>>
|
c4e5c2.jpg
Prince Diamond Drifter
c4e5c2
>Who was in what hive/ultrahive again?
Korli and I are in the same ultrahive now, and the science hive will likely be in the same ultrahive if they are rescued. This mission was arranged from another ultrahive, of which every other neumono around me belongs. Every single one of us are from a different normal hive, however.
"So the admiral was bugged. That doesn't sit well with me, not just because he's bugged, but the salikai had me. They could've given me a faulty parachute, sent me alone, sent me without weapons, sent me with other compromised people, and a good number of other issues. A lot of holes come with that news."
>"That is true, except they would not give you a faulty parachute or otherwise deal with you while on the ship. First of all, the salikai have been exceedingly careful in their bugging. It would only take one neumono to be found with bugs to have everything fall apart. If you were killed because of a 'faulty parachute', I am sure such a death would be cause for investigation. Moreso, Vanski has, many times, said death is too good for you. Of course, he says that about all of the neumono. He knows his days are numbered, but still, he is not after the death of all neumono. He wants to 'teach everyone a lesson'. I believe he wants our species to experience what it is like to be a salikai after alien contact. Constantly hunted and killed, I suppose. While he is obsessed with you, perhaps he was not willing to sacrifice everything else he has just to get you after all. He may not have thought capturing you then and there would be worth the risk involved in the admiral performing overt actions, and so chose to be on the side of caution. I do not know, and I am dangerously close to forming wild, unfound speculations. But you are correct, no matter how complicated the scenario may have been, they had the opportunity to have you captured or killed, yet did not take that chance."
"I am also willing to believe the salikai are just completely incompetent at such planning." Though I am aware of the dangers of underestimating my opponent. "Korli. Does it bug you he's a clone?"
>"Uh... it's weird and I don't know if I should feel like we're buds still or if he should be new? Still the same guy, though. Hey, clone-Niam, do you have all his memories and stuff?"
>"To a degree. They are weaker. I remembered you, and other things common in Niam's life. It is all rusty, though. Topics that were on the fringe such as old phone numbers Niam would know I have forgotten and unable to reconstruct."
"Are there any definite signs between clones and originals?"
"No. We have only managed cloning a constant copy, and the only differences are unintentional. Some are tagged on the ear with a barcode label, but nothing involving their physical body."
"What are those monogoggles you have?"
>"The cloning is not perfect, at least it was not with me. I have poor eyesight. It is an external implant."
"How long does it take, and how much tissue is needed?"
>"We condense a good deal of tissue over time to a relatively small volume, and proceed to give it brainless neumono flesh to mold around, to put it in near offensively simple terms. Hence is why I have many memories, but they are weak. It takes approximately one month of intense care and supervision."
"... can they clone predators?"
>"Not to my awareness, but cloning most species has been accomplished, and now neumono. I would not expect predators have many hidden mysteries about them anymore."
"Are the bugs capable of destroying their host?"
>"Yes, they can drive a neumono permanently insane in approximately 37 seconds on average, or 46 seconds to braindeath."
"Do the salikai have a deadman switch or other sort of trigger to attempt maximum damage?"
>"Likely."
"Is there a way to disrupt the bugs at all? We are removing them from Rokann manually."
>"Jammers of radio and empathy will block outward communication, but there is no particular way I am aware of to disrupt them internally. They are highly EMP resistant, though perhaps not perfectly so. What you are doing with Rokann I would recommend continuing to do."
"Can they send visual or aural information through radio?"
>"Yes, although it is not often clear. The bugs do not act like a camera, rather, they intercept the signals that the eyes send to the brain to process, which often complicates trying to communicate that through radio.
"Tell me about the gas, and how they are distributing it."
>"They've installed pipes sporadically around, I do not know the locations of them. There is not much difference, conceptually, between the new gas and the gas we put on Rokoa's ship. It is only marginally stronger, in fact, but it is far cheaper and faster to make now once we made a few substitutes. It is still finite, but I doubt they will run out soon."
"How much of that brain matter in a dart has to be injected to do much?"
>"Just a portion. It is hard to say how much. Your ally may have been fine without slicing off her ear, or she may not have been fine."
"What is guarding the salikai's base now, and where is it?"
>"I will upload the location on your map systems I overheard one of you said you had. Many of the arkots, I imagine some clones, voklits, vernauts where they will fit, and grottles in whatever ducts are installed are the primary source of defenses at the moment. Essentially speaking, people and things that Vanski and Ohidi would like to put to good use, yet not let out of their sight. Due to technical issues we have had, stationary turrets are, to my awareness, out of order.
"When you work with Katzati, please include any possible escape routes. Give me a moment's break."
|