Judas Unchained

Details

People

A

Adam Elvin

B

Alic Hogan

(c0) A commander of the Commonwealth Navy Defense department. Works for Rafael Columbia. Inherits Paula Myo's command over the Paris investigation unit that was the Commonwealth Serious Crimes Directorate.

Antonio

(c4) The boyfriend of Kyle, Mark Vernon's older brother (see PS c6).

B

C

Cristobel Agatha Halgarth

(c4) Head of security of the Halgarth dynasty. Meets with Renne regarding Isabelle Halgarth.

D

E

(c?) The President of the Commonwealth.

F

G

Giselle Swinsol

(c4) A Sheldon agent hiring personnel to build ships for the dynasty.

Gwyneth Russell

(c1) Subordinate to Alic Hogan during the chase to catch Kazimir's murderer at the Caralvo Terminal of LA Galactic.

H

I

J

John King

(c1) Subordinate to Alic Hogan during the chase to catch Kazimir's murderer at the Caralvo Terminal of LA Galactic.

Jennifer Seitz

(c1) the lead radio astronomer for the observatory that received Martian transmissions layer obtained by Luv ilu the Guardians.

Justine Burnelli

(c1) Gave Alic Hogan the first real lead into the Guardian organization by identifying Kazimir as a Guardian. Sees Kazimir murdered by an assailant in LA Galactic's Caralvo Terminal.

K

Kazimir McFoster

(c1) Is murdered at LA Galactic's Caralvo Terminal by an assailant.

L

Nigel Sheldon

M

Mellanie Rescorai

A media celebrity. Former reporter for Alessandra Baron. Reporter for Michaelangelo.

Michaelangelo

A TSI news show host.

Morton

A convicted murderer. (PS) Melanie Rescorai's former lover.

N

O

Oscar Munroe

A Commonwealth Navy captain. (c?)

Ozzie Fernandez Issac

P

Patricia Kantil

(c?) The top aide for President Elaine Doi. (c4; PS c17) Former girlfriend of Isabella Halgarth.

Paula Myo

(c0) Is fired by Admiral Columbia from Navy Defense following the LA Galactic failure.

Q

R

Rafael Columbia

Admiral of the Commonwealth Navy's Defense department. In charge of planetary defenses.

Renne Kampasa

(c0) Investigates with Tarlo a Guardian shotgun operation targeting another young Halgarth named Trisha Marina Halgarth. Is a lieutenant of Navy Intelligence.

S

T

Tarlo

(c0) Investigates with Renne Kampasa a Guardian shotgun operation targeting another young Halgarth named Trisha Marina Halgarth. Is a lieutenant of Navy Intelligence.

Trisha Marina Halgarth

(c0) A young Halgarth first-lifer woman who had her author certificate stolen and her memories modified as part of a Guardian shotgun operation. Was roommate of Isabella Halgarth.

U

V

W

Wilson Kime

Admiral of the Commonwealth Navy. In charge of fleets charged with both defending against and attacking the Primes.

X

Y

Z

Places

Arevalo

(c0) Host planet of Daroca.

Boongate

(c2) The phase 2 world linking Far Away to the Commonwealth. Is where the Far Away Freight Inspection Directorate is based.

Daroca

(c0) The capital city of the world Arevalo where Trisha Marine Halgarth had her author certificate stolen.

EdenBurg

(c4) The Halgarth's Big15 world. Provides a CST connection to Solidade, the Halgarth's private planet.

Far Away

Rialto

(c4) The megacity of EdenBurg.

Solidade

(c4) The Halgarth dynasty's private planet. Lies outside of Commonwealth jurisdiction.

Vinmar

(C6): The SI's planet.

Things

Guardians of Selfhood

Starflyer

Narrative

Chapter 0

Prologue.

00:00:29. (POV: Renne Kampasa; Location: Daroca, Arevalo) Commonwealth Navy investigators Lieutenant Reni and Tarlo visit the apartment of a Halgarth first-lifer whose stolen author certificate was used to sign another Guardian shotgun message broadcast to the Unisphere that President Elaine Doi was a Starflyer agent. Renne is mildly aghast at the wealth of the first life victim and her equally young female roommates. The three bachelorettes in the apartment are the 22-year-old Catriona Saleeb of the Morishi Grand Family, Trisha Marina Halgarth, the victim, and Isabella Halgarth. Isabella is critical and doubtful of the Navy investigators. Trisha decides to submit to a medical examination in the apartment instead of travelling to have it done in a clinic.

On their way back to the office, Tarlo notices Renne is wary. Renne confides in Tarlo that the latest Guardian shotgun case seems too similar to previous shotgun cases. Reni believes the Guardians would have changed their tactics by now in order to reduce risk of detection. Renne suggests the Halgath dynasty's security department may have used the Halgath girls they just met to engineer a shotgun message to lure in Guardian operatives for capture and private investigation. Tarlo is skeptical. Tarlo advises Renne against telling Paula her suspicions about the repetition of tactics.

(00:16:55). Renne and Tarlo witness Paula Myo get fired by Rafael Columbia.

Chapter 1

00:19:29.

Alic pursues Kazimir's killer. Adam identifies the killer. Tochee swims and Orion vomits. Justine fails to decrypt the Guardian memory crystal. Paula and Justine decide against asking the SI for assistance. Justine confronts Admiral Rafael Columbia. Gore and Paula scheme against Nigel. Renne is winded at the Andes observatory. The Paris office briefs Hogan.

00:19:29. (POV: Alic Hogan). Alic Hogan witnesses an assailant murder Kazimir. Alic orders snipers to kill the assailant but the assailant is protected by a portable forcefield. Alic orders Navy field agents to pursue and overwhelm the forcefield. Kaos software disables access to network infrastructure, blinding Alic's team by disconnecting them from station camera feeds. Alic joins the pursuit, wishing to demonstrate job dedication and to earn respect of Paula's old investigation team. The assailant escapes into an active train switchyard. Fast moving trains disrupt Hogan's agents's efforts to box the assailant. Hogan demands Renne get Admiral Columbia to CST to stop train traffic. Hogan narrowly avoids being killed by a Maglev train. Gwyneth Russell and Tarlo are the last to see the assailant who disappeared. The trains finally stop. Hogan orders a methodical search of the area.

00:35:22. Hogan admits defeat after 2 hours searching. Tarlo invites Hogan to a bar to relax. Hogan declines, citing the need to report the operation failure to Admiral Columbia.

00:37:02. (POV: Senator Justine Burnelli) Justine arranges for Campbell Sheldon to prepare private transport to carry Kazimir's body to her family's private clinic. While accompanying Kazimir's body alone in a transport, Justine retrieves the memory crystal from the corpse that Kazimir had been carrying. Upon disembarking from the transport, Paula Myo confronts Justine. Justine and Paula travel together. Paula tells Justine she noticed Justine has blood under her fingernails. Justine admits to carrying the memory crystal Kazimir was carrying. Paula and Justine make a deal to track down the Starflyer. Justine tells Paula she will not aid the Navy against the Guardians.

00:46:51. (POV: Adam Elvin: Location: Lemuel's Max Transit near LA Galactic) Kieran McSobel tails Kazimir. Adam monitors Kazimir. From the Guardian base, Adam witnesses Kazimir get shot. Guardians tell Adam the assassin appeared to be Bruce McFoster, who was thought killed in battle on Far Away. Adam realizes Navy investigators pursue Bruce. Kieran sees Paula. Adam uses Guardian communication infrastructure and video surveillance devices separate from CST to watch Bruce jump into a moving train to flee Navy.

00:56:39. (POV: Ozzie; Location: the Gas Halo) Ozzie figures out the waterfall has no bottom. Ozzie deduces that local gravity manipulation is moving water since the entire Gas Halo environment is artificial. Ozzie convinces Tochee to swim in the air to tow the Pathfinder away from the waterfall into the the greater free-fall environment.

01:06:46. Ozzie, Orion and Tochee escape the waterfall.

01:09:50. Ozzie estimates the worldlet to be 1 600 km in diameter. Orion and Tochee wish to return to the worldlet but Ozzie halts their plan, encouraging them to continue to endure zero-G in order to find a path in the gas halo. Both Tochee and Orion are doubtful about their abilities to endure free-fall.

01:13:06. (POV: Justine Burnelli; Location: Tulip Mansion, Earth) Justine inserts the memory crystal was carrying into a 5 million earth dollar array to analyze the contents. Justine and Myo disuss various topics. Kazimir's autopsy confirmed a lack of memory crystal insert and lack of cellular reprofiling. Paula reassures Justine that she will reveal the Starflyer. The array reports it could read the data but that it remains protected by encryption beyond its capabilities to break. Myo mentions the SI could likely decrypt the data but warns Justine that the SI is not guaranteed to assist them. Justine believes Myo to be somewhat paranoid. Paula reveals they have a personal working relationship with the SI. Justine asks if Paula can contact the Guardians to ask them to decrypt the data. Paula says she has no such lead or she would have shut them down long ago. Justine debates whether to reveal to Paula the Unisphere address code she received from Kazimir as he died. Justine decides she is too emotionally compromised to make such a decision. Justine and Paula decide to wait until Navy Intelligence files their report regarding the site from which the memory crystal came from.

01:27:00. Justine confronts Rafael Columbia.

01:33:46. Justine returns to Paula who talks with Gore Burnelli. Gore believes Rafael Columbia needs to be watched since they are amassing significant political and military power. Gore does not believe the Guardian shotgun claim that President Elaine Doi is a Starflyer agent. Paula reveals that one of Thompson Burnelli's last messages to her before he was assassinated was that the block on cargo inspections to Far Away was pushed by Nigel Sheldon. Gore and Paula discuss the possibility of approaching the Nigel Sheldon senior family members to re-life Nigel from a known uncorrupted state. Justine calls their planning premature. Gore says they will begin forming their own political alliance to counter the Starflyer's covert network.

01:40:32. (POV: Renne; Location: an observatory in the Andes, South America, Earth) Renne intervirws Jennifer Seitz, the lead radio astronomer of the observatory that Kazimir visited before dying at LA Galactic. Seitz says the Martian data was part of a long-term low-budget 30-year planetary science project initiated before her time. Seitz cannot guarantee that the data contains anything else besides planetary science data (e.g. temperature, barometric pressure, etc.) since the sensor hardware was launched by an automated space vehicle along with many other science project payloads distributed throughout Earth's solar system. Seitz says the observatory is just a relay node for such projects. Seitz asserts Mars is a dead planet with nothing of interest.

01:57:30. Seitz tells Renne about Dan Cufflin, the technician who gave Kazimir the Martian data. Seitz insists Cufflin is a mediocre programmer and makes several personal criticisms about their lifestyle and personal hygiene.

02:05:59. (Time: 1 day later on a rainy day in spring; Location: the Paris office) The Paris office morale is low. Renne and Tarlo discuss a Alessandra Baron broadcast about how the LA Galactic assassin was the same that killed Senator Thompson Burnelli, a fact that was supposed to be confidential. Tarlo tells Renne that Paula, now of Senate Security, is reviewing the Navy Intelligence reports they file. Renne is pleased. Renne asks if Tarlo talked to Paula; he hasn't. Tarlo asks Renne to tell Paula, if Paula contacts Renne, that he, Tarlo, is willing to help Paula.

02:08:22. (POV: Alic) Alic is in a bad mood after being chewed out by Admiral Raphael Columbia for the LA Galactic failure. Alic thinks about how the office furniture is like the Paris office investigators: former property of Paula that he has not gotten around to replacing. Alic thinks about how Paula could have dealt with such setbacks for centuries. Alic suspects the Starflyer exists but cannot admit so publicly due to the notion being politically unpopular. Alic decides to fall back on continuing the Guardian investigation as usual.

02:12:06. Alic meets with the Paris office investigators. Renne notes Kazimir recognized the assassin. John King, Renne, and Tarlo update Alic Hogan. Kazimir knew the assassin. The Mars data likely only contained planetary science data. The funding source of the Mars mission was likely a Guardian operation. Tarlo argues that the Mars equipment be examined to confirm what the Guardians were actually transmitting.

Chapter 2

02:24:18

02:24:28 (POV: Wilson Kime; Location: an underground chamber deep beneath Senate Hall, Washington DC, Earth) A description for why the War Cabinet meeting was held on Earth instead of the Presidential palace in New Rio: Earth was accessible to all Big 15 worlds, frequented by intersolar dynasty leaders such as Nigel Sheldon, Heather Antonia Halgarth, Alan Hutchinson, and Hanz Brant (?). Senators Justine Burnelli, Crispin Goldreich, and Ramon DB were also in attendance and were all Earth-based. Thus, Patricia Kantil decided to stage the meeting on Earth. Commonwealth leadership is not doing well in public polls. President Elaine Doi arrives.

President Elaine Doi did not invite the SI to the war strategy meeting since she believes humans must decide their own fate; deciding where or not to involve the SI is also part of the strategy.

Wilson gives a summary of the invasion and prognostication of future the Prime actions. Wilson proposes a strategy. Wilson notes death toll so far is 37 million. The Primes appear intent on acquiring Commonwealth industrial equipment. Heather Antonia Halgarth questions Kime's certainty that Primes intend to wipe out the Commonwealth. Hans Brant (?) notes the Prime motivation resembles a religious crusade. Wilson presents a three-stage strategy. Stage 1: tie up Prime resources on Lost 23 planets via commando raids. 10 000 troops per planet. Stage 2: Build a large fleet of warships by reconfiguring the entire Commonwealth economy to producing war equipment in lieu of consumer products. Wilson demands thousands of warships each armed with hundreds of relativistic missiles capable of strikes the Desperado performed. Stage 3: find and destroy all Prime installations such as Hell's Gateway. Ramone DB interjects to bring up the refugee crisis of homeless citizens and fleeing citizens. Doi asserts refugee issues are not in the War cabinet scope where strictly only military strategy should be discussed. Columbia proposes Stage 4: using strategic weapons from the Seattle Project. Doi is aghast at the prospect of committing genocide against the Primes. The war cabinet votes unanimously to approve Wilson's three stage plan.

02:47:46. (POV: Justine) Justine meets up with Ramone DB after the War Cabinet meeting. Justine considers recruiting Ramone to work against the Starflyer but decides against the idea due to Ramone's poor state of health: he is grossly overweight.

02:47:45. Justine steers Wilson into a private conference room with Paula. Wilson nearly leaves after suspecting Paula's presence indicates Justine seems to lobby him to ask Admiral Columbia to give favors for Paula. Paula catches Kime's attention by mentioning the Guardians we're active on Mars, appealing to his personal experience and expertise as one of the first visitors to Mars. Paula asks Kime to ask Columbia to keep the Navy's investigation of the Mars lead going.

02:56:30. (POV: Renne; Location: Boomgate) A description of Boomgate, a phase 2 world that has been slow to grow. Renne and Tarlo meet with Edmund Lee, a local police officer promoted to the new Far Away Freight Inspectorate division. Edmund shows Renne and Tarlo cabling and electrical power equipment with ratings and duties far above those required for the agricultural machines they were installed on. Edmund reports staffing and theft issues due to the Prime invasion. Edmund is unable to provide any financial tracking data due to lack of manpower; only 4 of 25 reported for work. Tarlo sends Renne away while he assists Edmund in collecting financial evidence.

03:08:50. (POV: Adam Elvin; Location: Westminster Palace Museum of Democracy, a.k.a. Big Ben) Adam and Bradley Johansson discuss the failure of Kazimir's courier run. Johansson reiterates the Mars data was vital to the Planet's Revenge operation. Adam admits he believes the Starflyer exists due to seeing Kazimir fooled into letting his guard down around Bruce McFoster, now a Starflyer agent.

Bradley says the Planet's Revenge project does not absolutely require the Martian data but it would help it be more reliable. Bradley says the Doi shotgun was a fake. Bradley speculates that a proper investigation of the shotgun would reveal Starflyer operational details. Adam says he lacks resources to investigate the Doi shotgun. Bradley tells Adam that the Starflyer will travel to Far Away to return to its own kind when the war is at its peak and both sides are weak.

03:23:03. (POV: Wilson; Location: a train on High Angel) Wilson reads summaries of Paula Myo's investigation. Wilson learns Paula believes the Starflyer is real. Wilson asks Rafael about the Mars lead. Rafael doesn't know and says the proper source for that information was the data crystal he believes Senate Security has obtained via the Burnellis and they aren't sharing. Wilson asks Rafael to keep the Navy investigation into Mars open.

03:28:32. (Location: Wilson's residence, Babuyon Atoll) Wilson and Ana share an intimate moment. Ana asks Wilson if an orbital structure is the new ship assembly platform. Ana voices doubts about the future survival of the Commonwealth. Wilson reassures Ana that Prime resources are tribute finite. Wilson asks Ana what she thinks the Guardians were doing on Mars. Ana proposes that she personally push Navy intelligence to investigate Mars.

03:34:48. (POV: Nigel Sheldon) Nigel, Alan Hutchinson, and Antonia Halgarth discuss the refugee crisis. Antonia wishes to fire Wilson and replace him with Rafael. Nigel defends Wilson. Antonia and Alan demand Nigel sell them FTL drives for their dynasty lifeboat ships. Nigel resents the grand families such as Antonia for lacking originality to make their own creative solutions.

03:47:47. (POV: Melanie) Mellanie visits Paula at her apartment. Mellanie tells Paula she knows the Starflyer exists. Mellanie tells Paula about the Cox Educational charity fraud. Paula listens but is more puzzled that her investigation found no fraud than relief at finding an ally in media celebrity Mellanie. Mellanie is unsettled that Paula does not immediately believe her. Mellanie suspects Paula is a Starflyer agent. Mellanie leaves. Mellanie decides to reveal the Starflyer by herself.

03:56:46. (POV: hoshe) Hoshe wakes from a nightmare about his vacation on Sligo when the Prime attack hit during the flower festival. Paula arrives and recruits Hoshe to Senate Security. Hoshe initially declines out of protest against the Commonwealth government for not providing aid to those impacted by the invasion; Hoshe had to exhaust a mortgage intended for a future child to pay for his wife's, Enema (?), injuries.

Chapter 3

04:06:52

04:06:52. (POV: Mellanie) Mellanie returns to greenwood estates, a vacation village. Mellanie talks with Dudley Bose who she has not yet abandoned. Dudley is anxious for sex. Mellanie is tired. Mellanie tells Dudley about some job offers she received. Dudley strongly disL agree with one offer that had Mellanie starring in a TSI. Dudley's qualm was that TSIs are just sex and he didn't want Mellanie having sex with anyone else. Mellanie told Dudley she accepted a position on the Michaelangelo show, a rival of Alessandra Baron. Mellanie told Dudley she took a reporting job covering populations too poor to leave planets likely to be attacked in the next invasion. Mellanie tells Dudley they are travelling to Far Away.

04:17:00. (POV: Renne) John King reports to Renne. John guesses the Guardian hardware from Boongate and Venice Coast were for force fields. John highlights the technical problem of no power plants on Far Away capable of powering them.

04:21:01. Vick Russel reports to Renne about hisbpursuit of John Beard, a lead given to them by the Andes observatory technician. Beard is a migratory criminal who modified vehicles to assist auto theft. Russell recommends searching for beard's large mobile shop van.

04:24:24. Renne attends an investigators meeting for Hogan. John King oresente evifence that the assassin was a Far Away native. Hogan presents a story that the assassin is a Guardian enforcer who kills rival criminal elements. Renne is very skeptical but cannot contradict Hogan. Renne is worried that Hogan's story is the type the Paris office will habitually produce: politically expedient analysis that reduces their workload at the cost of finding the truth. Renne presents the investigation of Beard.

04:33:24. (POV: Paula; Location: Senate Security office, London, Earth) Paula meets with Hoshe. Paula asks Hoshe to double check her investigation files on the Cox Educational charity with publicly available records to verify an allegation made by Mellanie who claimed the Starflyer doctored the records.

04:41:16. (POV: Mellanie; Location: CST station, Boongate) Mellanie convinces Dudley to accompany her to Far Away.

Mellanie and Dudley meet with Nile Swalt (?) Of Grand Triad Adventures who is also a fan of Mel's Murderous Seduction TSI.

04:56:10. Mellanie and Dud don environment suits and pass through a gateway to Halfway.

05:01:27. A summary of the history of the construction of transport infrastructure to Far Away via Halfway from Boongate. Due to the knowledge that Far Away's star had been engineered to produce a flare that mostly sterilized the planet, Nigel Sheldon and Commonwealth leaders insisted on implementing the administrative safeguard of physically distancing two wormhole gateways on Halfway, Shackleton and Port Evergreen, by placing them 10 000 km apart of the planet. The intent was to slow the spread or escape of hazardous alien contamination or agents from Far Away. Heather Antonia Halgarth provided Carbon Goose aircraft (nuclear powered 110 meter wingspan) to fly between the two gateways on Halfway. Mellanie and Dudley take the 10 hour flight to Port Evergreen. The carbon goose pilot flys low at one point to show some local aquatic megafauna.

Mellanie and Dudley arrive. They are instructed by CST personnel to walk through a wormhole in some 20 minutes time.

05:13:56. A summary of the Halfway wormhole power generator: the Stormrider, a contrarotating windmill attached to an electric generator that extracts power from the solar wind of a neutron star as it consumes plasma from a larger neighboring star.

05:17:12. Mellanie and Dudley pass through the wormhole.

05:23:26. (POV: Stig McSobel; 3F Plaza, Armstrong City, Far Away) Stig sees Mellanie and Dudley arrive at 3F Plaza (“First Footfall Plaza”) and looks them up. He recognizes Mellanie but has to look up Dudley. He reports their suspicious arrival to his partner and bodyguard Alwin McConnor.

05:27:30. (POV: Mellanie; Location: Langford Towers, Armstrong City, Far Away) Mellanie and Dudley check into their hotel room at Langford Towers. Dudley talks about how people disaffected with repetitive longevity in the Commonwealth justify moving to Far Away without a rejuvenation guarantee. Mellanie downloads an SI subroutine into the city net in order to collect intelligence and provide her with support with her mission.

05:36:56. (POV: Stig) Stiff surveils Mellanie and Dudley. Stig learns from the LT barkeep that Mellanie asked directly for a Guardian contact.

05:44:33. (Location: Stig's HQ) Stig exercises. Stig thinks about the setback Kazimir's death and the Far Away inspections have caused for the Planet's Revenge project. Stig thinks about how desperate Samantha of the control group is for both parts for manipulator stations and data to control the project. Stig is surprised by Bassumian (?) Doctor Frailand (?). Frailand warns Stuff about a new surveillance entity in the local data networks. Stig deduces it is a program brought to Far Away by Mellanie. Frailand reveals he predates the first wormholes of Nigel and Ozzie.

05:53:13. A summary of Stig passively monitoring Mellanie via understaffed Guardian surveillance crews.

05:54:35. (POV: Mellanie) Mellanie visits the local civic press office at City Hall to find Intel but is disappointed. She is also disappointed to a lesser degree during a visit to the Armstrong Chronicle office which at least tracked Guardian attacks such as one in which some Institute travelers she arrived with had died. Mellanie receives a report from the SI subroutine that it is possible to correlate encrypted data traffic to identify Guardians. The subroutine warns that it cannot infiltrate the Basumian (?) sector since strange processors run there. Mellanie contemplates seducing men at City Hall to obtain intelligence but feels growing resentment at having to resort to sex to do reporting work. Mellanie resents Alessandra Baron for whoring her out for the Starflyer. Dudley suffers gastrointestinal distress from spicy curry eaten earlier. Mellanie sleeps.

06:02:10. Mellanie decides to look up intelligence via court case records. The subroutine informs her she must visit the Court House in person to request copies of court records due to age of municipal computers.

06:04:25. Stig receives reports that hostile agents are with Mellanie in and out of the courthouse.

06:05:57. (POV: Mellanie) Mellanie researches in the Grand Courthouse. Mellanie finds a handful of lawyers seem to defend people hired by Guardians to harass the Institute. The subroutine warns Mellanie she is under surveillance but two parties. Mellanie deduces one is the Starflyer. Mellanie decides to leave with Dudley.

06:08:37. Mellanie and Dudley leave the Grand Courthouse. Dudley vomits. They are ambushed by Institute troopers on foot and in vehicles. The subroutine counters the ambush by crashing civilian autos into Institute units and vehicles. Mellanie and Dudley escape. Mellanie deduces the second group of surveullors are Guardians. Mellanie asks the subroutine for a Guardian address she can call. Mellanie orders the subroutine to send them close to 3F Plaza.

06:17:51. (POV: stig) Stig meets with MEl at an Italian restaurant. Mellanie boasts about the software Stig said he detected and which she released that protected them from the Institute. Mellanie is surprised by Doctor Justin Frailand (?) who prompts her to activate her SI inserts to combat some threat Stig cannot see. Freiland's inner dark nimbus glows purple.

06:21:47. (pov: Mellanie) Mellanie asks Stig for an address to contact while she is in the Commonwealth. Doctor Frailand warns Mellanie to be wary of her digital benefactor. Stig threatens Mellanie with a permanent death if she betrays the Guardians. Mellanie says if she were a Starflyer agent then everyone at Halkin Ironmongery, Stig's headquarters, would be dead.

06:28:12. (POV: Wilson; Babuyon Atoll) Wilson Kime gets married to Ana Hober.

06:36:01 (POV: Oscar Munroe; Pentagon 2): Oscar finally decides to copy Navy data about the Second Chance mission in order to analyze it to search for the alien influence that Adam Elvin hinted existed.

Chapter 4

06:41:18

06:41:18. (POV: Morton) Morton wakes up from suspension. Morton is surprised that he did not feel the time pass. Morton contemplate what progress the Commonwealth has made now that his 120 year suspension is over. Morton is eager to search and exploit new possibilities. The medical technician waking Morton introduces him to his defense lawyer. The lawyer informs Morton that he has only been in suspension for 3 years. The lawyer informs Morton that the Commonwealth is at war with aliens released by the Second Chance mission. The lawyer presents Morton with a choice: get his entire suspension term forgiven if he fights for the Commonwealth Navy or to return to suspension. Morton decides to fight for the Commonwealth.

06:48:59. (POV: Mellanie; Location: Darklake City, Oaktier) Mellanie and Dudley return from Far Away. They find a hotel to stay at. Mellanie asks the SI to watch out for Starflyer agents who might harm them. Mellanie decides to call the Guardian code and asks the SI to locate the recipient. The SI refuses. Mellanie engages the SI in dialogue about why the SI refuses to help humanity more. The SI says it does not wish humanity to become dependent upon it since humanity would eventually resent the help and fight the SI.

06:58:49. Mellanie calls the one-time code. Mellanie talks with Adam Elvin. Mellanie tells Adam she knows the Starflyer is real and that Alessandra Baron is one of its agents. Mellanie shares that she found proof but it was lost. Mellanie says Paula was the one who hinted she should contact Dudley who led her to the proof in the first place. Mellanie asks Adam for the identity of the killer at LA Galactic in order to be able to present herself as a valuable contact to Paula. Adam asks Mellanie to ask Paula for the Martian data their courier lost at the LA Galactic shooting. Adam warns Mellanie to not reveal that Adam spoke to Mellanie because Paula is likely to arrest Mellanie for associating with Adam, a known and wanted terrorist. Mellanie agrees, citing how Paula charged a friend of hers for a minor crime. Adam leaves Mellanie with a one-time address code.

07:03:02. (POV: Mellanie; 1800 brigands, Olika District, Oaktier) Paul reprimands Mellanie for getting his arrays confiscated. Mellanie asks Paul Cramley to surveil Alessandra Baron in order to collect evidence that she is a Starflyer agent. Paul asks Mellanie why her protector will not help her. Mellanie says she doesn't know for sure and a Basumian (?) told her not to trust it. Paul is surprised Mellanie has been to Far Away. Paul agrees to help Mellanie.

07:20:12. (POV: Simon Rand; Location: Randtown) a summary of the changed geography of the land and mountains around Randtown. Simon Rand sees the Primes constructed a 4-meter diameter pipe dumping dark fluid into the Trin'eba. David Dumbervan (?) suspects the fluid is biological, imported from the Prime home planet, and indicates the building from which the pipe extends contains a wormhole generator.

07:29:21. (POV: a rogue Prime motile; Location: Randtown, Elan) Motile Dudley Bose, arrives at Randtown. A history from when it received an abridged copy of Immotile Dudley Bose's memories on Dyson Alpha, through stowing away on a ship and through a wormhole to Elan. Motile Bose heard the SI converse with MLM on Elan. Motile Bose decided to search for the SI presence on Elan. Motile Bose sees human ruins of Randtown. MB thinks about how MLM hated fish of the Trin'eba that ate ita base cells. MB thinks about MLM's plan to eradicate all non-Prime life not only in the Trin'eba but across the galaxy. MB thinks about how to contact local human conservationist guerillas on Randtown.

07:42:50. (POV: Adam) Adam starts an ore shipping rail company on Kyushu. Adam talks with Kieran McSobel (?). Adam says he may be able to get the Martian data via a contact who knows Paula Myo.

07:50:36. (POV: Renne) Renne reviews the shotgun case involving Trisha Halgarth. Renne finds one of Trisha's friends, Isabella Halgarth has put a block on her butler public address code. She is pleased to finally find an abnormality on that suspicious shotgun case. Renne contacts Cristabel Agatha Halgarth.

07:54:35. Renne presents her suspicions to Alic Hogan. Renne pushes Hogan to issue a warrant for Isabella's arrest in order to stir local law enforcement to taking action in finding Isabella. Renne points out that Isabella was Patricia Kantil's girlfriend, a connection not highlighted during the shotgun investigation. Hogan reluctantly agrees. Renne says she called Halgarth security and was given permission to visit Solidade to intervia Trisha Halgarth, the Halgarth planet outside of Commonwealth jurisdiction. Hogan disapproves of Renne bypassing him in contacting the Halgarth family yet is surprised Renne got permission to visit.

07:59:30. (Location: Rialto, EdenBurg) Renne arrives at Rialto, the megacity of EdenBurg, one of the Big15 worlds. Renne is picked up by a limousine. Renne's observations of Rialto. EdenBerg enjoys low electricity costs due to the planet's high amount of rainfall powering many hydroelectric dams. Rialto's temperate climate is unusual for Renne since seasonal weather variations usually dissuade the founding of large cities due to the costs of maintaining civic infrastructure during winter.

08:04:15. Renne meets Cristabel Agatha Halgarth at her office in a tall skyscraper. Cristabel commends Renne for noticing the discrepancy with Isabella by adding up the discrepancies surrounding her such as the fact that Isabella was Patricia Kantil's girlfriend and has now gone incommunicado. Cristabel shares that she graduated from the Serious Crimes Directorate Investigator training course a year after Paula Myo graduated. Cristabel believes her family, the Halgarth dynasty, should never have supported Paula's dismissal. Cristabel shares that Admiral Columbia is not under her command. Cristabel reveals that Isabella seems to have attempted to drop out of contact with the dynasty. Renne asks Cristabel whether or not the Trisha Halgarth shotgun incident was a trap engineered by the Halgarth dynasty in order to lure and capture a Guardian. Cristabel says such operations have been conducted in the past but Trisha's situation was not one of them.

08:12:18. Renne is escorted to Solidade by Warren Halgarth to interview Trisha Halgarth.

08:14:37. Renne interviews Trisha Halgarth. Trisha reveals she had been visited by a reporter named Brad Myo of Eagle News shortly before she departed for Solidade. Trisha said Brad received permission from the Navy to ask her questions. Renne responds that no such permission would have been necessary. Trisha laments her low intelligence for being hoodwinked yet again. Trisha vows to erase all her memories in order to start fresh.

Later, Renne shares with Warren that Brad and Eagle News are names that Bradley Johansson likely used when he contacted Wendy Bose. Renne is convinced the shotgun broadcast Trisha's certificate was used to send was not a Guardian operation.

08:24:16. (POV: Mark Vernon; Augusta) Mark returns home from work, disgusted with having to live on Augusta. Mark and Liz are staying at Antonio's place. Mark wishes he could take them to Gralmond, a planet far from Dysom Alpha but cannot afford to do so. Mark's equity and the insurance company against it was based entirely on Elan while his loan debt for his lost Abels (?) garage remains. Mark finds Liz sunbathing naked with Antonio while Barry and Sandy play in the pool. Mark is high strung with Liz about the kids who she has left to be taken care of by a maidbot. Liz relays to Mark that Giselle Swinsol is due to arrive to talk with him soon. Mark does not recognize the name. Mark tells Antonio that he wishes to take his family away from Augusta. Antonio advises Mark to stay on Augusta since the Commonwealth has an inventive to protect the planet where Navy equipment is manufactured.

08:36:45. Mark meets with Giselle Swinsol. Giselle offers Mark an automated elwctronic technician (?) job on Cresat (?) that would pay off his debts, provide employment opportunity for Liz, and guarantee the physical safety of his family at the cost of not being able to talk about his work. Liz questions why outsiders are being accepted to Cresat (?), the Sheldon dynasty planet. Giselle says exceptions are being made but Mark require no exception since he is a 7th generation direct lineage Sheldon. Mark and Liz accept. Liz does not like how Giselle pressured them to accept. Mark expects the work to be on military systems to fight the Primes, motivating him. Liz is pleased to discover Mark is a Sheldon.

08:47:06. (Pov : Oscar) Captains Oscar and Mack (of the StAsaf) receive new ship assignments from Wilson. Mack is assigned a Gunship (?). Oscar is assigned to captain an Assault Cruiser (?). Wilson assigns Oscar to find Hell's Gateway. Ana is present to banter with them and explain Admiral Columbia's surveillance strategy over the Primes. Oscar feels guilt that Wilson trusts him so much when he is planning to bring illegal private copies of Second Chance logs with him to review on his scout mission.

08:53:50. (Pov: Morton; Kingsville) Morton, Rob, Doc Roberts, and The Cat (the group of them calling themselves Cat's Claws) explore stealthily infiltrating a simulated Prime battlefield. After Morton is detected by a Prime, Cat sets off a baby nuke, ending the simulation. Morton and Cat have a row.

Morton believes he is on Kerensk based on the slightly purple-tinged sun. A summary of life on the Kingsville infantry training facility.

09:13:30. Morton takes a shower with his crew. Mel visits Morton. They take over a washroom and fuck eachother vigorously to exhaustion. Mel invites Morton to send her and the Michaelangelo show reports from his deployment against the Primes, negotiated by Navy and Michaelangelo lawyers. Morton accepts. Mel establishes a private virtual conference with Morton via a skin-contact connection. Mel recruits Morton into her investigation of the Primes, Guardians, and the Starflyer. Mel asks Morton to feed her intelligence on Prime activity the SI and for her own investigation into the Starflyer. Morton asks Mel to visit him again. Morton sees Mel has become a much more interesting person. Mel says she doesn't care that Morton probably killed his wife. Morton warns that he probably did. They have sex again.

Chapter 5

09:31:25

09:31:25. (Pov: Ozzie: l: pathfinder, the Gas Halo) Ozzie resorts to extracting fresh water from his own urine due to a lack of fresh water.

09:43:44. Tochee awakens Ozzie to notify him of a flock of creatures flying about 1 mile away. Orion sees they are flying Silfen. They are unresponsive to flare gun rounds fired by Ozzie. Orion is despondent.

Ozzie tells Orion a story about saving his family from a situation resembling an environment disaster thriller movie involving a hovercraft race against glaciers mowing down mountains.

09:59:42. Orion successfully interrupts Ozzie's story in order to alert him to the presence of a large water island directly in front of Pathfinder’s current trajectory.

10:11:24. (POV: Wilson; Mars) Wilson, Ana, Nigel, Tarlo, and several Navy Intelligence technicians visit Mars. Nigel and Wilson have a cool yet emotional disagreement over their first meeting on Mars.

10:26:43. (POV: Roderick Deacon (?)) Roderick and _, hired thugs, sneak into Paul Cramley's bungalow. They are killed by Paul's pet nostats (?) and accidental discharges of their ion pistols set the bungalow ablaze. Emergency services kill the nostats and dowse the fire. Paul is fined but remains incommunicado, resolving security and legal issues via a contract security company and a lawyer.

10:36:11. (POV: Nigel Sheldon) Nigel feels guilty after visiting Mars. Nigel has sex with his younger athletic harem members before sleeping with his middle-aged harem members for comfort. Nigel has breakfast with his family. Nigel learns from his family publicist _ that the Sheldon dynasty is polling higher than Elaine Doi's administration or the Navy. Nigel reassures his family that he will make sure they all are safe. Nigel discusses Mellanie with his security head Nelson Sheldon (?); Nigel is surprised that Mellanie opened Ozzie's asteroid to the Randtown residents via wormhole. Nigel and Nelson conclude Mellanie is an SI observer-spy. Nigel asks Nelson to monitor Mellanie's movements.

10:56:33. (POV: Mellanie) Mellanie visits Paul Cramley who invites her into his crypt. Paul reports that Alessandra Baron attempted to assassinate him via the hired stooges Roderick and _. Paul asks Mellanie to investigate the Sheldon lifeboat project on Cresat (?).

11:17:31. Mel retrieves Dudley for travel to Earth.

11:21:40

11:29:34

11:33:57. (POV: Paula) Paula visits the skyscraper to arrest the BW&G lawyers but they are not present.

11:40:12. (POV: Renne) Renne day drinks. Renne gets chewed out by Hogan for not producing results. Renne's could not track down Isabella; neither her parents seemed concerned. Renne meets with Tarlo and _.

11:55:46. Paula meets with Renne alone and tells her Isabella is a Starflyer agent. Renne provides some opinions. Later, Hoshe reports to Paula that Renne's boxing operation is going smoothly; they are checking to see if Renne is a Starflyer agent.

11:59:39. (POV: Justine) Justine has morning sickness. Justine meets with Paula and Gore to share information. Gore speculates that Mars may contain a secret weapon due to how small an investigation team Nigel sent.

12:15:25. (POV: Oscar) Oscar surreptitiously reviews Second Chance logs. Oscar finds an anomaly: a communication dish that was deployed and pointed at the Prime home planet when it should not have been. Oscar's crew reports they have found Hell's Gateway.

Chapter 6

12:22:55

12:22:55. (POV: Morton; L: Randtown, Elan) Morton deploys to Randtown, Elan with Cat's Claws. They all arrive safely under cover of Navy aerobots. They drive their gel-ball (?) vehicles into foggy hills to hide.

12:23:01

12:35:44

13:19:54. (POV: Morton) Cat's Claws bring Simon Rand back to his cave. David Dumbervan receives medical aid. Survivors receive food. Cat proposes a plan to bypass the Prime forcefield and nuke their refinery: bury a nuke within the new forcefield area.

13:35:45. Morton and Cat explore some ruins. Cat detects the Dudley motile.

13:43:24. (POV: mark) Mark shares with Liz that his work mostly involves assembling starship components. Mark and Liz conclude Nigel Sheldon is building lifeboat ships for his family. Liz asks Mark to ask around about whether their family qualifies to be evacuated. Mark agrees to ask around.

13:52:05. (POV: Morton)

13:59:53. (POV: Mark) Mark and Liz watch Randtown get nuked via the Michaelangelo show. Giselle Swinsel (?) visits Mark again, reprimanding him for asking around about the secret project. Giselle offers Mark a promotion to work at the starship assembly site directly. Liz protests that the move will disrupt her children's education. Mark agrees.

14:05:20. (POV: Morton) Morton shares Mellanie's warning that the existence of the Bose Motile not be disclosed to the Navy. Mellanie promises to get a wormhole open to retrieve the Bose Motile, Morton and the rest of Cats Claws, and the handful of Randtown guerilla fighters remaining. Rob protests, saying Mellanie cannot be trusted because she is a reporter. Cat notes that Mellanie used the name “MorningLightMountain”, a name known only to them from the Bose Motile, thus verifying Mellanie's claims.

14:08:20. (POV: McClaine Gilbert) Mac captains a ship that launches a quantumbuster at a moon in an apparently uninhabited star system. The weapon destroys the moon.

14:15:41. Mark works at the starship construction site. Giselle Swinsel shows Mark, Liz, and their chidlren the Gigalife (?) that the Sheldon Dynasty has been studying. Giselle says once the nanonic fabrication processes running within the cells of the Gigalife are reverse engienered, Commonwealth technology can advance to permit integral immortality free from the need for periodic absences for rejuvination.

14:26:45. (POV: Justine) Justine leaves a meeting to vomit in a washroom. Ramone DB checks on Justine. Justine asks if Isabella or Patricia Kantil suggested the parallel development plan for starship construction to Ramone. Justine highlights that Isabella is a Halgarth. Ramone concludes that Gore and Justine believe they are being outmaneuvered by the Halgarths who are growing their control of the Commonwealth Navy through Columbia and Valetta. The Senate meeting Justine had left had involved Valetta attacking Justine. Ramone argued Nigel Sheldon is ultimately in charge, Admiral Columbia Halgarth only controls planetary defense, not the fleets, and Nigel supports Wilson Kime and Los Vada.

14:33:23. Justine calls Paula, telling her that Senator Valetta Halgarth asked the Security Oversight Committee to remove Paula Myo, citing Paula's observation of Alessandra Baron as evidence of Paula using government resources to pursue personal goals. Justine believes she can strengthen her alliance with other Senators to keep Paula from being ousted. Paula asks Justine to determine whether Nigel will push Senators to remove Paula.

14:36:17. (POV: MLM) MLM's reaction to the armored human guerilla fighters. MLM shifts resources into exterminating all humans.

14:46:15. MLM detects a human starship near its staging post. MLM initiates plans to invade 48 additional Commonwealth planets.

Chapter 7

14:47:25

14:47:25. (Pov: Patricia Kantil) Patricia, Daniel Alster, and McClain Gilbert review ship construction at the High Angel and Kerensk (?).

14:50:16. Patricia attends a meeting with Wilson Kime to discuss strategy of what to do now that Oscar has discovered Hell's Gateway. Dimitri argues for quantum busters to be used on Hell's Gateway. Wilson says such a decision is still up to the President and not to be recommended yet. Dimitri pushes, saying using quantum busters to eradicate Primes at hell's gateway is essential. Again, Wilson pushes back. Ship production status is given in order to formulate a timetable for the Hell's Gateway strike. A minimum of 20 ships is planned to be assigned to strike Hell's Gateway and 20 (?) planned to be assigned to defend the Commonwealth. Commonwealth ship count is less than two dozen while Primes are estimated to have deployed approximately 45 000 during the fall of the Lost23. Patricia Kantil is visibly worried.

15:03:49 (POV' Oscar) Oscar meets privately with Wilson in Wilson's office. Oscar shows Wilson the video proof that a sabateur was on the Second Chance. Wilson is flabbergasted that a crew member would betray their own species. Oscar reveals an old acquaintance working for the Guardians approached him and promoted him to examine the logs. Oscar volunteered to resign. Like rejects Oscar's resignation and proposed asking Paula Myo for help.

15:09:01. (POV: Mel) Mel talks with Adam Levin. Adam declines to help Mel find the lawyers BW&G which would incriminate Alessandra Baron. Mel reveals to Adam the existence of the Bose Motile and volunteers to relay questions the Guardians might have. Adam is amazed and promises to ask Bradley. Adam warns Mel that Isabella Halgarth, her mother Bernadette Halgarth, and her father Victor (?) Halfarth are Starflyer agents according to Bradley Johansson who personally investigated them.

Mel returns to the dowdy LA apartment she and Dudley are renting. Mel wishes she could return home to someone like Adam who would be less work than Dudley. Dudley proposed a plan to pilot a Augusta space tug to an outer gas giant to infiltrate a small moon he believes Ozzie's asteroid actually is. Dudley gives Mel a history of Ozzie and says he might lend them use of his wormhole if they can find him. Mel volunteers to ask around the Michaelangelo office about Ozzie.

15:23:33. (Pov: Nigel) Nigel visits Ozzie's asteroid. Nigel receives a call from Daniel Alster alerting him that V Halgarth was fighting with the Burnellis to oust Paula Myo from Senate Security. Nigel is surprised he cannot mentally trace the root cause of the political conflict. Nigel asks his dynasty head of security, Nelson Sheldon, to find out what is causing the disruption.

15:28:47. Nigel visits Ozzie's bungalow and listens to Ozzie's answering machine message. The recording tells Nigel that Ozzie went to walk the Silfen Paths to find out what happened at the Dyson Pair.

15:32:22. (POV: Paula) Paula meets with Justine. Paula and Justine discuss how the financial analysis of the now defunct BW&G concern will take years. Paula suggests Justine propose cutting funding for the two wormholes to Far Away in order to prompt Starflyer agents into action for Paula to identify. Paula suggests Senator Goldricht, not Justine propose the change since Paula concludes Justine is pregnant with Kazimir's child. Paula promises to have Senate Security upgrade Justine's personal security. After Paula leaves, Justine decides to call the Guardians via the code Kazimir gave her when he died.

15:40:45. (Pov: Justine) Justine meets with Ramone DB. Ramone detects Justine is pregnant. Justine reveals the father is Kazimir, the Guardian who she ratted out on to Navy Intelligence, getting him assassinated. Justine confesses the controversy over Paula Myo in the Senate is that Paula believes the Starflyer exists, making Justine a target of ridicule by ambitious Senators looking to gain power from the fall of Senator Thompson's office that Justine is temporarily manning.

15:21:26. Ramone suffers a heart attack. Ramone tells Justine that the High Angel's Toniea (?) Gall (?) Is his successor as leader of the African caucus. Ramone privately tells Justine not to trust Gall who is gunning to become President and will not entertain or support politically unpopular entities such as the Guardians. Ramone bids Justine farewell for 18 months until his rejuvenation treatment is complete.

15:56:06. (Pov: Bruce McFoster) Bruce infiltrates and waits in Justine Burnelli's apartment for her to arrive. He notices Senate Security personnel approaching with equipment to upgrade the apartment's perimeter security. Bruce makes room within and hides inside the apartment refrigerator. The Senate Security personnel do not notice the infiltrator. Bruce is shielded from new active sensors by the refrigerator metal casing.

16:02:10. (Pov: Hogan) Hogan watches Alessandra Baron and believes it is a high quality investigative reporting show. Tarlo reports promising progress in tracking down financial leads into the Guardian network. Tarlo reports no progress in the Martian data analysis. Hogan asks if Renne is behaving but Tarlo defends Renne as one of the best detectives of the office.

16:07:26. Paula visits Tarlo at an exclusive Paris club. Paula asks Tarlo to review the Cox Educational Charity records from the Paris office. Tarlo agrees. Paula hopes Tarlo takes the bait in order to confirm her strong suspicions that he helped cover for the Starflyer.

Chapter 8

16:13:48

16;13:48. (POV: Paula; Location: High Angel) Paula answers Wilson Kime's summons. Kime and Oscar reveal official Navy records have been edited to erase the evidence of the dish deployment Oscar found. Kime insists only he and Oscar knew of the dish deployment. Paula lists possible explanations which include Kime or Oscar being Starflyer agents and the evidence not existing in the first place. Oscar argues his illegal recording should be substituted in. Paula says she cannot honestly conspire to use faked evidence to pursue the Starflyer.

16:31:44. (Pov: Ozzie) Ozzie, Orion, and Tochee have breakfast in preparation to explore the reef (?). Orion believes Morlocks are inside. Ozzie believes the reef acts as a carbon sink for the Gas Halo.

They venture towards the middle section of the reef, closest to its center. They find a 3-meter-tall pillar with symbols etched into it. Ozzie deduces the pillar is simply a nameplate featuring the reef's serial number. Ozzie is emotionally distraught, worrying Orion.

16:54:10. (POV: MLM) MLM fights off the human attack on its staging system. Human starships attack with superluminal missiles. MLM successfully forces FTL missiles back into real space, causing them to be destroyed due to their own 0.9c velocity and the solar wind. MLM reduces attacking human starships to 17.

17:02:15. (POV: Mark) Mark, Liz, and their kids Barry and Sandy have breakfast. Barry asks Mark to bring him up to the starship construction platform; Mark implies a promise but Liz warns him against such promises.

17:10:03. They travel to a pool of water. They note the lack of fauna and flora. Mark tells Liz he is being transferred to a frigate assembly platform. Liz disapproves of Mark building weapons. Mark points out his employment gives them no choice.

17:20.16. (pov: Mel) Mel has sex with Michaelangelo. Both wish for it to continue. Michaelangelo congratulates Mel on getting an exclusive scoop on the Halgarth lifeboat project. Mel says she wishes to expose the Sheldon lifeboat project. Michaelangelo asks Mel for progress on the fugitive lawyers. Mel reports no progress and that she has no interest now that law enforcement is pursuing the matter: no exclusivity covering what law enforcement reveal. Michaelangelo offers Mel a tip: two men and one woman checked in at the saffron Clinic in Illuminatus and conjectures that criminals as wealthy as the lawyers will likely get a Baseline DNA edit on Illuminatus. Mel decides to pursue the lead.

17:26:44. (Pov: Ozzie) Ozzie wakes up and notices the events of the previous day repeating. Neither Orion nor Tochee say they recall accompanying him to the clearing with the serial number pillar. Ozzie has no physical symptoms of kicking the pillar or the subsequent bruising. Ozzie concludes something significant is happening but cannot figure out what is going on.

17:34:46. (Pov: Lucius Lee; Illuminatus) Junior detective Lucius Lee is alone on a stakeout in a parking garage at 4am watching for a car jacking. Lucius is resentful of his mentor being chummy with criminals to get the tip that led to th stakeout. Lucius resents the stakeout was only necessary because an influential politician wished for results due to a personal robbery suffered by their family. Lucius spots car thief Robin Beard approaching a luxury car; Lucius recognizes Beard from a Navy intelligence notice. Lucius looks up more information. Robin notices Lucius's wireless transmission in the deserted garage. Robin approaches Lucius's vehicle and sabotages its electronics to cause the car frame to lose an electrocution hazard. Robin Beard disables Lucius's wireless connection.

17:42:48. (Pov: Wilson) Wilson and Commonwealth leaders review the effect of the Hell's Gateway attack. The attack only resulted in a 5 hour downtime of most Prime wormholes to the Lost23. Dimitri notes that , uring the outage, 4 wormholes to each captured planet were retained, indicating the outage was controlled. President Elaine Doi finally approves equipping Navy ships with quantum busters. Dimitri warns a Prime counterattack will occur soon. Patricia Kantil orders the failure kept secret until after the Commonwealth Navy ships, if any, return in 5 days. Justine points out the media will conclude failure anyway due to the lack of celebration and boasting by the Navy and government.

17:49:20. Kime vents to Columbia and Justine. Kime believes the attack on Hell's Gateway could have been a success had quantum busters been equipped to Navy ships. Justine is vocally proud the Commonwealth chose not to take the easy path of genocide, saying such reluctance makes them human. Kime almost confesses the Starflyer is real to Columbia. The commonwealth (?) votes to equip Navy ships with quantum busters in preparation for a counterattack by the Primes.

Chapter 9

17:52:36.

Adam requests mercenaries from The Agent on short notice. Guardians fall back to watching Bernadette on Illuminatus. Paris teams uncoincidentally converge: Tarlo interrogates Beard, Renne follows Bernadette. Tarlo evades a trap. Tarlo captures the Agent's memorycell. Renne finds Isabella.

17:52:36. (POV: Adam: l: Illuminatus) A history of Illuminatus. Adam visits their mercenary agent on Illuminatus. Adam asks for personnel to be ready in 7 days time for a combat operation. The agent agrees. The agent voices misgivings about supplying mercenaries to the Guardians who attacked what became a Navy ship, the Second Chance. The agent voices concern that the Guardians are fighting against the interest of humanity. Adam gives his word that the Guardians are fighting for humanity, not against. Adam is surprised the agent accepts his word. Adam asks the agent for intelligence about the Sheldon lifeboat project.

18:13:55. A history of illuminatus civil infrastructure and politics. Adam receives reports from the Guardian observation team monitoring Bernadette Halgarth that Bernadette abruptly left her social obligations and travelled to Illuminatus. Adam talks to Bradley Johansson who says the failure at Hell's Gateway means the second invasion is at hand and the resulting hostilities will not end until one side is eliminated and the other badly damaged. Bradley warns Adam that the Institute is already actively taking control of Far Away government and mounting attacks against civilian targets peripheral to the Guardians. Adam looses heart, realizing that Bradley did not ultimately plan to prevent the war but to simply punish the Starflyer by preventing its escape from Far Away. Bradley demands Adam prepare the blockade run. Adam departs for Kyushu.

18:22:25. (Pov: Gwenyth Russell; l: Illuminatus) Gwenyth Russell, Jim Nuwan, and Tarlo visit Detective Marhol (?) and his subordinate Lucius Lee. Tarlo and company threaten to arrest organized crime members, turning various fractions against local police, if Marhol doesn't quickly produce his syndicate informant. Marhol complies.

18:28:23. (Pov: Mel; tri-delta city, illuminatus) Mel disguises herself as a black-haired freckled first-life girl curious about night life partying in order to seduce older local men.

18:32:34. Mel identified a weak point in the Saffron clinic security. Mel boards a ferry named Cyprus Island, using the alias “Saskia” (?). Mel is approached by a young man named Dorian. Mel notices encrypted message traffic from Dorian. Mel asks the SI to decrypt the message. The SI agrees and reveals the Dorian had deduced Saskia's (Mellanie's) real identity. Mel purloins an array from behind a counter and loads the SI subroutine onto it. Mel asks the subroutine for assistance but the lack of local cybersphere infrastructure on the Cyprus Island limits its capabilities. While being pursued by Dorian, Mel improvises and acquires a cattle prod from an S&M anthro feline. Dorian chases Mel into a shower room where Mel electrocutes them with the cattleprod.

19:00:54. (POV: Casper Murdo (?); the Cyprus Island, Illuminatus) Casper evaluates potential sexual assault victims. Casper encounters Saskia, a young first-lifer who appears shaken and intimidated by the rowdy Cyprus Island patrons.

19:02:48. (POV: Renne; l: Tri-Delta City, Illuminatus) Renne, Vick Russel, and Mathew Oldfield arrive via Express train from Paris at Illuminatus around midnight. Renne calls Tarlo to let him know she is in Tri-Delta as well. Tarlo is surprised and asks if Renne was sent by Hogan as backup. Renne explains that Cristabel Halgarth sent her a tip that Bernadette Halgarth dropped everything and travelled to Tri-Delta. Renne notes that Bernadette is staying at the Octavius Hotel, a cheap hotel by Bernadette's elite socialite status. Tarlo seems distracted. Tarlo offers Renne help but Renne declines.

19:05:23. (POV: Hoshe, Tri-Delta, Illuminatus) Hoshe contacts Paula, reporting that Tarlo sent an encrypted message to Bernadette soon after Renne called Tarlo. The message exchange was detected since all three involved had been under active surveillance by Senate Security working with Hoshe.

19:06:58. (POV: Robin Beard; l; a police station, Tri-Delta, Illuminatus) Tarlo violently interrogates Beard, breaking his nose and threatening to inject him with pain amplifying drugs. Tarlo demands Beard arrange for an in-person meeting with the Agent, the man he recommended to Dan Cufflin (?) Beard agrees, saying he usually meets the Agent at bars on Illuminatus.

19:12:20. (PoV: Jenny (?); a hotel in Tri-Delta, Illuminatus) The Guardians tailing Bernadette set up in a hotel room in illuminatus to surveil Bernadette in another hotel room across the street. the Guardians discover that another team besides them is also tailing Bernadette but they are unable to identify whether the team opposing them is Navy or Halgarth's security. They decide to move to a different hotel since they reduce their own digital presence has been detected due to their own hacking of sensors near Bernadette.

19:20:10. (Pov: Gwenyth Russell; Tri-Delta) Gwenyth talks to her husband, Vick, about the coincidence of both of them being located on Illuminatus for two separate assignments (one for Beard, one for Bernadette (?)). Both don't believe it is a coincidence. Gwenyth takes a bath long enough to get skim wrinkles.

Paula calls Gwyneth, appointing her immediately to her interdiction team to arrest Tarlo who is staying nextdoor to Gwyneth. Paula asks Gwymeth to don her forcefield suit which Gwyneth does, naked and wet. Paula asks Gwenyth to call Tarlo to enable the rest of her team to locate and arrest Tarlo. Gwenyth trusts Paula and makes the call. Tarlo asks why Gwyneth is wearing her force field suit. Tarlo opens fire with a plasma grenade that injuredes Gwyneth. A battle ensues while Gwyneth takes cover in pain. The hotel room is set ablaze. Room flame suppression equipment activates. Armored suits demand Gwyneth where Tarlo fled. Paula, in a suit, reassures Gwyneth and repeats the question. Gwyneth said Tarlo did not pass through her room. Gwyneth faints.

19:28:05. (POV: Hogan; outside the ruined hotel, Illuminatus) Hogan meets with Paula outside the fire-damaged hotel. Paula explains that Tarlo was a Starflyer agent and that she also had Renne under observation. Paula says Renne had been following Bernadette after receiving a tip from Cristabel Halgarth. Hogan begins to reprimand Renne for continuing to bother the Halgarth dynasty when Paula tells Hogan that Cristabel had placed Bernadette under Halfarth observation as a favor to her, Paula, which surprised Renne. Renny asks if the Guardians are still considered an enemy by the Navy intelligence office. Hogan tells Paula that he must continue to consider the Guardians terrorists. Paula recommends Hogan continue the planned operation to capture the Agent via Beard since the Agent is the Baby's primary link to penetrating the Guardian network. Paula warns Tarlo is likely to also attempt to capture the Agent since the Starflyer also has an interest in fighting the Guardians.

19:40:28. (Pov: Mel; Casper Murdo's aperment, Tri-City, Illinatus) Mel calls Dudley to check that he is okay. Mel is worried that Alessandra may have sent goons to man Dudley like they did to her. Dudley gives Mel an update on his plan to find Ozzie's asteroid in the Augusta system. Mel takes a shower and relaxed in bed despite detecting Casper's bathroom and bedroom having extensive hidden cameras. Mel reveals she seduced Casper because he is a janitor for the Illuminatus clinic where the three fugitive lawyers are at.

19:45:39. (POV: Jenny McNoäk (?)) Jenny tails Bernadette. Jenny and Kieran decide to tail Navy surveillance agents instead of Bernadette. Jenny spots and reports Paula Myo to Adam Elvin. Adam Aska Jenny to monitor the Navy since they cannot capture Bernadette but could learn valuable information about Starflyer activity if they find out what Bernadette's objective on Illuminatus is. Adam promises to inform Bradley about Paula Myo pursuing a Starflyer agent, presumably with the blessing of Commonwealth politicians.

19:51:42. (POV: Mel) Melanie travels with Kaspar (?) Murdo to the Greenwood (?) Tower. Murdo accompanies Mellanie through security to a staff dressing room. Kaspar gives Mel a French maid outfit.

19:58:12 (POV: Hogan; Treetops restaurant, Illuminatus) Hogan brings Robin Beard to meet the Agent at the Treetops restaurant. A Mexican standoff results. During the standoff, Wilson Kime is heard announcing the failure of the Hell's Gateway strike. Tarlo and two other Starflyer agwnts deacend in powerful jetpack-equipped combat armor suits. Both the Agent's guards and the Navy armored personnel on standby are overwhelmed. Treetops burns and most civilians die. The starflyer intruders cast a dumpweb on the Agent's force field. An intruder beheads the Agent. Hogan watches Tarlo fly off with the head.

20:20:43. (Pov: Mel) Mel infiltrates the Saffron Clinic when nearby arrays suddenly shut down. Paula's armored arrest squad captures Mel who surrenders. Paula, in armor, sees past Mel's disguise and alias. Mel reveals to Paula the three fugitive lawyers are in the clinic. Mel is sent to be isolated with Renne.

20:27:00. (pov: Paula) Paula notifies her arrest team that multiple wetwired hostiles are likely in the clinic. Paula's arrest team is detected when a suspect happens to see them and opens fire. A battle ensues, destroying much of the clinic's floors. Paula confirms via a DNA test that one of the corpses was Bernadette. Other corpses of hostiles are confirmed to be the fugitive lawyers, albeït with strange DNA indicative of a DNA edit process. A breach is found in an elevator shaft, permitting some suspects to escape.

20:36:25. (POV: Renne) Renne resents being assigned to perimeter duty by Paula. Renne spots Isabella Halgarth leaving the vicinity via a taxi cab. Renne also follows in a taxi and calls for backup. Isabella Halgarth ambushes Renne, using a wetwired weapon to destroy Renne's taxi so that the resulting explosion disintegrated Renne's body despite her force field suit.

Chapter 10

20:42:20.

20:42:20. (POV: Nigel) Nigel, Otis, and Giselle visits the frigate Speedwell, one of his dynasty's colony ships. Nigel says he is ready to deploy his dynasty weapon against the Primes. Giselle warns Nigel that the frigates are not ready; assembly is days away with flight readiness occuring longbafter. Nigel meets Mark, the assembly chief. Nigel asks Mark to prepare the frigate to fly and be ready in Wessex in 30 hours. Mark protests, saying the assembly is nowhere near complete. Nigel insists, ordering the frigate and its assembly bay to be attached to a ready lifeboat ship and brought to Wessex. Nigel compliments Mark's efforts in fighting at Randtown. Nigel privately notes Mel's involvement with Mark there. Mark skeptically agrees. Mark asks why Wessex and Nigel replies that Wessex is where Nigel expects the Prime invasion to strike.

20:53:47. (POV: Paula; Illuminates) Paula and Hoshe make preparations. Paula takes Mel from network isolation in the Greenford Tower. Mel is aghast at the bloodshed and destruction outside. Paula invites Mel to ride with her on a train. They board a train destined for London. Paula secretly uses a spindlefly to monitor the exterior of their private carriage. Hoshe places some heavy cases near the carriage door. Mel volunteers to tell Paula of starflyer agents she knows about. Isabella blows open the carriage door. Mel warns Paula that Isabella is a starflyer agent. The cases deploy force field petals that restrain Isabella and absorb her weapons fire. Hoshe subdues Isabella unconscious With a nerve jam stick. Navy backup arrives and places Isabella into suspension. Paula sees Mel turned silver but reduces she is not a starflyer agent since Mel did not also attack.

21:11:04. (Pov: Justine) Justine participates in a war cabinet meeting discussing whether to genocide the Primes with quantum busters. The 17 remaining attack ships returning from Hell's gateway are still in transit. 28 (?) warships in the Commonwealth are being outfitted with quantum busters. Justine supports the measure, being privately informed by Johansson that the Primes cannot be reconciled with. Wilson is against genocide, opening a political rift between him and Columbia.

21:14:50. Justine returns to New York. Justine is contemplates whether Nigel's pro-genocide stance at the meeting indicated he was a Starflyer agent or not. Justine sees news about destruction around the Greenford Hotel. Justine calls Paula who informs her that she failed to secure several known Starflyer agents but was able to oust a Navy Intelligence officer as a long-term starflyer agent. Paula tells Justine that she is running an entrapment operation to test Mel's allegiance. Justine chooses not to disclose that she already can vouch for Mel since she was in contact with Bradley Johansson who told her Mel was in regular contact with Adam Elvin. Justine wishes Paula luck. Justine arrives at her Park Avenue apartment. Justine's Senate Security detail inspects her apartment and clears her to enter. Most leave. Justine takes a shower. Justine receives a security alert of an intruder in her kitchen. Her bodyguard confronts the intruder. Justine peeks out of her bathroom and sees her bodyguard dead, neck snapped. Justine sees Bruce M Foster. Bruce raises his arm when the ceiling between him and Justine falls.

21:21:54. (POV: Gore Burnelli; l: Justine's Park Avenue apartment, New York City, Earth) Gore shields Justine with his gold body. Gore fights Bruce in a protracted battle in the apartment, in free-fall outside the apartment tower, and on the ground. Much of nearby structures is damaged. Gore kills Bruce.

21:31:45. (POV: Hoshe; l: High Angel) Hoshe carries a large container through Navy security at the high angel. Investigator hoshe finn is worried that the Navy guards will inspect the container and so cause Paula Myo for assistance. security guards attempt to open the container but the call to Paula Mayo resulted in Admiral Columbia calling off the guards from Hoshe. Hoshe brings a forcibly unconscioused Isabella to The Raiel, Qatux, for a memory read.

21:42:46. (Pov: Justine; l: Tulip Mansion, upstate New York, Earth) Justine, Paula, and Gore strategize. Gore reprimands Paula for failing to protect Justine as head of Senate Security. Paula reports that Starflyer agent Isabella is being examined by the Raiel Qatux which Gore approves of. In order to root out more Starflyer agents, they discuss moving to completely shut down the wormhole route to Far Away. Paula and the pregnant Senator Justine protest, saying Justine should not be exposed to more danger from Starflyer agents. Gore proposes a compromise: Justine should ask Campbell Sheldon to ask Nigel why he blocked cargo inspections on Far Away. Paula reports that Mellanie is being escorted by Senate Security to pick up Dudley Bose. Justine recommends to Paula that Mellanie be added to their group in order to benefit from the intelligence on Starflyer activities that she has independently collected so far.

21:50:05: (POV: Stig McSobel; l: Armstrong City, Far Away) Stig and Olwen McOnna have sex in an apartment in Armstrong City. They discover that the Institute has taken over 3F Plaza, brutally beating merchants to shut down their storefronts. They lose connectivity to the Commonwealth as The Institute physically disconnects most network infrastructure through the wormhole except for those it controls. Stig worries that Adam's blockade run mission will fail since he cannot warn them the Starflyer controls 3F. Stig and Olwen deduce the Starflyer is returning to Far Away as Bradley Johansson predicted. Stig decides to attack the Starflyer as soon as it enters through the wormhole.

23:08:30. (POV: Justine Burnelli; Location: Nitachie, Seychelles, Earth) Justine and Paula ask Campbell as to whether Sheldon wishes to oust Paula from Senate security. Sheldon asks Nigel who replies that Paula is supported by the Sheldon dynasty and hopes for Paula to continue her service in Senate Security. Justine is very relieved and asks for a personal audience with Nigel. They suddenly receive a news alert that a swcond Prime alien attack has begun.

Chapter 11

22:18:56.

22:18:56. (POV: Mark; Loc: an assembly platform above Wessex)