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

[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]

[midgarhorizon]

Data

[animusnpcs]

NAME: RUANA (Subject 037)
DATE OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES: EXTENT UNKNOWN. Manipulation of souls. Manipulation of energy. Some form of power absorption.
STATUS: UNKNOWN.

[midgarhorizon]

Growth

[animusnpcs]

Growth is unstable; abilities appear and disappear at unknown rates. After the birth of Jason, began sleeping for approximately half of the year. Exhibits some ability to observe and interfere while sleeping, but is largely unaware of her unconscious actions while awake. After the birth of Zo, began sleeping even more often. Spends much of her time confined to her own quarters or visiting Zo's.

Theory is that her powers our tied to our births and development. Budding?

[midgarhorizon]

[Budding? The hell is that? It's useful and explains a lot, but Reno keeps going.]

Riki

[animusnpcs]

[> DATA]

[midgarhorizon]

Data

[animusnpcs]

NAME: Riki (ADMINR)
DATE OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN (shortly before or after my own)
ABILITIES: Technopathy. Has the greatest control over the Tower and Glamour involved with it. Useful, but unlikely to aid me, as his loyalties lie with keeping the Tower in working order.

[midgarhorizon]

[That makes Reno frown. He's had reason to distrust Riki's motives, but with the Tower on the verge of dying he is willing to accept Riki might be doing it to save the place if Ruana is unwilling. This doesn't really help keeping faith in the guy.

Sigh. Last one.]

Jason

[animusnpcs]

[> DATA
> GROWTH]

[midgarhorizon]

Can we do both this time?

[animusnpcs]

[Data opens first.]
NAME: Jason (ADMINJ)
DATE OF BIRTH: several centuries after myself and Riki
ABILITIES: Innate knowledge of weaknesses in structures, pinpoint accuracy, self-healing. Far too cruel, volatile, and obnoxious to recruit.

[After that, growth opens up.]
What's interesting to note about Jason is his lack of growth. I didn't notice it before the arrival of the residents, but now that I've a point of comparison, he comes across as especially shallow and single-minded in personality. It's difficult to picture him doing anything except playing in corpses and manipulating wireframe Glamour. This may say something about us.

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno snorts. It makes him wonder if Jason experience 'growth' in the last moments before he died.]

Thanks.

[And then...]

Go back to Zo. Is the encrypted file here the same as the one in the upper level?