15357/Dataspace 1: Black Server Down

Dataspace 1: Black Server Down
Date of Scene:	11 July 2023
Location:	A Pirate server
Synopsis:	Prodigy intrudes into a server Vermilion uses.
Cast of Characters:	Jane Roe, David Alleyne

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Jane Roe has posed:
The Internet has all the information on the fingertips of people. Not just legally, but also illegally. Piratebay has all the comics and films and p0rn people might want, secret government documents end up on the Warthunder forums and then there's even darker places. Places where information trades hands for bitcoin, bitcoin for services, and services for information. A real digital hideout. To some, such a place might be anathema....

To the hacker that used the Vermilion Bird avatar, it was home. Especially after she had set up the server a little differently, creating a tiny partition that was just... different. A real cyberspace. A room of green squares.

David Alleyne has posed:
"VPN is set..." David sits in his room at the Institute, behind a very secure firewall so that noone can go poking around into the school's internet. As he looks forward through his shades, they display the network he has set up as he starts his weekly search for information. Mainly, his hunt is focused on finding and attacking the websites of anti-Mutant groups and his latest hunt has taken him into looking for information on the Friends of Humanity.

The little icon of a modified Starfleet symbol crossed with a nuclear atom as he makes note of a new server. "...that is interesting." he says to himself as he prods at the server, making the first overtures of a handshake protocol to attempt to enter the partition that exists. At least it isn't a large door that says 'Do Not Enter'.

Because he'd already kicked down that.

Jane Roe has posed:
The pocket of cyberspace that Vermilion created seems barren. In normal protocol, it doesn't show anything. It doesn't even respond to tell its contents, only showing up as present at all.

When the handshake happens, the dim gleaming floor starts to lighten up, growing into some sort of door after some long moments, opening and allowing whatever avatar was chosen to enter. Besides the door, the space is void. No walls, no ceiling or sky, just floor and endless nothing. And somewhere, the dim orange glow of what might be a flame. Not a flame, a glowing red bird,

David Alleyne has posed:
"This is totally a trap." David comments to himself as he guides his avatar. "I don't even need to roll for initative to know this is a trap." But forward he goes, and approaches the door that is there -- which opens up.

"Trap." David reiterates.

And the Prodigy avatar enters the void, glance down at the floor and then up into the endless dark - before noticing the glow. A glowing red bird, he realizes as he gets closer. If it was on fire he'd have to wonder if Jean had decided to take up computer programming. That would be cool. After a moment, he turns his attention to the bird and greets.

> Sorry to barge in, but you left the door open.

Jane Roe has posed:
David reiterates the word trap as he comes in... and is greeted by a screen of admiral Ackbar flickering to life, yelling the iconic sentence, then halting, annotations appearing around it. The film, the minute count when it appears in various cuts. Then a web of other films and episodes that reference the scene. Then homages to those. As if the cyberspace pocket is dedicated to a reference network. Or was *that* a trap? Information overload? The net of connections isn't solid or barring... but it reacts to touch, growing further from where it is contacted.

> You don't appear sorry.

It's not an accusation, it's more stated like a fact as the vermilion bird spreads the wings, the green grid on the floor drowned out as the bird glows brighter, spreading the wings, almost as if to st itself on fire.

David Alleyne has posed:
The feedback is felt, and David buffers it to make it a little more managable. "Cute." he murmurs at the various Ackbars, but it does grab his attention. Techno-telepath, he makes a mental note to look into that. What's the range? What's the capabilities? He has many questions. And he wants to ask them. He turns his attention to the statement that was made though.

> Fair point. Curiosity always takes one through doors, either for ill or good.

With the bird starting to glow brighter and brighter, David frowns to himself. Is it powering up for an attack? He's starts to build a new firewall, just in case.

> Since I barged in, I should at least introduce myself. Prodigy. And you are?

Jane Roe has posed:
> Prodigy...

The word spoken, the 'It's a trap' references vanish, plunging the place in momentary nigh darkness before new windows pop up. News articles highlighting the name, forum posts that talk about him, then spiraling out to anti mutant groups with red lines labeled enemies, and blue ones towards sympathizers of his cause.

> I am the owner of this pocket. This is my world. You ask me who I am? Here, where I am the master? Do you think this is air you are breathing?

The web of Prodigy-information dims, but does not fall away fully, like the Ackbar did. Instead, lights appear in the sky, each dot accompanied by chinese characters. A group of three has their names connected and attached with the word Gui, then a group of 13 with Liu, 9 more with Xing, 6 with Zhang, 6 with Yi and the last 8 with Zhen. All of them gain connection and a 4 character chinese name, connected to a translation. Nan Fang Zhu Que. Zhuque. Suzaku. Jujak. Vermilion Bird of the South. Vermilion Peafowl. The net spirales out further.

David Alleyne has posed:
> When meeting God, why not question?

That is Prodigy's response, but the avatar finds that in this space, he can still act. He's translating, learning, adapting. In the real world, David's brow furrows as he opens a side window and starts to partition it off to gather all information he can find on the Vermillion Peafowl. One in English.

The other? It's a reach for a Chinese server - as they are the most busy.

With the plummage presented, Prodigy takes it in and responds.

> Tair Garmzi. Ndege wa Vermilion. Oiseau vermillon.

Arabic, Swahili, French. Let's see if she makes the connection, or if she's using google translate to make herself seem larger than what she is.

He's definetly questioning a self-preceived god.

Jane Roe has posed:
> That's what you claim. I am jsut the master of this.

The bird flaps, a wave of firy golden light washing over the space, cyberspace rippling as it is reshaped. Darkness and floating screens getting replaced by the world starting to peel itself from nothing, but it seems indecisive what it wants to be. In the end, it turns into a dusty town. Mogadishu, if he'd google it, black helicopters floating over it, frozen in time. A scene from Black hawk down, but in all dimensions. The bird's wings close, it seeming to flicker out of the world.

Replaced by a woman.

> Just Vermilion. Chosen after the bird of legend. You claim I am a god? Well, might as well be one.

David Alleyne has posed:
> Well met, Vermilion.

As the scene changes and he finds himself in Mogadishu, David lets out a sigh of relief. This is something he can work with. And with her speaking of herself as the master of the space, he makes the decision to downplay it himself.

> I usually work tech support, but dabble in some activist work. Just saw your space and was curious as to what it was. I did not mean to interupt your zen and fung shway.

Jane Roe has posed:
> Tech Support? That does not sound like what the internet says about you, Prodigy. Unless dabbling is an understatement.

The space stays frozen in the films first minutes, an RPG in flight towards one of the helicopters.

> Not meaning to interrupt but yet the curiosity killed the cat...

David Alleyne has posed:
> Good thing I'm not a cat.

Reaching out, Prodigy gently nudges the RPG round, as he takes on the form of a nameless, faceless soldier dressed in standard arabic garb. The nudge to the rocket is meant to change it's trajectory.

> Amazing how much one can use this space to present themselves. To change facts. To present theories. Here, we are no longer the sum of our parts, but just the equation that is forever changing with each new addition to the program. It can make you feel powerful. Or weak. It all depends on us.

Jane Roe has posed:
> This is just a place to experience media. Connect them. Learn them. What do you want to do? Change the film?

The round turns, but flickers back to its position a little after, so the steep angle up from the tube it was fired from returning, its tip aimed at the back end of the helicopter.

>The film is as the film is. You can't rewrite it unless you start from the beginning, with filming it anew."

David Alleyne has posed:
> Yes, once someone has recorded that history, it is set in stone.

Prodigy observes the reset of the round and he considers, before he turns to face her.

> The problem with history is that it is written by the victors. In this case...

His attention returns to the RPG round, but instead, he moves to rise into the sky, next to the helicopter.

> This story is nowhere near the pomp propoganda that the makers intended it to be. It didn't highlight the horrors that were in Somalia before the UN came running in with oversized guns and their misguided thoughts of might making right and that they could bully the people into submission. Then again. It has been that way in Africa since the first black man was sold by another black man into slavery, whites only made that market wholesale.

Jane Roe has posed:
> This is just a scene from the film. One that I picked at random. You prefer something different? Or you want the commentary and criticism?

The scene flickers, markers staring to point to buildings with adresses, items to declare what they are, including color codes and. More pointers to each actor to tell who they are and their role. Then more markers appear to denote details about the real incident. The serial number of the helicopter, reports about the incident, some of them blackened, others complete. Commentary where the film breaks from reality. A series of commentary videos on the film discussing accuracy.

> As I said, I am the master of this place, and I apprechiate the media for what they are. Pieces of culture, interwoven in the network of more information. If you dig deep enough, everything is connected.

David Alleyne has posed:
> Yes, this is all interesting...

Now Prodigy makes his move, since the Vermillion has opened the real files. He accesses information and shares it. Not just the serial numbers of the helicopter, but he shows her profiles of the families that were involved. Those that were back home that will never know the full, real story of what happened to their loved ones.

> Propoganda is propoganda. If this is what you're the master of, I can depart and allow you enjoy your movie in peace. But this piece... never cared about those that were left behind.

Jane Roe has posed:
Prodigy's data seems to get almost seamlessly integrated, at times flashing up other data that wasn't there to begin with as the network grows.

> Not a lot of new data, just extra connections. If you want to see a propaganda film...

The scene starts to fade, replaced by a ballroom. Gold and hardwood, the walls decked out and the clothes of everybody very much old. A very well known ballroom. The one of the Titanic. There's a person discussing things with the captain.

> You see this man? He was framed for the whole incident. He was made a monster by a pressman that he angered. He did nothing the press claimed, and today, we see him only how the press painted him.

David Alleyne has posed:
> If you want to talk true propoganda, look up the Great Dictator with Charlie Chaplin. Great film. Or you can just go to Malcolm X.

There's a long pause and then.

> I apologize for intruding. I'm going to let you get back to what you were doing.

Jane Roe has posed:
> If you have real information to trade, maybe we see again.

Vermilion nods slowly, the scene vanishing and returning to the door Prodigy had entered earlier.

David Alleyne has posed:
>Maybe. Depends on the information.

And with that, Prodigy steps out the door.