Rolling Dice...
13:56, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Splinter, rolled 8 using 2d6+2.  Sling Code. Weak Success
13:55, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Venom, rolled 9 using 2d6+1.  Sling Code.
Weak Success

You own the Subprocessor and the Process Node connected to it, but...

”Hang on there users… need to see some passcodes.”

You've drawn the attention of the Knight (Blaster IC - nuisance).

No alert and the IC isn't attacking.

If you Rock and Roll, you have the drop...

If you use your wits to scam your way past the IC, you Stay Frosty.

 I'm for Staying Frosty, you? We can try the old "I'm showing the new intern around, he's on my clearances until he has one himself" routine, maybe?

<<You want to take the lead and I'll have your back>>> Splinter PMed Venom

"Just a second... I am sure I have it somewhere...say is it alt F4 or Shift Shift, Alt F7 to open the passcode screen????" they blurted out sounding like a scared noob that is trying to get their digital legs under them.

Venom dropped into his 'office voice', going a bit bonkers with the R's, but otherwise sounding like an average worker:

"Hey there- livin' the dream, right? Look, I'm shadowing this intern for the week. (Between u amd me, he's all thumbs, but we all hadta start somewhere, amirite? ) I'll vouch for him, if anyone asks, but we don't wanna undermine his confidence. He's a nephew."

(Venom dropped the slang term for 'this guy is a nepotism hire (better to just let it slide than offend someone important)' in at the end, and hoped it was the same over here as back home.)

"Uh huh." the IC replies, scanning your passcodes.

Stay Frosty 20:45, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Venom, rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((2,4)). Weak success

"Passcodes seem OK," the IC replies with very typical cop suspicion, "I better stay with you to make sure you don't get into any more trouble. Where are you heading?"

Splinter changed its avatar to that of a basic off the shelf icon. It was disgusting to wear such a basic form but it was a disguise, like everything else about the Splinter. The fragments melded and got in focus into this form, like they managed to get the basic avatar up and running.

"Oh this is so great..." Splinter said in the spoiled nephew tone

"Are you a real person or a software? am I allowed to ask you that? have you been working here long? what about hobbies do you have any? I am a sucker for underground Troll rock bands, Pumpkin Smashers is the best, have you ever heard their smash hit Squash? "

A blast of "music" fill the air as Pumpkin Smasher hit for 2057, Squash played at full volume.

Splinter noted with alarm how easy it was to slip into the spoiled privileged rich kid... like I was born into it... they thought darkly.

Splinter goal was to fool the IC to think they were safe and more trouble to watch over than to just let them go on their way.

Venom, likewise, went out of his way to make this cover story as realistic, and dull, as humanly possible.

(It also included idly half-singing along with the music. "Eternity's infinity, infinity is clarity and clarity means enmity and hate is honest JUST LAAAHK MEEEEEH!")

”Your use of company resources for personal entertainment files may be a breach of Mercury Transport terms of use for employees.” the IC intones dully. ”You should consult your Human Resources officer for more details.”

Then it wanders off, satisfied that you pose no immediate threat.

Splinter avatar pointed a finger at Veonom as the avatar fragmented back to its many shards and spinning fragments. "Any words of this get up and..." Splinter left it hanging, they still felt soiled from using a default avatar it was worse than being a noob it was it was being part of the system ... the wage slave, mindless drone part.

"I suggest we dig deeper toward the red datastores... so lets go one layer lower toward Process." he didn't mentioned the red datastore was inside a red system that wasn't supposed to be there.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:09, Tue 22 Feb 2022.

Agreed. I'll cover you.
(pause)
No threats. That costs extra.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:18, Wed 23 Feb 2022.

You are both through the SPU leaving the IC behind.

 ::HUD ::

>>>Node: Process (tag: Geographic Correlation and Modelling)
>>>System Rating: ORANGE
>>>Alert Status: PASSIVE

Inside the Process Node you find another small army of constructs taking data from the nearby Control node and modelling delivery dates and times to feed into the command centre.  The node is entirely automated and running autonomously. There are no users or pesky IC here.

Next stop CPU, you know it’s frosty and have the opportunity to make any final preparations before heading deeper into the host

Splinter will take a few moments to see if they can gleam some passwords for the CPU one layer down. Something they could use to mask their infiltration.

Venom keeps an eye open for any sign of detection.

Sling Code 20:10, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Splinter, rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((4,2)). Weak Success

There are traces of protocol exchanges between the Process node and CPU...

Hold +1 for rolls in the CPU

...but...

Back in the SPU, the Knight happens to glance at a system log, just as your passcodes scroll by as you grab the protocol exchange. Inside the IC electron brain, the 1's and 0's click into place and it starts down the dataline toward the Process Node...

Blaster IC is onto you, but still one node behind you... basically the cop is now chasing you through the system... every weak success from now on flags your location to the IC...

Splinter alarmed blinked on and off "We got company the IC is after us, we need to make haste... so lets dive into the CPU and downwards."

Do what we can, Venom agreed. [Dives]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:33, Sat 26 Feb 2022.

You dive down the dataline, leaving no trace and a confused Blaster IC reading the system logs behind you.

::HUD ::

>>>Node: CPU (tag: Central Processing)
>>>System Rating: RED
>>>Alert Status: PASSIVE

:: Warning Intrusion Countermeasures Detected

As you approach the CPU, a Roadmaster blocks your path. Red and blue lights flashing, a Knight (Access IC - nuisance) stands by a temporary barricade checking passcodes.

It's an Ares SWATter Party IC... you can't see them, but you know that there are other IC here somewhere...
The K9 (Trace IC - nuisance)
The Sniper (Blaster IC - peer)

Splinter fragments spun slowly "I say we try to sleaze our way in with the passcode we got from the Process node, with the other IC on our tail I am not sure how long these would be valid... so I vote to make use of them sooner than later."

Venom eyes the Roadmaster. Yeah. Let's do it.

::HUD ::

>>>Node: CPU (tag: Central Processing)
>>>System Rating: RED
>>>Alert Status: PASSIVE

:: Warning Intrusion Countermeasures Detected

You both disappear into system traffic, trying to sleaze the Access IC...

@Splnter: Sling Code
21:24, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Splinter, rolled 7 using 2d6+2 ((3,2)). Weak success

...you pass the cop checkpoint without incident but the Knight picks up your trail and is heading toward the CPU...

@Venom Sling Code
21:25, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Venom, rolled 13 using 2d6+1 ((6,6)). Boxcars! something good happens

...on Splinter's tail, you pass by the Roadmaster undetected, but catch sight of the truck's open backdoor. There is an unstable process running behind the Party IC and, seeing the vulnerability, you inject an irreducable sting of calculations into the IC dataflow causing it to freeze.

1. Venom comes up lucky again and the Party IC is out of the picture.
2. You have unfettered access to the CPU...
3. ...but the Blaster IC Knight will be joining you momentarily.

OOC: Should we/Venom choose one?

You get both!

If Splinter had hands they would have rubbed them in glee at this point "So how about we get into the CPU, I'll try to derail the hound at our back while you go and figure out anything useful in the CPU for us to use in the lower layers."

Good. Venom agrees, and sets about figuring out if anything in the CPU is useful for going deeper.

@Splinter Concealed on the dataline, you await the Knight you have the drop if you choose to attack...

@Venom The CPU spits out a detailed map of the system, filling in the blanks left by Kali.



Sparky is Black IC