CONCLUSION:
☐ Conscript—Priority 1
☐ Conscript—Priority 2
☐ Conscript—Priority 3
☒ Do Not Conscript
COMMENTS: We’d expend more time combating her games and forcing her to get some work done than could be compensated for by her output. It appears she’s willing to leave us alone if we leave her alone, and there are better candidates for recruitment.
NETWORK SECURITY INCIDENT REPORT
» » » »BREACH ATTEMPT 02/18/75 03:15
RECORD: Lu, Xi Wei, Network Engineer
TARGET: Refugee_Psych_Profiles
PROCESS: Brute-force cascade attack on Alexander datafort
OUTCOME: Defended
» » » »BREACH ATTEMPT 02/18/75 07:15
RECORD: Lu, Xi Wei, Network Engineer
TARGET: Refugee_Psych_Profiles
PROCESS: Codewyrm interdiction on Alexander datafort
OUTCOME: Penetration successful, duration 3 min.
» » » »BREACH ATTEMPT 02/18/75 18:15
RECORD: Lu, Xi Wei, Network Engineer
TARGET: Galley_Database—Meal_Schedule\Network_Engineering
PROCESS: Access Trojan infiltration on galley database
OUTCOME: Penetration successful. Meals to Network Engineering canceled. Galley database security upgraded to Level 3.
» » » »BREACH ATTEMPT 02/19/75 06:00
RECORD: Brown, Benjamin Fraser, Senior Network Engineer
TARGET: Crew_Database—Network_Engineering
PROCESS: Access via personnel records, penetration method as yet unidentified
OUTCOME: Penetration successful. Network Engineer Xi Wei Lu deleted from database. Attempt to restore profile under way.
To: Kady Grant/KGRANTHYPATIAONBOARD
From: Ghost ID/FAILFAILFAILFAIL
Date: 02/20/75
Timestamp: 23:17
Subject: The sound of one hand clapping
You’ve been busy, my friend. I [unable to retrieve] very entertaining piece of hacking. There are 8,340 people aboard our fleet, and there’s a skill here for every occasion. You don’t [unable to retrieve] teach yourself.
Break through into shell ref 436HT:904JX:003 and [unable to retrieve] show you what’s out there.
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Participants: ByteMe, CitB
Date: 02/21/75
Timestamp: 00:44
Shell Ref 436HT:904JX:003
ByteMe: That all you got?
CitB: ah, the new girl
ByteMe: Sure it is, but who are you?
CitB: the guy who can show u how to get all the info you’ve been trawling for
CitB: and more
ByteMe: In exchange for what? Nothing comes for free in this place.
CitB: for u, no cost but time. for the folks upstairs, plenty. the Alexander is a military ship and here on Hypatia we’re civilians, but emergency or not, we have a right to more information than they give us.
CitB: our lives are on the line too. u want to join the fight, ur welcome
ByteMe: Just like that.
CitB: u’ve been sitting your entry exam these last 3 weeks, grasshopper. been watching u poke around inside the system. u don’t like being kept in the dark either. seen u keeping an eye on a few things. on a few people.
ByteMe: Well you don’t sound creepy at ALL.
CitB: what i sound like is someone who knows more than u. u want lessons or not?
ByteMe: Want.
CitB: then let’s get started
To: Kady Grant/KGRANTHYPATIAONBOARD
From: Ezra Mason/EMASONALEXANDERONBOARD
Date: 03/18/75
Timestamp: 21:32
Subject: Knock knock
Hey K,
I’m not sure if you’ll get this. I mailed you last month, but maybe it didn’t go through. If things aboard the Hypatia are anything like things over here, it probably didn’t. Maybe you’re busy. Or you don’t want to talk to me. I get it.
It was my birthday yesterday. Eighteen years old, can you believe that? Good news is I can drink legally now. Bad news is there’s nothing to drink. Even the water’s in short supply. :P
They’ve got a whole bunch of us doing tests. VR sims and psych analysis and physicals. They’ve drafted a whole bunch of the Kerenza refugees into the UTA over here. “Wartime conscription” they called it. And now I’m eighteen, they’re looking at me. Which I guess means we’re in deeper **** than anyone figured.
I had a dream about you last night. No, not like that, relax.
It was the day of the attack, and I see you in your truck in the parking lot. And I run up to the window and knock, but you don’t let me in. You just stare like you don’t know me. And I pound on the glass and yell your name, but you just shake your head. And then you drive off and leave me there. Weird thing is, there’s someone who looks exactly like me sitting right next to you the whole time. And he’s laughing.
And then the ships come.
You think it means something?
Anyway, I hope you’re ok.
Love E
Mason, Ezra
Psych Profile/Conscript Suitability Assessment
Interview Excerpt
Incept: 03/19/75
INTERVIEWER: So tell me about your mother.
Ezra Mason: [Laughter.] Nice one, chum. You know, you’re the first shrink I ever met with a sense of…
Ezra Mason: …Wait, you serious?
INTERVIEWER: Does it bother you? Talking about her?
Ezra Mason: It bothers me you snaffled your psych eval questions off the back of a box of Jupiter Loops, chum. That’s honestly your opener? “Tell me about your mother”? Are you dusted?
INTERVIEWER: You’ve undergone psychiatric evaluation before, then?
Ezra Mason: What makes you say that?
INTERVIEWER: You said I’m the first psychoanalyst you’ve met who had a sense of humor. Meaning you’ve met others who didn’t?
Ezra Mason: Proper little Sherlock over here, huh.
INTERVIEWER: There’s no need for hostility, Mr. Mason.
Ezra Mason: Mr. Mason is my dad.
INTERVIEWER: Yes, your father. Tell me about him.