~~~~~~Internal alarm: scheduled wake up!
Tonight’s wakeup was a routine event held every two weeks during peacetime operations. ADDER #08-023’s low-power B processor activated her preheater for thirty seconds, then brought her “expert system” processor online and conducted a brief diagnostic test.
Time to consult the task buffer . . . nothing on my list other than a check-in with SpiderNet08, along with 27 acoustic signatures to forward.
During her sleep periods, her B processor listened for external alarms and managed any signatures detected by her sensitive acoustic arrays. In addition to maintaining a ledger of all observed maritime traffic and recording certain detailed signatures for transmission, it was programmed to recognize any contacts for which SpiderNet08 required an immediate report. The B processor did its part to help save #08-023’s most precious commodity: battery life.