007 - Duty Calls

Publish date: 3rd Nov 2019

Perspective: Tom

Tom and Loe had been laying there for at least a couple periods, with Loe completely absorbed in music and Tom enjoying the second-hand feeling. Unfortunately for Tom, he needed to relieve himself.
He goes to stand up, but finds his hand still firmly attached, usually Loe realises.

Tom: Uh, Loe?

Loe: ...huh?

Tom: I, uh, need my hand back.

Loe lethargically looks at where Tom's hand is, and takes several seconds to release it.
Tom had intended to look somewhat concerned, but his body dutifully reminded him why he got up in the first place. He heads into his bathroom.
Ping! Tom could swear this always happens, it's always at an inopportune time.
Once he's done in the bathroom, he comes back out and checks the message.

[PERIOD 11 - MOMENT 205] Personal message from Bolo ambassador Arjay Roloho to Human ambassador Tom Alberto

Tom,
I require a meeting, please inform me when you are back on the station.

- Arjay

Tom sighs, he had planned a longer venture. He reaches over and shuts off the music player for the time being.

Tom: Loe, it's time we headed back, duty calls.

Loe's face portrays her mild indignation, her session interrupted mid-song.

Loe: Do we have to?

Tom: The Bolo ambassador wants to have a chat, I assume it's pretty important.

Loe quietly mutters 'Bolo' to herself a few times, seemingly trying to recall something.

Loe: Oh, Arjay! Did he mention why?

Tom: Not really, but this is the first time I've been asked for a meeting, usually it's the other way around.

Loe: They're quite peaceful, I doubt they want to offer their help with the Roak.
What else could it be?

Tom starts looking grim. They hadn't let on much, to other species they should appear inferior.

Tom: It's possible they know where we are.
I think we need answers, immediately.

Tom starts typing out a response, as they both start making their way back to the Scuttlebug.

[PERIOD 8 - MOMENT 343] Personal message from Human ambassador Tom Alberto to Bolo ambassador Arjay Roloho

RJ,
I will be available in two days, please advise about the nature of the meeting.

- Tom

Hopefully that's enough to spur a response.

Tom makes a quick diversion to inform Jackson that they're heading out, before entering the hangar.
They board the Scuttlebug, it wordlessly activates and starts slowly charging its capacitor banks.
Once charged, it silently undocks, and their 40 period return trip is underway.
Tom reaches for the music player.

Loe: I think it'd be better not to, do you have something else we could do instead?

Tom: Hm, I might have something.

Tom pulls out a board from one of the cabinets, along with two bowls.
The board has a grid pattern on it, and the bowls have round stones. One has black stones, one has white.

Tom: This is Go, the rules are fairly simple but the vast number of options makes it quite complex.
This is also a smaller board. Normally you use a 19x19 board, but for now we can play on a 9x9 board.

Tom hands Loe a rule-book, and Loe begins reading it. Immediately, some questions arise.

Loe: Liberties?

Tom lays out four black stones in a 2x2 pattern on the board.

Tom: This is a group of stones, each empty space is a liberty. This group has 8.

Tom starts adding white stones around the black group.

Tom: Occupying those liberties initially does nothing, but-

Tom adds the last white stone, filling all 8 open spaces around the black stones.

Tom: -once a group has no liberties, it dies. If you were white, you would get 4 points, plus another 4 for the space you now hold.

Loe: Hm, ok. What about Ko?

Tom: Basically, you can't have the same board layout appear twice in one game.

Tom collects the existing stones, and places 4 black stones around an empty space.
Tom then adds three white stones around one of the black stones, and points at it.

Tom: This black stone could be captured with one white stone.
It's important to note that, whilst the new white stone has no liberties, because it captures a black stone you're allowed to place it.

Tom places the white stone inside the black stones, and removes the black stone he pointed at.

Tom: See how white is in the same situation now?
Black could just capture the white stone right back, however that would put us back where we started, which isn't allowed.
White has to play somewhere else first, allowing black the chance to prevent the capture, before white can do so.

Loe: Alright, I think I understand everything.

Tom puts the stones back in their respective bowls, and hands the bowl of white stones to Loe.

Tom: Black goes first, but white gets 6.5 points to compensate for this.
The half-point prevents ties.

Tom and Loe sit in relative silence, playing several games of Go.
At first, the games are horribly one-sided in favour of Tom, but Loe gradually catches on and they start having fairly close games.
After the 7th game, Loe seems somewhat frustrated.

Loe: What am I missing?

Tom: You're too attached to your groups, sometimes you have to let one die for profit elsewhere.
Sometimes it's also worthwhile to make groups you know will die, if it means your opponent has to spend a lot of moves to deal with it.
We can continue later, I need some rest.

Tom settles in for his nights rest, leaving Loe to her thoughts.


Once Tom is awake, he grabs a ready-made meal and pulls out the stones, along with a 13x13 board.
After a few more games, Loe starts getting incredibly close, the 13th being lost by a mere half point.
Halfway into the 14th game, Tom lets out a chuckle.

Loe: What?

Tom: I think you've won this one, by 2.5 points. I could be wrong, though.

Loe: You're that certain this early on?

Tom: No, but I'm having a hard time finding a way forward.
I could make trouble in that group, but I don't see how I get anything out of it.

Tom points to one of Loe's groups as he's talking.
The next period features particularly intense fighting across the board, but Tom doesn't seem impressed.
Sure enough, Loe won the 14th game, by 1.5 points.
Tom goes to set up the next game when the capacitors discharge, signalling they're on the last leg of their journey. A look at the timer confirms it, 2 periods left.

Tom starts typing a message, and realises he never got a reply from Arjay.

[PERIOD 21 - MOMENT 9] Personal message from Human ambassador Tom Alberto to Bolo ambassador Arjay Roloho

RJ,
I will arrive in roughly two periods.

- Tom

Tom tries to suppress his concern, but Loe notices.

Loe: What did he say?

Tom: He never replied, which means it was either urgent, or that he doesn't trust the coalition.
Failing that, he could be missing.

Ping!

[PERIOD 21 - MOMENT 11] Personal message from Bolo ambassador Arjay Roloho to Human ambassador Tom Alberto

Tom,
I'll be in my quarters.

- Arjay

Tom starts rubbing his temples, as he strains to think of alternatives.

Loe: Is it possible he wants to make sure you're not working with the Roak?

Tom: Why would he think that?

Loe: You did hold back during that session, it's fairly obvious once you start looking at the footage.

Tom: I guess that makes sense.
We should have time for one more game.

The final game appears to be going in Tom's favour, but it's cut short by their arrival at the station.
Tom pulls out his personal computer, records the position, and notes that it's Loe's turn.

Tom: We'll come back to that one.

A soft grumble comes out of Loe, she knows she's not winning it.

Tom suddenly appears stressed, and holds out a hand for Loe.

Loe: Need to show me something?

Tom: I can't think of a word.

Confusion spreads across Loe as she takes his hand, and an image of something similar-looking to the Bolo appears.
It's not quite the same, the eyes are smaller and the nose is more pronounced.

Loe: Er, weird Bolo?

Tom: They're similar to an animal we have on Earth.
God, what is it...
Meerkats! They're like meerkats.

Loe starts laughing as they enter Arjay's quarters, and Loe releases Tom's hand.

Arjay: Please close the door, I'd rather not have anyone else hearing.

Loe stops laughing, and Tom starts eyeing up Arjay. The atmosphere is quite tense.

Tom closes the door.