BooksBarbecue
Back Excession
Chapters (108)
  1. About the Author
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. 1 - Outside Context Problem
  6. I
  7. II
  8. III
  9. IV
  10. V
  11. VI
  12. 2 - Not Invented Here
  13. I
  14. II
  15. III
  16. 3 - Uninvited Guests
  17. I
  18. II
  19. III
  20. IV
  21. 4 - Dependency Principle
  22. I
  23. II
  24. III
  25. IV
  26. V
  27. 5 - Kiss The Blade
  28. I
  29. II
  30. III
  31. IV
  32. V
  33. VI
  34. 6 - Pittance
  35. I
  36. II
  37. III
  38. IV
  39. V
  40. VI
  41. 7 - Tier
  42. I
  43. II
  44. III
  45. IV
  46. 8 - Killing Time
  47. I
  48. II
  49. III
  50. IV
  51. V
  52. VI
  53. VII
  54. VIII
  55. 9 - Unacceptable Behaviour
  56. I
  57. II
  58. III
  59. IV
  60. V
  61. VI
  62. VII
  63. VIII
  64. IX
  65. X
  66. XI
  67. XII
  68. XIII
  69. XIV
  70. 10 - Heavy Messing
  71. I
  72. II
  73. III
  74. IV
  75. V
  76. VI
  77. VII
  78. VIII
  79. IX
  80. X
  81. XI
  82. XII
  83. XIII
  84. XIV
  85. XV
  86. 11 - Regarding Gravious
  87. I
  88. II
  89. III
  90. IV
  91. V
  92. VI
  93. VII
  94. VIII
  95. IX
  96. X
  97. XI
  98. XII
  99. XIII
  100. XIV
  101. 12 - Faring Well
  102. I
  103. II
  104. III
  105. IV
  106. V
  107. VI
  108. Epilogue

Whatever; after four decades in its state of self-imposed internal exile, navigating its own wayward course within its sought-out wilderness as part of the civilisation’s Ulterior and functioning most famously as a repository for quiescent souls and very large animals, it sounded like the General Systems Vehicle Sleeper Service was again starting to think and behave a little more like a ship which belonged to the Culture.

1 - Outside Context Problem

1

Outside Context Problem

I

I

(GCU Grey Area signal sequence file #n428857/119)

[swept-to-tight beam, M16.4, received @ n4.28.857.3644]
xGSV Honest Mistake
oGCU Grey Area
Take a look at this:
∞
(Signal sequence #n428855/1446, relay:)
∞

1) [skein broadcast, Mclear, received @ n4.28.855.0065+]:
*!c11505.*
∞

2) [swept beam M1, received @ n4.28.855.0066-]:
SDA.
c2314992+52
xFATC @ n4.28.855.
∞

3) [swept beam, M2, relay, received @ n4.28.855.0079-]:
xGCU Fate Amenable To Change.
oGSV Ethics Gradient
& as requested:
Significant developmental anomaly.
c4629984+523
(@n28.855.0065.43392).
∞

4) [tight beam, M16, relay, [email protected]]:
xGCU Fate Amenable To Change,
oGSV Ethics Gradient
& only as required:
Developmental anomaly provisionally rated EqT, potentially
jeopardising, found here c9259969+5331.
My Status: L5 secure, moving to L6ˆ.
Instigating all other Extreme precautions.

∞

5) [broadcast Mc lear, received @ n4.28.855.01.]:
*xGCU Fate Amenable To Change,
oGSV Ethics Gradient
& *broadcast*:
Ref. 3 previous compacs & precursor broadcast.
Panic over.
I misinterpreted.
It’s a Scapsile Vault Craft.
Ho hum.
Sorry.
Full Internal Report to follow immediately in High Embarrassment Factor code.
BSTS. H&H. BTB.
∞
(End Signal Sequence.)
∞
xGCU Grey Area
oGSV Honest Mistake
Yes. So?
∞
There is more.
The ship lied.
∞
Let me guess; the ship was in fact subverted.
It is no longer one of ours.
∞
No, it is believed its integrity is intact.
But it lied in that last signal, and with good reason.
We may have an OCP.
They may want your help, at any price.
Are you interested?
∞
An Outside Context Problem? Really? Very well. Keep me
informed, do.
∞
No.
This is serious.
I know no more yet, but they are worried about something.
Your presence will be required, urgently.
∞
I dare say. However I have business to complete here first.
∞
Foolish child!
Make all haste.
∞
Mm-hmm. If I did agree, where might I be required?
∞
Here.
(glyphseq. file appended.)
As you will have gathered, it is from the ITG and concerns our
old friend.
∞
Indeed.
Now that is interesting.
I shall be there directly.
∞
(End signal file.)

II

II

The ship shuddered; the few remaining lights flickered, dimmed and went out. The alarms dopplered down to silence. A series of sharp impacts registered through the companionway shell walls with resonations in the craft’s secondary and primary structure. The atmosphere pulsed with impact echoes; a breeze picked up, then disappeared. The shifting air brought with it a smell of burning and vaporisation; aluminium, polymers associated with carbon fibre and diamond film, superconductor cabling.