1??????????????Soul Bound


    1.2????????????Taking Control


    1.2.1??????????An Icy Welcome


    1.2.1.12???????Melchior


    She appeared back in The Burrow’s viewing room.    Alderney was frantically talking to three people at once, and a simulacra Alderney appeared to be giving a television interview.    She quietly teleported to her bier and looked at the screens.


    Tomsk and Bungo had changed into volleyball gear and were discussing something, probably tactics.   Vessel-Alderney was with Columbina who intently watched Flavio pass a wand over two rabbits, one who was nibbling a petit four.   The wand flashed red when passing the nibbling rabbit.   Bulgaria was dressed to the nines, in a showy version of noble style that bore all the hallmarks of a Signora custom tailored creation.   Nastya was briefing him while CrimsonMoon commanded the volleyball players with her customary air of authority.    Wellington was greeting the approaching cavalry escort led by Herberto Landi and Vessel-Kafana was giving a weeping Hachiko a hug and talking earnestly to him.


    She looked at Balthazar’s status board:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    refreshing sleep??completed


    sense danger??????ongoing


    be prepared ??????ongoing


    brain shield??????recommendation ready


    sapiogenesis??????recommendation ready


    sous-chef?????????suggested


    major domo????????suggested


    media shield??????suggested


    personal trainer??suggested


    world analysis????suggested


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Kafana: “Report on brain shield.”


    Balthazar: “In this sort of situation, you don’t plan for the average or most likely threat; you look at the worst case, and plan for that.   So I started by assuming that someone in XperiSense wants to kill you or, failing that, harm and control you as much as possible.    Then I look for different ways they could go about doing that.   I’ve plugged 13 loopholes that could cause death or significant brain damage, and another 46 that could cause lasting emotional trauma or manipulate you into arlife dangers such as telling them your location or mistaking poison for sugar.   My confidence that I’ve found all possible attacks is low.    Fundamentally, allowing third parties direct access to your brain is a risky endeavour.   Your best bet is to detect an initial attack and disconnect before they realise it has failed and move onto trying something else.”


    Balthazar: “Among my recommended precautions is asking Minion to switch from warning you about actions liable to breach your anonymity to inhibiting your words before they reach the game, and seeking your active informed consent before sending content he considers risky.   You would be literally unable to say the word “Nadine” or “Bosnia” while logged into the game.   It would benefit you if your fellow Wombles agreed to using the same measure, and I’m suggesting tying it into the predictive model matching your profile as presented over the net versus the profile your local authorities are likely to have upon you, rather than using a fixed word list.”


    Kafana: “Good work.   Send it to Robin and ask him to get Wellington to check it over, with my recommendation that we set up a group quid-pro-quo policy that everybody guards everybody else’s security.   If Wellington okay’s it, then go ahead and let Minion know I’m happy for it to be implemented without further input from me.   Does it apply to postings on The Burrow too?”


    Balthazar: “Not currently, but it is general enough to be easily adapted for that usage too, with The Burrow’s cooperation.   I’ll look into it.”


    Kafana glanced at the screens.   Vessel-Kafana seemed to be using the purple gem to try to learn riding skills from Herberto Landi.   Wow, if that worked, it was an enormous hole in the game.    But Vessel-Kafana didn’t know she lived in a game, so that wouldn’t occur to her.   Not only was she missing relevant data, she was also unaware of how much relevant data she didn’t have.   It seemed rather unfair.   How could someone in that position possibly make good plans?   And there wasn’t even an afterlife she could receive compensation in, after her eventual permadeath.   Just thinking about the ethics of it made her head hurt.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Kafana: “You got an ok from Robin and Minion on your design for Melchior?”


    Balthazar: “Yes.   Robin commented that in general buying access to specialist deep data sets can be expensive, especially timely stuff connected with finance, but as it happened most ethics theory was open source and Robin already has a vast amount of financial data which Melchior may access free of charge.   Wellington will talk more to you about that, this afternoon.”


    Kafana: “Ok, go ahead and birth Melchior.”


    {Minion, please give Melchior the same in-game interrupt ability as yourself and Balthazar, so I can use his name to short-cut any interception by the game’s System.}


    Minion: [Yes, Nadine.   By the way, when using me to send messages to Wombles not currently logged in, I have the brain areas that correlate with such attempts well enough mapped now, that you can just directly use their name and I will detect it, without you having to add my name as a code word.   If it helps you remember, you could address them as ooc-Alderney, or similar.]


    {Minion, thanks!}


    She glanced at the screens again.   Vessel Kafana was standing by the Mud Gate talking passionately to Hachiko.   Something was a little strange about the picture of Vessel-Kafana seen by Wellington, as though there were subtle stage lighting that highlighted her features to make her the centre of attention.   Was this an effect of her Aura of Power?


    A measured confident voice, a bit like that of John Doer, interrupted her thoughts: [Within the next three days, the price of property along the newly paved road is going to increase dramatically and you, Kafana, are well placed to use this to benefit the residents of Basso, if you take action now.]


    Kafana: “Melchior, I presume?”


    Melchior: [Indeed.   If you instruct Emmanuelle to acquire the appropriate permissions before Lord Pazzi thinks to ask for a cut, you can create a hall for adventurers to meet in and collect quests, safe residences for Vessels, local branches for services new adventurers will need such as repairs, food, potions, equipment and so on.    Establish classrooms for more convenient apprentice-level training in the most popular professions, to reduce the bother to the Watch Tower, Sanctum and Mage Tower, get locals involved in providing services and give them a stake in the venture succeeding, and it should be self-funding and bring wealth and stability to Basso within three months.    I don’t think the residents of Torello realise quite how many adventurers are going to be arriving in the next two weeks, or how big a business catering to them is going to be.]


    Kafana: “That’s a bit much to take in right now, but I’m glad to see you’re on top of things.   Put your suggestions on a board in the bier.   Oh, and have a think about what I should be gifting to those who helped defeat Kullervo.”


    Melchior: [Indeed.    I mention it only because you’re going to be rather busy later on today, but right now you’re going to have 20 minutes just riding slowly beside Wellington, and with your permission I can forward the suggestion to him, and the two of you can have a chat about it as you ride.]


    Kafana sighed.   “Balthazar, I want you and Melchior to design yourself avatars, just so I have something suitable to glare at.   I can’t glare properly at just a voice.   Minion, you too.”


    Minion: [My apologies Great Queen.   Melchior has been trained in your own sense of ethics and urgency.   What you are feeling now is rather how you leave everyone else feeling when you know you are right and that there are vital principles at stake.]


    Kafana: “Hoi!”


    But then she collapsed in helpless giggles at the absurdity of it.   “Ok, ok, I guess I brought this one upon myself.    And I’m not quite stupid enough to order Melchior to learn to be subtle and ‘manage’ me, even if that would be more comfortable.   Let’s just say it’s a bit of a shock.   Melchior, glad to have you on the team.   I’ll take your suggestion.   I see they’ve just set off down the road.   Please tell Wellington to warn Vessel that I’ll be swapping in using group skill ‘stealth flipping’, then give them and myself a 1 minute time mark before sending him your suggestion.”


    [*DONG*  60 seconds to flip.]


    Kafana: “So you’re based upon my ethics?   Is that upon what I do, or upon what I say?”


    Melchior: “A little of both, and where you contradict yourself or there’s too little direct data, I default to a form of Utilitarianism whose utility function best seems to predict your decisions in other circumstances.   The effect my designers were aiming for was ‘what Kafana would have chosen to do if she’d had longer to think and more information available to her’.”


    [*DONG* 30 seconds to flip.]


    Kafana: “Talk to Minion to book a timeslot for us to have a good chat.   I need to clue you into the wider context of what we’re trying to achieve here.   Having the process by which the decisions are arrived at be visible in-game is an important factor.   This is the sort of thing that shouldn’t be decided, no matter how good the intentions, without involving the local stakeholders.    Money gives you power, not the right to exercise that power any way you can get away with.”


    *flip*