The Smuggle Verse, Scene 2, Nanobots

Gregg (Jayne), "You know, what are you going to do if anyone pops the question? We are running dangerously close to exposure, what us taking a security job and all."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "I've covered my tracks very well. We are prepared for the close encounters."

Gregg (Jayne), "What, your impenetrable disguise that all the money ever paid to you has to go to Central Intelligence to keep your past hidden, all dark and mysterious like smuggler persona? Even that coat rack that your lack-of-information disguise hangs on can only hold hats of so large. It makes a nice excuse though for smuggling.  You not having to be all altruistic and mushy like Wash."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "Wash did do a bang up job back there. It is not just my cunning disguise."

Gregg (Jayne), "Or mine. You think anyone will notice that the nanobot nest my mother knitted me is the real threat and not the seven-thousand pound monstrosity? I hope the burning flame colors of yellow, orange and red don't set off any plot alarms. She always did have a sense of humor out of control."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "We hate nanobots, remember? We have 7,000 lbs. of monstrosity to prove it."

Gregg (Jayne), "Yeah, but you're not just running one game. Nanobots, genetic engineering and mind-computer interface. Three high profile games if the public ever finds out you are not only playing both sides, but you are both sides they'll lynch you faster than a nanobot bites."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "It'll be fun."

Gregg (Jayne), "Seriously, Mybrid. What if the question gets popped?"

Mybrid (Malcolm), "We just covered the topic of 'bots. That leaves genetic engineering and mind-computer interface for me to choose from. Care to lighten the load?"

Gregg (Jayne), "Neither, I'm talking Verner Vinge."

Mybrid (Malcolm), looks down, annoyingly annoyed, "What about him."

Gregg (Jayne), "What if some reporter gets the bright idea, carefully planted by one of your many galatic IQ enemies on all six-sides, that you claim Verner Vinge as your favorite author and yet here we geniuses are, in dumbed-down Firefly. Verner Vinge is just a nano step from jumping to nanobots and my ass. I don't feel like getting lynched this week."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "I have no idea. If I try and lie every micro-expression, remote lie detecting computer is going to sound alarm bells the whole damn verse can hear. The entire game of running games these days is to be so subtle no one thinks to ask you questions. Lying is damn near impossible with 100% video. So I have no idea."

Gregg (Jayne), "No idea. Now that's a new one. A master mind of engineering both sides of, not one, but three identity issues that go to the heart of what it means to define human, and you, you, Mybrid, have no idea."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "I know my name, dumbass."

Gregg (Jayne), chuckles slightly, "A movie line? You must be scared shitless."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "He didn't beat me up. Nobody said that."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "This risk has been there the entire three years of this operation. Why is now any different than yesterday?"

Gregg (Jayne), "You don't know? Anakin's a big Verner Vinge fan."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "No, I must of overlooked that fact. Damn it."

Gregg (Jayne), "When I'm not on maintenance over half of my awareness is constantly managing a nanobot swarm and I get distracted. As far as we know, only River has more of her awareness plugged into a computer so I am right with the Lord. But you, you're absent-mindedness though, that defies your brain."

Mybrid (Malcolm), flash smiles, "All of my circuits are busy plotting?"

Gregg (Jayne), "Seriously, Mal."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "River says he's tacit."

Gregg (Jayne), "So he knows what we are up to? ...and he just doesn't happen to have an opinion or an agenda about any of the big three? That's kinda thin ice for us to skate on, don't cha' think?"

Mybrid (Malcolm), "River says he has a 40% chance of being a big player, and a 0.03% chance of being the player. With River on board he knows we have calculated this.  Exposing us exposes himself. He won't take that risk."

Gregg (Jayne), "That's hard to believe. A guy who runs a 100% entertainment ship with no other source of revenue? I find that hard to believe."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "Which is why Buttercup is the target. Why is a millionaire vote block on that ship? Also, Anakin has body hopped multiple times."

Gregg (Jayne), "Really? well, I leave the  plotting and scheming to you and River. I just thought I'd point out our shared, Verner Vinge, fire upon the sky exposure that is burning...'cause I know you forget things."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "We ready? I mean the nanobots?"

Gregg (Jayne), "The new nest my Mom knitted works well enough. The bulletproof fibers double as a nice 'bot nest than can solidify on a current as well as kinetics. The 'bots are communicating and practising swarm manoeuvers just fine. River says the new empathy triggers are strong. We should be able to do more than make someone twitch away from a bullet now. Maybe even drop to the floor."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "What if we made the floor slippery? Perhaps Vera can pull a Bond and spray silicon on the floor."

Gregg (Jayne), "Maybe, but that's not the actions of a killer robot."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "Yeah, maybe we should start deploying the silicon floor spray in chases to set expectations."

Gregg (Jayne), "Seven thousand pounds of momentum? on a silicon floor?"

Mybrid (Malcolm), "Can't you make the silicon, you know, weight dependent?"

Gregg (Jayne), "Maybe, I'll look into it. I might have to add a new set of wheels with a specific coefficient of friction that deploy only when the silicon is sprayed. Gonna cost ya'."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "Add it to the running bill against my permanent 'zero balance' account. Our reputation as smugglers is we leave the guards alive. Our would be law-enforcement officials being alive is key to getting nanobots accepted. What viewers we have like to see the bad guys embarrassed due to gun misfires, not dead. Weapons of peace. If only people knew how well nanobots work as grains of sand, gumming up the works and causing guns not to fire. And now we have split second, empathy controlled, electricity reflex inducement nanobots to help dodge bullets. Hot stuff."

Mybrid (Malcolm), "You ready to go back on line?"

Gregg (Jayne), "Almost, writing a letter to my Mom. Gotta thank her for my cunning hat and the clever fire sky coloring. Let's just hope that's the only fire upon the sky we meet up with tomorrow."


Well come! and Well met!