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Julie has a medical emergency. And several other emergencies.
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[I dunno how I'd be sure of that]

 

[He couldn't fly it]

 

 

[We are both dying here  :D]

 

 

[Terminal just autosuggested the rolling on the floor laughing emoji which isn't what I meant there]

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[He could make us fly it with his psychic powers]

 

[But the shuttle's on its way]

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[Thanks]

 

 

[He might want a Healer too? So we survive the trip to Earth?]

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[When all this is over he had better use his mind control powers to get the dispute over the Roci's ownership all cleared up]

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[If I outlive Dad I'll inherit a fortune]

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[That's not to say you should go murder him right now, due process is important]

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[that's your argument, 'due process is important']

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[Were you expecting me to say that he doesn't deserve to die? Because I want him handed over to Anderson Dawes who'll shoot him]

[but after everyone knows everything]

[and all the proto's accounted for]

 

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[He might change his will]

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[He won't change his will]

 

[But we are kind of getting ahead of ourselves here]

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[His ship is actually fleeing]

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[Figures.]

 

She reports this to Leareth.

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:Good. ...I should have thought of this earlier, this plan leaves the downside that now everyone in the star system knows about Io and we will be leaving the protomolecule sample unguarded. I think going to Earth is urgent, but - maybe you could transmit a message to Ceres? Ask if they are willing to station a guard here or something: 

Leareth lifts his head, with effort. Smiles crookedly at her. :Assuming you trust him not to steal a sample for himself and run off with it: 

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He might do that! But also he can't fight off Earth and Mars. Will the proto get upset if we kill most of it?

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:I expect so! The larger problem is that the Healers are somewhat relying on its current ability to understand instructions and learn to stop killing us. If we make it small and stupid again it will lose those abilities and might even lose Mindspeech, I am not sure how much computation that requires for it: 

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Well, shoot. Possibly telling everyone where they were was a terrible plan but in her defense so was partnering with her father. Can it....burrow into the ground and be inaccessible from the surface?

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:I can ask it?:

Leareth does his best to translate Julie's suggestion into concepts that the Proto will understand. 

:...Can you? There is not danger now, but there may be, later: 

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Hide? ...Hide from radar? Hide from bombardment?

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- Hiding from bombardment is probably closer to what he means? Leareth is still not sure that the Proto is understanding any of the spatial concepts he's attempting to convey, but he does his best to show it - underground - miles of stone in the way if anyone tries to blast it - 

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There is a very small range-of-possible-energies-of-bombardment for which miles of stone would matter!

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It seems actually fairly plausible, to Leareth, that the attacks that the nearby humans may have to offer would be within that objectively-tiny range! Although hopefully no one will bother the protomolecule here while he travels elsewhere.

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Well it is too small to eat rock yet but with a little time it can go burrow into the rock in case of attacks in that objectively tiny range.

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How much more would it need to grow? Leareth doesn't necessarily want it to burrow and hide now, but he would prefer that the protomolecule be strong enough to have that option, before he goes away. 

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Two doublings. Four to be airborne.

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Leareth conveys this to Julie. 

:- It needs another two doublings before it will be strong enough to hide underground. However, it could manage this just fine by eating vats of bacteria, or printed kidneys, or fabricated blood... I am not sure which is easiest. It seems plausible that some options would be more - educational, for it - than others, but we will be able to give it instructions anyway so that is not especially relevant: 

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