Secure:Numberman.EXE And The Bug Fragments
From Megaman Mush Wiki
- DATE:
- ASSIGNED AGENTS: Prismatic Spider, Nana, Alloy, Protoman
- SIGNIFICANT LOCATIONS: Tennessee Null Point
Contents |
The Beginning Of The Story
While the connection to the 'Peaceful San Angeles' world was in effect, the massive data conglomeration known as NumberMan.EXE attempted to breach into our own universe and take over Cyberspace. A coalition force of hackers formed to push him back, and he was destroyed in a long, bitter battle. A number of remnants were left behind, Bug Fragments. Prismatic and Team Awesome gathered them and analyzed them.
The Contents of the Fragments
Bugfrag Analysis (1)
You have several pieces of what was once a composite entity of Number Man, Cyber Peacock and Duo.EXE. Individually, they don't look like anything but corrupted data at first blush. No Weapon DNA information for Techno's Buster, no Ultimate Killing Technique, nothing here that could be immediately used for violence. Clearly, this is why the bad guys left. They didn't see any profit in gathering up these scraps.
But you knew better.
You run some data recovery algorithms through the pieces. It takes almost all day, which is a long time for data recovery to work on relatively small blocks of information. Normally you'd spend that much time on doing data recovery on an entire system's worth of data. But in reality, there's a lot of data there, in highly compressed and hierarchial form. Uncovering even parts of it gives you insight. These are memories.
Number Man's infectious madness has to be pulled away. Obsession with power. Midi screaming. Spreading through the darkness. The pain goes away when he leaves his body. Rage. He barely has a mind left. Cyber Peacock --
Cyber Peacock remembers being afraid. Running. The Mavericks grabbed his body as he started to be consumed and jettisoned it, then blasted it with enough ordinance to destroy it. He was thrown onto the Internet. INTO HIM. His last moments are terror.
Pulling through that, you get to the essential data. The Power. Even the scraps gave ERWIN power beyond his imagination. ERWIN could only get near him after Duo.EXE's main core was destroyed. A candle compared to a star. Not much of the Giant remains, but there are some things.
You discover some sort of communications log buried in the deep data. There's something else, too. A heartbeat subroutine, even if it's only partial. A fragment shows at least seven active connections; you get all of one connection's information and a fragment of the second. The first connection goes to a place geolocated in central Tennessee that should not exist. The second connection appears to be somewhere in Europe. You can't find the others yet.
Bugfrag Analysis (2)
[Radio: (?) NETCOM] Nicole transmits, "Well. Isn't this a pickle you've gotten yourself into, Duo?" [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Nicole transmits, "You understand what has to be done. Your destruction is assured at this rate. Even with your resources, you do not have enough processing power to win this fight." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Nicole transmits, "My offer remains open, Duo. Your time grows short." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Nicole disappears again. [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Zach Glen transmits, "...what the?" [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Number Man transmits, "Who is that damned woman!? GO AWAY, MAGIC VOICE!" [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Dr. Light transmits, "You will not divide our forces, apparition." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Zach Glen transmits, "ERWIN? Focus on the thing that wants to end the world..." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Number Man transmits, "Shhhh. The adults are talking now." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Zach Glen grunts, "Whatever." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Magnificent Seven transmits, "Who was that?" Data corruption. The feed garbles and then clarifies again. [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Duo.EXE transmits, "WE ... ARE FREE TO ACT. WE ARE FREE WILLED. ALL OF US MAKE CHOICES. WE CHOOSE OUR OWN DESTINIES." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Number Man transmits, "Duo.EXE, you must weigh your choices carefully. Choose wrong, and face the consequences." [Radio] Tightbeam transmission: Nicole says, "You know what we are. What we represent. You know that our guidance will allow this world to continue without being destroyed." [Radio] Tightbeam transmission to Nicole: Duo.EXE says, "IS IT THE ONLY WAY?" [Radio] Tightbeam transmission: Nicole says, "You know the data. You tell me." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Duo.EXE transmits, "YOU CHOOSE TO THREATEN THE WORLD." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Duo.EXE transmits, "WHY?" [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Number Man transmits, "Because I can!" [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Duo.EXE transmits, "THAT IS A POOR MOTIVATION." [Radio: (?) NETCOM] Number Man transmits, "Why do you continue to resist me!? OBEY ME, PROGRAM!" Data corruption. The feed garbles and clarifies again. This appears to be "incoming" only. [Radio] Tightbeam transmission: Nicole says, "We can save you, Duo. You can continue on, forever, continuing to aggregate data. We can have a mutually beneficial relationship." [Radio] Tightbeam transmission: Nicole says, "But this has to be your choice. We can't help you unless you let us. You know that." Data corruption. You're getting close to the end of the feed. [Radio: (B) Hacker] Duo.EXE transmits, "I HAVE MADE MY CHOICE. I CHOOSE --" [Radio: (B) Hacker] Duo.EXE transmits, "-- TO FIGHT FOR THEM!" [Radio] Tightbeam transmission: Nicole says, "Entirely correct. Number Man will become a threat. However, we have a solution to the problem." [Radio] Tightbeam transmission: Nicole says, "Proceed." thank you for your assistance The data stream stops, cut sharply.
Hunter BugFrag Analysis
The Bugfrags the Hunters collect are different than the ones Prismatic had. Prismatic appeared to have memories, while you seem to have partial spreadsheets. Most of this stuff has some immediate practical value.
You have login/password chains for a variety of systems across the Undernet and for some systems in other places. No doubt many of these chains will be altered, but some of the systems will always have sluggish security. This may save you a few steps later.
You find access to several Swiss bank accounts used by terrorists and drug dealers. You could alert the authorities, or you could plunder them yourselves for your own benefit. There's a few million sitting there. It'd be dangerous to just let it lie there in any event.
You find a short video clip that shows Techno being mauled in his own room by the Yellow Devil, which Number Man was apparently driving.
Most dangerously, you have found a reliable tap point into the NSA's omni-surveillance program. Little is known about it aside from its name: IMPERATOR. IMPERATOR is said to monitor all global communications and sift them for key words or combinations of ideas that may present a threat to the American republic. This is apparently true. Even the limited tap you have gives you so much data per second that it is very difficult for you to make sense of. Perhaps if you had a customized console that worked only on sorting IMPERATOR data you could use it more effectively. The tap appears to originate in Chicago, Illinois. With a small amount of effort you could find the exact location.
Physical Investigation
The Gobi ATM
Nana brought a number of Gospel over to the ATM in the Gobi Desert. was an ATM Puzzle there which detailed information about one Exeudo Gelino when cracked.
Exeudo Gelino is, of course, an anagram of Duo.EXE Legion.
This could be bad.
Prismatic Spider downloaded transaction information and began processing it.
Exeudo Gelino Data Trail
Prismatic is going to use the data he's gained in order to begin tracing what Mr. Exeudo has ordered, from where, how much, and where it's being delivered to, as well as an analysis of the computer parts, their function and why they may be getting ordered. Next up is a check on the companies he's ordering from and their backgrounds, how long they've been in business. Startup electronics companies will be very suspicious in this instance. The anagrammed name isn't exactly subtle to people who've had to decode Famous Riddles, he knows who this account apparently belonged... Or belongs to.
Response
Mr. Exeudo is a busy man. The accounts he has set up continually move money around, apparently created primarily through skimming interest off of capital that was already acquired. Not a lot of it is spent at once, just enough to get various parts and items. Most sits peacefully in reserve, bothering no one.
The goods are computer components. Servers. Racks. Wires. Cables. Interface units. Intermittently drone parts are purchased, as well as storage space. Massive amounts of storage space. The reason behind the ordering is a mystery.
The balance of the orders go primarily to a nowhere location in Tennessee -- the middle of nowhere. Other components go to an equally obscure location in Canada, a lonely island on the southern tip of Chile, a data haven off of Africa's northwestern coast, and an office building in Ireland. These other places only seem to be getting resupplied intermittently; the active effort appears to be being made in Tennessee.
The companies are ordinary. Applesoft, Capcom, nothing particularly new or out of the ordinary. Some of this stuff is pretty familiar to Prismatic, since these components are commonly used in maintaining Repliforce's own systems.
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