As the occasion had been thoroughly spoiled by HORUS having a pissing match, the public transfer and handover of Xing was basically canceled for the time being. If only to not chance the possibility of another ambush, however unlikely that might be in the wake of the assault being defeated so. Knowing our opposition, I really just didn't want to try my luck.
Especially when one of said sides regarding the organization decided to stick around instead of taking off. In case 'V1P3R wants to do best two of three,' in 1un4's- Luna's- words. Yeah, I think I'll call her by the latter instead of that leet gamer tag she has.
Her words, not mine.
Of course, just because she says she's on our side doesn't make folks any less jumpy or suspicious. Understandably so as she clearly had refrained from introducing herself until now. Even if she was the one who had saved Erica during the hacking incident, Harrison Armory itself would probably demand something like remunerations for 'fiddling with company property' or something to that effect. Even though the hardware she'd fried via Goblin jacking was technically ours.
She actually did apologize for that and, with a flick of the fingers, sent over a lump sum of manna that suddenly appeared in our budgetary accounts. Alongside payment for the prison vehicle that she vandalized and claimed as her lodgings. I mean, I guess that with how you could probably compress a bunch of appliances in a sci-fi future, maybe it'd work? I still can't imagine that limited space being comfortable to anybody for prolonged periods of time.
Adding onto my bemusement was the fact that the entire time, she continued to stay inside her Goblin. Even when we confirmed for sure there were no more hostile presences for the moment, Luna still remained in the cockpit of her mech. Any and all hints that she could disembark now were firmly deflected away, all framed inside that livestream that has never once let up. Which was actually possible thanks to hardsuit functionality.
Yeah, I didn't need to know about the science of nutrient recycling, thank you very much.
That being said, the Goblin itself is just barely bigger than an actual person. It was one of those half-sized mechs from the game I recalled, being described as basically being more akin to like augmented power armor than a full war machine. It nevertheless was quite tall and large, easily standing over me in comparison, but definitely dwarfed compared to something like my Chomolungma. Yet I knew that with a single glance, what was surely a lancer within could disable my entire squad with very nasty malware.
Our own friendly lancer could perhaps be taken down as well, given it seemed to be her weakness in general. Erica wasn't thrilled about fiddling with computers and would probably sooner set fire to one than figure out how to dial an access port. She also wasn't very happy that Xing's handover was suspended for the time being, though that frustration thankfully seemed to be more directed at the general mess of the situation than at me. Including the bit where she lambasted her superiors for running around like headless chickens.
It's even worse now from what I gathered, as the accompanying Purview Media made themselves quite the fools for multiple reasons. First, they got themselves on the shit list of my own military forces, leading to probable individual disbarment from collaborative events including them. Bye bye special press pass, it's a privilege that we give out for behaving, not a right to act like spoiled asses.
Then they were also very late in the story that Melhof and CBS ran involving the Luna's livestream, which captured a good chunk of the clash so. I had been worried until it was explained to me that she was using some sort of auto-censor program that could live edit the stream, including things like identifiable details, colorful language, and even bloody viscera to keep it omninet legal. That's one hell of an overlay in my opinion.
It also meant that the livestream had no reason to stop and continued all the while even as we got into cleaning up the mess. Luna never turned it off, even going so far as to have her avatar sleep on camera. Which was...I mean, in my old world, I wasn't blind to their existence. But neither did I really see the appeal of listening to somebody snore the entire time.
Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. And well, if it worked here in this galaxy, then it worked.
What didn't work anyway was the failure of Purview Media in being shown up by the local stations, which probably came off as an unintended slap to their pride. Megacorp reporters got beaten to the punch by a very smug movie producer, and they weren't taking it too kindly. However, since Erica was there giving them a gimlet eye, they couldn't do anything but rebroadcast those reports for what had happened regarding the canceled ceremony.
They couldn't do much on site without offending their already disgruntled hosts, so I was more worried about how these reports could possibly be received by Harrison Armory. While the information source couldn't be filtered or changed at all, I was especially worried about how perhaps their anchors and presenters would spin the story such. Would they admit that HORUS had lured them out, got the jump, and almost humiliated them even further? Probably not.
Would they try to shift the blame and say that it was because our sector of space was in chaos that such a situation had arisen? That, I could see as being more likely, and it would perhaps trickle over to whatever the senior executives would chose to do next. Something that their local representative was waiting for too, alongside the promised reinforcements supposed to show.
Well, I guess we'll figure it out then. But even they were a much easier headache to digest than the other organization that suddenly arrived on my lap. Like a mangy, feral, and flea-ridden cat that certainly still has its claws, HORUS showed up, parked itself on my desk, and dared me to do something about it.
I mean, I sort of wish I could. But at the same time, it wasn't like I had many options I was aware of. Trying to kick Luna out would have been an excellent exercise in futility, save at gunpoint, and wow that's a level of escalation I don't think I ever want to consider when dealing with the organization.
So naturally, that meant it was they who escalated the matter first.
Is it too late for me to consider just banning computers forever and ever? No, wait, that'd make Veronica sad. The things I put up with for the sake of my subordinates...
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"Oh? If it isn't the big cheese himself!" cawed the Goblin's speakers when I approached the...'hideout' was too strong a word. So too was 'lair.'
Hangout, I suppose? Because that was the vibe that this location had, being a little place that HORUS seems rather interested in decking out for whatever reason. Of course it wasn't their permanent site, given that the streamer was right now living out of a former government personnel carrier, but it also had things like ripped sofas and plastic chairs brought in to sort of add a sort of residency feeling to the location. It was also where Luna had asked to meet up with me.
The knowledge that this spot was literally beneath an overpass made me want to snort at the buried joke within. Yeah, a troll under the bridge, real clever GM. But somehow, I felt like pointing that out would probably derail Luna before the conversation even began.
So I settled for just a plain greeting. "Hello. How have you been?"
"Eh, just kicking rocks, drinking pop, and doing a little corporate espionage." The hand of the Goblin waggled about. "You know, real boring stuff. There's not really a real cyberspace around these parts, which makes things realllll dull."
I stared, then decided that it was wise of me not to ask about the last bit. Probably even wiser to have somehow not gotten entangled in this, but ah, it's a bit late for that. "I'm sorry to hear that, though you understand that we aren't exactly so well-developed yet to have a such developed omninet presence. We're admittedly still trying to settle for a real world presence first."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Doesn't make it suck any less though. What's a gal like me going to have to do to get some react content for my audience?"
Stars, it felt weird knowing all this internet slang in contrast with my 'noble' upbringing. I knew at least two language dialects, and they were equally feeling out of depth. I'm pretty sure that if I had brought anybody except maybe Melhof, they'd have long since been lost to confusion and bafflement. As it was, there was at least somebody with me who could at least check her seemingly bottomless well of knowledge to understand context for the conversation, somewhat.
"According to contextual usage, 'reaction content' is oft linked to 'streamer lacking originality,'" Veronica noted, my ever-present lapel flashing as she spoke. "Does this indicate that 1un4 has run out of local inspiration?"
"Hah! Not in the slightest, but well. I think doing any of them without permission is asking for trouble." The mech's hands raised to do finger guns at me. "But hey, maybe I'll get perms for that today! Wouldn't that be sweet! Come on, take a seat and let's get set up for a quick little drop-in chat!"
I eyed one of the torn sofa cushions briefly before deciding to settle for one of the plastic chairs. They looked a little cleaner. While I sat down in one, the Goblin scurried over to the claimed vehicle and then retrieved what looked like a laptop with surprising dexterity. Claws that I've seen bury themselves into circuitry to force total system hijacking pluck the slightly dinged device with incredible gentleness, the sort of control which must've taken a very long time to master. I don't think even Erica could be that exact with her own Genghis fingers.
Maybe it was the fact that the Goblin was so much smaller, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if the hands were directly controlling each and every digit directly. I couldn't say for certain, but at the very least, I was sure that Luna was a precise pilot if nothing else. Something that probably matched up with the typical HORUS MO even.
The laptop flipped open to reveal a screen, one that tuned itself to a familiar scene once a few keys were pressed. Soon, the resolution sharpened as the connection solidified and Luna's cartoon avatar was seen bouncing almost whimsically at the side of the screen. "Alright then, now we can talk face to face!" she cheered, making me quirk one of my eyebrows.
The expression was matched by the video recording of me on the broadcast, a fully uncensored face because of my status as a public figure. "Does this really count?" I asked, hearing my voice repeated a heartbeat later via the machine. "I haven't exactly seen what you look like."
"What do you mean? You have!" the digital avatar declared, giving a loud huff. "This cute digital angel is right here! You're being silly."
"The same could be said for you."
"And sometimes you need just a little whimsy in your life!" She winked, then bobbed her head towards me- no, towards my lapel pin. "By the way, just flashed the access port to my server little V's way! Feel free to join in so that we can collab!"
The badge dimmed, then pulsed. "Commander. Do I have permission to connect?"
I blinked, then frowned. "You could if you want," I began, then continued when she appeared to stay her hand. "I just wouldn't suggest it. It'd be her domain."
"Yeah, and it's awesome!"
"It's also completely unvetted and likely lacking security certifications." To say nothing of whatever potent viruses or trojans that Luna could slip into Veronica without her notice. It could be argued that was always going to be a possibility regardless of if my adjutant made direct contact or not; But at the same time, caution was a good byword for prevention. "I don't think we've established a strong enough rapport to trust you so closely quite yet."
Veronica was quiet for a moment before announcing her decision. "Commander Moores makes a reasonable argument. Perhaps in the future, but for the moment, I would like to politely decline this invitation."
I braced myself and readied to bolt towards my security element if need be, but Luna seemed to take the rejection with only an exasperated groan. "Fine, your loss. Guess it'll be an audio-only podcast then." Her avatar twitched and the live camera feed flickered, a whiteboard suddenly manifesting in a spot on the stream. One that wasn't there in real life, but when Luna's character moved over to scribble on it, the writing stuck. "Alright then! I called you out here cuz I'm properly settled in after everything. It hadn't been comfortable hopping around from bed to bed, but hey, I've got my own wheels now. And they're pretty sweet. Thanks for selling them to me, by the way.
"So I figured that you probably deserve some answers to questions that I might be able to answer. Fire away."
Before I could begin, I hesitated and glanced at stream itself. "Might we have a little privacy for this?" I delicately asked. "What we chat about might not be fit for public viewing."
"Oh, already done."
"What?"
"Right now, my viewers are listening to me chat and ask about local landmarks, eateries, that sort of mundane stuff." Her avatar traced a circle in the air. "And you're answering with great enthusiasm, I might add."
I sat there, thoroughly perplexed. Then Veronica chimed in. "Commander, she's telling the truth. I have her stream up on an independent instance and you are talking about a good place to get some snacks."
"Wha- how?" I all but demanded, brow furrowing. "Are you faking my voice, somehow? Using a simulacrum?"
"Oh, that's a good idea! But really, I just pulled your audio from an old interview on CBS," Luna revealed. Come to think of it, I do recall doing something like that not too long ago for a small little occasion. "All I had to do was sync up your lips to the recording and edited it over. It's nothing so special."
"I see. Aren't you worried though?"
"'bout what?"
"About people finding out."
"Hah!" she suddenly exclaimed with a slightly maniac laugh. "If only I'll be so lucky for somebody keen enough to catch on! Don't worry about that, don't think I've got enough viewers yet to chance that."
That didn't sound right. "What do you mean?" It took a few moments for me to actually process her admittance, and ask the better question. "How many are actually watching?"
"Commander, I have the numbers," Veronica announced, pausing only to probably double-check. "They are...relatively speaking, compared to average streamer on said platform, very low. Omninet slang oft categories such audience numbers as 'zero view mary.'"
I'll admit, I had been expecting a different sort of phrase and was slightly thrown off by that subversion. "What does that mean?"
"Well, you know how on Cradle, Everest is apparently the very peak?" Luna explained before sighing slightly, losing just a bit of that bubbly energy. "There's apparently a place called the Mariana that's the very lowest. But that doesn't quite roll as well off the tongue, so folks decided to just call it mary. So if you're a 'zero view mary,' you're not yet in the big leagues."
"Ah." I winced, then inclined my head slightly. "I see. So you don't get many listeners, huh."
"Only for now!" The energy returned in force then, with much greater zeal now. "You can't give up and just be a numbers doomer! Keep at it! Zero or one million, gotta act all the same! That's how you get out there!"
"I see. An admirable attitude." I meant every word of it too, earnestly. It might be a bit hypocritical of me to say, given that my family had bought my commission, but I still did start from almost nothing when it came to developing the Cavia Committee. "I wish you luck in that regardless. Hopefully, the CBS re-broadcast got you some new viewers."
"Oh, it was huge! If it weren't for punching V1P3R in the face repeatedly, I'd probably be so focused on that!" Luna gushed wildly. "Even if it didn't last too long, I did get some new watchers popping in here and there! You folks don't yet have much of an omninet presence, so I'm not exactly expecting everybody in the world to be tuning in. But those few who did really gave me some encouragement."
That was heartening to hear, that she at least found a warm reception in that regard. It could perhaps be made better, if I could learn why she, and HORUS, were here at all.