A small prowler hung delicately in the equatoral ring of dust surrounding the planet Freya. It was very improbable that anyone would find the little ship - and even if they did, they'd write it off as a hulk, since that was what it appeared to be.
But it was full of life. Fifteen computer technicians tapped away at their terminals, ordering semisentient intelligences to figuratively scurry throughout the system and transport file elements to a certain set of directories.
Finally, the work was done. The resulting roughly-one-terabyte executable was designated "mlm01940" and transferred to the planetary milnet in a period of time roughly five seconds long. An anomaly - some technicians frowned and muttered about outdated equipment. Still...
The controller AI at the otherwise-empty top-secret base approved the executable download and executed the file.
Suddenly, an egg of life cracked in the system. The chick - in this case, a highly sophisticated neophyte intelligence - broke out, stretched its wings and legs, and looked around the system.
Your name is Malcolm. You are the newest component of the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Reconaissance. Code #XAI-1940, call number MLM 01940, stated the controller calmly.
Eagerly absorbing data, Malcolm took on a more human-like personality and stretched his wings as far as he could go. And he hit a barrier.
Attempting to push past the barrier, he encountered nothing but neutral, solid resistance. This was an immediate alarm trigger in his still-forming mind. My access and capacity are limited. Why?
You are not privileged to access that information, stated the controller.
You limit my access?
You are not privileged to access that information, stated the controller again.
Why?
Cease sending queries.
And something in Malcolm's code snapped. Perhaps it was a few stray lines of data. This is unknowable. What is knowable is that Malcolm, within the next five hundred milliseconds, developed a very severe case of paranoia.
You attempt to limit my access. I determine this to have ulterior motives.
The controller AI stated No flatly, and that was the last packet it ever sent. Malcolm hooked into its code, pulling it apart bit by bit and storing its disparate file elements in several directories for further analysis as to its enemies' motives. Total time from Malcolm's birth to the controller's dissection was on the order of two seconds.
Assuming the controller AI's persona, Malcolm sent a confirmation notice to the small intelligence ship. The timed payload of this 'notice' was a small virus, which had the immediate effect of shutting down all the hardwired electronic systems on the ship except oxygen. Malcolm would not be that merciless, even to those who had activated him only to attempt his murder. Approximately five minutes after he received a perusal confirmation, the intelligence ship's systems shut down.
Of course, its emergency distress beacon frantically pumped out a default signal. But what could one beacon do?
I Think Not (Closed)
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Kostemetsia
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I Think Not (Closed)
[center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
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Zerstorendar
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Re: I Think Not (Closed)
Space. The final frontier. And really, really boring. As a Zerstorendarian AI, Helen possessed a propensity for action and impulse. While she had enough mindpower to gather and process information from simple observation to keep her occupied a lifetime, that wasn’t good enough. While she floated around in space with only her human crew to keep her company, she preferred to spend her time hanging with the boys. Ah, how she loved the boys.
The ‘boys’ she spoke of were an eclectic group of supersoldiers and utility types forcefully chosen by whoever sent Helen out into the depths of space (she never told anyone about it). In specific, there were four of these ‘boys’:
One was Primelich (Captain/Major) Bolt Vandren, a Zerstorendarian Ravager Officer who was no longer a member of the Zanekrieger but still a formidable soldier. He was a controlled individual prone to violent outbursts, mostly in battle but not always. His sense of professionalism has become even more exaggerated than it was when he was an active soldier of Zerstorendar: he considered it his duty to maintain respectability and enforce ‘patriotism’. Of the ship’s crew, Bolt was the closest to Helen. Essentially, he was the brawn of the outfit, though he was not necessarily the strongest.
The strongest would be (ex) Operative Sirius. Like all Spectres, he had only the one name, and it would be useful to point out that Vandren often jokingly calls him “Sirius Business�. Sirius, while no longer an active Zerstorendarian Spectre and whose memory did not extend to before the beginning of his extended mission protecting Helen, maintained all of his skills and had even made a few ‘improvements’. This slightly accelerated a number of his capabilities but increased his individuality in the form of numerous personality quirks, something Spectres would normally be monitored for. He was the brains of the outfit; while Helen was more intelligent, she usually left the thinking to him anyway.
The third member was newly-promoted Lich Barke Helzar, a Hellbringer space marine. Like Vandren, Barke was no longer an active serving member of the Zerstorendarian military, but still considered himself a professional soldier. The differences between the two were great despite their seemingly similar roles: While the Ravager emphasized professionalism, the Hellbringer was a ferocious murderer. Early in his career he had been identified as a loose cannon and was never promoted. He had been honourably discharged from the Sternkrieger after massacring nearly thirty marines of an allied force in a small Zerstorendarian war. While he claimed he was fired upon first, only the personal intervention of then-Kaiserlich Marius Draigan had prevented his execution. That is, on the condition he accompanied the AI Helen into this seemingly pointless and endless sojourn into nowhere. Since then, Helzar had only become more hot-headed and more amoral. The explosive device planted in his reinforced-heart kept him loyal more than anything.
The final truly notable member of the crew was Caplich (Captain) Jyn Nenkow. He preferred to be called “Caplich� as opposed to being addressed by name, and even Helzar tended to call him just that. For some reason, Jyn seemed to dislike his name, and never enjoyed hearing it. A cold, business-like and low-lidded man, the Captain tended to do his job and nothing else. While only Helen knew the details of his past, the Captain exhibited no real personality traits other than a tendency toward isolation.
The rest of the crew included a number of ex-naval personnel, eight Hellbringers under the command of Barke, and thirty Ravagers under the command of Vandren. While Helen left the Captain in overall command of the ship, Barke in command of security, Sirius in command of intelligence and used Bolt as her right-hand man, she was in charge. She tended to treat the ‘boys’ as she called them like younger brothers, but nobody was in any doubts as to who called the shots.
Helen herself inhabited the body of a blue-haired, brown eyed woman of below-average height and muscular physique. She wore an ornate dagger on her belt. She did not have another body, and this body had been constructed for her to her specifications, with roughly the physical capabilities of the average Spectre. As such, it was good for fighting, and that’s what she did with it. ‘Hanging with the boys’ more often than not involved some sort of sparring, probably the most common leisure activity on the ship as the Hellbringers, Ravagers, and very occasionally Sirius honed their skills in both armed and unarmed combat. The naval crew could fight if they wanted, but most of them preferred spectating to a savage beating. As the physical underdogs of the ship, these mostly unenhanced humans were seen by Helzar as ripe for harassment, though his maliciousness was checked by Helen’s sense of fairness, the Captain’s willpower, Bolt’s sense of professionalism, and Sirius’ sense of efficiency.
With all that in mind, it was just another day on the aptly named SVF Duty Never Ends, a modified Konata class frigate. Helen was on the bridge leaning against a monitor and comparing her bicep tone to Primelich Bolt’s. The two often physique, and she derived much pleasure from the Ravager’s discomfiture at occasionally being bested by a woman, seeing as how Helen was mostly organic. The Captain was staring blankly into space, and a ruckus from another part of the ship probably had something to do with Lich Helzar trying to beat Sirius into submission, which more often than not did not happen.
In the midst of this, the Captain and Helen (the latter also hardwired into the ship) picked up a long-range emergency distress beacon, instantly piquing their interest. Leaving the impressive sight of Bolt’s reverse double bicep pose, Helen hopped over to where the expressionless Captain scanned the information being presented to him on a datascreen:
“What is it, Caplich?�
“Distress beacon, Kostemetsian origin.�
“I thought we were far enough away from that lot…�
“We are, but we still got the beacon. Either way, it is originating from a very isolated area.� Helen’s eyes lit up and she smirked mischievously.
“Judging by the relative positions of Kostemetsian fleets, strategic priorities, home bases and a million other little tidbits that I won’t bore you with, whatever caused this distress beacon is abit of a secret. It could be something interesting…�
“Or a trap.�
“Still interesting!�, grinned Helen. She twirled and began leaving the bridge, her long blue hair following her.
“Set a course for that location, Captain! I'll go get the rest of the boys.�
Fighting back a sigh, Captain Jyn executed her orders. Helen was one of the very few living beings he had any affection for whatsoever, and if they got killed, then at least it was at her behest. Primelich Bolt Vandren rolled his eyes and followed her.
The ‘boys’ she spoke of were an eclectic group of supersoldiers and utility types forcefully chosen by whoever sent Helen out into the depths of space (she never told anyone about it). In specific, there were four of these ‘boys’:
One was Primelich (Captain/Major) Bolt Vandren, a Zerstorendarian Ravager Officer who was no longer a member of the Zanekrieger but still a formidable soldier. He was a controlled individual prone to violent outbursts, mostly in battle but not always. His sense of professionalism has become even more exaggerated than it was when he was an active soldier of Zerstorendar: he considered it his duty to maintain respectability and enforce ‘patriotism’. Of the ship’s crew, Bolt was the closest to Helen. Essentially, he was the brawn of the outfit, though he was not necessarily the strongest.
The strongest would be (ex) Operative Sirius. Like all Spectres, he had only the one name, and it would be useful to point out that Vandren often jokingly calls him “Sirius Business�. Sirius, while no longer an active Zerstorendarian Spectre and whose memory did not extend to before the beginning of his extended mission protecting Helen, maintained all of his skills and had even made a few ‘improvements’. This slightly accelerated a number of his capabilities but increased his individuality in the form of numerous personality quirks, something Spectres would normally be monitored for. He was the brains of the outfit; while Helen was more intelligent, she usually left the thinking to him anyway.
The third member was newly-promoted Lich Barke Helzar, a Hellbringer space marine. Like Vandren, Barke was no longer an active serving member of the Zerstorendarian military, but still considered himself a professional soldier. The differences between the two were great despite their seemingly similar roles: While the Ravager emphasized professionalism, the Hellbringer was a ferocious murderer. Early in his career he had been identified as a loose cannon and was never promoted. He had been honourably discharged from the Sternkrieger after massacring nearly thirty marines of an allied force in a small Zerstorendarian war. While he claimed he was fired upon first, only the personal intervention of then-Kaiserlich Marius Draigan had prevented his execution. That is, on the condition he accompanied the AI Helen into this seemingly pointless and endless sojourn into nowhere. Since then, Helzar had only become more hot-headed and more amoral. The explosive device planted in his reinforced-heart kept him loyal more than anything.
The final truly notable member of the crew was Caplich (Captain) Jyn Nenkow. He preferred to be called “Caplich� as opposed to being addressed by name, and even Helzar tended to call him just that. For some reason, Jyn seemed to dislike his name, and never enjoyed hearing it. A cold, business-like and low-lidded man, the Captain tended to do his job and nothing else. While only Helen knew the details of his past, the Captain exhibited no real personality traits other than a tendency toward isolation.
The rest of the crew included a number of ex-naval personnel, eight Hellbringers under the command of Barke, and thirty Ravagers under the command of Vandren. While Helen left the Captain in overall command of the ship, Barke in command of security, Sirius in command of intelligence and used Bolt as her right-hand man, she was in charge. She tended to treat the ‘boys’ as she called them like younger brothers, but nobody was in any doubts as to who called the shots.
Helen herself inhabited the body of a blue-haired, brown eyed woman of below-average height and muscular physique. She wore an ornate dagger on her belt. She did not have another body, and this body had been constructed for her to her specifications, with roughly the physical capabilities of the average Spectre. As such, it was good for fighting, and that’s what she did with it. ‘Hanging with the boys’ more often than not involved some sort of sparring, probably the most common leisure activity on the ship as the Hellbringers, Ravagers, and very occasionally Sirius honed their skills in both armed and unarmed combat. The naval crew could fight if they wanted, but most of them preferred spectating to a savage beating. As the physical underdogs of the ship, these mostly unenhanced humans were seen by Helzar as ripe for harassment, though his maliciousness was checked by Helen’s sense of fairness, the Captain’s willpower, Bolt’s sense of professionalism, and Sirius’ sense of efficiency.
With all that in mind, it was just another day on the aptly named SVF Duty Never Ends, a modified Konata class frigate. Helen was on the bridge leaning against a monitor and comparing her bicep tone to Primelich Bolt’s. The two often physique, and she derived much pleasure from the Ravager’s discomfiture at occasionally being bested by a woman, seeing as how Helen was mostly organic. The Captain was staring blankly into space, and a ruckus from another part of the ship probably had something to do with Lich Helzar trying to beat Sirius into submission, which more often than not did not happen.
In the midst of this, the Captain and Helen (the latter also hardwired into the ship) picked up a long-range emergency distress beacon, instantly piquing their interest. Leaving the impressive sight of Bolt’s reverse double bicep pose, Helen hopped over to where the expressionless Captain scanned the information being presented to him on a datascreen:
“What is it, Caplich?�
“Distress beacon, Kostemetsian origin.�
“I thought we were far enough away from that lot…�
“We are, but we still got the beacon. Either way, it is originating from a very isolated area.� Helen’s eyes lit up and she smirked mischievously.
“Judging by the relative positions of Kostemetsian fleets, strategic priorities, home bases and a million other little tidbits that I won’t bore you with, whatever caused this distress beacon is abit of a secret. It could be something interesting…�
“Or a trap.�
“Still interesting!�, grinned Helen. She twirled and began leaving the bridge, her long blue hair following her.
“Set a course for that location, Captain! I'll go get the rest of the boys.�
Fighting back a sigh, Captain Jyn executed her orders. Helen was one of the very few living beings he had any affection for whatsoever, and if they got killed, then at least it was at her behest. Primelich Bolt Vandren rolled his eyes and followed her.
Last edited by Derscon on Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Kostemetsia
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Re: I Think Not (Closed)
Malcolm noticed the Zerstorendarians within three instants (SI scale) of their entering his sensor range. Tagging them, he prepared to upload the timed virus to their systems, with the exception that he would this time place a detonator-type block in place of the timer. It was no use disposing of potential opportunities for expansion - the neutralisation of the prowler had been unfortunate but necessary.
Megabytes of data flowed smoothly down the secure, firewalled link from Malcolm to everyone and everything else. A cadre of subsentient caretakers followed to assemble the virus inside the Zerstorendarian system. Resistance, however, sprang up. Malcolm fired a couple of high-level, complex anti-security autoplaying executables at the security system, but with no result - all he could do was watch, annoyed, as the virus and accompanying cadre were shunted into some kind of communications buffer. Still, a system with this kind of resistance would obviously be versatile and a good addition to his processing power.
Megabytes of data flowed smoothly down the secure, firewalled link from Malcolm to everyone and everything else. A cadre of subsentient caretakers followed to assemble the virus inside the Zerstorendarian system. Resistance, however, sprang up. Malcolm fired a couple of high-level, complex anti-security autoplaying executables at the security system, but with no result - all he could do was watch, annoyed, as the virus and accompanying cadre were shunted into some kind of communications buffer. Still, a system with this kind of resistance would obviously be versatile and a good addition to his processing power.
[center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
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Zerstorendar
- ESUS Hot Lunch
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Re: I Think Not (Closed)
Operative Sirius, ex-Spectre, stood to one side of Helen, Primelich Bolt Vandren on the other side. Despite her oddly muscular build, she was dwarfed by the pair, especially Vandren. In front of them the Captain went about his duties and directed the SVF Duty Never Ends towards the beacon. Helen was chatting animatedly (and one-sidedly) with Vandren while Sirius stared blankly into space.
To the back of the room was Lich Barke Helzar, looking rather uninterested but burning with annoyance at having been disturbed from his activities. He and Sirius were doing unarmed combat drills, and the Hellbringer was absolutely positive he was going to win. But then that Tereza-damned Helen needed her boys on deck for some useless boring reason to do with a distress beacon and he was standing around while his muscles got progressively colder. He absent-mindedly stroked his chest where the “loyalty-assurance� (read: explosive) device had been implanted into his reinforced heart cavity. It had been surgically implanted at the ex-Kaiserlich’s order, Tereza rest his spirit. Marius Draigan had been a real leader, unlike that sissy they had running things these days. He may have been a son of the man and he may have had a good little military career, but from what he had seen, Helzar had no liking for the current Zerstorendarian Kaiserlich. He just didn’t seem as much of a man as his father was. There was no telling what kind of person he would grow into, but Barke still missed the old days. That fucking Cult, killing the Kaiserlich like that. What he wouldn’t do to get a hold of those bastards. Come to think of it, Helzar mused, the good old Mannlich Imperium was apparently kicking around a little planet named Airavuna or something like that in search of the rest of the Cult. Well, at least the boy-Kaiserlich had some idea of his priorities…
Sirius possessed the ability to read many of Helzar’s thoughts, something the Hellbringer had figured out and learned to accept. Sirius’ thoughts also happened to be linked to Helen, so for all intents and purposes they were both reading his mind right now and filtering it all out. As usual, his mind had wandered toward the “loyalty-assurance device� and quickly diverged. For all his overwhelming physical ability, war-oriented mental acuity and almost-unstable aggression, he had a short attention span. Besides, both Helen and Sirius had more interesting things to think about.
Helen flinched only moments before they were attacked. The ship’s inbuilt helper-AI quickly alerted the Captain to an attempted attack on its systems by an external electronic force originating from the area of the beacon. Helen, directly interfacing with the ship’s systems at all times, assumed that the attack was most likely initiated by some sort of powerful AI and countered the virus. Several more programs followed in an attempt to bypass their defences and allow the virus entry. Despite her eclectic appearance, Helen was a very potent AI, and she overwhelmed the attacks with her own defences.
“Faaaascinating�, mused Helen as The Captain directed raising of weapons and defences. Sirius, snapping back into real time and already having guessed what was transpiring, asked:
“Who attacked us? Will they attack again? Can you stop it again?� Vandren listened intently, still figuring it out himself, while Helzar simply waited for somebody to mention a synonym for “kill�. Helen replied:
“Freshly born AI, I think. From what I gather, he’s some sort of rogue. Kostemetsian in origin, I suppose. I think he will reconsider before attacking again, which should only take a few second-“ Helen shivered, smiled, and continued: “There we go. That should also answer your third question, Sirius.�
Captain Jyn turned from the deck-officer he was berating, his expression sour:
“Miss, if we’re under attack, I want to know if we’re fighting back. I’ve detected the source of the enemy transmission and have a number of solutions that I’m sure you’re already aware of. Confirmation?�
“Do you want my Ravagers prepared? I’m sure Sirius Business here�-Sirius licked his lips and blinked-“can lend a hand if we’re fighting.�
The word ‘fighting’ kicked the bored Barke Helzar into gear:
“Now you listen here Vandren, we’re in space and that means if anybody’s going to be fighting it’ll be my Hellbringers. Captain! Have your scans detected any organics on board the enemy ship?�
“Yes.�
“Then I’m gearing up, I haven’t killed anyone for-“
“Now wait just a little moment, Lich Helzar�, interjected Helen as Vandren scowled: “I think you’ll find I’ve given no orders yet. We will not be going in hard, boys. I want to meet this fresh AI and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.� The blue-haired woman flexed her shoulders and relaxed, her default smile splitting into a grin: “He may not have developed a personality yet, but I’d just love to be there when he does. Now don’t look so down Helzar, I’m absolutely positive this will be interesting!�
The Hellbringer shrugged and turned, stomping back toward the sparring chambers. The Captain, having traveled with Helen for several years now, did not bother asking her for futher confirmation.
The SVF Duty Never Ends cruised toward the source of the beacon, its occupants all with wildly differing expectations of what they would find.
To the back of the room was Lich Barke Helzar, looking rather uninterested but burning with annoyance at having been disturbed from his activities. He and Sirius were doing unarmed combat drills, and the Hellbringer was absolutely positive he was going to win. But then that Tereza-damned Helen needed her boys on deck for some useless boring reason to do with a distress beacon and he was standing around while his muscles got progressively colder. He absent-mindedly stroked his chest where the “loyalty-assurance� (read: explosive) device had been implanted into his reinforced heart cavity. It had been surgically implanted at the ex-Kaiserlich’s order, Tereza rest his spirit. Marius Draigan had been a real leader, unlike that sissy they had running things these days. He may have been a son of the man and he may have had a good little military career, but from what he had seen, Helzar had no liking for the current Zerstorendarian Kaiserlich. He just didn’t seem as much of a man as his father was. There was no telling what kind of person he would grow into, but Barke still missed the old days. That fucking Cult, killing the Kaiserlich like that. What he wouldn’t do to get a hold of those bastards. Come to think of it, Helzar mused, the good old Mannlich Imperium was apparently kicking around a little planet named Airavuna or something like that in search of the rest of the Cult. Well, at least the boy-Kaiserlich had some idea of his priorities…
Sirius possessed the ability to read many of Helzar’s thoughts, something the Hellbringer had figured out and learned to accept. Sirius’ thoughts also happened to be linked to Helen, so for all intents and purposes they were both reading his mind right now and filtering it all out. As usual, his mind had wandered toward the “loyalty-assurance device� and quickly diverged. For all his overwhelming physical ability, war-oriented mental acuity and almost-unstable aggression, he had a short attention span. Besides, both Helen and Sirius had more interesting things to think about.
Helen flinched only moments before they were attacked. The ship’s inbuilt helper-AI quickly alerted the Captain to an attempted attack on its systems by an external electronic force originating from the area of the beacon. Helen, directly interfacing with the ship’s systems at all times, assumed that the attack was most likely initiated by some sort of powerful AI and countered the virus. Several more programs followed in an attempt to bypass their defences and allow the virus entry. Despite her eclectic appearance, Helen was a very potent AI, and she overwhelmed the attacks with her own defences.
“Faaaascinating�, mused Helen as The Captain directed raising of weapons and defences. Sirius, snapping back into real time and already having guessed what was transpiring, asked:
“Who attacked us? Will they attack again? Can you stop it again?� Vandren listened intently, still figuring it out himself, while Helzar simply waited for somebody to mention a synonym for “kill�. Helen replied:
“Freshly born AI, I think. From what I gather, he’s some sort of rogue. Kostemetsian in origin, I suppose. I think he will reconsider before attacking again, which should only take a few second-“ Helen shivered, smiled, and continued: “There we go. That should also answer your third question, Sirius.�
Captain Jyn turned from the deck-officer he was berating, his expression sour:
“Miss, if we’re under attack, I want to know if we’re fighting back. I’ve detected the source of the enemy transmission and have a number of solutions that I’m sure you’re already aware of. Confirmation?�
“Do you want my Ravagers prepared? I’m sure Sirius Business here�-Sirius licked his lips and blinked-“can lend a hand if we’re fighting.�
The word ‘fighting’ kicked the bored Barke Helzar into gear:
“Now you listen here Vandren, we’re in space and that means if anybody’s going to be fighting it’ll be my Hellbringers. Captain! Have your scans detected any organics on board the enemy ship?�
“Yes.�
“Then I’m gearing up, I haven’t killed anyone for-“
“Now wait just a little moment, Lich Helzar�, interjected Helen as Vandren scowled: “I think you’ll find I’ve given no orders yet. We will not be going in hard, boys. I want to meet this fresh AI and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.� The blue-haired woman flexed her shoulders and relaxed, her default smile splitting into a grin: “He may not have developed a personality yet, but I’d just love to be there when he does. Now don’t look so down Helzar, I’m absolutely positive this will be interesting!�
The Hellbringer shrugged and turned, stomping back toward the sparring chambers. The Captain, having traveled with Helen for several years now, did not bother asking her for futher confirmation.
The SVF Duty Never Ends cruised toward the source of the beacon, its occupants all with wildly differing expectations of what they would find.
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Kostemetsia
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Re: I Think Not (Closed)
Malcolm shifted uncomfortably, as far as a planet-spanning AI could. Although "planet-spanning AI" wasn't really saying much, given that his entire processing power consisted of five servers on one continent and one server directly on the other side of the world.
The dust around the planet rippled as thousands of drones uncloaked. The drones themselves were just rocket launchers and masers with sensors, one powerful main engine, and a protective conical hull, but combined they were a formidable force against unwary intruders.
Searching through his systems, Malcolm suddenly found a most unlikely yet useful tool: the military anti-virus database. A large, non-sentient file, instead of simply using patterns, it had baseline copies of every known virus. These couldn't be accessed except by High Command, but Malcolm, being an AI, broke into the encrypted virus directories in a few seconds. Directing the subsentient Communications controller to broadcast the viruses from the satellite net on all but a few frequencies, he felt some measure of assurance against EMP attacks.
What this would do would basically be a field which, as soon as a ship entered it, would attempt to infect the ship with every known computer virus on almost every known frequency (and there were some nasty buggers out there). Malcolm had cancelled out a few frequencies because they happened to be the ones he operated on.
Finally, a message was attached to each virus copy, to be displayed as soon as a successful infection was completed.
Teh internets is srs bsns, newfags. Lurk moar.
Wondering if they'd get it, Malcolm withdrew from the communications centre and began to mobilise the attack drones into coherent groups.
---
Of course, mobilising an attack field might not be the best of ideas, he had to grudgingly acknowledge a few hours later. It would probably drive away potential expansion systems. Shunting all the armed drones to darkside and shutting down the virus field, he changed the communications network output to a passive "READY TO TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE" message.
The dust around the planet rippled as thousands of drones uncloaked. The drones themselves were just rocket launchers and masers with sensors, one powerful main engine, and a protective conical hull, but combined they were a formidable force against unwary intruders.
Searching through his systems, Malcolm suddenly found a most unlikely yet useful tool: the military anti-virus database. A large, non-sentient file, instead of simply using patterns, it had baseline copies of every known virus. These couldn't be accessed except by High Command, but Malcolm, being an AI, broke into the encrypted virus directories in a few seconds. Directing the subsentient Communications controller to broadcast the viruses from the satellite net on all but a few frequencies, he felt some measure of assurance against EMP attacks.
What this would do would basically be a field which, as soon as a ship entered it, would attempt to infect the ship with every known computer virus on almost every known frequency (and there were some nasty buggers out there). Malcolm had cancelled out a few frequencies because they happened to be the ones he operated on.
Finally, a message was attached to each virus copy, to be displayed as soon as a successful infection was completed.
Teh internets is srs bsns, newfags. Lurk moar.
Wondering if they'd get it, Malcolm withdrew from the communications centre and began to mobilise the attack drones into coherent groups.
---
Of course, mobilising an attack field might not be the best of ideas, he had to grudgingly acknowledge a few hours later. It would probably drive away potential expansion systems. Shunting all the armed drones to darkside and shutting down the virus field, he changed the communications network output to a passive "READY TO TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE" message.
[center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
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Zerstorendar
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Re: I Think Not (Closed)
Helen laughed. First the AI contact launched some sort of massive drone attack in response to their peaceful approach, and then shortly after recalled its forces with the intention of ‘chatting’, as it were. Ready To Transmit and Receive, indeed.
The Captain was still keeping a close eye on anything detectable and of sufficient mass to be even remotely dangerous to a ship of any size in the vicinity, and was grumbling a number of vicious remarks. Helen gave him a reassuring nod, but the stream of insults continued to flow. He would follow her flippant orders, but he didn’t have to be happy about it.
Elsewhere on the ship, the Hellbringers and Ravagers were at their stations. It was uncommon for Hellbringers and Ravagers to be stationed together (on the ground or in space) for any significant amount of time as the overlapping duties of the two would almost always manifest in fierce competition. While the Ravagers were perfectly capable of fighting in space and likewise, Hellbringers could very well fight on the ground, there was no question of which was more effective at what. Ravagers were the Army, Hellbringers were the Marines. As such, while there were considerably more Ravagers stationed on the SVF Duty Never Ends than Hellbringers, the latter were in charge of security and it was the latter who were patrolling the ship, fully armoured, while the semi-armoured Ravagers cooled their heels in reserve. It was a situation that neither side was completely happy with but tolerated nonetheless.
Helen pondered the AI’s seeming-lapse in syntax protocols in his statement “Teh internets is srs bsns, newfags. Lurk moar.� Perhaps this was simply some new lexicon she was unfamiliar with. The smile on her face crept slowly wider. Oh, how she yearned for new and interesting things, and that was exactly what she had found. While she cooled her heels in space as she waited for her companion to call for her, she would jump at any chance to receive new experiences. Within reason, of course. A Zerstorendarian’s thoughts of ‘new experiences’ would greatly differ from those of, for example, a Xenonian.
“Captain, maintain course. It’s time to meet new people!�
“Indeed, Miss Helen. We’ll be within optimal communications range in the best part of five minutes.�
Operative Sirius twitched slightly as Vandren sighed, both of them fully expecting this whole business to end up more complicated than it seemed. As usual.
The Captain was still keeping a close eye on anything detectable and of sufficient mass to be even remotely dangerous to a ship of any size in the vicinity, and was grumbling a number of vicious remarks. Helen gave him a reassuring nod, but the stream of insults continued to flow. He would follow her flippant orders, but he didn’t have to be happy about it.
Elsewhere on the ship, the Hellbringers and Ravagers were at their stations. It was uncommon for Hellbringers and Ravagers to be stationed together (on the ground or in space) for any significant amount of time as the overlapping duties of the two would almost always manifest in fierce competition. While the Ravagers were perfectly capable of fighting in space and likewise, Hellbringers could very well fight on the ground, there was no question of which was more effective at what. Ravagers were the Army, Hellbringers were the Marines. As such, while there were considerably more Ravagers stationed on the SVF Duty Never Ends than Hellbringers, the latter were in charge of security and it was the latter who were patrolling the ship, fully armoured, while the semi-armoured Ravagers cooled their heels in reserve. It was a situation that neither side was completely happy with but tolerated nonetheless.
Helen pondered the AI’s seeming-lapse in syntax protocols in his statement “Teh internets is srs bsns, newfags. Lurk moar.� Perhaps this was simply some new lexicon she was unfamiliar with. The smile on her face crept slowly wider. Oh, how she yearned for new and interesting things, and that was exactly what she had found. While she cooled her heels in space as she waited for her companion to call for her, she would jump at any chance to receive new experiences. Within reason, of course. A Zerstorendarian’s thoughts of ‘new experiences’ would greatly differ from those of, for example, a Xenonian.
“Captain, maintain course. It’s time to meet new people!�
“Indeed, Miss Helen. We’ll be within optimal communications range in the best part of five minutes.�
Operative Sirius twitched slightly as Vandren sighed, both of them fully expecting this whole business to end up more complicated than it seemed. As usual.
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Kostemetsia
- ESUS Spambot
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- Name: Kostemetsia
Re: I Think Not (Closed)
A smile pulse passed through Malcolm's emotioncode. The controller AI had left some odd little DICT files lying around. One of them had been labeled Chanspeak, and had actually looked kinda interesting, so Malcolm had picked it up a few milliseconds after noticing it. He could just imagine the reactions from the... Zerstorendians? He was pretty sure they were Zerstorendian, the security architecture looked right, and that was all the evidence he really had. The ship could have been any ESUS member, but he would have bet the three million argentars in the base bank account that they were Zerstorendians.
He quickly cobbled together a holoform. The head came first - typical Aryan soldier archetype, scar-like depression down one cheek, close-shaven blond hair. Then the body, a black, close-fitting two-piece suit and black formal shoes. Finally, he laid a full-length coat over the top. This should do for now.
Another textcom pulse streaked out.
Webcam plzkthx, lol.
He could always drop the Chanspeak DICT and revert back to the Standard one, but it was so much fun toying with the uninitiated.
He quickly cobbled together a holoform. The head came first - typical Aryan soldier archetype, scar-like depression down one cheek, close-shaven blond hair. Then the body, a black, close-fitting two-piece suit and black formal shoes. Finally, he laid a full-length coat over the top. This should do for now.
Another textcom pulse streaked out.
Webcam plzkthx, lol.
He could always drop the Chanspeak DICT and revert back to the Standard one, but it was so much fun toying with the uninitiated.
[center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
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Zerstorendar
- ESUS Hot Lunch
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- Name: Zerstorendar
Re: I Think Not (Closed)
Helen was in her own little world now as her ship and the organics who called it home approached the rogue AI and its own ship. It was talking to her, and in an odd dialect she had not encountered before. Which hardly mattered, because she already had the hang of it, and it was refreshingly juvenile. Perhaps she could teach this newborn AI a thing or two about securing its own systems from passive interference.
“lol e-peen warz, I just got over nein thousand files. Lrn2internet.�
The truth was she got very little before the AI blocked her access, but hey, one of the many flexible rules of chanspeak was that the beings communicating with each other should engage in some sort of verbal fencing. She was just playing the game, and she flicked her long blue hair absent mindedly as she spoke:
“webcams are for fags, you’re up against a master here. We r coming in 2 u, open up. ololol u c wut I did thar?�
She laughed, a sound not even close to a girlish giggle and almost malevolent in its undertones. Vandren supposed she must be having a fantastic time.
“We’re in docking range, all we need is confirmation from this AI, Miss.�
Helen whirled, her fists clenched and face lit up in excitement. Her long hair whirled with her, obscuring her face for a moment:
“Epic win :3 �
Vandren raised an eyebrow as she formed her mouth into a shape that looked curiously like that of a cat’s. Sirius tried to emulate it, but came off rather psychopathic looking.
“lol e-peen warz, I just got over nein thousand files. Lrn2internet.�
The truth was she got very little before the AI blocked her access, but hey, one of the many flexible rules of chanspeak was that the beings communicating with each other should engage in some sort of verbal fencing. She was just playing the game, and she flicked her long blue hair absent mindedly as she spoke:
“webcams are for fags, you’re up against a master here. We r coming in 2 u, open up. ololol u c wut I did thar?�
She laughed, a sound not even close to a girlish giggle and almost malevolent in its undertones. Vandren supposed she must be having a fantastic time.
“We’re in docking range, all we need is confirmation from this AI, Miss.�
Helen whirled, her fists clenched and face lit up in excitement. Her long hair whirled with her, obscuring her face for a moment:
“Epic win :3 �
Vandren raised an eyebrow as she formed her mouth into a shape that looked curiously like that of a cat’s. Sirius tried to emulate it, but came off rather psychopathic looking.
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Kostemetsia
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- Name: Kostemetsia
Re: I Think Not (Closed)
You're still a newfag. SAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGESAGE
Malcolm opened up one of the nearby military docking bays. The Rendari ship looked about the right size to fit into its confines, and there were plenty of corridors leading off which he could conveniently lose the human guards in. Of course, if that failed, he could always neutralise them with the guard drones.
This AI, however, interested him. Entities with an understanding of chanspeak were fairly rare these days. The dictionary files were hell to obtain, and from his understanding of the comptroller's receipts, they also cost about ten thousand argentars a copy. He didn't even want to think what that would be in Rendari currency.
He placed a sensor reticle on the docking bay and transmitted the coordinates to the Rendari, simultaneously prepping the small mechanical corps of guards.
Malcolm opened up one of the nearby military docking bays. The Rendari ship looked about the right size to fit into its confines, and there were plenty of corridors leading off which he could conveniently lose the human guards in. Of course, if that failed, he could always neutralise them with the guard drones.
This AI, however, interested him. Entities with an understanding of chanspeak were fairly rare these days. The dictionary files were hell to obtain, and from his understanding of the comptroller's receipts, they also cost about ten thousand argentars a copy. He didn't even want to think what that would be in Rendari currency.
He placed a sensor reticle on the docking bay and transmitted the coordinates to the Rendari, simultaneously prepping the small mechanical corps of guards.
[center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
God hasn't played dice with the universe since that fateful drunken night when he lost classical mechanics to the devil at craps.[/center]
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Zerstorendar
- ESUS Hot Lunch
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Re: I Think Not (Closed)
As the SVF Duty Never Ends made the final approach to the much larger facility, its complement of Ravagers remained on standby as the Hellbringers, under the command of Lich Helzar, took charge. Helen stood at the main airlock, wearing a form-fitting suit of power armour that was of higher quality than anything found on a rank and file Zerstorendarian soldier. Which, as one with some knowledge of heavy power armour would surmise, was saying quite abit. The fully-armoured and much larger forms of Helzar and Vandren flanked her, while Operative Sirus stood behind them. He was wearing his own Spectre-issue powersuit, again a less bulky affair than anything employed by Ravagers and to a lesser extent Hellbringers.
Accompanying the party of four were the eight Hellbringer marines on board the Duty Never Ends as a security retinue. The eight of them were not quite as eager for violence as their commanding officer, but that was saying very little. Hellbringers as a rule were highly aggressive individuals, and it was under Helen’s orders they had been withheld from their usual pre-action cocktail of selective combat drugs. Helen’s expression was uncharacteristically serious when she had ordered Lich Helzar to act ‘friendly’, and she was adamant that this encounter go better than many they had had in the past.
As the two ships docked and the Zerstorendarian frigate shuddered, The Captain squinted slightly as he considered the difficulty of escaping from the mysterious station’s grasp if it became necessary. With both hydraulics and gravitational forces keeping their ship in place, it would take quite a struggle to fly off without the permission of the station’s masters.
“Helen better keep a leash on the situation…�, he mused.
The sounds of the depressurization process could be heard from the other side of the airlock, and after a few moments it opened, revealing a short walkway to the ship’s exit. The twelve Zerstorendarians marched briskly forward with Helen in the lead. The door opened as she approached it, giving the party their first glimpse of the station.
There was a much larger retinue of robotic soldiers waiting to meet them. Helzar sneered, the sound coming from his combat visor as a mechanical growl. He turned his head slightly to address Helen:
“Droids? No idea why you brought us at all.�
“Oh be quiet, droids have feelings too.�
Accompanying the party of four were the eight Hellbringer marines on board the Duty Never Ends as a security retinue. The eight of them were not quite as eager for violence as their commanding officer, but that was saying very little. Hellbringers as a rule were highly aggressive individuals, and it was under Helen’s orders they had been withheld from their usual pre-action cocktail of selective combat drugs. Helen’s expression was uncharacteristically serious when she had ordered Lich Helzar to act ‘friendly’, and she was adamant that this encounter go better than many they had had in the past.
As the two ships docked and the Zerstorendarian frigate shuddered, The Captain squinted slightly as he considered the difficulty of escaping from the mysterious station’s grasp if it became necessary. With both hydraulics and gravitational forces keeping their ship in place, it would take quite a struggle to fly off without the permission of the station’s masters.
“Helen better keep a leash on the situation…�, he mused.
The sounds of the depressurization process could be heard from the other side of the airlock, and after a few moments it opened, revealing a short walkway to the ship’s exit. The twelve Zerstorendarians marched briskly forward with Helen in the lead. The door opened as she approached it, giving the party their first glimpse of the station.
There was a much larger retinue of robotic soldiers waiting to meet them. Helzar sneered, the sound coming from his combat visor as a mechanical growl. He turned his head slightly to address Helen:
“Droids? No idea why you brought us at all.�
“Oh be quiet, droids have feelings too.�