some unknown time later, rather bruised, and dressed in prison coveralls. Beyond being in a cell we are not restrained, but two cameras, one in each opposite corner of the cell, watch us.
Before long, each of us is led out by guards; there is no sign of the others. From the information our spy-robot sent us, we seem to be in area 3 of the genetic engineering labs. Over the next couple of days we are subjects to a variety of medical tests (including biopsies) and scan. These are not terribly pleasant.
Then, with the tests seemingly complete, the interrogations begin. These are done under the influence of a high-tech truth drug (there is no violence or damage involved in this, just a very thorough verbal interrogation), which keeps its victims coherent, but unable to lie and wanting to talk.
At first we are fed sachets of tasteless goo and water. We all go on hunger strike to avoid this, demanding better food. We tell our captors that we want to co-operate, but we are only willing to be pushed so far. Before long they relent and we begin to be fed proper food...
For the next week or so we are interrogated, our questioners asking us about everything that has happened to us, from when we woke up to now. Of course, we mention our data package, the release of which we cannot stop forever unless we physically go to Rhylanor and stop it. This does not make our interrogators happy.
We tell them that we arrived here breathing fire and vengeance, but have now cooled down. We're grey, and they're a darker grey. We want to even this colour difference out...
Our interrogators, who seem to be policeman-like professions, take down everything we say and pass it on. No psychologists or psychiatrists are visible, but we are being watched by lots of cameras.
We demand our back pay, as employees of LFM. They ignore this.
And after a not-terribly-pleasant week of interrogation, guards lead us all out of our cells, along corridors that seem to have been cleared for us to come through, and to the monorail to the main Gorre Town dome. There we all meet up for the first time since our capture. We greet one another.
As we ride the monorail car back to the main dome, Scarlett speculates on the 'nice' fates that may be in store for us.
The guards grin.
We mock the guards, telling them that their company will be out of business once our news gets out.
They tell us to shut up.
At the other end we are led into Gorre Town and through more empty corridors to a plush office with a large desk and a deep royal blue carpet on the floor. Three heavy chairs are attached to the floor in front of the desk, and we are strapped into them so we cannot move. The guards leave us there.
We talk rubbish to one another about the various Caladbolg restaurants we enjoyed (just in case anyone is listening) for half an hour, when the door behind us opens again. Guards tell us to shut up, then take up positions along the walls. A man we recognise as Abrey Tolivarn, the Junior Vice-President of Security on the LFM board in the Caliburn system, comes in and sits down behind the desk.
He addresses us by our former names rather than our current names, and tells us that he already knows our demands - he has read the interrogation reports. He tells us that they could perhaps be persuaded to go along with our plan, and that he is empowered to speak for the Board.
We negotiate. Ozymandias tells him that he did not really mind being truth drugged - it was a strangely liberating experience. The rest of us are not quite so sure.
But SuSAG appears ready to go along with our plan. "Under normal circumstances we would have dissected you all like frogs, but we have been impressed by your resourcefulness and cunning," says Abrey. "So we would like to offer you jobs as undercover agents of SuSAG instead. On the surface you would continue to operate as Fantasy Escort Services, but some of your jobs would be for us."
We have no huge problem with this. Ozymandias volunteers to be examined by psychological researchers, to find out more about the after-effects of the anagathic virus.
We discuss the relative moralities of ourselves and SuSAG, and the sort of jobs SuSAG may ask us to do. We point out that we will not do anything too bad. "Since our personalities are blank slates, we've decided to be moral," Ozymandias points out. "And you should take this into account when considering the sort of work you're going to be offering us."
In passing, Abrey mentions that the reason we were caught was because Bingbong betrayed us. Bastard. However, we agree to make no attempt to have revenge on him.
After more discussion, Abrey agrees that we will be kept on a retainer as part of our being SuSAG's agents. Not enough to cover all of our expenses, but better than nothing.
They will also give us some money up front as compensation and protection. We agree on the sum of 600000 Cr. This includes money to continue Szechuan's treatment. And we will continue to keep an eye on things here, particularly how the various research subjects are being treated.
And in the end we hammer out an agreement.
SuSAG (in the form of Abrey Tolivarn) agrees to:
In return, we agree to:
We are in a Mexican-stand-off position with SuSAG. Ozymandias worries about the data being released in, for example, the event of our deaths.
Abrey points out that the legal department here is quite small, so we agree to arrange something regarding this with SuSAG's lawyers when we get to Rhylanor. Abrey gives us a letter of introduction from Brian Visnijac, the Legal Officer here.
Scarlett points out that the research might have been completed in five years anyway. Fair point.
Abrey passes a contract over to each of us describing what we have already agreed to. Our writing arms are freed by the guards. We examine the contracts. Ozymandias and Scarlett find them to be legal gibberish, but Ak understands what is being said, and talks the others through it.
And we sign the contracts. Abrey signs them to, and are released. Phew.
We spend the next few weeks in the hands of SuSAG's psychological researchers while their technicians examine the 'Fantasy'. Our modified cleaning robot and our bugs are returned to us.
Over this time we consider sending betrayal-celebrating toys to Bingbong, then decide against it. Instead we will send him engraved dinnergongs and postcards from everywhere we go showing what a great time we are having...
Also, our licence allowing Fantasy Escort Service to operate in the Caliburn system is finally approved.
And then we are sent off on our way to Rhylanor. As our first job for SuSAG we are to carry two SuSAG people, Tynna Yovanne and Belinn Woodlow, to Rhylanor with us as mid-passengers. We grudgingly agree to this.
And off we go, heading for Caladbolg first...
En route our passengers (who are sharing the empty stateroom) are forced to attend Ozymandias' 'book of the jump' readings, and dance classes.
At Caladbolg we apply for Caladbolgian citizenship, and buy more food for our own consumption. We spend two nights there, and enjoy more of the same things we did before - base jumping, hunting, restaurants, culture and so on. We make our passengers come along too, and attempt to corrupt them with this good living.
Then we reluctantly leave Caladbolg and head for Rhylanor, by way of Mithril, Tenalphi, Shirene, Resten, Skull and Equus.
En route Scarlett and Ozymandias spar some more. Again Scarlett usually wins.
At Rhylanor, Tynna and Belinn leave, and we go and talk to SuSAG's lawyers. Our five-year plan is agreed and more contracts signed. Any of us can update the hold on the release (at least annually, most likely when we bring the 'Fantasy' to Rhylanor for its annual maintenance), but it takes all three of us in agreement to stop it being released at all.
Without telling SuSAG we also put in place a scheme involving an intermediary to act for us in case of our deaths - if we do not appear a private investigator will be hired to find out what happened to us and act accordingly. We put aside 100000 Cr to cover this, in an interest-earning account so that should it be needed there will be as much money available as possible.
And with these precautions taken, we return to Caladbolg to begin our career as Fantasy Escort Services...