[jaunt] SURPRISE - during the second attacks

[leftbehindagain]

...uh, guys?

[Before Naoki continues, there's a brief livestream of what happened when he tried overloading some Trojans with power to incapacitate them.]

I think I found the Signifiers.

Comments

[leftbehindagain]

"How can it be abandoned if we haven't gone anywhere?" she grumbles, but turns her attention to the question. "There's a rumor going around that the recharge efficiency initiative is getting out of hand - I'm a communications Program, I relay this stuff to the system - and I'd left the towers to investigate. There was a power outage. That was... well, it should have been no more than a millicycle ago, but I calculate you're about to tell me it's been longer." She sighs. "Where's - do you know where TAR0 is?"

"We haven't exactly been able to get anyone's designations," Naoki says. "You're right, though. The initiative did get our of hand, and it has been longer. You'll have to forgive us if we skip an Interface - that's how it spreads."

"...Acceptable parameters, given the circumstances. Designation YAMA-NO, Gemini Control Tower."

[triggerhappytraitor]

And that matched with what S3NT0 had told him...

"The outage must have triggered the secondary system, an artificially induced rest cycle," he reflected with a faint frown. "The efficiency initiative may have seen it as a risk, and not returned control to the primary system to avoid further possible loss of activity."

He nodded at the introduction. "Garren," he returned, not quite sure how to make it sound all cap like everyone else had managed yet.

[leftbehindagain]

Don't worry, Tachibana, Naoki hasn't figured that out yet either and he's been here before. "And I'm Naoki."

"Well, greetings, Programs," YAMA-NO says. "I'm not sure I want to know how long it's been, but I'm going to have to find out sooner or later."

[triggerhappytraitor]

"Unfortunately," Tachibana nodded, not without sympathy. "Is there anything else you can tell is about the efficiency initiative? Anything that might be helpful in releasing it's hold on the others."

[leftbehindagain]

YAMA-NO shakes her head. "I barely knew the initiative was happening at all - mostly because TAR0 processed some related files. When things started going wrong during the standard recharge cycle, it was an easy connection to make. How long has it been?"

"I haven't encountered anyone who knows for sure, but I think I know a way to narrow it down," Naoki says. "What's the last thing your system heard about the Grid?"

"It was overrun by viral code and taken offline. That was several cycles ago, but I don't recall how many."

Naoki nods. "That's still something to go on. The Grid was offline for two hundred cycles - I don't think it's been reconnected to the Network at large yet, but it's been active again for a few cycles as of this time."

YAMA-NO falls silent, but Naoki can't really blame her, after that bombshell.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Tachibana glances over at Naoki, giving YAMA-NO a moment to deal with her shock. "Is there anyone we can refer her to, to help monitor her condition and bring her back up to speed with how much time has passed?"

[leftbehindagain]

"The Defenders have a quarantine operation set up. Luckily, we're not far from their base." Also luckily, he trusts these Defenders to behave themselves a lot more than he would have trusted the ones on the Grid.

"True quarantine?" YAMA-NO sounds almost bitterly amused. "Well, I can't really blame them. If it'll help acquire the data to stop this problem, I'll gladly consent."

[triggerhappytraitor]

"And if we can locate and restore your friend, we'll be sure to send him that way as well," Tachibana offered, giving a hopefully reassuring smile.