Play@YSDC

OOC: Your avatar materializes in the matrix; in the center of night city. Make a system knowledge roll to knew where to find the informations you need.

Patrick Henry Lee materializes in the familiar surroundings of the matrix, his George Washington avatar displayed in the center of town. He soon gets his bearings and heads off to find the information he seeks.

You know exactly where to look, in a public database. Your avatar is walking in the street. You see others avatars. Dragons, ninjas, robots, naked girls, heros from action sim movies, or a padronized person (that means it's user is a casual user who don't have it's own individual avatar); all the houses on the sides of the street are the databases from individuals, or small companies. They have diferent sizes depending the fantasy of the owner; small cotages or huge skyscraps. Easy to break, uninteresting to steal. After some time you arrive at the public database. You enter, and see 56 persons inside, but you know only 4: a robot, a lion, a sparecrow, and a girl.

Patrick smiles, noticing the Wizard of Oz reference in their choice of avatars, and he makes a reference of his own. "Hail, Dorothy," he says to the girl as he gets in line to access the data he wants. "Hello again, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion."

You know them (well, not personnaly) as a group who make legal research in the net (like everyone), but heard some rumours that they are as hackers a fearful force (with other avatars), attacking big corporations, and having acess to hidden information.
The 3 just smile and continue some research but the girls speaks to you:
-Hi! So how your doing? Doing some others homework? I'm doing a geography chapter for someone thesis.

"Yes, I'm researching some local history," says Patrick. "I'm doing well. How are things with you? It's good to see you again."

-Everything is been quite. The corps haven't been hiring for any job, and nobody is boasting of big attacks. Well, see you around.

You continue your research and you easily what your looking for.

Patrick downloads the information on the zone where the meeting is to take place, including satellite maps of the area and data on its history, as well as whatever information is available about the Cannibal's Locust in the public database. Once he has everything he needs, he jacks back out.

Return to the main thread

Patrick appears back in the Matrix and begins searching for information on Egg Shell, but he isn't sure where to look.

Make an idea roll.

Patrick thinks for a moment about where he could find information.

There is a place in the matrix where lot's of people meets to discuss: it's called "The place". It's usually used to discuss technical problems, but all kind of news are welcomed. The best hackers (or those who want to be hackers) go there bragging their exploit. Maybe someone have heard? You know lot's of people who go there.

Patrick heads to "The Place" to see what he can learn there.

The place is with an handfull of people. A group is discussimg a new virus created that destroys data walls (some say it's not ethical to use vurus, only especial programmes), another group is discussing that Giolinda (a movie star) voice is completly faked and maked by a computer.

Patrick circulates through the crowd, trying to find people who are discussing new drugs. He also listens in on the discussion about the new virus that destroys datawalls, intrigued by the subject matter.

You know some of the faces (like the Lion form Ozz). The debate is that it is gross to use virus; you could infect other people inocent, and with a special programme, only the corporate is afected. The other argument, is that by using vitus, the consumers will be afraid of using products from the corporates and help to make the change.
Nobody seems to be discussing anything about drugs (you could ask...).

Patrick goes up to a group of people who are not otherwise engaged in conversation, so that he does not have to interrupt anybody. "Excuse me," he says. "I heard a rumor about a new drug that's surfacing, so new that there aren't any laws against it yet. One of the corporations must be producing it, but I don't know which one. Has anyone else heard anything about it?"

"Yes, that's right, Egg Shell," says Patrick. "What did you hear about it, and where did you hear it?"

"Really?" says Patrick, intrigued. "This stuff has killed people? Tell me more."

"Maybe it's not so ridiculous," says Patrick. "A computer program can target a specific computer, so why can't someone make a drug that can target specific people based on their DNA? It's very interesting that they were all geneticists. They could have been involved in the drug's creation, or someone might have wanted to eliminate them because they could have come up with some way of countering it. If this is true, then whoever controls it may want to use it as a weapon of assassination. Do you know the names of the four people who died, or who they worked for?"

"Yeah, I'll do that," says Patrick, but he isn't sure where to start looking. The only thing he can think of is to check the public database, to see if their deaths made the news.

Make a know roll.

Patrick thinks hard and has a sudden realization.

Ther are 2 major corporations of genetic enginering: Biosoft and GeneEden.

Patrick figures out exactly where to look for information on geneticists working for Biosoft and GeneEden who have died recently. "Thanks," he says to the goblin before heading off.

In their sites, they both say that they investigate genetics to cure disease and make a better world. They improve crops and animals, but with ethic concerns. But after doing some research you get other informations. Besides the normal scandals of espionnage and sabotage, they both have laboratories where they dedicate themselves in experiments in the third world. BioSoft in South America, GeneEden in North Korea. But they have actually different goals: BioSoft try to eliminate all physical imperfections, GeneEden try to improve humans. And four of it's scientist's died in the last month.

Patrick nods to himself, knowing that he's found something. GeneEden is definitely connected to Egg Shell. All four of the dead scientists had come from the corporation, and it conducted experiments in North Korea. The gang that controlled the territory where the drug was sold is also North Korean. GeneEden was likely the target of the drug, as its scientists were the ones who died. BioSoft might have been behind it, but it was also possible that it was someone from within GeneEden - or someone else entirely. Then there was the mysterious man who had hired him and his friends to get a sample of Egg Shell and tried to get information about its sellers. After some thought, he figures out where to start looking for data about GeneEden, especially any connection it may have with Egg Shell.

OOC: By legal or illegal means?

GeneEden was a company create in 2010 by the millionaire James Darryl. For the first 10 years, it was a minor company, but after 2020, it suddenly started to make some real progress by selling cosmetic drugs and making some look improvements with genetic engineering in babies (giving the chosen colour of eyes or hair). Since those kind of operations were forbidden in the USA and Europe, they made a deal with the North Korean government who had finally followed the China paths of economic reforms. They opened a clinic and a huge research centre; several rumours say that all kind of human experiment are done there, using the poor as guinea pigs. They never were accused however of making recreational drugs (like egg shell). Four researchers’s died of unnamed causes recently. They seemed to oppose mechanical enhancements as not normal.

BioSoft was the true giant of genetics until GeneEden appeeared. Created in the late twenty century, it specialized in improving crops and cattle. They made some modified pets for commercial purposes, but they stopped to avoid the bad publicity form the protests from animal rights organizations (but continued animal tests). They started with success the cloning of human organs but at such a price that only the very rich can aford it (the less afortunate use mechanical substitues, the poor simply live as they can). Other companies now clone organs, but those of BioSoft are seen as having less defects.

They have both better defenses than the average, but they spent much less than security corporations. Even so, they are thought with your current programmes.

OOC,it would be much easier to pass, but it's not guaranted

After just 20 minutes online, you find yourselve in the real world again. Of course, Vance must still be in the library (it takes much more time to read books).

Patrick fills in Rubix on what he's learned so far. "I'll go catch up with Vance at the library to tell him and see what he's found out," he says. "Maybe I can be of help while I'm there too. If we can't find any usable leads, I'll have to resort to riskier means online."

-Didn't learn much-answers Rubix- the cannibals have actually a reputation of being soft, and not causing any problems. but someone important must be giving them the drug and watching them, because when 2 gangs tried to attacked them, the police appeared immediately, and that's not normal.

"Hmm, interesting," says Patrick. "Sounds like a corporation is definitely backing and protecting them. Okay, I'll go catch up with Vance. See you around."

-See you.
After some time, you arrive at th library were Vance said he would be. You look to the several rooms; they are full of computers and students connected, but you dont see Vance. You try the last room, the one with books and manual computers and you see Vance reading in a monitor.

Go to Vance thread

Patrick immediately heads for The Place, certain that people there will be discussing the attacks in Asia.

They are all very excited. Specially, because an anonyme company (by using a third part) asked that if some files would be returned, they would'nt made any complain.

They are all very excited. Specially, because an anonyme company (by using a third part) asked that if some files would be returned, they would'nt made any complain.

"Who are they using as a third party?" asks Patrick. "And which files are they asking to have back?"

It's a minor independent company of agriculture. And no reference were made about the files: the hackers should know what the company is refering too.

"Any idea who did it?" asks Patrick. "Also, what is the agriculture company's name?"

Safe food corporated.

"Thanks," says Patrick. The fact that Safe Food Corporated is being used as a middleman shows that the company that was hit has placed a great deal of trust in them, as they would be the ones to receive the stolen files in the unlikely event that the hackers returned them. Safe Food could easily make copies for themselves if they chose to betray that trust, so obviously it has a close relationship with the victim of the attack in order for them to be trusted with this responsibility. Patrick thinks of where in the Net he might find information about Safe Food Corporated, particularly any links they have with Biosoft or GeneEden, but he can't come up with much. Since a lot of food is genetically modified, it makes sense that such a relationship would exist, and he recalls that Biosoft was involved in improving crops and cattle.

OOC: Unless you what to do more research, are you ready to go?

OOC: Go to chapter 2.