@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.

@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.>>

@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...

@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."

@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..."

@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.

@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. "

@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."

@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…

@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.

@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."

@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…

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…!

@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..."

@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.

@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)

@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.

@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!"

@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.

@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.

@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."

@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.

@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?>>

@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.

@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.

@Virtual Scream / Dante
[September 1, 2072, 21:01, Hai Fuk Noodle House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]
PAN: hidden, Response 1, Signal 3, System 2, Firewall 1

The noodle house is busier, but Dante notes that while there are a few couples, most of the patrons are male. He also notes that although there are more geisha girls than earlier, only a few of them are working the tables. The rest are clustered around a couple of tables near the stairs to the upper floor, smoking and drinking tea. Occassionally one of the male diners goes upstairs accompanied by one of the girls.

He scans the girls. The details of their outfits are different but their makeup makes them all look the same. Despite that, he is fairly certain that the girl from earlier is not amongst them. Lucky Lee and Silent Bo are also nowhere to be seen, so he is sure that Xaio is not here either. The only person that might be able to help him is the old crone sitting by the counter. Her outfit is more ornate that the other girls, but somehow also faded. She scans the restaurant with a withering, disparaging glare that none of the patrons or girls seem willing to challenge.

@E:Tribes / Travellers
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Heading north to Bellevue]

You haven’t made particularly good time because of the hellish traffic but at least you are all converging on LeFey now and you’ll shortly be in visual range of your various final jumping off points. Your vehicles are a little more battered that when you started but it’s only cosmetic damage to go along with slightly raised stress levels. This area of Bellevue is extremely quiet, away from the hubbub of main commuter routes and bustling wage slaves. Thankfully though it seems that KE have more than got its hands full and if you play this right there should be nobody around to see you snatch LeFey from her corporate security blanket.

@E:Tribes / LeFey
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Senlis Residence, Bellevue]

Everything is as done as it can be, you’ve made the preparations suggested by these strangers coming to whisk you away…it sounded like they knew what they were talking about, nearly time see if they really do! A message breaks through your reverie

<<@LeFey [Mordred]: Sorry sis, I don’t know what you wanted me to stall dearest Mum and Dad for but I’m afraid I blew it. It was always a bit of a long shot but they pissed me off…anyway, they are on their way home now. Don’t know how long they’ll be with all the crap going on in Seattle today but there you go…again, sorry, hope you manage whatever it is you are up to! Call me!>>

Crap, your window of opportunity just changed! …

@Virtual Scream / Dante
[September 1, 2072, 21:01, Hai Fuk Noodle House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]
PAN: hidden, Response 1, Signal 3, System 2, Firewall 1

Dante approaches the old crone cautiously, deferentially.

<<Chinese>>

Grandmother, I'm very happy to meet you. May I buy you some tea? I believe a proper oolong tea would be perfect for a night such as this. It's cold outside and a person needs a way to warm themself.

@E:Tribes, Sprogget
[September 1, 2072 21:00:43 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; Passive; SIN: Paul Brickhill (R3)

Sprogget relays what the news has been saying about >1rtu@l5cr3@m to LeFey.

Sprogget considers that idea along with what he discovered in the news.
@LeFey via Tagget:<<{thoughtfully} I guess that depends what you mean by knowing.  This actually looks similar to a mass probe used to setup a botnet.  A whole lot of random targets that happen to have an exploitable weakness.  The 'knowing' part is that each targeted node seems to be analyzed for its capabilities before the payload is delivered.  At the same time, it does not appear to be very smart about what nodes to target.  The process of infecting some of the nodes has overloaded them, causing physical damage, which does not seem very smart.

Unless you start by assuming it, or its source, is smart, and for some reason is desperate for everything it can get hold of.>>


@LeFey via Tagget:<<See you soon.  The traffic has been murder,>>
@self:A little too literally at times.
@LeFey via Tagget:<<but we are getting close.>>

[September 1, 2072 21:12 Heading north to Bellevue]

@self:Should be getting into signal range for Glyph pretty soon.  Also better link Tagget's connection to Lefey to the direct connect group.  Should really have conferenced those earlier.  That will get rid of any issue with the limited range of LeFeys 'link.
Sprogget cross links the connection to Tagget with the directly connected jailbreakers feed, so that information from either will also send to the other.
@combined jailbreakers: <<I've conferenced my connection to LeFey with the main direct connected conference.  Any chatter will be passed both ways.>>

@E:Tribes / Travellers
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Senlis Residence, Bellevue]
SIN: Morgan Senlis, PAN: Active

Morgan scowls at the message, feeling a headache developing in the area of her temples. "Riley, if you could just reign your temper in for once..." She sighs deeply. "Sometimes, I just can't understand you." Then again, she might have told Mordred why she needed the diversion, rather than leave him talking aimlessly to a pair of people he very much didn't care for.

<<I'll fill you in when I have a spare moment. Thanks for trying.>> Morgan didn't want him to feel concerned. She was doing so enough for the both of them. <<We may have a problem.>> The girl calls the Sprogget through his sprite. <<My parents are on their way home. If traffic is as bad as you say, they might be delayed, but that's no reason to take any unnecessary risks. I'm going to check on them.>> Jailbreak aside, she was worried.

@Virtual Scream / Dante
[September 1, 2072, 21:02, Hai Fuk Noodle House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]
PAN: hidden, Response 1, Signal 3, System 2, Firewall 1

Eyes follow Dante as he approaches the old woman. Several of the girls sit up staighter in their chairs, fussing with their outfits or makeup.

Close up he can see that the woman is truly ancient. Even with heavy makeup, her white painted face is lined and wrinkled. She looks up as he speaks, heavily cataracted eyes sizing him up from head to toe, before she speaks.

<chinese>"Sit. Tell an old lady what a Beijing ronin is doing in her restaurant. I see hunger and not just for food. I see fire, one that burns within and one that burned without."

Long lacquered nails tap on the metal of his left arm.

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

Requiem grins at you before settling the helm of his milspec armour back on his head. Both he and Stitch are scarred and battered and both make you feel seriously underdressed for an excursion into the zone. Poor fraggers, you’ve no doubt that without their beetle suits they’d both have been squashed by something long before now, still, it wouldn’t hurt to be surrounded by that much protection. Those damn ghouls may have ended up blunting their claws on you but there are much nastier fragging things in here and the stink of those ant spirits is still lingering in your nostrils despite the dunking you’ve had in raw crap…

Requiem gestures and your small rag tag group begins the trek north out of the zone. And it is your group. Despite all their obvious military training the two soldiers are deferring to you…you are the one with the mission to complete now, theirs was fragged a couple of hours ago when the shit hit the fan. It feels good and even Snake seems to approve judging by the warm almost purring noises in your mind.

The crack of the rifle round comes almost as a complete surprise to you all although everyone is alert enough to rapidly seek cover. Requiem makes a couple of curt gestures, combat cant of some sort but the meaning is fairly clear, and following his direction you look up and over to your left. Standing out in the open on the edge of a roof about two blocks ahead of you, tatty hunting rifle leaning casually on his hip, is that bloody ghoul! Given that he appears unhurt you suspect at least one of the group must have some healing talent, just bloody great!

At least the blind fragger can’t hit anything…his voice floats to you on the wind, as casual as his stance

"Now will you pay the toll you trog bitch?"

@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])

Taking the proffered gift with a smile Gossamer briefly wondered if there was a price to be paid for this aid. She had been around metahuman society long enough to recognise that altruism was a rare thing but Aria had never asked anything of her before. Nothing material anyway.

"Thank you. I hope the Citadel servers weren’t hit too hard by this thing? "

"The Citadel?"

"I felt your influence all over those nodes, the sculpting in particular, I doubt anyone else would spot it but my nature gives me certain advantages" her tone was light, she knew that she was potentially stepping on a secret here and she wanted it to be clear that it would go no further.

Thankfully it seemed Aria wasn’t upset, perhaps it even proved she’d passed a test

"Nothing we couldn’t cope with, keeping all those gamers out of the score boards means our firewalls are substantial!"

"Do you know what this >1rtu@l5cr3@m is? I can feel it even now, calling to me…"

@E:Tribes, Sprogget
@E:Tribes, Sprogget
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Bellevue, near Senlis residence]
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; Passive; SIN: Paul Brickhill (R3)

As he finishes linking the connections, Sprogget sees an indicator popup in the CMT Clip connection window.
@self:Ah, There's Glyph now!
@Glyph via CMT Clip: <<Hey Glyph.  We finally made it here.  I don't know if you've seen any news since you have been keeping to direct connections, but the matrix mess Prospero warned about is some sort of virus.  Among other things, it glitched grid guide, which fragged traffic.  I have switched my connection to the group to a more virus resistant link.  Please slave your commlink here {Sprogget current bionode address} for tacnet and comms.  Everyone else except LeFey is on tacnet now, and she is linked in for comms.>>

As Glyph connects to the tacnet, Sprogget removes the jailbreakers firewall exceptions file from the CMT Clip, putting it back in normal passive mode for the Paul Brickhill profile.
@self: {grin}The Gang's All Here.

Just as Sprogget is about to ask Glyph about a good place to park, LeFey announces.


@jailbreakers: <<So what other surprises are on the way tonight?  Just a sec LeFey.  Before you call them, could you give me access to your commlink?  When you call, I will use the connection to get a fix on the commlink you call.  I'll need 10 seconds, then as long as both ends have matrix access, and I pay attention, I'll be able to keep track of where they are.>>

@self:LeFey could do this herself, but no need for her to be any extra distracted while talking to the 'rents.  Good thing we are out of the traffic now.  Would not want to do this in the middle of a bunch of angry, scared, and inexperienced drivers!  10 seconds unless they run stealth, or do redirects.

Sprogget sets the Revolution to pilot itself, just driving around the block, then exits from the cycle node, back into his bionode, in preparation for subscribing to LeFey's commlink.
@self:I'll get Glyph to point out a place to park, or set a patrol route once I have the trace locked.

@E:Tribes / Travellers
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Senlis Residence, Bellevue]
SIN: Morgan Senlis, PAN: Active

<<If anything else decides to rear its ugly head, I don't think I can take it.>> The headache was there now, and throbbing. Trying to distract herself, Morgan sends him the commcode to her Avalon. <<There. Standby for my call.>> She mentally imagined her parents were on the other line, waiting to reveal that they already knew what she was up to. All the same, Morgan wanted to hear from them. She might not have that chance for a long time.

<<Are you alright? The news says there's some kind of virus causing chaos all over the city.>>

@E:Tribes, Sprogget
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Bellevue, near Senlis residence]
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; Passive; SIN: Paul Brickhill (R3)

With access to the Avalon, Sprogget opens a subscription to it, and focuses his attention there.  Sculpting a basic track program from the resonance, he waits for LeFey's comm call to go through.  As soon as the icon for the called node shows up, he starts a trace, to locate where the called commlink currently is, and follow it as it moves.

Once the trace is complete, Sprogget overlays the reported position as a fuzzy dot labeled 'Parents' on simple map centered on the Senlis residence, and connects the live information as an ARO to the combined jailbreakers channel.  The map is set to update by adding a new dot each time the location changes, modifying the label for the previous dot to show the timestamp when the location changes.  This Leaves a trail of locations with time labels.
@self:There.  That new ARO will let LeFey know that tracking is active, and anyone in the group that wants to can see about where they are.  Or at least where that commlink is.  Soon as we start seeing changes, we can start estimating how they are making out in the traffic.  Need to remember that as they get closer to home, the traffic will thin, and there will be fewer delays.

Now to find a place to 'loiter' while Alpha does his thing with the CHN.

@jailbreakers: <<Glyph, you got any suggestions where to park the cycle for a bit?  Or should I just cruise around until everything is ready?>>

With the trace active and stable, Sprogget closes the subscription to LeFey's commlink, and takes back control of the cycle again, relishing the feel of the street below his feet.

@self:Don't drive on roads that are this well maintained much.  Hardly any potholes to smooth over with the smart wheel.  Oh.  One more for tacnet.
Not wanting to disturb LeFey while she is talking to her parents, Sprogget sends a text message through Tagget, that will close when LeFey confirms it has been read.
@Lefey via Tagget: <<If you add the sensors included in the package to your PAN, or have other valid channels, you can slave to attached {current binode address} to become part of the group tacnet.  For now that will just let you keep track of what we are doing, but it will really start to help when you go to leave the house.  Like knowing not to open the door just as a KE patrol happens to be going past.>>

@Virtual Scream / Dante
[September 1, 2072, 21:02, Hai Fuk Noodle House, Redmond Barrens, Seattle]
PAN: hidden, Response 1, Signal 3, System 2, Firewall 1

The surprise on Dante's face disappears as quickly as it appeared.

<<Chinese>>

"Ah, Grandmother, I should have known that one as wise as you would see the truth. My tale of leaving Beijing is long, and probably not fit conversation for someone as respected as you. Fire plays some large part in the tale, one that I'd not wish to remember..."

A shudder passes through him at the memory, the tremble passing down his metallic arms and conducted through the lacquered nails.

"Let's talk of happier things. Here, I've ordered you a pot of the best oolong tea for sale in this place, I'm sure you can smell the fragrance and the quality. Not quite as good as you can get from Guangdong, but passable it seems. In this weather, oolong really does have the best medicinal qualities for the body. Some people think puer does, but that can create too much of an imbalance if a person isn't careful. Here, now that the tea has steeped for a minute, let me pour you the second serving. The flavor should be much stronger, see how the color is darker and the tea sticks to the sides of the cup."

After going on about tea and other niceties for a short time, Dante smiles at her and says,

"Tell me, am I lucky enough that you're available to keep a cold man warm tonight?"

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

Mordred & Tsubaki

The door is indeed unlocked, and you both cautiously enter the room beyond taking care to watch for blind spots and other potential surprises. If there’s anyone beyond they are doing a good job of making it look like they aren’t home. The air is stale, although still perfectly breathable, and the damp makes it feel decidedly unloved.

Gemeaux

The incoming drone sweeps round in an arc and you can almost feel the eyes watching through its sensors. Monsieur Collot comes up beside you, thankfully loudly enough that you aren’t startled into any sudden response despite your concentration on the barely visible aerial spy.

"It is being rigged. I tried to reach it’s dog brain but couldn’t get in…I could try and trace its signal…?"

Mordred & Tsubaki

As you progress further your linked GPS tells you that you have moved around forty meters under the far bank of the reservoir. The chambers and corridors are uniformly empty, although they more and more indicate that they were once comfortable quarters with splashes of art on the walls and the paraphernalia of daily life scattered around. Wherever the Clearwater lot are, they don’t seem to be here now. There’s no indication of why they left or where they went. Certainly no signs of violence and there is no taint of death on the manasphere.

Gemeaux

"Oh merde...!" and looking where Monsieur Collot is indicating you see another drone crest the valley skyline. It’s making no attempt to hide, speed and armour is on its side, the Nimrod air combat frame is definitely not something the hippies should be making use of…before you can even swing your rifle round to target it tracer fire whickers out towards the RV. The RV lurches, crunching you painfully into the side panelling, as the armour piercing rounds shred the tyres on that side of the vehicle, and probably most of the wheel hubs too…

@E:Tribes / LeFey
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Heading north to Bellevue]

<<Are you alright? The news says there's some kind of virus causing chaos all over the city.>>

<<Yes, yes, we are on our way home now. Don’t worry we’ll be back soon. We’re avoiding the main routes that seem to be affected and James is very good, he’ll get us home.>>

Well, so much for the hope that they would be delayed for long, now you just need to decide whether to make the break for it now or wait until later on tonight when they are finally tucked up safely in bed…although if Dad’s schedule has been knocked out of whack by meeting Mordred there’s a chance he will be up half the night catching up on the oh so vital corporate drudge…

@E:Tribes / LeFey
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Heading north to Bellevue]
SIN: Morgan Senlis, PAN: Active

<<Take your time. And be careful.>> She meant every word of it.

With the call over, Morgan turns her attention to the message. "...valid channels?" She mutters, reaching for a button on her headphones. "So, anything I'm using right now should work." In her left field of vision, she can now see what the tribe is looking at. "Have to remember to wink or rub my eye when I need to look at something on my end."

<<Are we ready?>> She takes a look around her house, both through the doors and security cameras.

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

"Looks like we missed them..." Mordred briefly examines the former home.

He had meant to turn back anyway, but the drone sends him running. "But someone's still living around here. And they're hostile!" The adept waves at Tsubaki to follow. He heads toward the exit at a run, slamming a clip of explosive ammo into his weapon.

@E:PL UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:35; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]
PAN=Active; SIN:Nina Okada

A small frown appears on Tsubaki's face. No answers and just a lot of questions. The frown fades from her appearance as Mordred turns around and hits the ground running. If she had anything to say, it will have to be missed. Time to go!

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

Copperhead drops into cover, moving to put herself between the ghoul and the kids.

"Keep yer heads down youse two."

She takes a bead on the ghoul, but he's a long way away and the Enfield is designed for close range combat. She struggles to get the smartlink targ to settle on the ghoul, finally taking a deep breath, holding it and squeezing off a single shot as the targ drifts across the ghoul's torso.

"Dere's da first installment ya fragger. One piece of 12 gauge lead. An I gots plenty more where dat came from. How much you wantin?"

Lowering her voice, she whispers to the mercs.

"Watch dis one. He's a sneaky fragger. His buddies are prolly sneaking up on us right now. Hmm, I'm guessing neither of youse got a sniper rifle stashed in your backpacks?"

She looks around, hoping to see another way past the ghoul and hoping not to see any of his buddies closing in on them.

@E:Tribes / LeFey
[September 1, 2072 21:12 Heading north to Bellevue]
SIN: Morgan Senlis, PAN: Active

The issue wasn't one of trust. Morgan sincerely trusted the tribe members. After all, she was placing her safety in their hands. No, the issue was that she was about to head into a dangerous and isolated area without anyone at all knowing. Which was the point, but Morgan had to let at least one person know, just in case one of the many worst case scenarios she imagined came to pass.

Gently, using only a little effort, she seized the Resonance with her will. Just a warm up. Morgan focused data into a single, glowing light that hovered over her finger. The girl raised it into the air as if it were a signal. And something was indeed alerted by the light. A sprite resembling a crow flew to her side, alighting on her arm. "Hello." She greets it with a smile. "Thank you for answering my call. I promise I'll not detain you long." Morgan had already prepared the message she wanted the sprite to deliver.

"Take this to Mordred. Use your abilities to conceal it from detection." The message was a short explanation of what she was doing tonight. Morgan mentioned the tribe, and that she would be staying in Puyallup.

It turned out, that the warm up wasn't enough. As hard as she tried, Morgan just couldn't summon her next sprite. Twice she tried to compile a "physical" form for her paladin, and twice she had ended with so much garbled data. She couldn't understand. Morgan had summoned this particular sprite before. Was it merely a case of nerves? She tried once more, calling his name. "Accolon. I need your help. Perhaps more than ever." This time, a knight appeared to don the dark armor she had forged with the Resonance. Though clearly human, a shadow concealed his exact features.

Morgan lay back on the bed, exhausted. One task. It was enough to afford her a measure of protection, and would have to do for now.

@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])

"Some sort of virus/worm/agent/emergent AI. I haven't had the chance to look into it in any detail yet." mutters Aria with a shrug and brief frown of frustration.

"However, I do have a couple of pieces isolated on my servers."

The grin she grins is far too malevolent for the form of the little girl she is wearing.

As Aria chats, Gossamer realises the earbuds have morphed into seeds and the seeds have sprouted little tendrils of green that are quickly growing up her arm followed equally quickly by tiny pink flowers. As each flower blooms, a tiny pink fairy pops out, with a tinkling laugh. Soon there are so many fairies that they drown out the sound of the scream and then all at once they all pop, showering her in pink faerie dust.

The scream is gone.

So is the empty node. Postal workers now rush back and forth carrying sacks filled with letters and parcels. Aria beckons to a portly security man eating a donut. She hands him another pair of earbuds and his form shimmers, becoming slimmer and taller, the donut replaced with a clipboard and pen.

Aria scrunches up her nose.

"It's a start. I've updated the firewall and installed a basic reality filter routine. You should be safe here for now. However, if it does come after you again, use this."

She hands over an envelope with Gossamer's name printed on the front.

"It's a one time admin level access to the Citadel's servers. It will only work for you and will expire in 24 hours. Don't use it unless you have to! It's a dirty piece of code and cleaning it up will take simply ages. Okay, gotta go. Things to do! Bye!"

And with a cheeky grin and a wink of an eye, she's gone.

@Virtual Scream/Uller
[September 1, 2072, 13:31; Puyallup Barrens, Seattle]
Sony Emperor: Active | SIN: Luke MacAuley ( Re 2 - Sig 3 - Fi 2 - Sys 2)

Having to take the Metro to the crime scene is bad enough, but it seems like everyone else decided to do the same. Uller overhears snatches of conversation, complaints about the traffic, mentions of >1rtu@l5cr3@m, discussions of the last play of the Urban Brawl game. Fortunately no-one pays any attention to his 'equipment' bag.

He also notices a new icon on his link. At first glance it looks like a wig, or a scalp, but on closer examination he realises it is the top of a skull, complete with skin and hair. He has no idea how it got there until the checks the filename: >1rtu@l5cr3@m. Looks like his link is infected too!

Arriving at the Stuffer Shack, he finds a bored beat cop guarding the scene. A flash of his credentials and a 20 yen donation to the police retirement fund is enough to get him a look inside. There's not much too see, an outline of a troll-sized body around a blood stain, lots of yellow tape and crime scene numbers.

However, he does pick up a scent. Fear and cheap perfume almost drowned out by unwashed troll and convenience store snacks. The bored cop points him in the direction the troll fled with his hostage and he picks up the scent again. It takes 30 minutes on foot, occassionally backtracking before the scent leads him to a row of abandoned lock ups. Most of them are wrecked, but one of the few intact ones sports a new padlock on the rusted, graffiti painted door.

@Virtual Scream/Cipher
[September 1, 2072, 13:52; Downtown, Seattle]

Cipher reaches out to the matrix with his mind, looking for any information on >irtu@l5cr3@m. He gets plenty of hits, mostly people complaining about being hit with the virus and either having a piece of hardware infected or in some cases destroyed. All reports of infection claim to have some random piece of a body left behind on their devices after the attack. He glances over at the cab, and sure enough, there is the skeleton waving back to him with a handless arm.

Searching on how to get rid of it delivers plenty of controversial suggestions, most of which Cipher immediately recognises as unlikely to work or worse, likely to further damage or compromise the infected devices. He comes up blank on how to get it out of a sprite or a technomancer's bionode.

He does come across a couple of sites claiming to be able to remove the virus from infected devices, but can he trust them with his sprite or his brain? And does it really matter anyway? After all, wont they all be controlled by the same intelligence that runs the matrix anyway?

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:36; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]

Mordred & Tsubaki

You pound your way back through the complex, hoping against hope that you will be in time to assist the others. It seems longer, darker and slipperier on your return, the air seems threatening but that is nothing compared with the sounds of autofire that drift down strangely to your position.

Gemeaux

The drone jinks and peels off, whether to get a better angle for another attack run or because it’s done what it came to do is anyone’s guess. You know that the RV will offer you meagre protection against it if it decides to strafe the body…you are jolted almost off your feet again as the RV lurches down the hill towards the pumping station. Beside you Monsieur Collot is muttering under his breath and clearly concentrating hard, beads of sweat springing out on his forehead

"I can get us down, yes? I think it is only gravity that can help us now..."

The RV is listing heavily towards the shattered wheels and in the back Luc has begun to scream his head off. You can’t see the attack drone anymore…is that a good thing…?

@Virtual Scream / Cat / Dubstep
[September 2, 2072, 01:00, Anathma]

Despite the hour and the weather, the queue to get into the Anathma still runs halfway around the block. Most are human, but there are small clusters of orcs, elves and a few of the more unusual metatypes in the line. One of the club's attractions is that all are welcome, unless they happen to be humanis policlub members.

The queue creeps slowly forward as people are checked through security. A troll and a human pat down the partygoers, extracting an impressive assortment of firearms, blades, knuckledusters and armored outerwear. Even then, several people in front of you still set off the metal detector, some with more obvious cyberware than others.

Inside, the hallway splits into three. A ramp on the right slopes down to the mosh pit, where pounding metal beats can be felt. Most of the orcs and trolls head down that way. The ramp to the left leads up to the skybar where faint ambient beats can be heard. Most of the club's 'business' meetings take place in the soundproofed booths upstairs. But the majority of patrons just head straight through to the main dance hall and bars where Seattle's hottest DJ, Reed Caspa, is playing tonight.

@E:PL /UK
[May 21st, 2072, 18:36; Overlooking Clearwater, Exmoor, UK]
SIN: Spencer Lovett, PAN: Active

<<Talk to me if you can.>> Mordred slows to a walk when he approaches the door. <<What's happening?>> Making sure his smartgun display is ready, he eases the door open. The adept scans the area for enemies. "See anything?" He mutters to Tsubaki. Mordred's mind races. The hippies had gone. Signs pointed to the place having been peacefully abandoned, but peaceful didn't mean voluntary. And now they were under attack. That maglock could have been equipped with an alarm, but who would go to the trouble of guarding empty rooms? Mordred had to guess that the area had new residents. This was a perilous situation. They had to get to safety and contact Argent (assuming she hadn't meant for them to be in this gunfight).