Thirty
Contains spoilersOverview
Nau hears a rushed petition to aid the kidnapped Spider children. After exposing unauthorized resource use, Qiwi persuades him to approve a single, covert key insertion to nudge Spider decryption. On Arachna, Smith, frayed by the crisis, expels Unnerby. Thract reports a Kindred coup led by Pedure; Underhill decrypts intercepts pointing to the Plaza Spar, prompting simultaneous, discreet raids.
Summary
Nau convenes a Right of Petition: Pilot Manager Jau Xin and allies admit they used emergency codes and major resources to trace the kidnapped Spider children. Reynolt and Kal Omo denounce the abuse. Nau reiterates the need for secrecy and nonintervention, seemingly denying direct action—until Qiwi proposes a low-risk test: subtly altering the Accord’s distributed key trials so one session decrypts. Reynolt allows a single “glitch,” and Nau authorizes revealing one key, retroactively absolving Xin’s overuse.
On Arachna, Unnerby staggers through an exhausting night, checking on Sherkaner Underhill and a postdoc laboring over number theory to crack intercepted signals. He returns to the joint command while Smith manages field teams and the uneasy coordination with locals.
Frayed by loss and pressure, Unnerby makes a clumsy remark about the children’s souls and “out-of-phase” birth. Smith explodes, strikes him, and, regaining icy control, banishes him from the operation. The staff reels as Unnerby departs in silence.
Rachner Thract arrives with fresh intelligence: the Kindred’s propaganda has surged, and a coup has installed an Extreme Measures faction. Several Deepest have been executed; Pedure emerges as the ruthless architect, aiming to leverage Smith and Underhill through the kidnappings rather than start a premature war.
Calls cascade: Underhill reports he has “found the key” and decrypts the prior night’s intercepts, locating the children at the Plaza Spar. Belga Underville, downtown, reports a torn silk banner on the Bank of Princeton tower. Smith orders quiet, simultaneous probes of both sites and moves to silence the city police sirens, directing the team downtown.
Who Appears
- Victory Smith
Accord general; under extreme strain, strikes and expels Unnerby, then directs discreet, simultaneous raids downtown.
- Tomas Nau
Podmaster; stages the petition, condemns resource abuse, then authorizes a single covert key insertion to aid Spider decryption.
- Hrunkner Unnerby
Exhausted veteran; misjudges words about the children, is struck by Smith, and expelled from the command post.
- Qiwi Lisolet
Advocates low-risk meddling; proposes injecting a decryption key via Spider distributed computation; sways Nau.
- Rachner Thract
Accord intelligence officer; reports Kindred coup and Pedure’s rise, framing the kidnappings’ strategic purpose.
- Sherkaner Underhill
Guilt-ridden inventor; works number theory, then reports he has the key and decrypts intercepts to Plaza Spar.
- Belga Underville
Field commander; manages locals, finds a banner on Bank of Princeton, and executes quiet probes under Smith’s orders.
- Jau Xin
Pilot manager; led unauthorized analysis locating the captives; is reprimanded then retroactively absolved.
- Anne Reynolt
Science/translation lead; condemns resource misuse, permits revealing only one key as a plausible ‘glitch’.
- Kal Omo
Security sergeant; highlights emergency code abuse and is told to keep watch on the petitioners.
- Rita Liao
Petitioner and Xin’s partner; emotionally invested in the Spider children and the rescue effort.
- Jaybert
Postdoc in the signals lab; assists Underhill’s number-theory effort and relays the decryption lead.
- Trinli
Sits apart at the petition, signaling prior objections; otherwise observes the proceedings.
- Pedure
Kindred operative; identified by intel as the ruthless leader behind the coup and kidnapping strategy.