Datasets:
BlinAI
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Testo

Dataset card Data Studio Files
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"All good news, so why the bitter tone, Richard?"
Downing dismissed the orderlies with a wave. "I'm bitter because there's simply no indication that he had any intention of leaking the story on the Far Side a...
"No," Nolan said quietly, "probably not."
"So essentially, we're now sending a perfectly innocent man on a clandestine mission to the far reaches of interstellar space." Downing sat and crossed his ar...
Corcoran, avoiding Downing's eyes, scanned the day's bio data. "What's wrong with Caine's character?"
"There's nothing wrong with it-and that's the problem. He made a career out of speaking truth to power-and getting fired for doing so. In short, he's too stra...
But Nolan was shaking his head. "You're wrong, Rich; he'll get the job done. Besides, there are two shifts left before you reach Delta Pavonis: seventy days, ...
"With all due respect, Admiral, that is hogwash. That might be a lot of training time for an operative who already has the right background: military, counter...
Nolan nodded. "Yes, he's an author-and a big part of his success was that when he analyzed military or space policy, he got his hands dirty. He went and learn...
Downing grunted, picked up his dataslate from the booth's control panel. "Nolan, there's one last thing you might want to consider: a straight arrow like Rior...
Corcoran nodded. "I've considered it. Anything else?"
Downing shrugged. "No. I'll be heading off to dinner, then. Coming, Nolan?"
The retired admiral did not look away from Riordan when he replied. "Thanks, Rich. I'm not hungry yet. I'll see you tomorrow."
Downing nodded. "Bright and early." He entered the security code for the debriefing chamber's exit. It hissed open.
But as Downing stepped into the corridor beyond, he heard a faint sound behind him: Corcoran had left the observer's booth, was already next to Riordan's gurn...
Chapter Two
ODYSSEUS
Annoyed, Caine glanced up at the training area's control booth. "Do you have to keep distracting me while I try to memorize this circuitry?" He had frayed anot...
Downing nodded down at him. "It's part of the training. If you ever need to jury-rig a command override, or cut a control circuit, you will probably be in a l...
Caine looked around as buzzers shrieked and lights flashed erratically. "At least you left out the dangerous parts."
"In this scenario, the hatch just to your left-the one you're trying to bypass now-opens directly to space. And you are not wearing a spacesuit."
"Well, that's not a big deal, since the vacuum is just make-believe."
"That's a dangerous assumption, Caine."
"But this is just training. You wouldn't-"
"I suggest you work while we talk. A tight schedule such as ours means we have to train you using the fastest form of operant conditioning: negative reinforce...
Caine found that the hatchway seemed slightly ominous, now. He started stripping the next wire more vigorously. "Yeah, but this is a training exercise-"
"And, as I said, part of it is to train you to perform tasks while being distracted. So, as you work, I will continue answering the questions you asked about ...
Caine twisted the exposed wires. "If the exosapients have a technological edge, you'd be winning a victory just to get them to land on Earth itself."
Downing paused. "And how would that be a victory?"
"Hell, it's better than having them exterminate us from orbit." Caine looked for the green lead, found it snugged behind the red one: good thing I'm not color...
"Wouldn't mass landings be as bad as bombardment?"
"You won't be facing mass landings." Caine fumbled the multitool: it grazed across two leads, imparted a mild shock. "From what you told me earlier, FTL craft...
"Very well-but I still don't see how having them establish a beachhead is a victory for us."
Caine looked up at the control booth. "Are you familiar with the Vietnam War?"
Downing stared down: there was a split second of uncertainty in his responding nod.
Caine shrugged. "The Vietnamese were utter underdogs: inferior tech, lack of air supremacy, unable to strike at their opponent's homeland. But they won the wa...
"Not if their orbital fire reduces our cities to rubble first."
Caine shook his head. "If they intend to rule us rather than exterminate us, they'll want to avoid a 'final solution.' So you dangle the prospect of capitulat...
"And with their superior technology, how do you propose to get close enough to strike at them?"
Caine glanced up. "By getting-or prepositioning-forces inside their beachhead. And don't give me that doubting-Thomas look: there are always methods of infilt...
Caine quickly stripped the insulation off the last two wires. "Even the old ploy of the Trojan Horse still has merit; it just needs some clever updating. Hey,...
"Yes. But unfortunately, you have just run out of time."
Red lights flashed and spun; a klaxon howled next to Caine's ear. The hatchway beside him wrenched open with a high-speed hiss. But instead of finding himself...
And, as the roaring flume bounced him off the mock-up bulkheads-which Caine discovered were just as hard as real ones-he thought: Well, shit.
MENTOR
Nolan edged into the control room as the orderlies were helping a bruised and waterlogged Caine limp out of the test chamber. "How'd it go?"
Downing snatched up his dataslate. "A brilliant success and a dismal failure. Riordan effortlessly spewed out a number of completely novel-and potentially gam...
"Oh, Riordan isn't a genius. I mean, he is, but that's not what makes him useful to us. And that's not why he excelled at one task while botching another."
Downing looked up. "Then what was the cause?"