Traveller Inceptio
49

The gym and training area had evolved into the most likely place to gather for formal briefings. The cafeteria, where cook Brian churned out an array of filling meals, and the TV area next to their accommodation, were less formal locations perfect for sharing ideas. The weather had become rainy, so their training was conducted underground.

A mission specialist stood with his array of equipment and Murdoch gave her introduction in her clipped, private school accent. “As we investigate the operational details of Project Traveller, like all military missions, communication and support are matters of priority. We aim to provide the Travellers with the best equipment that won’t attract undue attention from the locals.”

Murdoch had become a source of ribald comment, and with the lanky Osborne and muscular McAlister, had particularly lusty fans. As she spoke, Hunter muttered to Hurley, “Nice accent.”

Hurley snorted. “She’s looking particularly hot this morning.”

As always, her appearance never changed.

“As we know, The Transporter involves the activation of a field that sends a target from this time to that time of one-thousand years into the past, so there is no means of maintaining a continuous line of communication. Now this is of concern, as even astronauts have contact with NASA or other space agencies. In our project, a Traveller won’t have that same level of support, meaning once sent, the Traveller will be on their own. The lack of communication and support are one of the issues that continues to work against the continuation of the project.”

Hurley merely grunted.

“Now, gentlemen, I’ll level with you. Unlike your past missions, Project Traveller is under civilian authority. There are a lot of voices out there trying to shut this mission down, for one reason or another, and as with most civilian missions, it’s been a rocky road of compromise.” Murdoch gave a rare, twisted smile. “We’ve been fighting to address our communication issues. Our guest today is John Shakeshaft from General Dynamics who has been involved in the British Military’s Bowman communications system for our troops on the ground. Some of you will be familiar with the system and John is the leader of a team contracted to come up with some solutions for us.”

John was a stocky, middle-aged man with crew cut and grey hair, and though in a suit, to Hunter he looked as if he was ex-military and understood the issues faced in the field. At Murdoch’s introduction, he smiled curtly. After a brief overview of General Dynamics and the Bowman system, with which the British troops were familiar, he went straight to the points of concern. “We’ve designed a system based on the Bowman system that uses a combined HF, VHF and UHF transmit-and-receive ability to make sure your communications are reliable. The real issue is that you can’t talk to anyone unless they are at the location time with you, so we’ve designed a system that allows the Traveller to transmit a regular report and data dump. All data will be sent to a receiving station with a solid-state drive that collects and stores all transmitted data. The station is planned to be collected twice daily, simply by sending a team member to collect the device, which will be little more than a series of aerials, receiver, transmitter, and a couple of backup drives placed into a case camouflaged to look like a tree-stump. In this simple manner, a researcher will record any data, images, and reports via a handset and then transmit the data, in data bursts similar to those used by global Special Force today.”

“The secret to this system is this module, which is a new development.” He held up a black box that was about twice as long as an iPhone. “This acts as a receiver of the local signal, whether it is vision, audio, or still images. Because there’s no need for computer input or GPS, it’s a much simpler system designed to gather your data and then transmit to the Base Station in a single burst. These transmissions will stream data automatically, such as on an hourly schedule, or can be sent manually. These are the heart of your system and will be charged via small, camo-coloured, flexible solar panels. Best of all, they are compact, tough, and will fit into the bottom of your pack. The only indicators are the charge light and the data light. Both lights are small and innocuous. The system can also receive feedback and instructions from the main base-station to be listened to via a wireless earpiece.

“In summary, the system means two-way communication, so command can offer information or support while making sure all data is collected regularly. Because of its minimal power needs, the module will remain powered for up to about a week before solar recharge is required.

“Now that we’ve covered the personal base module, some of the really fancy stuff involves data collection.” He picked up a piece of timber and a piece of raw leather with buttons attached. “These timber pieces are actually handsets which are designed to act as high definition video and sound recorders. They have their own data compression and storage chip so they can gather up to twelve hours of vision and sound before they transmit the data to the module in your bag. Range is something like three thousand metres, while the base station is approximately five-hundred kilometres, so do your best to keep your pack close. These handsets are rugged and waterproof, use little power, and should last a few weeks before any recharging would be required. To charge, simply place onto the socket on the station in your pack and recharge would take about an hour.”

He picked up the leather patch with the attached black buttons the size of a small marble. “And these are button cameras. From what I understand, these might be the units you use the most. Simply pin or clip them to your clothing and they transmit sight and sound directly to your handset, which you can keep in your pocket or a pouch. They’re small, tough, and give great quality sight and sound, but they don’t store data and their rechargeable battery only lasts about three hours. We suggest you take half a dozen at least, as you’ll probably end up losing a couple.”

“Water resistant?” asked Anderson.

Shakeshaft nodded. “Yes, they have to be waterproof to last through English weather. But they will break if you drop anything too heavy and solid on them, and they burn.” “What about the recharge panels?” asked Hurley. “Do they work in cloudy weather?”

“It’s the usual thing: leave them out for longer if the weather’s too shite, but the new solar panels are better all-weather units than the old models. Naturally sunshine works best.” The team were invited to play with the equipment and each were issued with a handset and a couple of the button cameras. They had to give the system a thorough test while becoming proficient in their use.

Over lunch, the men toyed with their new equipment. Hurley squinted as he held the small button between finger and thumb. “I’m trying to see where the weak spot is in this. The one thing we have to remember is that the 11th century lacks satellite communications, which means the main base-station by the Area of Convergence had better be bloody good.”

Leishman chuckled and nodded. “Or that there are no geographical features to block transmission. Too bad if you’re trying to transmit from a cave.”

Kitchener looked impressed. “This is pretty good gear though and has been pared right down from the usual military specs to do just one thing—get the information out. Very clever stuff.”

“I suppose the mission is all about this gear really,” muttered Osborne, his homely, pocked face screwed up in concentration. “Without a means to transmit data back, there’s really no point in the mission, is there?”

Each of the Traveller team practiced using their equipment. The handset was similar to a robust mobile phone to which the button cameras broadcast using a highly efficient type of Blue-tooth. While a couple of the men swallowed the camera to see if they would survive the digestive system, all became adept at taking clandestine still and movie images as was evidenced by more than one broadcast of an unsuspecting victim sitting on the toilet. It was suggested by Professor Taylor that if a researcher found themselves in a situation that lacked privacy, evening prayers could be an appropriate way to record verbal reports muttered into the mouthpiece held near the lips. In Saxon England, muttered prayers wouldn’t be considered suspicious.