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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "Mark A. Imbriaco" <mark@******.NET>
Subject: Valkyrie.
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 14:38:36 -0400
***** PRIVATE: Harrow
>>>>>[ The penetration is complete. The mission was a complete success.
The following are the views of craft. The video from the actual penetration
was removed from the file to protect my penetration methods.

+++++ include file: images.trd
+++++ include file: video.mov

You may complete the funds transfer to >>encrypted<<. ]<<<<<
-- Static <14:34:57/08-25-58>

***** PRIVATE: Lynch
>>>>>[ I don't want to blow it and get seen by whoever he has doing
surveillance of the place. I'll let him live under the assumption that I am
just so good that I completely evaded the security AND his watchers and
came out with the goods.

I would like to meet you some other time, though. It'll be good to find
out if some of the stories that Zach spews are true .. <chuckle>
]<<<<<
-- Static <14:36:11/08-25-58>

***** PRIVATE: Imp
>>>>>[ Mission accomplished. I'll wait to hear back from Harrow, but I
should be back in the Seattle area within the next few days. Don't forget
you owe me a dinner .. ]<<<<<
-- Static <14:28:33/08-25-58>

***** PRIVATE: Static
>>>>>[ It'll be my pleasure, Angie. See you in a few days.
]<<<<<
-- Imp <14:30:10/08-25-58>
Message no. 2
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Valkyrie.
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 21:34:09 +0100
*****INTERNAL: Valkyrie Project
>>>>>[*****Personal log

Note to self: Edit this so that it is presentable in the weekly report.

+++++download: HA&JA.25.08.58.vid

The trailer the camera is recording looks nothing like the normal living
quarters at the Southern airbase, other than its basic size and shape.
A small table that looks like it should be used as a dining area is
surrounded by chairs and, by the clutter of datapads and paperwork,
seems to be a cramped meeting room. Samuel O'Roarke, of Ares Special
Projects, is already in view, seated farthest from the camera, and is
joined soon after by Vernier, who sits nearer.

A moment later, they are joined by Arashi, still toweling off her hair.
Her clothes contrast sharply with her co-workers. While the others wear
business casual and technician attire respectively, she wears thin
running pants and a loose tee-shirt declaring: "Property of Ares
Macrotechnology, XXL" tied up just below her solar plexus. In contrast
to her usual mode of dress, she seems to be flaunting the large
cybernetic implants that protrude out of her skin at the sides of her
neck at its base and torso at her floating ribs. When she sits, facing
O'Roarke, the multi-port access for her vehicle control rig shows
prominently along her spine below her fourth vertebrae and above the
over-sized neck of the shirt.

When she gets a disapproving look from O'Roarke, she explains: "Come
on. You know how hot and muggy it gets out there these afternoons. In
case you forget, I was in the desert these past months. Besides, I just
got out of a workout with Lilith-tachi. Those guys don't ever seem to
get tired...."

Vernier gives her a disapproving look of her own, "And...?"

"And, whenever Bellboy sees me with my shirt like this he gets this look
like he wants to either hit on me or puke and can't decide which. And
frankly, if I could make him suffer worse, I would. The guy's a real
prick."

O'Roarke clears his throat and makes a motion with his hand which Arashi
follows until she is looking right at the camera.

"Eh...right. Don't suppose you could edit that out, could you?"

"Perhaps. But to matters at hand. I take it the interpersonal
difficulties have yet to improve." O'Roarke manages to say that with a
completely dispassionate air.

"No. Other than Pinkett who seems to be getting more friendly because
he's about as ostracized as we are, the rest of the CAS pilots seem to
want to have nothing to do with us, except Bellman, who for private
reasons, we wish to have nothing to do with." She fails at sounding
diplomatic for the camera.

"Do you have anything new to report regarding the mission?"

"Things have been quiet after the...incident with Bellman and the change
from Quiet Sky. If I felt more paranoia, I'd almost say 'too quiet.'
But if Lynch and Lilith are convinced the Ghost is out there somewhere,
I'm willing to take their word for it. The new jammer, a Lurker, seems
to be working well, for better or worse."

"Better or worse?"

"It does change the equation somewhat, but I'm not sure how much we gain
by having it in the air. We've got to be hurting them if they're out
there, in not being able to see, but we're also being forced to fly
mostly blind at least on the radar front. And with everybody else's
sensor pods glitching up, I have my worries...."

Vernier interjects, "I'm not so sure."

O'Roarke raises a salt-and-pepper eyebrow. "What are you not sure
about?"

"Glitching. The pods glitching up, I mean." She detaches a data-pad
from her portable deck and hands it to O'Roarke. "You can see there, I
did a little checking today on both LoLite and IRIS. LoLite's had its
problems, and from its performance now, I'd say it was a matter of them
not killing the right bug when it was 'revised', but IRIS has _never_
been this unreliable, even in the early trials. Some of our people have
just begun to have doubts, and have overheard some of the MiG's techs
saying the same thing: maybe this isn't simply a case of a cutting-edge
sensor too young to have its bugs worked out yet, the same _maybe_ goes
for LoLite. We might have a case of deliberate sabotage."

"Sabotage...now that is worrisome."

"Well, I said as much to our security people and they told me that they
would step up their watch around the Valkyrie in case somebody tries to
pull something, but it is simply a matter that there are too few of them
to watch out for anything other than the Valkyrie. Too many people,
techs, security, and pilots coming in and out. They can barely watch
over the plane and us as it is, without having to worry about the rest
of the hanger."

Arashi runs her fingers through her tousled hair. "I guess I can
mention it quietly to Blade...er Mr. Hunter next time I see him, but
from what I've gotten to know of the man, he's probably way ahead of
us."

"No recent problems with the Valkyrie?" O'Roarke still seems a bit
bothered at the thought of a saboteur and looks over the datapad.

Vernier shakes her head, but also lacks confidence. "Nothing yet. Val
1's a little moody since we aren't able to baby her like we do back
home. Fuel consumptions up a few tenths of a percent and such, but MAX
is being a real doll. Even behaving where Bellman's concerned."

"Hmmm?" He looks up. "Oh, that. I read your report on that.
Peculiar. God help us if we had a full anthropomorphic AI."

"Well, then we'd need a full time cyberpsychologist, and not a CDS major
pinch-hitting as a cyberpsychologist," Vernier says with a smirk.

O'Roarke returns an uncharacteristically paternal smile. "Get us some
orders for the Valkyrie, and I'll see what I can do. Hikaru. How is
flying combat missions again treating you?"

She shrugs. "Mentally, I guess it's more tough. Stressful, that is,
knowing that there is probably someone out there with live ammo and
quite possibly gunning for you, and that you aren't in a sim. But then,
I'm pretty confident that the Valkyrie can outfly anything the Azzies
could possibly field, and I've trained so much already.... Physically,
I'm putting in shorter hours than the test-program, but with Lilith
kidding me that I'm getting soft, and getting me to join their killer
workout sessions, lets just say I sleep pretty soundly." This little
revelation brings a little mutter from Vernier, but Arashi continues,
"Overall, I'd say I'm doing fine. And I mean it. I feel good, better
that I have for quite a while."

"Good. Well, if there's nothing else to report, then the security site
chief is due in a few minutes....I'll discuss your concerns with him."

Arashi and Vernier get up, and head out of the video frame, but break
into conversation on the way out, still within range of the audio
pickup.

"At-cha.... Girl, you are killing me with your play-sexy-while-I'm-up-
but-sleep-like-a-corpse routine. Next thing I know you'll be showing
Bellboy your femoral artery ports."

"That'll be the day...."

O'Roarke merely shakes his head in mock frustration.

+++++end download]<<<<<
-- Samuel O'Roarke <16:43:19/08-25-58>
Valkyrie Project Chief
Ares Special Projects
Message no. 3
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Valkyrie
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 21:31:30 +0100
*****PRIVATE: Static
>>>>>[Excellent work.

+++++include payment: >>encrypted<<

My thanks.]<<<<<
-- Harrow <21:27:49/08-25-58>


*****PRIVATE: Farmer
>>>>>[We have the data on the Ares aircraft.

+++++include Static.dat

I have pulled all units back: we have all we need.]<<<<<
-- Harrow <21:29:36/08-25-58>
Message no. 4
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Valkyrie.
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 22:22:53 +0100
*****PRIVATE: Static
>>>>>[We did meet, briefly, last year. Remember when your group grabbed
Buntaka Ohki, and then he got interrogated and killed by some Amerind
guy working for SIGA on the run from InterPol? That was me <g>

And I got the book I was writing published, too. Should come out in a
few weeks, I even got offered a multiple deal for follow-ons. Want an
autographed copy? <bseg>


But yeah, I'd like to meet you properly. You think the stuff Zach says
about me is bad, you should hear the stories he tells about Thom and his
teammates...]<<<<<
-- Lynch <22:21:34/08-25-58>
Message no. 5
From: "Mark A. Imbriaco" <mark@******.NET>
Subject: Re: Valkyrie.
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 08:59:30 -0400
***** PRIVATE: Lynch
>>>>>[ Damn, that seems like eons ago, but you're right. I remember
now. Boy how time flies when you're having fun. At this point, Harrow
seems to have swallowed the lure, hook line and sinker. I almost feel
guilty for taking his money for that run -- but not guilty enough to
give it back. <g> ]<<<<<
-- Static <08:56:43/08-26-58>

***** PRIVATE: Imp
>>>>>[ My flight leaves in about ten minutes .. be a dear and pick me up
at
SeaTac around >>encrypted<<, 'kay? ]<<<<<
-- Static <08:58:32/08-26-58>

Further Reading

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