If you follow, there may be a tomorrow

[warriorscribe]

Characters: Whoever signed up for the hacking plot, and Enoch in the pre-plot mingle, March 10th
Setting: Secret floor for briefing/mingle, and places with terminals for the actual hacking action
Format: Do what you want!
Summary: Enoch doesn't do tech, himself, but he sure as hell can find people that can. It's a mad scramble for Dax's research before time runs out!
Warnings: Things may happen to those involved, and there's no telling what they'll find...

*Everyone who offered their services to the cause will receive a letter in their mailbox (except Mitchell, whom Enoch will contact with whatever method he left him with):

It's time. Meet me in the place.

When everyone is gathered in the secret room, Enoch has to take a moment to take in the sight of this odd group, one of which has endangered his life personally and deliberately. But that didn't matter now, not now when their worlds were at stake.*

You already know what I've gathered you all for. This is strictly for finding what Dax has left us. We must try not to alert Ruana - she is always awake now, so this will be difficult. Do nothing that would immediately draw her attention - do not pursue anything related to her, or to the number thirty-seven. Try to mask your steps, and the others', as well as you can. My role here is as a scribe - I will be making rounds among you and transcribing what you have found, and carrying any messages you may have for the others among the group. We will not escape punishment for this. If you wish to back out now, you may. But this is for our worlds. Does anyone have any questions before we go?

Comments

[doctor_dismemberment]

[WOW OKAY THAT SURE IS A THING THAT'S HAPPENING.

Richtofen sits stock-still and wide-eyed by some miracle. Though he looks at the terminal like it just sprouted limbs and a face, he doesn't speak or otherwise interrupt the scan.]

[animusnpcs]

[Identity: Edward Richtofen (ER1523463). Correct?]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[correct

He sure does hope Dax didn't hold any hard feelings against him.]

[animusnpcs]

[There's a pause before the next message appears.

Resident of uncertain loyalties.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

What?!

[Richtofen grits his teeth and leans toward the monitor, looking as if he wants to punch a hole through it.]

That is no fair! I am being good! How dare you!

[Does the computer respond to shouting? He intends to find out.]

[animusnpcs]

[The computer does not respond to shouting.]

temporary scribe interruption!

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch is making his rounds, slowly but surely, lingering for a moment behind each to see if they've found anything. At least, he's going slow until he hears Richtofen shouting.

He runs over to put a hand on Richtofen's shoulder, trying to calm him down.* Richtofen. That's enough. What is it?

*And then he reads the screen. Part of him wants to start laughing at the absurdity of it all, part of him wants to start crying because it's a vestige of Dax in a way, but... He reaches over and types on Richtofen's keyboard.*

This is Enoch (E1185558) - scan again to verify this if you wish. He is here because I have asked him; he has skills I do not.

[doctor_dismemberment]

[Richtofen shrugs away from Enoch's touch and moves to the side so as not to interfere if a second scan is performed. He crosses his arms over his chest and huffs.]

Ridiculous thing... [mumblegrumble] Doubting the doctor...

[animusnpcs]

[The computer scans again.

Enoch (E1185558) confirmed. Resident is trustworthy.

A new list of folders appears on the screen:

RUANA
RIKI
JASON
ZO
s'edizehrtleez,eolosiohede
Fiu½hiAofonh(s(aaofhe-nelnyl]

and interruption end!

[warriorscribe]

There... I'll see if someone knows how to decode those, if that is a code...

*He copies down the list of folders and heads off to see if someone else (namely, Naoya, for his eternity of knowledge) knows.*

[doctor_dismemberment]

Fine.

[Richtofen rolls his eyes and takes his place back in front of the monitor. Again, Jason's folder is tempting, but he holds back. He'll click on s'edizehrtleez,eolosiohede.]

[animusnpcs]

[The folder is filled with several more gibberish files, unopenable in this state.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[Though he's not hopeful, he goes back and tries to open Fiu½hiAofonh(s(aaofhe-nelnyl.]

[animusnpcs]

[The files inside are in a similar state to the other gibberish folder.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[Not surprising. He goes back and attempts to right click on the first gibberish folder.]

[animusnpcs]

[It brings up a fairly standard menu for the file.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[He clicks on Properties, or whatever the equivalent is.]

[animusnpcs]

[The screen flickers and ENCRYPTED flashes across the screen.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

Of course you are.

[Richtofen mutters to himself and tries to look for some sort of password box or command prompt so that he can attempt to decrypt the files.]

[animusnpcs]

[It's possible to return to the command prompt screen.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[He goes back to the command prompt screen. Time to start trying random crap again.

--decrypt s'edizehrtleez,eolosiohede]

[animusnpcs]

[What happens next is certainly not standard computer behavior. While Richtofen will not actually go anywhere, appearing to everyone to still be sitting at the terminal, to Richtofen it appears as if the scenery melts out around him until he's floating in a black void with nothing but the terminal's screen and keyboard floating in front of him.

Decryption will begin. Are you ready (y/n)?]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[Oh. Well, that's moderately unsettling. Richtofen casts a wary glance at all the nothingness around him, then types in a single letter.

y]

[animusnpcs]

[Do not look away from the screen. Do not close your eyes except to blink. Do not scream.

The darkness seems to shift and pulse around Richtofen, and there's the hum of a distant machine turning on. Then images and sensations flash through Richtofen's mind at a rapid pace. They're too quick to catch more than glimpses of, but it's as if he could see neurons firing, watch the pulses from each synapse, and the amount of information shooting through his mind is dully painful.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

[Richtofen only has a second to digest this before the flow of information starts. It's almost overwhelming having the information filter into his brain faster than he can think about it, and he has to bite down on his tongue to keep himself from crying out. He tastes the sharp tang of blood in his mouth, but he doesn't scream.

The omnipresent voices in his head, however, do the exact opposite. They flare up and yell at Richtofen in confusion and unrest, which makes his head go from "dully painful" to "throbbing ache." The voices are only audible to him, though, so hopefully they don't count.]