oo
[Pre-refereed security clearance granted – Ref. Phage Rock.]
[Signal Sequence log unlocked, re-enabled.]
oo
(“TextTrans” Record Event function disabled.)
oo
Signal Sequence resuming:
oo
…6) [stuttered tight point, M32 SCantk {trans.: Special Circumstances absolute-need-to-know Level Maximum Encryption Code Process}, relay, Tracked Copy 4, received @n•, check to read:
[x].
Being read @n• in ECent Command Space on Phage Rock by:
“Text-Trans” (recognised Archaic, v891.4, non sentient. NB: “TextTrans” Record Event function will remain disabled to document End-Read-point).
(so cleared)
Phage-Kwins-Broatsa Ulver Halse Seich dam Iphetra
(so cleared).
Escaruze Churt Lyne Bi-Handrahen Xatile Treheberiss
(so cleared).
Sentient sight of the following document will be recorded.
Each check to proceed:
[x]
[x]
Thank you. Proceeding:]
NB: Attention: The following is a screen-written text-only dynamically scrolled discrete-assimilation-opportunity document which may not be vocalised, glyphed, diaglyphed, copied, stored or media-transferred in any conventionally accessible form. Any attempt to do so will be noted.
Please adjust reading speed:
[default/human].
NB: IMPORTANT: Established SC secrecy methodology applies at M32 level – see following schedule re. definitions, precedents, warnings, likely sanctions and punishments. You are strongly advised to study this schedule carefully if you are not already fully familiar-
[override]
[Schedule read-out aborted.]
‘You weren’t supposed to do that!’ Churt Lyne yelped.
Ulver had spotted the part of the text panel that overrode the read-out, and pressed it. She snorted. ‘Shh!’ she said, nodding at the screen. ‘You’re missing it!’
Begin-Read point of Tracked Copy document #SC•.c4: +
xGCU Fate Amenable To Change
oGSV Ethics Gradient
strictly as SC cleared:
Excession notice @•.
Constitutes formal All-ships Warning Level 0 [(in temporary sequestration) – textual note added by GSV Wisdom Like Silence @•].
Excession.
Confirmed precedent-breach. Type K7^. True class non-estimal. Its status: Active. Aware. Contactiphile. Uninvasive sf {trans.: so far}. LocStatre {trans.: Locally Static with reference to}: Esperi (star).
First ComAtt {trans.: CommunicationAttempt} (its, following shear-by contact via my primary scanner @•) @• in M1-a16 Galin II by tight beam, type 2A. PTA {trans.: Permission To Approach} Handshake burst as appended, x@ 0.7Y {trans.: (light) Year}. Suspect signal gleaned from Z-E {trans.: Zetetic Elench}/lalsaer ComBeam {trans.: CommunicationBeam} spread, 2nd Era. xContact callsigned “I”. No other signals registered.
My subsequent actions: maintained course and speed, skim-declutched {?} primary scanner to mimic 50% closer approach, began directed full passive HS {trans.: HyperSpacial} scan (sync./start of signal sequence, as above), sent buffered Galin II pro-forma message-reception confirmation signal to contact location, dedicated track scanner @ 19% power and 300% beamspread to contact @ -25% primary scanner roll-off point, instigated 2exponential {?} slow-to-stop line manoeuvre synchronised to skein-local stop-point @ 12% of track scanner range limit, ran full systems check as detailed, executed slow/4 {?} swing-around then retraced course to previous closest approach point and stop @ standard 2ex curve {?}. Holding there.
Excession’s physical characteristics: (¡am!) {trans.: anti-matter} sphere rad. 53.34km, mass (non-estimal by space-time fabric influence – locality ambiently planar – estimated by pan-polarity material density norms at) 1.45x813t. Layered fractal matter-type-intricate structure, self supporting, open to (field-filtered) vacuum, anomalous field presence inferred from 821kHz leakage. Affirm K7^ category by HS topology eG {trans.: (hyperspatial) energy Grid} links (inf. ult.) {trans.: (the hyperspatial directions) infra and ultra). eG link details non-estimal. DiaGlyph files attached.
Associated anomalous materials presence: several highly dispersed detritus clouds all within 28 minutes, three consistent with staged destruction of .1m3 near-equiv-tech entity, another ditto approx 38 partially exhausted M-DAWS .1cal rounds {trans.: Miniaturised-Drone Advanced Weapon System nanomissiles}, another consisting of general hi-soph level (O2-atmosphered) ship-internal combat debris. Latter drifting directly away from excession’s current position. Retracks of debris clouds’ expansion profiles indicate mutual age of 52.5 days. Combat debris cloud implicitly originating @ point 948 milliseconds from excession’s current position. DiaGlyph files attached.
No other presences apparent to within 30 years.
My status: H H, unTouched. L8 secure post system-scour (100%). ATDPSs {trans.: Auto Total Destruct Protocol Suites} engaged. CRTTDPSs {trans.: Coded Remote-Triggered Total Destruct Protocol Suites} engaged.
Repeat:
Excession eGrid (inf. ult.) linked, confirmed.
eGrid link details non-estimal.
True class non-estimal.
Awaiting.
@n•…
.
… PS:
Gulp.
(Document binary choice menu, [1 = Yes or 0 = No]:)
Repeat? [.]
Inspect Reading history? [.]
Read previous comments? [.]
Attach comments? [.]
Read appendices? [.]
All the above (0 = leave doc): [.]
‘We’ll dip out here for now,’ the drone said.
All the above (0 = leave doc):[0]
End-Read point Tracked Copy document #SC•.c4: +
.
NB: The preceding Tracked Copy document is not readable/copyable/transmissible without its embedded security program.
NB: IMPORTANT: Communicating any part, detail, property, interpretation or attribute of the preceding document, INCLUDING ITS EXISTENCE-
[override]
[Post-document warning read-out aborted.]
‘I wish you’d stop doing that,’ the drone muttered.
‘Sorry,’ she said. Ulver Seich shook her head slowly at the text hanging in the air in front of her and the drone Churt Lyne. She took a deep breath. Suddenly, she felt quite entirely sober. ‘Is this as important as I think it is?’
‘Almost certainly much more so.’
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘fuck.’
‘Indeed,’ the drone replied. ‘Any other questions so far?’
She looked at the last word of the GCU’s main signal:
Gulp.
Gulp. Well, she could relate to that all right.
‘Questions…’ Ulver Seich said, staring at the holo screen and blowing her cheeks out. She turned to the drone, her violet ball gown rustling. ‘Lots. First, what are we really…? No; hold on. Just take me through the signal. Never mind all the translations or whatever; what’s it actually saying?’
‘The General Contact Unit issues an excession notice through its home General Systems Vehicle,’ the drone told her, ‘but it’s prevented from being broadcast by another GSV which the first one obviously contacted before doing anything. The GCU tells us that its sensors clipped this artifact, which then hailed the GCU using an old Elench greeting and an even older Galactic Common Language; then the GCU spends a great deal of the signal detailing how clever it was pretending that it’s slower, not as manoeuvrable and less well equipped in the sensor department than actually it is. It describes the object and a few surrounding bits and pieces of debris which imply there was some sort of small-scale military action there fifty-three days earlier, then it assures it’s well and unviolated but it’s ready to blow itself up, or let somebody else blow it up if its integrity is threatened… not a step a GCU takes lightly.
‘However, entirely the most important aspect of the signal is that the object it has discovered is linked to the energy grid in both hyperspatial directions; that alone puts it well outside all known parameters and precedents. We have no previous experience whatsoever with something like this; it’s unique; beyond our ken. I’m not surprised the GCU is scared.’
‘Okay, okay, that’s kind of what I thought; shit.’ She belched delicately. ‘Excuse me.’
‘Of course.’
‘Now, like I was going to say; what are we really dealing with here; an excession, or something else?’
‘Well, if you take the definition of an excession as anything external to the Culture that we should be worried about, this is an excession all right. On the other hand, if you compare it to the average – or even an exceptional – Hegemonising Swarm, it’s small, localised, non-invasive, unaggressive, unshielded, immobile… and almost chatty, using Galin II to communicate.’ The drone paused. ‘The crucial characteristic then remains the fact that the thing’s linked to the energy grid, both up and down. That’s interesting, to put it mildly, because as far as we know, nobody knows how to do that. Well, nobody apart from the Elder civilisations… probably; they won’t say and we can’t tell.’
‘So this thing can do something the Culture can’t?’
‘Looks like it.’
‘And I take it the Culture would like to be able to do what it can do.’
‘Oh, yes. Yes, very much so. Or, even if it couldn’t partake of the technology, at least it would like to use the implied opportunity the excession may represent.’
‘To do what?’
‘Wehhll,’ Churt Lyne said, drawing the word out while its aura-field coloured with embarrassment and its body wobbled in the air, ‘technically – maybe – the ability to travel – easily – to other universes.’ The machine paused again, looking at the human and waiting for her sarcastic reply. When she didn’t say anything, it continued. ‘It should be possible to step outside the time-strand of our universe as easily as a ship steps outside the space-time fabric. It might then become feasible to travel through superior hyperspace upwards to universes older than ours, or through inferior hyperspace downwards to universes younger than our own.’
‘Time travel?’
‘No, but affording the opportunity to become time proof. Age proof. In theory, one might become able to step down consecutively through earlier universes… well, forever.’
‘Forever?’
‘Real forever, as far as we understand it. You could choose the size and therefore age of the universe you wanted to remain within, and/or visit as many as you wanted. You could, for example, head on up through older universes and attempt to access technologies perhaps beyond even this one. But just as interesting is the point that because you wouldn’t be tied to one universe, one time stream, you need be involved in no heat death when the time came in your original universe; or no evaporation, or no big crunch, depending.