some background on this before she took it to the Council.
“What’s the other key point?” she asked the PDA.
“Second, the GTA requests information concerning the reasons for deployment of several small satellites of previously unknown description. These objects originate in the vicinity of the orbital habitat and are currently headed toward Earth orbit. The GTA wishes to remind the Colony Council that the orbital habitat has no contract or authorization for the production and deployment of these satellites. Their unauthorized deployment is a serious breach of international and interorbital law.”
Atsuko walked in thoughtful silence for longer than she would have expected. The unauthorized trideos were bad enough, but these satellites or whatever they were—those could actually be a much more significant problem. She had lived on Earth long enough and learned enough history to know that there were many people down there—particularly those of a military bent—who considered space the ultimate high ground. Hadn’t that been a big part of the motor that drove the first space race to the moon? These people would not do well with the prospect of unidentified satellites deploying to Earth orbit from the habitat. She needed to talk to someone in powersat production, and soon.
“Hope it’s just the usual space junk,” she said, aloud but to herself. Looking around, she realized that she was already in her yard. Glancing up at the other side of the ensphered world of the habitat arcing far above her, she wondered with a shudder if the scenario underlying the NVDR program might not be so far-fetched after all.
* * * * * * *
“I still can’t figure out exactly how those glitches might have arisen in the net coordinator,” Lakshmi said to Lev as they worked to transfer the Möbius Cadúceus skysign into the memory of a photorefractive holographic projector—one of Lev’s most prized stage-pyrotechnic devices. “The keyword mention, though, particularly ‘schizos’, that has to have something to do with Jiro Yamaguchi’s connection to all this.”
“Whatever floats your boat,” Lev said with a shrug, not wanting to get into it. “At least we’ve got all the corrupted code out of my shobots. I’m sure Aleister’s having a great time with it.”
“Looks like the skysign’s all loaded,” Lakshmi said, checking a display screen and turning her hoverchair toward where Lev’s special effect projector would soon be projecting. “Set it free.”
Lev spoke a machine command, sotto voce. The Möbius Cadúceus symbol leapt into the warehouse space before them, giant-sized, a rainbow redesigned by a mad topologist, a Rorschach skyscape.
“Oh yeah,” Lev said, unable to take his eyes from it. Lakshmi remained silent, staring, the beautiful complexity of the thing forming a singularity from which her words could not escape.
Chapter Six
“Here again so early, Marissa?” Roger said, joining her in the Cybergene virtuality. “Already at work, too. You spend much more time here and we’re going to start calling you ‘The Girl with the DNA Eyes.’”
Marissa laughed. She was, after all, dealing with DNA, and when she had her virtual wraparounds on, anyone looking at her would see two images of that molecule where her eyes were supposed to be.
“I’d consider that an honorable title,” Marissa said, shagging back her red hair. “You were right about this being a user-friendly toy. Got right into it. I’m dealing with the dynamics of reverse transcriptase and with a well-known location on Human Chromosome One, so there’s a good deal of prepackaged graphics material available on those.”
“What’re you doing with them?” Roger asked in her implants. “I thought you were working on longevity’s link to lowered mortality and delayed senescence in naked mole-rats.”
“I am, but I’ve broadened it beyond just mole-rats,” Marissa said, initiating a graphic sequence. “Here, I’ll show
“What’s the other key point?” she asked the PDA.
“Second, the GTA requests information concerning the reasons for deployment of several small satellites of previously unknown description. These objects originate in the vicinity of the orbital habitat and are currently headed toward Earth orbit. The GTA wishes to remind the Colony Council that the orbital habitat has no contract or authorization for the production and deployment of these satellites. Their unauthorized deployment is a serious breach of international and interorbital law.”
Atsuko walked in thoughtful silence for longer than she would have expected. The unauthorized trideos were bad enough, but these satellites or whatever they were—those could actually be a much more significant problem. She had lived on Earth long enough and learned enough history to know that there were many people down there—particularly those of a military bent—who considered space the ultimate high ground. Hadn’t that been a big part of the motor that drove the first space race to the moon? These people would not do well with the prospect of unidentified satellites deploying to Earth orbit from the habitat. She needed to talk to someone in powersat production, and soon.
“Hope it’s just the usual space junk,” she said, aloud but to herself. Looking around, she realized that she was already in her yard. Glancing up at the other side of the ensphered world of the habitat arcing far above her, she wondered with a shudder if the scenario underlying the NVDR program might not be so far-fetched after all.
* * * * * * *
“I still can’t figure out exactly how those glitches might have arisen in the net coordinator,” Lakshmi said to Lev as they worked to transfer the Möbius Cadúceus skysign into the memory of a photorefractive holographic projector—one of Lev’s most prized stage-pyrotechnic devices. “The keyword mention, though, particularly ‘schizos’, that has to have something to do with Jiro Yamaguchi’s connection to all this.”
“Whatever floats your boat,” Lev said with a shrug, not wanting to get into it. “At least we’ve got all the corrupted code out of my shobots. I’m sure Aleister’s having a great time with it.”
“Looks like the skysign’s all loaded,” Lakshmi said, checking a display screen and turning her hoverchair toward where Lev’s special effect projector would soon be projecting. “Set it free.”
Lev spoke a machine command, sotto voce. The Möbius Cadúceus symbol leapt into the warehouse space before them, giant-sized, a rainbow redesigned by a mad topologist, a Rorschach skyscape.
“Oh yeah,” Lev said, unable to take his eyes from it. Lakshmi remained silent, staring, the beautiful complexity of the thing forming a singularity from which her words could not escape.
Chapter Six
“Here again so early, Marissa?” Roger said, joining her in the Cybergene virtuality. “Already at work, too. You spend much more time here and we’re going to start calling you ‘The Girl with the DNA Eyes.’”
Marissa laughed. She was, after all, dealing with DNA, and when she had her virtual wraparounds on, anyone looking at her would see two images of that molecule where her eyes were supposed to be.
“I’d consider that an honorable title,” Marissa said, shagging back her red hair. “You were right about this being a user-friendly toy. Got right into it. I’m dealing with the dynamics of reverse transcriptase and with a well-known location on Human Chromosome One, so there’s a good deal of prepackaged graphics material available on those.”
“What’re you doing with them?” Roger asked in her implants. “I thought you were working on longevity’s link to lowered mortality and delayed senescence in naked mole-rats.”
“I am, but I’ve broadened it beyond just mole-rats,” Marissa said, initiating a graphic sequence. “Here, I’ll show
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