Empress of Eternity Read Online Free Page B

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 system would 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.

6
    10 Siebmonat 3123, Vaniran Hegemony
    Duhyle and Helkyria sat across from each other at the small table on the lower level. That was where he served all their meals. He preferred the wall-diffused more natural light of the main and upper levels, but not to the extent of carrying food, dishes, and utensils up the ramp…and then back down.
    He took a methodical swallow of the bergamot tea, then set down the silvered crystalline mug. When Helkyria didn’t speak, he did. “You worked late last night. You didn’t come to bed until past midnight.”
    She lowered her mug and nodded. She’d been holding it just below her chin and savoring the scent and vapor of the tea. Her irises remained their natural silver.
    “The environmental parameters…or the treasure hunt?” he pressed. “Or something else?”
    “The first drives the second. The latest reports from EnvCentre in Vaena aren’t good,” Helkyria admitted. “With essentially no compensating feedback on any subsurface systemic level, there’s just not enough planetary core radioactivity remaining. The solar cycle is at a minimum, and the projections are that it will be another ten thousand years, at a minimum, before received solar radiation returns to past estimated baselines.”
    “Past estimated baselines? How reliable are they?”
    “Not so reliable as we’d like. You know what happened when the Jhaenists tried entangled fermionic solar manipulation from Mercury…”
    “That’s still a theory. We don’t know.”
    “The results of whatever they were trying seared half the planet and disrupted the deeper solar processes enough to reduce the amount of solar radiation emitted,” replied Helkyria.