I'm Only Dancing
Inactive Member
"Greetings, Nerull." The synthetic voice spoke from all around, cheerfully. "We will begin your testing today. You have aroused great interest in those above for your talents. Are you familiar with the systems before you?"
'I believe so', Nerull answered while taking in the whole room, his eyes constantly moving.
"Good." The computer's voice was disturbingly monotone. "The visual functions of the first monitor are locked by a twelve-hundred digit firewall. You will need to breach this to continue your assignment. Is forty-five seconds sufficient time?" The monitor screen directly in front of the hacker went completely black, though the other functions of the computer seemed to work normally.
Nerull began to calmly type in a deep freeze program that should deactivate all the computers firewalls. When he thought he was done he reset the computer to see if it worked.
The system restarted quickly, and the monitor flashed on with a 'ping'. "Done with fifteen seconds to spare. Very good. Next, you should take note of the operating system." A quick glance would tell Nerull that the systems on the computer were archaic - at least three decades old. "There is a second operating system that you will have to locate the drivers for to run. This machine will be obsolete until that is completed." The same grating monotone marked the automated voice.
He did a search and while that was running he examined the old programs capabilities.
The search yielded nothing - the modern drivers he was seeking were not recognized by the technology of the operating system he was forced to use. It would have to be done manually. The interface was a simple GUI, a cursor moved by a set of arrow keys and simple icons denoting programs. However, it was also capable of taking in coded text commands.
He smiled at the challenge of creating a new program in a small amount of time and began to program in the drivers manually. While thinking of the next test and how it would challenge his skills.
One by one the missing drivers fell into place. As the final component to the full operating system came about, the computerized voice narrated his tasks again. "Excellent, your talent is clearly above average ken. Your next task is very important. Reset the system and start in the newer OS. Use the compiler provided to you to crack the security on the camera systems. Location codes have been provided with the compiler."
He reset the system and began by probing the defenses to see if there was any weakness. The smile was growing as he used the knowledge he had gleamed to compile a Trojan.
The camera systems specified were better-defended than seemed reasonable, and it was impossible to tell where exactly they were watching. However, the probing did reveal a simple flaw in the programming, one that could be exploited with a well-placed c-in command.
He made the necessary changes to the Trojan and sent it in. He had programmed it not only to break the security but to also give him access to any other computer accessing it.
His attempts to access played their course quickly - and failed. It was very clear that someone with significant computer skill was counteracting his hacking - a flu-shot had been delivered at the opportune moment, leaving the Trojan as a few strings of inconsequential coding. And it seemed he had received a similar program in retaliation to his attempted assault on the computer... he would have to work quickly, or he could be forced to deal with a system lockdown.
He reprograms the deep freeze to stop all reprogramming of the OS or its drives. Then he looks around for a camera or other noticeable spying device.
He reprograms the deep freeze to stop all reprogramming of the OS or its drives. He begins to wonder if the camera is watching him and lending the other person an advantage. Then he looks around for a camera or other noticeable spying device.
No cameras were visible, though that meant very little given the technology that was possessed by his testers. As it stood, the deep freeze program activated as it was intended... the Trojan his opposing force had initiated vanished with a lack of activity to target. He noted a lockdown initiation alert. They did not mean to lockdown their systems... they meant to lock him out of his own system.
Nerull password protects his computer. Then he repeats the command into their computer. He follows it with a flashfire virus. It is a virus that causes random destruction and in time it engulfs itself. He wonders how it shall be taken care of and of the skill of his opposition.
The flashfire virus downloaded... then disappeared. A perfect counter-virus had been initiated. Nerull was clearly dealing with a professional in the field... a window popped up to alert him that his password was being accessed. A second window alerted him that his command-lines into the c-out had been deleted. Conventional methods didnt seem to be working here...
Nerull decides to be ruthless. He sends 5 flashfires at the walls and another 2 along the data stream access to his password. Then, while the other computer is dealing with them, makes 10 different Trojans with specialized access codes. Then for the grand finale he shuts off his monitor and hunches over the keyboard to create a virus that deletes the command sequences of the other computer. He thinks over any possible countermeasures.
Though without his monitor he wouldnt be able to see the methods, his opponent quickly and efficiently disabled each virus sent at him. The quickness of this opponent was either that of a brilliant man, or something more. But it didnt matter... as Nerull began typing his command sequence for deletion, the computer he was using flickered, the monitor turned back on, with blood red text across the screen reading, "TANMIM t'set nav yakut."
The computerized voice spoke again as the computer flickered off. "You lasted longer than any of our other test subjects. Perhaps you would like to know what you were up against?"
He looked annoyed and said 'Yes, please'. He was angry that he did not have the ability to finish this obviously more powerful entity. His anger he leaned to control a long time ago though. So he settled for just thinking about breaking things.
"It is an Artificial Sentience called TANMIM. We have been trying to access its programs to learn more about it for nearly twenty days now, and none of our hackers or our own AIs have been able to touch it. It was reported to us by a survivor of the exploration ship which landed on its homeworld. The computer was reactivated by these people, and, it seems, proceeded to murder most of them. We have watched the planet's progress. In forty-one days, their technology advanced from earthbound to spaceborn."
'Sounds like fun. Do I get to have a better computer to trash it with?'
"We will use you, though I am unsure if trashing this computer will work. It simultaneously disabled everything you threw at it with very simple means. Flu-shots, deep freezes, techniques very similar to your own. It was, shall we say, toying with you." The voice paused. "I believe it would be better to attempt to spy on this entity in a more surreptitious manner than an attempt to overpower its systems."
'Fine but I shall need my old computer for the virus.' Nerull thinks of his best program, the one he used to get past all the record files and delete his criminal record. It took him the best part of 2 years to complete it. Now he was going to modify it and send it into the unknown.
"Nerull, there are others who would meet with you. A location has been downloaded to your personal datapad." The computerized voice spoke in its same monotone, never changing, never with emotion. "Three others who were tested against TANMIM. You are to discuss what should be done as a council, four minds can better determine the extent of what it is we face."
'Ok, lets party' Nerull says as he gets up and grabs his stuff. He then goes to get the swordmaster and join the others, wondering how good they will be.
Down the hall, three doors later, would lead to a large room with several modern computers, and three other people - presumably those the AI had spoken of. As Nerull opened the door, they all cast a blank gaze on him simultaneously, waiting for the newcomer to identify himself.
Down the hall, three doors later, would lead to a large room with several modern computers, and three other people - presumably those the AI had spoken of. As Nerull opened the door, they all cast a blank gaze on him simultaneously, waiting for the newcomer to identify himself.
'Im Nerull. Now what are your names?' he asks with a smile.
One of the three spoke for all of them, the man at the center. "I am called Janus; this is Lindy, and the one with the chocolate matted in his hair is Kouji. Dont expect conversation from these two. Theyre..." he paused. "What's the word... Oh, yeah. Completely fucking insane."
'Well Im in good company then. So do you have any plans?´ Nerull smiles and looks at the computers and walls while he is saying this.
The room was dull and white, though the walls hadnt been washed for some time. The computers were another story; perhaps the best machines Nerull had ever had access to. He would have to check the systems to determine exactly what he would be using, but there wasnt much question. These were unbelievable bits of equipment, probably not even on civilian market yet.
Nerull smiles and waits for their answer.
"We're trying to figure out the exact defensive capabilities of this machine. We've hit it with things it shouldnt be able to counter, and it has them erased in seconds..."
'What exactly did you try?
Janus began typing something rapidly. "Trojans and flashfires in our initial tests, all of us. It seemed the thing to do. Recently we've tried spyware, sapping, info downloads; we've tried attacking the antivirus systems, even written out a virus that targets activity." He laughed hollowly. "This machine is beyond anything I've ever seen. Ayame should be in a panic; I'm not sure if she knows about it, though."
'Well I'm going to try my own seeker. Then we can try to make a better one.' He thinks to himself 'it cant hold out forever.' He loads the Swordmaster and watches the data flow on the screen as it activates.
The program loaded normally. As the upload finished... "What the fuck?"
The profanity came from Janus. "Nerull, Kouji, Lindy... do a spybot search for 'swordsman.exx'. This fucker put some murderous spyware into our machines..." It seemed that though the swordsman worked perfectly, the TANMIM was quite proficient at rerouting where data was sent. The more one looked, the more the TANMIM looked to be a system designed by someone very sadistic, or very stupid.
Nerull laughs 'its ok. Its mine but I cant believe it rerouted it. Im open to suggestions.' Nerull stops feeling angry and begins to feel curious. He began going over the possibilities of creating a governor program for the Swordmaster. One that would allow him to keep it pointed at TANMIM manually. Of course the others would have to protect the governor or it could just delete it.
"We could do something more discreet..." Lindy was the one speaking this time. "Send it a standard info packet; no notable viruses, spyware, nothing, until it downloads them... a spybot that will write itself once embedded. It wont last too long, but it may give us a little bit of data...."
'Im up for it. Personally I think it wont even except it but no harm trying. I will get the spybot activation and interface. Lindy you and Kouji make the spybot and Janus can make the package.' Nerull begins working right away. He makes the program lie dormant until all scanning programs have gone.
So began the monumentous task...
'I believe so', Nerull answered while taking in the whole room, his eyes constantly moving.
"Good." The computer's voice was disturbingly monotone. "The visual functions of the first monitor are locked by a twelve-hundred digit firewall. You will need to breach this to continue your assignment. Is forty-five seconds sufficient time?" The monitor screen directly in front of the hacker went completely black, though the other functions of the computer seemed to work normally.
Nerull began to calmly type in a deep freeze program that should deactivate all the computers firewalls. When he thought he was done he reset the computer to see if it worked.
The system restarted quickly, and the monitor flashed on with a 'ping'. "Done with fifteen seconds to spare. Very good. Next, you should take note of the operating system." A quick glance would tell Nerull that the systems on the computer were archaic - at least three decades old. "There is a second operating system that you will have to locate the drivers for to run. This machine will be obsolete until that is completed." The same grating monotone marked the automated voice.
He did a search and while that was running he examined the old programs capabilities.
The search yielded nothing - the modern drivers he was seeking were not recognized by the technology of the operating system he was forced to use. It would have to be done manually. The interface was a simple GUI, a cursor moved by a set of arrow keys and simple icons denoting programs. However, it was also capable of taking in coded text commands.
He smiled at the challenge of creating a new program in a small amount of time and began to program in the drivers manually. While thinking of the next test and how it would challenge his skills.
One by one the missing drivers fell into place. As the final component to the full operating system came about, the computerized voice narrated his tasks again. "Excellent, your talent is clearly above average ken. Your next task is very important. Reset the system and start in the newer OS. Use the compiler provided to you to crack the security on the camera systems. Location codes have been provided with the compiler."
He reset the system and began by probing the defenses to see if there was any weakness. The smile was growing as he used the knowledge he had gleamed to compile a Trojan.
The camera systems specified were better-defended than seemed reasonable, and it was impossible to tell where exactly they were watching. However, the probing did reveal a simple flaw in the programming, one that could be exploited with a well-placed c-in command.
He made the necessary changes to the Trojan and sent it in. He had programmed it not only to break the security but to also give him access to any other computer accessing it.
His attempts to access played their course quickly - and failed. It was very clear that someone with significant computer skill was counteracting his hacking - a flu-shot had been delivered at the opportune moment, leaving the Trojan as a few strings of inconsequential coding. And it seemed he had received a similar program in retaliation to his attempted assault on the computer... he would have to work quickly, or he could be forced to deal with a system lockdown.
He reprograms the deep freeze to stop all reprogramming of the OS or its drives. Then he looks around for a camera or other noticeable spying device.
He reprograms the deep freeze to stop all reprogramming of the OS or its drives. He begins to wonder if the camera is watching him and lending the other person an advantage. Then he looks around for a camera or other noticeable spying device.
No cameras were visible, though that meant very little given the technology that was possessed by his testers. As it stood, the deep freeze program activated as it was intended... the Trojan his opposing force had initiated vanished with a lack of activity to target. He noted a lockdown initiation alert. They did not mean to lockdown their systems... they meant to lock him out of his own system.
Nerull password protects his computer. Then he repeats the command into their computer. He follows it with a flashfire virus. It is a virus that causes random destruction and in time it engulfs itself. He wonders how it shall be taken care of and of the skill of his opposition.
The flashfire virus downloaded... then disappeared. A perfect counter-virus had been initiated. Nerull was clearly dealing with a professional in the field... a window popped up to alert him that his password was being accessed. A second window alerted him that his command-lines into the c-out had been deleted. Conventional methods didnt seem to be working here...
Nerull decides to be ruthless. He sends 5 flashfires at the walls and another 2 along the data stream access to his password. Then, while the other computer is dealing with them, makes 10 different Trojans with specialized access codes. Then for the grand finale he shuts off his monitor and hunches over the keyboard to create a virus that deletes the command sequences of the other computer. He thinks over any possible countermeasures.
Though without his monitor he wouldnt be able to see the methods, his opponent quickly and efficiently disabled each virus sent at him. The quickness of this opponent was either that of a brilliant man, or something more. But it didnt matter... as Nerull began typing his command sequence for deletion, the computer he was using flickered, the monitor turned back on, with blood red text across the screen reading, "TANMIM t'set nav yakut."
The computerized voice spoke again as the computer flickered off. "You lasted longer than any of our other test subjects. Perhaps you would like to know what you were up against?"
He looked annoyed and said 'Yes, please'. He was angry that he did not have the ability to finish this obviously more powerful entity. His anger he leaned to control a long time ago though. So he settled for just thinking about breaking things.
"It is an Artificial Sentience called TANMIM. We have been trying to access its programs to learn more about it for nearly twenty days now, and none of our hackers or our own AIs have been able to touch it. It was reported to us by a survivor of the exploration ship which landed on its homeworld. The computer was reactivated by these people, and, it seems, proceeded to murder most of them. We have watched the planet's progress. In forty-one days, their technology advanced from earthbound to spaceborn."
'Sounds like fun. Do I get to have a better computer to trash it with?'
"We will use you, though I am unsure if trashing this computer will work. It simultaneously disabled everything you threw at it with very simple means. Flu-shots, deep freezes, techniques very similar to your own. It was, shall we say, toying with you." The voice paused. "I believe it would be better to attempt to spy on this entity in a more surreptitious manner than an attempt to overpower its systems."
'Fine but I shall need my old computer for the virus.' Nerull thinks of his best program, the one he used to get past all the record files and delete his criminal record. It took him the best part of 2 years to complete it. Now he was going to modify it and send it into the unknown.
"Nerull, there are others who would meet with you. A location has been downloaded to your personal datapad." The computerized voice spoke in its same monotone, never changing, never with emotion. "Three others who were tested against TANMIM. You are to discuss what should be done as a council, four minds can better determine the extent of what it is we face."
'Ok, lets party' Nerull says as he gets up and grabs his stuff. He then goes to get the swordmaster and join the others, wondering how good they will be.
Down the hall, three doors later, would lead to a large room with several modern computers, and three other people - presumably those the AI had spoken of. As Nerull opened the door, they all cast a blank gaze on him simultaneously, waiting for the newcomer to identify himself.
Down the hall, three doors later, would lead to a large room with several modern computers, and three other people - presumably those the AI had spoken of. As Nerull opened the door, they all cast a blank gaze on him simultaneously, waiting for the newcomer to identify himself.
'Im Nerull. Now what are your names?' he asks with a smile.
One of the three spoke for all of them, the man at the center. "I am called Janus; this is Lindy, and the one with the chocolate matted in his hair is Kouji. Dont expect conversation from these two. Theyre..." he paused. "What's the word... Oh, yeah. Completely fucking insane."
'Well Im in good company then. So do you have any plans?´ Nerull smiles and looks at the computers and walls while he is saying this.
The room was dull and white, though the walls hadnt been washed for some time. The computers were another story; perhaps the best machines Nerull had ever had access to. He would have to check the systems to determine exactly what he would be using, but there wasnt much question. These were unbelievable bits of equipment, probably not even on civilian market yet.
Nerull smiles and waits for their answer.
"We're trying to figure out the exact defensive capabilities of this machine. We've hit it with things it shouldnt be able to counter, and it has them erased in seconds..."
'What exactly did you try?
Janus began typing something rapidly. "Trojans and flashfires in our initial tests, all of us. It seemed the thing to do. Recently we've tried spyware, sapping, info downloads; we've tried attacking the antivirus systems, even written out a virus that targets activity." He laughed hollowly. "This machine is beyond anything I've ever seen. Ayame should be in a panic; I'm not sure if she knows about it, though."
'Well I'm going to try my own seeker. Then we can try to make a better one.' He thinks to himself 'it cant hold out forever.' He loads the Swordmaster and watches the data flow on the screen as it activates.
The program loaded normally. As the upload finished... "What the fuck?"
The profanity came from Janus. "Nerull, Kouji, Lindy... do a spybot search for 'swordsman.exx'. This fucker put some murderous spyware into our machines..." It seemed that though the swordsman worked perfectly, the TANMIM was quite proficient at rerouting where data was sent. The more one looked, the more the TANMIM looked to be a system designed by someone very sadistic, or very stupid.
Nerull laughs 'its ok. Its mine but I cant believe it rerouted it. Im open to suggestions.' Nerull stops feeling angry and begins to feel curious. He began going over the possibilities of creating a governor program for the Swordmaster. One that would allow him to keep it pointed at TANMIM manually. Of course the others would have to protect the governor or it could just delete it.
"We could do something more discreet..." Lindy was the one speaking this time. "Send it a standard info packet; no notable viruses, spyware, nothing, until it downloads them... a spybot that will write itself once embedded. It wont last too long, but it may give us a little bit of data...."
'Im up for it. Personally I think it wont even except it but no harm trying. I will get the spybot activation and interface. Lindy you and Kouji make the spybot and Janus can make the package.' Nerull begins working right away. He makes the program lie dormant until all scanning programs have gone.
So began the monumentous task...
