“Here’s what I’ve come up with.” He plugged his tail into a socket on the table, and the wall screen lit up with diagrams of the Security building.
“There are two ways to gain access to the cells. One way is used by the guards to take prisoners to their cells. We obviously won’t be going that way, because if we pose as guards, we’ll be spotted, and if we pose as prisoners, we’ll be incarcerated.”
“Makes sense so far,” said Will.
“The other way is used by the maintenance crews when they have to do work on the cells. The cells don’t need work that often, so they don’t have a crew on site. They hire independent contractors, so they won’t necessarily know the crew’s faces. Furthermore, they hire crews for any work they need done, not just the cells, so maintenance has access to plenty of areas with minimal security.”
“What about the high security areas?” said Lucy. “Like the one Philip is in?”
“We’ve got a bit of luck working for us there,” said Brian. “Normally, the prisoner carrier and main security systems are controlled by a Scintilla system, which is overseen at all times by a team of resident Merfolk operators.”
“How is that lucky?” said Will. “Scintilla systems are unbreakable for anyone who isn’t a Merfolk.”
“Correct,” said Brian. “However, there is a single vulnerability in the system: the Gens Vapori Holy Day. The Scintilla techs spend the day in quiet meditation, and their duties are taken over by the backup system, which is based on good old solid-state tech and therefore much easier to manipulate.”
“It can’t be as easy as that,” said Eve. “Security would never trust their most sensitive operations to a system with such an obvious weak point.”
“And they didn’t,” said Lucy. “The Gens Vapori don’t use the same calendar as we do. Their Holy Day is on a different day every year. There can’t even be that many people at Security who know when it is.”
“Well, it’s not exactly intuitive, but it’s not really that complicated,” said Brian. “Their calendar is simply based on a synchronicity of timing in the internal chemistry of the Gens Vapori and the way it reacts with the rest of the vapor. As the various cycles begin to align, it creates a steadily growing pulse throughout the vapor that alerts every Merfolk to the approach of the Holy Day. These pulsing reactions form a distinct series of patterns that constructively interfere in predictable ways, and the patterns can be revealed with some simple analysis of the composition of the vapor over time, as well as prior trends of the Gens Vapori calendar. It’s actually fairly straightforward.”
Raymond’s conference table was surrounded with baffled silence and mystified looks on the faces of the other three robots.
“So, what you’re saying is that you know when the next Gens Vapori Holy Day is,” said Will, after a short pause.
“In a nutshell, yes,” said Brian, “and it’s three days from now. I’ll be sending detailed information to each of you about your roles in the operation. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some number crunching to do. Raymond, I’ll keep you posted on my general progress.” Brian jumped down from his place at the table and proceeded with purpose out of the apartment.
“Well, I suppose that concludes our business for the day. You all have three days to take care of whatever may need taking care of, and then we rescue the good doctor,” said Raymond. Will and Lucy rose from their seats and followed Brian out the door. Eve remained in her seat until the others had gone.
“Raymond,” she said. “I need to ask you something.”
“Of course. What is it?”
“Is this about me somehow?”
The question seemed to give Raymond pause. “What do you mean?”
“You all seem willing to take a potentially ruinous risk on behalf of Dr. Abrams. There must be an easier and safer way to secure his release.”
“We have examined
“There are two ways to gain access to the cells. One way is used by the guards to take prisoners to their cells. We obviously won’t be going that way, because if we pose as guards, we’ll be spotted, and if we pose as prisoners, we’ll be incarcerated.”
“Makes sense so far,” said Will.
“The other way is used by the maintenance crews when they have to do work on the cells. The cells don’t need work that often, so they don’t have a crew on site. They hire independent contractors, so they won’t necessarily know the crew’s faces. Furthermore, they hire crews for any work they need done, not just the cells, so maintenance has access to plenty of areas with minimal security.”
“What about the high security areas?” said Lucy. “Like the one Philip is in?”
“We’ve got a bit of luck working for us there,” said Brian. “Normally, the prisoner carrier and main security systems are controlled by a Scintilla system, which is overseen at all times by a team of resident Merfolk operators.”
“How is that lucky?” said Will. “Scintilla systems are unbreakable for anyone who isn’t a Merfolk.”
“Correct,” said Brian. “However, there is a single vulnerability in the system: the Gens Vapori Holy Day. The Scintilla techs spend the day in quiet meditation, and their duties are taken over by the backup system, which is based on good old solid-state tech and therefore much easier to manipulate.”
“It can’t be as easy as that,” said Eve. “Security would never trust their most sensitive operations to a system with such an obvious weak point.”
“And they didn’t,” said Lucy. “The Gens Vapori don’t use the same calendar as we do. Their Holy Day is on a different day every year. There can’t even be that many people at Security who know when it is.”
“Well, it’s not exactly intuitive, but it’s not really that complicated,” said Brian. “Their calendar is simply based on a synchronicity of timing in the internal chemistry of the Gens Vapori and the way it reacts with the rest of the vapor. As the various cycles begin to align, it creates a steadily growing pulse throughout the vapor that alerts every Merfolk to the approach of the Holy Day. These pulsing reactions form a distinct series of patterns that constructively interfere in predictable ways, and the patterns can be revealed with some simple analysis of the composition of the vapor over time, as well as prior trends of the Gens Vapori calendar. It’s actually fairly straightforward.”
Raymond’s conference table was surrounded with baffled silence and mystified looks on the faces of the other three robots.
“So, what you’re saying is that you know when the next Gens Vapori Holy Day is,” said Will, after a short pause.
“In a nutshell, yes,” said Brian, “and it’s three days from now. I’ll be sending detailed information to each of you about your roles in the operation. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some number crunching to do. Raymond, I’ll keep you posted on my general progress.” Brian jumped down from his place at the table and proceeded with purpose out of the apartment.
“Well, I suppose that concludes our business for the day. You all have three days to take care of whatever may need taking care of, and then we rescue the good doctor,” said Raymond. Will and Lucy rose from their seats and followed Brian out the door. Eve remained in her seat until the others had gone.
“Raymond,” she said. “I need to ask you something.”
“Of course. What is it?”
“Is this about me somehow?”
The question seemed to give Raymond pause. “What do you mean?”
“You all seem willing to take a potentially ruinous risk on behalf of Dr. Abrams. There must be an easier and safer way to secure his release.”
“We have examined
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