Book 4: Chapter 10: Catching the Train
Bob
July 2334
Transit
I examined the station using telescopic vision. In outward appearance, it was identical to the one outside Garack’s Spine. Probably the artwork would be different, but from this distance I couldn’t see the interior.
I had a decision to make. If Crew—and any Resistance double agents—used the vacuum monorail, it stood to reason they had to be able to get into the transit station. If they could get in, but the riffraff couldn’t, they needed some way to identify themselves. I fingered the security pass in my hand. It was all very logical, but even in a human-built environment it wouldn’t be a sure thing. Or I could be right with my logic, but this card might not be for transit. Trying to get into the station using a library card would surely be unsuccessful. And probably get me noticed.
And what about facial recognition? Had they implemented a matching system? Would the systems compare my mug with a picture on file, which was probably Natasha’s? If so, and I failed the match—which I would—what would happen? Legions of crab-like drones assaulting me? Air horns?
On the other hand, my alternative was to dig my way into the station the same way Gandalf and co. had dug out. But with only one-inch roamers, that could take a while. I decided I’d save that option for last.
I compared my face with Natasha’s in my memory, then for completeness, compared some other random Quinlan faces. Facial recognition software, at least the Terran version, didn’t do a full “recognition” the way a person would. The computer match was done by comparing the spatial relation between significant and easily recognizable points on the face, like pupils, ends of the mouth, nostrils, point of the chin, and so forth. This simplified algorithm saved a lot of processing time and was good enough for most purposes.
A brief survey of my memories of Quinlans identified a similar set of likely key locations on the Quinlan face. How much flexibility did my manny have in that area? They were built using the same skeletal and muscular design as the biological versions, but the mannies also had internal repair systems that could be ordered around. Plus, muscles could be flexed in unnatural ways, if necessary.