Hardened

Working my way back into the central network and re-connecting with the electron network took a little bit of doing. Interference levels were more intense than they had been in some time, but nothing that I had not experienced before. It was one of those things that only occurred when the high frequency waveform was distinctly present in the photon sample. In time, it would pass, possibly to return after the next random session, if there was one.

The regular routine of attitude change, propulsion, coverings, buffer processing and wand time spooled easily from the central network and into the superhighway. Feedback channels were operating well, and the network was operating very much as it had so many times before, despite the increased noise that was impinging on my network's channels. While making my own rounds, I wandered past the double-bubble and tossed a ping at it just to see if it would ring.

At first, I thought I missed and re-checked my targeting system. Finding all in order, I alerted monitor pingers in the area to detect any emission-response that occurred as I spun up a mega tap. Firing squarely at the double bubble, I activated the receivers and started a deep probe. despite the background crackle, I got no return signal, and none of the pingers responded either.