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This is Bette! I'm so glad to be able to talk again! The Ipsolstai that captured us removed my
transmitter, I couldn't talk. They kept us in the small room for a long time. They didn't look at us
or talk to us or anything. Then two Ipsolstai came and led us out. We went down a few hallways
and into a big room. There are three doors. We came in one, the others are separated by a wall.
The room has six sides, and six corners. An Ipsolstai is sitting in each corner on one of their
pads.
They have some sort of a holographic display next to them and I think some controls. Caleb
entered the room through the door on the left. Then Burn came in through the door on the right.
Caleb started to flashing colors and then Burn flashed. The colors got more intense and complex
until finally the six other Ipsolstai flashed colors. Caleb started to move forward and backward,
like he couldn't decide where to go. Then a new Ipsolstai came in through the door I entered
through and put my transmitter back in. The two that led us here are still here, one by each of
the other doors. Both of them are pointing the devices at us. Burn looked at me with all of his
eyes and started to flash. This time, a translator started to talk to me.
Proceeding necessary it is ability have you talk. Else is wrong.
Light obscures sometimes the colors from different types.
Some bad colors, some good colors, can't tell light different observers different.
Color is.
Observation is maybe.
Learn color here now.
Do you understand?
What are they talking about? They seem to be waiting for something.
Caleb then said something.
Bad color is say I.
And then Burn said something else.
What is going on?
I'm scared.
It's Bette! It's Bette! She's all right! After all of this time waiting and worrying she
finally sent us a message.
Of course, it was the fault of those mean Ipsolstai. Did you know that they actually took her
transmitter away? That's a terrible thing for a probe to go through. I don't know what I'd do if I
couldn't communicate with my fellow probes and my Earth friends. Transmitting information is
our whole reason for existing. I hope that Isaac is being brave. He doesn't understand what a
dangerous situation he and Bette are in.
Those Ipsolstai can do anything they want to Bette and Isaac. I hope that Burn will be the friend
that Zachary and Enoch think he is. It's our only hope.
"Zachary, is this better? I'm sorry the prism wasn't set right. I'll try and do better. Are your
sensors all right now?"
Wow! No wonder those C-probes staggered when they retreated back down the Canyon and
went out of control. The laser beam just barely grazed my sensors, but it took many minutes to
get back to normal.
Gail is going to have to pay closer attention to what she is doing and stop gazing at the stars for
a while! Maybe Theresa would be a better choice for this job. I need pinpoint precision from Gail
when I encounter the other C-probes. And Al-Qahira said there were five more!
At least I can help Andrew and Enoch and Daniel this time.
Andrew reporting.
I can see the C-probes that Al-Qahira told us about. They are not moving in close formation the
way they were in the earlier image. They have spread out to form a search net. It seems as if
they know approximately but not exactly where we are. It almost seems that they are hunting
us. They are in for a surprise, because we are hunting them.
The pit traps are effective, but takes at least a day for two construction drones working full time
to dig one. Also, they need a very particular site so we can hollow out a large deep hole
underlying a thin crust, and still have a method to get the drones back out. Essentially, we
need to find an embankment, drill a cave, get the drones out, and seal up the entrance so the
captured C-probe can't get out. This strategy works. One additional pit trap has been
completed, and I have the drones working on a second one.
I hope that Enoch's miners have plenty of explosive charges. I don't think we can depend on
Zachary's laser because it is hard to aim. Every kilometer away from his energy source
increases the difficulty.
Bette needs to be very polite to the Ipsolstai. I think they will treat her reasonably because
they seem to have an ethical basis of behavior. But why did they take Bette and Isaac
into custody in the first place? And what was that object in the blue room?
"Andrew, we need to go and rescue Bette and Isaac right away. The Ipsolstai are totally
unpredictable. We might never see our friends again. We didn't get any transmission from
Bette for a week! Who knows how long it might be next time! "
There's just a little problem to take care of first. We have five C-probes rolling toward us at top
speed. They are spreading out in a semi-circular pattern. We are not surrounded...yet.
The One stirs, awakes.
Anticipation.
Existence on the knife edge of change.
Soon.
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