The Centre Cannot Hold

Greta, it’s Benzi. Benzi Leonidas. I’m using this alias to contact you because I think that they can read my ordinary email.

Look, it turns out that the angel investors who helped me get going were not so much angelic as, well, criminal. They’ve got my family, Greta. And there’s something on that data pylon that they want – it’s not your job, but it’s on the same pylon. And they don’t really care about collateral damage – that’s how the only copies of this stuff wound up on that one server ship. I’ve been trying to persuade them that it’s lost, but it’s not. I’ve attached the coordinates and planned path of the server ship – maybe you can manage to retrieve it before they do. If you can, I can get out from under them, and pay you back somewhere down the line.

Please, Greta? I really need your help.

Oh man, I wish you hadn’t asked me that.

I really, really can’t explain. Not now. Maybe not ever.

We’ve found the data pylon containing your records. Unfortunately, the data pylon containing the encryption schema is corrupt, so we’re going to have to brute force them open. Not sure how long that will take.

So yeah, two jumps forward, one jump back.

Benzi

Yesterday would be good…

Greta

Look, this is basically a formality, but you really need to get in touch with us. Otherwise, we’re going to have to go to legal on this. You don’t want that, we don’t want that, but I can’t stall this out any longer. Get in touch, Benzi.

Greta