(D2 LE) Meeting the Spirit in the Ship

[Isond Vaal]

(Olons ship)

Isond taps a short message on her datapad as she approaches Olon's ship, deeming that quicker than a comlink to contact the AI they'd come to meet.

[VIRGO]

The ship's door opened up for Isond, and already in the doorway was the familiar holographic figure.

"Isond Vaal. Welcome. Good evening is probably the more correct term."

[Isond Vaal]

"Hmm, it _is_ evening, isn't it? It doesn't seem that important here though. I've been napping at odd hours here." They offer a socially correct sort of smile. "But thanks for meeting so soon."

After a glance around, upon entering.."You end up with any stowaways from that circus earlier in here?"

[VIRGO]

"Not that our security measures have detected, but I think they all have a place to sta-- oh, you didn't mean yesterday's gathering," somehow she managed to look sheepish and amused at once. "No, there are no animals on board. I'm told the wookie doesn't count."

[Isond Vaal]

"Technically, humans count, so a wookie would too," they say, considering the idea carefully. "Hmm...But there's humans that get offended to hear it, so I definitely wouldn't take my chances with someone who can rip off body parts I'd like to hang onto."

"But yeah, I meant the flying monkeys earlier today." His grin said there was nothing to be fussed about for the misunderstanding. "I could have specified which circus, there."

Coming aboard, she let VIRGO lead the way. "Same meeting room? Or do you have your own workspace? Do you even use a physical workspace if you're not talking to folks out here?"

[VIRGO]

"The common room will do. I am certain others are busy at this hour, and we will not be interrupted." VIRGO had a sly smirk of sorts on her constructed features. "As for my workspace, no, I do not have a physical one. This is... all of me - I might appear in the physical world, but only as this image. My workspace, my headspace, it is digital."

She paused for a moment in her speech as she led the way to the common room that had housed everyone yesterday. "I am like a... wandering program, in a sense. It is difficult to explain."

[Isond Vaal]

"Hmmm, code carrying itself around? Hard to wrap my own head around how that'd work." But she definitely sounds interested in trying. "Who or what put that program together then? Ought to be famous for something like that."

After a curious look up and down the holographic form, he asks, "so you could decide to look like anything?" There *was* an actual purpose to this meeting; thoroughly derailed by idle curiosity.

[VIRGO]

"In a way, that is one description of it. Imagine the AI programmed into a highly advanced droid, but instead of giving it a body, it is... free." VIRGO mused over the explanation, one it seemed like she was trying to understand some of herself. "I wish I could answer your query on who my creator is - but unfortunately, I have no memory of them."

If holograms could sigh, she was doing that now. "I have no prior memory to my activation 5 years ago, but I feel certain that I am older than that. And, yes, I suppose I could choose to present myself in another fashion... this is just what my programming felt most inclined towards."

[Isond Vaal]

"Oh." Isond blinks, frowning slightly. "There's just..nothing in the program earlier?" Obviously the AI has some skills, or she wouldn't have been snooping through Hapan security feeds. "I'm sure you tried fingerprinting to see if there's any known programmers' signatures in there. Anything even vaguely close?" Consciously, they take a slow breath. "Sorry. I'll run that topic down for hours if you let me. Obviously, memory wipes are an ugly thing, which exists, but there's usually something in the non-memory parts with clues...even if there's no retrieving what's gone."

"Anyway, however you prefer to look, has to be handy to be able to chose otherwise in this line of work."

[VIRGO]

"The signature has no match or resemblance to anything I've found scouring the Holonet," VIRGO sounded pretty mystified by all this herself. "Either the maker is exceptionally anonymous, or there simply is no record of them to be found. But, it seems old, and different to anything else I have had the chance to encounter."

She gave a hollow chuckle. "I have all the time to find out, I suppose. But, I believe we were here to speak of Hapes security measures? You seem very understanding of such a subject."

[Isond Vaal]

A sigh. "Yeah, sorry. Professional interest. Much as I'd like to go looking at the programming, doctors don't really ask if they have a look at people's innards casually, so I probably shouldn't go there."

"But yeah, I've some experience with getting around security and through computer systems. I'd like to see what you got on that run you mentioned. Since, if we can't go in and scout around again, that's all our intel on what we'll face next time." They slip their datapad out onto the table, tone having shifted to professional shoptalk mode.

[VIRGO]

"It is... something to consider. It is a personal thing, after all. I believe organics would call it something akin to 'putting out', especially on a first date." She seemed rather amused by her analogy.

Seeing the datapad, VIRGO didn't exactly walk over to it as much as she mimiced the motion of walking as she shifted over to it. "Are you familiar with the security of bank vaults, or that of governments?"

[Isond Vaal]

"It is... something to consider. It is a personal thing, after all. I believe organics would call it something akin to 'putting out', especially on a first date." She seemed rather amused by her analogy.

Seeing the datapad, VIRGO didn't exactly walk over to it as much as she mimiced the motion of walking as she shifted over to it. "Are you familiar with the security of bank vaults, or that of governments?"

Isond can blush, it appears. "Oh! Um...right. Just...right up front, I'm not really much good at flirting...unless talking security counts as flirting?" One hand lifts to scratch absently at the numb patch over the port behind their ear, frantically trying to regain a more professional expression than 'incipient panic'. "Not that I meant this was a date..you're being metaphorical, I'm sure. Um...good analogy, if flustering."

With a shaky laugh, her hand drops back to the datapad, "so...security, yeah? I've done more ships and banks, but a little government. Umm..some stations are government level or better. After all, your life support system isn't sliceable on most planets, at least not through the wires."

[VIRGO]

VIRGO laughed softly. "That depends on the security program, I suppose. I am not much familiar with this flirting thing personally, but I have learned about it. Please accept my apology for flustering you."

The datapad turned on, beginning a simulation of the security programs of the Hapan Royal Palace.

"At least we do not have to worry about accidentally turning off life support if we are to have an oopsie."

From a glance, the system seemed pretty intense, as one might expect from the security of a government building where they have a treasure vault. Nothing strange at least, but still complicated and difficult.

[Isond Vaal]

"Ah, no apology needed. It's pretty easy to do along those lines." They're silent a while, looking through the overview. "So, I could see getting in through there," she points at a spot on the diagram, "but it'd leave tracks, and it does kind of seem obvious, which is what I'd do to pick up the lazy break-ins."

Glancing at the physical security, she blows out a breath. "Nice to see they've learned to not put all the locks on the same alarm system. I mean...just as a testament to people learning things, not because I wouldn't love to only need to knock one quiet instead of half a dozen."

"So did you need someone on site to let you access the system? Or were you able to just use the net?" Isond was pretty sure that the latter was out of her league, but wasn't sure entirely of VIRGO's capabilities. A large program might be in some danger trying to jump along the spotty connections from way out here, for example. But the digital entity might be something small and elegant Could a sentient program copy itself as a backup? Or could a bad connection just erase pieces if she tried to use it?

Isond shivers and drags her concentration back to the actual task at hand.

[VIRGO]

"It would be important to have someone to be there physically, as there are some things that I cannot do. Some safety overrides must be done manually, if needed."

Her image studied the datapad as well, even if she was already familiar with it. Perhaps in the hopes that something new would jump out.

"We could perhaps we able to find a backdoor, to take control of some of the defenses. Less turrets would probably be desirable."


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OOC: Isond may roll Computers (Intellect) against Daunting Difficulty (4 purple dice) to check for weaknesses in the system. This roll may be done with the assistance of VIRGO (you may choose to either use their Intellect 5, or gain 1 Boost die).

Eye for Detail talent is applicable.

[Isond Vaal]

Isond nods. "Oh yeah, definitely need someone on site. It's way easier if you can work with an access that wasn't guarded properly, or something. And just, quicker to deal with what might go wrong."

He taps at the datapad, zooming here and there...coming up with some vague ideas about weak spots in the sanitation systems that might be exploitable. "Ventilation's locked pretty tight with that whole habit of assassinations, but maybe some of the other basic environmental controls have holes in them?"

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D2 LE Searching for Security leaks Computer (Int), Daunting. Help from VIRGO for 5 Int: 1eA+4eP+4eD 4 successes, 3 threat


Using Eye for Detail to take Strain and convert a success to an advantage and cancel one threat. Total 3 successes, 2 Threat

[Faily]

The two of them spent a lot of time, going through possible scenarios in a simulation to see what would trigger potential alarms or shut them out of the system.

During their research, they also got a list of security codes. The highest level ones, such as the one used by the Chief of Security, also required biometric authentication, but some of the others didn't. Both Isond and VIRGO understood enough of security measures to know that those in possessions of such codes would often have to update passwords and such to make sure that the integrity of the system remained intact.

But... there seemed to be one user that hadn't updated in a while. Buried in all the lists and numbers, it seemed to be one that had not been used for some time but hadn't yet been purged from the system.

It was a possible way in without triggering any alerts or suspicions. It would be an old code, but it would check out.

[Isond Vaal]

"You see it too? Can we find who that one belongs to? Not that I mind using a dead person's code, but, I'd feel better knowing a bit about them." They consider the schematic. "that'll get us through a lot, but might still spark suspicion if it's being used a bunch after sitting idle. With any luck a few of the doors on the way will open with less powerful encouragement.

[VIRGO]

VIRGO nodded, confirming that she was seeing the same opening as Isond did. She sifted through the codes, diggin in to discover if there was more. "There is a name attached, but no other information. I can do some digging around on the net, to see who, and possibly why it has not been purged."

"But yes, this can be a key for at least the start - it is safer than possibly having to slice the system on location."