Visit to HQ

Summary

The narrative describes an agent's visit to HQ to download mission results, request support against Urite crystal marauders, and decrypt a cryptic message from Silvia using the Fedora Xtamemory Archives, despite the risks involved.

Abstract

The protagonist, an agent, visits HQ with a sense of unease, stemming from their unconventional entry into the organization. Despite needing rest after a mission on Venus, they must report to Command, share their findings, and ask for help against the Urite crystal marauders. The agent is reluctant to seek assistance, viewing it as a sign of weakness, but understands the mission's demands for additional resources. The successful intel gathered from Venus ensures continued support from HQ. This intel is crucial in combating the marauders' sophisticated memory weapon, which can brainwash and control agents. The agent also seeks to decode a cryptic message from Silvia, which leads them to the Fedora Xtamemory Archives. The archives' interface protocol is invasive and risky, involving nerve fusion and potential brain lesions, yet the agent proceeds, driven by the importance of the mission and the potential insights from Silvia's message.

Opinions

The agent feels like an outsider at HQ, which creates a sense of impending doom during visits.
Asking for help is seen as a sign of weakness, but the agent's intellectual side recognizes it as a necessary step for mission success.
The agent believes that the intelligence from the Venus mission will secure further support from Command.
The Urite crystal marauders' memory weapon is viewed as a sophisticated threat that requires advanced countermeasures.
Despite the risks associated with the Fedora Xtamemory Archives, the agent deems it a worthwhile endeavor to understand Silvia's cryptic message and advance the mission.
The agent values their personal relationship with Georgette and considers visiting her a beneficial respite from the mission, even though it's not strictly mission-critical.

Visit to HQ And the Fedora Xtamemory Archives

Visiting HQ always feels eerily like walking into a trap. I’ve felt this way on past visits to HQ and recognize that it stems from my nontraditional path into the organization. It’s probably better in a way being treated like an outsider, but that knowledge never diminishes the sensation of impending doom.

More R&R is not exactly what I need after that stint on Venus, which has provided positive next steps, but I do need to check in with Command at HQ to download the Venus mission results and request some additional help in dealing with the Urite crystal marauders. Keeping cover has it’s perks so I’ll take two days max at HQ and then one day at EB219 to see Georgette, with the added plus that it’s also my birthday! Visiting Georgette may not be mission critical but I really miss her company, and she always finds a way to recalibrate my tension levels.

Asking for additional support to continue this mission makes my stomach turn. I’ve always hated asking for help because it conveys a sense of weakness. I know that’s the primal brain speaking and fortunately the more developed intellectual part of my brain understands that this mission requires additional resources if it’s going to succeed. Fortunately, actionable intel goes a long way towards selling Command on providing additional resources.

Fortune favors the fool hardy, and also me in this case. The recently obtained intelligence from the Venus mission pretty much guarantees Command’s continued support. HQ will certainly appreciate updated knowledge of the Urite crystal hijacking and the next planned hijacking of another Urite crystal shipment. Details of the memory weapon’s sophistication will also prove to be invaluable.

Discovering how their weapon operates improves our counter measures and other efforts to thwart the effects of mind flashing. Brainwashing may have once been an effective close contact weapon, but the tech used to flash brain functions with artificially implanted memories makes the former seem like ancient mythical voodoo. The weapons ability to selectively incapacitate an agent, implant artificial memories, and elicit control of future specific behavior has been devastatingly effective.

Then there’s Silvia’s cryptic message. The Fedora Xtamemory Archives are my first and best chance to understand what Silvia’s message really means. I’m hoping she’s OK but I can’t let emotion interfere with determining my next steps on this mission. My guess is that she knew I would go to HQ to decrypt the message. One thing is certain, Silvia must be handling the situation well enough to be able to leave a cryptic message, although she left much to chance by delivering the message in the clear.

After my distressing yet successful visit to HQ, I immediately headed to the Fedora Xtamemory Archives

The Fedora Xtamemory Archives interface protocol is a daunting process. First, interfacing with the archives must be done in person via direct connect due to neural network access security restrictions. Your body temperature must be lowered to 92° to match the room temp used for the nerve fusion coupling. Then breathing the nerve fusion gas, even for the 5 minute limit is chilling and literally breathtaking. Lastly, brain lesions result from the coupling process 3% of the time. Notwithstanding all of this, decrypting Silvia’s message and furthering the mission was well worth the risk.