Late in week 3

[bite_the_hand]

If the Conductors are being run by a giant computer in the Waking World, that makes them a kind of computer virus like the Automata, right? And if the Conductors are like the Automata, doesn't that make Questing Country a kind of computer system too? Like the ZODIAC?

I might be shit at computers, but I do know you can give them a kind of immune system by installing antivirus in them. So is there a reason we can't make an antivirus against Conducting and install it into Questing Country?

Something to undo the damage to the Conductors' wills and stop it from being spread by accident. Then the existence of the Conductors wouldn't be damaging to Questing Country, just like the Automata don't hurt the Grid or the ZODIAC anymore.

Reprogramming the macrochip is still important too, but if we can do both then won't Questing Country stay safe even if the bastards behind this decide to build a new macrochip and try again?

Comments

[lightnovelexperiences]

Given that psychic healing is very much a bandaid that’s only going to slow down the spread of Conductive memes, I’d like to know this as well.

My gut says that dream logic will make this possible where it normally wouldn’t be, but I don’t know for sure.

[bite_the_hand]

We also won't be around to do psychic healing for long.

I'm pretty sure the dream logic is part of why a virus is possible in the first place. If it works for that, it should work for an antivirus too.

[lightnovelexperiences]

I'm teaching the Conductors how to do it - I guess my own psychic powers on the Network raised the ceiling on what they can do. That skill won't go away when we leave...

...But as long as new Conductors are being made in waking by that thing, they will inevitably infect more before we're able to heal them; and some of them will be bastards who'll spread it on purpose, or worse, Sanction someone into joining the Conductors.

...A Conductor, or Leah at least, Sanctioning someone turns them into a Conductor. I really do not want to find out if this is true of the others but it wouldn't surprise me.

It's not my business telling you how she knows that, but I will say she sanctioned exactly one person, and then swore never to do it again.

[bite_the_hand]

At least if they can do it on their own, that'll help slow it down even more. As long as nobody like that falls asleep a Conductor yet, it will at least buy us time.

...I guess that answers that. I know that sometimes people can all choose to be Sanctioned together. I was going to ask Leah if a willing Sanction would work to give me a Bond with my friend again if I became a Conductor, but we found out about the meme virus before I had the chance.

[notinthecards]

Not just Questing Country, I think. The Dreamers says everybody's mind plugs in on some level, as long as they dream when they sleep.

Put up a good enough firewall... you might make the Hecatites' little plan impossible, no matter what kind of gadget they build.

And Remy knows just where to put it, too.

[bite_the_hand]

If we can make it so it protects people from what the Orthopraxy is trying to do in Waking too, that's even better.

Where did you have in mind?

[notinthecards]

That nice big hole Backstage they were so kind to leave. You throw an idea down there, the impact travels a long way - it went all the way to us, didn't it?

[lightnovelexperiences]

I think I love you right now.

That’s genius. Pez - who I’d swear blind is Hikaru infiltrating if he was here - just gave you a standing ovation.

[bite_the_hand]

Is that all we'd have to do with it? I thought we'd have to go looking for a special place to put it to make it function properly. If we can just put it there, that's even better.

[crouching_sin]

I can take a look... it's theoretically possible, I assume. I'm just not certain how quickly I can implement it.

[bite_the_hand]

It's worth a shot. Even if it wouldn't be ready by the end of the Jaunt, if we can buy some more time then maybe we can Bridge back here and install it later.

[truerevelation]

Was thinkin' about computer world shit myself but you took it further than I did. Huh. Wonder if somethin' like that would protect the place in case some other sorts'f bastards try 'n pull something similar...

[bite_the_hand]

No idea. I'm hoping it would, but I don't know how antivirus works when the program's not a person. I'm surprised my idea makes any sense to people that know how to do more with computers than look stuff up on the Liminal intranet.

[truerevelation]

Nah, you're good. Sometimes, ya need someone who doesn't know stuff to come up with ideas that other people wouldn't think about, y'know?

[bite_the_hand]

Because it takes someone that doesn't know what's normal or what's impossible to look at stuff in a different way, instead of making assumptions before they try?

[A brief pause.]

...Maybe I still fit the role of Champion better than I thought.

[insidegalra]

That's an excellent idea! The more levels and variety of defense that we have against this, the better.

I only have moderate experience with programming defensive software, but I do have experience getting past it, so I offer my skills up to whoever can use them for this.

Thetan does as well.

[bite_the_hand]

I wish I could do more. But I'm one of the Travelers that came back from the ZODIAC not knowing if that was a world that worked on computer rules or if all computers had tiny people living inside them. Computers aren't exactly one of my strengths.

[insidegalra]

Thetan is fascinated by that world. [Thace sounds gently amused.] Someday in this one, that might not be a distinction.

And every new idea is a good one to share. We each of different skills and experiences, and it's by working together that we combine all we have into a greater whole.

[A pause.] Thetan may be rubbing off on me a bit.

[bite_the_hand]

You're right though. It's something I had to realize a long time ago, when I had to accept that I couldn't be everything everyone else wanted me to be. Everyone's different because when we work together we're stronger than we could ever be alone.

[razorblade_empress]

For what it's worth, Questing Country does have a perspective, but it's too vast to really read - I mostly get tectonic shifts here and there.

[bite_the_hand]

What does that mean? Are you saying Questing Country itself is alive, but thinks in a completely different way that we can't read or recognize?

[razorblade_empress]

That's the best way to put it that I can think of, yeah. It's got a consciousness, but it's on a completely different scale to ours. Harbingers and Starmovers probably have a better shot at communicating with it.

[theflyingone]

Using Crypto powers would mean I cannot communicate directly with anyone, nor eat, but I would be able to help make this anti-viral code. What I do not understand is how it will be installed. In ZODIAC, I only installed the patch to Programs directly. I do not know about this land. Do we just... leave it Backstage? Dataspike it into there?

Thace and his overlay spoke of making a similar code patch for the giant computer on Snowflake. I am hoping that, by helping with one code, I can help build the other.

[bite_the_hand]

I don't know either. I don't know if it even can be uploaded. Hell, I'm still surprised the people that are better with computers think this might actually work. But if I had to guess, the dataspike might be a good idea.

[theflyingone]

It is disseminated by means of a download, so I am willing to give the theory of an upload a try.

[ Look at him, using fancy computer lingo he nearly always forgets. ]

I am myself without carrying an overlay, so there are risks I am more willing to take. If it does not work, or if I die, we can try something else.