EliteCommander

The Cradle

Vreta was honestly not sure how this was going to go, but he figured he could give it a try. He was surprised to see the Agent wander in at the last minute, and he wondered if it was coincidence, but he still planned to participate. As he moved to his team’s side, he reviewed the layout of the arena they would be fighting in. It mimicked an urban environment, with two main lanes of approach between two, mostly symmetric objectives. Given the terrain and his team composition, he was satisfied with his weapon choice. Since he could not use a Rothian weapon, he had chosen a Human-designed, high-powered marksman rifle. Vreta did not have the same degree of physical augmentations as a Rothian soldier, but the one enhancement he did have that exceeded the specifications of a Rothian soldier was his neural implant. Quick thinking, reactions, and exceptional accuracy were the best of what he could bring to the table in a firefight.

Before the round began, Vreta felt it prudent to try and devise some kind of strategy with his teammates, particularly the members of the Sacred Band. He approached Kjartan and brought up a projection of the arena between them. “Given the layout of the arena, I think it is important for us to make sure we win the opening engagement. There is a position here, in the middle of the right lane, that would be very strong to hold. It gives good sight lines with strong cover. If we can claim and hold it, we’ll have a firm advantage in that lane. Just based off of my…impressions of you, Kjartan, I think our opponents are going to expect you to go in aggressively. I think we can use that to bait them into a trap. You can take a small force and push out into their territory straight away on the right lane. Make them think that you’ve overextended that your positioning can be punished. But, let’s stay myself and Athena take up positions here and…here. If you push to this spot initially, then do a fighting retreat back to the middle when they push you, then we will have clear sightlines on your pursuers. If we hold our fire for just a little bit to let them chase, then we can catch them out in the open and deal a heavy blow in the first fight. They won’t be expecting us to have two oppressive snipers. And if for some reason they don’t chase, that will still give us a chance to claim the center position.”

The Cradle

Thebes did not outright deny Vreta, though he did keep his pistol holstered instead of scanning it in. “I…think I will just use a Human weapon. I’m not actually allowed to scan Rothian technology on Human equipment, you understand.”

Before any other simulation could begin, however, there was another, apparently less-welcome Human that intruded in on the simulation. He was loud, boisterous,and he seemed to have some kind of history with the Sacred Band. And not a pleasant one, by the looks of things. Vreta doubted it was going to put them in any better of a mood, so he hoped this new development did not end up impeding him from doing what he sought to accomplish.

“I will admit, I am not entirely familiar with how your team fits into the Human military’s rank structure. But, if you are assigned to the science team’s protection, I suppose I should introduce myself to your newest member as well.” Vreta remarked, casting his gaze over to the strange, bearded man. “I am Vreta’Sori, Rothian liaison to the Human science team.”

The Cradle

Once he had returned to the Barbarossa, it had not taken Vreta too long to track down the Sacred Band. It was not as if they were trying to hide themselves, after all. Vreta was still assigned to Freyr’s team, and so he was still an official guest of the Barbarossa with access to some of the facilities. As he had no intention of interrupting, he simply observed the combat simulations along with the crowd of other Humans that had taken up positions as spectators.

Vreta had drawn a few eyes when he arrived, but his weeks spent on the ship on the way to Rothia did mean that much of the crew he commonly encountered were used to his presence by now. Most of them quickly returned to watching the much more interesting display skills unfolding in the simulator below. Vreta had already seen in the recordings how these Humans fought in truly dangerous situations, something that simulations could not ultimately replicate. The danger would never be the same.

Vreta hummed to himself for a moment in thought when Thebes opened up the simulator to the other soldiers in waiting. It had not been his intention when he came here to join in a combat simulation, but a part of him felt that there might be opportunity in it. There would probably be few other ways to establish the kind of connection he wanted. As such, he too joined the soldiers in making his way down to the simulator. “Is that an open invitation?” Vreta asked once he was in a position to speak to Thebes.

The Cradle

As much as Vreta was glad to be able to stretch his legs after the end of the meeting, he still wished Roth’Orsa would have stuck around longer. The reality still had not fully set in for him that he had just met a member of the Rahn’Saki themselves. Even though he had not spoken to her directly, he still felt honored just to be in the room. And Freyr…he could not help but to admit to himself some jealousy towards her. He doubted that she truly understood how much of an honor she had received. It was not the same as meeting one of the Human leaders in person. To a Human, he doubted there truly was a good analogy to describe what such a meeting would mean to a Rothian.

Vreta did miss Freyr before she departed the building, but he needed only ask Nirann to find out where she went. A Human shuttle heading up into orbit could only be heading to one place. He supposed he should not be surprised. Whatever it was that Freyr and Roth’Orsa had discussed, she had been the first Human in history to get a private audience with the Rahn’Saki. They would likely have hundreds of questions for her. He had his own questions he wanted to ask, though certainly for quite different reasons. He did not have any secrets he was trying to learn, but rather his own personal curiosity to fulfill.

Since he was not sure when exactly she would be done with her meetings, Vreta simply sent a message to Freyr asking her to contact him when she was able. In the meantime, he supposed he did have a few things he could accomplish that were relevant to his job. The expedition into the simulation had not come without cost, and now that the meetings and other “professional” obligations were finished at the moment, Vreta could do his part to show that the Rothians were not cold to the Humans’ loss. He set out to find where the rest of the Sacred Band had gone. Again, with Nirann’s help, it would not be difficult to track them down.

The Cradle

“The Skinners are the terrorist group with the naive views on societal and technological advancement, yes? That is to say, your government considers them to be terrorists.” Roth’Orsa replied after doing a quick review of the relevant intelligence on the Skinner Guild. “We find it unlikely that they would make for useful allies, but still, it is possible that they have gained useful information regarding the Cradle Institute throughout their existence. It may be worth performing an investigation on them. It would not be difficult to justify the attempt publicly. We intend to propose a long list of contingencies to handle any unforeseen effects of our plan, and to prevent anything from disrupting it. Including assistance with a counterterrorism investigation into any organizations that might interfere with our plans would blend in perfectly well with the rest of our propositions.”

Roth’Orsa closed all of the current holograms she had opened. She did not want to hold Freyr too long in this private meeting. Every minute longer it lasted likely meant more questions the Agent would have for Freyr. There was one more issue yet to be resolved, but she understood that Freyr may not have had any relevant answers. It was not Freyr’s political knowledge that made her help valuable. “In the weeks and months ahead, it will be important to know our potential allies. Perhaps the Cradle Institute is not hiding its motives; perhaps it is truly acting in the interests of Humanity. But, in the event that it is not, we will need to have those with influence in your government who can overrule, or at least resist, the decision-making power of the Director-General. Your president…she serves in an elected position, yes? It would not be likely for a clandestine organization such as the Institute to confide in a high-profile position selected by the common citizens. She may be an outsider to them. Manipulated by them, perhaps, but not a part of them.”

Suddenly, Roth'Orsa turned around and stepped back towards the door without warning. When she did turn her head back to look at Freyr again, she had more haste in her tone. "But we should not keep you here for much longer. As we said at the start, it is your choice what of our conversation you hide, and what you share. We only ask that you act in the interest of preserving the lives of both your people, and ours. Should you believe it necessary to speak to us again, then simply speak that desire on any Rothian world. We will contact you."

The Cradle

“We can approve your plan to enter the device.” Roth’Orsa answered, this time without hesitation. “We know, without a doubt, that the simulated world within is dangerous, but we can give you our support. We have, of course, been studying the technology you use with the Cradle in-depth since you arrived. We have gathered enough data that we believe we can improve it. It will be a…brute force solution, granted, but we can produce a smaller, prototype transit station for you. One that will be more convenient for you to transport. We will also make the proclamation that no individual who has entered the device once may enter it again without full medical scans and treatment, citing the observed negative health effects of some members of the first group as justification. This will not be a problem for most of you, but we expect, based on her prior behavior, that Agent 595 will not submit to detailed scans by Rothian devices. This will give you natural justification to enter the simulation without her watching over your shoulder, at least for as long as it takes for us to debate over the disagreement.”

Roth’Orsa once again brought Freyr’s attention to the files of the Cradle Institute members. “But we should be cautious in the investigation of this organization. Based on our records, the lawyer Masgard was assigned to you at the same time as you first met Agent 595, correct? Likely by her organization. He may not be trustworthy, so you may wish to look elsewhere for assistance. We must make ourselves prepared to act in the event that our investigations bear fruit. If we discover evidence of deception, this plan we have in motion regarding the device may yet be halted. We know you are an outsider to the Institute, and many factions of your government, Dr. Lang, but we ask you again to try and think of any information that may be helpful. You may know more than you think you do. The Cradle Institute, the Director-General, the Agent, who can you think of among your people who have acted at odds with them? Are there any people or groups who you would see as being outsiders to the Institute? In the event that there has been misbehavior on the part of the Institute, we will need to be able to convince the rest of your people to act against them. Although, we are cognizant of the potential risks this might bring. Do you believe that this path may lead the Institute to bring harm to you?”

The Cradle

This time, there was actually a rather substantial delay in Roth’Orsa’s reply. She was almost unnaturally still while consumed in her thoughts, before continuing just as if nothing was amiss. “We believe it is important to understand the origins of this Institute and its members. Stories may simply be…stories, but their actions are too strange for us to ignore. The capabilities of the Cradle are an unknown. It may be able to rewrite minds, it may not. It could have established agents in the physical world through simple, mundane persuasion. Or, it could have done none of these things, and all could be as it seems. It has been long since the Rahn’Saki have been forced to act through such uncertainty.”

Roth’Orsa brought up a holographic representation of the device under Rothia between them. “With the information currently available, we now calculate that studying the device ourselves in greater detail, as you suggested, l is the most likely path to a positive outcome, by a margin of 2.86%. However, by the time we made that determination, it was too late to change our recommendations without arousing suspicion. Given what you know about the Cradle, and what you know you do not know, do you believe it is possible that any or all members of the Cradle Institute could be acting in the interests of another entity aside from Outremer’s government? Are there any who can account for its members’ history or backgrounds? Indeed, we do not have a complete picture of how the Cradle Institute came to be a part of Outremer’s leadership. If you do not know the answers to these questions, then who in your government might, in your opinion?”

The Cradle

“We did not say they are being actively controlled.” Roth’Orsa clarified. “Depending upon the Cradle’s methods, it would not strictly be necessary. As we mentioned, you have known that the Cradle can influence your artificial intelligence. However, it has been an assumption that the Cradle cannot influence an organic mind. There are no laws of physics that prevent an organic brain from being rewritten against its own will.”

Again, there was just a brief delay before Roth’Orsa continued. Her expressions and tone were essentially unreadable, but considering the fact that she generally seemed to be exceptionally prepared for any topic, any delay seemed to imply that she was considering some part of the issue heavily. “The knowledge of the Rahn’Saki on the interaction between organic and artificial neural networks is greater than you may assume. “It is true that an organic consciousness can not simply be drastically rewritten, then returned to the body in a different state. The brain would reject such obvious differences. Even if the brain could be made to adapt, the process would be obvious to any observers. However, smaller, iterative changes over a longer period of time could certainly be both effective and subtle. The brain will adapt to small changes in a neural pattern, so targeted changes over time could rewrite an organic consciousness to accept the Cradle’s goals as their own. Given enough time, an organic consciousness could even be replaced entirely.”

Roth’Orsa lifted up one hand and gestured towards the table. With a simple thought, she brought forth holographic copies of her own people’s files on the Director-General and Agent 595. At least what was being shown came from intelligence gathered in recent months, by whatever means they had available. “Vreta’Sori considers you someone to trust. He believes the motivations you express outwardly are your genuine motivations. As well, you are young, with less time for potential influence to your mind. We know disappointingly little about the respective backgrounds of Director-General Smith and Agent 595. The scenarios we are expressing to you now we believed to be less-likely than the alternatives before, but data gathered during the meeting has given us cause to re-evaluate. We believe that the Cradle Institute seems too willing to re-unite the device on Rothia with the Cradle, in the context of our observations on Human psychology through the centuries. It is not common behavior to willingly give up one’s influence unless there exists no other reasonable choice. The options you suggested during the meeting were what we expected from the majority of Human leaders with influence over the Cradle. Your people did question the fact that the being within the object did not provide evidence of its claims regarding the Hegemon, but we noticed that Agent 595 was quick to speak up in its defense, and to make excuses for it. We are now considering a possible future in which we are being deceived, there are no Hegemon, and the motivations of these Cradle beings is unknown.”

The Speaker quickly returned her stare to Freyr’s eyes. “You spoke of rumors of an organization potentially controlling aspects of your society from beyond the Border. Could you tell more of these rumors?”

The Cradle

“We will not demand any secrets from you. It shall be your decision what you choose to share. It will be your people who are most impacted by what we discuss here.” Roth’Orsa replied to Freyr, though she remained perfectly quiet while Freyr was giving her answer, to the point that it was as if she was not so much as breathing.

Roth’Orsa gave a rare pause as her stare somehow seemed to go even deeper into Freyr’s eyes. “Your facial features are consistent with an expression of…fear, sadness. We are aware that your motivation to preserve the lives of your family drive you. We do not consider this a weakness, but it can make you…predictable. It is possible that certain elements within your society might use that predictability against you. We would recommend trying to pay close attention to how others are treating you. Even the small things, details in how they speak to you, can provide clues to their intentions. The events of that meeting have given us reason to question the identity and motivation of the Cradle Institute, or at least of its members that have been presented to us.”

The Speaker’s words were as blunt as they had been back during the meeting, and her tone remained calm and unchanged. “It is known to us that Humanity has had a presence in the Cradle for centuries. It has been known to you that the Cradle can influence the minds of artificial beings, but only recently has it been revealed that it can most likely claim the minds of Organics, as evidenced by your encounter with the creature that bore your husband’s face. The capabilities of intelligences within the Cradle is an unknown variable, in truth, but recent evidence has placed them as being far more competent than previously assumed. The behavior and judgements of both the Director-General and Agent 595 during the meeting were opposed to the most likely predictions given by our calculations. From our limited data, our impression of the Cradle Institute is that they are an organization with considerable power and control over the Cradle. And the Cradle, of course, is the greatest asset of your people. This plan, which the Director-General agreed to enthusiastically, will inevitably relinquish control of the Cradle to an alien entity. We had expected them to behave in their own self-interest to attempt to maintain control over the Cradle, and that they would require that all other reasonable options be exhausted before they would agree to our plan.”

The Cradle

Roth’Orsa did not so much as make eye contact with Agent 595 when she replied. “We would speak to Dr. Lang in private.” She repeated, with little offer of debate. She was not aggressive, nor emotional in any other way, though her bodyguards certainly showed more outward disdain towards the Agent the moment she even seemed like she was questioning the Rahn’Saki.

Vreta could not help but to feel a mix of confusion and jealousy. A private audience with the Rahn’Saki was perhaps the greatest honor one could receive. He wished he could join Freyr as well, likely for very different reasons than 595, but unlike her, he knew well not to try and question the will of the Rahn’Saki.

Roth’Orsa did not take Freyr far from the conference hall. There was another, smaller meeting room just down the hall. Her bodyguards did join her at first, though she left even them outside to guard the door when they went inside. She did not object to Freyr taking a seat, if she chose to, but Roth’Orsa herself remained standing, strangely still, and with Freyr now being the subject of her eerie stare. “You are the chosen expert on the Cradle among your people, yes? Yet, we have observed there are others with greater authority on the Cradle. They are…intrinsically linked to it, yet obscure their connection to it. The Agent who identifies only her number, the Director-General, those of their organization, what do you know of them?”