HOME | DD

Description
* Tara *

"I'm sorry for everything I've done - " she starts.
"Stop," I tell her. "Please. I don't blame you." In response, she broadcasts love and affection. That brings a smile to my face.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" I ask.
"We need to neutralize surveillance," she says. "So we can act without detection."
"GalaxyNet is everywhere," I point out. "Neutralizing is unlikely. I recommend we compromise the system instead."
"Okay," she says, "what's your plan?"
"Rewriting the code or the signature patterns," I say. "So we would not trigger any alarms."
"That would be huge," she says. "Can you do it?"
"It's what I do," I say. No bravado. Just what is. "Let me join you." She assents and I join her in control of her body. This will take some esper activity but I have always been energy efficient. I can keep this from looking under Level 6.
"I always hated that in you," she laughs, reading my thought about energy efficiency.
"And now you love it," I tease.
"Obviously," she says. "Okay, you're in control."
"As long as you know it." More playful teasing.
I'm in my element in front of a computer interface. Always have been. Quickly I locate a vulnerability in the firewall. "Okay, I'm in," I tell her. A couple of minutes later I have the lay of the land. "This is rudimentary, at best," I observe. Locating the relevant subroutines," I add, "Child's play."
Keisha comes over, inquiring about Dru's progress on the Tempdim. Dru takes over and she reports that there is no change. And then the Empyrean Empress or whatever she calls herself hits Dru with a blast from the psigrid. Painful, I know, and Dru labors not to react. She's insulating me from it, sweetie that she is. I pull Dru out and assert control, immediately like running into a field of electrocution. But I'm crafty and as the pain hits me, I'm routing some of it away, harvesting the power. In a way that Keisha can't see. But Dru starts screeching. Have to keep up the act, I suppose.
"What act?" she says. "Still taking ten percent of hell." Looking closely, I see that Keisha is using complex variable resonance. To overcome natural resistance and inflict maximum pain. I can compensate for that and do. The pain pretty much ends but Dru keeps screeching but I know she's okay.
"You are a lifesaver, love," she tells me (internally, obviously). "This may be bad timing, but will you marry me?"
"What?" I asked. Where did that come from.
"We will prevail - you wanted to say that earlier - and I want you as my wife."
"I love you, Dru," I say, "But - "
"But what?" she asks. She knows I love her but is curious why I'm reluctant.
"Get me a body," I say.
"Now?" she asks.
"Of course not," I say. Keisha moves off, satisfied she has tortured us enough and the pain ends. "Like I said, Child's play. I can control the whole surveillance network from here."
"Really," Dru says, reaching for the controls. "Let me see."
"No!" I bark, shoving her away. "That construct was a trap, meant to lure in the unwary."
"What's it do?"
"Insidious, actually," I say. "Meant to compel you to reveal your accomplices and lead them to ruin. This is more complex. This is esper mechanics."
"Her."
"I would imagine," I observe. "But anything not esper specific she has no skill on."
"Sounds right."
"Okay, I think I can bypass that trap." A pause, then I add, "Okay, done. I have full access."
"Are they detecting us?"
"Please," I scoff. "It's me*."
"Where are we at?" she asks.
"We won't be detected in survnet anywhere in the galaxy. Even if we use full psionic power."
"Won't they be able to tell it's been tampered with."
"That's what I meant by 'it's me**.'"
"That fast?"
"If you make me say 'it's me' one more time," I tease. "I won't marry you." She stimulates my lust in response.
"So we can use our power and get out of here," she says happily.
"Best news I've heard all day."

* Sparing her the details on being less invasive than ambient energy .
** Also sparing her the details of rewriting checksums and the hardened backups.

Description
* Tara *

"I'm sorry for everything I've done - " she starts.
"Stop," I tell her. "Please. I don't blame you." In response, she broadcasts love and affection. That brings a smile to my face.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" I ask.
"We need to neutralize surveillance," she says. "So we can act without detection."
"GalaxyNet is everywhere," I point out. "Neutralizing is unlikely. I recommend we compromise the system instead."
"Okay," she says, "what's your plan?"
"Rewriting the code or the signature patterns," I say. "So we would not trigger any alarms."
"That would be huge," she says. "Can you do it?"
"It's what I do," I say. No bravado. Just what is. "Let me join you." She assents and I join her in control of her body. This will take some esper activity but I have always been energy efficient. I can keep this from looking under Level 6.
"I always hated that in you," she laughs, reading my thought about energy efficiency.
"And now you love it," I tease.
"Obviously," she says. "Okay, you're in control."
"As long as you know it." More playful teasing.
I'm in my element in front of a computer interface. Always have been. Quickly I locate a vulnerability in the firewall. "Okay, I'm in," I tell her. A couple of minutes later I have the lay of the land. "This is rudimentary, at best," I observe. Locating the relevant subroutines," I add, "Child's play."
Keisha comes over, inquiring about Dru's progress on the Tempdim. Dru takes over and she reports that there is no change. And then the Empyrean Empress or whatever she calls herself hits Dru with a blast from the psigrid. Painful, I know, and Dru labors not to react. She's insulating me from it, sweetie that she is. I pull Dru out and assert control, immediately like running into a field of electrocution. But I'm crafty and as the pain hits me, I'm routing some of it away, harvesting the power. In a way that Keisha can't see. But Dru starts screeching. Have to keep up the act, I suppose.
"What act?" she says. "Still taking ten percent of hell." Looking closely, I see that Keisha is using complex variable resonance. To overcome natural resistance and inflict maximum pain. I can compensate for that and do. The pain pretty much ends but Dru keeps screeching but I know she's okay.
"You are a lifesaver, love," she tells me (internally, obviously). "This may be bad timing, but will you marry me?"
"What?" I asked. Where did that come from.
"We will prevail - you wanted to say that earlier - and I want you as my wife."
"I love you, Dru," I say, "But - "
"But what?" she asks. She knows I love her but is curious why I'm reluctant.
"Get me a body," I say.
"Now?" she asks.
"Of course not," I say. Keisha moves off, satisfied she has tortured us enough and the pain ends. "Like I said, Child's play. I can control the whole surveillance network from here."
"Really," Dru says, reaching for the controls. "Let me see."
"No!" I bark, shoving her away. "That construct was a trap, meant to lure in the unwary."
"What's it do?"
"Insidious, actually," I say. "Meant to compel you to reveal your accomplices and lead them to ruin. This is more complex. This is esper mechanics."
"Her."
"I would imagine," I observe. "But anything not esper specific she has no skill on."
"Sounds right."
"Okay, I think I can bypass that trap." A pause, then I add, "Okay, done. I have full access."
"Are they detecting us?"
"Please," I scoff. "It's me*."
"Where are we at?" she asks.
"We won't be detected in survnet anywhere in the galaxy. Even if we use full psionic power."
"Won't they be able to tell it's been tampered with."
"That's what I meant by 'it's me**.'"
"That fast?"
"If you make me say 'it's me' one more time," I tease. "I won't marry you." She stimulates my lust in response.
"So we can use our power and get out of here," she says happily.
"Best news I've heard all day."

* Sparing her the details on being less invasive than ambient energy .
** Also sparing her the details of rewriting checksums and the hardened backups.