Time Capsule - epub file
Time Capsule - mobi file
Kindle and epub file
Whedon on foot followed a winding
chalk white trail following the dry river of a region in the
sulfurous yellow and purple streaked terraced hills of Haimur. He
and his group now stood in the shadow of Haimur's largest natural
tower whose column streaked like the stalk of the flower at its base
and whose terminous point appeared as though a giant tulip bulb at
its top. The great tower must have stood at least one kilometer
high. However, characteristically unusual given the rocks
horizontally variated tan to gold banding which would have suggested
one continuous and unbroken face as opposed to present
representation. At its foot so much rock fall lay whithered away
like a melting snowfall slurry draining into a large emerald hued
lake. Blue rain fell from the sky then pelting the group which
rolled off suits like water on glass, however leaving tracks of blue
pools on the trail in which Whedon could sense now moving his foot
from one such a pool a resistance and imagined a sound resembling
suction emanating at the soul of his shoe. Only the river would
grow, and the group's leader motioned for all to hurry so much faster
to some encampment near the tower's base ahead which to Whedon must
not have seemed more then two or three kilometers ahead, but whose
distance really had shown more like two more then he had realized
given readings from his visor's mapping system.
The kilometers ahead, however, shown
more treacherous the trail which alongside a once stream
transforming to torrential river, provided something of landscape
relative elsewhere, the blue rain neither soaked so much into the
ground as in all of it literally having raced for a nearest drainage
source, and it would seem soon the trail could be awash and as likely
impassable.
-2-
A large thud and booming suddenly
hit Whedon, reverberating loudly on Whedon's visor so as to remind
of rattling glass windows caused from any large explosion. He must
have been thrown some twenty yards without having realized it. He
awoke in the clear acid pools now tinged with blue. Quickly he
hurried to gather himself up, trying to down climb on the slick
surface of the terrace pool edge but slipped only downward, falling
backwards this time, and landing squarely on his backside. The wind
had been knocked from him, and only in several minutes had he
verified the extent of injury weren't immobilizing or life
threatening. His group appeared to be nowhere in sight. Then he
noticed the Ariel intruder from above, a recon policing ship.
Immediately he hadn't thought to confirm this, however, so much
having dived to the ground, and with a series of gestures placed on
his forearm, he had all but disappeared into the earth itself.
Whedon was still there, but technically his suit were projecting all
of the traits of foreign planetary ground, displacing all manner of
radiant signature that might make him visibly prone to recon, only
something weren't exactly right. It seemed to him upon closer
inspection, the craft had none of the visible identifiers making this
clearly official authority, and secondly usually some official
identifying announcement would be made before any formal cease and
desist engagement were made as in the flight scenarios. Anyways, he
thought, 'we're unarmed.' Then he could see two figures running the
length of the trail. 'Whedon, are you there!' someone was calling on
communications. 'Yes!' Whedon replied. 'Change of plans, we moving
to beta,' the voice called out, 'no vitals on Chum, or Jure. Think
they're gone. We should split up for now, at least can't risk things
going wrong for now, and there's likely to be more coming anyways!'
Voice transmission ends. Whedon hasn't moved, however, or at least
he thinks to wait for now. In minutes, however, soon he hears some
audible movement of ground in the direction of what he could discern
were an armed mercenary. A series of rapid reports, indicating
gunfire, again, then silence. Carefully Whedon rose, to his feet
attempting to disturb little the ground beneath his feet. At least
one added ground disturbance that ariel reconnaissance could easily
discern well enough these days. Added to this the trail while having
been a safer route for him, were now something of liability, a
conspicuous starting point for SNIFFERS in their search, and soon
unless we find shelter, Whedon said to himself, 'this area will be
combed thoroughly.' Technically while chances of detection could be
bad on the margins now, it seems waiting and doing nothing with a
SNIFFER out were so much worse.
-3-
Once Whedon had cleared the recons
surveillance perimeter, more rapid movement could be made, here,
although likely given the apparent arrival of one craft there were
likely any number of other patrols in the area, scouring the
landscape for any additional. He figured likely surveillance had him
tagged already, and would no owing to lack of persons that he were
loose, so he couldn't rely at least on anonymity so much here in an
attempted bushwack. Of course, he were hoping recons were moved in
the direction that they were headed, but could he be certain of this?
Not likely to take this, for granted, he thought. Anyways, SNIFFERS
were high altitude recons able to detect high resolution surface
displacements on the order of centimeters to milimeters in length
once deployed. Any footstep leaving any displacement of terrestrial
soil from one moment to the next, would immediately provide
signature. The usual counter to this were decoy deployments which
Whedon had in store, which were aimed to cause a frenzy of surface
based activity over a particular region, the problem, here were that
even region wide decoy deployments were just as likely to pinpoint in
some broad manner a likely suspect locale for the lice to be combed
through. Anyways, unlike older times, where absorbed radar neither
lead to the same arbitrary interpretations such that in signal
processing results were thrown out (as in the case of missing
signals) advanced processing were able to discern better signal
strength for arriving signals, and this had amounted to receivers now
throwing 'ghost' signals that would provide an expected 'bounce' that
hadn't deviated so much from other local returns with expect to
altitude. The problem were getting the SNIFFER to read and move out
of range for decoys, and likewise, enough SNIFFER s adds to the
problem of moving that much and getting the decoys to last that much
longer. The SNIFFER s anyways would provide signal movement
estimations, and the decoys themselves had to carefully place drops
so that a dropped signal wouldn't appear so erratic as non biological
in some locomotive way, unless SNIFFER technology were really
primitive, or in other words, signal processing dumb in the
interpretative sense, and then even the old timers, could read
properly if well trained enough bad errant signals and sniff out the
decoy drops when movement sequences flashed on scanning screens. The
decoys in this way were plentifully deployed and small enough, owing
to problems in atmospheric disturbances that might otherwise cause
decoy movement anomalies, usually they were very low altitude based
in terms of movement, they absorbed air to ground radar, and re
emitted 'ghost' signatures so as to appear as distinct as the ground
itself, and they dropped ground signatures in a timed ground
displacement spray.
Orientations of the decoy's spray
drop relative the decoy were randomized. The decoys themselves
weren't without problems. Firstly it seems signal neutralization
were knowingly built into the SNIFFER themselves, what this meant
were that destructive high intensity radiation pulses were fired in
tracking fashion to test disrupt the suspected bogey signal. Usually
this were enough likewise to disable any biological target rendering
such target unconscious, or at least in the case of the 'bogey' if it
were to persist determining that it were of non biological origins,
at least this while not always perfect were the inference test, so
decoy deployments were placed in a way to keep the SNIFFER s busy
time wise eliminating any test signal target. The drones themselves
were probably the size of the smaller earth terrestrial variety,
nanos, that packed enough punch to mimic human based displacement
footfall, and in fact, so were so designed also to leave the
appropriate footfall impression. This were important since given the
availability high level cloaking technology, it seems even seeing
ghost foot prints emerging in the desert of some life forsaken
planet, hadn't meant that a signal could be ruled as a 'bogey' alone.
Thus it seems with a good counter surveillance deployment, some tens
of thousands of footprint signatures could be made in otherwise
desolate area, given the SNIFFER enough work in terms of detection
readings. Sadly though, it seems sometimes surveillance teams could
be willing to engage in the 'nuke' option with respect to
neutralization, meaning whole swaths of territory would be
systematically be targeted and blown a mile high with intense
radiation explosion, and in this case as opposed to pinpoint
targeted, usually human and decoy drones could be expected caught and
eliminated. Inevitably something of another strategy could crop up
which were to scatter even more the decoy signatures radius to avoid
too much signal response localization, added to this putting decoys
around enemy shields so as to increase the likelihood of pinpoint
testing, although this could seem counter intuitive to the person
seeking cover to escape the watchful eye of SNIFFER s, after all who
would circle back into enemy's hands to seek cover?! But it seems as
likely this sort of pro active strategy might have worked, unless
some team were willing to sacrifice its own for the sake of
eliminating a possible target. Once Whedon asked his operations
specialist why not just stay completely still if a displacement
detections rather then non ground based displacements were the
problem? The answer to this were that SNIFFER s regardless would use
nuke drops in sweeping fashion across a given target range. Anything
biological in that range would be immobilized most likely, and all
cloaking equipment neutralized in the process. This meant being in
the nuke zone were likely to afford nothing of cover, and generally
speaking, like Napalm some many centuries ago, would flush out some
enemy target from hiding.
Whedon knew the nuke sweep were
likely coming in option being so far away from any civilian based
population. As likely the mercs would be lifting off soon, and a
sniffer would place a 'nuke' drop over the zone in which they were
last spotted, that were likely to be an estimated given, and they
would likely range sweep, a broad area. Ideally, one would neither
be positioned in range at all given a sweep of drones, at least
since, if one were to escape to the periphery of a given range,
tracking were likely to ensue for a given target regardless. In this
way, one might have hoped at best to spread the range wider and
wider, of targets but then likely targets on the periphery would be
selected and neutralized being tracked and prioritized amongst
interior targets. Being caught in a pulse regardless, whether
playing dead or not, wouldn't be good either since high probability
would manifest for cloaking disruption. It seems the best of all
options were to be outside SNIFFER range period, and let the SNIFFER
s think you were somewhere in the interior of such range, once a
sweep were completed with all 'bogey' targets eliminated in
possibility as exactly that with nothing to show for, then SNIFFER s
would proceed onward to some neighboring region presumably.
Repeating a sweeps process. It seems being in the interior were
something of a death sentence in many ways, since at best staying
still could mean being caught in the sweep, and moving would cost at
some point in terms of being positioned neutralized. Whedon were
told other options were to bury oneself in the ground as soon as
possible before SNIFFER deployment, since even with disturbance to
cloaking there could be some decent chance that SNIFFER s themselves
wouldn't make out natural background radiation signatures relative to
biological ones, but this could in some manner might be one merely
minutes with topographic survey s compared to mapping data, and this
apparently as Whedon were instructed could suffice at the level of
centimeters of cubic displacement. The problem were explained to
Whedon as follows, consider a given volume of soil removed containing
the exact amount as the body that you intended to bury in the earth,
but consider having to place that volume of soil back in the earth
alongside having another exact amount of that same volume placed on
top of it, or in other words, to put a body in the earth, alongside
displacing an equal volume of earth to allow for burial, would mean
that exactly that volume would be displaced. Unless having
possession of soil compacting equipment, again SNIFFER s were even
likely to see catch these sorts of terrestrial displacements given
publicly furnished mapping data, or at least presuming Mercs had
access to this, but Whedon knew his group in this case hadn't chosen
a completely desolate moon in which to work, neither could the
SNIFFER s themselves be likely used as those tracking him would
intend. The beta point, were in fact a populated center providing
shelter, and likely the those tracking him would have to use
furthered sifting techniques. Also the mercs themselves would be
running up against use agreements here, these appeared to be non
officials, Whedon wasn't exactly a fugitive here, but potentially
could have been, and given populations proximities, the SNIFFER s
could have limited and strategic sweep use.
-4-
The group would be assigned a
ground hump for some length, this meant no vehicles and having
avoided more conspicuous ground presence as in a flight mission, and
in any event while having some access up to a point, there were
already enough eyes in the local heavens to avoid broadcasting too
much regardless. This meant getting up as close as possible to a
given territory by the usual means in this case, and working to get
out solely on foot. Formally, they were listed as field researchers.
Doing official expedition type work, but informally they were
private espionage, or basically well paid thieves on a certain heist.
Of course, it shouldn't seem reasonable that SNIFFER s were normally
deployed like this, but contingent planning were made, since the
target were valuable enough, and secondly the more advantage provided
for time elapsed from the target objective having been maintained to
a point of discovery, the more time given for escape. Imagine a
valuable piece of art stolen from a museum, and imagine all the
resources spent in finding any individual responsible for the theft.
Likely a person stealing without so much thought pulls the art off
the wall, during operating hours and trips up security, but doesn't
really care, what is the likely outcome? Probably with security
present he'd likely be caught immediately, and the story is over.
Consider someone planning theft, spending a bit more time would
his/her chances be that much better? Whedon hoped time lines were
indeterminate here enough, so that a group of researchers couldn't be
linked as clearly to the time line of the theft itself, and there
were more to this, in many cases should a theft need necessarily
occur clearly with the product being missing, or in other words,
added to this confusion a counterfeit put in place having the
appearance of the stolen good, or in the case of information
espionage, proofs could be needed, but not necessarily the original,
and not necessarily a theft of anything in the clearest sense other
then information espionage with a leak transferred to enemy hands.
The later as Whedon were told were probably the hardest to discern
if a well intended thief, broke security but hadn't clearly tripped
wires in the process having left with little if any trace, but as to
the clearest objective of the mission, not even he were told these
exact details, and his role were limited in this. Why had he joined
this group firstly? They were people that he knew, but they hadn't
taken so much of an oath to one another, upheld to the laws of any
land, federation, but were like the mercs that were hunting them, and
this were the strange twist for Whedon because of someone asked him,
he knew without knowing what he thought might exist given the
elaborations and contingencies provided, but also chose to stay in
group because of planning and structure involved. He had some sense
of the people planning it merely from all the suggestion and work,
having gone into it? Anyways, Whedon thought to himself, it might
seem foolish having expected so much, but any number of hurdles could
be passed up to this point, such as: they weren't doped or ignorant,
having hatched any series of plan that should seem like a complete
suicide mission, and to this end career criminals that would likely
spend the rest of their lives in federation prisons merely for the
sake of easy trace and discovery on the basis of likely outcomes
concerning investigations, and all in group were expected to provide
some feedback and indicate basic competency at this point. Lastly
really it were just two in group that really knew more then the
others, and one finally that for all he knew, knew more then him.
The other two were really researchers, and knew nothing of this
mission, knew nothing of any planned theft, and were likely to have
no knowledge, and now at least those two researchers, well, Whedon
thought, they're likely dead, but he were worried all right about
this present impending situation, but Whedon had taken this into
consideration. Of course, much regarding time line were in peril,
certainly the researchers would be missed by those close to them, and
that would certainly point to a time frame of disappearance and
location otherwise. There weren't any clear instructions provided to
them, other then the other saying that he had an urgent change of
plan to the other two, once a major aspect of the operation were
complete, and all agreed at that point to walk out as quickly as
possible, but even if Chum, or Jure hadn't agreed, maybe it would all
be the same, and contingencies might have been somewhat the same.
Although the other at least seemed itching to have Chum and Jure
leave with him, so it seems something of time line were important
here. Anyways, Whedon knew the art to a mission such as this,
involve only as many as you needed, and no more. Too many people
having a hand in something good, he was once told, meant someone more
likely ruining the mission. Chum and Jure were there to keep
suspicions lower for that matter alone, to aid in the movement and
acceptance of an research study application, provide social cover.
At least it were uncustomary for groups of two researchers whether
legit or not to be moving through Haimur's frontier like this for
such and such research, most legitimately would fight their case and
likely win for study permissions, but the other wanted basis covered
and figured the added liabilities were worth the risk. Lastly
Whedon, thought, having something of chuckle to himself, its a bit of
a thrill doing this...a bit of a thrill....anyways, for now Whedon
hadn't planned for beta point, but another place drawn up that only
he knew about, should the SNIFFER s come out, even if he appeared as
one of many potential ghost footprints, he would disappear like a
ghost, and be assumed as such a drone trying to provide cover.
-5-
Whedon had two plans concerning
the drones, at this point. For cover, he instructed the release of
one through wireless transmission.
Whedon shook his fist at an image
of the other on his visor's console, 'Double cross!' Communications
at this point until rendez vous were dead, signal transmissions
couldn't be risked in terms of interception in theory at this point
since SNIFFER s themselves could sense even that even if it were
scarcely able to cipher code itself, but this weren't any matter.
The other suggested there could be work arounds on this point, but
both figured, planning shouldn't require it, given the whole of
contingencies they had prepared for in this case.
Whedon having known the imperative
nature of drones having gone into position now, knowing the time in
which the drones would synchronize their decoy release were important
since clues weren't to be provided to SNIFFER s concerning possible
origins of the drones release. All drones would activate once the
most distant one reached its activation marker. The SNIFFER would
suddenly see a displacement map region wide at once light up like the
facade of a completely night lit building, and that is when Whedon
would take his cue, following an instructed randomized erratic path
to 'ghost' point. Whedon whispered to himself, 'Mark is now!'
Apparently this far went as planned what else should result. And
that is when, he saw in the distance the other, no more then a couple
hundred meters only walking, neither as the two of them planned but
quite differently.
Whedon then releases his 'ghost
image' drone, and several taps with his foot on an unseen switch
provides an opening into gray yellow soil, quickly Whedon moves down
a flight of stairs while his 'ghost' takes flight above continuing
'erratics', identity hand off complete..
A familiar voice of the other, however,
suddenly gives rise to Whedon's pause in stepping.
'I know you are there.'
'What are you doing here?!' Whedon
suddenly implores, 'I thought it was beta point, not here that we
meet up! How did you know this place were here, you obviously
couldn't see me?!'
'Change of plan,' the other replies,
'change of plan.'
'You plan on getting us killed, with a
stunt like that and drones not given proper instruction, will have
the SNIFFER s seeing lightening strike several times -, ' Whedon
replied but were cutoff in midsentence.
'Oh that will be taken care of, ' the
other replies.
Whedon already guessed as much,
and hadn't bothered so much reply. At least with pace limited here,
only a matter of time before taking a shot if detected, only a matter
of time before the possibility of either random shots fired, in any
event, and one striking him, but one opportunity at a cache and
better equilization given the circumstances. Whedon threw an small
rock gathered in hand against a wall, where in quick succession of
burst of rounds pass in vicinity, and Whedon timing this accordingly
places a hand inside as discreetly as possible during the brief flash
of weapons fire, to his hidden cache, gaining access to another
weapon, but with some hesitation, Whedon avoided discharging his
weapon at where he mentally pictured shots having emminated,
providing some anticipatory return fire opportunity..
Only years ago, he remembered
something in his defensive training regarding the visualisation of
unseen targets themselves. He begun to imagine the other having
moved, but he senses something different from a once immediate
instinct, neither a second guess, he drew the weapon in another
location, and fires rapidly. Shortly thereafter a distinct thud,
then silence.
First hand knowledge told him
cloaking systems weren't always disabled once life vitals of a target
were no long existent, and opportunistically, the other might lay in
waiting to seize on a pass at such location, so Whedon had stepped
aside, waited for any audible sound. Nothing.
Whedon decided to scrap anything
of previous plans, now. Although he were a bit urgent to check for a
body, everything up until now weren't right. The earlier ambush for
one, and the secondly the other turning a weapon on him weren't good.
Whedon could here a voice screaming, 'get the hell out of here as
soon as possible.' Of course, this was a backup relative to any
other place, but if the other knew this place should exists which
weren't exactly in Whedon's contingent plans, and the ambush were in
part staged, why shouldn't any others coming after Whedon neither do
so now, but it seems maybe this weren't the case, or at least someone
might have provided a tip off where the other hadn't obliged
information willingly or knowingly? And why would the other bother
disposing of Whedon himself, if he could simply walk away providing
some cut in the process leaving he Whedon out of the loop? Only it
seemed reasonable to Whedon that he in this whole charade were a
loose end of sorts, that needed to be attended. At least
considering, this elaborate plan for cover, cover stories, names, but
its not exactly like a complete trace could be made here.
Investigators might find name drops surely, but those names were
generated, alongside credentials, alongside so many other details
added to fill in the blanks of what should seem as an ordinary
legitimate research duo whom in the extended sense worked from abroad
which meant many systems away, having set up digital proxies that
weren't thoroughly checked, or at least hadn't driven enough red
flags for the desired permission to be given. Anyways, Whedon and
the other planned everything from course audits to scanning academic
journals for relevant information providing passage, and then
likewise fabricating any manner of writings, either lifting passages
here and there, and then placing this through their a.i. Systems
writer to ensure writings hadn't appeared so conspicuously another's
work. Anyways, academic professionals never seemed to pay so much
attention on scrutinizing the authenticity of another's body of work
as this were likely displaced on the backs of others to handle this
task, or at least Whedon and the other reason likely the two other
researchers wouldn't be bothering taking the time and effort to do
thorough checks. The more difficult securities aspect actually came
in the research permission process. Here at least, local authority
would have access to education administrative details of the two's
fabricated profression through federation securities which were would
ironically be more stringent then education bodies themselves, and
sadly what this required were something of passing the grade of a
published writing that should stand until identity covers were blown,
and the also required setting in place an identity amongst a large
audience. They chose a school having a high teacher population, one
where faculty members worked with some level of anonymity between
themselves, so when Whedon and the other having planted their names
in the system near silently hadn't aroused so much suspicion amongst
colleagues where such school had an ever changing roster whose
academics should come and go as in a rotating door, and then having
planted their work likewise in the system, having covered topically
the relevant field of work pertaining to the research that would be
performed abroad. Who knew Whedon, the prior day? No one, and the
next day someone would, but not knowing Whedon before that day
hadn't mattered so much in this school. This weren't enough for the
permission zone of entry into the desired place that he and the other
had in mind, at least both Whedon and the other reasoned as likely
additional scrutiny would be placed on two neither so well tenured
academic upstarts, so they opted to take their chances with greater
distances here, neither affording an up close and personal in the
desired zone of travel. Anyways Whedon laughed on the topic of
plaugarism where federation politics sometimes itself even delved
into the matter at high levels for its own sake, only Whedon and the
other weren't internal here, and that's what really mattered and
spelled out so much difference in acceptable behavior as far as he
were concerned. Only one thing stood out in Whedon's mind in the
past, and that is the past of the other related to Whedon. Whedon
realized a loose end problem, a real name given possibly. Although
hadn't said anything further to confirm this, and generally it seemed
to Whedon buried, maybe the other hadn't really let it go, amongst
other personal things?
-6-
The whole of this mission
encompassed not only this particular mission, but setting up, in the
past case, whole other identities, with new physical composites,
another journey which entailed building posts, they considered this
part of the journey like the staging of a climb, where cache and
something of an outpost could be constucted in the process, and then
teasing local topographic systems in vanishing staging data since any
activity were often recorded by surveillance overhead. If the mercs
had access to publically availed federation topographic data, it
wouldn't be revealing their planted structures or at least, Whedon
checked this numerous times before the final leg of the mission were
put in store, and at least fortunately, the stage including buried
shelters were in the lowest of security clearances zone wise.
Meaning practically anyone of average federation status would have
access to travel here at least on foot.
The contingent of ever using some
means of travel greater, ironically other then what any human ever
evolved to, risks for detection by way of cloaking always existed in
some manner, and in terms of concealment, concealment having applied
to vessels were another matter neither Whedon nor the other could
contend with here strategically speaking. As least as on option it
were ruled out earlier because it should seem amongst other things,
that travel alone were so heavily surveilled and restricted. This
weren't a simple plan of drop into some planetary/moon based orbit,
using one cloaked vessel to another. At least if following a plan
back of this type, to its origins, it seems added to the age old
problem of gravity, their path would have some start in the heavens
above where at some point federation space control would have some
knowledgeable position of their craft, and this target weren't
exactly next to door to home, they couldn't rightly just hop into a
cloaking enabled family excursion vehicle for a day's trip and hammer
the goods with a decent drop in on planet from point A to point B
entirely unknown to anything of seeing eyes themselves. It seems
then a larger vessel could be required for some journey of travel
here, or at least in possession of the sort of faster then speed of
light travel within reason, and then possessing at least cloaking
technology. The problem here were that the smaller of vessel,
generally weren't outfitted rightly with either technology in a more
commonplace sense, and then the vessel itself of this type weren't
exactly outfitted like a living amenable outpost for longer journey's
either. Larger vessels could be of use, but the reality here were
that, the larger of vessels, like so many practical vessels built in
millenia past, might at best keep anchorage in safe harbor but never
make landfall inside a given harbor, smaller craft more likely were
to make the sojourn from land to large vessel, and while even this
mode of travel in most modern times fell out of disfavor for lift
assist systems, planetary vessels could generally thought restricted
to local installations in so far as modes of travel. Of course,
there might have been any number of places that a craft could be
installed somewhere as in portage until need for use, but this
requiring registration afforded problems of another matter and
travelling around restricted zones in craft could bear even more
scrutiny.
Federation liked people
travelling, no doubt, but they liked this on their terms, where
travel modes and means were a privelege not a right, and easily they
could rescind this. While the two thought of methods for
unregistered portage, the requirement here were either having through
any number of trips, set up a place of manufacturer for such craft,
or having located someone involved in the smuggling of un registered
craft. With more stringent security protocols, it seems the
likelihood of finding any such individual could be slim to none.
Leaving the other possibility with any number of trips required in
securing parts, and machinery for assembly. Lastly Whedon and the
other weren't low grade thieves looking with greater certainty of a
once guns blazing trip ending in a likely lifetime imprisonment
scenario. Yes, maybe if all were so much lower in so far as
security, the use of some personal vessel might have found greater
practical value, but here, no. Guided tours went elsewhere, leaving
practical public transport options limited, and generally the
preferred modes of transports were public ones. While it could be
conceivable that a rigged cloaking system might be enabled on some
local vessel, again problems in Whedon's mind surfaced with respect
to tracking and policing of stolen goods in high securities
situations, and nothing of cloaking technology ever made so certain
the prospect that anything disappeared couldn't be detected.
The age old problem of what should
be larger made problems for a vanished vessel becoming more visible
under increased security were its destination should be of greatest
purpose. This would apply in the case of dropping in at literally
the front door, if it should be of greatest advantage, with all
manner of monitoring in full sway. Added to this difficulty the
added problem found in cloaking, while surrounding thermal signatures
on the vessel might be hidden from view, its output radiation in its
surroundings were another thing to be dealt with if physical matter
were involved here, and this problem unfortunately as opposed to
rareified environments becomes in comprehensibly complex in so far as
detections with larger scale craft involving higher thermal exhaust
output radiation. This is to say, if you couldn't see the fan, but
could see the wind blowing without apparent barometric cause for the
wind blowing, a displacement reading could be detected. If you could
see aberrant thermal signatures appearing in the surrounding
molecular space of an atmosphere, with adequate detection systems, a
cloaked vessel could be easily tracked. In rareified evironments
(e.g., deep space) where molecular collisions are far and few
between, it seems a requirement were detecting the molecules of
exhaust gas, and here at least, detections could be more difficult.
Consider this problem again where a fan were blowing in space, it
seems without air, there would be no molecules of air to be felt
striking, and in the case of radiant exhaust, it seeems the
diffusivity of molecules from a radiant exhaust system would be more
rareified to the extent of having far less effect upon its extraneous
environment only in the seeming displacement of added molecules
exhausted into a given system. Here the great leap were made in
cloaking allowed for the stream of thermal exhaust energy to itself
be concealed behind an 'umbrella' like cloaking configuration. In
rareified environments, with little displaced except the molecules of
gas energy that were designed so as to pour in a narrow stream with
all manner of photon emissions tightly controlled, so as to avoid any
spherical or hemispherical projection, should mean detectors
themselves had to make detection in a very limited orientation...this
would be the equivalent of light transits of other worlds relative to
one's own, which describe a narrow emissions detection range. The
problem in less rariefied enviornments here, as it were explained to
Whedon, thermal diffusivity were likely to lead to surrounding
molecular displacements, more readily discerned with scanning
relays...where light aberrations might be detected from one relay
source to the next in the surrounding atmosphere, as opposed to the
case of above where exhaust streams were tightly controlled and
miniscule in so far as light aberrations being concerned, surrounding
molecular energy transfer problems by way of diffusion would be less
commonplace...or the simplest way that it was put to Whedon, think of
your eye as being a detector, if you saw a plane passing through the
air, if space were like the air for a plane passing through, you'd
less likely see the air currents moving about the wings of a plane,
but if you put that plane in water, you'd more likely see the
currents of water passing on the plane's wing. Technology, existed
to make the exahust of a ship seem almost invisble to the highest of
detection systems, while in many terrestrial cases with denser
gaseous atmospheres, the same weren't as true. Of course, with
little if anything but a rare molecule or stray atom in the vacuum
rescesses of space, one would only have to deal with detections of
exhaust emissions. .
Cloaking individuals would mean
buffering and insulating thermal signatures while neither the same
emissions exhaust problems having existed in the same locomotive
context. After all human biology would burn calories of energy, and
a partial byproduct of this in the form of metabolic channels were
heat output, but nothing of the same type of exhaust displacments
would apply in the same context as applied ot other non biological
machinery, save the problem as in high gravitational environments as
simple as locomotive footfall, but then added point event to the
cloaking of people, it seems detection capabilities at some point
advanced so much as to account for atmospheric pressure
variabilities. Most of this were done so in statistical manner and
never quite failsafe, but enough so that larger less aerodynamic
vessels were likely to be spotted. While it were more possible for an
adequately suited human to evade detection systems, suits themselves
were designed in a way to contour atmospheric flow.
An eye perceiving a space of air
that were cloaked would see a given volume of air up to the point of
divergence on the flow boundary, while a cloaking system would
project a calculated even space of air flow throughout neither
disrupted relative to a non cloaked volume of surrounding air, and
beyond past such flow boundary one would see a near seemless join
between flow contours. How this should be accomplished unlike
ancient technology which at times only relied upon absorbing say any
incoming signal transmission that were normally to bounce off a non
cloaking type vessel went beyond merely absorbing much of any visible
or non visible signal, but also in path projecting a high percentage
such signals to an intended direction and orientation where relays
might have been established in some anticpatory likekind. Of course,
as one could imagine the terrestrial version of this problem were so
much more given the problem of the level of detection at hand. This
weren't solely a problem of projecting, for example, visible light
emissions, but so much more on the unseen signal spectrum where such
were necessary based upon some level of interaction. .
The same type of designs in
practice could be applied to well contoured aerodynamic vessels in
the terrestrial context, but size, mass, and subsequent displacment
signatures in an environment had proved problematic, and in any event
what couldn't be replaced were social engineering as a valuable
foothold. Since some of the greatest spies and thieves past, never
relied upon any of the modern cloaking technology having existed in
the past, but having used a whole host of any other means at their
disposal, and this aside, a cloaked vessel might have aided gaining
some access to a secure compound but would have little to do with
actual entry into the compound. If entry needed to be as silent and
discreet as possible, even in this day, still requiring something of
smaller scaled power in doing so...meaning likely a manned old
fashioned boots on the ground trip, or sending in unmmaned nano
probes for scopes. If Whedon and the other could appear as
legitimate as possible, leaving cloaking contingent options for
securities backup on their end, they may have spared themselves, any
number of problems having cropped up in the process of getting any
number of tasks accomplished.
-7-
Whedon briskly and quietly scoured
location where he had placed the other when his weapon were
discharged, but no trace could be found: body, blood, or any other
clue. The weapons bullet certainly must have disappeared into a body
and vanished in likekind. While pressurization and all other
problems might have occurred by the creation of a cavivty from a
bullet, his lifepreserving suit may have likely absorbed the shock,
as in sealing where actual living biology hadn't the same
opportunity. No doubt, without the presence of any trace of a slug,
somewhere the other were walking wounded and invisible, Nothing of a
trace remained of small confines in hiding further. Whedon decided
to wait this time, missing an escape window, and this waiting game
would last for the period of a day.
-8-
A much higher volume of drones
were released this time, only on the presmise of furthered
diversions. Some hundreds of kilometers relative the launch site,
providing homogeneous dispersion throughtout a barren and exotic
ochre landscape. Scans of news hadn't yielded names of any
dissapearance of the two now once field companion researchers.
Although a small cryptic new story about a local disturbance in his
present region had surfaced which brought a nervous twitch to Whedon.
No doubt federation had some inkling and were as likely in some
process of tracking someone, or the bodies had already been found?
Unless this other mercenary group, managed to confiscate the bodies.
He imagined they very might have, if they were looking for what the
other managed to obtain, so Federation might know little here, and as
to missing persons reports? It seems maybe another twenty four hours
at best that he could think of in terms of formal investigations.
Whedon couldn't help but be concerned here, because if he and the
other were intercepted, something of a leak of his personal
infromation were already being scoured by some group, by someone at
least? What might this have entailed now for him? Had they tipped
Federation authorities with respect to his present identity? Would
he be questioned by some custom's agent now? While it seems running
with fake identities are a fairly serious charge and likely to arouse
any number of suspicions, they wouldn't have him clearly on anything
else, would they? And only as the researcher he once were, he
considered now yet another death of himself in this role. It would
seem too risky this way formally, but if Federation were scanning
from above, likely they'd connect the researchers names, and his
name, identity and everything would surface therein. Somewhere
Federation investigators would likely have connected him the
researcher that had possibly disappeared in the field, to his having
resurfaced in a nearby populace. Meaning they would likely know that
he hadn't died, and that he weren't who he said he were, especially
seeing the skies lit up with decoys everywhere. Of course, the
disturbance might have meant anything in so far as news story were
concerned, but it seems it were enough anyways. Enough with respect
to chance that he hadn't liked. One more stop remained.
Whedon emerged on the outskirts
Haimur city from one last planted hidden ground bunker, a small cubby
hole, only this time having linked through underground passage used
for utilities and maitenance otherwise. He found himself in an empty
residence. He briskly walked to a wardrobe, and undressed now more
seen to the world and completely naked. He had a five minute window
on the securities eye, which expected some timely departure soon,
where new document implants and genetic registries were expecting him
for departure. Anyways, any scan of information would show that he
had nothing to show for save, a trip that by all means appeared
legitimate. Transit departure seemed customary as usual here,
nothing much said, nothing eventful gained with words by the
attending agent running, “Hope you enjoyed your stay!' That were
that, and he were off into the new world. The news story broke on
departure transit news. Four researchers gone, whereabouts unknown,
incidental reporting as usual, but in passing like any other story
with little drama provided. This were the last trip Whedon planned
here anyways, and as to the crown jewels, Whedon were going to some
home elsewhere with empty hands, so much work for nothing to show
except the process of doing which sort of pleased him in a way. He
hadn't need to really do this for the sake of amenity or necessity
anyways. This weren't pasttime or a pleasure trip.
-9-
Twenty years had passed, Whedon
had a three fully grown children, married several times over. He
hadn't thought much of that once missed opportunity in Haimur, but
then a news story broke.
Missing researcher found in the
desert. Mystery unfolding at least partially by news accounts. The
others face were splashed up on the screen, but details had been
omitted here partially. Because it seem s the other never really
left so long ago. Here Whedon filled in some additional details, the
power in his suit must have gone into conservation mode, and here,
once environments were generally fixed, as in him having stumbled or
dropped to the ground and ceasing to move, would vastly reduce power
consumptions, save a tumbleweed or two that might have caused some
brief anomoly, it seems the other had been put in his grave so long
ago, invisible but above ground, a time capsule to be rediscovered.
No mention were given to the crown jewels here, however, and likely
Whedon imagined the prize were likely irrelevant today, and likely
even then, someone without so much knowledge of the gravity of the
prize might as likely laugh at the two of them given all the effort
spent.
No comments:
Post a Comment