Move 2.2 Recap

Preparation for Travel

Reshad and Seyli

Reshad offers training in cover stories. Seyli takes her up on the offer, but isn't interested in detailed memorization. Noting this, Reshad coaxes them to demonstrate their combat skills instead. Reshad demonstrates adequate marksmanship, but lacks hand-to-hand combat skills.

Aymad, Sasha and Sulen

Sulen finds Sasha in the common room, where she is testing the new printer. They ask how they can securely search for information about their home planet and potential timeline changes after exiting the rift. They add, "I might try accessing my old Rahal resources. My credentials will be seventeen years old and were almost certainly purged after my defection, but you never know, sometimes mistakes are made." Sasha says she will tell Aymad to roll out a secure search tool called Skein of Finches. She warns, "For your Rahal materials, it's possible that they did fail to purge your information, but it's also possible that they've left something working as a honeypot. I'd want to be very careful," and suggests sitting down with Aymad. A sleepy Aymad appears, asking, "I heard 'Shuos' and 'encrypt' and my name - what sort of glorious trouble am I getting us into, now?" Sasha tells him to roll out Skein of Finches, adding, "But first you're going to talk to Sulen about their old Rahal login. They were an Inquisitor until they defected, seventeen years before when we're going next." Sulen notes that Virmad's credentials are more likely to be active: "But I was more senior and was part of the investigation into the rebellion. Also, meddling in Virmad's timestream seems unwise." Sasha responds, "If Aymad and I between us cannot obscure the use of a legitimate set of credentials, this mission has larger problems than Virmad's timeline." She notes that Sulen's knowledge of Rahal file structures will be helpful. Sulen reflects that this will be easy, since in their timeline they logged in just a few weeks ago. They add, "When I defected I was interrogated under drugs. I don't have many clear memories of it, but you should assume Quill also knows whatever I do." Aymad asks, "Do we specifically need Sulen's account, or will any Rahal login do? What's the scope, here?" Sasha points out that hacking the Rahal will be fun: "But our particular mandate is to find out what Quill wants and why she's interfering in this timeline. If we can establish a foothold with the Rahal, we can monitor changes on the heptarchate side." Aymad's a bit wistful about hacking the Rahal. He sums up: "So, first the outdated lattice-bouncing tools, and then the grid diving," and asks where to find the tea. "It must be so sad, not living in the future," Sasha tells him. Aymad shakes his head in mock disapproval and heads toward the tea.

In Lanterner Territory

Sasha in her office, Sulen in their room, Reshad in Communications; messages involving Alaric, Iawa, the Lanterners, and the Catastrophe Axe

As the Cantata exits the rift, Sasha instructs Alaric, who is piloting, to obey the station's instructions, and asks Reshad to communicate with. She investigates the local news feeds and finds that Flute's moth, Catastrophe Axe, is in dock; Flute is posing as an arms merchant named Vel Vissen. Sasha asks Iawa, via message, to monitor the station's feeds for information about the military, and alerts Sulen, "Flute & her ships are at the stronghold. I will message her in a few minutes. Not planning to make a good impression." Sulen offers to join Sasha in her office if she needs a second pair of eyes, and Sasha responds that she will summon them if needed.

Reshad prepares flashy attire similar to Lanterner fashions. She hails the approaching Lanterner patrol moth and asks for Vel Vissen. Meanwhile, Sasha sends an encrypted message to the Catastrophe Axe: "zuhrovet sikandaret (vauri in this timeline) reporting on the wasp (symphony of bees in this timeline). sorry were late." The patrol moth replies, "Vel Vissen is an honored guest of the station." It relays a list of station regulations; in particular, only the official captain and a second-in-command are allowed to carry weapons. Flute messages Sasha to dock and report for a briefing. Sasha confirms and instructs Alaric to head toward the station.

Sulen uses the Skein of Finches protocol to check securely for changes in history on their home world, Ulara 5. The 805 planetwide purge that they remember seems to have been less extreme, due to the distraction of the rifts. They notice records of one Magistrate Imris, who was commended and promoted to magistrate-errant, but whose postings since 844 are classified. Sulen is tempted to search for traces of their own family, but stops themself, reasoning, "if the event was wrong then all those involved should be saved, not just the five that they personally care about." They reflect further, "Cousin-aunt Venka had been vehemently opposed to the children going into faction service, and going against her wishes was unthinkable," so if Aymad and Sasha can access their old Rahal account, they will know that their family is still dead. They attempt to distract themself with jeng-zai readings.

While the Cantata is approaching the station, Sasha researches local gyms, bars, and brothels. The local brothels have been doing good business catering to people curious about sexual customs from different times and places; Sasha learns enough to embarrass herself thoroughly. One of the bars caters to "non-humans", a category which includes both some unfortunate but otherwise ordinary people and "special environmental needs" sentients, some of whom may have human ancestry. She learns that fitness trackers that look like jewelry are popular, and creates a "fitness buddy" bot styled after a character from a popular game, Prisons & Pangolins Online, in order to track movement of station inhabitants.

Common Room: Ione and Sulen

Sulen takes their jeng-zai cards to the common room. Ione is there, playing with a twelve-sided die. Sulen asks whether she is familiar with jeng-zai, and Ione says she knows "the concepts of both, but not the operation." Sulen asks if she'd like to learn, and tries scrying her. Ione's Voidmoth Scattered Stars signifier is still present, but it appears upside-down and with kaleidoscopic colors. Ione says she'd be delighted to learn, and Sulen begins to explain and deal. They ask, "Are dice games popular where you are from?" Ione answers, "Dice games and jacks games, things that involve throwing things. I always like when the throwing also reflects light nicely. We don't have divining dice, though, the way your cards also tell fortunes."

Common Room: Mafyyil, Sasha, Seyli, Reshad, and Virmad

Seyli expresses their interest in having a uniform. Sasha tells them, "I intend us to look like a fucking mess. My life will be a lot easier if Flute thinks we're useless." She adds that Seyli is welcome to a uniform, and might gain some information by hanging around the military bars. Seyli agrees, thinking privately that they have no intention of appearing useless.

Reshad, who will pose as the "Symphony of Bees"' captain, observes that it would be useful to have the ostensible second-in-command be someone who is effective with a weapon. Sasha suggests bringing Seyli to the meeting with Flute, adding, "Alaric or Ione could produce defensive chaos without being armed, for that matter." Reshad approves: "If either of the others is interested - yes. Even if it's somewhat in violation of local standards." Sasha proposes a visiting party consisting of herself, Reshad, Alaric, Mafyyil, and Seyli: "The story for Flute is that Alaric is the brains of our operation, I got stuck in charge because I can translate between Alaric and normal human, and the rest of you would rather be anywhere else. Either way, Fyedlet can carry stuff."

Mafyyil wonders whether by 'Fyedlet' Sasha intends "an antiquated term for anti-freeze mixture, a rude comment about a girl's bottom or a poetic reference to a brick wall." She decides to chalk this ambiguity up to barbarian bad manners, and asks enthusiastically, "Ohhh, can I also get a uniform? I can carry stuff and shoot people and recite the appropriate poems for the occasion!" Sasha tells her she can have a uniform and recite poetry, "but you can't bring your gun on station, because they only authorize weapons for two people, and we're trying to be subtle." Mafyyil says that she'll refrain from dramatic poetry, and stick to sonnets, which "suit any occasion." Sasha asks everyone in the common room "what the fuck a sonnet is." Virmad defines a sonnet as "a fourteen-line poem usually constructed in so-called ‘mirrored’ form, with either a six- or seven-line pattern that's then repeated in reverse."

Reshad notes her understanding of the plan, and observes that people from later than the current time probably don't need to use false names. She adds, "Fyedlet, I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping direct attention." Mafyyil winces internally at the nickname, but agrees, asking, "Direct attention to what? And why? Are we trying to educate them?" She tells Virmad that she can teach him "how to write a complete sonnet with all lines in place!"

Sasha explains the need to direct attention by saying sarcastically, "Ashari gave me a very secret mission. I'd prefer not to discuss it outside this ship." She tells Reshad, "Seyli's a common name in all sorts of eras. As opposed to mine, which means 'legendary conqueror, daughter of the midday prayer.' Our future missions will be easier if we don't repeat too many names, but from what Sulen says the hexarchate hasn't been very sophisticated in its historical analysis."

Reshad notices Fyedlet's wince, and asks if something is the matter, while advising her, "It's no use educating those who won't learn." She asks Sasha to explain the archaic word "prayer". Sasha defines a prayer as "a verbal meditation in honor of a supernatural being who doesn't actually exist. Simultaneously very heretical and very useless."

Mafyyil reflects that Reshad must be an infidel as well as a barbarian. She introduces herself to Rashad, with false cheer, as "Zagfehan Mafyyil," and tells Sasha, "I'd really love to know why you picked that particular nickname for me!" Sasha explains, "Fyedl- from fyyil, -et because you're dressed like a girl. Where I'm from, everyone's got a nickname." Mafyyil asks, "Does that mean if I wear something else I get a new name? What are you going to call me when I get my new uniform?" Sasha offers "Fyedka" (with a grammatically neuter Naxorian suffix) as an alternative, adding, "I can't see you as a Fyedlik, somehow." Mafyyil asks, "So, where you're from, people have only three types of dress?" She thinks this might explain Sasha's drab clothing. Sasha clarifies, "The choice is rather like woman/alt/man, though the Fyedka or Sasha option is more like 'why the fuck are we talking about this?'" Mafyyil reflects that Sasha's language lacks a civilized option for plant-people, and asks, "Did you choose to be called Sasha?" Sasha tells her that she chose not to use "Sdaret," the usual feminine diminutive for Sikandaret.

Reshad, who has been listening quietly, confirms that she will use "Mafyyil." She tells Sasha, "Where I'm from, nicknames are often used by friends or family members." Sasha wonders if Reshad will reveal something about her actual past; she asks, "What name did you go by, when you were small?" Reshad says, "In school, I was called Myoya Tonash"--the name she went by as a small boy in a Vidona school on a recently conquered world--"And you?" Sasha says, demurely, "I never went to school." Reshad says, "Ah! How times have changed."

Analysis

Mafyyil is still a problem

Sasha was spoiling for a fight with Reshad, and didn't get one