As it was, it would take nearly a hour and a half to get to the college, what should have been a thirty minute drive. The reason for the traffic jam became apparent as the two cars, at separate times, passed by a horrific accident, a eighteen wheeler had plowed into three automobiles and a city bus. Police and medical vehicles were everywhere, as were a few fire trucks.
The police were filing the cars along as best they could, ushering the drivers to pass their cars by without the lookie-lous and rubberneckers holding up traffic even more.
Jason was driving, but Supiyaw was free to look as much as she wanted. Curiousity had her paying very close attention to the wreck, trying to see as much of the truck, bus, and cars as she could.
(If you want, DS, I'll roll for Perception & Alertness)
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
James watched at the others left the house. He shook his head. His abilities lied elsewhere and the information he could try to gather here might be invaluable. Assuming, of course, it hadn't likewise been deleted from the system.
Grabbing his laptop and coffee he made his way back upstairs to his room. Sitting at the main system he started his research, trying to find the CSU systems and a way to hack them. Routing his connection through dozens of filters, proxies and alternate servers in over a dozen different countries he began to hit the firewall with the not-so-standard array of tools including SATAN, SAINT, SAINTexploit, Nessus and SARA amongst others. If there was any open port, stealthed or not, any misconfiguration, any unpatched hole, he would find it. And he would exploit it. There wasn't a Sleeper system in the world that could withstand a systematic assault by an Adept built Trinary computer, much less a small Grendal node putting all of its resources into a hack.
If the Technocracy were involved here as well, though, that was a different matter entirely and he'd need every CPU cycle he had to make sure he got out in the clear.
He waited for the results of the system scans to come back from their around the world tour to hit a spot only a few miles away.
Saint Annihilus - Patron Saint of Dealing with Stupid Customers
[russian]"Alright Arkady, how do you want to do this? We can probably look like a group of people praying and no one will notice... they might even join in"[/russian]
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."
- Theodosius Dobzhansky
There is no word harsh enough for this. No verbal edge sharp and cold enough to set forth the flaying needed. English is to young and the elder languages of the earth beyond me. ~Frigid
The Holocaust was an Amazing Logistical Achievement~Havoc
"I was assuming after that, silly. But I think there may be one over there" he said pointing to an opening someone just left.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."
- Theodosius Dobzhansky
There is no word harsh enough for this. No verbal edge sharp and cold enough to set forth the flaying needed. English is to young and the elder languages of the earth beyond me. ~Frigid
The Holocaust was an Amazing Logistical Achievement~Havoc
"Spaciba," said Arkady as he pulled into the spot, killed the engine, and set the parking brake. "Shall we go?" he asked as he unfastened his seatbelt and got up. Tasha jumped into his seat and then into his arms, climbing his sleeve until she reached his shoulder, perching there.
Arkady walked towards the crime seen, rubbing his ring and whispering "Intelligeo Vis." He scanned the area for any resonnance in the Quintessence, such as might be produced from excessive Jhor taint or the use of Infernally derives Quintessence.
[Russian]"Scan the Umbra and let me know what you see," [/Russian] he whispered to Tasha.
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
"I don't know why I was worried," Supiyaw drawled, seeing Arkady and Russell as Jason drove by. "A man with a cat on his shoulder will draw no attention at all... really...." The sarcasm was thick.
"There, car pulling out of a spot. Grab it fast."
Last edited by LadyTevar on Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
Jason didn't even slow down as they passed by the scene where the body was found. Nor did he slow down to take the spot Supiyaw indicated. It took awhile but they eventually found a parking space closer to the library, which was on the far side of campus away from the murder.
Jason got out of his car and slipped his lucky fedora on. "Now then, you know some of the tenants of poker Supiyaw?" Jason didn't wait for her response. "Simply put. It doesn't matter one lick what you've got in your hand." Jason stepped up to the building and closed his eyes, concentrating as he placed one hand on the wall and the other slipped up to rub the ace that was stuck in the band of his fedora. "What matters, is that you get everyone to look the other way."
Jason extended his will, looking past the concrete and mortar until he found the fire alarm system. Jason took one deep breath and extended his will further, trying to reach as many of the buildings as he could. The boy whispered under his breath. "This is gonna hurt a bit."
Then Jason exerted some of his own will, and tapped into his inner reserves, and pushed on the machinery just slightly, enough to set off fire alarms all across his half of the campus.
Jason stepped back. "Faulty wiring, it's a bitch when it does stuff like this."
Last edited by Charon on Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Very clever," Supiyaw answered, slipping her arm into his and starting to walk purposefully away from the building, just like dozens of others now exiting all across campus as the alarms sang out. "Are you still expecting me to play bloodhound?"
Last edited by LadyTevar on Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
Jason took a few deep breaths to relax again. "Just wait until scene two." As Supiyaw took his arm Jason looked at her and grinned. "Well I guess. If nothing else it was done somewhere where there wouldn't be lots of traffic and we can wander around 'till we find something."
"Scene two?" the Bastet asked, looking at him curiously. "Are we in a play?" She guided him subtly towards the Quad, using her innate knowledge of her Den as a compass to head in the right direction. "Will you have a way to track me, in case?"
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
Jason shrugged, then winked at one of the girls he was passing by who's eyes had followed him as they closed. "I don't. But if we run into Arkady and Russ they will."
Supiyaw glanced at the girl herself... have to admit he's got good taste she thought to herself. Still, it was more fun to tease Jason. "She would be a fun carpet to play on..." she murmured quietly, just loud enough to reach Jason's ears. "I may even let you watch..."
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
as Arkady and Russell walked the quad, the crowds was substantially thinned from the scrying. Class was in session, and the police presence had the knack of keeping the Quad clear when otherwise it'd be crowded.
As Tasha leaped on his shoulder, and Arkady spoke the words to the Rote, his vision exploded.
The entire quad was suffused in colors. They pulsed and warped about him, comforted and agitated him all at once. Vibrant reds greens and blues swirled in the air past him. Purple orange and mauve on the buildings, the grounds pulsed brilliantly white tinged with subtle pinks and every other color of the rainbow.
It was a sensory overload, the sheer amount of power which surrounded them, would have blinded him, if he hadn't reacted to it.
------------
The Fire Alarms across half the campus blarred with Jason's effect. It took almost a minute before students and teachers streamed out of the buildings, each with a look of panic or puzzlement on their faces.
In the Quad, Some of the cops holding the line around the police barricade looked at each other puzzeledly. They discussed it for a few minutes, before two of the six left to go see what it was about, leaving the forensics people to continue their work.
------------
Phyber's Trinary Laptop went to work, making the connections across the internet and servers, leapfrogging and hopscotching as only a Virtual Adept could, and still keeping the lines clear and the transmission steady and fast.
Getting access to the CSI's computer was exceptionally difficult though. Hoping through police firewalls daunted his programs for a few precious moments - firewalls powerful enough to give his programs pause and to stimy the standard net-kiddie hacker, until he ran into the Crime Scene Investigation's computer system.
It wasn't on the net. It had no presence on the internet at all. Not even a remote proxied connection through the police servers.
The only connection appeared to be through the police intranet itself....and access to that was restricted through a single highly secured pipeline.
It would take more than a few scripts and tools to get through it undetected.
Last edited by Dark Silver on Sat Aug 30, 2008 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Allen Thibodaux | Archmagus | Supervillain | Transfan | Trekker | Warsie |
"Then again, Detective....how often have you dreamed of hearing your father's voice once more? Of feeling your mother's touch?" - Ra's Al Ghul
"According to the Bible, IHVH created the Universe in six days....he obviously didn't know what he was doing." - Darek Steele bani Order of Hermes.
DS's Golden Rule: I am not a bigot, I hate everyone equally. | corollary: Some are more equal than others.
Jason nearly tripped over himself as Supiyaw whispered in his ear and looked at the ground as a deep red blush came to his face. "Let's just get to the site..." he murmured as he picked up the pace.
Tasha, for her part, had gone from looking into the Umbra, and a split second later, to hiding as best she could on Arkady's shoulder, her entire body trembling with fear and chill. Her fur was matted down, and she seemed slightly wet, as if she was sweating. She answered him back in Russian, "leave...we must get out of here Arkady...it'll get us..."
As she spoke, it seemed to the two makes, as if a oppressive force looked down upon them, the light seemed to darken like a shadow crossed over the land. In their minds, a sibilant voice whispered coyingly in their thoughts "Get. Out."
(Storyteller Note: the sky didn't really darken...it just sems like that to Arkady and Russell)
Last edited by Dark Silver on Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Allen Thibodaux | Archmagus | Supervillain | Transfan | Trekker | Warsie |
"Then again, Detective....how often have you dreamed of hearing your father's voice once more? Of feeling your mother's touch?" - Ra's Al Ghul
"According to the Bible, IHVH created the Universe in six days....he obviously didn't know what he was doing." - Darek Steele bani Order of Hermes.
DS's Golden Rule: I am not a bigot, I hate everyone equally. | corollary: Some are more equal than others.
As Jason and Supiyaw got closer to the Quad, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up in a familiar manner, causing her to pause and look around, extending her senses.
Her grip on Jason's arm tightened slightly. "A node," she said softly, surprised. She used the term Jason would recognize, although there were many names for such upwellings of Gaia's spirit. "There's a node close by. Not a large one, but strong and steady." Another thought followed hard on the first, and she looked up to Jason, her copper eyes filled with concern. "Dead bodies and nodes are a dangerous thing. How many have been found so far?" she asked urgently. "Three? Were they all found near here?"
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
She was in a sari-wrap, which meant running after him would be undignified and graceless. Changing to panther was out of the question out here. Thus, copper eyes flashing in annoyance, she followed him at a slower pace, muttering darkly. "Jason, why don't you call Stark and ask if where the bodies were found ..." she said to no one in particular. "Why, Supiyaw, what a great idea... far better than running off like a kitten after a butterfly..."
She followed Jason closer to the Caern-node, alert for danger that the young DeathMage might stir up.
Last edited by LadyTevar on Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
Equations danced in Russell's mind as his hand went to the Amulet on his neck, he backed away, his other hand flat, as if he was trying to use it to calm an angry animal, or raise it to shield himself
Then he saw Jason, that flaming idiot run forward like an over-eager child.
He thought of the audio processing centers of the brain, muttered them out loud to himself very quickly and then tried to force a phrase into the Death-Mage's head, and convey to him that it was due to intense danger
"Stay back"
arete
4d10 = 503493046 = Fixed
(OOC Note: I dont know the relative distances, so if I could not have seen Jason, let me know and I will withdraw that part of the post)
Last edited by Comrade Tortoise on Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."
- Theodosius Dobzhansky
There is no word harsh enough for this. No verbal edge sharp and cold enough to set forth the flaying needed. English is to young and the elder languages of the earth beyond me. ~Frigid
The Holocaust was an Amazing Logistical Achievement~Havoc
Jason winced as Russell's voice spoke in his mind, but he only slowed for a second. He was still well outside where the node would be. The boy began to hum tunelessly and began to feel outwards, trying to spot where the node was. Once he got closer, though still not as close as Arkady and Russell were he came to a slow and uncertain stop. Jason had gotten out his tuning fork and had struck it against his thigh, allowing him to break his own hum.
He was muttering to himself quietly now, as though he were trying to figure something out. He took a step closer, waiting for something to hit him.
Supiyaw followed behind, hampered by her sari and by the fact she did not want to draw attention by running after Jason like a maniac. She did not need magic to know where the node was, she felt it like the static before a lightning strike. She saw Arkady and Russell ont he other side of the Quad. From the looks on their faces, she was pretty sure they knew about the node already. Still, all she could do was try to catch up to Jason before whatever might be guarding the node did something.
Dogs are Man's Best Friend
Cats are Man's Adorable Little Serial Killers
The silibant voice semi-whispered in their minds, and the feeling of something sneaking around them, encircling them was felt, a mental feeling, instead of a actual physical sensation.
Whatever it was, seemed malevolent to them, and Tasha, perched upon Arkady's shoulder screamed a very human scream, as she lept from her Mage's shoulder, and scurried away quickly.
Out of the corner of Arkady and Russell's vision, a flash of something appeared, but should they turn to look, it'd be gone. There and disappeared before they could get a idea of what it could be.
Allen Thibodaux | Archmagus | Supervillain | Transfan | Trekker | Warsie |
"Then again, Detective....how often have you dreamed of hearing your father's voice once more? Of feeling your mother's touch?" - Ra's Al Ghul
"According to the Bible, IHVH created the Universe in six days....he obviously didn't know what he was doing." - Darek Steele bani Order of Hermes.
DS's Golden Rule: I am not a bigot, I hate everyone equally. | corollary: Some are more equal than others.
