I’ve been working on a lot of stuff the last few days, and hope to bring you some in-depth reports about a lot of things over this next week.

But something in particular just got caught by one of my NoSecrets boxes (I have virtualised instances running on all the local interplanetary subnets thoughout Varati and IX-T D3-43 now, thanks to a very helpful tech guy on Thompson dock. I won’t say his name – but he knows who he is 😉 ).

Seems that all is not well between the VIU and the Ring, and a civil war between them is pending in IX-T D3-43 – that’s the kind of thing that gets me excited, and I’m sure it will you, too!

==+ NoSecrets v2.1.0 Log. License expires 17th Feb 3303. THANKS FOR UPGRADING +==
==+ [1041745480075058158] > Packet snoop established. P2P GUDP Packet identified. +==
==+ [1041745480075058175] > qTLS Tap OK, Auth: Mutual. Eve (v1.2.7701) is in the house +==
From: [CSO Ursula Le Clarke (Varati Ring)|Lerner Beacon|COL 285 SECTOR IX-T D3-43]
To: [CSO Arthur Guin (Varati Independent Union)|Napier Depot|Varati]
Subject: So... Mind telling me what you're up to?

So there I was, trying to sleep in my bunk after reading Philip's message from the other day a fifteenth time when the little red light on my comms unit starts flashing.

My first thought was that the chimps needed help unblocking the bloody toilets again - which would've been okay because I couldn't sleep and I could've done with the diversion.  But, no, when I pop up the screen I find myself reading a report about our respective fleets squaring up in a couple of places here in IX-T D3-43...

I actually slapped myself across the face a couple of times before reading it again.  I mean - you lose, no you gift, Forsskal to the alien lovers, then lose important transmission records, and your response is to try and move into my home?

Seriously, what is this?  You've still got Remec Point back there in Varati...  Ah, no, wait: Philip's message... You're not on Remec are you - you're in the cheap seats in Napier Depot!  Really, Arthur, I never had you down as the prideful, petty type.  I always thought you were too mediocre for that...

Don't know if you know - but before our message from Philip, I defended you to our sponsor - who was decidedly unhappy at your reciprocation in Forsskal.  Why did I do it?  Because our enemy here is those bloody Canonn scientists, not each other...

But if that's the way you want it, sonny, that's fine by me.  You've only just finished picking up your teeth from the thrashing that the Canonn handed out to you in Varati, whereas life's been reasonably quiet for us.  Our pilots are fresh, and ready for the fight; yours still haven't changed their underwear from their most recent arse-kicking.

So game on, Arthur.  May the best woman win.

ps - in the interests of information sharing, despite our imminent war - have you heard anything about the Canonn and NGC-6357?  A little birdie tells me that's where Dr Arcanonn is hiding.  Perhaps I'll get in touch with our friendly neighbourhood science freak, shake the apple tree, and see what rotten fruit falls out...

pps - seriously - game on ;)
==+ [1041745480075058259] > qTLS Tap Dropped. Eve (v1.2.7701) has left the building +==
==+ [1041745480075058259] > End of P2P GUDP Packet +==

Prof D Luffy, taking a few minutes out from his Meta Alloy work on Bond Hub, told me that this will be perfect for his team’s expansion plans:

Hopefully, by the time our expansion begins, their forces will so depleted that they will both be there for the taking. We will continue our march to punish those who’ve conspired against Dr Arcanonn, and we will not rest until we have eradicated them from every dwelling and starport in the local systems.

I’ve tried to reach our CSO regarding her comment at the end about Dr Arcanonn possibly being holed up out in NGC-6357, but I couldn’t reach him or any of his team – their comms have been set to private for the last few hours. If there’s any truth to it, though, then I’m sure he’ll be none too pleased.

It’s certainly a very long way away – he can’t be all the way out there.

Or can he?

Verity Gavroche