Tycho Brahe#Emissary — 2346
+Tycho Brahe#Artemis — 2346
+Convergence T-0 days, 0 hours, 8 minutes
+Tycho awoke with the idea fully formed within himself.
So sudden was the realization that his immediate instinct was to shove it to the back of his mind and do his level best to forget about it. He didn’t want to admit it to True Name, to Sarah or Stolon, and even Codrin, grounding as ey was, seemed to be too real to discuss it with.
He barely even wanted to admit it to himself.
@@ -78,7 +81,7 @@Turun Ka lifted its snout. “We have passed the point where conversations must wait. All topics are open. First, however, recorder Codrin Bălan,” Turun Ka said, swiping a hand through the air to produce a sheet of paper. “Please send this to Castor by the usual mechanism without encryption, after you have all authenticated the message with a personal detail to ensure that this is viewed as a mutual decision. You may send those signatures encrypted.”
True Name accepted the sheet, read through, thought for a moment, then scribbled a short note on the bottom. She handed the sheet to Codrin, who did similar.
When it arrived before him, Tycho skimmed through the letter: “Both parties…agreed…fifthrace…welcome…” followed by a few blocks of unsettled text that he supposed must be the eyes-only signatures of the Artemisians and the other two emissaries before him.
-What could he possibly write that would ensure that Tycho#Artemis knew the letter was verifiable? He looked around at the other emissaries, thought back through the last few weeks, and wrote: “Remember what True Name said to you in the field: He may know the law of all things yet be ignorant of how We are working to completion, working on from then till now.”
+What could he possibly write that would ensure that Tycho#Castor knew the letter was verifiable? He looked around at the other emissaries, thought back through the last few weeks, and wrote: “Remember what True Name said to you in the field: He may know the law of all things yet be ignorant of how We are working to completion, working on from then till now.”
He passed the note on to Sarah, who affixed her signature and handed it back to Codrin. Ey held it briefly, looking to be deep in thought, then nodded. “It has been sent, leader Turun Ka.”
“Tycho,” True Name said, loud enough for all to hear. “Do you remember the poem I quoted to you the night of first contact?”
He nodded.
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night,” he finished, grinning. “That was the last thing I said to myself before uploading. It’ll be the last thing I’ll say before I leave Castor.”