07.19.2019 Override Protocol

Override Protocol
A rogue security program traps Arcadia in Virtual Space.
Players	Saskia, Arcadia, Evaline
Location	Abandoned underground parking lot, Digital Web.
Spheres	Mage

Continuation of 07.17.2019 End of Line.

Midnight, the sounds of dull thuds emanate from this underground parking lot- it's not avery big one, but it is quite empty. Only a couple dinged up cars linger at the far end of the pit.

It's not a normal night, it's gone absolutely crazy town banana pants down here. Electric storms,holographic hunter killer programs and magic flying up the wazoo- nobody above on the street seemsto notice anything amiss at all, anyone that wanders too close, strangely, turns completely in theother direction and wanders off. The rhythmical thud continue unabated, not so much a sound, but avibration you can feel in your bones.

Inside the lot is the aftermath of a brief, but violent fight. In the center of the lot isSaskia, waving her arms about, chanting words of power and furiously spray painting wards on theground around the body of an unconscious Cady. At the far corner is some busted up tech, on one ofthe junction boxes on the rear pillar is a collection of random and strange looking technology, allhooked up with bulky cables sticking out every which way. A clean job, this was not, whatever it is.

Alongside, Cady is now within the digital web, trapped alongside the Cerberus SentinelProgram, which is trying to override her consciousness and take over her body as a fail safeprocedure. Cady stands within a virtual construct, devoid of any features which merely looks like agrid. The malevolent figure of the Sentinel program looms in the distance, advancing upon Cady as itgathers its strength.

There's the tell-tale rumble of a familiar engine screaming past, slowing down considerably,then speeding off again into the night. Within the manic confines of the parking lot, just over thenoise of aerosol spray cans and the physically noisy sensations of the thrumming beat, Saskia hearsthe curious voice of a woman nearby. It says, simply: "What are you doing?"

Evaline is tucked neatly in the shadows behind a nearby pillar, the low light of thisunderground automotive prison allowing her to meld into the backdrop in her all-black armour. Shecautiously takes a step out from behind cover, and from behind her reflective, bug-eyed goggles,looks from Saskia to the body she's towering over. At first her mind brings up memories of Teagan,but they quickly evaporate when she realises this is someone she has never met before. "Did you dothis?" she asks, before throwing another curious glance over to the mess of gadgetry plugged intothe junction box. Then, to finish off her cascade of questions, she asks: "Did you- no, it couldn'thave been you, Saskia. Who set that mess up?"

A hand raises to her goggles, and with a careful adjustment of some dials and the flick of atiny switch, her forces sight activates. She gives the immediate area a quick rundown with hernative electromagnetic vision, something she is well versed in. But even her trained eye cannotfully explain this mysterious situation, as the technology in front of her seems to be physicallyimpossible. After a few moments, her eyes follow an electrical trail toward the downed girl. Thisgives rise to a final and slightly more urgent question: "Who is the girl?"

While Evaline arrives in her traditional fashion, Saskia is buzzing around the body of Cadylike a Hermetic bee. On her hands and knees, she is spraying various wards of protection and spellsonto the ground in a circle around her. Her sword is discarded at her side, but still within easyreach. Words of power thrum off her Germanic tongue, pausing once she hears that voice, "Heck!" Shecalls out, her hand lashing around the hilt of her bastard sword as she springs to her feet anddraws it across her body. "Ah! You! Thank zee' gods," her body sags, "A friend, Cady- Virtualadept." Her voice rapid, trying to explain it all in the same breath. "I've no idea what's going on,I thought it was a demon- but it, well... it was a 'Program', or something. A projection," Shepoints her sword towards the technowhatever junction box at the far pillar. "It was protecting that,we defeated it and it did something to do. It jumped into her tech, I can't work it out- I thinkthey're in the digital web." She explains at length, her words rapid and without preamble on herinflection. "Someone needs to get in there with her, or she's how you say. TOAST?"

Cady staggers to her feet as her vision focuses on the sentient defense protocol standingopposite her. "Right. Later." She says as a virtual keyboard materializes in the air in front ofher. A few quick keystrokes and the escape script starts running. It's interrupted by bold redlettering reading 'FATAL ERROR.' Another few attempts are made to execute the same script, allresulting in the same message. "That's not good." She says slowly as she moves a hand to slide thescript away from her HUD. "Okay." She shakes her hands before placing them back on the keyboard toexecute a single command.

>exec bigredbutton

COMPILING...

ZENITH V3.6.3 LOADED

The wireframe of a highly sophisticated battle suit appears around Cady as the keyboarddissapates. Slowly, the wireframe starts getting filled in. The suit is sleek and made out of areflective purple chrome, with the helmet covering her face in an opalescent visor. She points herarm at the thing causing the suit to reconstruct it to cannon. There's a hum as the inner workingsof the machinery spins to life. "Try me."

Detrevni has a hand raised to Saskia partway through her rapid explanation. She findsherself lost in some alien experience: to be confused by tech talk from Saskia. "Wait." An eyebrowis cocked, unseen behind that huge set of goggles. "A supernal program projected into real lifethrough the use of a hologram emitter. I can understand that." She takes a few steps closer, theentire time her eyes locked on the girl on the floor, and the still stuttering twin tendrils ofelectrical energy that coil from her being to the mass of gadgetry. "What's this talk of a 'digitalweb'? This cannot be something you have discovered on your own. When it comes to technology, Saskia,you are..." she does not bother to search for a friendlier term to soften the blow. "Ignorant.

Obviously this Cady possesses knowledge with which I am not familiar. Please do your best to fill mein, if you could." She kneels down near the girl, just outside of Saskia's spray painted sigil, "Itseems that your traditional magic is having no effect. I may be able to help."

Saskia unceremoniously stabs her sword into the concrete ground beside her, and throws herhands up in exasperation. "Digital web, it's just... the Astral planes. The umbra, the gauntlet- youknow the ones," She flaps her hands, "But digital, another realm. Cady showed me." Her eyes flarewide, "Ah! At her house, she has the equipment. I saw her use it, I mean, I'm IGNORANT am I not? Youmight be able to figure out how to use zee' bloody thing." She sniffs at the air, and snatches hersword from the ground. "Right, we'll go there. Use your car." She hooks a thumb at the crazy tech onthe pillar, "And we'll deal with this later once Cady is back with us, agreed?" She sheaths hersword on her back, and hoists Cady's floppy body up onto her shoulders - and they presumably go tothe car.

//DIGITAL WEB//

The Cerberus Program has fully initialised itself, it's towering humanoid form alldisjointed with abstract shapes gives it a sense of malevolence. Two unblinking red orbs flare outfrom what is probably the head, "FAILSAFE PROTOCOL ACTIVATED, ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL OF HUMANHOST." It screeches out in a machine tone, causing ripples to wave across the virtual construct. Itbegins to march towards Cady, heavy footfalls slamming against the virtual ground. A pair ofslender, sharp looking blades initialize on its arms which are almost as long as the thing itself.

Additionally, two energy emitters compile on its shoulders, and they look bloody dangerous- andbegin charging up. "THREAT DEEEEETECTED, ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE. PROTOCOOOO-" It screeches, the wordsare jumbled up. The right shoulder cannon finishes charges, and a wide red beam BURSTS from theaperture, streaking and crackling straight towards Cady.

A beam of pure, pink energy shoots out from Cady's arm cannon, colliding with the red beamfrom the security program. The two beams of energy meet between the two, with a brilliant whitewhite light expanding right at the center as either party refuses to give in. The center starts toartifact as it grows pixelated and the space freezes for a brief moment before there's an intenserelease of energy. Cady's blasted backwards and has the wind knocked out of her as she hits thevirtual restriction barrier behind her. She dry heaves and struggles to catch her breath as she getsback on her feet. A quick diagnostic scan is ran as Cady assess her condition. Her eyes track thescrolling text on her HUD. She frowns behind her helmet. "Issue distress signal." She mutters to theAI before looking back at her enemy. "Be. Quiet." She says sternly, her voice digitzed as itprojects from the speakers of the armor. Missile launchers appear from the shoulders of the armor asthe targeting protocol initiates.

Evaline has already sent the signal to her automated steed as Saskia began her explanation.

The distant echo of the shrill engine rings out through the night as it screeches to a halt justoutside the parking lot, throwing up a choking cloud of burnt rubber. The goggled girl and Saskia,carrying Cady, emerge from the underground. The gull wing doors open in anticipation, and they allsomehow squeeze inside. Once seatbelts are on, the car peels away and round the corner, into thenight. "Where does she live?" Evaline asks, and as Saskia responds, the onboard GPS picks up herresponse and automatically programs itself with their destination. Traffic lights seem to changeconveniently at their approach, giving them optimal travel time, even through the choked arteries ofroads at the city's heart. Faster than any emergency response vehicle, they find themselves outsideof Cady's residence. Doors open again and the occupants emerge, two on their feet, one carefullycarried.

It can only be be assumed that the next step they take is to find their way inside. "I takeit that your friend has entrusted you with some way to enter their premises safely?" Evaline asks,looking back at Saskia and her human cargo. "Or will we be breaking our way inside?"

"No time," Saskia calls out as they emerge from the compact car, Cady still flopped like asack of potatoes over her shoulder. She rushes towards the door, "Smash and grab, how they say?" Sheremarks, and pauses just before the door, "Detections up, who knows what wards this girl has aboutthe place... she managed to nuffly my sword zee' last time." She claims, and raises two fingers onher free hand, "Zelotus, Detectum." She mumbles, and runs the two fingers down on her closedeyelids. Her eyes shine for a moment, and return to normal. Forces and prime senses UP. A moment,and she coils up her leg to launch a thunderous kick at the lock. It smashes inwards, splinteringwith whatever material it is. "Right, in, basement! Her equipment is down zhere', you'll be able tofigure it out I hope or she's truly up shit... creak?" She queries, scrunching her brow.

//DIGITAL WEB///

The combined blast of the two laser beams sends the program staggering backwards, itshumanoid abstract form flickering, a collection of pixels derezzing at its side. "READJUST,READJUST. REALITY DEVIANT STRONGER THAN EXPECTED. INITIATE ATTACK MODE THETA." It screeches out inits high pitched machine wail. Curiously, it seems to pause its attack, the blades on its arm seemto retract back into its construct and its hands raise defensibly in an attempt to placate. Itrumbles, and makes a modem sound. The head shimmers, and complies itself into a SMILE emoji. Thevoice is more human, although straddling the uncanny valley a bit too closely. "Calm, down. Friend.

Submit yourself, it is easier! You will see. Submit." A pause, "Friend!" It continues walkingtowards Cady, hands raised non-threateningly.

Cady would back away from the thing, but her back is already up against the wall. An uneasyconfusion hits her as its personality suddenly shifts, and she looks around to see if anything elsein the space changed. Seeing that things are pretty much the same, she boots up a worm to try andgrab administrative rights to the sector from it. It returns a few warnings, but they're dismissedfor the moment as Cady starts the missile launch protocol. "Fuck you!" Her voice buzzes from thearmor's speakers. One by one, the missiles are fired from their shoulder mounts, and they quicklyturn into bolts of pink force as they fly off towards their target.

"Well, I'm sure I could quickly work out the lock if you give me a sec-" and there it goes.

A splintery crunch as Saskia's big boots open up the delicate sanctum of a fellow magi for theentirey of Prospect. She doesn't give out anything but a silent sigh under her breath, and quicklyfollows her noisy compatriot indoors. Down the stairs they go, and the entire way Evaline can'tbelieve the readings she's getting from the basement they're about to enter. She's almost flooredwhen they walk in. Her eyes fall on the beautiful trinary computer that is obviously the centrepieceof the room. There's a click and a few whirrs as her goggles zoom in on this device, and she makes afew calculated guesses as to how to work the bloody thing. For once in her life, she's speechless atthe sophistication of someone elses technology. "My goodness." Her gloved hands hover over it for amoment, like an aging bank robber coming down on the museum's giant diamond exhibit, and presses thepower button.

Thankfully, she does not have to cower, as the machine sensibly comes to life as anycomputer would when you turn it on. Her fingers are a blur across the keyboard, and she damnsherself and the universe for not having more time to sate her curiosity and really dive into themeat of this thing. For now, though, she keeps focus on the mission at hand, and hones in onwhatever aspect of the digital web Cady is currently trapped in. "I hope this does not kill us,Saskia. Because for once, I really have no idea what I'm doing. Is this how you feel all the time?"

As the missiles streak towards the Sentinel, now friend program, the smiley emoji face turnsinto a CRYLAUGHING face. The missiles arc towards it, and pass harmlessly through the figure... itseems this was merely a distraction, as PROTOCOL Theta turns out to be misdirection. Although, oneof the missiles veers off course at the last moment as the real program materialises behind Cady,its bladed arms streaking upwards and ready to slice and dice the virtual adept. "//TARGETAQUIRED.//" It screeches out, just as that errant missile re-targets and loops back around to smackthe program square in the face. Unfortunately, Cady would be within the blast radius, duck dodgedive! Though, thankfully the attack from the bladed weapon does not connect as the Sentinel isblasted a clean 10 feet away as it sprawls through the construct.

"I have my area of expertise, Evaline. You have yours, mine is not the domain of... bloodycomputers and wires." She complains, throwing her hands up. "If it kills us it'll be a good death,now, I'll stay here and watch over the bodies... safter that way. You try and get inside and helpher out." A pause, "Use dream mechanics, it works the same way. If you know how."

As Evaline logs onto the computer she's immediately greeted by Cady's last active session.

The room is filled with a cacophonous mix of various different movies and TV shows, some of whichare visible on screen. They range from nature documentaries to ABC dramas, seemingly not connectedor linked in any way. Some of the screen real estate is taken up by various message boards andforums, and a handful of screens in the center of the rig display terminals to interface withdifferent systems. Perhaps most noticeable is a message in big bold red letters on the screen in thevery center. It reads 'I FUCKED UP IF I'M NOT DEAD I'M AT #4888EF88DI9132A' The terminal underneathit displays what appears to be a textual description of Cady's ongoing battle against the Cerberussecurity protocol. It updates with a new line of text.

Cady's propelled forward by the blast from the force missile, and tumbles onto the ground.

Her chrome armor has sustained a fair amount of beating at this point and has a few scratches andscorch marks on it. The helmet deconstructs and Cady runs a hand underneath her nose to wipe awaysome blood as she stands up. She sniffles as a keypad renders by her side, followed by her enteringa number combination. There's a pleasant confirmation jingle as the keypad disappears, and shortlyafter there's a faint glow in a sphere around Cady. She sticks her tongue out at the thing beforeplacing her hands on a keyboard that swiftly renders in. She's fervently working on addressing amemory leak issue in the worm script she created, eyes only occasionally moving away from the linesof code on her HUD to check in on the Cerberus.

Evaline clears away the screen - minimizing this and that. Not only is she entirely unjudgemental asto the browsing habits of this unknown girl, she understands the frustrations of having someoneclose your browsers when you had important stuff open. Finally she reveals the urgent messagedetailing her location within the digital web. As her eyes scan the text output of the ongoingbattle, she turns to Saskia. "Alright. It looks like your friend is taking a beating in there. Iwill do what I can to aid her once I am inside. You and your sword will obviously do what you alwaysdo out here and keep us both safe. See you later, Saskia." Her hand has already reached for the tinydevice that allows her access to the digital web, and after giving it a furtive stare with hermatter sight, she decides that once this is all over, she will need to have a long and indepthdiscussion with Cady. For now, though, there is no more time for talking. The stud goes to hertemple, where it attaches with a click, and she inputs the co-ordinates of where she wishes to go,as per Cady's distress signal.

Down the rabbit hole she goes, into wonderland. A new line of text appears on the screen, asEvaline slumps back in the seat, seemingly unconscious.

//NEW PLAYER: DETREVNI//

A shadowy figure materializes from nowhere beside Cady. The woman is like midnight. Pitchblack, with a swirling, oily surface. Segmented armour covers her, giving a mechanized, alienappearance. There are eight eyes in total in two vertical rows down her face. They are nothing morethan angled slashes of light in an otherwise black mass of armour. There is no room for a mouth, buther voice has no trouble speaking out anyway. It says: "Cady? Saskia sends her regards. I have comehere to get you out." Dramatically, she throws her arm to the side and a ankle-length black cloakbellows out behind her. She faces down the enemy program. A hand goes to her side where a weaponshould be - it begins to take form, her many cybernetic eyes narrowed in focus, but... nothing. Theform disappears entirely, and she is left with no weapon to grasp at. "Hm." She turns to Cady. "Howdoes this, err, 'video game' work?"