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Hercules
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in Tir Na Og
Sep 2002
time: 05:33
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A start.
The Dead letter drop
At five past eight in the evening Colonel Ross Sinder left the private embassy forum in the laundry van rover. On covert activity he did like to vary the means of exit from the embassy building. Sometimes it was the laundry van, sometimes it was the 'former' repair van, sometimes it was the little foil that had discreet access to river. On normal outings though it was out through the main gate no problem. He knew the embassy forum was watched continuously by others and he guessed by the 'Pholus contingent'.
It was at Honghu's farewell party in the Self Aware Cyrobar Recreational Commons that his attention was first drawn to the slightly unusual behaviour of one of the other faction's ambassadors. It had to be slight because everyone watched everybody else like hawks.
At first he didn't pay it much attention but whenever someone mentioned his name, like when Honghu called ' Ross could you bring me a decaff xenobrew' or when Kody, exasperated, 'Ross for the 30th time, when you find a Nut resource at the start, build on the thing', there was that little cough. Then there was Honghu almost in tears, 'Ross I am going to miss you', cough! and someone said ' don't worry, Ross will be in the shadows watching you', cough! That one he almost missed with the laughter. It was then he started to listen for it. And Chaunk said winking at the others, 'I know where you can get a planet buster if you have enough money. Ross, cough! and then we all laughed. Darsnan joined the fun 'I say a +4 probe is useless, what do you say Ross', cough! more laughter. 'Here what do you think of this Ross', cough! said Zeiter showing his slightly risque recruitment poster. 'My that mindworm has taken quite a fancy to your big psi gun', replied Ross, laughter.
Confirmation, thought Ross, xxxxxxx was seeking to make contact. Ross thought for a moment or two and meanwhile Honghu was talking of her time in the forums and reminiscing about great IC threads in the old ACDG2. How to communicate acknowledgement, confirm receipt (easy a cough!) and indicate a way forward. What did the manual say about this again.
He could hear Honghu telling the small adoring crowd gathered around her about the thread in which they discussed meeting the Drones: the uncertainties, the relief, the exchanges. How Buster charmed Mr Yang and how Jsitsyoda nearly came a cropper with the Hive lady police patrol. His brain clicked and he joined the crowd. 'Yes it was a great thread Honghu', Ross piped in. 'For us it was a privilege to read' 'I enjoyed reading it at the time', said Googlie ''but then again I planned them meeting that way'. 'Oh yeah and the earthquake as well' said Octavian, sarcastically. 'For us it was informative to browse through' contributed xxxxxxx 'well worth looking at. An excellent thread Honghu, you must have been proud'.
Contact, acknowledgement and confirmation. It was almost the same phrase and page and post were confirmed, Page four (for), post two (to). That had been the start. The soiree broke up soon after as the chauffeurs and the various embassy rovers called to collect their ambassadors before the xenobrew loosened tongues. Honghu stood on the cryobar steps, silhouetted against the hallway lighting and waved farewell to the last of the guests. Ross returned to the Angels embassy, excited by this unexpected development, smiled and gave a little cough.
So easy when you think about it and it avoids the Kody post detector. Communicate through already posted posts. Just give a clue to the thread, the page and the post and let someone else's words speak on your behalf.
' Oh hello, we've just met xxxxxxxx'
'Move the chopper to xx,xx'
'We'll discover Superstring in 2 years, what next'
'We attack xxxxxx in 6 years'
So in just over two months, this was Ross's ninth visit to the archive forums. He wondered what the messages would be this time. As the laundry rover turned the corner of Enigma and fourth, it slowed and Ross slipped out and into the OTF. He always checked into a forum like this first to check if he was being tailed. If a mod was around or somebody from the game he'd visit CGN. After ten or so minutes he'd check back into one of the threads he knew was frequented by xxxxxxx. Xxxxxx's last post would contain clues to the archive, thread, page and post. If it was just a smiley it was the same thread as the previous drop but the timing would give the page and post reference.
It was just after midnight when Col Ross got back to the embassy in the laundry van. Yes enigma and ninth this time. One second in the shadows and the next in among pillow cases. The visit to the archive thread had been worth it. The intelligence was high quality. He would brief the staffers at the morning session but first a glass of 15 year old malt and then some sleep.
Last edited by Hercules on 05-08-2004 at 07:33
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05-08-2004 07:22
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