Human Treecat Names

tlb wrote:

Shannon_Foraker wrote:What do you think Sonja's treecat name might be?

In To End in Fire we learn that her guard-cat's name is Hunts Silently, but we do not see the cat think of her name.

ThinksMarkedly wrote:That's an un-adopted treecat, so he hasn't got a new name.

My guess her treecat name is "Makes Impossible Possible."

She is able to make the impossible possible because she "Thinks Clearly".

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:I have always felt that Shannon may not be catted for the same reason she is not dating or married. She is much too busy. Her mind is on her work. Same goes for Sonja.

Albeit, I used to think the same thing about Einstein as well, until I found out he had a beloved housecat named Tiger that saw him through many of his theories. So, what do I know.

At any rate, Shannon and Sonja probably do not get out very much at all. They might spend very long hours tinkering and doodling. Both women probably go for long hours without eating. I am not sure either woman would be good for a treecat, or a husband, long-term.

However we know from To end in Fire that Sonja does have a guardian cat and Shannon might not. So the question could be: why one and not the other?

As for the lack of a husband, they could have each other and not need anyone else.

Yes, Shannon/Sonja is my OTP for the Honorverse. Don't try to convince me otherwise.

tlb wrote:However we know from To end in Fire that Sonja does have a guardian cat and Shannon might not. So the question could be: why one and not the other?

Might it be that they need to travel to Manticore-A system to get a bodyguard assigned? I don't think the RMN/GF is shipping untasked treecats around to take positions.

tlb wrote:However we know from To end in Fire that Sonja does have a guardian cat and Shannon might not. So the question could be: why one and not the other?

ThinksMarkedly wrote:Might it be that they need to travel to Manticore-A system to get a bodyguard assigned? I don't think the RMN/GF is shipping untasked treecats around to take positions.

That is possible, or they decided that the secrecy of Bolthole's location meant that Shannon did not face a major threat. But with all the people being relocated there from Manticore, there would not have been any problem in bringing an extra cat along.

tlb wrote:.
That is possible, or they decided that the secrecy of Bolthole's location meant that Shannon did not face a major threat. But with all the people being relocated there from Manticore, there would not have been any problem in bringing an extra cat along.

So does everybody going to Bolt Hole have to pass an interview over-watched by a Tree Cat?
I ask because we have seen that the Alignment can use nanites to plant someone as an unknowing assassin. Either way, wouldn't Bolt Hole command that level of clearance if your sweeping for spies?

Brigade XO wrote:

tlb wrote:.
That is possible, or they decided that the secrecy of Bolthole's location meant that Shannon did not face a major threat. But with all the people being relocated there from Manticore, there would not have been any problem in bringing an extra cat along.

So does everybody going to Bolt Hole have to pass an interview over-watched by a Tree Cat?
I ask because we have seen that the Alignment can use nanites to plant someone as an unknowing assassin. Either way, wouldn't Bolt Hole command that level of clearance if your sweeping for spies?

Treecats can't detect a spy until or unless the nanites kicked in.

tlb wrote:That is possible, or they decided that the secrecy of Bolthole's location meant that Shannon did not face a major threat. But with all the people being relocated there from Manticore, there would not have been any problem in bringing an extra cat along.

Brigade XO wrote:So does everybody going to Bolt Hole have to pass an interview over-watched by a Tree Cat?
I ask because we have seen that the Alignment can use nanites to plant someone as an unknowing assassin. Either way, wouldn't Bolt Hole command that level of clearance if your sweeping for spies?

cthia wrote:Treecats can't detect a spy until or unless the nanites kicked in.

However the tree-cats are also being presented as first class lie detectors and that would be their purpose in a pre-Bolthole interview. Since the Malign does not know what they might find at Bolthole, the only nanites are probably of the suicide protocol type; at which point the cat is no longer needed.

tlb wrote:

tlb wrote:That is possible, or they decided that the secrecy of Bolthole's location meant that Shannon did not face a major threat. But with all the people being relocated there from Manticore, there would not have been any problem in bringing an extra cat along.

Brigade XO wrote:So does everybody going to Bolt Hole have to pass an interview over-watched by a Tree Cat?
I ask because we have seen that the Alignment can use nanites to plant someone as an unknowing assassin. Either way, wouldn't Bolt Hole command that level of clearance if your sweeping for spies?

cthia wrote:Treecats can't detect a spy until or unless the nanites kicked in.

However the tree-cats are also being presented as first class lie detectors and that would be their purpose in a pre-Bolthole interview. Since the Malign does not know what they might find at Bolthole, the only nanites are probably of the suicide protocol type; at which point the cat is no longer needed.

The pre-interview is a good idea. But even it won't detect an assassin. Assassins aren't even aware that they have been compromised until the nanites activate.

All but the best spys -- and or the most elaborate and well planned missions -- might be detected. But a well groomed spy would evade a treecat because the truth that they believe is non compromising. Such as it is with Audrey O'Hanrahan.

But I have always believed that the MA can literally turn anyone into an unwitting spy. A spy that does not know he is a spy should be within the abilities of the MA, i.e. ...

Why can't the MA kidnap someone like LT. Meares was kidnapped and infect them with nanites in the same way, but also install a device that digitally records everything seen and heard. Like the device the Klingons secretly installed in Geordi's visor to see the frequency of the shields when he went down to engineering and glanced at the screen.

cthia wrote:Why can't someone be kidnapped like LT. Meares was kidnapped and infect them with nanites in the same way, but also install a device that digitally records everything seen and heard. Like the device the Klingons secretly installed in Geordi's visor to see the frequency of the shields when he went down to engineering and glanced at the screen.

Tim Meares wasn't kidnapped. All that happened to him was that his cab driver blew a nanite smoke puff on him without him ever realising that it was a problem. That was such an innocuous happenstance that it would never occur to him that he was being compromised, so he'd report to RMN security. Someone who's been kidnapped should never be let back on duty until fully cleared by a panel that includes toxicological and psychological screening.

Star Trek is not very realistic in that sense. I watch it and enjoy it (especially SNW nowadays), but I am really sad that the Pocket Books late-24th century stores were brushed aside for Star Trek: Picard, which is not good sci-fi. The books had their flaws, but they were at least consistently above the majority of Picard and Discovery plotlines.

Back in the HV, I suppose the MAlign could have some other techniques up their sleeves that would allow them to hide the fact that someone was kidnapped in the first place. But those may themselves have flaws: we know that compulsion can be detected by treecats (see Princess Adrienne's short story); any new technique the MAlign has come up with is therefore untested against treecats, so they wouldn't know for sure that detection is impossible.

But granting them that it works, what do they gain about it? Finding the location of Bolthole would be a major coup, but not very actionable. The Sanctuary system is surrounded by thick clouds of gas, so a ship passing through will be detectable, stealth or no stealth. It's also defended against all conventional attacks, so the RF couldn't send marshall a force strong enough to take it out -- not even if they combined with all of Galton and the SLN had prior to their respective surrenders.

This is even assuming they can tell the location. Most people aboard ships going to Bolthole won't know where they're going. They may be able to report how long the trip took and that it involved a wormhole transit, but not where it led unless they had access to navigational charts, which one be lying around.

ThinksMarkedly wrote:Finding the location of Bolthole would be a major coup, but not very actionable. The Sanctuary system is surrounded by thick clouds of gas, so a ship passing through will be detectable, stealth or no stealth. It's also defended against all conventional attacks, so the RF couldn't send marshall a force strong enough to take it out -- not even if they combined with all of Galton and the SLN had prior to their respective surrenders.

This is even assuming they can tell the location. Most people aboard ships going to Bolthole won't know where they're going. They may be able to report how long the trip took and that it involved a wormhole transit, but not where it led unless they had access to navigational charts, which one be lying around.

Finding the location of bolthole would leave it open to a Oyster Bay type of attack. A low speed ballistic entry would not affect the dust clouds enough to be detectable and the orbital factories and shipyards would be easy to find.

If the nanites could record everything that they see and hear, then you might have such a spy device. To replay the data might require capturing and dissecting the subject. However the act of recording would require the nanites to accumulate mass in a way that would likely be medically noticeable, in the same way that a brain tumor has side effects.