Jelaza Kazone
Surebleak
In which there is good news and bad news.
Win Ton also knows who Clarence was, which is perhaps not surprising, since Win Ton is a Scout and the Scouts might be expected to have known who was doing what in their home port. What might be surprising is that, knowing who Clarence was, he’s so quick to trust him; part of that is probably that Theo trusts him, but it might also speak to a detailed knowledge of Clarence’s past: merely knowing Clarence’s old job description would probably be a count against him, but there have been better people and worse people to hold that job, and someone familiar with Clarence’s track record would know which side of the scale he was on.
Meanwhile, back on Surebleak, that quiet haven Theo was thinking fondly of while her crew were trying not to get blown up, Val Con has a metaphorical bombshell of his own to deal with…
This is strange:
Val Con talking to Clonak about passing a piece of information for the scouts up-channel:
“The massage is that the ship Bechimo is under contract to Korval.” …
“Also Scout Commander First-In Val Con yos’Phelium has inspected the ship Bechimo and finds it both sentient and sapient. It is thus a protected person, under previously established rules.”
“Previously established for Jeeves, you mean,” Clonak said, … “I’ll pass the message.”
If Val Con is informing Scout Command about Bechimo as an AI this early in the storry – even before he is fully aware of the split in Command – why is his judgment necessary in Neogenesis? Or is this a foreshadowing of the later judgment. It certainly shows the stand Val Con takes then – enhancing the ruling about Jeeves for IAs in general.
But I also find myself asking, whom Clonak talked to and how was that bit of news – that Korval employs another AI – received by that Command. Might this have been the last straw that let to the final division in Command? Might someone in Command have let anything about Bechimo slip to Ing Vie yos’Thadi? Has Ing Vie been purposefully looking to confront Val Con about Bechimo? Or has he been put up to do this? By whom? Or more clearly, who is now in Command of Liaden Scouts – now that all open minded scouts flog to Surebleak?
Othin: If Val Con is informing Scout Command about Bechimo as an AI this early in the storry – even before he is fully aware of the split in Command – why is his judgment necessary in Neogenesis?
It seems to me that it is a difference between a verbal opinion (yes, an opinion by a knowledgeable individual, but not yet sealed and recorded) and the official filing of a document attesting to that judgment.
@Ed8r – thanks that might be it – or part of it.
Also since this bit of about Bechimo is directly following Val Con’s admittance of his mistake and stupidity – it might be a not so subtle reminder of him still holding his position as an equal to Clonak within Scout ranks and using this rank and power as Scout Commander and Korval to do as much as he might while still having that rank.
@ Paul – and Win Ton’s seeming trust in Clarence. “What might be surprising is that, knowing who Clarence was, he’s so quick to trust him; part of that is probably that Theo trusts him, but it might also speak to a detailed knowledge of Clarence’s past: merely knowing Clarence’s old job description would probably be a count against him, but there have been better people and worse people to hold that job, and someone familiar with Clarence’s track record would know which side of the scale he was on.”
Another part of that seeming immediate trust in Clarence is just to show the readers how ill Win Ton really is. He doesn’t have the energy and time – and it is really out of his control – to not trust Clarence and Theo’s judgment in him. So he deals the hand he still has – in giving the ship Key to Clarence in front of witnesses.
And also – Win Ton must have been asking himself how trustworthy he himself is – and how much more he could have taken until breaking. He properly came quite near that point.