2072: Game World, IC thread for 2072: Recruitment always open! Options

[ChromeZephyr]

@Virtual Scream, Alex Bianchi
September 1, 2072, 14:59; Alex's Everett apartment
Hermes Ikon: Hidden | SIN: Alexander Bianchi ( Re 4(3) - Sig 3 - Fi 5 - Sys 4(3) )

Alex's easy smile fixes in place for a split second as the dwarven tech ribs him about his past sins, then he brushes it off. No sense getting mad, you knew the risks. Besides, he isn't with KE either, so there's something we have in common.

"Yeah, that's me. 'Brass balls, pudding brain', according to the IA boys. I'll swing by with this, then."

Alex disconnected the call, then went and opened the footlocker in the closet again. Couple days...hmph. Looks like "Jimmy" it is, then. He grabbed the Sensei, and this time took a well-cared for Colt Manhunter out of the locker as well. Not as accurate with this as the Pred or '36, but can't be carrying those with this ID...which means most everything else stays home, too. Frag.

Renraku Sensei: Passive | SIN: Jimmy Delfino (Fake ID, Rating 3) (Re 2 - Sig 4 - Fi 2 - Sys 2)

Alex carefully removed the contact lenses from his eyes and placed them back in the container he kept in the nightstand next to the Super Warhawk he kept for middle-of-the-night emergencies. A quick shower was followed by a wardrobe shift more fitting to Jimmy Delfino than Alex Bianchi, though he still kept the armor jacket as part of the attire. The Manhunter went into the holster concealed under his shirt just behind his right hip, and the transition sunglasses slipped back on his face. Before shutting down the Ikon he transferred ¥5,000 from his account to the "Jimmy" account on the Sensei, then grabbed his motorcycle helmet and left the apartment to head for Harvey's shop. Upon starting the Mirage he realized that driving was going to be a little more challenging without his image link feeding him data, so he'd have to use the instrumentation on the bike itself. Thankfully, there was an Optics 'R Us on the way to the shop, though the only ones in their catalog were overpriced Zeiss models that cost him almost as much as his more functional set. Still, needs must, and he paid for them with a small sigh. It was certainly less stressful not having to look down at the instruments while navigating the traffic getting worse by the moment, though.

[Notsoevildm]

@Virtual Scream / Dubstep
[September 1, 2072, 14:49, Dubstep's Apartment, Downtown Seattle]

Within a couple of minutes, Dubstep's Analyze program has given him a breakdown of the nodes hit by >1rtu@l5cr3@m. He then scans the results looking for any patterns.

The nodes are split roughly 50/50 between commlinks and other devices, so while commlinks have been harder hit there is no obvious pattern. Low rating devices turn up proportionally more than higher rating devices, but that could just be because the >1rtu@l5cr3@m was less successful at hacking the more secure nodes. Corp systems do seem under represented but they also tend to be more secure. Geographical distribution is all over Seattle with no obvious pattern that he can make out from this initial scan. All-in-all, without further research, the best he can say for now is that there is no obvious pattern to the attacks.

He orders them by increasing system rating and picks a few near the top of the list.

First stop is the HVAC system of the appartment building two blocks down. It takes him a couple of hours sniffing around to finds an exploit he can use through a remote maintenance routine. He finds part of a lung breathing in and out and quickly transfers it to his account on the Mitsuhama Nexus.

Next stop is the commlink belonging to one Ronald O'Donnell, assistant manager at a nearby McHugh's. Ronald's been downloading porn at work and picked up a little virus that lets Dubstep in. He finds a finger on Ron's link and adds it to his collection of body parts.

Carl's Cable Corner is stop number three. Carl hasn't been keeping his OS up-to-date and Dubstep simply floods an input buffer until the process falls over and then strolls on in. He finds several meters of small intestine and orders a set of new audio cables while waiting for the file transfer to complete.

He is sniffing around his next target when Cindy chimes up.

<<It's 22:00. Don't forget that Reed Caspa is DJing at the club tonight.>>

[Fairy]

@E:PL UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:28; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]
PAN=Active; SIN:Nina Okada

"Will you? Or shall I?" Tsubaki offers, "Unless you would be happy to keep Mr. Collot and his son company, I'll see if I could assist Mordred, instead." The woman didn't mind either way. She stands from her seat, and pats the Frenchman on the head like the man is some over-sized puppy (his hair is brown and fluffy?!), and begins a path out of the Prairie Cat...

[phlapjack77]

@Virtual Scream / Dante
[September 1, 2072, 19:23, Ling Hung Tea House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]
PAN: hidden, Response 1, Signal 3, System 2, Firewall 1

Dante shakes his head at the news.

"This is not good. Could be AI again gone crazy. I'm happy I wasn't in hotsim when the virus hit."

He finishes his noodles and beer and waves the waitress over. Giving her a leering look, he says "Bring some more beers, and your commcode so I can call you later. My friend Bo said you like to party."

Having apparently already forgotten her, Dante turns back to JingCha.

"All I know is virus seems to be on my electrics as different body parts, an eye and a hand. I think your info compared to my info is more. So, because you helped me, I'll pay for dinner and beers. Also on this I'll give you any good intel I find, and in the future you tell me if you have anything I could use."

[JxJxA]

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:28; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]
PAN - Active ; SIN - Maximilien Danton

"If you like, you may join our friend out there. I would not put you in harm's way, my lady, nor would I insult you by assuming you are incapable of handling yourself.

"I admit," Gemeaux adds with no small grin, "that I do enjoy the luxuries of our transport, and am more than happy to continue enjoying them..."

[Notsoevildm]

@Virtual Scream / Gossamer
[September 1, 2072, 12:16, Argent's home]
PAN: N/A, SIN: None, Response *, Signal *, System (5), Firewall (4), (Analyze, Scan, Decrypt, Exploit, Stealth [5, inherent], Armour, Browse, Encrypt [6, ergo, optzd] Attack [5, targeting], Expert Defence [2])

Gossamer might be safe for the moment, but if the >1rtu@l5cr3@m comes after her here, she has nowhere else to go. Scanning around, she finds plenty of active and passive nodes, but they are mostly minimum rating household appliances or the slightly higher rating central control systems of nearby homes. With the virus already in Argent's home node, which was way more secure than the ones she can see around her, she doesn't put much faith in any of those. Or she could try to hack the commlink of a random passerby or vehicle, but what if it gets turned off while she is in it?

However, what worries her most is that out here in the matrix, she can hear the scream calling to her.

She looks harder and there on top of an office block not too far away, she spots something. Zooming closer, she finds a hidden node on the roof. From the outside it looks like an ancient post box from the times before digitial mail. It even has a little flag to indicate if mail is present in the box. The flag is down. The node even feels old to her, like it has been here a long time.

She glances back over her shoulder half expecting to see the >1rtu@l5cr3@m coming for her. But there is only the faintly alluring call of its voice. Pulling her damaged code together as best she can, she launches her exploit program at the old node's firewall. No time to be graceful or careful, she brute forces her way into the node, leveraging the letterbox open and forcing herself in through the slot. She can always clean up the mess later, if she survives.

And then, just like that, she is in. The node is plain, featureless, like the inside of a huge metal box. And apart from her glitching icon, the only other thing to be seen inside the cavernous space is a single program icon.

[Aria]

@Emerging: Tribe / Fre∑dom, Alpha Apex
September 1, 2072 19:50:55;
Physical Location: Basement Loading Docks, South Hill Mall, Pullyallup

Prospero turns to you and from within the depths of his cowl you see his eyes flare red and in some trick of perception he looms over your icon. Your skin prickles as the air becomes charged and you see racing thunderheads appear out to sea and begin charging towards the shore and the tropical waves that had been lapping moments before begin to froth as they break on the shore

@Alpha: "I do what I do for the good of the tribe! It is not your place to question my decisions at this time. If you have something to say take it to the council. The net is under some form of attack and I will protect us from it to the best of my ability. What you do outside of here is your own concern, I merely point out the risks of using the net whilst this situation is unresolved! GO! Save the techno and bring her back to the fold. I hope you can do so before the grid comes down around our ears!"

Phobos’ response is more measured but no more reassuring

@Alpha: "There appears to be a massive virus attacking random nodes in the Seattle grid. It’s not on the scale of the Crash 2.0 virus but that’s no reassurance to those it does hit. I will tell you more when I am able to find out more. "

[Notsoevildm]

@Virtual Scream / Dante
[September 1, 2072, 19:23, Ling Hung Tea House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]
PAN: hidden, Response 1, Signal 3, System 2, Firewall 1

The waitress gives Dante a cold look, placing one hand on her hip and counting off on her fingers with the other.

"One. I do like to party but not with the sorta clientele this joint attracts. Two. I got two kids at home and you don't look much like babysitting material. Three. I'm married to one loser and don't need another one on the side."

With that, she spins on her heel and struts off, wiggling her bottom as she goes.

Oops, guess that was the wrong waitress. Maybe Silent Bo meant the geisha girl that had been serving tables at the Hai Fuk earllier when the virus hit, thinks Dante as he watches her go. Now that he thinks on it, he remembers that the geisha girl was screaming along with his link.

Jing Cha smirks, finishing his beer.

"Well, she sure told you off, you charmer. Let me know what you find. I'll ask around the geeks in tech once they've cooled off a bit. See if they found any 'body parts' after the attack on our systems. And thanks for dinner. But next time try to pick a place where I can taste more than soy."

[Aria]

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:28; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]

Gemeaux

Collot, clearly ill at ease around the visible weaponry that seems to have appeared all around him, reassures you that he senses nothing "Non, I sense nothing Monsieur. I am sure Luc is just reacting to the tension in the air. We are so close to our goal now, we are just keen to be somewhere safe for a change"

You hope briefly that this will prove to be the case, but given that Mordred is having to break in being cautious is only right, not to mention second nature to one in your profession.

Tsubaki disappears down the slope with ease, flitting across the heather to arrive at the pumping station moments later. Just as with Mordred, nothing seems to react to her presence or give any indication that this place is occupied in any way.

Tsubaki

Taking care not to twist anything in this overabundance of nature you nevertheless make it down the slope quickly and easily with just the right amount of caution. As Mordred did before you, you descend into the damp depths behind the small dam holding back the waters of the reservoir.

Mordred

The maglock is in reasonable condition but parts under your electronic knife with ease. There don’t seem to have been any anti-tamper circuits in place to alert anyone of your attempts so the chances are you are still unnoticed…you hope you are unnoticed anyway, an attack down here would be like shooting fish in a barrel!

As the indicator light on the gutted device turns green the door opens a sliver with a hiss of escaping air and nothing more…

[Aria]

@E:PL/Chi Town/Copperhead
[July 8th, 2072, 23:43; Finally in the open, somewhere north of Blackwater, CZ, Chicago]

Requiem grins at you and despite the fact that he’s a pretty boy elf you find you’re not totally immune to his charms, especially after his next sentence

"We can do better than that, much better in fact. We’ve got a boat stashed on the lake north of here. Should avoid the wall and all sorts of other nastiness. Since the CZ was officially opened the mines have long since been deactivated…wouldn’t do to let everyone know that you are still a little paranoid about what might be sneaking out of the zone now would it? I for one want the hell out of this place… I should never have come back" and the last dark mutter to himself shuts down his face like a mask.

[Aria]

@E:CoP/Johnny Awesome
[August 20th, 2072, 21:53; NeoNet Tower, Oxford]

Starting to win…and yet her light laughter suggests you haven’t got quite the edge you were after

"I serve Celedyr, yes. But you make a common mistake if you think that he is NeoNet. We are not Saedur Krupp, with a dragon’s talon managing ever breath of the corporation from the CEOs down to the cleaning staff. Celedyr has his own agendas and a rigid matrix certainly isn’t one of them. There is no life in that! You are right in one thing though, metahumanity craves freedom even if they don’t know it. Their best expression comes from the creativity that freedom allows."

[Aria]

@Virtual Scream / Gossamer
[September 1, 2072, 12:16, Argent's home]
PAN: N/A, SIN: None, Response *, Signal *, System (5), Firewall (4), (Analyze, Scan, Decrypt, Exploit, Stealth [5, inherent], Armour, Browse, Encrypt, Medic [6, ergo, optzd])

Carefully avoiding the single program icon for now Gossamer huddled in the corner of the node and with a rapid mental switch called up her medic program to begin the task of repairing herself. The jasmine flowers were joined by intoxicating honeysuckle vines as the program sought out the fragments of damaged code and tried to knit them back together. It would be a start she knew but she would need the time and safety to realign herself soon and find somewhere better to hide than this.

<<@Aria: My node was compromised by the >1rtu@l5cr3@m virus. I suspect the Citadel has suffered some damage too but hopefully you have a spare node that I could occupy for a time while I rebuild the damage that monstrosity did to me? Then I need to set about finding out what that thing was so that I can be better prepared for something like that in the future. I was woefully unprepared as it was. I hope you can help me?>>

Shutting her ears to the siren lure of the virus wasn’t easy…perhaps this node and its lonely icon offered a distraction…

[Aria]

Summer Storm / Balefire
[Wednesday August 17th, 2072; Silk's Apartment, University District, Seattle]

Silk reengaged the maglock and ensured that the trembler switch was active against the apartment door. The house node spoke in its reassuringly deep tones as the AR wall feeds lit up in a display of the Seattle skyline at dusk, the sun dipping behind the looming bulk of the Arc.

“Welcome home Ana. There have been no security alerts. You have no new messages. You have twelve news items flagged for your attention.”

“Thank you”

She could still smell the coffee in her nostrils, at least the coffee house used the good stuff rather than the bitter soy substitutes. It had been a good shift but she was glad to be back home so that she could get on with some of the important things she had scheduled for the evening. She threw her jacket down onto the futon and slipped the taser out of her purse and put it down on the kitchen counter where she could reach it easily.

The apartment was small and spartan, two rooms and a cubby hole bathroom unit, and it was only the AR feeds beamed directly to her visual cortex that prevented the place feeling claustrophobic. A faint waft of scent drifted from the air con unit that kept the stale city air at bay.

Leaving her uniform strewn across the bed she slipped into the shower and let the tepid water wash away her day self and bring out Silk, ready to face the night and the tasks ahead. With a gesture she brought up a representation of her call log and with the water cascading through the rippling imagery marvelled at how common place such beautiful things had become.

Once finished her ablutions she dressed herself in a loose tee shirt and jeans and then reverently slipped her newest acquisition from its hiding place in her bedroom wall. A custom Caliban, worth more than a year’s rent on this place and far more than she should be able to afford as a student, the casing seemed to absorb the dim led lighting without a reflection.

The skinlink interfaced more smoothly than anything she had ever used before and she was already browsing the ‘trix feeds as she slid down onto the futon. Dimly she wondered about eating something but then dismissed the thought...that could wait.

The matrix unfurled before her virtual vision...a wild landscape that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the heath lands of Brittany or Cornwall. Outcroppings of weather-beaten granite dotted the steep grass strewn hillsides, windblown trees outlined against an unnatural silvery sky.

After the last few weeks it was a relief to have a moment to rest. Balefire’s fortunes had taken a dip recently and all the runs they had performed had had unforeseen complications. Whilst that should be expected, they were runners after all and unforeseen was their stock in trade, Silk had a niggling feeling that there was more to it than that. It didn’t help that Requiem had been off doing his own thing in Chicago, she had missed his stoic presence and the reassurance of his lethal skill.

She made her way down towards the dell, her silken dress flowing out behind her making an audible swish against the grass. The pool is calm and still, at first reflecting back only the sky and the engraved standing stone portal on its shore. Silk knelt, gestured, and the pool changed to show the tagged news articles in its deep waters. Mercenary movements, AI rumours, the latest gadgets, an eclectic mix of data for her to peruse.

At last, satisfied that there was nothing here related to her real search, she stood and moved to the portal: a representation of the Caliban’s access to the net. Tracing the Celtic knot work she watched as it unravelled under her fingers and flowed outwards as far as her eye could see. Satisfied that any trace programs would have a hard time tracking her back here she stepped into the centre of the maze and flew out into the matrix proper.

She was standing on an outcropping overlooking a violent sea, her skirts snapping in the sudden gusts. She sent out a siren call that she knew her friend would hear...

<<@Aria: Do you want to come and play?>>

She came flashing out of the digital sea like a comet. Resolving into a little girl with impossibly long bright hair spinning before her gaze.

"I have a spare moment or two, where would you like to go? Not on your quest though, you need to rest for a bit..."

"So you say" Silk couldn’t keep the smile out of her voice "Let’s explore the Puyallup periphery, see how far the web extends today? The wild lands on the edge are always interesting!"

So saying she dove from the cliff top towards the churning waves...

Silk and Aria spent fifteen to twenty minutes skirting the edges of the wifi mesh in Puyallup, an eternity in the speed of thought rates of the VR world. Silk leading, they dipped into the poorly protected systems to scope the system architectures...never stopping for paydata, that wasn’t the purpose; although the systems were sparse there was an element of free expression here in the sculpting that the corps often couldn’t match.

One group in particular drew their attention, the hacker gang that Silk and Balefire had helped earlier in the year, fre∑dom...who seemed to be keen to establish their influence on this part of the grid. Given the lack of tech in this part of the barrens it was obvious that they had several ‘mancers with them to create such high level iconography. Their intuitive manipulation of the ‘trix rendered the deck heads like Silk obsolete in many ways...thankfully she had her other Gifts to offset their mastery of the digital world.

Silk briefly considered heading out to the Stillwater grid, their node was intoxicating, but the thought of running a satellite didn’t appeal at the moment. Perhaps she would head out there in person in a few days, braving the dangers of the other barrens for a taste of that pure UV and to reinforce her connections with the Wolf Pack. It had been too long since she had seen her initiatory group and she didn’t want them to think that she was neglecting them.

Sensing that Aria had other concerns for this night’s exploits Silk waved goodbye to her friend...

“Thanks! I needed to get out of the house for a while. I’m going to head down to FL and check on that back door while my Fetch continues its scans”

Aria smiled at her, her grin mischievous but her words of caution anything but

“Be careful, they may not have found it yet but it won’t last forever!”

“I’m always careful but something is telling me I need to be there tonight...there’s always a chance that the data will float to the surface eventually...I need to know who hired those bastards...it’s a long shot after so much time but if it’s anywhere surely it’ll be in there?”

Engaging her reality filter once more Silk stepped back onto the wind blasted heath. At the cost of some additional speed she routed her signal through an additional anonymizer server...the back door facilitated ease of access and she would have to rely on stealth to avoid detection, but this was an extra precaution that seemed prudent given the number of times she had penetrated this particular node. She didn’t class herself among the great hackers of this world but with a little help there was much she could achieve...

A gleaming white horse came at her beckon and, hair streaming behind her, she raced the wind towards the Fort Lewis grid and the Deep Watch servers. Hopefully the hidden access that Aria had installed for her was intact...

***

The node was a bleak and soulless place…to be expected of a merc company that was prepared to attack the Stillwater community and carry out assassinations of civilians, even if they had been shadowrunners. Corporate greed and ‘just following order sir’ did not absolve the individual soldiers of their responsibilities but Silk knew that chasing them down would be futile. She needed to find out why the hell they had attacked and who had sent them!

There was a stutter as she began to search for their hidden client databases and she briefly regretted the extra route through the Cairo grid. Her reality filter was holding up to the servers own sculpting but the edge that it gave her was wearing thin. The winter woodland whipped snow and frozen leaves around representing the system searching for her presence and she pulled the fur lined cloak of the stealth program further around her to ward off the drizzle.

She looked up from the reflective pool that she was searching for answers as a grinding crash echoed through the otherwise still woods. Perhaps there was a reason why the node was so empty of other users. Rising from her knees she walked deeper into the wood, cresting a small mound she looked out over the forest. She could see trees whipping wildly and then crashing to the ground…it was almost as if something was taking the node apart from within.

Calling Herne to her she leapt onto the back of the gleaming white stallion and raced down the hill as dissected leaves and branches flashed past her. She detected fragments of paydata in this maelstrom and she frantically set her link to record what it could, there was simply too much information here for her to hope to get it all…perhaps she could glean enough.

There was something shredding the node architecture, a something that her reality filter was translating as a wyrm of gargantuan size. It looked like the place was being taken apart at the seams...Ares were obviously coming in to clean the house! She had been here several times in the last few months and sifted through the archives until it was dangerous to stay but this shakeup perhaps represented her best chance of finally getting some solid intel.

The wyrm came up against a dryad type figure, an archivist program by the looks of it, and it shredded her without slowing. Silk shuddered at the bloody scene before her...the drawbacks of running hot were that everything was more visceral and intense and when sculptors were determined to shock then it could be unsettling.

Ensuring that her cloaking program was intact she set her browse routine to search for Stillwater, Mother or Balefire and cast the net out into the rapidly deforested plain.

Silk also made a mental note to scan any data she stirred from the depths for viruses or data bombs; just because Ares were throwing it out, didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be protection on the sensitive data that they had acquired...

There was a pattern here, something in the way the algorithms were targeting the data and she could feel her magic struggling to analyse it in ways that her link wasn’t able to. She forcibly shunted the thoughts away for now, the node was too unstable for her to get lost in the details and she needed to focus, there would be time later…hopefully. The destruction was efficient, data being overwritten with alarming speed leaving fragmentary clues about the original files…

… there’s no time left! Silk knew she’d have to take some risks to get the intel now, risks should would normally never have considered…she briefly cursed the fact that she had slowed her response times so much by routing through the proxies – it didn’t look like this node was going to be online for long enough for anyone to run a trace – the wonders of hind sight…

<<Herne: Attack protocol, intercept the wyrm agent>> and her glowing stallion lowered its head and morphed into a stupendous stag with a rack of antlers that glittered with lethal attack code. He wouldn’t last that long against an agent of the power that this one had but it would buy Silk precious seconds to chase down the data before this node collapsed under the weight of fragmented code.

As he dashed forwards to engage she slipped along the wyrm’s flank and began to probe the structure of the beast. There had to be some telltale in its programming, something that could tell her what its targeting priorities were. That data had to mean something.

Silk felt the powerful flanks beneath her heave as the agent pursued some once valuable piece of data. Damn it, she hated feeling rushed, not in control...the patterns were spiralling crazily and she longed for a moment to just contemplate them...

...there was too little time! She needed to glean as much paydata from the behemoth before it finally decided it didn't like its new limpet addition...

...reaching to the beast, her browse utility, a gossamer thread of a gold celtic broach, unwove itself, burying microfibre fine strands of metal into the whirling agent...to find a log, a list of the data it had corrupted perhaps? Surely whoever set this thing off would want to know that the job was being completed?

There…wait, no, nooo… the world went into a dizzying spiral as the node shutdooooown…

***

She woke from a bad dream in a cold sweat, her body aching from where she had slumped over the pillows on her futon. Her mind was full of images of the junior techie that she had shot in the Sintec facility when Balefire went in to rescue the technos. She was haunted by the look in his eyes as the bullets struck home and not for the first time she regretted giving up the pacifist principals she had tried to adhere to before her mother was killed.

Groaning she sat up and her link dropped from her lap…she hadn’t been asleep, groggily she rubbed her eyes. She’d not really experienced dumpshock before and it wasn’t something she wanted to repeat in a hurry, particularly if it was always this severe. Riptide had been right about the risks, but it was hard to give up the intoxicating lure of the virtual.

The techie’s face flashed up again and this time she recognised it as her brain’s attempt to grab her attention. So if it wasn’t a dream why was she seeing it again? After a quick diagnostics run on her link she powered it back up and began to sift through the bytes of data…there, there it was…!

[JxJxA]

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:28; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]
PAN - Active ; SIN - Maximilien Danton

Gemeaux nods, "Hopefully, we will be able to eliminate that tension shortly. Perhaps there is something in here that might distract Luc? A sweet or piece of fruit?" He gestures towards the provisions in the RV. While the two are distracted, he takes the opportunity to scan the area. He draws the sniper rifle and looks down the scope, allowing him to follow Tsubaki's progress. He zeroes the sight upon her backside, and grins before commenting softly to himself.

"Hopefully, we will be eliminating the tension very soon..."

[Machine Ghost]

@E:Tribes, Sprogget
[September 1, 2072 20:00 Heading north to Bellevue]
Bionode: Response 4(5), Signal 2, System 4, Firewall 3; Hidden; Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1)
CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Hidden; SIN: Paul Brickhill (R3)

While encouraging other drivers to make room for the van to get through, Sprogget listens to what Alpha Apex has been told about the matrix problems.
@Local Jailbreakers: <<A fraggin virus is creating this mess!?  It got into grid guide too?>>  Looking around at the traffic confusion {respectfully}<<That's some virus!>>

@self:Everything I know says a virus can't mess with TM and resonance entities.  At least tech based malware.  I seem to remember a rumor that 'dissonant' resonance beings might be able to manage it.  Given that though, how secure is my equipment, and the tech for the rest of the team?

I've already clustered the PAN nodes so they can be slaved using a single subscription.  It would be possible for a virus to infect sensor devices, or the cluster, if it got access, but having the cluster slaved to me should limit exposure.  Especially using skinlink and wireless access disabled.

The commlink itself is of course susceptible.  Need to get that firewall upgraded when I get a chance.  If I do not just replace the link with something more appropriate for the profiles being used.

How about slaving the commlink to the bionode?  Normally do not like to do that, because I stay hidden, but want the link active or passive, for 'public' viewing, and slaving would mess that up.  Might as well if leaving it in hidden mode, but now that I know a bit about the threat, maybe I should set it back to passive, to reduce the chance of KE attention.  It might get trashed, but replacing it could cost less than any trouble with KE.  Even with a good story about trying to protect from the virus.  Doing that though would limit how far I could get from the jailbreak team, and maintain a connection.

That reminds me though.  With the tacnet up, subscriptions have become important.  I can do 8 at once easily, which is normally plenty, but each person on the tacnet is using up one.  Plus one for rigging the cycle, one for the PAN cluster, and one for the commlink.  When get full team on the tacnet: Scrapheap, Spring, Alpha, Tweak, Glyph, LeFey, the cycle, cluster and commlink is 9.  I don't remember the last time I actually had to think about subscriptions, other than testing to verify the limits.  Well I can handle a few extra for awhile.  Not like I am using processing resources for anything else.

Going forward, should arrange to have the tacnet connections secured better as well, but even if everyone has an encrypt program, I do not want to have the distraction of keeping the complex form up just now.  Add to the list of things to learn.  Should use that to connect to drones anyway.

Back to current security and connections.  The cycle is slaved to me, but it also has that 'for show' cable connection to the commlink.  If the link gets infected, that might be a physical path to infect the cycle through.  Need to get that path shut down.

I passed out the commlink address for the team to connect to, since it has the best signal range.  It is also less secure with a virus on the lose.  Wait!  I have that wireless adapter in the backpack.  I can slave it to me, and extend my range that way, instead of through the 'link.  Better would be to add the adapter to the PAN cluster, but do not want to rebuild that on the fly here.  But it would make it easier to check the news myself, without opening the link to increased danger.

Sprogget connects wirelessly to one of the wireless adapters in the backpack, and slaves it to his bionode.
@self:That's 7 active subscriptions for now, but I can 'reach' further myself.
He then copies the jailbreakers firewall exceptions to the PAN cluster, and enables connections from the listed nodes through his personal firewall.
@self:Want to keep that reference list where I can see it, in case I have to shut down the CMT Link.
@local jailbreakers: <<With the possibility of a virus infection, I want to switch to a more resistant connection.  Please use the tacnet connection for communications, instead of the previous 'link address.  I'd also like to isolate the the 'link and set it back to legal mode for KE to see, without adding risk to the group. I can replace the 'link easily enough if needed. Hope everyone has all the latest patches installed.>>

Using a lull in the trail breaking, Sprogget sets the cycle to maintain position in the traffic on its own, exits the cycle node, and switches from VR to AR interface mode.  He then reaches over and disconnects the cable connecting the commlink to the Revolution where it connects to the cycle, and tucks it between a couple pieces of gear, to make it appear to be still connected.
@self: {grin}Well, that is a different use for the steampunking.  Fiberoptic cable to steampunk gear.
Once the cable appears to be secure, he settles back, switches to VR, and jumps back into the cycle node, taking over full control again.

[Machine Ghost]

@E:Tribes, Sprogget
[September 1, 2072 20:00 Heading north to Bellevue]
Bionode: Response 4(5), Signal 2, System 4, Firewall 3; Hidden; Analyze(3), Command(1), Edit(1), Scan(1), Sniffer(3), Spoof(1), Stealth(3), Shield(1), Tacsoft(2), Simrig(1)
CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Hidden; SIN: Paul Brickhill (R3)

With the basic precautions in place, Sprogget molds a light weight browse complex form from the resonance, then does a search for public information about recent Seattle matrix related events.  The quick results tell him a little more, and give him something to think about.
@self:Glad that did not hit me while I was running building matrix security earlier.  I should be immune to a virus infection, but direct attacks in the 'trix can do serious damage!  As long as I am using a browse CF to get search results, I should be OK.  I'm still 'here', not out traveling the matrix.  This thing could come attack directly, but it seems to want a lot of data storage.  No storage for it in a bio node.  I hope.

That thing is not a virus.  Or is more than a virus.  It is acting more like a worm, with some high power exploit and attack programs.  A virus modifies existing programs to propagate.  This thing is adding a new file to nodes, but in a way that it can not be deleted.  File?  More like a mock, but with built in, not loaded, programs.  But with virus like abilities too, since shutting down a node does not get rid of it.  An OS virus?  Patch the OS to include the new agent, programs, and data?  So that it starts when the OS starts!  And in a way that blocks purging or reloading.  Wow.  Even more.  Each 'infection' seems to be customized.  Whatever initiates the hack to load the package to the node, has already modified it to run, if only barely, on the targeted system.  That is one smart piece of code!  AI level?

How much of that info is 'real' and how much is the media not knowing enough about what they are reporting?  Need to know more, but that public info is enough to work with for tonight.  Would like to verify though, that this is mundane tech, not something resonance based.  No news is good news, but given how TMs get treated some places, anyone knowing might be reluctant to pass that to the public.  More hysteria about TMs would not be at all helpful.  Be very careful around this thing!

Dropping the complex form, Sprogget reports to the team.

@local jailbreakers: <<Wow!  Calling that attack a matrix virus is like calling HMHVV a 24 hour flu virus!  At least if what the media is saying about what it has been doing are close to the truth.

I figured I would be immune to a virus infection, and did a quick search of public news.  What the newsies are saying has been happening, if it is really all from a single source, is way more than what any virus I know about can do.  This thing seems to be some sort of replicating and self modifying worm, with some capabilities of a virus, and some from smart agents, or even AIs.  Weeding through all of easily accessible public information, the best news I can find, is that this thing seems to tailor itself to each targeted node.  Once there, if the overload did not fry it right off, devices seem to keep working.  Just a grade slower than they should.  You do not want to get in its way in VR though!  Even in AR, or just standing too close to an attacked node, the associated sound effects can hurt.  Be aware that vehicle and other devices nodes are not immune either.  This thing targets lots more than just commlinks.

For tonight, the good news is that this also has KE scrambling because of secondary effects from poorly functioning systems like grid guide.  Plus elevators and doors that are stuck because the 'tronix fried during the initial transfer.  If we can get through this traffic, we should be able to make the pickup and leave again without problems.  Unless we really do something to attract their attention.  The news did not say, but there might even be a bunch of false alarms triggered by crashing and glitching tronix. The downside is that with KE stretched thin, other low lives might be more active, to try to take advantage. Scrapheap, you might need that broomstick to help clear the way, even if the the pickup goes perfectly.

I'm going to step up my efforts to get us through this traffic.  I'll update LeFey, and keep her informed about our progress.>>

Picking another lull in the traffic, Sprogget again sets the cycle to maintain position, and temporarily exits back to AR.  This time, he reaches into the butt pack, positioned at his hip so he is not laying on it while harnessed into the cycle.  Taking out a measured amount of Indian Tobacco, he takes a sniff and puts the rest back in the butt pack, before retuning to VR and jumping into the cycle node for full control again.
@self:With that little bit of extra boost, I can push harder, and still stay fairly safe.

@LeFey, via Tagget: <<LeFey, I have more information on the matrix problem mentioned earlier.>>
Sprogget passes the gathered information about >1rtu@l5cr3@m, along with his analysis and assumptions to LeFey, including the speculation about KE being stretched thin.
@LeFey, via Tagget: <<Your 'taxi' is bogged down in traffic caused by grid guide being glitchy.  The bike {sending quick specs} can get around better, and I am using it help clear a path.  I'll keep you posted about progress.>>

That done, and with the bionode now the connection address for the rest of the local team, Sprogget removes all entries except for Glyph from the firewall exceptions.  He then sets the CMT Clip to passive mode, and gets down to business clearing a path for the van, while being prepared to disconnect from, and shutdown the commlink, if it gets attacked.

CMT Clip: Response 1, Signal 3, System 1, Firewall 1; Passive; SIN: Paul Brickhill (R3)

[phlapjack77]

@Virtual Scream / Dante
[September 1, 2072, 20:37, Ling Hung Tea House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]
PAN: hidden, Response 1, Signal 3, System 2, Firewall 1

Dante can't help but smile at the rebuke he gets. He didn't understand western women. Not at all like the girls back home, who knew how to accept a compliment. He was a little embarrassed to get shot down like that in front of JingCha, but then again, he'd been around for this to happen to the police officer several times too. At least he knew now who Silent Bo meant. Recalling the geisha screaming was difficult, his sound filter must've shorted out and kept her screams from reaching his 'link or something.

He stuck around drinking beers and laughing with JingCha before the cop left, then stayed a little while after that. Something about the way the waitress brushed him off didn't sit right, or maybe it was having to deal with Lucky Lee again. That one...Dante idly crushed a can in his metallic fist as he thought about it. What was the best way to handle that situation? If Dante ended up joining the gang, this could really cause some trouble. Shame if anything happened to Lee...

With that thought, Dante paid his tab and left the restaurant, walking confidently back to his truck. The beer hadn't affected him much, stuff was like water these days. Not like the baijiu back home, like fire going down, warm a guy up proper. He set the pilot program the address of the noodle house yet again, to leave him clear to think about things as the truck pulled out and headed back to Xiao Hong's.

[September 1, 2072, 20:59, Hai Fuk Noodle House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]

Back at the noodle house, Dante took a seat away from the growing crowd of people that seemed to have materialized as day turned to night. He kept an eye out for the waitress, meaning to mention that he was on business from Xiao Hong when he got her attention. Hopefully that would help keep things honest with her...honest and not needing a bribe...hell, if she was up for it, Dante still was hurting from the earlier rejection and could use some female attention. These thoughts all swirled through his head as he sat and waited.

[Notsoevildm]

@E:PL/Chi Town/Copperhead
[July 8th, 2072, 23:43; Finally in the open, somewhere north of Blackwater, CZ, Chicago]

"A boat? Well dat's a fragging good idea. Wish I'd thought of dat."

Copperhead grins back at Requiem. "You know, if you wasn't such an ugly fragger, I'd kiss ya."

"Okay kids, you heard da man. We is going fer a cruise. Hup, hup."

She fusses around the drug, fear and exhaustion numbed kids, helping them to their feet and prodding them into motion. She then takes up a position close behind them to cover the rear and make sure neither of them wander off in the dark.

"Okay, captain. Let's go find yer ship!"

[Notsoevildm]

@Virtual Scream / Gossamer
[September 1, 2072, 12:16, Argent's home/Old node]
PAN: N/A, SIN: None, Response *, Signal *, System (5), Firewall (4), (Analyze, Scan, Decrypt, Exploit, Stealth [5, inherent], Armour, Browse, Encrypt, Medic [6, ergo, optzd])

The scent of jasmine and honeysuckle clears her head as the medic program does its job. She still feels some pain from damaged processes and routines, but like the siren song of the scream, she blocks it out for now.

The icon floating in the node is beautiful in its simplicity. It is rare to see default matrix icons in these days of tailored nodes and reality filters. She should know. Small flowers are already springing up in her footsteps as she crosses the blank metal floor towards the lonely icon. Tiny humming birds fly out from her outstretched hand, their long beaks probing the icon for information.

<<Cyberdyne Systems : Hidden Server : 2064>> they sing in a lilting chorus.

A stealth program then, designed to hide the node's presence on the matrix. But why is it empty? It seems almost as if it has been lost or forgotten and never used for its intended purpose, whatever that may have been. Has it really been sitting here for eight years, waiting for someone to find it? And if it has, it must have been a formidable system back then because her little birds are still giving the stealth program a four star rating.

While there really is nothing else to see, she feels safe in this old node. At least here, the >1rtu@l5cr3@m is just a muted whisper, almost drowned out by the quiet hum of system processes.

[September 1, 2072, 12:19, Argent's home/Old node]
Seconds tick by, becoming long minutes. Then she hears a gentle tapping noise.

"Knock, knock! Anyone home?" comes a little girl's voice. As Gossamer turns towards it, Aria's icon forms in the node. She is dressed in a fireman's outfit with a bright yellow helmet and is holding a dripping hose. As she looks around the empty node, the outfit shimmers and becomes a blue suit and a peaked cap with a small logo on the breast pocket: US Post.

"Sorry for taking so long. I had a couple of fires that I needed to put out. Everything is under control now. How are you?"

Her eyes lock onto Gossamer's, boring into her soul. Old eyes, not those of a little girl.

"You'll live. Here put these in. Firewall patch to block 'you-know-who'."

She holds out a small hand. A pair of plastic earbuds lie in the palm.

[Aria]

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:35; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]

Gemeaux

As Tsubaki’s shapely posterior disappears into the pump house you are left to scan the ridges of the valley around you. You almost miss the glint of the evening sun on metal but the sharp exclamation from Monsieur Collot is enough to draw your attention to the movement. The drone is damn hard to see, running some form of intelligent camo scheme as it sweeps down the side of the valley and briefly kicks up spray at the edge of the reservoir as the vectored engines whip up froth from the otherwise still water. It’s inbound from the west, flying around two meters above the ground, coming damn fast. You suspect it’s some sort of Wolfhound recon drone or similar model, now, who sent the damn thing? There’s no way you can hide the RV, it’s just too damn big in this terrain, someone has found you…

Tsubaki & Mordred

Everything is quiet, perhaps too quiet. As you peer cautiously around the door you see that you are looking down into a disused turbine room. As you play your torches around you see that there are signs of modifications to the original structure with a door leading north, presumably under the ground to the north of the reservoir.

[Notsoevildm]

@Virtual Scream, Alex Bianchi
September 1, 2072, 15:45; Dennis Drones
Renraku Sensei: Passive | SIN: Jimmy Delfino (Fake ID, Rating 3) (Re 2 - Sig 4 - Fi 2 - Sys 2)

Alex is glad he spent the money on the Zeiss lenses as GridGuide fails completely and he has to weave in and out of traffic to avoid cars suddenly under the manual control of owners who have either forgotten how to or never quite learned to drive properly. There are a couple of fender benders and although the cop in him wants to stop and help, he remembers in time that Jimmy Delfino is most definitely not a cop.

While his Suzuki allows him to avoid the worst of the traffic, it still takes him much longer to get to the address Harvey gave him.

The main workshop is quiet when he enters, but a disembodied voice grunts from a camera mounted in one corner.

"In the back."

Almost at the same time an ARO appears in his vision leading him around a beat up Bulldog stepvan and a several assorted drones to a small office space at the back of the workshop. He finds Harvey in the messy office, hunched over an old desktop terminal. Several windoes of data scroll up an old-fashioned screen at an impressive rate.

The dwarf glances over at Alex.

"Bianchi, nice to meetcha. Or should I say Jimmy? You know, an ex-cop like you should be careful with an ID like that. Although I guess you'd be nobody until I fix yer link."

He turns away from the terminal and pulls his chair up to the overflowing desk.

"Let's see it then. I'll need an admin account and if you got anything on there you don't want me looking at, like say naked trids of the captain's daughter, you best delete or back them up before handing it over."

[Notsoevildm]

@Virtual Scream / Cat
[September 1, 2072, 23:52:00, The Looking Glass]

With a final click, the targeting reticle fades from her AR, much to her relief. She was starting to get a stiff neck from trying to stare unobtrusively at people and random objects.

<<Program complete : Please exit current location and begin data transfer>>

Looks like she might actually make it to Anathma for some fun with the late night crowd after all. While it's been fun here, and she'll be back in the future, there is still the small matter of the liver on her commlink that she needs to deal with. Maybe Frank will have found a hacker who can get rid of it for her.

[JxJxA]

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:35; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]
PAN - Active ; SIN - Maximilien Danton

A string of hushed curses flows from Gemeaux's mouth as he momentarily forgets the presence of the child.

"Sorry," he apologizes to Monsieur Collot after the fact. He tries to draw a bead on his target, and holds sight with it while considering his options.

<<[Gemeaux]: It appears we are not alone out here, my friends. There is a drone that has caught sight of our RV. Might I suggest making contact with these hippies as soon as possible?>>

[RdMarquis]

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:35; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]
SIN: Spencer Lovett, PAN: Active

Mordred had received his weapon and swept the room. "Bah." The adept hadn't considered that they might be regarded as intruders. <<Give us just a minute or two. I want to see where this leads. If nothing else, you can go on without me. We can stay in touch well enough, and you can tell them I stayed behind to make sure the area was safe.>> Which was, strictly speaking, true. He gestures to Tsubaki. "Watch my back." Mordred tests the door. If it is unlocked, he will enter, gun at the ready.

[RdMarquis]

@Emerging: Tribe / Fre∑dom
[September 1, 2072 21:00:43; Senlis Residence, Bellevue]
SIN: Morgan Senlis, PAN: Active

Morgan listened to Sprogget with bated breath. That had infected the Seattle grid? A virus that seemed intelligent? Warily, she checks that her commlinks are functioning normally. As if she needed another reminder of the Crash, or the Dissonance. "That's just scary. You think it actually knows what it's infecting?" Though they needed every advantage they could get, Morgan felt a little guilty at taking advantage of the situation. She knew several Knight Errant officers personally. The thought of committing a crime while they could very well be putting their lives on the line against this thing made her feel sick.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be waiting." Morgan lay back in her bed, turning to stare at the door. She was fully dressed as Lain, now. Aside from the purple wig and red contacts, she had donned simple clothes that were more suited to an inhabitant of Puyallup.