a few days after the nation eater fight 2.0

[reallymean]

Was anyone able to get readings of the signal the large Nation-Eater was putting out? Particularly before it emerged?

If we have the data, and a handful of people with the skills to analyze it, I think we might be able to break it down and isolate the part that was driving the smaller Nation-Eaters away. It could help protect the people here against further predation, if we aren't able to evacuate everyone.

Comments

[keepcalmcookon]

I can't contribute directly myself, but at least I can make sure everyone involved remains fed. That will free up more of their time and provide fuel for their endeavors.

[reallymean]

Thank you.

[There's a faint, thoughtful lilt to her mental voice.]

Do you have any experience with crystal storage? It's moot if we don't have the data, but it would help tremendously if the project is successful.

[truerevelation]

Heh. Do I ever. Got a headful of it; ain't done a lot of processing so far, been distracted, but was listenin' in during the fight. Lemme get it interfaced down for ya all...

[reallymean]

[There's the sense of someone wincing in sympathy.]

That must have been the headache to end all headaches. But thank you - that would be amazing.

[keepcalmcookon]

Unfortunately, I do not; I don't even know what you are referring to.

[truerevelation]

Y-yeah. It was ... loud. Mostly felt like static and noise but ... like I said, ain't taken a better look yet.

[desperate_times_right]

I don't have the data you need, but I made some templates for the crystals they use here if you need them.

[reallymean]

It's a local tool.

[reallymean]

It's entirely possible it was, and the smaller ones just know to scatter when everything gets loud. Which would still tell us something, at least - though hopefully they're more complex than that.

[reallymean]

If you don't mind sharing, they'd be appreciated. If this does work, that's probably the best way to store the information.

[desperate_times_right]

You're right, considering writing is still kind of a fringe hobby here.

Do you know how Shading works already?

[reallymean]

And it will convey the information even to those lacking the appropriate scientific grounding.

I've heard the term, but have no experience with it myself.

[desperate_times_right]

If you're going to do it yourself, you might want to pop back to liminal for it. Takes eight hours.

[reallymean]

I suspect we'll want to be in liminal space anyway - there's less chance of drawing Nation Eaters if we don't have to ferry equipment too many times.

[desperate_times_right]

Good point.

There's not really a lot to it. I thought it'd be complicated, but you basically sit there holding the crystal and thinking as hard as you can about every aspect of the information that you're trying to copy over, and in eight hours you're done. I felt really weird afterward when I did it, so I'd say have something on hand when you're done to get your blood sugar back up.

[reallymean]

Is it that taxing to retrieve memories? Or is the hard work done by storing them?

[desperate_times_right]

I don't know if it was the memories themselves, or if it was just sitting in one spot in the quarry nonstop for eight hours.

[reallymean]

Is the process the same without a crystal? It's too ephemeral for this, but having a backup of our psychic knowledge off the network might work well for us.

[In case of another Moebius situation.]

[desperate_times_right]

I think so, but you probably don't have to think about it as long. From what I understand, the eight-hour thing has to do with 'calibrating' everyone to access the crystal at the same frequency or whatever, and I don't think the network has those kinds of constraints.

Pros and cons, I guess: probably easier to conceal knowledge from the guys upstairs on a crystal than on the network.

[reallymean]

Oh, I know how to share and retrieve information on our network - but the psionic powers here aren't quite the same as ours, and from what I've heard, they had their own ways of storing information even outside of the crystals.

If the process is similar, it might help us preserve information we don't want lost.

[desperate_times_right]

... Huh. Yeah, I know the Protectorate had 'servers' that had to be powered somehow. I don't really know how those worked though - my overlay wasn't big on history - but Gil or Thorne might.

[reallymean]

I'll talk to them about it. Although...maybe after the Jaunt. There's more than enough to do in what little time we likely have left.

[desperate_times_right]

You can say that again.

[reallymean]

Hopefully liminal space will be quiet. The next Jaunt is bound to be even more chaotic.

[desperate_times_right]

Hard to imagine, but I don't doubt it'll find a way.

Even if it isn't quiet I might sleep for a week.

[reallymean]

It was hard to imagine after the last Jaunt, too.

I don't think anyone would blame you for that.

[desperate_times_right]

That's a good point, I think I've been saying that after every single one.

[reallymean]

I think everyone wants to believe that it's gotten as bad as it could possibly get. The alternative is frankly a little terrifying.

[desperate_times_right]

That's true. I expect they'll pull out all the stops for the finale.

[reallymean]

And given one of the competitors is Chariot, it's certainly going to be exhausting.

[desperate_times_right]

God, isn't that for sure. Chariot and one of the guys on this one, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

[reallymean]

I think I would prefer any of the current three, all things considered.

[desperate_times_right]

To land on another game board for, or to win?

[truerevelation]

Yeah. Be cool to get somethin' else outta it. And even if it's just them not likin' noise, maybe blastin' them with just static on the right sortsa frequencies would be enough to get 'em to clear off?
... how d'you build basic radios, anyway? Tch, there any diagrams in the library?

[reallymean]

I'm not sure. There might be. There's quite a bit of useful material there.

[reallymean]

To win. None of them are my ideal, but momentum without consideration is less so than most.

[desperate_times_right]

If the whole universe would end up as exhausting as one of their jaunts, I think I'd stick around just to make sure Chariot loses the next one.

[reallymean]

Hopefully the effects any of them have would be diluted when applied to the entire universe. It's difficult to tell when the previous winner was dead for most of the time we had to observe, though.

[desperate_times_right]

Not to mention that it's tough to find a pattern when her whole thing is that stuff randomly happens.

[reallymean]

There's that, too. And luck - good or bad - is hard to quantify.

[desperate_times_right]

That's certainly true. Lots of times it depends on the observer.

[keepcalmcookon]

Ah... that. I vaguely remember hearing something about it when I was Infiltrated, but I'm still afraid I have no experience.