18153/Technology, my Technology

Technology, my Technology
Date of Scene:	02 June 2024
Location:	Barbara's Penthouse (Clocktower - 25th Floor)
Synopsis:	Bruce comes to update Barbara on the plethora of problems currently plaguing Gotham and give her marching orders on one specifically that he needs her to focus on.
Cast of Characters:	Barbara Gordon, Bruce Wayne
Tinyplot:	Red Reign

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Barbara Gordon has posed:
Darkness has descended over Gotham.

Like a different darkness. A metaphorical darkness. A different metaphorical darkness than all those other darknesses of metaphor.

This is a very dramatic way of saying that the city (if not nation) spanning computer network is down. When the Bat computers were compromised, failsafes and contingencies leapt into motion. Agents and informants were sent brief, pre-coded messages directing them to revert to the days of the Cold War... which is going to be interesting since the woman who put the contingencies in place is only familiar with the cold war in the academic.

And also presumably from grumbling memories from her father.

And so, while the moment of shutdown wasn't as dramatic as flying sparks and hissing electricity and dramatic horn-based film soundtrack, the usual information overload of Oracle's setup in the clocktower is decidedly blank. The monitors are showing honest-to-god screensavers. Randomly generated mazes of pipes and everything.

All ignored by one Barbara Gordon, who is sat cross-legged a dozen feet away from her usual setup, surrounded by a stone henge of basic beige computer towers that look to have been transported forward from the mid 90s.

One computer is laid across her crossed legs, case slid open, and Babs working on its guts like a dedicated (or possibly mad) scientist. Judging by the disposable coffee cups strewn about on various towers, this is not the first computer she's worked on the guts of today, but there are more to come!

This is probably fine. The bags under her eyes don't have bags yet.

Totally fine.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
It has been a harrowing couple of days for everyone.

Given the grid going down, Bruce has opted out of using anything that might compromise security further, which means direct communication or by LAN line. Since nobody has a LAN line (except him) in the twenty first century, that leaves only face to face visit to deliver the security dossier and resource package to all of the Knight agents. Which includes one Barbara Gordon.

With the Oracle computers down, so too are most, if not all, of the security measures. There are still some hardwired in, obviously, but Batman rarely tripped even the most elegant of high tech security systems. A cord with some bells on it isn't going to slow him down.

He's there. Probably has been there for some time, watching Babs.

There's more than the obvious problem in Gotham and she's been out of contact for long enough that it drew suspicions given the Undead dead variety of trouble the night has brought upon his city. So he's watching her. Nothing about her actions is out of character, of course. The lack of computers led to this obsessive compulsion to fix the problem in the form of a couple of torn apart Dell Computers straight out of a tech convention in 1997.

Once he's satisfied that she is certainly in need of sleep, but not of the eternal kind, he steps from the shadowy corners with the drape of his dark cape brushing his ankles as he makes his way nearer to where she's digging around in a computers insides like a vile technologically inclined physician curing cancer. "You are aware of our situation, then." Obvious. Blank screens. Also, no greetings. Straight to business.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
The computer henge _is_ a security method. No one's sneaking up on Babs without tipping over a tower, tripping over a cord, or knocking over a coffee cup. It's _security_.

Except, of course, anyone who knows Oracle lives in the clocktower is skilled enough to avoid this clever trap. Or at least, she'd hope they are.

Hands leave the guts of her computer 'patient', the case is slid back on, thumb screws tightened, and it's given a little pat/shove to slide it into the ring of hardware, before she's stretching and reaching over for another box to slide it onto her lap.

"Which situation? The computers?"

Her head cranes around so she can peer upside down and backwards at Bruce, far more owl than bat... though the little grimace as her neck twinges? Vampires probably don't have neck pain. "Yeah. Or the District Attorney situation? Or... did I hear something about vampires? ...You all know Kate's just actually super pale, it's not always stage makeup, right?"

Her teeth squeeze on her lower lip a little pensively. She actually hadn't had a chance to read the details of their 'vampire problem' before the network went down. And she didn't print a hardcopy, because who uses hardcopies anymore?

Oh. Right. She does now. Uggggggh. Analogue. The worst logue.

She takes a slow breath and exhales, "Is it wrong that I miss Harley being, you know, criminal? At least that was always... straightforward." One eyebrow quirks and she frowns, "But yeah, I'm putting together a little something here to at least get me partly back online for data trolling. It's not going to bring any of our tools back online, but... it's the twenty first century. Criminals still operate online, being completely cut off from that isn't going to work."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"Yes."

That's Batman's answer to her series of questions. He's not here for any one specific thing, afterall. Though the obvious concern was A. To make sure she wasn't turned and B. To see if her system had been brought down by whatever had affect the Batcomputer. Which doesn't necessary prove theories that are being bounced around, but certainly presents compelling evidence that points towards it. He listens to her rambling about Kate and inclines his head.

"I'm aware." Simple. The cape draped down the front of his Gray costume flicks off his right hand and in it he extends a hardcopy file of relevant information on the Vampire Situation. Who prints hardcopies?

Obviously Batman does.

"This is what we know." There's two files. "The other is everything we've collected on the individuals responsible for the network." He's always calm, but his expression is haggard. He's not shaved in days, by the shadow on his face, and without the HUD lenses of his cowl, one can see that his eyes are bloodshot. Which means very little for Bruce. Who could, and often does, work on almost no sleep for extended periods of time.

"Damian and I believe it is an AI." Pointing towards her black computer screen. "Possibly something held over from Brainiac's attack, but we can't be sure until the system is back up. I need you working with Tim to make that happen. I left a case in downstairs, new gear. Cold war era spy equipment, distribute it to your people. For now, I need them focused on keeping the Vampire problem at bay, but I don't want them working alone." He releases a sigh.

"Dent is another problem entirely. I've been busy." A lot happened all at once and some things have to take priority. Despite what people think, he can't be everywhere.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs manages only the slightest little furrow of her brow at that 'Yes'.

But Bruce Wayne is an expert of reading body language and facial expression, and so she's sure he picks up what she's laying down. A strong signal of 'If I didn't need this Compaq for my BRILLIANT PLAN I would throw it at you'. But, you know, with a strong undercurrent of 'Even though I know you'd dodge it.'

Then out comes the paper and there's some brief rattling from the guts of her latest 'patient' as Babs does her work a little faster so she can seal it back up, nudge it away with her foot, and reach both arms up, fingers flexing in a 'gimme gimme' gesture until Bruce brings the files close enough for her to grab, flip open, scan through, and lay on yet another computer tower turned makeshift table. "I mean, I will say my systems are clear. My scans stopped running a few hours ago... of course, they're probably clear because as soon as the Bat computer twigged to an issue they initiated a full lockdown and cut the connections in the basement here."

She sighs and shakes her head slowly, "The backups on the blimp should have a full system log of any traffic across the network up to the point it locked down, but... well, I haven't had time to get up there yet."

One eyebrow perks up then. "An AI? That's... well, okay, maybe not worrying. Programmed AI? Someone made it? Or... spontaneously generated digital life form? Because one of those is a lot more terrifying than the other on a... philosophical level."

And finally, Babs stretches upwards in a smooth, limber motion worthy of, if not an Olympic level, at least like, high ranking college gymnast. She only groans a /little/ bit when her lower back protests.

"...It doesn't include shoe phones, does it? Or cats with implanted microphones for field surveillance? ...Or /bats/ with implanted micropho- you know what? I'll just do an inventory before I get it distributed. And hey, I bet I won't even have to give Dinah a lesson on how to use it!"

She pauses for a moment and then sighs, "So... the... /vampire/ thing... how bad is it? Like, it's goddamn vampires. Does Zatanna know how to un-vampire someone? ...Wait, do /you/ know how to un-vampire someone?"

She groans softly and sighs out, "I can't believe I just used 'unvampire' in a conversation. Sometimes I hate my life."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Bruce is probably aware that his obtuse one word answers are frustrating, but she asked him why he was here, listing off a number of situations, all of which he needed to speak with her on. It wasn't to dismiss the questions, as explain that all of them were the proprietary excuse for coming to the clocktower instead of sleeping for thirty minutes. Which both of them clearly need. As if he has any time for that right now.

"I was at the computer when it was triggered and immediately put all traffic across the system into a dumpfile." He holds up the USB. While it's a lot of data, it's just data. No actual code. Elegant. "I don't have time to sort through it." He's not ignorant to computers, he built the Batcomputer afterall, he just doesn't have the time. Besides which, he has Tim and Babs who are, in fact, better suited to the task. "I shut down the system before it could spread, but it all originated from a distress call Damian made. He suspects, and I agree, that it has to do with the Kryptonian wiring built into both of our systems.

"If that's true, which at present is the only option I can come up with, then any data transfer at all would put a kernal of the AI in any system connected. Which includes your computer. It includes the JLA's network. The Watchtower." His eyes narrow behind his cowl. "I couldn't let that happen." Which is why they're running dark.

The amount of destruction an AI could cause if it got access to the WATCHTOWER?

He shakes his head. Maybe there's a ghost of a grin, but probably it's a trick of the light, when she mentions all the outlandish equipment. "No." He doesn't tell her what all is there, but it's downstairs and she can go through it herself. "Good, she can help teach your agents how to use it. I've spoken to Harper already, but it was before our systems went down." At least on the vampires.

Which has him nodding, once. "It's not good. I have footage of Selina fighting the individual responsible at the Gotham Gold Exchange. Several dead security guards.. next night, Selina broke into the Jewelry repository. Have to assume she's turned." His expression sours. "Haven't heard from Kate either. Cassandra was bitten, but we quarantined her and she's shown no long term effects. We need to capture one of these creatures, find out their physiology and capabilities... right now, I don't want to include the Justice League Dark. I don't want, nor need, a bunch of Magicians running around Gotham pulling fireballs out of their hats."

He's not as strict about people working in Gotham as he use to be, but he does have limits. "The right help, not a lot of it." Which will almost certainly include Zatanna. "Talia is working on finding an auxillary Lazerus Pit should it be impossible to unvampire them. The properties of the pit being what they are, it will either return them to life or destroy the vampire." How does that sit with his no killing, however? The grim expression on his face says it's a dangerous line to cross.

"Need a lot more information. I need the computers back up. Which means I need you to work with Tim."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs practically springs forward to snatch the drive up. She has time. Oh yes, she has time for looking into the data. And since it's /just/ data, and no code... well, she resists the urge to run towards her full setup and get her LAN to work on things. She can do that once they've covered the other topics of discussion.

Her face shifts, maybe not to the level of grim, serious focus that Bruce can manage, but it's definitely her game face as her mind begins to make connections and begin generating contingencies and avenues of research.

She's got a half dozen plans in the making by the time she reaches her seat and drops down into that comfortable, familiar 'throne' of her kingdom, fingers mindlessly twirling and flipping the USB drive.

One eyebrow lifts high, "Too tough and stubborn to be turned by a vampire bite? ...Yeah. That's our Cass." there's not even a /hint/ of sarcasm or humor in it. Really. If Babs had to put money down on which of them could literally out willpower becoming a vampire? Cass. All the way.

But Babs gonna snark, so as she begins to bring her system online in local-access only mode, she glances sidelong, "I don't think they all do magic out of hats. I'm pretty sure that's /just/ Zatanna. But it is a pretty stylish hat. I can't fault her for wanting to incorporate it."

As for the philosophical implications of 'Does throwing a vampire into a Lazarus pit and destroying it count as 'killing' if a vampire is already dead? Oh, Babs isn't touching that with a ten foot pole. "Got it, I'll get things running here on analyzing all this data, if whatever it is /is/ an AI, and /is/ Kryptonian-based, there should be some tells. And I'll head to the cave and give Tim a hand. I'll try to grab Dinah or Helena so they can handle giving the Birds the Get Smart equipment and making sure they know how to use it." She pauses for a long moment, "So does this mean dad's actually going to have to turn that spotlight on if he needs to talk to you again? Or did you just hook up a dedicated landline to the GCPD headquarters? Is it red? Did you have a rotary phone in the closet just in case? Or did you need to borrow Alfred's?"

What? She's not going to snark about the philosophy of vampires and Lazarus pits. This is a totally different subject!

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The drive is snatched from his loose grip, but that's about what he expected. It's something to dedicate her mind to, keep her occupied. It beats tearing apart computers on the floor. Could he have gone through all this himself? Well, that's possible. Usually he would have kept a great deal of this close to his chest, the fact that he's being so open and giving might not be a redflag, but it's certainly telling. Telling that he knows his people better than they maybe think he does. Knows that both Tim and Barbara are task oriented individuals who will tailspin without their resources.

They also work better together than some of the others.

Especially in regards to computers.

So something he could do is given to people who can. It frees him to handle things that can use his attention. Nobody needs to be told that Batman was absent for a while and it is fair to assume, by anyone who knows Bruce, that he blames himself for things getting this out of hand in his abcense. It could also be indicative of a growing lack of trust that he's become so forefront on every matter plaguing the city.

Is that possible? Of course. Will he ever admit to it, though?

He watches her slip up to her throne and begin booting the systems to sort the data he provide her. Noncommental on whether Magicians actually pull fireballs from hats. He may not have much of a sense of humor, most of the time, but he knows that she knows he doesn't think they use hats for their magic.

Actually, he's become incredible silent.

The whole apartment has, except whatever sounds she, herself, makes.

One glance out the window to see that the Bat Signal is bright in the sky over Gotham.

Whether that was his doing to answer her question about her father turning on the light or convenient timing? She'll have to ask him later.

Because Batman is gone.