Log:Riftgate - RG-1 - 06 - Secrets and Revelations

Riftgate_-_RG-1_-_05_-_Inheritance|RG-1 Inheritance 2009/04/22 	 Jade Diamond Alex Janet Jon Masters 1

CEO Jon Masters Office, TransMat Corporation
Janet Farrel and Jon Master's are in the CEO's office when the returning team are asked to join them. Jon asks first if anyone wants tea or coffee.

Jade smiles. "Thanks-but-nothing-with-caffeine-for-me."

Alex says, "Coffee would be good, Jon." He helps himself to a cup if there's a pot handy."

Olivia shakes her head, "I am fine, it is not required and not needing anything at the moment."

There's a pot in the office, kept topped up by the canteen staff.

Janet starts by asking, "You seemed rather animated on your return. So I though an immediate talk through might be worthwhile. So what did you find?"

Jade glances at the other others in the expedition, unsure as to whether any consensus was reached about what exactly we should say about it.

Alex nods. "That's for sure. We made an incredible find..."

Jon unconsciously leans forward in his chair behind the desk.

Alex says, "The only question is, what to do with what we've found."

Olivia looks over at Jade and Alex for a moment and then smiles just a little, "Yes, that would be the question I think."

Janet says fairly bluntly, "You haven't said what you've found yet."

Jade is unwontedly quiet, thinking. She look toward the tea, tempted.

Alex says, "What we found was an alternate Earth, where it seems human had advanced to level of leaving the planet permanently, after restoring it to pristine condition and sealing it off from the the rest of the galaxy."

Alex says, "It had the feeling of a petting zoo -- the animals, like wolves, had no natural fear of us."

Jon sputters into his cup of coffee. Janet goes quite still and motionless for several seconds.

Jade says, "A-gift-horse-of-a-world it-appears-to-be-what-it-purports"

Olivia nods, "With the request of after we proved worthy inheritors of the world, of returning it to a similar condition after we use it, and I an not sure if leaving the planet is the right term but still."

Alex nods. "The only building on the planet was a single structure. There's was a teleportation gate that let us in and kept the animals away. We were tested by some intelligence there, and like Liv says, it deemed us worthy to inherit the world."

Jade says, "A-possible-liability-is-that-they-are-so-alienated-from-the-Guild-that-they-built-a-physical-barrier-to-keep-them-out this-implies-the-possibiity-of-some-very-hostile-aliens."

Jade thinks. o O (And then there's the other prize which may be even more problematic.)

Jon carefully puts his coffee down. "A pristine uninhabited Earth? Any remnants of their technology?"

Olivia chuckles and shrugs, "YOu could say that."

Jade says, "Yes something-significant-enough-it-could-trigger-a-world-war-once-people-learn-about-it."

Alex says, "The teleportation gate, the tower itself, and the intelligence itself... it's an orb that spoke mentally to us."

Janet asks, "When you said advanced just how advanced are you talking? Ten years ahead? Twenty? A hundred?"

Jade says, "And-the-space-shield but-it-was-the-orb-I-was-talking-about."

Olivia shrugs, "Lets see, probably thousands of years."

Jade says to Janet, "They-built-a-shield-round-the-solar-system put-the-earth-back-about-as-it-ws and-left."

Jon stands up in his excitement at the very concept. Sadly he's too excited to push his chair back first and knees hit the underside of the desk with an audible thump. "Ouuchh!"

Alex nods. "I'd agree with Olivia's guess -- thousands."

Olivia cocks her head to the side, "THe intelligence also contains all their knowledge which it will dole out to us if we ask the right questions. It will not just give us information but...if we are close enough to figuring something out we might be able to get the answer."

Jade says, "The-first-casualty-of-the-alien-technology knees are-you-ok? sounds-like-you're-going-to-have-some-nasty-bruising."

Janet frowns, "Did you count the teeth?"

Jon nods to Jade rubbing his knees and looking pained. "Teeth?"

Janet nods. "Teeth. First thing to count when looking ast a gift horse. There is such a thing as too big a success."

Olivia shrugs, "My thought is that they would have a way of monitoring and if their legacy is abused, they will return and be mad." she says, even if it isn't true, might help keep things in check.

Alex says, "So yes, we're confronted with a difficult decision... Huh? You think it's some kind of a trap?"

Janet shakes her head. "No, not really. But I never entirely discount the possibility. But with this we're the natives in log canoes and we've just set foot on, for instance, New York. What is it going to do to us?"

Jade says, "It's-possible-of-course thought-it-seems-a-strangely-complex-trap-if-so the-most-likely-scenario-for-it-being-a-trap-is-that-aliens-set-it-up-lest-humans-arrive-from-another-dimension though-if-so-I'm-surprised-they-made-the-place-so-alluring and-then-didn't-obviously-spring-the-trap."

Jade says, "As-I-said it-appears-to-be-what-it-purports."

Alex says, "Well, my main concern is that we'll end up rebuilding modern-day New York, when in fact we've been given a giant nature preserve."

Jade says, "It-may-be-their-intended-inheritors-were-animals-evolved-on-that-earth-but-the-orb-accepted-us-even-on-learning-we-were-from-another."

Olivia shrugs and just listens at this point.

Alex says, "It's kind of funny. Even though the Orb trusts us, I'm not sure that I do."

Jade says, "I'm-sure-I-don't I-think-it's-us-we-have-to-worry-about especially-where-the-orb-is-concerned."

Jon sits, musing.. "It comes down to this then, assuming the situation is what it seems to be, can we as the human race be trusted not to ruin and despoil another world?"

Jade says, ""

Jade says, "No-of-course-we-can't the-question-is-can-we-arrange-it-so-they-don't-despite-the-fact-they-can't-be-trusted?"

Janet asks, "Can you explain about the orb you're mentioned. You seem toi be concerned about it."

Olivia looks at the others, "I mentioned it, you might be able to say more."

Alex says, "It was the intelligence that served as the caretaker of the world. Really we don't know much about it. It answered a lot of our questions about the history of the place."

Jade says, "THe-orb-apart-from-testing-us-for-worthiness-allegedly-contains-all-that-race's-knowledge and-will-answer-any-question yes no or we-don't-know."

Jade says, "If-so-it-could-potentially-increase-human-knowledge-of-anything-which-is-the-same-on-our-two-worlds-as-quickly-as-questions-can-be-formuated-instead-of-as-quickly-as-answers-can-be-found."

Jon blanches and drops back into his chair. "That's frightening. Frightening."

Jade says, "Now-imagine-that-in-the-hands-of-a-villain-with-intelligence-anything-close-to-mine."

Jade says, "Imagine-how-soon-a-spy-will-steal-it-once-anyone-finds-out-it-exists."

Jade says, "Imagine-the-following-war."

Jade says, "Yes-this-horse-has-teeth-all-right."

Jade says, "(Though-I-think-that-metaphor-fails-at-this-point)"

Jon says, "I don't have to imagine. I destroyed all traces of an invention once when I realised what terrible damage it would do to our society. After a villain had killed many of the people working for me in his efforts to get hold of it. And that was just one small step ahead."

Alex sighs. "So are we just going to back away from this?"

Jade says, "What-do-you-suggest-Alex?"

"If United Earth is informed about the discovery, it will get back to the Guild. UE is riddled with informants and sellouts." Janet warns. "Whatever is done, the decision needs to be made in this office and quickly, before news starts leaking out."

Jade says, "The-orb-can't-be-known-about by-anyone it-needs-to-be-destroyed-before-new-gets-out-of-this-room."

Jade says, "If-we-can-of-course"

Alex says, "I'm not sure that it's our place to say what the world is allowed to know about... maybe we can talk to the orb. Maybe there's some way to lock it down."

Jade says, "As-for-the-world that-could-become-known but it-would-have-to-be-placed-in-United-Earth-hands-and-the-conservationist-should-be-in-on-the-planning-right-from-the-start."

Jade says, "Locking-it-down-would-suffice-if-it-can-be-done."

Jade says, "Alex-we're-not-talking-about-limiting-the-world's-knowledge-we're-talking-about-stopping-it-from-accelerating-at-a-rate-even-I-can't-cope-with"

Alex says, "Maybe we can talk to the orb some more."

Jade says, "That-seems-a-good-idea."

Jade says, "The-only-serious-alternative-I-can-see-is-to-lock-me-away-with-the-orb-for-a-while-so-I-can-be-so-far-in-advance-of-everyone-else-that-if-anyone-seizes-it=they'll-have-me-to-contend-with of-course-that-isn't-a-good-solution-from-anyone-else's-perspective I'm-not-sure-even-I-trust-myself-that-much."

Janet shakes her head, "Too big. Too fast. Jade, Alex, Diamond, you may not know the politics of this. At the moment this is a fringe project. We downplay what is reported to UE. If we report this, an entire new uninhabited world, even without the orb in play I would be surprised if UE didn't try to take the project over. That's what I meant by too big a success."

Jade says, "I-am-aware-actually the-one-thing-that-suggests-to-me-it-*might*-be-a-good-idea-is-that-earth-might-need-the-resources but-no even-so-it's-best-to-keep-secret in-reserve if-they-know-about-the-success-then-there-may-be-some-unwarranted-sabre-rattling-on-the-Earth-side."

Jade says, "I-think-what-we-have-here-is-a-secret-resource-for-an-emergency-Mr-Masters."

Jon nods, "Anyone disagree with that assessment?"

Alex says, "That's convenient for us, but is it responsible? There could be medical breakthroughs waiting for us in that world, in the form of long-exticnt plants for animal life."

Jade says, "Alex-medical=breakthroughs-don't-matter-much-if-the-earth-is-dead-or-nearly-in-a-year if-knowledge-of-the-orb-gets-out-it-will-be if-knowledge-of-the-planet-gets-out-it-still-could-be."

Jade says, "Alex-you-probably-don't-realise-just-how-much-the-Guild-is-manipulating-us probably-no-one-knows-as-much-as-I-do the-data-is-just-too-scattered-for-most-people I'm-still-working-on-it-myself the-Guild-won't-want-us-to-have-this."

Alex sighs. "So we keep quiet on this issue so we can continue our work. Ok. I can buy into that."

Jade says to Jon, "In-fact-I-think-we'll-have-to-downplay (though-not-hide) all-the-major-successes-of-this-project at-least-while-there's-so-much-Guild-influence-in-Earthgov."

"Would you care to expand on that Jade?" Jon asks, "I've had Janet warning me of the Guild but I took that as just her usual suspicious of everything nature."

Janet shakes her head, "Jon, outside a lab or a business role you're a babe in the woods."

Jade backpedals a bit. "Well like-I-said my-research-is-still-ongoing but-there's-every-evidence-the-Guild-made-contact-to-slow-our-advancement as-soon-as-we-had-the-ablity-to-reach-them-they-turned-up-to-'help'-us on-condition-that-we-meet-a-lot-of-conditions-which-they-clearly-don't-require-of-themselves since-then-human-progress-has-slowed moreover."

Alex says, "I'm not sure about Guild influence in Earth Gov, but in order to continue our work, we need to avoid regulation by the government. And if we start turning up big discoveries, then the government will step in. We'll be in red tape up to our eyeballs."

Jade says, "I-have-reasonable-evidence-that-one-of-General-Ludd's-lieutenants-was-really-an-alien I'm-reasearching-the-possibility-that-the-Great-Quake-of-China-was-caused-by-Guild-agents and-don't-forget-China-had-the-strongest-economy-in-the-world-in-2030."

Jade says, "Alex-the-Guild-was-instrumental-in-the-current-organisation-of-Earthgov-of-course-they-have-great-influence-there."

Alex says, "Hunh. I had no idea you were into that stuff, Jade. We're getting into Silver Spider territory. I won't argue that the Guild's rules have worked to slow down advancement of technology, but that's just crazy. Especially considering the possiblity that someone from Earth could have done it. It is was caused by a person at all."

Janet says, "You ought to be, Alex. Because we had dealings with aliens Starguard realised some of what Jade is saying. As soon as we tried to bring it to EarthGov's attention our budget and responsibilities were slashed."

Jade says, "And-now-we-have-the-Earth-Marshalls that-about-says-it-all."

[To Alex] Jade says, "Oh-I-think-General-Ludd-*was*-a-human-dupe and-the-quake-was-caused-by-a-human-meta but-a-human-meta-in-contact-with-aliens I-can't-prove-it-yet-but-give-me-time."

Jon says, "Like Alex Winters I'm not convinced by your Guild theories, Jade. However I do believe that informing EarthGov will see this taken away from TransMat Corporation and that is not a prospect I'm happy about. So, we keep knowledge of this discovery inside these four walls?"

Alex says, "Yeah, I can swallow that."

Jade nods. "Definitely."

Janet also nods.

Jade says, "As-for-my-theories-like-I-said it's-early-days collating-this-information-is-a-big-task-even-for-me but-if-even-a-quarter-of-it-is-real then-the-Guild-are-far-from-friends-or-even-allies."

"Jade, maybe you can spend some time across on that dimension and see what you can get out of that orb thing about the shield they used to block off the Guild. That might be very useful to know at some point." Janet suggests.

Alex says, "We'll need to look into upping security I think. Protecting our secrets by floating under the radar... it will only last for so long."

Jade says, "I-was-thinking-about-the-shield-too I-really-hope-it-doesn't-come-to-that especially-since-the-Guild-aren't-the-only-aliens-in-this-part-of-space no-matter-how-much-they-tried-to-persuade-us-otherwise that-was-the-first-anomaly-I-spotted."

Janet nods, "In regard to increased security, there were members of SGG who left under a cloud but even so were apparently rather effective despite some authority issues. I think you knew them, Alex, although they were before your time, Jade. I'm referring to the Ms Markham's. Would you consider then a useful addition to our security establishment, and could they be trusted?"

Alex says, "Absolutely."

The mission debriefing concluded, the meeting breaks up with the decision to wrap this discovery in a tight security blanket...