SCMR Chpt 72

<<Next Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
==Chapter 71 - Self Configuring Modular Robot==
----
The Memorandum was..
...written in plain Vietnamese, with German language and English translations. The title was "Instructions to the Coast Guard and Naval Reserves" and it was authored by Lady Elizabeth Anne Ngo, Baroness of Spider Moon and chief sponsor of the Kowloon Coast Guard Militia.
The Maskirovka almost missed it, if not for Sun Tzu's interest in all things related to the Kowloonese Lyran Physicist who apparently cracked the secret of Kearney's 19th Theorem.
"It's brilliant." Sun-Tzu Liao said.
The document, in this case a copy obtained through a mole placed at Mount Asgard in the Doctrine and Training department. It hadn't even reached the Federated Suns half yet, and it was already in his hands.
"Pardon?" Cheska was, for want of a better term, his personal servitor.
"I said, this is brilliant. The instructions themselves are basic common-sense, when you think about it. Dedicated astrophysical mapping of known shipping routes with an eye toward determining orbital periods and the placement of Lagrange points, the instruction goes further into ordering a survey of those points to build a predictive navigational database, there is a funding order from her holding to finance the construction of stable astronomy monitoring and mapping stations, and it's consistent, the plan she's got outlined here makes complete sense."
"I don't understand, My Lord." Cheska shook her head, "What is so significant about-"
"Pirate points? Pre-mapping them? Setting up a database that allows pre-calculation of them, for navigation inside a system using jump drives? or to pre-load coordinates for, say, express shipping or military movement using pirate-point-to-pirate-point?" he explained. "this is something someone should have been doing all along...but nobody was. shaving weeks off of transit times over shipping routes-which is what this will do, since it is built around a semi-civilian agency tasked with commerce protection, disaster relief, and law enforcement...I wish I'd thought of it, but the best I can do now, is copy the plan-because it is a good plan."
"But won't your mother object?"
"To what? A plan to thwart piracy and improve the economy? A defensive plan that just happens to work toward our people's strengths, and will thwart our foes?" He scoffed, "Cheska, I brought you in because you're intelligent, please don't make me regret that choice."
"Of course, Milord." she said humbly. "I was simply pointing out obstacles you will need to overcome. Your mother is quite...practiced in her methods."
"You mean, 'brutal, violent, and psychotic', Cheska, and yes, she is. However, the methodology of this slides into her paranoia-if we can sew up 'escape routes' and boost the security of the Confederation, she will welcome it. I already have a plan to present it to her in that context."
----
<<Next Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
072, Chapter