On the High Frontier

4. Trick or Trap (part 4/6)

"Surely you can leave that to the VE, or ..."

"She's a fifteen year old girl! It's my fault, she's only here because I was chasing her, and she's my responsibility, and Saki will never forgive me if anything happens, and the VE are being jerks, and Char's in charge, you remember him, and I ... I ... I." She takes a moment to catch her breath. "James, I have to do this. I can't trust anyone else because they don't care. Her name is Sachi, but to the VE and the animals who've got her, she's just a, a, a thing. I can't lose her, not again. I need this, and I need your help."

"Okay, of course I'll help. But calm down, you're no use to anyone in this state. What do you need?" Apparently if you scare him enough James simply gets down to business.

"I have an idea, but first I need to get her out of the locker."

"What?"

"I told you, animals. They're treating her like a piece of meat." Deep breaths, he's right she can't afford to lose it. "I was wondering, is it possible for someone to use a sheath if they aren't attuned?"

"It would be like being completely immersed in water and fighting your way through it." Not an image Kimiko needed, but sounding hopeful. "Remember we have to ensheath to run attunement."

"Can we do that?" Suddenly the idea is looking hopeful.

"Sorry, attunment processing is very intense. There's no room for those mesh images in the token space, that requires more powerful systems. However, when the pilot isn't attuned an external control interface is available, but you'll need special software to access it. Which sheath are we talking about?"

"Can we engage systems like Chloe's cloaking? If so Sachi could hide."

"The control interface includes most suit specific operations. You'll need to switch to Sayoko to download the update."

"Okay, I'll be offline for a moment." The switch is easy. For once it's even warm. "Right, what now?"

"It's a core system overlay so you need to release the executive restrictions on whispercomms or it won't transfer." She finds the option in the firewall tab. As soon as it's cleared she sees the transfer start. "This will add a remote tab to the advanced UI. When another token is in range it should appear there. All the token primary keycerts are from the same root certificate so the trust link is automatic and completely secure. It's an engineer's interface so nothing fancy." Oh goody. That's James speak for blocky layout, obscure abbreviations, and all jammed into the smallest possible space. You'd think engineers were paying by the pixel. The download completes. "It should side load." A new option appears at the extreme end of the display.

"That was quick." The new tab shows a new icon with the letters SC next to it. It has various options but they are disabled.

"Apart from the secure comms it's just a UI on-top of existing functionality."

"I can see an SC it that Chloe? It all seems offline."

"Yes, that's a random ID embedded in the certificates." Of course it is, and if she could check Sayoko's code wouldn't be SP. "It's not enabled because you are wearing the ring under an active sheath."

"So it's all working?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm switching back."

"Why?"

"One, it's getting warm in here and Chloe has better sensors. Two, I am looking for a scared girl who is, I imagine, having the worst day of her life." Spirits, I hope so. "I'm not sure that a random green-skinned stranger showing up is going to help her state of mind. She knows me as Chloe." Swapping back she can see the trail goes through a door to a storage zone. "Stay in the loop, but can you avoid traumatising her too badly." James' harrumph is eloquent.