Episode 4

2350-12-20 Wednesday

Morning

The campaign starts with Number/NoDot receiving a video message from their girlfriend Hecate. Previously, Number had sent her the files found on Emilio Castille's hand terminal.

"Hi Dot. I hope you’ve been getting into all kinds of trouble. So listen, I kinda forgot about all those files you sent me until last night, and wow, I haven’t really slept. Is this a prank? Did you find somebody really smart to prank me? She better not be prettier than me.

"This thing is fucking wild. It doesn’t borrow a single mechanism from our existing biology. There’s no way it would occur naturally, with all of the quantum chemistry involved. This thing is, like… fucking chef's kiss sleek, too. Peak efficiency. Peak beauty. It’s… kind of fucking terrifying. Okay, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

"So first off, what we’re looking at here is a macro-molecule, which is exactly what it sounds like. Most macro-molecules are dumb--like rubber, for example. Others are a little more complex, like proteins. But this? This? I’ve never seen anything like it. There’s basically a whole fucking, like, quantum computer crammed in there ready to do… well… something. The data you sent doesn’t include that. But what does this molecule do, you ask? So get a load of this.

"Cool thing it can do number one: it can build. At first I thought this mechanism just existed so that it can self-replicate, but I was thinking small. When I found that computer inside it, I realized... it can build whatever the fuck it wants. And of course, that brings us to cool thing it can do number two: it can deconstruct matter too, which makes sense because how could it build stuff without materials? But get this: nuclear transmutation, which is, um… it’s literal fucking alchemy, Numbie. Like... it wouldn’t even need carbon atoms to make sugar. It could just pop the bits off a few hydrogen atoms and throw away the nuclei, or save it for later, or whatever! Doing this kind of thing is challenging on a large scale, but absolutely unheard of on a molecular scale.

"Now, I already know what you’re thinking: if this thing is just a molecule, where does it get enough energy to do any of that? And, well… I’m not sure yet. It is insanely efficient, and definitely has all the requisite functions to store some chemical energy, but that would never be enough for… fucking space alchemy… I cannot get over that. I was actually just trying to figure out where the energy comes from when my chat reminder went off a minute ago. Until I figure it out, I really couldn’t tell you how fast it can turn a bicycle into a puppy or whatever... but it could. Eventually.

"Oh also, not to boast, but I’m not sure a room full of quantum biochemistry post-grads could’ve figured all this stuff out in one night. Hell, I’d be surprised if they could figure it out in a week. I got a bit lucky with where I started my investigation, but also GOD I am at the top of my fucking game. It’s too bad I love sustainability so much because I’d fucking kill it in whatever quantum-bio-phys-chem fuckery sub-field this is. I really want to incorporate some of this stuff into my plants, but ah fuck who am I kidding, there’s no way I could synthesize anything like this with my equipment. Also I’d probably be in like… deep violation of some patent or imprisoned for life for IP theft or murdered by a hitman. Blech.

"Anyway, I digress. What else, what else… Oh yeah. So this stuff definitely had to be synthesized. There's just no way this molecule would have occurred naturally. But it would also be impossible to produce this thing with any lab equipment I’ve ever heard of. But obviously... the alternative is incredibly far-fetched, so what I wanna know is: who the fuck is making this and where the fuck they did they get their grant funding??

"Oh also, this goes without saying, Number, but if you have some of this stuff, don’t fucking touch it unless you want to slowly turn into a bicycle. And I wouldn’t bank on it turning you into a puppy, even though that would be pretty cute. Well… the puppy would be cute. The process would probably be horrific.

"So yeah, if you could cough ask cough whomever you got these files from for more of them, I really want to know what the designer’s intention is with this. The data you sent me only contains the raw structure, so... unless you have more of those files laying around, we’ll just have to use our imaginations regarding what the fuck the in-built computer is for.

"Soo, that’s just about everything interesting about that so far. I can’t wait to hear from you! Hope you’re having a great time with your space friends! I’m expecting to receive your first message in about… fifteen minutes, oops. I guess I started recording a little early. Ok. I should definitely go find some coffee and make some breakfast and totally not spend every second until your message arrives investigating this thing some more. Kisses, nerd. Hecate Out."

She ends the transmission with her signature CRT line-collapsing effect and sound effect.

NoDot sends a message in response:

"Well... ooookay. I understood, I'm gonna say, around 12% of that. But I'm gonna say I understood the energy of it around 80%. Um... Impressive, terrifying... So." NoDot sighs. "I'm gonna level with you, I'm a little out of my depth here. We told everyone on the ship about the molecule, and we're also talking about maybe... throwing it into the sun. Which... I mean, I hope it won't turn the sun into a puppy or something. That would be bad. Ohhh boy.

"Alright I'm just gonna... You know I have control over our security channel lines and have been keeping them up. I'm just gonna do a quick top-level thing. Just for a check-in, could I maybe root around a little bit in your base's security systems, and try to make sure any information that you've researched has not flagged anyone? Please let me know, I don't wanna violate your space, but I also don't want you to be dead. That's probably number one to respond to.

"Number two: do you mind if I bring some other folks from my crew in here?" NoDot is clearly reluctant about this. "The clock is ticking, and we've been two days into space, and we're talking about sending this thing to the OPA, which, you know how I feel about that. But obviously if it doesn't go to them, then it could go to Mars, or to Earth, or to the corporation that made it, which is called Protogen. You probably know their name.

"Yeah. So, that's--that's high level, umm... Let me know when you get this message, and also maybe take the rest of the day off. I would love to do a little chat with the other people on the ship who are all kind of in on this plan. Oh also, what if we pretended to throw it into the sun, and I told all of my friends that I did, but then I didn't, and I kept the capsule and I hit it in my wall."

(At this moment, Nikki's player puts his face in a pillow.)

"What if I did that? Because practically, one of the big concerns we have right now is 'is this thing synthesized?' And you obviously are very smart and beautiful for noticing that as the big question. How is this thing synthesized? Obviously it was all black-box locked down, I can't even get into that info. It was made on Phoebe. And it was these Protogen people. And I think we should not use this thing for stuff, for the obvious reasons. So maybe we should get rid of it. But then what if they can make another one? So what if we didn't get rid of it, and... I just held onto it in case someone else made another one, so that we could we weaponize it politically, or physically? Also, they did testing on kids! So, gross!

"Okay, um, love you, I'm panicking. Let me know when you've got a chance to respond."

In Hecate's next message, she's holding coffee but she seems a bit jittery. She likely hasn't eaten. She replies:

"Boy, that's a lotta stuff to cover. So let's see, where to start, where to start...

"First of all, I have no fucking idea how they would synthesize this. Like I said, I'm not aware of any equipment that even hypothetically could do it. But what I can tell you is that if some does exist, it's... probably pretty trivial to produce more of itself. So I would not necessarily bank on it being the only one.

"As far as hiding it in your wall goes, it really depends on how you've contained it. I would say it's a bad idea, but giving it to the OPA sounds like an even worse idea, so... Just be fucking careful, okay?"

Hecate gives NoDot permission to root around in her research facility's security. Immediately upon hearing this, NoDot starts pulling up the greenhouse's systems and improving their security, and scrubbing Hecate's access records.

Hecate also says she hasn't told anyone about this, and NoDot can bring in their friends if they want, but she feels bad for not having more time to chat one-on-one first.

NoDot pings Nikki, Alfie, Kova, and Lu to come to their room to meet their girlfriend. They respond:

Nikki: OMG i've wanted to meet her for so long!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️🙌

Alfie: k

Kova: i'm on my way

Lu: It is emotionally healthy to have a partner of a romantic nature. I am happy for you.

The group gathers in NoDot's room. Nikki was mid-work out, training to fight with weapons in her hands, so she arrives in a sports bra and leggings and carrying knives.

NoDot gets everyone up to speed. With this new information, the group decides that destroying the protomolecule would be useless, and might turn the sun into a bicycle.