https://leavingthecradle.com/comic/86

Quantum simply proposed he would share the access he has to Earth's network and the two of them could use it to search for Gharr and even outright communicate since announcing themselves as aliens wouldn't be believed anyway.

Later he noted that he would need to report findings of the "Ghosts" (not that he told them that name) to Zane and they would probably loose the ability to exploit his communication channels. https://leavingthecradle.com/comic/121

In that conversation Quantum told them there was another advanced civilisation in the system accessing Earth's networks and they made their own observations about the size of the military in the fleet. Quantum noted he couldn't say more but didn't deny they weren't on the right track. Regardless, I don't see why Quantum would need to leave them a communication channel that could hack into Zane's files. I suspect Quantum might have put it there on purpose with the intent of them accessing it and finding out.

Well, both Zane and Quantum - as far as we know the only ones (originally) aboard the Dawn officially in the know - left the building for Earth in the meantime, and thanks to cpt. Kas' antics, Quantum might not be able to remote control his assets back at the fleet right now.

... which would, of course, also be the perfect excuse Quantum needs for this lapse in security; I suppose that "oops, did I say that out loud?" won't fly for an AC.

(Let's not forget that whoever sent the fleet was aware of the possibility that they'd get into a hidden info war with the "ghosts", and apparently considered Quantum able to uphold the security of the Dawn against such attacks.)

The funny thing is that Quantum's official role on the ship is as a linguist. So why would the only other civilian commander with knowledge of the mission's alternative objective be the linguist?

I guess we take it for granted that an artificial consciousness/intelligence would have unrivaled computer skills, but maybe thats not exactly how things work. To a good extent their interface with the rest of the world is through networked technology, so like a fitness enthusiast would have a good knowledge of the body and be capable with it, an AC/AI would have more intuitive knowledge just because it's their natural use. But a fitness enthusiast wouldn't have the knowledge to do what a doctor can and maybe an AC/AI wouldn't necessarily have natural hacking skills and coding skills because their main use of systems is through the intended interfaces and functions.

Of course, just because Quantum's OFFICIAL role is as a linguist doesn't mean he doesn't have a secondary, secret role for the alternate objective of tracking/finding the ghosts.

Narrator: [grabs the big field guide from the shelf]

They ride to the topmost size of the habitat, while it is closer to the axis, it's not quite there yet, so they would be lighter but not weightless.

Conspiracy you say ? Well guess someone called my name, so let me add a bit of paranoia to Dan´s perception that his brother has been replaced :

Since the Raharr has advanced nano-tech to aid and protect the physical body and neural interfaces also , same type of tech can be used by others say "Ghost", to circumvent a individuals personality and influence the thought-process and thus decisions of persons in the political, economical and political chain of command on a global level....Without said persons knowledge and presumably undetected by lower tech pre-contact civilizations.

You know.....people like us.

In short : Unaware meat-puppets lead by alien strings.

Would make a great Halloween story.

The minor problem being that Dan's brother, enlisted in the military from an unusually old age, doesn't seem to have any connection to "the global level", or even a national importance ...

True..Until he turns up...With stars on the shoulders...

Some years has passed from page 184.

One can build up a career in a puppet or one can hijack one.

There is no need to "build" a new body when one can just influence the personality.

Its a purely speculative scenario of-course and is not canon.

[remembers the joke about Göring having caused a car crash "because he forgot to dip his medals for the oncoming traffic"]

... you mean the movie poster in Dan's house is foreshadowing of him meeting his brother again?

Not all minions need to be high up in command structure... sometimes people close to the ground are also needed, the higher ups "order" their lower end partners to do the dirty work, a non compromised lower person might squeal about questionable orders.

In LTC nanotech isn't just a magic dust like in all other scifi. The nanobots can do what they do only because there's a system of implants that basically manufactures, recycles, powers, and controls them.

I remember you noting: "The cerebral implants work their translation program magic by intercepting and changing the signals that the brain's language center sends to the vocal cords, making them shift in ways necessary to produce (or approximate) the required sounds to speak out the intended message with the intended tone."

So if the "Ghosts" are somehow more advanced with the technology and they had a human for a period of time (under the guise of them serving military duty like Dan's brother for instance). It might be enough time to install hidden cerebral implants and nano-ware. No idea on the full capability to control someone like that but reading intended language from brain signals and re-translating them into fine motor control of vocal cords, mouth and breath to create the appropriate speech seems very advanced. Then again, nothing saying such things can't wait dormant and send visual and auditory signals to remote observers.

But as you note, the nano-bots are not "magic dust" someone can just sprinkle on a person's food and expect the bots to multiply and take over someone "infected" with them. It would be a full and invasive procedure to setup a sentient being to even have nano-bots let alone be controlled by them.