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anonymous gagging sounds permeated the net.
"Gorum . . . your agent in the Deseret locial was neutralized," announced
Gibreal. "Despite the fact that he was a trained systems technician, the
entire locial control detected his entry and isolated him in one structure
before he could accomplish more than minor damage." Gibreal paused. "The last
impulses from the compboost indicate that he was killed by the demi
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Coordinator by hand. Their draff commnets have only indicated a maintenance
failure, and no one questions it." Gibreal's words got harder. "Systems?"
'Yes, ser?"
"What's your success in tapping their nets and links?" "The same as the
subcommander's. To date we've been unable to tap anything except the draff
public comm freqs and the totally open-weave transportation traffic net, and
that's designed to be penetrated on the top level. We can't go below that."
"Why not?"
"We don't know. If we knew . . ." "What's stopping you?"
"First, the frequencies shift continuously, and they're entwined multiples to
begin with. Second, it's all encrypted, and even the encryption changes
continuously. We can't even figure out the basis of the encryption, and that's
with the combined analytics of the entire fleet. Third, from what we've tapped
on the transport traffic control net, they're using a proprietary data
compression module."
'You're saying that they're better cybs than we are."
A withering silence froze the net.
'Yes, ser."
"Honesty's cold comfort, Systems."
'Yes, ser."
"Let's just fry the bastards and go home," snapped Gorum.
"Bad idea," the nav found herself replying.
"That was one of the mission goals, wasn't it?"
"I don't dispute that," answered Kemra. "But think about our welcome. No
medical quarantine, no tests just an offering of food and drink and some
general information."
"So?"
"Don't you see? This people's actions bespeak a form and depth of
confidence or arrogance that suggests we'd better be careful."
"The ancient Mandi thought their empire was the center of the universe, and
they had more culture and sophistication than the Anglas. The Mandi went down
under the bigger guns. I'd suggest we use the guns and forget about culture,"
said Gorum.
"Is the marine commander correct, MYL-ERA?" asked Gibreal.
'Yes, Commander. We can blast anything on the planet at present. There are no
defense screens in place. Interrogative objective?" MYL-ERA's tone was cool,
carrying the sense of stale refrigerant.
The cybnav gagged, but kept that feeling clear of the net.
"The cities those minuscule energy concentrations that wouldn't be villages on
Gates after one or two go, they'll agree," insisted Weapons.
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"Observational and behavioral profiles indicate that analysis is flawed." The
sensed odor of refrigerant chilled the net more with MYL-ERA's response.
"Explicate."
"Old Earth has nothing Gates needs except the technology in those cities. To
date, no cybsenser can penetrate that technology, and the probabilities remain
that effective use of that technology is unlikely without demi help,
specifically the help of the ones called comps. The comps refuse to assist,
and the draffs know nothing. The draffs appear restricted to the locials, but
the demis appear to be able to live anywhere. The death of the last agent
indicates that any isolated cyb can be killed without triggering the sensis."
"Get to the point."
A net-sense of an old-human shrug followed. "Destroying the cities will hurt
the draffs, but not the demis. The probability approaches unity that one or
more technological replication stations exist in locations unknown and
unsensible by our equipment."
"Frug . . ." muttered Gorum. 'You're saying that we can't force them, and we
can't destroy them. So exactly what are we supposed to do?"
"If they were confident of destroying us or could do so or wanted to,"
answered Gibreal, "they would already have acted. So we have nothing to lose
by waiting and seeing what else we can discover while we amass the energy
stores necessary for our primary mission.
"For now, the nav will return planetside, with the naturalist, and attempt to
use her influence with the demi Coordinator to gain greater advantages, such
as the key to the main demi systems." After a pause, Gibreal added, "We will
continue the power-up."
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