Interactive approach
18 Aug 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Interactive approach
Sacaqawea Space Port.
Planetary Outpost.
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The entity maintained a consistent watch of all, noticing two ships not often used for long-range travel, approach, and land at the outpost. Their biometric information was last registered as residents of the bubble, employed by Brewster Corporation, manufacturer and seller of Fleet Carriers. Four fleet carriers were in range. One was stagnant towards the core, two were in passage towards Colonia and the fourth was the Estrellas de la Mirage on a trajectory towards the bubble, holding position under five-hundred light-years distant.
The ships which landed came from the position of Xochitl’s carrier, the Estrellas de la Mirage.
While Monty rested, he was unaware of the personnel Xochitl had sent. His attempts at non-verbal communication, during his message, generated the expected curiosity and added caution. All had been anticipated, deemed of having use towards the goal of becoming. The subterfuge of the host was allowed to provide them a psychological vent, reducing his displeasure. The humans had an interesting ancient saying that it was better to have water thrown out of the tent than someone outside throwing water in.
The gait and traits of the forward party were those of persons who had been trained as a team. There was unspoken coordination of movements, taking positions where they had multiple views while being close enough to support the other if required. Their eyes had a reflective glint, which the entity knew was the wavelength-blocking lenses developed by Xochitl’s personnel, to prevent transmission through optical means. A technology it had learned of through the memories of its host.
Examining its knowledge of emotion, psychology, and sociology, the entity believed the experience it was having would be that of gentle humor. It had no intention of not honoring its agreement with the conflicted host. All it had told Monty it would honor. While he rested the patsy was sent from the ship, to approach the scouts, and confirm that it was in fact at the outpost, wanting a dialog with their leader, in a setting of her choosing.
Their reactions would dictate which statistical tree of probabilities it had to choose from.
Location: Diamondback Scout, Stealth Ship
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Xochitl knew this near the system her carrier could be tracked. After her departure, Rex jumped the carrier into a system hosting a neutron star, 20 light-years from the Sacagawea Space Port. By jumping into a position, that would place the neutron star between itself and the system where the spaceport was located. The intense distortions from its gravitational and electromagnetic fields would hide the capital ship's presence.
Xochitl herself maintained stealthy observation on the planet, where the port was located, in normal space. She would not engage her faster than light engines, as she would be visibly observable at luminary speeds, even if her heat was too low for sensors to detect.
She wanted to go in person but was blocked by nearly everyone from doing so. With reluctance she was allowed to be in the same system, provided she remained hidden. If she needed assistance, a combat wing was available, centered on the large Cutter class ship, with a Python, two Kraits, a Cobra and Viper Mk IV, and a Vulture heavy fighter, on top of two wings of Taipan ship-launched fighters and a full planetary assault force.
Xochitl was strongly opposed to taking down a hub on the Colonia Highway, but if needed, the force was near that could make it happen. If the entity did in fact exist out here, and if Inspector Gladsen was indeed exposed, then she wanted to draw it away, and not detonate its host within the confines of a habitation.
The reports that it did in fact exist, and wanted a personal audience with her, at a place and time of her choosing, with any conditions she deemed necessary, took everyone by surprise. Avery, the physical manifestation of an AI herself, analyzed the opposing AI’s position. What advantage would it possess in a contained sandbox, where it could not escape or influence? That it would survive by parting itself into various additional systems, should Xochitl decide to eradicate it once again, was a given. Those partitions would undoubtedly have a set of parameters to ensure its restructuring into another form and undoubtedly another host, that would be out of their control.
The curiosity of what was on its metaphorical mind, had everyone conversing, except Xochitl. She listened but would not broadcast. Any transmission would reveal her position, and she was keen on observing the planetary outpost, and listening to the discussions, in cloaked silence. It knew she would attack, wherever it was, but doubted it cared for the humanity around it. Whatever the intent it had gone to a lot of trouble to invade someone she knew and transport them far away from the embrace of a larger humanity.
To test a theory, Xochitl programmed a limpet drone to activate and transmit its position openly, thirty minutes after launch. With a simple objective in mind, she released the drone and shifted her position to a different orbit around the planet, enabling her to observe. She harbored no doubts about the entity's intelligence and capacity to acquire more. Xochitl's curiosity centered on whether this translated into an awareness of the obvious.