[dkstories] DoH Chapter 9

[Philistine]

um...wooo

 

i wonder what he'll do with them. *cryptic naughty thoughts*

Edited August 18, 2006 by Philistine

[old bob]

um...wooo

i wonder what he'll do with them. *cryptic naughty thoughts*

Congratulations Philistine

I hope I will do it next week

Old Bob

[TheDaniel]

Oh wow! I was just checking the forums and now I see this post.

 

Thanks Philistine, I think I have something important to read now.

Maybe I voice my thoughts afterwards.

 

Daniel

[C James]

um...wooo

 

i wonder what he'll do with them. *cryptic naughty thoughts*

 

Philistine, you did it AGAIN, and at 3:12 am!!! (2:12 am your time) WOW!!!

And guess what, I *DID* spot the new chapter by looking for your post!

 

Read no further is you haven't read the chapter! Possible minor spoilers ahead!!!

 

I found this chapter fascinating! DK seems to have thrown us for a loop. It's so easy to assume that the pro-democracy people are the good guys, but it looks like that's not the case here. Very interesting political dimensions!

 

The "bolt holes". Hmmmm!! I think that is definitely where the pirates are being supplied with ships from. And, something truly astonishing and unprecedented here: If that's the case, then I was actually right in a prediction! (please don't faint..) I said, several chapters ago, that the Pirates were working with some of the great houses.

 

I'm still predicting a "coup from within" by some of the powerful houses, in order to keep their power. They might be using clones and pirates as the external threat to shore up their own power, and the purge of Academy grads, especially their arrests, is looking more and more like Old Joe's officer purges in the 1930's.

 

One thing is puzzling me: No mention yet on how the Virus got on board. I'd have thought that would have been of paramount concern to Garret and his crew.

[EMoe57]

One thing is puzzling me: No mention yet on how the Virus got on board. I'd have thought that would have been of paramount concern to Garret and his crew.

Did we forget to include in the description of Adamant that it is running Microsoft Windows Vista for Warships? They forgot to update their anti-virus database after they loaded the latest McAfee Anti-Virus program.

[C James]

One thing is puzzling me: No mention yet on how the Virus got on board. I'd have thought that would have been of paramount concern to Garret and his crew.

Did we forget to include in the description of Adamant that it is running Microsoft Windows Vista for Warships? They forgot to update their anti-virus database after the loaded the latest McAfee Anti-Virus program.

 

Oh no!!! Not THAT!!! In a battle, the "Blue screen of Death" would have a rather literal meaning!

 

BTW, I like the ship names, especially "Adamant". Very reminiscent of the Royal Navy.

 

Perhaps Billy's wife will receive a command of her own, and if the ships are named on the British model, then she could end up in command of the Battleaxe.

[Red_A]

No, it is running Microsoft Blue Screen Windows for the US Navy

[Demetz]

:mace: How could you leave us with a cliffhanger like that!

[dkstories]

Cliffhanger? What cliffhanger? There was no cliffhanger in this chapter!

 

 

As for the virus...you're right, I haven't explained it yet. I just may never explain it in the story. It's fun watching all these...questions about it...hmm...yep, encourage my evil side.

 

I'm actually finding some time to write today...DOH 14 is it...

[C James]

Cliffhanger? What cliffhanger? There was no cliffhanger in this chapter!

 

Huh? Garret is given two specially designed pleasure clones, and his AI is laughing hysterically in his head? I think that's a cliffie!!

 

As for the virus...you're right, I haven't explained it yet. I just may never explain it in the story. It's fun watching all these...questions about it...hmm...yep, encourage my evil side.

 

ACK! Oh no!! Not that! :blink. But, then again, why should Garret be any different? After all, multi-billion dollar corporations routinely ignore virus vulnerability in our era... Oh, I think I'm finally seeing the plot now: We will find out more about Garret's mysterious ancestry, and it will finally be revealed that he's Bill Gates, Jr, which would certainly explain the lack of concern over viri...

 

Ummmm, ok, the question has to be asked: What is there that doesn't encourage DK's evil side?

[Philistine]

Huh? Garret is given two specially designed pleasure clones, and his AI is laughing hysterically in his head? I think that's a cliffie!!

 

that's what i was wondering about! it's what i was talking about in post 1. everything else may as well be considered inconsequential.

[C James]

that's what i was wondering about! it's what i was talking about in post 1. everything else may as well be considered inconsequential.

 

ROFL!!

Well, I suspect that Garret's commitment to the unavailable Billy is about to be sorely tested... (hmmm, did I just say sorely? )

[Myk]

ROFL!!

Well, I suspect that Garret's commitment to the unavailable Billy is about to be sorely tested... (hmmm, did I just say sorely? )

 

I get the feeling that Gary will enjoy their pleasure training more than Garret will.

[EMoe57]

I get the feeling that Gary will enjoy their pleasure training more than Garret will.

Oh Ye Of Little Faith!

[knotme]

... The "bolt holes". Hmmmm!! I think that is definitely where the pirates are being supplied with ships from. And, something truly astonishing and unprecedented here: If that's the case, then I was actually right in a prediction! (please don't faint..) I said, several chapters ago, that the Pirates were working with some of the great houses. ...

Leaving aside CJ's prognistications, I am taken by the specificity of the term "bolt hole": a hole through which an animal can "bolt" in an emergency. (Not at all what my silly engineer-scientist-self visualized ) Does this term have an established military meaning, or did DK apply this term for the first time in a combat setting?

I'm still predicting a "coup from within" by some of the powerful houses, in order to keep their power. They might be using clones and pirates as the external threat to shore up their own power, and the purge of Academy grads, especially their arrests, is looking more and more like Old Joe's officer purges in the 1930's.

One thing is puzzling me: No mention yet on how the Virus got on board. I'd have thought that would have been of paramount concern to Garret and his crew.

I tie these two notions. Perhaps the viri were planted as the ships were prepared to delivery. In that case, a separate virus would be taylored for each ship, shooting down my notion that the AI-equipped ship should suffer more than the others. Rather, it's matter of which virus was better suited to its task. Or to Ada's valiant struggle, if you want to get all romanic about it.

[C James]

Hi, Knotme!

 

Leaving aside CJ's prognistications, I am taken by the specificity of the term "bolt hole": a hole through which an animal can "bolt" in an emergency. (Not at all what my silly engineer-scientist-self visualized ) Does this term have an established military meaning, or did DK apply this term for the first time in a combat setting?

 

It has been used in the past, meaning roughly a hidden safe haven. A "safe house" in the parlance of the espionage community may also bear this moniker. For example, Saddam's "spider hole" was also a "bolt hole".

 

I tie these two notions. Perhaps the viri were planted as the ships were prepared to delivery. In that case, a separate virus would be tailored for each ship, shooting down my notion that the AI-equipped ship should suffer more than the others. Rather, it's matter of which virus was better suited to its task. Or to Ada's valiant struggle, if you want to get all romanic about it.

 

That's a darn good theory! They could indeed have been planted on the ships at the yards, tailor made for each one. Basically, an Easter Egg in computer parlance. BTW really do like your description "Ada's valiant struggle".

Edited September 19, 2006 by C James

[Graeme]

I know I'm really late, but since I've been pointed in the direction of this story, I'm busy catching up.

 

My view is that the virus was transmitted from outside. If this was a standard tactic used during the war, then this would explain the lack of concern about the source. Since all ships require communication, there's probably a vulnerability that they are all aware of and try to protect against, but it's always suspectable to attack. The only way to stop that sort of attack would be to close off all outside communications, including active sensors. That's a bigger risk than the chance of a viral attack, so they put up with the risk and just protect themselves as much as they can.

[C James]

I know I'm really late, but since I've been pointed in the direction of this story, I'm busy catching up.

 

My view is that the virus was transmitted from outside. If this was a standard tactic used during the war, then this would explain the lack of concern about the source. Since all ships require communication, there's probably a vulnerability that they are all aware of and try to protect against, but it's always suspectable to attack. The only way to stop that sort of attack would be to close off all outside communications, including active sensors. That's a bigger risk than the chance of a viral attack, so they put up with the risk and just protect themselves as much as they can.

 

I like that theory, Graeme! It makes sense.

 

That battle scene was one of the best I've ever seen in sci-fi. The three-dimensional headings alone really impressed me, as most sci-fi uses the very unrealistic two-dimentional frame of reference (fine for on an ocean surface, not fine for space).

[Demetz]

See... I got spoiled by the Homeworld games... where three dimensional headings make things extremely interesting in battles.

[dkstories]

The award for figuring out the virus the best goes to Graeme.

 

 

He's come the closest, getting it almost dead-right.

[Graeme]

The award for figuring out the virus the best goes to Graeme.

He's come the closest, getting it almost dead-right.

Yes!

 

And as my reward, I'm going to read the rest of the chapters this week

 

Of course, there goes my idea of printing them out to take with me on holidays, but you can't have everything....

[EMoe57]

Of course, there goes my idea of printing them out to take with me on holidays, but you can't have everything....

I'm sure you'll be glad you did!

...and enjoy your holiday