01/15. digitalized.

[icingkills]

[ virtual video ]

[November 11 still looks like himself, but he stands against no backdrop save the rush of numbers and spark of circuits. He's wearing his shades, and words scroll rapidly by them.]It's my deepest regret to inform you all that there's been a security breach. Government has assigned me to track it down and stop the unauthorized

Comments

action;

[metousiosis]

[ The stream of binary in the background turns a familiar shade of green, flickering into red before shifting back to that more benevolent green. However, it seems suspicious that now visual simulations of sakura petals are floating within the 'breeze'... ]

Data stream: interrupted. Attempting reconnection with host in 10... 9... 8... 7...

[ A disembodied voice speaks, alerting the onlookers to the suspicious activity. The visual representations freeze-- a glitch, or is it?-- before resuming with more intensity as those binary codes stream by even more rapidly than before. ]

6... 5... 4...

[ And the circuitry almost wriggles-- writhes, really-- before attempting to connect right into the hand that holds them... ]

action;

[icingkills]

[ November makes no noise of pain or distress; that would be beneath him. Beneath a supposedly emotionless program created by loose, mysterious groups of engineers and contracted to the highest bidder--in this case, the government.

But he does frown, his mouth twitching downwards, as he snaps his hand back. Glowing lines trace through his palm, the same color as the sakura petals simulated around him. ]

Aren't you showy.

To the garden environment, then. I'm always willing to follow a good lead, even if it is rather obvious.

[ Cradling his corrupted hand to his chest, he vanishes in a blur of pixels. ]

action;

[metousiosis]

Attempt to reconnect to host failed.

[ The binary in the background slows into a crawl, a more pleasant and relaxed pace, still glowing a patient emerald green while the virtual petals glitch out of the cyberspace. However, the binary codes do flash that red again-- before entirely fading out into the blackness of the cyberspace. A background programme is beginning to operate-- ]

Initialize search: host location and identify open port. Remaining time: 60 seconds.

[ The blackness is interrupted by the binary once more-- in varying colours and sizes. Eventually, it fades into a placid scene in a garden-- a pond, reflecting moonlight, wildflowers growing by the banks, overlooked protectively by one huge tree. A tree that still is in bloom, a tree that practically snows down beautiful white-pink blossoms. The disembodied voice, however, has not yet taken a holographic form. ]

Remaining time: 50 seconds.

action;

[icingkills]

[ Objective time: ten seconds. It may feel like longer, subjectively, the amount of time it takes November to find the right virtual garden, but it was more than long enough. Ten precious seconds wasted. ]

I do believe that will be enough.

[ He reaches out with his uncorrupted hand, a swift, darting gesture leaving no time for anything to latch on, to freeze the entire garden into a tableau around him--and hopefully the search program with it. ]

action; can SHODAN get in on this, as an experienced AI?

[citadelspirit]

Hacker.

[The lighting dims; a flash of green data zips through the veins of cyberspace around him; the sheer presence ripples cyberspace. Behind him now, is an avatar, crystalline black ICE defending the silvery AI core that shows through in the face, fiery green eyes flaring at him. Venom drips from her words, seething old hate.]

Cease your interference, insect.

action; sure, just not on the actual November-Seishirou 'fight'

[icingkills]

Hacker?

[He sounds just faintly indignant.]

Not at all. I'm doing my job. I'd say you're the one interfering.

action; awesome.

[citadelspirit]

This is my domain. Humans are alien here.

[She peers at him, mentally sizing him up against her old hacker enemy. November is far more impressive, but probably far less capable in terms of sheer raw talent...still, underestimating is what got her trapped in that old body in the first place.]

And what are you digging your little insect fingers into? [Data glitters about as she glances around for anything that might answer that.]

action;

[icingkills]

I beg your pardon. Did I say I was human? I'm a program designed to track such breaches of security.

[A little lie; he's a contractor program, constructed by high-paid engineers and endowed with powers by the quantum Gate, capable of working for anyone and any purpose. Or so he thinks right now, anyway.]

[ virtual video ]

[holymadonna]

[Lilith greets him with a serene smile. She has the hospital mainframe to maintain and worry about.]

Have you been successful?

[ virtual video ]

[icingkills]

Unfortunately? Not yet.

You haven't seen signs of irregularities in your domains, have you?

[Because if she has--

--it doesn't matter if people die in the process; the hospital's system will get frozen too.

November's smile gives none of this away, though.]

[ virtual video ]

[holymadonna]

No, I haven't.

[Good thing she isn't as naive to say anything about any change.

Classified information of hospital staff.]

All systems operating correctly.

[ virtual video ]

[icingkills]

I'm glad to hear it. You wouldn't mind if I dropped by to confirm, of course. It is my job.