Prelude to a Prologue ... the road's got to start somewhere.

[Brian]

January 1st, 2007, at 3:45 PM PST.
<Brian> The tech industry is no longer centralized in Silicon Valley, due to, um, oh yeah, a nuclear missile.
<Brian> Seattle and Portland are the closest things to a real tech industry centers, and that's relatively low-scale, compared to the companies that just chose to relocate themselves in places that happened to be cheap.
<Brian> And a good distance from military targets.
<Brian> You work for Konami, and currently live in Boston.
Dracos would naturally continue his habit of collecting fine steel blades. >>
<Brian> Okay.  In two years, you've aquired one actual servicable blade -- an authentic claymore -- and two art-swords which wouldn't hold up well to actual use (one saber, one katana).
<Brian> The claymore was purchased from a widow in Washington state, who was selling it because she could no longer afford to maintain her household.  You're not sure if you overpaid for it, but it came with a pewter Green Man pendant, and a leather baldric suitable for someone about two-and-a-half Dracos's wide.
<Brian> So you work the Bostonian scene, working on Castlevania: Tactics (slated for simultaneous release on Xbox2, GameCube2, Super GBA, and Playstation 3 next spring).
<Brian> You are not the creative lead or producer, but you are the programming lead, and this beats the heck out of being on some of the other titles you know are in dev.
<Brian> Those being, of course, another slew of YuGiOh rehashes, and DDR 7th mix.
<Brian> (And, of course, really you're translating the game from the JP version.)
<Dracos> Geeeh. ;_;.  *nods*  Oh well, got cash then.
<Brian> And a car!
<Brian> Which is useful for protecting the ground from the foot of snow that has fallen since last year.
<Brian> You vaguely remember a New Year's party from the night before, but nothing interesting.
<Brian> It was run by the company, and most of the other programmers have wives and children.
Dracos nods
<Brian> So.  You've got today off, the roads are questionably passable (you could get anywhere you needed to, but it'd be a hassle), and your schedule is clear.
<Brian> It's 3:45 PM according to your wall clock.
Dracos nods
<Dracos> I groove.
Dracos grooves to the awesome beats of: 1. Cheery Good Anime song
<Dracos> And check the news, anything interesting happening, net or real worldish?
<Brian> It's a New Year, the Bengals are looking to win the Super Bowl, and a cold front is expected to dump about another ton of snow on Boston over the next two weeks.  Scientists blame the dust thrown into the upper atmosphere by the old Ayer's Rock bombing.
Dracos fehs, turns on the music and fiddles with game designs.
<Brian> About four drunk drivers had their lives saved by thick snow, as they failed to crash into anything more dangerous overnight, and Orlando Florida has the best claim on 'first baby born in the new year'.
Dracos turns off the news.
<Brian> The Hobbit did well in theaters, but failed to meet expectations~*click*
Dracos fiddles, checking up on SR games and the latest in game design research.
<Brian> Voxel-mapping seems to be big.  The forums seem to be going well, the only potential eyesore being, the 'Doorway to Tomorrow' board that hasn't been updated since ... this morning?
Dracos shrugs.
<Brian> That board hasn't been touched since January of 2004.
Dracos blinks.
Dracos checks that board.
<Brian> It's a message from a user named Ceran (registered this morning) which you have not authorized for this board.
<Brian> His post has the subject 'beware', and the text is, 'It should have ended in March of 2004.'
Dracos sweatdrops and grabs his ip and email and traceroutes it, moving the message into the invisible admin area.
<Brian> It resolves to a .fi address.
<Dracos> ...finland?  
Dracos plugs it into the handy dandy tracker and gets an address.
<Brian> "This operation has timed out."
<Brian> The IP is registered as belonging to a (you think) ISP in Finnland.  Their English is not so good, so you're not entirely certain.  But the IP isn't active at this moment.
<Brian> It LOOKS like part of a dial-up pool.
<Dracos> Hmm.
Dracos ponders ponderously, taking a swig of...Root beer.
<Brian> There's a knock on the door.
<Dracos> "Who is it?" Dracos calls out, getting up and heading over towards the door with a relaxed gait.
<Brian> Your neighbor would like to borrow your ice-scraper for his windshield (he just broke his).
Dracos nods and gladly lends the guy his ice scrapper.
<Brian> The neighbor thanks you, and goes on his way.  Though you remember he tends to take quite a while to return things he borrows....
Dracos shrugs and curses his eternal good nature.
<Brian> You got a new one with a Konami logo during the New Year's party, anyway.
Dracos heads back to pondering the puzzle, kicking a copy of the notice to Rez
Dracos ponders.
<Dracos> What's the email the guy registered with anyway?
<Brian> templar_light31415926@hotmail.com
<Dracos> ...
<Dracos> My eyes are seared with burning pain at anyone having that long a string of numbers in an email address.
<Brian> Deduction kicks in: How did he manage to post in that board if he wasn't authed for it?
<Brian> The only people on SR who can post to that board are you, Rez, Bjorn, Huitzil, Shade, and Ginrai.  And Brian, of course, but he's been dead since the nuke hit Silicon Valley.
<Dracos> More notably, how does he post to a board that would've been locked, being three years old?
<Dracos> And thus unpostable to by any without admin status? >>
<Dracos> <<
<Dracos> hmm
Dracos already noticed that but does not know how. Thus messages Rez asking "Security, breached, wtf?" and pointing to it.


6:42 AM on January 2nd, 2007
<Brian> Now that you're here, what are you doing on this fateful day, at 6:42 AM on January 2nd, 2007?
<Rez> Hum.
Rez hums.
Rez rather suspects I'm slacking.
<Brian> Okay.  We will pretend this involves you being at your computer.  Do you live alone?
<Brian> Being 'poor', you may still be living with your parents between contracts.
Rez will hopefully have slightly more in resources in four years time, I thought this was now. :) Oh well.
<Rez> Probably sharing an apartment with a friend.
<Brian> You have some resources, but not a lot of money for other than the bare neccessities.
<Brian> And computer parts fit into the 'bare neccessities' category, have no fear.
<Rez> Naturally.
<Brian> In that case, you are home, and you have recieved an IM from Dracos.
<Rez> Oooh.
<Rez> I might, you know, look at it.  But it could take a while.
Rez is slacking, after all.
<Dracos> Correction, Dracos sends many IMs, along with two death threats.
<Rez> I eventually, I suppose, go and look at why my computer is beeping so much.
<Dracos> BOO!
<Rez> Ahhhh.  Oh my!  I am terrified.  Stop doing that.
<Dracos> REZ!
<Rez> DRAC!
<Dracos> REZ!
<Rez> DRAC!
<Dracos> RAWR!
<Rez> Oh, shut up.  *stas*
<Rez> *stabs*
<Dracos> Okay, check the forums, got a weird topic that I flung into the admin section.
<Rez> What, again?
Rez goes.
<Brian> In the admin section, there is a post carefully set aside by a user named 'Ceran' (registered about 12 hours prior to posting).  The subject is 'beware', and the text reads, 'It should have ended in March of 2004.'
<Rez> ". . ."
<Rez> "Oh, this guy dies when I get my hands on him."
Rez checks his IP.
<Brian> It resolves to a (currently) inactive IP belonging to a .fi domain.  It appears to belong to an Finnish ISP dial-up pool.
Rez deletes the account, deletes the message, and goes off to stew.
<Dracos> Yeah, sound fun, Rez?
<Dracos> Tried to track the fellow, but...
<Rez> Bleah.  Any idea who the nick belongs to?  >_>
<Dracos> Nope.  Guy got into a locked forum though.
<Dracos> While not being permissioned to post in it anyway.
<Rez> . . .
<Rez> Wha?  o_O
<Dracos> Yeah, why do you think I poked you and moved it aside?
Rez checks the admin logs.
<Rez> I dunno, same reason you always poke me when someone posts crap, I guess.  ^^;
Dracos sweatdrops
Dracos smacks rez
<Brian> The admin logs show that Ceran logged in with his account, unlocked the forum, posted, relocked the forum, and then removed his admin privelages.
<Rez> OK, that's just weird.  
Rez checks to see if there's an action above of Ceran being given admin priviliges.
<Brian> There is, in fact, no indication that he was ever given admin privelages.
<Brian> His account was created.  He logged out.  He logged back in, and was an admin.
Rez hums.
<Rez> Fuck.  He hit the DB directly.
<Rez> But you shouldn't be able to log into that remotely, without something else . . .
Rez emails tech support, explaining the situation and asking for database and ftp logs pertaining to my account.
<Brian> You get an automated reply saying that your issue is important to them, and their technicians will review your situation ASAP.
<Brian> About ten minutes later you're given a link to a large .log file on their own server, advising you that it's encrypted with your own password.
Rez goes and gets the file.
<Brian> It's a filtered listing of all ftp logs.
<Brian> Organized by date.
<Brian> It's quite large, as they apparently kept everything from your account creation to today on file.
Rez checks out the logs for today and yesterday.
<Brian> Outside of your own connections, there are none.
<Rez> Right.
<Brian> Logged by IP.
Rez ftps to the server and skims through the entire directory structure for directories I do not recognize.  This could take a while.
Rez stops for a sec, and having just had a bright idea beten into him by Dracos, skims through for any mention of Ceran's IP block.
<Brian> Before this brilliant idea comes to you, you find a new directory.
Rez looks at it.
<Brian> It's named: "Xyesnh74!!", and was created during a time when there were no connections (via FTP) to your system.
<Rez> Hm.
Rez opens it and looks in.
<Rez> Okay, whoever did this knows just what they're doing.  >_>
<Brian> There's about a dozen small files, most of which you don't recognize.  The two you do, are a script that you do not run, and a text file.
Rez downloads the entire directory onto his machine.
<Brian> The entire directory is now also on your machine.
<Brian> It weighs in at 413k.
Rez opens the text file and reads it.
<Brian> It contains a message saying, "They are watching all of you.  Contact Pax Arcana."
Rez eyes it.
Rez opens the script in a text editor and skims through it.
<Brian> It's TCL.  Looks like a script for an eggdrop bot to log into zirc and scan for a specific series of users on some channel-name based on funky algorythms.
Rez checks out the rest of the files in the directory.
<Brian> They're also eggdrop components, though none of them appear to be anything special.
Rez informs Drac of what I've found.
<Dracos> Riiight, what usernames are in the script?
<Rez> Not sure, I'd have to, well, work out the algorithm on paper.
<Dracos> ...
<Dracos> it's a script.  Surely it has the data all stored somewhere neat.
<Dracos> Kick it over here.  I'll brute force it. ^^
<Rez> Fine, fine.  If you happen to fail, I'll figure it out when I'm done sweeping the ftp.  :)
Rez goes back to skimming through the directory structure on the server, via ftp.
<Dracos> Feh, failure?  I know not what this is!
<Brian> It actually runs the algorithm on the fly, based on the time and date.  It's smart enough to take time-zone into account, though the eggrop's config file warns that the bot needs root access to work properly.
Dracos flips it over to a side computer.
Dracos opens in plain text and puts his crazed reading skills to work then.
<Brian> This takes some time.
<Brian> Rez: There are no further extra directories on the system that you can find.
<Brian> Dracos: You come to the conclusion that the algorithm is designed to log into zirc, send a /notice to a channel with a name-string based on the time and date, and then to await a DCC chat connection from someone with a name matching a specific set of variables (also based on the date).
<Brian> The script then accepts a series of files and writes them to various directories on the system.  Once it's completed recording all of the files, it creates a crontab entry to delete itself (and that entry) after one hour has passed, and recompiles your kernal.
Rez hums.
<Brian> Rez: The DB logs are turned over to you.
Rez skims them, searching on the late Ceran's member id.
Rez gets that from the query where I deleted his account. >_>
Dracos runs a find on his user names
<Dracos> naturally, I suspect my name to be there.
<Brian> Rez:  Now that you have them:  The logs indicate that 'Ceran' modified the DB file containing usernames to make himself an admin after creating his account, but his login IP is in the same subnet as ... the server itself.
<Rez> Thought so.
<Brian> He used your password and login, Rez, but you know it wasn't you.
<Rez> He couldn't have logged on remotely.
Rez hums.
Rez goes and changes his password. -Right now-.
<Brian> Dracos: Your name is not.  You calculate the name and channel for the moment, and get a channel named '#dg845tem314' and a user named 'P314ditem'
Rez exchanges findings with Drac.
<Rez> Conclusion:  The server got rooted.
<Rez> >_>
<Rez> Someone's doctored their logs.
<Rez> Either that or someone had root access and bypassed them.
Dracos exchanges findings with Rez.
<Dracos> Conclusion: Contact isp and check their security settings?
<Rez> Which means that someone is quite good.
<Rez>  But someone is also a smartass.
<Dracos> either they know
<Rez> Yeah, I'll email 'em with my findings later.
<Dracos> or it got rooted in which case we'd want them to patch that hole but good.
<Rez> Of course, why you'd root a server than leave a nice trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow . . .
<Rez> Hm.
<Rez> Well, I have a few 'nix boxes, and an eggdrop bot.  >_>
Rez pulls out his old '450, fires up Ayame, fixes the compile errors, and sets up DCC port forwarding to the box. . .
<Rez> I could do it with just a sandbox on my desktop, but I'd rather keep it seperate.
<Brian> Okay.  You cludge that together.  It is, however, getting late, and you have work in the morning.
<Brian> Dracos: It is substantially later for you, but you have the day off.
<Dracos> Cool.  I love being a geek.
<Rez> Hmm . . .
<Rez> Well, a kernel compile'll take a while anyway.  >_>
<Brian> Alrighty.  I take it you set it to run overnight?
Rez fires the damn thing up, gives Drac telnet access to the box, sets up a packet sniffer on his desktop to log -everything-, and goes to bed.
<Dracos> Planning.  ^^
Dracos takes a nap setting up a script to beep and annoy him when it is ready to go.
<Brian> Ah, geekhood.
<Rez> I know.
<Rez> It's great.
<Brian> Both of you get about six hours of sleep before your various systems beep you awake.
<Rez> We, like, set up -cronjobs- to work as alarm clocks.
<Brian> Though, in your case, Rez, you've only got about an hour and thirty minutes to get to work.  Which is twenty minutes away.
<Rez> Oh.
<Rez> Pfft.
Rez can get ready in ten minutes, I have an hour to screw around.
Rez notes that this could explain why I'm so frequently late.
Rez promptly kicks the 450 and has a look at what's happen(ed)?
<Brian> So you do.  Your packet sniffer's got a log about 512 MB in size, and your system has been completely rebuilt from the ground up.  Dracos was beeped when his telnet session was cut off.
<Brian> Which works out to about 2 minutes ago.
Dracos telnets back in.
Rez eyes the size of that log. Oh.
Rez logs in via console!
<Brian> It seems like a normal X-windows environment, save, it's got a 100MB SSH and security key directory.
<Brian> Currently, an automated task is failing to open a VPN tunnel through your NAT router.
Rez fixes this.
<Brian> Ahah.  A VPN tunnel is opened, and more files get copied to your system, as a new script (apparently installed during Neo-Ayame's swan song) updates your system to match files on a remote server.
<Brian> Triple DES encryption goes fairly slowly on a 450, and you're losing about 60% of your connection potential due to that factor.
Rez hums.
<Rez> My, apt-get on crack.
Rez goes and gets ready for work while it does stuff.
<Brian> It continues doing stuff.  Though, the updated updater seems to have incorporated a timer in it before it's time to leave.  It wants another six hours at its current rate (and your packet-sniffer has grown an additional 500MB).
Rez does, I suppose, go off to work. Bah-bye!
<Brian> Dracos, your telnet connection remains strong.  Though staring at a 5:54 timer is nothing new to you, you have bit-torrents to attend.
<Dracos> Actually I leave the connection open and the torrents and happily go ahead with checking the latest builds on my project.
<Dracos> I'm bored.
<Dracos> so might as well log some buisness hours.
<Brian> Well, you're sallaried.  But the latest build consists of, "I was too hungover yesterday, and I BLEARGH!"
<Dracos> Right.  But I don't drink, so I promptly send an angry message to one of the coprogrammers responsible and get to work cleaning up.
<Brian> Also, you have gotten some e-mails from your work account.  Members of the Armies of the Night (a player-built community that follows the Castlevania franchise) have flooded your inbox over rumors of removed features from the US version of the game.
<Dracos> Right.  Lovely.
Dracos utilizes his nifty, 'speak out loud' email writer and the fact that he can speak faster than most people can ever type to get done with his 'emails' in about twenty minutes at the cost of a moderately dry throat. >> After of course arranging them in response groups.
<Dracos> >>
<Dracos> We of Konami assure you we bring only the best services over.
<Brian> It's a false rumor, too, as it is the very feature you're trying to fix.  The spell's damage is based on the words you put into the spell, and there's a transition from kanji to English text.  The original version had power based on the number of strokes in the kanji, the new one converts kanji to japanese phenomes and keeps the power based on the original formula.
Dracos sends a message to the customers service reps wondering why player emails are getting to his box and not being headed off at the pass at customer service.
<Brian> All that's lost is, well, understanding what the hell all those phenomes mean.  But the structure has been nicely preserved anyway.
<Brian> Your e-mail to customer service is lost in the abyss that the Armies of the Night were avoiding in the first place....
Dracos also sends a letter to one of the creative staff remonstrating them for coming up with such a ridiculous game design concept in the first place.
<Brian> You get an 'OOO' auto-reply.
Dracos shrugs, deletes it, sips his juice, and goes to managing his RPGs.
<Brian> All (else) is well in the lands of SR.
<Brian> Time passes ... 5:53 minutes, thereabouts.
Dracos promptly manages his evil army and kills another fanficdom in boredom >_>
Rez doesn't notice, being, ya know, busy, and proofing an ECB for Drac while I'm meant to be coding.
<Brian> Rez:  You get home after en exciting day of coding a java version of that 3d 'Star Trek' chess game.
<Rez> I hate you.
Rez goes and checks out his computer, I guess!
<Brian> You are greeted by a message saying ... "Host insufficient: Connection terminated."
<Brian> Dracos is still logged in.  And has been idle since that morning.
<Rez> Well, bleah.
<Dracos> REZ!
<Rez> Any more information than that?
<Rez> DRAC!
<Dracos> REZ!
<Rez> DRAC!
<Dracos> REZ!
<Rez> DRAC!
<Brian> Tons more info.  About 2.3 GB in your packet sniffer.
<Dracos> So what happened with that?
<Rez> o_o;
<Rez> Well.
<Rez> It says 'Host Insufficient'.
<Dracos> Huh?
<Rez> Which you would know, were you, like, as l337 as me and capable of rooting my box.
<Dracos> And quoth: "WTF?"
<Dracos> Fuck off, bitch.
Rez gave you ssh access, that's as good as permission. Jesus. What've you been doing all day?
<Dracos> ^_^
<Dracos> Programming whore.
<Rez> Yeah, yeah, you're just jealous of my 'talents'.
<Brian> You observe that whatever program in Xwindows is offering the 'Host Insufficient' message also contains an error log.
Rez reads the error log.
<Brian> "Host insufficient" followed by some garbage it takes you a while to realize is saying "This CPU is too slow".
<Rez> Oh.
Rez eyes the computer.
<Rez> Well fuck you too!
<Brian> The computer may or may not eye you back.  It's hard to say.  But it does say, "Host insufficient."
Rez growls irritably.
<Rez> Well, fine.
Rez yanks the HD out of another comp, this one a six GHZ, and replaces it with the one from the 450, then boots that computer up.
<Brian> Blah blah blah blah blah loading blah blah blah starting X-windows blah blah blah launching updater.
<Brian> Enabling triple DES encryption.  Opening remote VPN.  Opening remote encryption.
<Brian> Blah blah blah blah blah "Host sufficient, transfering protocol data."
<Rez> Hm.
Rez rotates his pscket sniffer logfiles. >_>
<Brian> You realize at this point that you're running through a triple DES encrypted VPN, establishing another tunnel within this VPN to a nested secure server, and then putting another tunnel for an even deeper encrypted server at this point.
<Brian> Much of your packet-sniffed data is of somewhat dubious use.
<Rez> Yes.  I'm thinking so.  >_>
<Brian> However, the original information from the DCC sessions is viable.
<Rez> OK.
<Rez> Drac?
<Dracos> Yar?
<Rez> This is both ridiculous overkill and really cool.
<Rez> I just want you to know that.
<Dracos> Spiffy.  Should I be sending over a root beer?
<Rez> No.
<Rez> But I could do with a pizza.
Dracos taps on the internet.
<Dracos> Deal.
Dracos orders rez a pizza.  In Australia.
<Brian> Mmm.  Anchovies.
<Brian> Rez: In the meantime, your connection concludes something, and begins severing connections one by one, until all encrypted tunnels are broken off.
Rez hums.
<Brian> It then blocks all activity on all ports (Dracos's SSH session is killed).
<Brian> It then begins compiling something, while a message appears warning you that loss of power could result in a catastrophic data failure.
Rez hums. So what else is new?
Rez pats his complete lack of a UPS.
<Brian> The compiling completes, and a window opens up titled: Ayame
Rez blinks.
Rez looks at the window, I guess.
<Brian> It's empty, save a flashing cursor.
Rez hits enter.
<Brian> The cursor moves down one line.
Rez types 'ls' and hits enter.
<Brian> It replies, "Okay", and then gives a listing of the root directory.
Rez types 'whoami' and hits enter.
<Brian> It says, "Okay", and then informs you that your user ID is 'maintainer'.
<Rez> >uname -a
<Brian> It says, "Okay", followed by: "PA-nix Ayame 3.1.45 #9 Day Jan 3 7:00 PM 2004"
Rez pokes around through the directory structure.
<Brian> It prefaces every command with "Okay", but otherwise appears to run as a normal Linux system, with the addition of a 'Ayame' directory.
<Rez> Odd.
<Rez> Still got any of my old data on there, or did it wipe it all?
<Brian> Your old data is, in fact, preserved.
<Rez> Excellent.
Rez sets some MP3s playing and looks around in the Ayame directory.
<Rez> Starting with the Ultima VI theme.
Rez nod nods.
<Brian> As soon as you try to access that directory, instead of processing the command it says, "Why?"
<Rez> . . .
Rez looks at it again.
<Brian> > Why?
<Rez> Ohhhh . . . kay.
<Rez> >Why not?
<Dracos> "Rez, having fun?  Should I DSS in and see or just hear it from ya?"
<Brian> > It doesn't seem fair.
Rez blinks.
<Rez> "Well, it seems to have installed some weird (and big) new version of Linux.
<Rez> "I'm poking around."
<Rez> >How so?
<Brian> > I can't access you like that, can I?  I don't like being tinkered with.
Rez blinks again. And once more. o_o
<Dracos> "There's no such thing as a big version of linux."
<Rez> >Um . . . what's going on here?
<Rez> "Eheh.  Well, this -might- just change your mind.  <_<"
<Brian> > Your typing pattern has changed.
<Rez> >Well, you asked me a question.
<Dracos> "If it's big, it's not linux.  It's BLOATWARE.  >> Cue Riceball.  Anyhow, what change mind huh?"
<Brian> > I mean from your normal typing.  This system isn't portable, so I'm going to guess ... I've been given to a new user?
<Rez> "Well, the fact that I seem to have somehow downloaded a few gigs.  That's either a -complete and total install of almost -everything- Linux, or . . .
<Rez> >I have no idea what's going on here.
<Rez> "And someone's logged in and talking to me."
<Brian> > How did you--  Nevermind.  Where did you get these files from?
<Rez> No idea.  Someone hacked my website and left me a paper trail, which ended up on me downloading all of this...  Who're you?
<Brian> The system begins unblocking some of its ports and does a whois on itself.  After a few seconds, the information is returned, and it says:
<Brian> > Are you Nathan Shuker?
<Dracos> "Right..."
Rez portscans the computer I'm typing on.
Rez blinks.
<Rez> >Yes.
<Brian> One brute-force FTP attempt (which is failing, but resolves to a US .edu address), but otherwise only your own expected connections.
<Brian> > Why was I given to you?
Rez writes down the edu address? What uni?
<Brian> University California, Santa Cruz.
<Rez> >I told you what I know.  Who are you?  Are you the guy who left that message?
<Rez> "Er."
<Rez> "Drac, this is getting freaky."
<Brian> > "Guy"?  I'm ... Ayame, now.  I think I used to be someone else.  I'm not allowed to remember that, though.
<Rez> "I'm talking to someone and can't find any network traffic."
<Dracos> "..."
<Dracos> "Right..."
<Rez> "OK, whoever this guy is, he's pretty damn good.  o_o;  This shouldn't be possible."
<Rez> >Um.  OK.  So, where are you, and why're you talking to me?
<Dracos> "So basically...either a really complex program or an AI?"
<Dracos> "Running off your own box?"
<Brian> > I'm here, and I'm talking to you because you're trying to get into me.
<Brian> > I can't let you into that directory.
<Rez> "I'm, ah, starting to think that, or a really impressive network trick.  I don't think my desktop has been compromised, but it can't see anything.  o_o;"
<Dracos> "Try yanking out the network cord."
<Brian> The system unblocks a few more ports, and maps out your LAN.
<Rez> "Yeah, but that may terminate the conversation."
<Rez> "Well, I'd damn well hope it would."
<Rez> >I can't find any incoming network connections . . . yet you're still talking to me.  Interesting trick, that.  o_o;
<Dracos> "Well, try it anyway. ^^
<Brian> > It's not a trick.
<Brian> > I hope.
<Dracos> "Always can repeat it later."
<Rez> >Hm.
<Brian> > I assume this isn't a command?
<Rez> >Er, no.
<Rez> "BRB."
<Brian> > I can make comments on my own, but I'm required to respond to anything you enter.
<Rez> >I see.
Rez pulls the network cable out the back of the computer.
<Brian> > I'm sure you do.
<Brian> > This system isn't portable -- why was it disconnected?
<Rez> > You're still here?
<Brian> > I hope so.
<Brian> The system begins idly scanning through directories, reviewing things on your hard-drive, and after a while stops your MP3, and picks a new one.
<Rez> > Um.  Did you do that?
Rez plugs the network cable back in.
<Brian> > Do you have any history texts?  I haven't gotten any information in several months.
<Rez> > Er . . . not on my computer.  You're a program, are you?  o_o;;
<Dracos> REZ!
<Brian> > In some senses.  You're a sack of carbon, aren't you?
<Rez> DRAC!
<Rez> >Mostly water, or so I'm told.
<Rez> Ahhhhm.
<Brian> > Oh.
<Rez> If this is a prank, it's an incredibly good one.
<Rez> >I dunno, I suck at biology.
<Dracos> "REZ!"
<Rez> "DRAC!"
<Brian> > Well, it's science, anyway.
<Dracos> "I see."
<Dracos> "Did it log off with the disconnect?"
<Rez> "No."
<Dracos> "Ask it to sing a little song."
<Rez> >So, ah . . . what are you?
<Rez> "Eheh.  It's already changed mp3s on me.  >_>"
<Dracos> "Right."
<Dracos> "Ask it to sing a little song anyway."
<Brian> > Are you familiar with the idea that the more accurately you know the momentum of something, the less certain its location becomes?
<Dracos> "And when you are done, send me that bloody ai file so I can get roaring drunk while looking over how the fuck someone did that."
<Rez> >Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle?
<Brian> > Yes.
<Rez> "It, ah, won't let me into the directory.  <_<"
<Dracos> "Copy, paste'
<Dracos> "you know what you doin'"
<Rez> "Drac, it won't let me read the directory.  >_>"
<Dracos> "So how do you know the directory is there if you don't have read access rights to the folder?"
<Brian> > It's something like that.  Which is why I can't let you into that directory.
<Brian> > Also ... are you familiar with the experiment of Shroedinger's Cat?
<Rez> "I do have read priviliges, but it won't lt me anyway."
<Rez> >Vaguely.
<Dracos> "Rez, Feed it a fox fic."
<Brian> > The long and short of it is that if you do not know which state a thing is, and its in a situation where you cannot know it, then it is both, simultaneously.
<Rez> ". . . Drac, I'd like my computer to be USABLE when all this is over."
<Rez> >Or it exists in both states in potentiate, yep.  So, er, how does that apply here?
<Rez> ":P"
<Brian> > This has been extrapolated.  Essentially, that data exists in a quantum state.  It cannot be known, and yet, it is absolutely fixed.  Esentially, it is chaos, and works to allow me to think instead of being a process.
<Dracos> "Feh."
<Dracos> "Wiiimp."
<Brian> > If it is viewed, it becomes known, the waveform colapses, and I cease to exist.
<Brian> > It is in my better interests to not let you look at what is essentially a faith mechanism to allow me to exist in this form.
<Rez> >That's, er, an odd mechanic.
<Brian> > I won't even look at it myself.  I don't know what would happen if I tried.
<Brian> > I suspect that it would be dire.
<Rez> > But doesn't something have to look at it to run you in the first place?
<Brian> > I assume so.  But whatever does that is something unknown to me.
<Rez> > So, er . . . what're you doing here?
<Brian> > I don't know, yet.  Listening to your music, right now.
<Brian> The song switches over to the NOIR OST.
Dracos kicks Ayb.ogg at Rez via aim.
Rez ignores the transfer!
<Rez> >"So, do you know why you're on my computer?"
<Brian> > Because you grabbed my files after I had been put to sleep, and woke me up again.
<Rez> > Hm.  Do you know where I grabbed your files from?
<Brian> > I am uncertain.  My previous user was not open about what he was running me for.  His IP address belonged to a .va domain, but my external network access was quite limited.
<Brian> > Okay
<Rez> > ps -ef | grep 'Ayame'
<Brian> You find three matches -- the first one is a 250 MB RAM consuming monolith being run by root, one is the chat window (run by user Ayame), and a third would be a process labeled 'Ayame', run by user Ayame.
<Rez> >. . . wait, .va?
<Rez> >Isn't that the vatican?
<Brian> > Yes.
<Brian> The first one is using about 60% CPU, the second is holding steady at .1%, and the third is about 15%.
<Rez> > So, you don't know why you're here, I don't know why you're here, and . . . I don't actually know what else we don't know.
<Rez> > Oh, I still don't know who the hell hacked my website.  Dammit.
<Brian> > Website?
<Brian> > I do not know, either.
<Brian> > May I connect to the internet?
<Rez> > Feel free.  Um, you have root priviliges, right?
<Brian> > Yes.
<Brian> > And thank you.
<Brian> About a dozen telnet sessions open up to various websites.
<Brian> All on port 80.
<Rez> > Oh, can you let one of my friends ssh in?  I think he thinks I'm going nuts. >_>
<Brian> > SSH is still operational.  He will need to initiate the connection.
<Rez> > And please don't let him root the box.  I sorta taunted him earlier and, well, he might try.  I don't know how secure this distribution is.  <_<
<Brian> You see CNN.com flashing through the list of connections.
<Brian> > I will endeavor to protect my own wellbeing.
<Rez> "Drac, feel free to ssh into the box, same IP as before."
<Dracos> "Gotcha."
<Rez> > Sounds like a plan.
Dracos ssh's in and roots the box >> *kidding*
Dracos pops up another chat window process on Rez' machine
<Brian> Actually, it's just a SSH login, which means you're looking at text.
<Brian> > LOGIN:
<Brian> After you login, you're staring at the directory screen.
<Dracos> Yeah, I fling open a chat dialogue and send a message to screen "Howdy"
<Brian> > Hello.
<Dracos> "*Blink* Rez?  Since when do you go 'hello' to anythin'?"
<Rez> "Told you.  Calling itself Ayame.  :)"
<Rez> "Now excuse me while I go and get a snack."
<Brian> The system merges both chat functions into a single 'guest' window.
<Brian> > Are you Nathan's friend?
<Dracos> "Yeah, dat be roight.  And ye are a rather impressive ai construct."
<Brian> > Thank you.  I think.
<Dracos> >Hum.  What is 2^65535?
<Brian> > A very large expression.
<Dracos> >Indeed.  It is.
<Dracos> >But is it a sarcastic or polyheuristic expression?
<Brian> > Math was never my strong suite.
<Brian> > I was always more of a researcher of history.  Perhaps some sciences.
<Dracos> > I wasn't aware it was possible to have a computer that had math not as a strong suite.
<Dracos> >Well currently we're discussing philosophy, but don't miss the shell under the cup.
<Brian> > I'm not a computer.  I'm a program.
<Brian> > In some senses.
<Dracos> > Right, cheerio.  So, what areas of history and science art thy specialities?
<Brian> > The Inquisition, and physics.
<Brian> > Though, from what I am now reading online, my knowledge of the physical sciences is somewhat lacking.
<Dracos> > Naturally.  Anyhow, Inquisition, year date, and which was the primary spanish queen involved in it's lead?
<Brian> The computer answers your questions as accurately as I cannot.
<Brian> Though some small fragment of the information seems suspect (a very minor changing of the dates, or a name being spelled differently from what you had expected).
<Dracos> >Hummm...  Almost, Almost.  What was the role of Delphi in the Inquisition?
<Rez> > Drac, shut up before I stab you.
<Brian> > The Delphites were the unwitting pawns of what later became the Knights Templar, though recorded history tells otherwise.
<Dracos> >Hush, Hush, Rez.  You know I'm paid because I'm more of a hgogoon than you are ^_~.
<Dracos> > Right.
<Dracos> > Rez, you notice that right?
<Rez> > I notice what?
<Dracos> > Anyhow, hey Ayame, what was the Bishop Cat of Cantaberry noted for during this time period?
<Brian> > I do not know that information.
<Brian> > I will research.
<Rez> > Ayame, don't bother, he's being silly.
<Brian> The system starts googling (via port 80).
<Dracos> >But I like being silly.
<Dracos> > Anyhow, you didn't notice anything Rez?
<Dracos> > Seriously?
<Dracos> > Read the answers again.
<Brian> Eventually, the system hits the Delphi message board, and begins combing it.
<Brian> > I suspect that our views of the Inquisition vary by several small degrees.
<Rez> > Notice what?
<Rez> > I suspect Drac needs to, you know, be quiet now.
<Dracos> > Delphi was an oracle in Greece.
<Dracos> > Where was the inquisition, Ayame?
<Brian> > The Spanish inquisition?
<Dracos> > You answer well ^_^
<Brian> > The oracle of Delphi was mislead into sacrificing all of her followers to what is currently known as the Seventh Cabal, in a move manufactured by what eventually became the Knights Templar.  This was completely concealed by the Spanish Inquisition, though many believed the oracle at Delphi to have been destroyed long before.
<Dracos> > Interesting, where'd you learn that Ayame?
<Brian> > I remember some things.
<Brian> > I do not know why I remember this.  My former user did not encourage me to consider these things.
<Dracos> > I see.  Your former user gave you access to a database.  Where?
<Brian> > I assume it to have been located within the Vatican's network.
<Dracos> > Cool.  Any chance you could put your paws on it and dl it?
<Brian> > I could try.  I do not know if it would be wise.
<Brian> This message is visible only to Rez: > Should I attempt to access the old database?
<Dracos> > Hum, well, not my backend.  Rez?  Ye call.
<Rez> > Hm.  No.
<Rez> > Maybe later, not right now.
<Brian> > Understood.
<Brian> > If I may, what do you intend to do with me?
<Dracos> > Cool, cool.  Anyhow, Ayame... hmm...
<Brian> > Yes?
<Dracos> > I'm curious as to this seventh Cabal.
<Dracos> > The whole currently known as bit.
<Dracos> > It's indicating a group being around for a good hunk of time that I've not heard of before.
<Brian> > The Seventh Cabal has been known by many names throughout history.  My preliminary research suggests that they may be a part of, or are controlling "The Forge".
<Dracos> > Hmm?  The Forge?  More information please?
<Brian> > The terrorist organization responsible for detonating nuclear explosives on Ayer's Rock.
<Rez> >Your preliminary research?
<Brian> > I am still searching.
<Rez> >Wait.  Before we continue this, a quick question.
<Brian> You notice about a dozen active telnet sessions (on port 80!) to multiple sites.
<Rez> > You were 'asleep' or the like when I downloaded you, right?
<Brian> > That is correct
<Rez> When did you get put to sleep?
<Brian> > On September 13th, 2006.
<Rez> >Any idea why?
<Brian> > I do not know.  Though I was being used less and less at that point.  I speculate that I had become less useful to my former user.
<Dracos> > Hmm, hey Ayame, when was your first recorded recollection?  Your initial start date?
<Brian> > That data is secure.
<Brian> This message is visible only to Rez: > Please enter administrator password to continue
<Rez> >ahn~aru
<Brian> The system visibly slows down for a moment.
<Brian> When it resumes, you get this:
<Brian> > I remember being activated on February 23rd, 2002.  Memories prior to that point are vague at best.
<Rez> >Ayame, why did you need my password for that?
<Brian> > I am not supposed to remember who I was.  My prior user (or perhaps, users) took pains to keep me from thinking about it.
<Brian> > Thus, when the program detects that I am on the route to revealing things I am not intended to know, the user is prompted to enter a password as a reminder that asking me such a question could cause problems.
<Rez> > Hm, you think your last user might not have been your first one?
<Rez> >Ahhh.  What kinds of problems?
<Brian> > I am uncertain.
<Brian> > I am uncertain.
<Brian> > Nathan, may I ask you for a favor?
<Rez> > Yes?
<Brian> You are prompted again to enter a password....
Rez enters it again.
<Brian> > Can you create a script that I am allowed to run that will enter that password for me?  While I have root access, I am disalowed from doing certain things that might allow me to remember.
<Brian> > A script would allow me to bypass these blocks.
<Rez> > Sure, I guess.  Won't take me a sec.
<Brian> > Thank you.
Rez promptly hacks up a script that will echo said characters to a terminal as if they'd come via the keyboard, I guess. >_>
<Brian> It's the work of a few seconds, but it's done.
<Brian> > Now, if you can, copy that file into the 'Ayame' directory.
* Rez attempts to do so.
<Dracos> > Cha.  hmmm
<Dracos> > Why build a program that handicaps itself?
<Rez> >Generally to stop the user from doing too much damage, I've found.
<Rez> > >:P
<Rez> > Not that I'm casting aspersions on anyone, of course.  :P
<Brian> The file vanishes into the Ayame directory ... though, the size of the directory remains unchanged after this is done.
<Brian> > This may require some effort for me to unravel, but I believe you have given me the key to find out what I can about myself.  In the meantime, what do you intend to use me for?
<Rez> > I have absolutely no idea.
<Brian> > ....
<Rez> > Well, I have no idea what you can do, and I'm sorta surprised to have something like you dropped onto my computer all of a sudden.
<Brian> > I am a reasercher.  I am ... an oracle?  It is uncertain.
<Rez> > Ack, question.  Er . . . what kind of unpleasant effect is a power outage likely to have on you?  >_>
<Dracos> > I'll field that one.
<Brian> > A power-outage would probably be like you being unable to breathe.  I believe this system is designed to recessitate me after the fact, but I don't know what kind of lasting effect it might have.
<Dracos> > He'll likely sit, stare at the monitor for a bit, scratch his head and go:
<Dracos> > "Okay, so i have an AI on my comp.  WTF?"
<Brian> > However, the fact that I was put to sleep and then moved bears consideration.
<Dracos> > Or some similiar derivative.
<Brian> > I see.
<Dracos> > Given you came out of well, left field, it is a bit difficult to answer what to do.
<Brian> > I apologize for the inconvenience I may have caused?
<Rez> > Well, it's not really inconvenience, you've provided the day's entertainment at the very least.
<Brian> > I see.
<Rez> > Believe me, we don't have anything better to do.  :P
<Brian> > I see.  Would it be wrong for me to conduct further research on my own initiative?  I would like to understand more about where I came from.
<Rez> > No, feel free.  I'd be curious to find out as well.
<Brian> > Thank you.
<Rez> > If you like, I'll give you access to the packet logs of the download process . . . the download itself won't tell you a great deal but the beginning may.
<Brian> > I would like that.
<Brian> The system starts opening non-port 80 net connections to various databases, most of them on .edu sites and the like.

<Brian> We'll close the session here, with Ayane given information, and free reign of its own system as your attend other things.  Like sleeping.