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+\hypertarget{ioan-bux103lan-2305}{%
+\chapter*{Ioan Bălan — 2305}\label{ioan-bux103lan-2305}}
+
+The first message was not long in coming, arriving about an hour after Ioan\#c1494bf arrived back at home. At least it wasn't high priority; ey had the choice to accept then or experience later. Half duplex, though. An actual conversation rather than a recording.
+
+Ey sighed, closed eir eyes, accepted. The things ey did for work.
+
+\emph{``Hi Ioan,''} came Dear's voice. It was still seated on the couch. \emph{``Long time no see, yes?''}
+
+Ioan nodded, subvocalizing eir response. ``Yeah, took you ages. Have something for me?''
+
+\emph{``Maybe. We have received a file from someone down-tree. Or, well, hmm.''} It appeared to think for a moment before continuing, \emph{``Someone down-tree from me found a file, and she thinks it might be a file from the clade, maybe one of the original ten.''}
+
+``Alright, send it over.''
+
+The file arrived promptly. Eir shoulders sagged. It began with \texttt{-\/-\/-\/-\/-BEGIN\ AES\ BLOCK-\/-\/-\/-\/-} followed by hundreds, perhaps thousands of apparently random letters, numbers, and punctuation.
+
+``What's an AES block?''
+
+\emph{``An old encryption algorithm.''} Dear looked a little embarrassed. \emph{``And I mean} old. \emph{We like old things. That is why she suggested it might be from one of us.''}
+
+``You don't sound convinced.''
+
+\emph{``I am not. You must understand that this is not something any of the clade wants known. It is just a name, yes, but it is important to us in a way that is hard to overstate.''} Dear sighed. \emph{``Much of the clade is of the opinion that, if we could simply wipe the Name from our minds, we would. For a member of the clade to break that trust is nigh unthinkable. It is acting against our very nature.''}
+
+``You're right in that I probably can't understand the importance here. Still, I trust you on that. A friend, maybe? A mutual?''
+
+The fox frowned. If anything, it sounded less convinced when it said, \emph{``Perhaps.''}
+
+``An enemy?''
+
+\emph{``A valid concern.''}
+
+Ioan frowned. ``I'm trying to square your use of the poet's work in your very names with your desire to forget the Name itself. That sounds like something someone could use against you.''
+
+\emph{``Names bear power.''}
+
+``A memorial, then?'' Ey hastened to add, ``Sorry. It's probably not my place to understand. We can drop it for now.''
+
+\emph{``Yes. A memorial.''} The fox's shoulders slumped. \emph{``Let's come back to it later. I do not want to get too distracted now. Still, we will have to speak more on this soon. It would be good for you to have a more complete picture.''}
+
+Ioan nodded. ``So do you want me--''
+
+\emph{``You do not need to worry about the file itself. That is why I did not just forward it to you automatically.''} Dear paused, then added, \emph{``Though I probably should have. Here I am talking about you having a more complete picture and not giving you everything.''}
+
+``It's alright. I'm picking it up as we go along.''
+
+It nodded. \emph{``It is important, though. Amanuenses form an} Umwelt, \emph{so this is part of yours, now. We will talk about it at the end. Something to keep in mind, I suppose. When we find the key, we will let you know and send over the contents.''}
+
+``Okay, good. I gave AES a check, and you're right, that's ridiculously old. Can't you just crack it?''
+
+\emph{``We could. Some of us probably already have. I want the key, though. It is probably a word or something, and may prove interesting in its own right.''}
+
+``Interesting?''
+
+\emph{``Interesting in that the act of finding the key may turn up further clues.''}
+
+``Ah. Good point. I'll do some digging on old cryptography, too, and see what all's out there.''
+
+\emph{``Good fucking luck. Cryptonerds were — are — very wordy. There is going to be a boatload to sort through.''}
+
+Ey grinned, ``I'll fork and research, then.''
+
+\emph{``Good plan. I am going to get back to the hunt, and hey, Ioan?''} The fox's smile was earnest. \emph{``Thanks. Even if I am just running ideas past you, it is good to put in words.''}
+
+``Of course, Dear.'' Ioan waved. Ey always felt silly interacting with sensorium messages. Would \#tracker think em crazy? ``Thanks for the project.''
+
+Dear bowed, signed off.
+
+\#tracker was, indeed, giving \#c1494bf a bemused grin.