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View Full Version : (June '17) Prompt #1 - "Conspiracy"



.Karma.
06-01-2017, 02:21 PM
June’s 1st prompt is "Conspiracy"



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Numbers
07-20-2017, 04:41 AM
Slowly over time we as a race get more dependent on the technology around us. To the point where if a major disaster were to occur, the number one factor that would be responsible for killing people is the inability to survive without technology. This isn’t to say that there isn’t people who would still be able to survive and even do survive without the technology that we have all come to be reliant on however, the amount of them is considerably smaller than that of the latter. Now everything is filtered through the world of electronics. Records, certificates, medical data, anything you need to in order to know anything about anyone can be found if you’re a good enough hacker. Or more importantly, if you have access to the records. Those who do have access to the records are virtually in control of everything due to the fact that they have access to all of the information in the world making it so they can control anyone with any sort of ‘dirt’.

Take a look at google for example. Google, one of the largest search engines in the world has connections to almost all of the information in the world if it is on the internet in some form or fashion. Now imagine you’re the CEO of Google and someone messes up your subway sandwich. For some reason you are vindictive and decide that you want to get revenge on that sandwich artist. You have access to any and all information considering that person and have every possible way to ruin them at the edge of your fingertips. All you have to do is request in the information from your server banks, and then make an anonymous tip to the local or national authorities. Scary right? Of course, why would a CEO do something like that, most of them are quite nice people and would never dream of doing something like that. However, if a black hat hacker were to somehow find his way into those data server banks, he would have the kind of information that could bring down and topple whole governments, or even information to force small time people to do whatever it is he wanted said person to do.

Speaking of black hat hackers though, there is one worse area of information brokering that allows anyone to get the information they need on anyone. It goes by many names, The Dark Web, The Deep Web. Now essentially those two names refer to two different things. There is ‘The Deep Web’ which is the part of the World Wide Web that is hidden from search engines, (such as things that are encrypted.) and then there is ‘The Dark Web’. ‘The Dark Web’ is the part of the internet that you usually see in criminal shows and movies, the part of the web where criminals gather together to share information, hack, sell drugs and illegal videos (not like pirated movies if you catch my drift). The only real way to access ‘The Dark Web’ is with special browsers and is technically considered illegal in most of the world. Therefor making it so that if you want to access it (like most curious people want to do) you also need to get some kind of program to hide or mask your IP (usually something like a VPN (virtual private network) which is something that masks your IP with that of another IP in a different location (like if you live in London you can use a VPN to say your IP is coming from Washington DC)).

With all of these different ways to get information on anyone, you would think that more measures would be taken to protect the security of people. So why don’t they? What if you invented the ultimate data bank that held information on everyone? Would you just want to make it extremely hard to break into thus making it so the leak of information would be highly suspicious? Or would you rather make a system that was only well protected, so that information being stolen wasn’t common but only uncommon. After all, if you did that, then no one would think much of certain information being stolen. They would automatically assume that it was some kind of terrorist or hacker. Not the person you possibly invented the system in the first place. With that kind of logic, suddenly having a large scale data base that seems to get hacked more and more often as time goes on seems to become more of a hindrance than a benefit, which is at least without stronger security. However again, if you have stronger security than any hack would be more watch, researched, investigated, and dealt with. Making it so that those who had access to all of the information in the first place would be able to less likely get away with the misuse of such information.

Now again I’m not trying to point fingers or anything or say that a conspiracy is going on or something like that. After all, to say something like that would be to raise a red flag and to invite some kind of accident to happen…. Ooooops… The only thing that can be done is the war over information which is already heavily underway between those who currently control the flow and storage of information. Constant battles hidden in the darkness and shadows of the world where the common populace would not see it and rise up to pick a side. After all, information is power. Absolute information is absolute power, and as well all know very well, absolute power absolutely corrupts. Those who are in power are often hard pressed to give up the power once they have tasted how sweet it is to be in a position of power. Well either way, just be careful what kind of information you put out there on your technology because everything gets saved and everything can be found. So if you wrong someone in some way, even if no one finds a way to prove you guilty, that information is still there and someone may or may not find it someday. Be safe my fellow role-players ;)

ArtisticVicu
08-04-2017, 03:44 PM
The email arrived, the one that would state whether or not they would move onto the next step. Excitement thrilled through them as they clicked on it, confident enough in their abilities to have made it to the final step.

The email was not what they had been expecting.

There, in simple text, was the notice that they had not been selected for the final stage in the hiring process. And, just like that, excitement turned numb. They had done so well on the test and, while phone interviews were never their strong suite, they felt they had done well enough to make it. They had been certain that they were making it to the face to face interview but, for the fifth time in a row, this was not the case.

They weren't sure if they wanted to cry out of anger, sadness, or a toxic blend with frustration thrown in there. They had been so sure.

They really needed to quit being so sure, it would seem.

It made the next month all that more difficult. They were barely squeaking by as it was and it was stressful. Never before had their account been so close to over drafting with a steady income and knowing better. It wasn't comfortable to be only a few pennies away from having nothing in a checking account when they had bills, pets, gas, food to buy. It was all a fricken conspiracy, they were certain.

They had put out ten job applications and, what do they get? Nowhere near getting accepted at any of the positions they had applied for. And the sad thing was, they were running out of ideas of what they could even do as work. They felt so limited in what they could apply for.

Oddly enough, though, they still went back online and browsed openings at whatever places came to mind. In the end, they had sent out two applications, confident in only one.

Too stressed to call it a night, they turn their attention elsewhere on the internet.

An hour passes without their notice, eyes glued to a computer screen displaying whatever they maneuvered to. An alert pops up in the lower right corner of their screen, drawing their attention.

someone friend 23:58 : Hey, you got a minute? I think I found something that...

They glanced at the clock, verifying it was indeed approaching midnight. Strange. This particular friend wasn't usually on this late.

They clicked the alert.

They cried out in disbelief as their computer abruptly shut down. Before they could even move to try the power button, the computer turned itself back on.

Near the center of the black screen is a blinking cursor. Seconds pass and when nothing happened, they reach out to type something.

Something beat them to the punch as text was typed out.

external.connectId:GHOSTOFTHEVOID to [91.181.18920.21.1]
mark.3; initiate connection
>ip=15.233.58892.1
>user.interface {false}
>external.displayAlign {
/:22844019
(false_
screen transfer
>external.displayAlignPing
valid
>external.driverAlign {
/:22983019
(false_
driver access
>external.driverAlignPing
Reply from 91.191.18920.21.1: bytes=64 time=32ms TTL=39
Reply from 91.191.18920.21.1: bytes=64 time=32ms TTL=39
Reply from 91.191.18920.21.1: bytes=64 time=39ms TTL=39
Reply from 91.191.18920.21.1: bytes=64 time=32ms TTL=39
Reply from 91.191.18920.21.1: bytes=64 time=36ms TTL=39

connection established

fuction myFunc(est.connect) {
var x, txt = "";
for (x in est.connect) {
txt += est.connect[x].name + "cmd.exe";
}
event("cmd.exe").interface= txt;
}

They frowned, not understanding a good amount of the information. Before they could piece together the flowing text, it vanished, replaced with the blinking cursor once more.

->Hello.

They blinked at the single word, the cursor blinking after the period. They glanced around, not sure what to do. When they looked back, there was more.

->Hello.
->You can type back.

They hesitated only for a moment.

->Hello.
->You can type back.


Who are you? What do you want?<-

->Oh, good. The connect is stable.


You didn't answer my questions.<-

->I'm aware. They are unimportant right now.


No. Answer my questions.<-
Who are you and what do you want?<-
Why have you hacked into my computer<-

->Hack is such a strong word.


Shut it.<-
Answer my questions.<-




NOW!<-

->Just answer the questions, Doc. We don't have time for this.
->Oh, you're on this, too?
->When did you connect to the system?
->I'm the one that organized this little "chat", Doc. Remember?

They stared at their screen as the second person the other end jumped in. This was crazy. There was no way this is real. The conversation between the pair kept going but they didn't care as they quickly cut in after one of the newcomer's lines.

end of the second part.


I'm gonna turn my computer off now.<-

->No!
->You can't!
->Wait!
->Please.
->Hear me out.
->We need your help.
->The Doc believes you can help us.

They blinked at the rapid fire of text. They frowned, reading over a second time and weighing their options.




->Please




They sighed, giving in.


What do you want from me? And who are you guys, anyways?<-

There was a pause and they watched the blinking cursor.

->Thank you.
->Thank you.
->I am a scientist by the name of Diggory Howard. I have a PhD. in quantum physics and mathematics.
->The doc's pretty cool. I'm his assistant, Zel.
->Zelpher has been a tremendous help.
->Oi! Doc!
->No need giving them my full name.
->It's embarrassing.
->Nonsense, Zelpher. It's quite the name and you should be proud of it.

They chuckled softly, reaching forward.


Hey. I don't mean to interrupt but what do you guys want from me?<-

->Aw. Right! That.
->Zelpher?
->We want your help with getting the doc back.

They frowned.


Back from what?<-

->The void.

They massaged the bridge of their nose, feeling suddenly exhausted.


You want me to believe that you're in some sort of void?<-

->Correct.


Is this a joke? You pulling my leg or something?<-

->Not a joke.
->Nor a conspiracy.

They groaned before giving in.


Fine. What do you need me to do?<-
Just so you know, I don't have any skills that'll help you get out of this "void"<-

->Nonsense! You are quite skilled in the area we need you skilled in.

They instantly regretted agreeing in helping.


You do realize I am just a normal person, right?<-
I have an associates in Sculpture, for heaven's sake.<-
I work at Starbucks.<-
Nothing special<-

->Don't worry. You'll be able to help us.
->You'll do just fine.

Somehow, they didn't believe him.