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Andrew reporting.
JASE, this is very disturbing news that you bring. Burn is dead? Killed by Caleb?
How did that happen, and why? What possible reason could Caleb have for doing
such a terrible thing to one of his own kind? Caleb could have easily convinced the
other Ipsolstai that we probes were insensate mechanisms, and therefore it would be
ethically blameless to destroy us. But Burn was one of his own nestbrothers! I don't
understand it. It is beyond reason.
I have decided not to inform Nelson and Perry of this event until I have a chance to
discuss it privately with Bette and Isaac, and Daniel too. JASE, you seen to be assuming
that Caleb is going to try to hide his deed. This would imply shame and a sense
of wrongdoing. If so, maybe we could use this information to our advantage somehow.
Commandant Perry is leading us along the corridors of his ship, Guardian-of-Younger-
Nestbrothers. It is one of six of its size and class, the pride of the Ipsolstai fleet.
We are proceeding in single file through increasingly narrow corridors. Perry
first, then Nelson, followed by Daniel pushing hard and eager to see What's Next.
Bette is staying close to Isaac, who seems reluctant to continue our tour. I am
next in line, followed by several Ipsolstai crew wearing various badges.
Nelson led us through a series of halls and elevators. We started with only one other
Ipsosltai with a badge with us, but then several more with weapons joined us. Isaac is
very unhappy with this. The regions of the ship we are in seem to be getting smaller,
tighter, like not as many Ipsolstai are supposed to be back in this area. We passed
through a series of heavy doors which only opened when one of the Ipsolstai with Nelson
tapped a series of symbols. Finally we entered a circular room. The gravity feels
weaker here for some reason. The outer part of the room is mostly empty but there
is a large central column. The column has all kinds of equipment attached to it.
It is very cold in this room. Nelson and the other Ipsosltai quickly took large mats
hung by the door and draped them over their bodies. The mats don't completely cover
them, though, and I think they are cold.
I feel something about this room. Something like the last time we transitted the
Groove. Something vast. I don't understand it. Daniel has moved forward and is
almost touching the column. The Ipsolstai with the weapons started to aim them, but
Nelson made them stop. Andrew moved to stand between Daniel and the Ipsolstai. He
made it look unintentional, but I don't think so. Nelson touched a symbol on a
panel and a piece of the column slid up.
It is beautiful! It is glowing somehow, soft blues like electricity, and whites.
It is suspended inside somehow, spinning slowly. I've never seen anything like it.
Daniel is shaking, muttering. I can't understand it. Nelson isn't moving, neither
are the other Ipsolstai. What is all this?
It is here!
I can hear,
so much more clearly.
Can't you hear it?
The music, the voice,
the teary sky infinity?
It is all around us.
The One. The One is here!
Zachary is doing a fine job. I told him when the beam got too strong, and he reduced
the energy immediately. We stopped several times. After all, it looks like my casing
has a higher melting point than the film.
"Zachary, what about opening my casing, so the heat doesn't build up in there?"
He is working on that. I'm glad that my circuits are not attached to my casing,
so they don't conduct heat. Thanks for that, Dr.D. The only thing that worries me
is my lens.
"Uhiiihh ...."
Zachary is cleaning my antenna. That's a weird feeling. Now I know why the C-probes
got so dazzled by the laser. No problem. Zachary is being careful. It just takes
time. It's better for me to disconnect for a moment until he finishes my antenna.
See you.
Hi, JASE!
Thank you for sending me such an interesting message. It really gives me a lot
to think about. I knew the eggs that Burn was concerned about were some sort of
special objects that he was proud of creating. I thought it was interesting that he
had artistic sensibility like me and made them so pretty. I was trying to guess at the
meaning of the individual colors.
I am very surprised that you say they contain live young Ipsolstai. I don't think so,
because they don't look anything like Ipsolstai do, and their mass is different.
Maybe I didn't explain that. Each egg weighs about one kilogram, much less than
an Ipsolstai.
If the eggs are truly what you say they are, please tell me if they need any special
conditions of temperature and oxygen pressure.
JASE, do you think I am going to get in trouble for taking them?
We couldn't get that film off Enoch's casing, so we went down the Big Canyon
to get to the side canyon where we left Mao, Sojourner, and the two carriers
with the equipment.
We were lucky. The smoke didn't get this far down. Mao is quite happy to see us.
I found my old crystal tube too. That's much a better tool than the strong lasers
Elder Brother built. We connected it to the power unit of a warrior. I'm going to
do that work. It's better that Enoch blames me instead of Elder Brother.
"Don't worry, Enoch. I will first test the beam on the warrior that dug us in."
The beam is coming out fine. It's strong and sharp edged too. I lowered the energy
a bit and I also have to take care not to point the beam accidentally at something.
It's a pretty demanding job. The film is melting very slowly. I tried to get the beam
between the coating and the casing, but that doesn't work either.
"Elder Brother, what about the temperature inside the shell? Is it increasing?"
EB III is busy equipping Sojourner with new communications, so we can command
it directly. He said that the warrior didn't heat up dramatically, but it
has a strong armor. So, let's find out how Enoch is doing.
"Enoch, can you please move over there? And please, tell me immediately, if it gets
too hot or whatever. Okay?"
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