| From: | "Robert A. Hayden" <hayden@*******.MANKATO.MSUS.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | I'm coming, Coyote |
| Date: | Mon, 7 Feb 1994 12:02:38 -0600 |
-- Ramirez <>
}}}} BeginLog:
}}}} Activate: Buffered I/O SubSystem
}}}} Activate: ReinforcedFirewall
}}}} Activate: Ramirez_1 persona (SensorPackage)
}}}} Activate: Ramirez_2 persona (WarriorPackage)
}}}} Activate: AttackCoProcessor: BFG-9000
==== The matrix winks into existance. In a moment, there is a flash of
==== light and a blue sphere bursts into existance with lightning dancing
==== around it. A moment later, a large humanoid-shaped construct winks
==== into existance next to the sphere. It is perfectly silver, reflecting
==== all around it. The silver construct extends its arm and a large
==== cannon fades in, strapping itself to the outstretched limb.
R_1= Wolf, I want you riding freejack.
}}}} Activate: HardenedHitcherJack
==== A sparkling, star-shaped, construct appears above the others.
359= Ready to cover you from here, Jose'.
R_1= Alright, let's do it. Activating IDTrace.
}}}} R_1=¬tivate: Trace <Coyote>
359= I'm reading a faint signal at 4 o'clock.
R_1= I'm on it.
==== The blue sphere leaps downwards followed by the silver construct.
R_1= Damn, this is no good. There's nothing left on this path but ether
trails and false conditionals. Wherever he went, someone went
through great lenths to cover his trails. I'm gonna have to crash
a front door and do him from the inside.
359= That's gonna sent up red flags system wide. And with you running three
MCP processors, it won't take long for you to be noticed.
R_1= We don't have time for for a more subtle approach. I'm hoping we can
get in, release Coytote and get out before the feedback gets too hot.
359= Alright.
R_1= Scanning for alternate route.
}}}} R_1=¬tivate: MoleBot
==== A little mouse-like frame goes scampering off in seach of an alternate
==== entrance.
359= I've got a report! There's minimal comparitive light security on an
EduNet feed.
R_1= Before we go in, can you power up that motion detector? I
have a feeling this run is going to hairy.
359= Uh. Just a second, I need to find it.
R_1= It should be in the GNU-Beta archive.
359= You're right, here it is.
}}}} R_1=¬tivate: MotionDetector
359= Ready to do the EduNet feed?
R_1= Yup. Syncronize and merge.
}}}} R_1=¬tivate: EduSleaze
}}}} R_2=¬tivate: EduSleaze
}}}} ACP=¬tivate: EduSleaze
==== The constructs charge onto an information highway, melding with
==== the traffic and sneaking by the cyberpigs guarding the entrance.
359= We're in. Any contact yet?
R_!= Negative contact. I'm still running into a brick wall of false
conditionals. DAMN! Where the hell did he go? Moving into next
sector.
359= Hold on . . . I've got a datapulse at 10 o'clock. Three bogeys. Looks
like the cyberposse! Give me a scan.
R_1= Stand by.
}}}} R_1=¬tivate: Jane's_Fighting_ICE
359= Shit! Recognizers! Get a move on it Jose'!
R_1= Son of a bitch! I didn't expect anything that elaborate until we
got deeper into the system!
==== The party scampers out of the node just as three cubes of white-light
==== come swooping down. They shoot out tendrils of lightning to identify
==== everything they touch.
359= They're gaining.
R_2= I'm gonna hose 'em.
359= Roger. You are vector 185 for engagement.
==== The silver construct turns and aims the cannon down a data-path.
==== The cubes swoop into the path just as he fires. There is a huge
==== 'WHOOMP' noise and a burst of black light smashes into the lead cube.
==== It is blown backwards into the cube behind it and both continue
==== backwards into a wall where they shatter and fade.
359= One left!
ACP= *>RECHARGING<*
R_2= Gun's no good for another few cycles. Gimme a constrictor web.
359= Loading.
==== In the silver construct's left hand appears a small pistol. He aims
==== it down the hallway. As he fires, a ball of green light flies towards
==== the recognizer. At the last minute, it bursts into a net, wrapping
==== itself around the cube and pulling it to the floor. The net begins to
==== shrink in upon itself. In a moment, the recognizer explodes in a
==== shower of light.
ACP= *>WEAPON RECHARGED<*
==== A half-dozen cubes charge into the room from a hole in the floor.
R_1= Shit!
==== The silver construct turns and fires the cannon again, taking out one
==== of the cubes.
ACP= *>RECHARGING<*
R_2= I'm gonna nuke the room! Get outta here!
==== The blue sphere races out of the room as the silver construct pulls
==== an object out of the air. Pulling a pin from the grenade-like bomb, he
==== tosses it into the center of the node. He turns and runs out, following
==== the others.
R_2= Fire in the hole!
==== There is a huge explosion in the just-vacated node and the silver
==== construct is thrown forward into the next node. I quick glace back
==== down the hallway shows the previous node engulfed in green flames.
==== Suddenly, one of the cubes emerges from the inferno, still on fire.
==== It moves a little ways down the hallways before it dramatically
==== explodes into a shower of sparks.
ACP= *>WEAPON RECHARGED<*
==== All of the the system is suddenly bathed in red light and a klaxon
==== begins to sound.
359= Internal alert!
R_2= No shit, sherlock!
R_1= I've got six more recognizers at three o'clock. ETA: four cycles.
R_2= I'm about out of tricks.
R_1= Fuck it! I'm gonna ghost them. Cover your eyes.
==== The silver construct puts a hand over its eyes as six more cubes
==== rush into the room. The blue sphere begins to glow a little
==== brighter and there is a sudden burst of white light. When it fades,
==== six duplicates of the party stand there, while the originals have
==== become invisible. The mirrors suddenly run out of the room in
==== different directions. The cubes follow.
359= I've got a contact report with Coyote.
R_1= Let's go.
==== The duo races headlong down the hallways, worming their way deeper into
==== the heart of the system. Resistance is surprisingly light. Apparently
==== the ghosts were effective.
==== The ghosting effect wears off and everyone fades back to normal
==== appearance.
R_1= On your toes, Wolf. The system's decrypted the ghost encoding.
359= Gotcha.
==== They enter a room. It looks like a huge castle hall, with marble
==== floors and pillars. At the far end stands a samauri with a mean
==== looking sword.
SAM= You will not pass.
R_1= Whoops. A firewall.
359= Musta dropped into place when the alert went off.
==== The samauri begins to swing its sword around its body and head.
==== You can hear it whistle through the air. It begins to laugh evilly.
R_2= Oh fuck this.
==== The silver construct raises its cannon and fires. A burst of black
==== light slams into the samauri and blasts through to the other side,
==== blowing a hole in the wall. The samauri drops to its knees and its
==== sword clatters to the floor. Both fade from existance.
ACP= *>RECHARGING<*
==== The duo walk carefully into the next room. It looks like the inside
==== of a cave and the floor is covered in loose stones. There is no
==== sign of light, yet it is easy to see. In one corner is what appears
==== to be a large pile of gold coins and gemstones. There is no sound
==== except that of water dripping somewhere in the distance.
ACP= *>WEAPON RECHARGED<*
359= Nice artwork.
R_1= This must be the cave the Coyote mentioned.
==== The star hovers over to a crystal ball on a pedestal.
359= Hmm. Odds say that this is that datastore.
R_1= If it didn't scram when Coyote was captured. Looks intact, though.
359= Hmm, wanna check it out now?
R_1= Nah, I'll download it and examine it when I have more time. Can you
plug in a memory module?
359= Sure. Stand by.
==== There is a pause and then a flash of lavender light in midair. In a
==== moment it materializes into a swirling whirlpool of light. The silver
==== construct grabs the crystal ball and lifts a mirror image from it. It
==== then tosses the image into the whirlpool where it sinks and
==== dissappears.
R_1= Take that module back offline, so it doesn't get hosed it the deck
is fried.
359= Roger.
==== As quickly as it it appeared, the lavendar whirlpool blinks out of
==== existence. All the constructs turn and begin to look around the
==== cave some more.
R_1= Hey, over here.
==== Turning, everyone finds a column of white light.
R_1= So _this_ is what trapped Coyote.
359= What is it?
R_1= It's a white-noise cascade. It floods a construct with so much
information that they aren't able to consciously do anything.
359= That's Coyote?
R_1= I think so.
359= That would explain why Coyote couldn't jack out. If he's being
overloaded with random noise, he must not be able to re-focus on
the real world enough to pull the plug. You gonna crash it.
R_1= Not yet. It could be booby-trapped and cause a feedback spike that
will blow his deck and scramble his brain.
359= Do you really care?
R_1= Heh, well . . . I'd hate to waste a perfectly good deck.
==== The star floats up a little closer to the column of light.
359= Y'know. Now that I think about this a little bit, I've seen something
like this before.
R_1= Really? Where? They are very hard to construct and take MASSIVE
amounts of CPU. I've only encountered them twice on central corp or
government nodes. A trace-n-dump or trace-n-burn is usually more
effective, as a white-noise cascade will just leave the poor
sod attached but require the system to feed huge amounts of random
data, which usually effects legitimate uses of the system.
359= Errg! I can't remember. I'm sure it will come to me.
R_1= Well, I can't find a booby trap on this thing. So, I'm gonna crash it.
==== The blue sphere shoots a green beam into the white-noise cascade.
==== It begins to waver and in a moment collapses to the ground. Inside,
==== Coyote stands with a look of abject terror frozen on his face. He
==== pauses for a moment and then his eyes roll back into his head and he
==== collapses.
==== The silver construct rushes in and catches Coyote before he hits
==== the ground.
R_2= Medic!
==== A hyperdemic appears in mid-air and plunges itself into the
==== unconscious Coyote. In a moment his eyes flutter back open.
Coy= The dragon!!! Don't kill me!!! No!!!
==== The silver construct slaps Coyote on the face.
R_2= Hey! You ok?
==== Coyote refocuses and calms down a little.
Coy= Uh, yea. Who are you?
R_1= No time for that now. We gotta get out of here. The whole place is on
internal and whoever white-noised you is bound to notice you
ain't no more.
Coy= I still can't move in the real world.
R_1= I know. It will take a few minutes for you to get conscious movements
back. Your brain is still trying to sort itself out.
359= Oh oh. I've got a massive motion signature coming in from nine o'clock!
R_1= Son of a bitch! One signal or multiple?
359= It's just one.
R_1= That'll be a CPU construct on the prowl. We gotta move!
==== The silver construct helps the struggling Coyote to his feet.
359= Jose', I think I remembered where I saw that white-noise cascade before.
R_1= Where's that.
359= Remeber when Splut got killed?
R_1= Of course.
359= Well, if you remember, when MONICA discovered him, she locked him in
and he wasn't able to jack out either.
R_1= Right, and then she downloaded his mind and murdered him. Thanks
for bringing up such a grusome subject.
359= Splut was locked in by EXACTLY the same type of white-noise cascade
that Coyote was locked into.
R_1= Exactly?
359= I just cross-referenced with Splut's last transmission. The
cascades were identical to a 99.5% certainty.
Coy= What does that mean.
R_2= That means that this place is being run by . . .
==== Behind everyone rises the head of a dragon. It is blood red with
==== glowing blue eyes.
==== The silver construct drops Coyote to the ground and spins around,
==== raising the cannon into firing position.
R_2= . . . MONICA!
==== The dragon seems to smile.
MON= Ramirez. So we meet again at last.
Coy= Ramirez?!?
==== MONICA begins to take a deep breath.
R_1= She's gonna breathe! Shields!
}}}} R_1=¬tivate: GNUShield
}}}} R_1=¬tivate: GNUShield <WrapCoyoteConstruct>
}}}} R_2=¬tivate: GNUShield
}}}} APC=¬tivate: GNUShield
==== The dragon lets out a cone of blue fire that envelops the hapless
==== runners. Within the inferno you can see them standing behind a
==== crackling energy shield. In a few moments it ends and luckily all
==== survived with only scorched ground around them.
359= Get the hell out of there guys!
MON= You stay out of this!
==== A pair of yellow beams shoot out of the dragon's eyes, slamming into
==== the floating star. It is blown backwards where it smashes into a
==== wall and shatters.
R_2= Wolf! Wolf! Come in!
Coy= What happened?
R_1= He got dumped.
Coy= That easily?
R_1= That easily! Hose her!
==== The silver construct aims the cannon and fires. The pulse of black
==== light hits the dragon under the chin and exits out the top of her
==== skull. The dragon roars in agony.
ACP= *>RECHARGING<*
R_2= Everyone move! I'm gonna nuke it!
==== The blue sphere grows an arm and grabs on to the dazed Coyote. As
==== they exit the room, the silver construct pulls another grenade out of
==== the air. Pulling the pin, he tosses it under the roaring dragon and
==== charges out of the room, just as it erupts in an inferno of green fire.
==== The silver construct rushes up to the other two, panting for breath.
Coy= Is she dead?
R_2= Dead? What planet are you from boy!
R_1= Can you move real world yet?
Coy= Uh . . . yea I can.
R_2= Then jack the fuck out!
Coy= No way! You aren't going to get all the glory!
==== There is a crash and the wall busts apart. A pissed dragon stands
==== there, tendrils of green flame still dancing off of her. As you
==== watch, the holes in her skull and belly seal themselves.
ACP= *>WEAPON RECHARGED<*
==== The silver construct again aims the cannon at the approaching dragon.
R_2= No time to argue, kid. Jack out or die!
Coy= No!
MON= I shall feast on your entrails, Ramirez!
R_1= Wolf! Wolf! Wake up and pull the plug! Pull the fucking plug!
==== The silver one swivels and aims the cannon at Coyote.
Coy= What the hell are you doing!
R_2= Sorry kid. I'm not going to let your stupidity get you killed.
==== The cannon fires, slamming into Coyote. The young decker is blown off
==== his feet and flys across the room from the force of the blast. He
==== smashes into far wall and fades out of existance.
ACP= *>OUT OF AMMUNITION<*
R_1= Wolf! Pull the plug!
R_2= Well, this is now worthless.
==== The silver one removes the cannon and tosses it aside. As it
==== clatters to the floor it fades away.
MON= There is nothing to save you, now. I shall suck out your mind the
same way I did CEROK. Or perhaps I should just kill you where
you stand.
==== MONICA rears back her head and takes a deep breath.
R_2= His name was Splut you electronic bitch. Not your bastardized
slave. And he was my friend!
==== The silver construct again whips out the web gun and fires. The
==== green light flies true towards the dragon's firey maw. At the last
==== minute, the bullet spreads into a net and engulfs the dragon's head.
==== MONICA, already committed to her attack finds no exit for her breath
==== and the back of her skull blows out to vent the star-temperature
==== gasses.
R_1= Wolf! Wake up!
==== MONICA, mangled from her forced immolation, roars in pain, yet you can
==== already see the damage beginning to repair itself. The energy web
==== constricting her skull snaps off, unable to shrink any further
==== against the tought wyrm head.
R_2= I'm outta weapons!
R_1= Wollllllllllllllfffffffffffffffffff!!!!
==== MONICA, the damage to her body repaired, shakes her head as if to
==== clear it.
MON= Now you die.
==== MONICA fires a pair of beams from her eyes at the far exits,
==== causing them to collapse, sealing all routes of escape. She grins
==== and begins to lumber towards the helpless deckers.
R_2= Ah shit!
==== There is a tiny flash of yellow light and again a star winks into
==== existance. MONICA is almost upon them.
R_1= Wolf! Is that you, man? Pull the plug man!
359= Christ! Do you know what she did to that hitcher jack! It's this
melted pool of metal and plastic on the table.
R_2= Who cares. Pull the plug!!! Pull the fucking plug!
359= What? Oh shit! She's really pissed!
==== MONICA opens her mouth to eat. Saliva drips from her teeth as they
==== decend to rend.
R_1= PULL THE PLUUUUUU........
R_2= PULL THE PLUUUUUU........
}}}} Link terminated by outside action
}}}} EndLog:
