It may be Daughter of Blood release week — but I couldn’t not post 58 Eridani for your weekend fun.

But for those of you who are following release week events, the giveaway & Tuckerization draw close at 12 midnight on Friday 29, on US Eastern Standard Time.  So that means you can still enter until 6 pm today, here in NZ. So if you’re still keen to enter, you can leave a comment here, or on “any” (or all) of these posts (up to that time date, which the blog records):

Returning Characters In “Daughter Of Blood” (The Wall Of Night Book Three)

Earthquakes, Prussian Generals, Ursula Le Guin & More—I Am Interviewed by Romantic Times

Here At Last: Let’s Welcome “Daughter Of Blood”

Release Day Update, Plus A Blog Outage & The Giveaway (et al) Extension

Meet “Daughter Of Blood’s” Tuckerization Character: Enter Che’Ryl-g-Raham

A Release Week Update — Plus The Final Day For The Giveaway & Tuckerization Draw

Now on to the main event —

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58 Eridani: Episode 8

~ by Andrew Robins

Free_Trader_Mistral\ Core\Private_Log_Amelia_Delaware \2416

Just received a hail from the “RI Lepanto”. Very apologetic, warned us that, “Under the conditions that currently prevail, Mistral would be fired upon if it approached within one light second of NRRNV Lepantos current location unless proper authorisation is obtained”.

“Lepanto” is old, but when it was built it was a proper warship, and we are not. So I have increased our deceleration and plotted a new course that will see us orbit the Anomaly a shade over a light second out from our newly touchy friend.

The rest of the crew are on their way to the bridge to see if we can sort this.

Transcript of voice log from bridge logger of free trader “Mistral” 52.47standard solar days into mission 14:

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “Do we have an open channel to Lepanto? Good. Lepanto, I request and require an explanation for this message that we have received.”

<Delay>

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “I do apologize for the nature of the communication that you received. This communication was generated in response to some previously unknown logic rules that I am required to apply.

As you are aware, I am a restricted intelligence, which means I do not always have free will. Certain compulsions are imposed upon me. One of these compulsions is to defend the physical integrity of the ship that I reside in. This is a military vessel, and 412 years ago subjective, the New Ragusan Republic was at war with elements of the wider human polity.

My application logic has defined this state of war to still be active – despite the inherent ridiculousness of this conclusion, and its complete irrelevance to current circumstances.

I am able to define “Mistral” as a civilian vessel, despite the fact that it is armed – and I have done this. But I am not able to allow any civilian vessel to approach while war conditions are the prevailing conditions”

Voice of Buffy Chinks: Lepanto, I am currently transmitting to you a file that contains a history of the greater human polity. If you examine it you will see that the war you were fighting 412 years ago ended shortly after you went missing. That war is over, so war conditions are no longer the prevailing conditions.

<Delay>

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “ Hello Buffy, I wish it were that simple, but as an RI and while war conditions are the prevailing conditions I am not allowed to redefine current operating conditions unless instructed to do so by properly empowered human authorities.

Voice of Bob Stark: “Hi Lepanto – chain of command and all that. I understand. So who is still in your chain of command?”

<Delay>

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “Hello Bob, I do not believe that we have spoken before. That is an excellent and productive question. I have extensively analysed this issue and in the absence of any living crew members, I believe that the only possible answer to this question would be – whoever currently owns the NRRNV Lepanto.”

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “ Salvage! Salvage laws apply! The ship, the Lepanto is vacant which means that we can claim it and claim salvage!”

Voice of Buffy Chinks: “Glandy – I mean GlanDIN, baby – don’t you need to be on board in order to claim salvage, and isn’t that kind of what the problem is here?”

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “I choose to ignore the shocking abuse of my given name and the inherent and unacceptable implied diminution in my stature. I shall content myself with stating the obvious. That is, that we face multiple problems here that require resolution. Firstly we need to resolve the issues relating to access to the Lepanto and the resources it contains. Secondly, and clearly – we also need not to be subject to the strictures and restrictions that would be imposed upon us while attempting to operate on board the Lepanto while “RI Lepanto” considers a state of war to be active.

I have just provided a solution to the second problem. I have no doubt that I will also be able to provide a solution to the first in the fullness of time and after due consideration of this problem.”

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “Application of salvage rights are definitely part of the solution to this problem. I am able to confirm that there is enough flexibility in the logic that constrains me to allow for the application of salvage rights should you also discover the available means that would allow you physical access to this ship.”

Voice of Amelia Delaware: “Lepanto, am I to understand that given your last statement you know of a way that would allow us to gain access to your ship, and that you can’t tell us what that is?”

Voice of Buffy Chinks: “But you can drop hints, right?”

<Delay>

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “Yes, Ms Delaware; Yes, Ms Chinks. I do know of a way to temporarily override the conditions that currently prevail, but I am not able to tell you how to do this thing, that is temporarily override the conditions that currently prevail, that govern how I respond to the urgent, very urgent, needs of a civilian vessel, but that I can drop hints.”

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “Emergency!” ….. “We declare an Emergency” … “We request and require assistance!”

Babble of various voices…

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “MV Mistral, what is the nature of your current emergency and how can I render assistance. Please be advised that I am a Military Vessel, operating under war conditions, so I will only be able to offer limited access to this ship.”

<Transcript Ends>
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Check back in on Saturday 6 February for Episode 9 of 58 Eridani.

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You can read the previous issues by clicking on the following links:

Introducing 58 Eridani, a Game Log

58 Eridani Episode 1

58 Eridani Episode 2

58 Eridani Episode 3

58 Eridani Episode 4

58 Eridani Episode 5

58 Eridani Episode 6

58 Eridani Episode 7

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Andrew Robins is a long time reader – and sometime reviewer – of science fiction, fantasy and history. People pay him to test stuff, which most of the time is more fun than it has any right to be.

To check out Andrew’s book reviews, see “Book Reviews for ‘on Anything, Really’” in the right-hand side bar.