BLUE OYSTER CULT

PORT CLINTON LOCALISED NET 

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 [SYSTEM: LOCALIZED PACKET-MESH PROTOCOL V4.2]
 [LOCATION: PORT CLINTON, OHIO]
 [CARRIER: UNINTENTIONAL RX FREQ BLEED]
 [BAUD RATE: 2400 BPS (AFSK)]
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> INITIALIZING CRT RASTER...     [OK]
> CALIBRATING SCANLINES...       [OK]
> DEGAUSSING SHADOW MASK...      [OK]
> SCANNING LOCAL PEER NODES...   [OVERRIDDEN BY HIGH POWER]
> MEASURING SIGNAL DELAY...      [66.7ms / DEEP SKY ORIGIN]

USER_0X7F HAS JOINED THE FREQUENCY.
MIK3 HAS JOINED THE FREQUENCY.
FISHERKING HAS JOINED THE FREQUENCY.
TOTAL ACTIVE NODES: 3 
[READY FOR INPUT]
[12:00:45] USER_0X7F HAS JOINED THE FREQUENCY
[12:00:50] MIK3 HAS JOINED THE FREQUENCY
[12:01:40] FISHERKING HAS JOINED THE FREQUENCY
12:02 0X7F still down for 12:30 yeah?
12:03 MIK3 yeah me and Will are coming tght
12:03 0X7F see u 2 at the diner
12:04 FISHERKING i got a guy fronm the aeronautics thread to come
12:04 FISHERKING dont b late
[12:04:45] USER_0X7F HAS LEFT THE FREQUENCY
[12:05:10] MIK3 HAS LEFT THE FREQUENCY
[12:05:12] FISHERKING HAS LEFT THE FREQUENCY 
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 [SOURCE: AUDIO RECOVERY]
 [LOCATION: HARBOR DINER, PORT CLINTON]
 [MICROPHONE: TAPE RECORDER]
 [RECOVERY QUALITY: 87%]
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The bell above the diner's door rings as three men step inside. Rainwater drips from their jackets. A waitress waves them toward the back booth.

A fourth man is already waiting. Tape recorder on the table.

> WILL
Took you long enough.
> 0X7F
Sorry. Mike insisted on stopping for gas.
> MIK3
The needle was below empty.
> FISHERKING
He's also shorter than I imagined.
> MIK3
Can we not do this?

The waitress arrives with four coffees. Nobody touches them.

> WILL
So tell me exactly what happened.
> FISHERKING
What? No pleasantries?

FISHER audibly takes a long sip of his coffee.

> MIK3
SO. I printed the logs and saved them like I said.

WILL looks over them, papers shuffling loudly.

> WILL
It just... joined?
> WILL
You're sure it wasn't someone spoofing the frequency?
> 0X7F
Trust me, that was the first thing we checked.
> FISHERKING
There's, what, five of us that still use the forum?
> FISHERKING
On a good month.
> 0X7F
We figured someone was screwing with us.
> MIK3
We just talked to it.
> WILL
So, Blue Oyster, right?
> 0X7F
That's what it called itself.
> MIK3
Pretty sure the full name was...
> MIK3
"Earth Observation Probe Blue Oyster."
WILL leans back.
> WILL
. . . Jesus
> FISHERKING
So you heard of it?
> WILL
I know of it.
> WILL
There was a thread on the aeronautics forum about it. Years back.
> 0X7F
So, its a real thing?
> WILL
I thought it got shut down.
> MIK3
Shut down . . ?
> WILL
Earth observation satellite. Government funded.
> WILL
I remember reading that it failed almost immediately after launch.
> FISHERKING
Then why's it online now?
> WILL
No fucking idea, might not even be it
> MIK3
So what do we do?
> WILL
I know someone who can help.
> 0X7F
What, we going to NASA now?

PAUL scoffs it off.

> WILL
No, Jackass.
> WILL
I know this professor, Evelyn. Retired now but we can talk to her.
> WILL
Used to teach orbital mechanics at the University of Michigan.
> WILL
She can help us.
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