Non high-tech surveillance system for the Temple?

A question: what if we try to infiltrate the Temple with some of NON high-tech surveillance/eavesdropping system?

Obviously, the Temple is not an isolated bunker, and a huge variety of things has been transported to there regularly. What if we try to "bug" something - furniture, luxuries or even dress - with a microscopic, non-electrical surveillance/eavesdropping system, basically a microscopic phonograph? It wouldn't work wery well, but it would be completely invisible for Temple detectors.

For example: Clyntahn, Duchairn and company obviously, wear clothes. I do not think that they sew it and wash it right in the temple. What if we (using the remotes) get into the sewing workshop and equip the buttons with a miniature listening devices? And when the clothes would be again outside the Temple (they must wash it regullary, after all?) our remotes would take the information out.

Yes, that has been suggested before. It might work, but what information do you really think it would be able to give? I doubt that Clyntahn's clothes ever get outside of the Temple complex, and Merlin doesn't want his remotes within a mile of the complex. The complex is huge, with more than just the main Temple. All the food preparation, washing, and housing for guards and staff are within the complex. You might be able to get some purely mechanical recording devices inside the complex, but you could not control where they went, or whether they ever came out, and if they are purely passive you would not be able to tell when they did come out. And it's highly unlikely that any would actually get anyplace interesting.

They don't need to know the temple layout--they already have access to people who have been inside and can describe it. They may not know some of the private areas, but there isn't much need for them to know about that either. These mechanical bugs are unlikely to accidentally catch secret meetings unless they are able to target a very select group of people--most of whom they have no hope of getting close to. And purely mechanical bugs have no hope of learning anything about whatever Federation technology may be inside the Temple.

What about old technology that is new again, a small film camera that all the spy/infiltrator is asked to do is point and click. No flash needed, therefore no battery. Disguise it in such a way that if any questions were asked they would be easily deflected. The camera would come out with the spy and then dropped to be processed.

The small film camera maybe possible but the problem here is getting the person with the camera into "top secret" areas.

There will be areas of the Temple where only trusted individuals are allowed (which includes trusted servants).

If your spy/infiltrator is one of these trusted individuals, then the camera is only "icing on the cake" as he can give you any information needed that the camera could.

schoeffelk wrote:What about old technology that is new again, a small film camera that all the spy/infiltrator is asked to do is point and click. No flash needed, therefore no battery. Disguise it in such a way that if any questions were asked they would be easily deflected. The camera would come out with the spy and then dropped to be processed.

What you would be hoping for with the camera would be classified documents to photograph. I would imagine that if your infiltrator is a first or second level beaurocrat (sp) you might have a shot at something like that.

Don

DrakBibliophile wrote:The small film camera maybe possible but the problem here is getting the person with the camera into "top secret" areas.

There will be areas of the Temple where only trusted individuals are allowed (which includes trusted servants).

If your spy/infiltrator is one of these trusted individuals, then the camera is only "icing on the cake" as he can give you any information needed that the camera could.

schoeffelk wrote:What about old technology that is new again, a small film camera that all the spy/infiltrator is asked to do is point and click. No flash needed, therefore no battery. Disguise it in such a way that if any questions were asked they would be easily deflected. The camera would come out with the spy and then dropped to be processed.

Dilandu wrote:

A question: what if we try to infiltrate the Temple with some of NON high-tech surveillance/eavesdropping system?

This is actually an interesting idea given the info we got in the first couple of snips.
i.e. There's a new player that might have access to the very secure temple locations that Merlin (and friends) are interested in.

tootall wrote:Dilandu wrote:

A question: what if we try to infiltrate the Temple with some of NON high-tech surveillance/eavesdropping system?

This is actually an interesting idea given the info we got in the first couple of snips.
i.e. There's a new player that might have access to the very secure temple locations that Merlin (and friends) are interested in.

Thats a better idea too tall, let Nynian do it. In fact she mat already have several contacts and spies already feeding her intel from inside the temple

Sharp Claw wrote:
Thats a better idea too tall, let Nynian do it. In fact she mat already have several contacts and spies already feeding her intel from inside the temple

She claimed to have a source within the Inquisition who told her when Clyntahn intended to drop the hammer on the Wylsynn Circle. He would have to have access fairly high up to know that in advance.

n7axw wrote:What you would be hoping for with the camera would be classified documents to photograph. I would imagine that if your infiltrator is a first or second level beaurocrat (sp) you might have a shot at something like that.

Don

DrakBibliophile wrote:The small film camera maybe possible but the problem here is getting the person with the camera into "top secret" areas.

There will be areas of the Temple where only trusted individuals are allowed (which includes trusted servants).

If your spy/infiltrator is one of these trusted individuals, then the camera is only "icing on the cake" as he can give you any information needed that the camera could.

Detection would of course require that the device be recognized - don't remember anyone talking about photography or phonography of any sort on Safehold. You could probably walk in with an equivalent of a 110 instamatic camera imbedded in a staff or other common object with no worries of detection. Photographic or mechanical phonographic audio recording devices are another option - an edison dictaphone would probably not even breech the proscriptions and could be buried in some replacement furniture to replace what Cyntain has broken in the last week... (a clock work drive lathe and cutter is not that hard to make). You could also imbed a device in the janitors mop - you don't need smart, you need access. It worked for the Russians on the Manhattan project, hardly anyone looks twice at a janitor emptying a waste basket or questions where its going.

AirTech wrote:It worked for the Russians on the Manhattan project, hardly anyone looks twice at a janitor emptying a waste basket or questions where its going.

I'm imagining this being defeated simply by the Temple having built in garbage chutes in every room. Which lead to nanotech bays that scavenge the garbage for raw materials to keep the Temple running. It can even be considered another sign of the Temple's holiness that it can just make trash and waste vanish.

"Hey, why is that servant carrying garbage around the Temple instead of dumping it in the nearest trash receptacle?"