Ship's Holog: June 2078, fragment #14

Before our party goes ashore, we'd like to offer a word of explanation about what you will be seeing whenever we encounter other people. You will not be seeing real-time images. Rather, what we have done is to edit holocam footage we’ve gathered previously, cutting out boring and unnecessary portions and digitally altering all names and faces. In addition, we’ve also enriched the transcripts you are reading by later adding narrative color commentary to the dialogue. In these ways, we hope to provide a more interesting and compelling experience for the viewer.

Of course, in editing videos of our encounters with others, we are limiting and controlling what you see and hear. Inevitably our bias, albeit unconscious, will be distorting these sights and events. All we can do is assure you that we are not consciously distorting what we are showing you. As for unconscious distortion, you will have to be the judge of whether you think that is occurring and sort it out for yourselves, understanding of course that, in doing so, your bias is likely to come into play. So much for veritas, my friends.

Hi, call me Noah.

Early this morning we hove to and anchored in a small hidden cove on the western shore of the lake, just across from the main wharves of New Brandon. Secure in our knowledge that our ship wouldn't be spotted, several of us disembarked on a sailing skiff, which we pull behind our ship for needed trips to shore to buy provisions or simply to visit. We do this, rather than sailing the Veritas into harbors and ports, in order to minimize the likelihood that anyone we interact with on shore will associate us with it. That way, if questioned later, they will be unable to wittingly or unwittingly give the authorities any information that might endanger our family in New Vermont or ourselves.

I’ve taken with me a holopod with its video lens and audio recorder embedded in my eyeglasses, so you’ll be able to see and hear my interactions ashore. Of course, neither the sound nor the visual resolution is as good as that of the large holocam and studio-quality sound recording system we use on-board, but once we’ve edited it and done some digital enhancements, the quality should be quite good, and I’m confident you’ll enjoy the side-trip.

As you can see, we’ve pulled in at a marina of sorts for small boats like our skiff. This makes us quite inconspicuous. We could be just about anyone sailing on the lake, either for pleasure or to do some trading. My sister (Harriet), sister-in-law (Anna), and my son (Marco Polo) each already went separately up into town while I closed up the boat. Each of us had his or her list of provisions to be obtained. By splitting it up in this way, we hope to arouse less suspicion about the nature and length of our planned trip.