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

[midgarhorizon]

Dax

[animusnpcs]

[Nothing so simple.]

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno blinks at the response. Is this machine sassing him?]

Sorry. I forgot my hash cracker back home.

[Why not?]

[animusnpcs]

[You could try requesting it in the suggestion box.]

[midgarhorizon]

[Definitely sassing him.]

Can't give a hint?

[animusnpcs]

[Please hold still for identity confirmation.

A sweeping red laser shoots out of the terminal. It causes no harm or pain.]

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno only sighs and obeys. It's kinda nostalgic getting beaned with a red laser.]

[animusnpcs]

[Identity: Reno (R1525306). Correct?]

[midgarhorizon]

[Oh hey, it knows him.]

That's me.

[animusnpcs]

[Please wait.

There's a pause of fifteen seconds.

Resident trustworthiness uncertain. Resident resistance to Ruana likely.

A list of files appears:

RUANA
RIKI
JASON
Fiu½hiAofonh(s(aaofhe-nelnyl]

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno narrows his eyes at the response. He's not sure he likes this machine.]

What the hell's that supposed to mean?

Clarify: resident trustworthiness

[animusnpcs]

[Trustworthiness based on direct interactions between Dax and resident OR Dax's opinions on resident OR what can be gathered on the resident's behavior in the Tower.]

[midgarhorizon]

[Hm. That's interesting.]

Is strong resistance to Ruana a trustworthy factor?

[animusnpcs]

[Opposition to Ruana secondary confirmation after trustworthiness determined.]

[midgarhorizon]

[He leans the chair backward and waves to catch Enoch's attention.]

Hey, Enoch, gonna need your help here.

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch obediently heads on over.* What is it?

*A glance at the screen tells him what he needs to know. He reaches over and types on Reno's keyboard.*

This is Enoch. I've asked Reno to help as well. I know Dax was thorough and would have liked to be certain, so would you scan again, please, to verify this?

[animusnpcs]

[The laser scans again.

Identity confirmed.

The list of files appears once more, amended.

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

[midgarhorizon]

[Cracking his knuckles, he gets back to work.]

So the others got somethin'. Let's try Zo.

Zo

[animusnpcs]

[> DATA
> GROWTH
> s'edizehrtleez,eolosiohede]

[midgarhorizon]

[That one file looks familiar. He ignores it for now.]

Data

[animusnpcs]

NAME: Zo (ADMINZ)
DATE OF BIRTH: one month before Tower rescue mission activation
ABILITIES: Barrier control. At its most base level, ability to create and maintain defensive barriers. At higher levels, able to manipulate the barrier between spaces, worlds, and more abstract concepts. Growth appears to be exponential (see GROWTH).
STATUS: At time of writing, loyal to Ruana out of ignorance. Kept hidden away, rarely has direct contact with residents. Means well. Naive.

[midgarhorizon]

[Adds up to what they know of Zo so far. He's got a feeling this might be important, so makes his own notes on a piece of paper.]

Growth

[animusnpcs]

Began only with the ability to create defensive barriers. Within a week of birth, had gained the ability to look into other universes, and by the end of the month to manipulate the souls within them. Exact measurement of power is difficult to obtain, as Ruana doesn't allow specific questioning or experimentation along these lines. Still, Zo was able to nearly hold back the whale on his own, and likely could have done so by this point.

Zo has begun to demonstrate the ability to manipulate the barriers between abstract concepts--between knowing and not knowing things, between having and not having an ability, etc. If this growth continues at its current rate he would be capable of standing up to Ruana before his second birthday.]

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno freezes for a moment. Zo could stand up to Ruana...

That other file is being investigated already, so he backs up.]

Ruana

[animusnpcs]

[> DATA
> GROWTH]