+1 Mage Runaway

[technomagical]

Suddenly and apropos of absolutely nothing, every computer within a 2 mile radius of a certain part of the Nexus blinks off. Frustrating, right? Hopefully you weren't working on anything you needed to save. Especially because, as the computers turn back on, the desktop isn't the dock and series of icons it was before, but rather a single cartoon image on a black screen: A green rabbit wearing an eye patch with a little thunderbolt on it. Beneath its feet is a title done up in lightning-shaped lettering: Shockrabbit.

The Nexus has been hacked.

Shortly after the intrusion, a series of green words slide across the screen to sit beneath the rabbit: Hello? Are you reading this?

Trying to do anything to divert the screen from the rabbit or words does nothing and, in fact, sometimes leads to tiny shocks to the fingertips. (Not the boy behind the curtain's intention, but a side effect all the same.) Indeed, the only thing you can do, is type a response.

So, do you?

Comments

[protolawyer]

Slumped in a leather recliner, a little green man had been lazily tapping at his datachron. (Basically a FUTURE tablet.) Switching back and forth between text communication with business contacts (possibly of a shady nature) and playing Angry Birds. (FUTURE Angry Birds.)

The screen glitches out in the middle of typing a new reply to his contacts, making the lawyer frown in confusion. And then it shuts down, which makes that frown deepen into annoyance. When it reboots, it's neither his texts OR his birds, but rather a stupid logo with a stupider font.

He doesn't even wait for the message; Shark's already angrily typing away: I swear to Phineas, if this is a chua looking to horn in on what I'm trying to make here, I'm going to find you, crawl up your ass and uppercut you in the heart.

[technomagical]

On the other side of the screen, eyes closed and sparking fingertips gently held against the sides of his monitor, Leo smiles. User could have at least waited for his message to go through, but that anyone's responding at all means his experiment worked. Pride and excitement flooding through him, Leo goes to project his reply.

And there's only one response for someone threatening to punch you in the heart over the internet:

LOL, an internet tough guy. I'm so scared. / (•ㅅ•)＼ Guess you got me. I'm after your stuff!

[protolawyer]

Don't make jabbit faces at me, you son of a bitch.

Person on the other end CONFIRMED FOR CHUA. At least that's all the evidence Shark needs. Besides, they're the only ones that pull stunts like this. He keeps typing away, gloved fingers tapping rapidly on the keystroke pad of his datachron.

You've got thirty seconds to explain what you're trying to pull here. I'm counting.

[hellburger]

Communication that doesn't involve face-to-face contact and also allows this cursed old man to stay in the warm premises of a net cafe? Sign him up! Fellow patrons throw up their hands at the interruption, but Miller takes this as an opportunity to snag a terminal without logging in and paying the fee. He sets his cup of tea down and sweeps his beard out of the way of the keys.

I read you. Who is this?

[technomagical]

Hope you like a slice of bratty teenager with your tea, Miller.

Geez, can't you read? I'm Shockrabbit, obviously. There's a whole title and everything.

Who is this? Where are you?

[hellburger]

Your presentation struck me as more of a brand name.

I'm just an old fart at a coffee shop.

How did you access all the computer systems?

[westfallcorndog]

Harrowheart is a man who, once he discovered the beauty and the glory of the phone, essentially never looked away from the screen. But proper phone enjoyment requires filling it up with entertainment! Like Mr. Miller, today he's also in a net café – hell, it might be the same café as Miller, not that he'd recognize the guy with that elderly curse put on him. With his phone plugged into the computer's port he browses the Internet for files worth keeping.

Or not. What's all this bullshit interrupting his prime browsing time?

"Hey, man, I'm kinda busy here," he says, frowning at the rabbit on the screen. He lets that sit in the air for a few seconds before he realizes that, right... He has to type it.

hey man is this emportent? i was in the midle of some thing

And his secret finally comes out. Harrowheart coasts on his phone's autocorrect. Guy can't spell for shit.

[technomagical]

So someone can read his painstakingly worked up defacement page. Perfect. Taking one hand from his monitor, Leo grins and cracks the knuckles of his fingers against the side of his neck. Time to see what else he can do with this hack.

So am I. Just do what I say for a few minutes and I'll release your computer, 'kay? / (´・×・｀)＼

Sounds nice and trustworthy, doesn't it? Not that he's giving Harrow much choice in the matter, unless he's planning on unplugging and walking away: any and all screens still refuse to respond to anything besides typed responses.

[westfallcorndog]

Walk away from his computer? Do people just do that? What a wild world this Shockrabbit comes from. No, of course he's going to keep typing!

what are those symbols? what is / (´・×・｀)＼ ??? and what do you want me to do? i can may be do it if you give me help. i am new to the computer but i am good at learning

A few seconds pass before he adds another message:

are you stuck in the computer. i can axe the glass and get you out???

[rogueinladysclothing]

The Nexus' resident rogue had been working on some research on her phone when it turned off. The subsequent image and related message leave her absolutely confused. She's still learning how to use her phone to its fullest capabilities - how could she know this is an unusual occurrence? Being resigned to her inn room for the day, she's missing out on all of the cries from others across the Nexus that would answer that question.

Still, when she receives a question, she's going to answer it. It might be a text from a friend, right?

I am reading this. Who is this?

Simple messages. It's a good place to start. One step a time.

[technomagical]

Geez, did the whole defacement page not go through, or something? ⁽˙̄˟˙̄⁾ I'm Shockrabbit.

Who am I talking to?

Because giving someone attitude is definitely the way to get people to respond to you, right?

[rogueinladysclothing]

This is Amelia Ronsam. I'm afraid I don't know the name Shockrabbit. Have we met before?

They can circle back to his attitude when she figures out who she's speaking to.

[smartass_captain]

This shouldn't even be possible. Jim is on his PADD for crying out loud, finishing a report about a rather tedious diplomacy dinner he had the 'pleasure' of attending at the last planet they'd visited in the hopes of adding a new species to the ranks of the Federation.

So when his screen flickers and shuts off, Jim is more than confused--he's irritated. Especially when it comes back on and isn't the report he needs to send. Son of a b---

"Hey, could I get another cup of coffee?" Jim flags down a cafe waitress with a charming smile before glaring at the device in front of him.

You had better be telling me you finished and sent that report in or there's going to be a problem here.

[technomagical]

Oops. Well, this was bound to happen. You know what they say about omelets and breaking eggs! He knew he was bound to piss a few people off--hence his practically only personal treasure: his nigh-impenetrable VPN.

Oh yeah? The only problem I see here is your security. Do you realize how stupidly easy it was to get in here? You might as well be throwing all your work and personal data away.

That'll... be a no then, Jim.

[smartass_captain]

Considering the system he's using was designed in part by the Vulcan Science Academy, Jim's actually somewhat impressed the thing managed to be hacked so effortlessly. That said, he is much less impressed at the idea that the reports he's been making to Starfleet are now compromised, as well as and chance of getting his work done.

You done stroking your dick or is there a point to this? What are you, twelve? Enjoy breaching Starfleet security algorithms to read on all the insanely interesting species of mold we found on Rhylos II.

[rekindledtitan]

Out on patrol, the first Blaze knows about it is when her Ghost starts and looks around rapidly, darting over to one swearing gadget owner after another. Striding in its wake, the Exo only has to glance at the screens (and occasional holo-displays) to see what's wrong.

"It's everywhere," the little machine murmurs to her, when she catches up. It goes on just as the text starts to scroll in beneath the cartoon image. "I'm picking it up- oh."

They exchange a look, and Blaze grunts. "Pass me a feed." A moment later, she responds through the network, her companion keeping the connection scrubbed and secure.

Think the whole Nexus can read you. Are you going to identify yourself, or was that your initial message?

[technomagical]

I did identify myself. I'm Shockrabbit, you dunderhead.

Geeze, so many people in the Nexus have no idea how these things work, do they? Usually people have at least watched a movie with some dumb approximation of this stuff in it. / ( ÒㅅÓ)＼

Rudeness and frustrated ranting: definitely the way to ingratiate yourself to someone you're going to ask for help.

Look, I've got one question for you: You good with computers at all? Or y'know, like. Y'got a basic ability to plug stuff in?

[rekindledtitan]

Don’t know how it works in movies. I just never saw someone advertise that they were hitting a network before. Usually undermines the objective.

There’s a momentary pause while she shares an amused glance with her Ghost.

I’ve plugged a few things before. Think I can figure it out. What do you need?

It's about fifty-fifty whether this is someone she's willing to help, but aside from their tampering they haven't done anything overtly hostile yet and she's inclined to hear them out. Before asking her Ghost to try tracing the intrusion, even.

[sumarusfinest]

The detective first notices the breach as he's paying for his coffee.

The young woman manning the tablet with the small business app swears when the device shuts off and then reboots, without giving her access to her transactions again. The person in line behind him is complaining too, and he notices them on their smartphone. An eyebrow raises.

He needs to find a computer. He's seen this before. But this insignia is new.

Is this a test? A game? Or is there something you want?

Katsuya doesn't pretend to know the intricacies of interdimensional privacy laws, but surely hacking the entirety of the Nexus is crossing some sort of line. The hacker he knows would be pissed. And also impressed.

[technomagical]

Someone who seems to have some idea of his intentions-- or what the intentions of people who throw up defacement pages and lock people out of networks usually are. This is either good-- or potentially bad.

Still, he's not worried yet.

Heh, if I was playing a game you'd know it. / (•ㅅ•)＼ This is an experiment.

You're the first person who's had any clue what I'm trying to do. Who am I talking to? You any good with computers?

[sumarusfinest]

An experiment that is costing an interdimensional market with every second you waylay transactions. Quite the experiment.

Katsuya wonders idly what Baofu would want if the rumor monger were the one pulling a stunt like this. He'd be more subtle about it, for one. This person is alerting everyone of their actions. So it can't be as simple as data mining. Why announce it?

Why don't you find out yourself?

The officer smirks when he hits the return key. Yes. That's what his comrade would do. And then he would set up and wait. Katsuya however, doesn't know how to hack or trace or any of that hi tech sort of thing. He does however disconnect the webcam that had been plugged into the PC's usb drive. Just in case.

[makeachoice]

Chris had been comfortably sitting crossed legged in the apartment he's been crashing in, going about his merry way on the internet when the screen flickered off. He briefly wondered if he had accidentally pressed something to cause a reboot until the cartoon rabbit popped up. As an aspiring app designer and an all around tech nerd, there is nothing that will irk him more than technology troubles, especially when said issues are tedious to fix, and this, quite obviously being a hacker, could be bothersome.

He purses his lips, eyes scanning over the message.

Yeah. What gives?

[technomagical]

This... might prove more than a little frustrating for Chris, then. Leo has no intentions of releasing his computer without learning a little about how well his experiment worked, first.

Heh, great. Looks like everything went according to plan. ／(･ × ･)＼

Who's this? Where are you?

[red_room]

I'm reading this.

Congratulations. Whatever it is, it worked.

Sarcasm doesn't go over terribly well through text because Natasha is anything but congratulatory. In fact, pissed and in a slight panic that Stark designed tech has been bypassed would be more accurate.

[technomagical]

Leo gets the gist, Natasha. He doesn't mind.

Heh, great. Third time's the charm.

'Kay, here's the rundown 'cause I don't have a ton of time to tangle with you and your confusion:

1. Your device is mine
2. I'm not gonna do anything to it that I haven't already.
3. Nothing you do is gonna be able to make my program go away. It's pointless to even try. I know what I'm doing. (Or so he assumes. It helps that he hasn't yet encountered anyone who has been able to as much try and trace him, let alone do anything about his program.)
4. Help me out and do what I say, and you get to go back to doing whatever you were doing.

It's that simple. ˚ᆺ˚