Play@YSDC

OOC,Everyone roll Listen, let me know if it is a regular or hard succcess

Isabella Listen 40%,0

Kiara,[b]Kiara[/b] makes her way towards the back of the bar. As she passes the booths she can see that most of them are empty. The bathroom door indicates that these are unisex facilities. She walks inside to find a rather dingy looking room, tiled from floor to ceiling with a central island of chrome washbasins and several toilet stalls towards the back. Roll Spot Hidden to try and notice anyone following or anyone in the bathroom.

Sam,[b]Sam[/b] follows [b]Kiara[/b] at a little distance behind. As she passes the booths she can see that most of them are empty. The bathroom door has swung closed behind [b]Kiara[/b]. It indicates that these are unisex facilities. [b]Sam[/b] walks inside to find a rather dingy looking room, tiled from floor to ceiling with a central island of chrome washbasins and several toilet stalls towards the back. Roll Stealth to try and avoid being seen following Kiara if that's what Sam is trying to do.

Keeper,Spot hidden 37 0

Keeper,[b]Sam[/b] doesn't bother to sneak in behind [b]Kiara[/b]. She's no good at it, and she really has no reason to be suspicious of her. She's more suspicious of [b]Vigril[/b].

Kiara,Entering the bathroom [b]Kiara[/b] sees no sign of anyone in there but she does notice [b]Sam[/b] following her at some distance behind

Kiara,[b]Kiara[/b] accesses her datapad. There is a message from Earth acknowledging her transmission but not supplying any more useful information about what is happening on Titan.

Sam,[b]Sam[/b] enters the bathroom and sees [b]Kiara[/b] disappearing into one of the stalls with her datapad.

Virgil,[color=#0000FF]'Well something's not right about [b]CENTRAL[/b], that's for sure'[/color] says [b]Isabella[/b]. [color=#0000FF]'But I don't think [b]CENTRAL[/b]'s malfunctioned. I think [b]CENTRAL[/b] is working perfectly. The question I have is why have Richter Dynamics reprogrammed [b]CENTRAL[/b] and what does that new programming do?'[/color] She downs the rest of her glass and fixes him with a cold stare, [color=#0000FF]'And I think you, and [b]Mr Kingsley[/b], might know something about that.'[/color]

Kiara and Sam,[b]Sam[/b] gets into the stall next to [b]Kiara[/b]'s and sits down to relieve herself. [color=#BF4000]"Anything you want to say while we're unobserved?"[/color] she asks.

Sam,[color=#800000]"I suppose I'd better come clean, but please don't tell anybody else, 'cos this is embarrassing. My dad's a big-shot in the company; and me, the underachiever of the family, has been sent to report on this Project Waystation - y'know, the excavation on the other side of the lake that I've been trying to tell people about. Looking at the dead doc's notes I'm sure it's got something to do with the craziness that's starting to creep into people around here. I don't know what's going on with CENTRAL, but is it really our biggest problem right now?"[/color]

Isobella,“You have pinpointed my Achilles’ heel, Marshal Favre; I have a strange dyslexia with any sort of computer programming and all it entails. I’m afraid I have no idea what or why CENTRAL has been reprogrammed. I didn’t know it had. But surely there are few people here that have that expertise? Can you not narrow it down from that?”

Virgil,[b]Isabella[/b] looks [b]Virgil[/b] over appraisingly. [color=#0000FF]'All CENTRAL artificial intelligences have a core processor that is like a quasi-organic brain, it is non-linear and non-deterministic with highly parallel systems, so it needs a kernel to interface with the rest of the computer architecture through a number of modules that have protocols and subroutines to set parameters on the AI.'[/color] She pauses for a second, [color=#0000FF]'Not going too fast for you I hope?'[/color] She continues, [color=#0000FF]'Now usually these core modules are the same, the same on Ganymede as on Mars, but I can't access them here, I'm locked out. I helped write most of the code for these kernels, I know them better than anyone. There's only one person here on Titan who could do reprogram [b]CENTRAL[/b], and that's me.'[/color] She waits quite a long time, clearly for dramatic effect. She seems to quite enjoy blowing her own trumpet. [color=#0000FF]'So if [b]CENTRAL[/b] wasn't reprogrammed here, it was probably done some time ago, maybe even prior to installation at the station. And if that's the case then it seems most likely to me that it was done at the behest of Richter Dynamics. Which brings me back to my question. Why? What is going on here at Barnard's Rest?'[/color]

OOC,FYI, Marshal Nicole Favre is not here, she was last seen with Montrose. In Jack's Play, in addition to Sam, Kiara, and Virgil is Isabella Garcia, Systems Engineer

Kiara,[color=#BF4000]"I understand,"[/color] says [b]Sam[/b]. [color=#BF4000]"Whatever's going on with Waystation is a problem too. I'm not sure if it's a bigger problem than CENTRAL or not. CENTRAL could vent Barnard's Rest to the atmosphere at any time and kill us all if wants to do it."[/color]

Sam,Kiara shudders. [color=#800000]“That’s a very valid point! Perhaps the two are connected. Once we’ve spoken to this guy, we should all meet up and work out what to do next.”[/color] Finishing up, she flushes and leaves the cubicle to wash her hands. [color=#800000]“See you back at the table,”[/color] she calls back.

Kiara,[color=#BF4000]"Agreed,"[/color] says [b]Sam[/b]. She also flushes and washes her hands, then heads back to the table.

Isobella,Virgil’s expression hardens. “You forget yourself, systems engineer. This facility is Richter Dynamics; [i] I[/i] am Richter Dynamics; [i]you[/i] are working for Richter Dynamics. If CENTRAL is working as initially programmed by Richter Dynamics then your job here is done. You can send me the report.”

Virgil,[color=#0000FF]'Yes, that's what I thought'[/color] says [b]Isabella[/b]. She pours a half glass of sparkling wine and necks it in one. She stands and then walks out of the bar without saying another word.

Virgil,Following the others towards the door, [b]Virgil[/b] has a very odd sensation, he hears a loud voice, [b]CENTRAL[/b]'s voice, [color=#FF0000]'Hello [b]Executive Officer Steinmann[/b], [b]Doctor Johnson[/b] has requested you contact him.'[/color] No one else in the bar seems to be able to hear it and he can't localise where the sound is coming from. [b]Virgil[/b] hopes it is something clever to do with focused sound waves, either that or he is hearing things.

Sam & Kiara,Stepping outside Jack's Play, [b]Sam[/b] and [b]Kiara[/b] see a scuffle taking place in the street. The young doorman stands to one side watching as two security officers, one identifiable as [b]Officer Tyson[/b], seem to be using stun batons on a man who is now lying on the floor moaning, from the look of him he seems to be the beardy man [b]Sergei[/b]. [color=#0000FF]'He's just drunk, nothing to see here, we'll take him back to the brig to cool off.'[/color] He starts walking further down the road where the bus-like vehicle he was driving earlier is parked.

Sam and Kiara,[color=#BF4000]"Shall we intervene?"[/color] [b]Sam[/b] asks [b]Kiara[/b]. [color=#BF4000]"Our position as company troubleshooters gives us some clout."[/color]

Sam & Kiara,[color=#800000]“Yeah, we should check he’s okay; maybe try to get some sense out of him.”[/color]

Keeper,What are the options for contacting Jojo? Are there any channels private from CENTRAL?

Virgil,Main methods of communication would be either audio via CENTRAL (i.e. 'CENTRAL, put me through to Dr Johnson') or via datapad (video, audio only, or text) - we'll assume Virgil has his datapad with him. Either route is likely to be accessible by CENTRAL. A successful Computer Use roll would allow a private connection to Dr Johnson's datapad or terminal. If Virgil doesn't have the skills he could ask someone else - Isabella would have been a good bet! On the off chance Virgil has some private channel protocol already you could roll Luck

Sam and Kiara,[b]Sam[/b] nods and hurries toward [b]Sergei[/b].

Luck,50 0

Text,(Initial codeword for secure link) Johnson, Virgil Steinman here. Please reply using our team’s private channel.

Virgil,Being a corporate executive [b]Virgil[/b] has access to an encrypted communication channel. He's not convinced [b]CENTRAL[/b] couldn't intercept any messages sent off world but as far as he understands any message he encrypts and sends datapad to datapad within a Richter Dynamics facility should be secure.

Sam and Kiara,Sorry, forgot to post the link [url]https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=472&t=7334&p=246096#p246091[/url]

OOC,Moving here: [url]https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/viewtopic.php?f=472&t=7334&p=246096#p246109[/url]