Move 2.2 Recap
Contents
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, Reshad in Communications; messages with Alaric, Iawa, Sulen, 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 constructs flashy attire similar to Lanterner norms. 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." Flute messages Sasha to dock and report for a briefing. Sasha confirms and instructs Alaric to head toward the station.
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.
