open to Investigators; (slightly backdated to) the beginning of week 2 of the digital frontier jaunt

[betrayedblade]

[So (with mod permission) Giovanni managed to sneak into the Partition with a little magic (no, literally, he got Zatanna to give him red circuits to get inside) and from there learned a few interesting tidbits of information that he would like to get out to the rest of the Investigators. He also stole some Defender armor and a baton or two but that's completely besides the point.

Thus, as Giovanni makes his way back out of the Partition with his stolen goods the Assassin sends out a quiet message on the psychic network. His mental voice is calm and controlled, but it would be hard to miss the undercurrent of excitement and import in the words as well.]

I have managed to find out a few things about our dear 'friends' the Defenders today.

In case you did not get the chance to meet him on our first day here, there was a one-eyed program watching critically over the proceedings. That is the Defender known as JORD1 and he is their leader. Talk around the fortress--or Partition as they call it--indicates that he is a very dedicated program when it comes to his function. It quickly became clear that he will do whatever it takes to defend the system no matter the cost. That cost could be quite high, I fear, if given the chance but I'll come back to that point in a moment.

The Partition itself is a curious place. For any of those interested in such information the fortress is composed of four quarters: the barracks, the armory, the Ports, and the Administration Tower. (If anyone would like an actual map of the area I could provide a sketch should you wish for one.) The former two places I mentioned are self-explanatory; the latter two are quite important. The Ports have something to do with a network of communication and only two programs have access to them apparently. JORD1, naturally the Defender leader would have control over this vital process, and a program known as ROSE, a Miner I believe. It would seem though that ROSE never uses the Ports. Whether that is a recent development or not, I could not say for certain.

[After a small pause he continues.]

The Administration Tower is full of the Defenders' more critical functions. It houses not only the higher key figures but several detention cells full of programs waiting to be processed and rooms dedicated to [he speaks this next carefully, slowly:] the re-purposing of programs. [It's clear from his tone he doesn't like the sound of that. It's possible he witnessed this from a hiding spot, or at least heard enough from a dark corner somewhere nearby to figure out what it entailed, and Did Not Like.] I also made a trip to the scrupulously guarded dungeon of the Tower and found a very interesting item there. Like most things here it glowed with a bright current of power, however, I had a feeling it was more than just a trinket considering the circumstances and waited long enough to discover its name and purpose.

[He swears he did not put a pause to his words here for dramatic purposes but it occurred anyway as he collected his thoughts carefully before proceeding with the business end of his tirade.]

They called it 'the Bomb.'

I do not think I have to explain the implications of such a device. Least to say, I fear what may be done with it if it is used and--not to cause any alarms--but from what I gathered I have little doubt the Prime Defender would think twice to use it if he felt the need to do so.

On a further note, I do not suggest trying to get into the Partition to steal the device. [Or the Recognizer. Guys, seriously, do not try to steal the Recognizer without including Giovanni in the very brief joyride that would entail.] It was heavily guarded and even I had some small difficulty getting out once the illusion upon my ..circuitry.. wore off. [Although getting in and out was the only hard part for Giovanni; sneaking around inside had been a relative cake-walk for the stealthy Assassin.] Besides, the consequences that would likely incite would be devastating to this Grid. The Defenders could easily obliterate the other programs in the System. I suggest instead a different route to prevent its use: let us simply make sure events do not unfold to make it a necessary evil for the Defenders to use it. That means waiting, of course, and keeping a sharp eye upon things while we are here. It may not be ideal but I urge to err on the side of caution.

[There is a considerably more lengthy pause here this time, purposeful, an allowance for everything he just said and implied to sink in with anyone listening. Hopefully, he hasn't started a panic or encouraged an overzealous individual to take things into their own hands. But he wanted to get the information out there so everyone could be aware of the potential danger should it come to pass.]

I am open to further discussion upon any matter mentioned just now. I will try to answer as many questions as I can to any that may have them.

Comments

[betrayedblade]

While I do not inherently disagree with such a suggestion, I would say it needs to be done most delicately. Pushing our limits too much may force his hand into doing exactly what we do not wish to do.

[Giovanni pauses here to gather his thoughts before answering, thinking back on all that he overheard while sneaking around in the Partition and adding it to other information he's learned while in this Grid.]

...My focus here so far has been to learn as much as I could about the Defenders but I have also been out into the Wastelands with a group of Cryptos and Miners. There was an instance of a viral attack upon two of the programs that caused us all to flee the area. While I admit I know little of computers it doesn't take an expert to infer the significance of an infection overrunning the populace. What I learned of the Ports implied there were other programs out there, whole other systems perhaps with their own inhabitants. Like a city sending signals to another, far away city. [a small pause] Could it be that this area is cordoned off from a larger populace?

[abweichend]

I'm not saying we run screaming at the gates or anything stupid like that, only that we need to keep tabs on this guy somehow, make sure his hand doesn't slip while we're fucking around out in the Wastelands digging up code with our new friends.

[Stealth seems to be this guy's forte, if he was able to gather this much in such a paranoid environment- Levi's pretty impressed by that, actually- and so maybe there's a way to extend whatever illusion had allowed him to hang around. IT'S A THOUGHT, one that he'll share once he comments on the next bit:]

But anyway, what you said about a bigger system- that's definitely possible. We could be sitting in one bigass quarantine zone some other programs set up to keep themselves safe from the mess. I was out there too, and what we saw looked a lot like those things in Texas, the Infected. They moved the same way, their behavior... The only difference is that here they're calling it something else.

[Was Giovanni here for that one? Hell if Levi knows, but word travels pretty fast (...ha) around here and so he figures this guy probably has some idea what he means.]

...That'd make the Defenders the kings of shit hill, what an honor... No wonder they're all so friendly.

[That idea changes things, a little bit... But not enough. Even if everyone here was banished from a larger area, they should have stuck together, not exiled and isolated themselves more.]

What made you think there's more out there? Were there messages sent or received?

[betrayedblade]

[Giovanni nods along as he listens, although he is aware the other cannot see him do so. But it's a simple, habitual motion. If they had been face-to-face it would have felt (and looked) natural.

Though he hesitates over the bit about Texas. He didn't know about that.]

Agreed then. Keeping a close eye on the Defenders at large would be a relatively easy group effort if we tried. JORD1 would be a bit harder to gain access to...

[He pauses. There was multiple bits of information here that he wished to ask about but he was uncertain which topic to discuss first.]

I was not here for the Jaunt in 'Texas' but that does not sound very comforting. I know that two programs were infected when they ran afoul of the virus out in sector G6. They seem well enough for now but if--

[Giovanni did not finish the thought. It was clear by his tone that it pained him to admit that much. The two infected were not previous acquaintances to him but he was still concerned for them and those in their presence. He hoped they would not succumb to...what Levi described.

Somewhat distractedly, he manages to answer the last few questions before falling silent for a moment.]

There was a record of messages.

[abweichend]

[It's cool man, Levi nods while network-spamming all the time. Must make him look like a total weirdo but really... Everyone else is probably doing it to. He's fresh out of fucks to give about how he looks.]

It isn't supposed to be. That place was a hellhole, most of the population was killed in a shorter time than anyone could have planned for- everything went to shit in a matter of days, or so the papers said when we arrived again years later... [Y...eah. That was a weird one. Sometimes Levi feels like he just dreamed that Jaunt up himself. Bizarre. ...Anyway, moving on to things that really matter here before he gets carried away bitching about the places the Trumps bring them:] But there's warning here. We can use that. [There's a grimace that might be felt psychically as an impression of vague sympathy for the poor bastards who got contaminated... Or maybe the undercurrent of "that sucks" is present in his voice.] ...Worry about them when they start showing symptoms. If they do. Someone should keep an eye on them, too.

[It sounds intense... But not unkind. Unless they're Defenders (which Levi's gathering they aren't) or Trumps (definitely not...), Levi'd rather they stay safe and healthy. Whatever that means here.]

Did the messages happen to say anything about the that? The virus, I mean. If this place really is sectioned off there'd be some correspondence about that, wouldn't there? Some back and forth between the people there and the ones they exiled to this dump?

[betrayedblade]

[He digests the information slowly. It is not pleasant, as said.]

I will. We will be keeping a close eye on them.

I do not believe it is an exile so much as it is simply...their purpose. I did not have an over abundance of time but--

[abweichend]

That's a pretty shit purpose- to put unpleasantness out of their sight so they can ignore it until it comes back to bite them in the ass.

[S I G H. He really hates people like that.]

But I guess they'd try to keep that from getting out, though. Locked up, or whatever. Not the kind of thing you'd find in a quick run.

[Password protected, maybe... Has anyone tried "s h i t h e a d s"...?]