While the ship is in jump space Oliver determines the content of Projects #2, #4, #5, #7 (which gives him some trouble) and #8.
The ship emerges from jump at
Riddle on 211.346
RR01 – usually just as Oliver would be going to bed.
Nearby space is clear and for once Halcyon doesn’t bitch about the jump. He sets a course for GRRAS in the Grand Kirton asteroid belt with an ETA of only about two-and-one-half shifts.
Dicard and Halcyon have those shift watches and during that time Oliver gets some sleep and investigates projects #12 and #15.
Summary of IT Project Findings
Project File | Project Description | Notes |
#2 | Statistical analysis tool for geological samples.
| - Project dates from c.~206 kCy
- Built as a small stand-alone tool with interactive map for geo sample analysis
- Map files loaded for Pristine but package could use any maps in appropriate format
|
#4 | Cryptanalyis of a starship’s coms log entries.
| - Project dates from c.~209 kCy
- Ship is a Dominion Navy Patrol vessel
- About 40% of the communications over a period of 127 Cy were decrypted.
- There is no analysis of the communications.
|
#5 | Spaceship traffic analyis for Zarg’s World. | - Project dates from c.~207 kCy
- An analysis report is provided that suggests optimum windows for lone ships arriving and departing Zarg’s world with high-value cargoes and cargoes meeting two other profiles
|
#7 | Cracking open a secured and encrypted hard drive; files relate to business dealings of a Bureaucrat on Captree | - Project dates from c.~208 kCy
- No analysis of the content is provided, just a raw data image that is in turn extractable into decrypted files
- This one was problematic for Oliver and took him quite a while to figure out what he was looking at (perhaps ironically, given what he is currently working on)
|
#8 |
Spaceship traffic analyis for Mundo Zargo
| - Similar to project 5#
- Project dates from c.~207 kCy, although this project is from data from a slightly earlier time period and the final report is less polished
|
#12 | Analysis of a series of images to recover hidden information. | - Project dates from the current kCy, 211
- A series of still images have been analysed to see if information is hidden in the file structure
- A brief summary report indicates that data is hidden in the file, but the author (presumably Argyle but not identified) believes that the data is probably a one-time cypher and so cannot be further decrypted in a meaningful way
|
#15 |
Statistical analysis of economic data obtained from Octant 3 trade bureau.
| - Project dates from the current kCy, 211
- A large dataset of transactional trade data has been analysed
- A summary report indicates that it is likely the figures have been tampered with, and gives a list of instances
- The report’s author recommends seeking the advice of an economist as his skills are limited to locating the issues, not inferring their meaning
|
Oliver is on a short watch finalising #15 when Halcyon and Dicard arrive, settle in to their stations and Alan brings the Snark in for a smooth docking at Grand Riddle Research and Academic Station.
Dicard makes a call into the station and says they have arrived. He says they and their ‘loot’ will be escorted to Frederick by a cordon of Vizierate wardens. He tells everyone to secure the ship and grab their gear.
NB: Oliver’s glasses are still under construction.
Is there anything Oliver would like to do before leaving the ship?
Leave my glasses and my laptop here and prepare to move all the items…
I forgot to mention making a digital copy of all the stuff I found on the way here… bugger.