8 Quad 2471 R.E.
Eltyn?s virties focused on the external readings on the sandstorm that raged outside, another of the seemingly unending silicon tempests that continually assailed the station. Inside the ancient dwelling, he felt nothing, heard nothing. His bio-eyes took in the information on the local net not linked to RucheCom. The data readings on the small console showed no change in the surface temperature of the outer wall of the station or of the midcontinent canal walls at one-kay intervals over the fifteen kays to the east.
Interrogative storm dust/sand density? came the question from the geosat continent operations monitor.
Sampling sensors shuttered. Last data matched Category 8, Eltyn pulsed back to the GCMC. There was no point in leaving the samplers exposed, not with the wind velocity and sand/dust concentration bombarding the station and the southern walls of the MCC. Unlike the stone of the station, the unsealed sampling sensors would have been damaged by the sand granules propelled at storm velocities. The other-sealed-sensors continued to report temperature and pressure.
Interrogative rationale for shuttering?
Ruche MetCentre wanted a reason? They had the data.
Eltyn pulsed back, Air mass velocity exceeds 400 kays. Estimated deposit 5ktonnes/hour/K 2. Temperature stable at 64° S. Just a "mere" twenty-seven degrees above blood temperature, with enough fine sand to bury the southern side of the station halfway up the wall in a few hours. Farther than that if the storm remained in the area more than the projected six hours.
The ancient building had conduits that accommodated cables and plumbing. There might be hidden passages. Neither he nor Faelyna had found any, but they had discovered and charted the ducts in the walls and floors that opened if human touch pressed against them, provided the outer wall wasn?t buried in sand or snow. The stone of those conduits flowed around cables and pipes to provide a seal against the weather…or any other intrusion. The western MCC
MetStation hadn?t seen snow in centuries. There hadn?t been significant precipitation in the area for decades, despite the Ruche?s priority efforts on climate mods. As for the structure presumed to be the eastern station, no one had ever been able to enter it.
Faelyna glanced toward him. Idiots. That was a private pulse, on the direct freq that Eltyn continually checked to assure it remained shielded from RucheCom monitoring. That was vital, given their project.
Concur 3.
For a moment, neither looked at the other or pulsed. Then Faelyna asked, Progress onapproach(8)?
Testing of new installation to be complete by 1330 tomorrow. ?????
Eltyn had kept the details to himself, very unRuchelike, even if no one from RucheCom was able to monitor his work that closely. Still…Faelyna might save him trouble by going over matters now that the system was in place. SysConfig…here.
[Appreciation/understanding].
Eltyn tried to ignore the feathery touch of her inspection by rechecking the latest data on the sandstorm. Even her comm touch was…He shook his head. That would have to wait. They couldn?t afford anything that would jeopardize the project. They were TechOversight professionals, working for the good of the Ruche.
After several moments, Faelyna pulsed, Inquiry?
Acceptable.
DNA substrate positioning suggests fractionally post-pressure. Sensitive response systemwould register DNA prior to or simultaneous with contact pressure.
Eltyn had considered that, but he hadn?t been certain of what interval might be best. The idea was to create an artificial method for opening the doors and ducts of the station. If he could accomplish that, it was logical that the results would provide guidance toward a more comprehensive system for uncovering other means of access to what lay beneath the eternal blue-gray stone. Suggested mod?
A flow/power/response schematic appeared before his virties.
Prelim, offered Faelyna.
Eltyn considered it, then traced out the key elements, admiring its elegance as he did. 200 nanosecs closer? Measured response time on current doors…
The hint of a frown hung behind the non-pulse before Faelyna replied, Point taken. 500 might be better.
Mod will require rework of decision cortex.
[Apology].
Not required. Good observation. Still, accurate as her observation was, that meant another hour or so rebalancing the flows.
As he set to work, he found himself humming under his breath. Perhaps he should have adopted sliding parameters based on the DNA substrate positioning time…but then…how much would the pressure change, and would the canal?s systems detect that differential?
Possible differential required for each activation? Faelyna?s suggestion was pulsed oh-so-gently. Precise human pressure gesture not replicatable on nanoscale, even microscale.
He couldn?t help but nod. She was absolutely correct. Even in the best of circumstances, even with the best of Ruche training and education, the precision of human entities lagged far behind that of their tools and systems.
He hummed happily as he continued to improve the system. He did glance at Faelyna more than once.