008 - Negotiations

Publish date: 12th Nov 2019

Perspective: Arjay

Arjay had little choice in the matter. He would have liked to keep the secret for quite some time, until they could be sure of its potential, but if the Roak wiped out the Oda and Humans, they would be next.

Arjay gestures to the chairs opposite him, and Tom takes a seat. Loe elects to stay standing.

Arjay: I'd prefer to do this on better terms, but I have an offer.

Tom: What kind of offer?

Annoyance tinges Tom's voice, Arjay feels like he may have started on the wrong foot.
It's too late now, though.

Arjay: The kind of offer one doesn't go discussing with others.

Tom goes to speak, but as Arjay pulls out a spherical object, he goes quiet.
Arjay places the spherical object on the table, resting it on a flat face previously concealed by his hand, and types something into his computer.

A holographic model of The Endurance appears, and Tom's brief confusion is replaced with shock and anger.

Tom: How do you know about this?

Loe, caught off-guard by the sudden outburst, reactively steps backwards. Arjay maintains his composure.

Arjay: We've kept the secret, no need to worry.
This is a demonstration of what our new tech is capable of, we can track any object regardless of distance provided we could see where it was at one point.
We suspected that a ship jumping to another system would break the tracking, and had hoped to get confirmation, but you never jumped.
We think this would be particularly useful in your war, all we ask for is something similarly revolutionary in return.

Arjay mentally kicked himself, he was making an enemy of those he wanted to be friends with.
However, Tom seemed to be considering the proposal in earnest.

Tom: What makes you think we would have something to offer in return?

Arjay: Your cruiser has some particularly advanced stealth systems, even knowing where it is we couldn't detect it.

Tom looked somewhat dejected, perhaps he was hoping to offer nothing in return.
Loe nudges Tom. Tom looks at Loe, thinks for a moment, and offers his hand, which Loe grabs.
After a few moments, she lets go, and Tom seems substantially more determined. He's also smirking.

Tom: We do have something to offer in exchange, but it comes with the condition that you sign a defensive pact with both Humans and Oda.

Arjay was speechless, they were one of the weakest species and had next to no experience in combat, why would he want their aid?
Perhaps it was intentional, perhaps they wouldn't actually call upon them.

Arjay: That's very gener-

Tom: To be clear, you would be expected to serve in the current war should you accept.
You're small and fast, particularly good for recon. We'd like you to work alongside us.

Arjay: But we- Wait, us?

Arjay almost missed that Tom had gestured towards Loe slightly, and the implication was all too clear that the Oda would be on the front lines too.

Tom: Just because we're strong doesn't mean we're the best at everything.

Arjay couldn't actually agree to those terms without first discussing it with his adviser, but he also wasn't prepared to leave empty-handed.

Arjay: If you show me what you have to offer, I'd be able to give an informed response after a few days.

Tom pulls out a strange device, somewhat similar to a portable computer.

Tom: We call this an 'assistant', though the name is deceptive.
Do you have the processor assessment tool? I don't want to look like I'm cheating.

The processor assessment tool was fairly simple, it's a brute-force prime finder.
Some of the best computers can churn out the first thousand primes in about a moment, and portable computers could do it in maybe half a period.
You could do a lot better by using more intelligent search methods, but that wasn't the point.
Tom selects the tool, turns the screen towards Arjay, and runs it.

Running...Done!
Time: 0.00 moments

Arjay: I...don't understand.

Tom looks at the screen, and frowns.

Tom: It finished too quickly, do you have a longer assessment?

Arjay realises what he's being shown, and pokes around for the longer assessment.
After a few moments, he finds what he's after.

Arjay: This one requires finding the first hundred thousand primes, instead of the first thousand.
It's intended for comparing servers, the kind that would run entire ships.

Tom runs the new assessment with the screen facing Arjay once again.
This time there's a pause, but the results are ridiculous.

Running...Done!
Time: 0.71 moments

Arjay barely manages to talk, he's still processing what he's being shown.

Arjay: Even the best servers don't come close...

Tom: Is this an acceptable exchange?

Arjay could swear Tom was gloating, but at the same time, he was offering this as his half of the deal.

Arjay: I'll...well, force a response.

Arjay starts entering a message in his computer, and Tom starts typing something into his "assistant".
Arjay sends his message before realising Tom's apparent distraction.

Arjay: What are you doing?

Tom: The reason I think it's a fair exchange is because both offer the same thing.
Information is power, after all.

Tom turns the screen to Arjay once more, it's the same message he just sent.
The coalition's encryption was supposed to be unbreakable, and here he was showing that message in effectively real-time.

[PERIOD 7 - MOMENT 614] Personal message from Bolo ambassador Arjay Roloho to Bolo adviser Calo Robal
[FLAGGED AS URGENT]
Calo,
The Humans have additional terms that need discussing.
I'll be in my quarters.

- Arjay

Arjay was slightly paler than before, as he realised they could practically tear apart the coalition.

Tom: I look forward to hearing from you.

Tom stands up, and heads for the door, with Loe following by his side.
He opens the door right as Calo was about to knock, catching him by surprise.
Calo steps aside, allowing Tom and Loe to leave, before entering and closing the door behind him.

Calo: What happened?

Arjay: They want soldiers.

Calo: What!?

Calo was, understandably, outraged. On the surface, it looks like a preposterous request.

Arjay: It actually seems somewhat reasonable.
They don't want us for our ability to fight, they seem to think we'd make good scouts.
That's not what concerns me, though.

Calo: And what does concern you, if not the lives of others?

Arjay briefly stared at Calo, before continuing.

Arjay: They offered computers in exchange for our projectors, but those computers are so powerful they made ours look like children's toys.

Calo: And this is somehow an-

Arjay: How long does it take us to decrypt a message not meant for us?

Calo wasn't happy about the attempt at driving the conversation, but nonetheless took a few moments to recall what was needed.

Calo: Two, maybe two and a half periods?

Arjay: Tom carries a device that had the contents of the message I sent you after a single moment.
A single moment.
Our tech may be able to rule out sneaky tactics, but theirs is capable of wiping out co-ordination in the first place. Any attempt to form a plan would result in an immediate counter the instant it was passed down the chain of command.

Calo is stunned, and goes deep into thought. His eyes widen as he reaches the same conclusion.
After a couple moments, he heads towards Arjay's stash of alcohol, and pulls out a particularly old bottle and two glasses.
Calo sighs, heads back to the desk, and pours them both a drink.

Calo: I don't like it, but if what you say is true, we have no choice.

Arjay picks up his drink and stares contemplatively at it, whilst slightly swirling it, before raising it.

Arjay: To the Alliance.

Calo grins, and raises his own glass.

Calo: To the Alliance.

Arjay slouches in his chair, and takes a mouthful of his drink.