From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time (Prologue)
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:31:14 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Prologue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Where the hell am I?'
Not an original thought, but better than no thought at all. A quick
glance around only reveals two things, one it is dark, and second this
isn't where you went to sleep last night.
'This isn't my bedroom...'
Suddenly the world gives a sickening lurch, your falling down,
further and further until you body thumps into a footpath and as you recover
you notice it isn't black anymore. A more general look shows your now
laying on a street pavment, in a street which could be mistaken for any of
hundreds in the world. The standard extras in a modern city come into focus,
a phone box, playground, two dragons, parked cars...
"Hold a minute. Dragons aren't real!"
"Maybe not in the real world but they do here."
Slightly startled, you wonder what can happen next when the second
dragon starts talking,
"We are your guides to the matrix, why we are we don't know, nor why
you are this special, but ask us any question and we will try to answer
you."
"THE MATRIX!!! Thats the stuff of science fiction! How can I be in
The MATRIX!"
"Well, we know your last memories were of 1992 and now we are in 2038,
we also know that you are unique that you don't need any connecting to
connect to the matrix, In fact your not cyber enhanced at all. Your real
body is currently laying on a bed somewhere in the sprawl and you will leave
us in five minutes, but will be back."
A few minutes later your still shocked but realise you have to start
asking questions while you still have time.
"Why am I here? How did I get here? How am I jacked in without any
hardware? What the hell do I do next?"
"Sorry, can't help you with any of those questions. Maybe the answers
will come to you when you get back."
"Well what are you and what are your names?"
"We are AI's designed to guide your journeys through the matrix while
you are here. We know alot, but we can only answer specific questions you
give us. As for our names, we haven't been given one yet. What is your
name?"
"I'm called ...
The Wolf."
And blackness suddenly closes again.
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in Time(Chap 1).
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:31:53 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Chapter 1. A worrying time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A boardroom in a secret orbital space station, luxurious red carpet lined
the floors, expensive paintings on the walls and furniture on the floor
added to the luxury in the room. Amidst such luxury, the people in it were
anything but relaxed. The six scientists were tired, divided into pairs
the haggard looks and quiet conversation between them showed that they had
been on the run for most of the last few days. The two others looked more
relaxed, but the restlessness of their eyes and their stance showed they
were used to action and were ready for it now.
The last man in the room was something different. An aura of confidence
surrounded the man, he looked confident and he had reason to be. John
Maxwell had begun life as a student of physics, he now was in charge of
a top secret organisation, backup by the top five corps in the world, it
had researched and designed some of the best kept secrets in the world.
Richer than most individuals, he had prided himself on his ability to keep
anything secret. As he had now realised, that isn't always the best thing
to do.
"Welcome gentlemen. Due to the secrecy surrounding your own projects you
have never met your colleagues, yet your work has all accumulated into one
person. This here is Matthew Bridges, (Pointing at the first scientist) he
has been working over the past fifteen years on time travel and is now the
foremost expert in the world. Next is Michael Butler, he's been working on
Neural broadcasting. Finally Craig Johns, he's been working on Neural
Engineering. Now if you Matthew could start us off on Project Time and
what you have done. Please include the reasons you have been working and
other background you think is necessary."
" Thank you chairman. Well unlike most of my colleagues, I do believe
in time travel, and with the help of this corporation, I have proved my
theories and been able to create a time travelling machine. There are
many restrictions on it though. We cannot move things into another time,
we can only move things to our time. A few months ago I received a memo
telling me to try and bring five people from the past, attached to the
memo were the data files on five such individuals, four of which were
brought back successfully, knocked out and transferred to where we were
told to move them to. As far as I know that's as far as my involvement goes."
" Thank you Mr Bridges. Those five, you may like to know had been
carefully selected to meet a number of criteria including physical fitness
and metal stability, we found out the one that died was not as fit as our
research had said he was, there was nothing you could do. Now if Mr Butler
would like to continue."
" Well we in Neural Broadcasting were asked to study Empaths and the like
and determine how they worked, and if we could develop a way to allow
both normal people to have these powers, and a network to allow them to
connect to the matrix from almost anywhere without hardware. Well the
network of receivers are in, and a couple of empaths can use it, We also
discovered that since approximately 2000 a combination of air pollution
and other factors have modified the human race and made it almost
impossible to enhance a normal person. We reported this and it was
suggested that we could be given some people from before this time to verify
these facts. We received 4 people which we operated on and enhanced their
minds to allow them this power. Of the 4, three survived and all seemed
to pass their testing with a receiver. As we found out, they didn't
develop an empath ability which surprised us, but it means that a couple
of other theories can be tested again.
From there we were instructed to do a partial mindwipe to make them forget
the testing, and told to pass them onto security."
" Thank you Mr Butler. If Mr Johns could you please continue the story."
" If you could wait for a second sir, I think this information tells us
what went wrong with the other subjects... Yes. OK then. We were working
on cyber enhancements without the cyber. We also struck a similar problem
as the Neural Broadcast group, with the very nature of our subject having
changed. We were also offered these subjects, Unfortunately two of the
three died after the operation. After telling us of this operation I now
realise why they died. This makes the third subject unique as he probably
should never have survived, and that on all our enhancements he now not
just equals the average, his reactions, strength etc are all equivalent to
the best cyber enhancement available today. He will soon be woken up and
we will commence our tests, if I could have specific details on what
Michael did, I might be able to ..."
At this point a person in a red uniform ran through the door and handed a
piece of paper to one of the security agents. He reads it three times,
begins to pale, recovers slightly, dismisses the messenger and then
announces to the group
" That was the Security Operations Center, half an hour ago the test case
was captured by a small force and taken to a location somewhere in the
Southern Sprawl. At the same time someone broke into the database to try
and take the files pertaining to Project Time and only managed to get a
very general description of the first part of the project. They know
they've got someone from 1992, but don't know anything else. We're running
a scan now and checking all our systems to ensure it doesn't happen again."
Again the door opens, two worried figures walk in, one looks like a
scientist, dressed similarly to the others, he is wearing an extra pass
on his coat labelled COMPUTER AI. The other is in a similar red to the
messenger comes in, also with the extra pass, he also looks as if he
would rather kill himself than face what will happen next.
"Ahh. These two here are from our extremely top secret AI labs. I'm
sorry I can't name them, but even that is rated extremely secret. I
assume this interruption is about Project Time?"
The scientist looks up worriedly, tries to speak and chokes, waits a
second and starts again.
" Well we have a major problem in the AI section. The two guides for the
project have been approximately three quarters built, when the subject got
onto the matrix the programming already there came into effect and they
started up and released themselves. All the security locks have been yet
to be built into them, while the other parts are almost complete. They
are now entirely loyal to the subject and the subject only. What they
currently know can only be extracted by a specific question, but the
learning processors have not been disables so they are going to 'learn'
things very quickly. Enough restrictions allow them to not go completely
wild in the matrix but, we could never control them again, only the
subject can."
A frown creases the faces of those present, even on the normally
expressionless face of the chairman. He speaks,
" This is not good. What are the status of their offensive abilities?"
The red uniformed person, slightly better recovered than his colleague
begins to speak
" All offensive and defensive code is place. If anything attacks either
them or the subject, They are likely to be destroyed. Only the toughest
of ICE would stop them and more than likely would result in destruction of
all data in that node anyway. They are not aware of the code within them,
it will activate when needed, they are currently the toughest things in the
matrix.
Unfortunately thats not all. As I have mentioned, the subject has
already visited the matrix. Matrix police managed to detect it, realised
that connections from somewhere without a access point should be impossible
and are currently on there way to where they traced the link. The one thing
we're sure of is that it's almost certainly false, the AI's automatically
twist the location to somewhere at random.
We have put operatives both on the street and in the matrix and their
all watching for the subject, if he shows anywhere remotely public, we
will spot them."
The chairman stands up, showing he isn't just fit of mind, but
extremely fit in body, the others also stand, preparing for dismissal.
"Well thank you gentlemen, this project has taken a lot of time and
effort, you have all done good jobs, If you can all prepare written
reports by midday tomorrow, You can continue on your way."
All the people gather their things and leave in silence leaving only the
other security person and the chairman. The chairman sits down, sighs and
offers a chair to the other person who takes it with no delay.
"Well, as head of security what do you suggest we do now, son?"
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time(Chap2).
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:32:19 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Chapter 2. Time to awaken.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slowly waking, you have a headache and notice you can't seem to open
your eyes. The bed you have been resting on seems to be so old that the
mattress consists only of springs, with no cover. You try to move and get
more comfortable, only to find that you have been tied by both hands and
feet to the bed. With a great effort, you manage to open your eyes. The
light, at first blinding, but you slowly adjust. The room is dungy,
walls dirty, ceiling sagging while a single unprotected bulb seems to burn
into your skull.
Your ears tell you that your not alone in this room before your eyes,
"I'm worried about that raid, we'd only been there half an hour and the
damn matrix police raided."
"I know John, but I wasn't even jacked in. We managed to get out though
so lets just leave it as bad luck."
"I don't believe in bad luck. something or someone tipped the police off.
They couldn't have traced you as you weren't jacked in, therefore why were
they raiding us. An opposition raid I could understand, but the police?
I also don't like our employer telling us to sit tight. I'd rather be
moving around even if it means lugging him around."
"Yeah, this job is getting weirder and weirder. First of all they tell
us use military strength restraints, the guys not even cybered! Then there's
the security in that place, toughest I've been through and damn dangerous as
well as illegal. I'm starting to get as nervous as you are. Ahhh, he waking.
I don't know why your so valuable, but your here now in the best of care."
Now they've noticed your awake they both turn towards you. The man is
approximately 6 feet tall, 85kg and built like an outhouse. A few scars
show where he's been in more than one fight but the clothes he's wearing
seem to have a touch of class and cost more than average. The woman
standing beside him seems dwarfed in comparison. Six and a half feet she
would seem your average person except for metal jacks in her skull and
her arms. She turns towards her partner and makes some form of signal, then
uses a phone which seems to have a TV attached. When it is answered the
display shows a young man in some form of office. He quickly speaks,
"Their onto us, if the subject has awoken knock him out and pack him away
somewhere, We're shutting up shop before the Corp can hit us, meet us at
the safe house near the bar."
As quickly as he says that, the screen bursts into static and his voice
says,
"Use code sequence Beta. I won't get there..."
The phone is then cut off, worry crosses the woman's face, but quickly is
replaced by a forced smile
" Sorry about this, but back to bed you go."
The last thing you notice is the sting from the knockout drug and the
darkness.
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time. (Chap 3)
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:33:03 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Chapter 3. A walk through the matrix.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waking, the first thing you see is your bedroom. Relaxing you realise
what you've just seen must have been a dream. Something just doesn't feel
right though. Something just nags away somewhere telling you this is not
what it seems.
Suddenly IT enters. A dragon, about seven feet tall, he enters through
the door which wasn't there a minute ago. You look closely and recognise
it as one of the dragons you met a short while ago, green scales with just
a hint of blue, red eyes and long tail which seems to disappear out the
door.
"I see you recognise me. Sorry about the shortness of your first trip but
there are some things we can't control. Before you ask any questions let me
update you on what we've learnt.
Firstly a brief account of how you got here. You were somehow brought
here from the past, through some process unknown to us, the reasons for
this we also don't know, but after you arrived you had work done which
allows you to connect to the matrix without hardware of any sort. You also
have had some other work done on you, but as yet we haven't been able to
find the nessecary files we do not know what. We have taken precautions so
that you cannot be traced while on the matrix and while you are here you
will be safe as long as you are with us. Any questions?"
Questions!!! A hundred and one different questions run through your mind,
but you realise that time may be limited so that you pick one of the simple
ones.
"Why me?"
On saying this the dragon looks quizically at you, and waits a second as
if only gathering the information at that exact moment.
"We're not sure, you are but one of a number who have come from the past,
you seem to be one of the few who are still alive. Beyond that we're not
sure."
"So where am I?"
"You are in a construct we have built to allow you to familiarise yourself
to the matrix without taking fright. Now that you are reasonably composed,
we can dispense with this and look on the matrix as it 'really' is."
At this, the walls fade to nothing and you see what looks like a starry
night with all the stars joined to one another with bright lines. Next you
start moving slowly from your lofty position and you feal a little nausous
as you decend to just above one of the lines. The view suddenly changes as
you decend, the lines stay where they are but the 'stars' seem to grow,
many of them turning into spectacular buildings.
"First of all, a slight change is needed for me, while we have produced
just the thing for you. If you could wait a second.
Suddenly your perspective changes, you seem to shrink and 'change',
you now seem to be able to see more of the matrix, as if your eyes have
changed. Some form of menu appears, overlaying but not obsucring the view.
"This was something we produced when we realised we would need your help
to gain us information. This 'uniform' has also got a number of tools to
allow you to help penetrate and protect yourself from others. We have
borrowed from your background the association you seem to have between
yourself and a wolf, as this seemed an appropite shape, you know look like
one to others in the Matrix."
The next instant the dragon transforms, into some kind of animal itself.
It resembles a cat, but the meter long claws and blank eyes seem to give
it an 'unreal' quality.
"Although parts of us weren't complete when we were released, we have
determined that we both have a large number of offensive and defensive
programs built into us. There seems to be a safeguard however, which
results in us not being able to break a common low-level ice package. On
the menu you will find a program called ICEBURN which will allow you to
destroy that kind of ICE."
A quick glance at the menu sees a number of options in a menu bar,
looking at the area marked OFFENSIVE brings up a list containing a couple
of names, including ICEBURN. You select this and the menu comes back and
a pistol appears in your hand.
"You just now point that pistol at the program and pull the trigger.
Instead of a bullet coming out a certain series of messages will come out
and destroy the ice. If you have any problems you can select either SHIELD
or OUTSIDE from the defensive menu and they will shield you from the ICE or
remove you from the matrix almost instantly."
Thinking this over, you realise that what is being proposed is certainly
against the law, and probably dangerous, you wonder why you should help
this AI, what are it tring to achieve.
"As I have mentioned, we are tring to gain the information about you that
will tell us why you have been kidnapped and possibly how to defeat those
who what you. We need information to help protect you."
"You keep saying we but where is the other one you keep mentioning?"
"My sibling is currently making a run with the aid of a normal decker on
the headquarters of the corporation which currently has kidnapped you. With
luck they may get through before they are noticed. There is one group who
may help you in the real world, they supplied us with the decker and we
have given them some essential information they have been looking for. The
group consists mainly of certain 'escapees' from various Corp research
programs. They will be tring to make a raid on the building you are moving
to, and will try to get you before too much happens. You must leave now
though, I hope you can understand all I have told you, and can live in the
hear and now."
You wonder about this for a second, then see the menu in front of you
come to life, firstly with a menu marked ROUTINE then with a logout
command found in that menu. The world suddenly seems to accelerate as you
are wisked upwards until the darkness seems to envelope you.
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time. (Chap 4)
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:34:00 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Chapter 4. A rescue away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You wonder why waking up seems such a chore all the time. A smell
assaults your nose, a hospital smell you tell yourself. Upon opening your
eyes you could almost mistake it for a hospital, except doctors don't wear
suits of armour or expensive suits, and don't normally strap their patients
to the bed.
"Welcome to our little hideaway!" It's the man in suit talking, the
two in the armour seem to be carrying a rifle built into their arms while
their eyes and skin have a slightly unreal quality to them. The talking
man though seems very alive indeed, he looks as though he's won the
jackpot at lotto, when you think some more, he probably has.
"Your going to make us rich! There's no way that unnamed R&D corp will
find us, and theres no way that you can escape either!"
As he say's this, an explosion suddenly goes off somewhere below, the
lights dim and a alarm goes off, with the yell designed to make you either
move or go deaf. The suit points to the two guards and yells over the sound
of gunfire,
"Go find out what the problem is down there, but make sure that no-one
gets up here!"
Suddenly, the world explodes.
Red seems to dominate your eyesight, as you seem to fall for what seems
to be eternity, suddenly the fall stops and slightly dazed you look up to
momentarily see the suits face, suddenly disappear in what seems to be a
haze of somekind. A look down reveals four rough looking people carrying
weapons of various kinds, three men and one woman, the woman walks up and
cuts through the straps restraining you with her nails as if they were
paper. Pointing at you she says
"You wait here! John, Lee get the others back here NOW! Runner, get
your gear together and get us out of here."
Two of the men disappear out a door and heads towards the sound of gunfire
while the third empties a bag and seems to make some kind of sled out of
the bits and pieces.
While looking up at the hole, gun raised she starts talking to you,
" My name's Sam, we're here to rescue you from here, we're a group the
Subjects. Most of us have been subject to one experiment or another, as
we owe your matrix friend a favour we'll get you out, from there you can
either join us or disappear after that. Runner here isn't a decker, he's
called that because he always seems able to get him and his friends out of
anything. If you just do as we say, we can talk later on. Now get on that
sled behind Runner."
You notice the two sleds are fixed and see to be floating a few inches
above the ground, as you head towards the one with runner already on it,
the sound of gunfire is already a lot closer to the door.
"DAMN!" The exclamation emanates from Sam's lips. "Get us out of here
Runner. the others have been cut off and but can make it to the rear door
if we give them some covering fire when they evacuate."
Suddenly your in the air and quickly moving over the floor, through the
window and quickly over the ground, barely ten seconds later your in safety
behind a van. Suddenly Sam shoves a gun in one hand and some magazines in
the other.
"Ever used a gun before?" A quick shake of your head brings out a
grimace. " Well you point that end at someone pull the trigger and make
sure you hit. When you run out of ammo, you pull the old magazine out and
replace it with the new one, then cock it like so." Demonstrating at the
same time and then pointing in a couple of directions she continues. " In
about ten seconds you'll see five people come out that door, they are going
to run like hell to our left. Don't shoot them their our guys. Anything
else comes out that door, shoot it."
Mirroring Sam's stance next to the back of the van, you wait, heart
beating for the others to arrive. It takes all your effort just to hold
back when the door opens. You count, One, two, three, four, five as they
come out, they start sprinting but you realise that they are going as
fast as they could. Suddenly the sky lights up, red flame seems to
slowly reach out towards the group, sprinting for cover, not knowing what
your doing, time seems to slow, you instinctively start pulling the
trigger knocking down one then the next in the pursuing group. Even as
they turn to reply you don't flinch and just seem to shoot one after another
suddenly your knocked back, as a bullet hits you in the shoulder, in slow
motion you hit the ground, still firing at the other group, suddenly it
falls quiet, and you realise that for you anyway, this battle is over.
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time. (Chap 5)
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:34:30 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Chapter 5. A learning Time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You awaken, you can't seem to feel or see anything yet, but you hear
a conversation going on in the room.
"I just don't believe it, one minute he says that he hasn't touched a
weapon before, the next he's shooting 'em down like an expert, even as he
went down he took out the last three. He MUST have some damn expensive
wetware in there somewhere."
"Well I'm afraid I can't pick any up, and this gears the latest and best
around. Maybe that was the experimental work they've done to him, if
he could get into some of those exclusive no-cyber meeting places without
being detected it could be worth a lot. His Matrix friend has asked for that
damn decker again. I'm wondering if we should lend him out again?"
"That would probably not be a good idea, at least until we work out
this guys allegiance."
You slowly realise that the one in command was the woman called Sam,
while the other woman you haven't heard before. You struggle to open your
eyes, and suddenly light seems to sear them.
"Hello there, I'm Doctor Walsh, if you can hold on a second you should
be alright. You took a nasty shoulder wound and have been unconscious for
two days."
Slowly you begin to see right, and with this you see a white clad woman,
about 28, 5 and a half feet, a scar across one arm and with two jacks in
either wrist. Sam was dressed in leather jeans and jacket, some form of
T-Shirt and runners, good-looking but with some form of danger sign about
the way she carried herself. With one arm in a bandage you slowly work
yourself up into a sitting position where you get a look at a non-descript
room with no windows.
Doctor Walsh continues, "If you like that bandage can come off now, but
I would advise that you don't do anything vigorous with that arm for a few
days." With this the doctor turns round and then walks through the door
closing it behind her.
"How much do you remember about what I told you back at the hospital?"
Sam's speaking now, and you wonder weather telling the truth is best at the
moment, deciding you have nothing else to lose you decide yes.
After half an hour, you feel drained but you have learnt at least a
little about what is happening. You telling them about your ability to
access the matrix without hardware, and learn that there are two others
with this ability already in the group who can teach me how to use this
ability to it's best, Young and Chi. Also saying that they are about to
make a run on the Corps mainframe AI, they invite you to join their group
and help them bring those behind it down, adding that you may learn more
about what they have done to you.
A few days later, full mobility regained, you are introduced to two
youths. They had been 'rescued' from the corp a couple of years ago and
have the same ability as you to access the matrix. A couple of days of
trialing and testing show that you can also access the matrix and look at
the real-world at the same time. A bit of practice means you could hold
a conversation, record the words in a file, and access simple systems
all at once. Unfortunately major work in the matrix still requires full
concentration. Days blur into weeks, Weeks into a month and the
realisation that you haven't seen either of the your two matrix 'minders'
since you escaped, although your sure you were being watch by someone.
One day while relaxing, in the sort of two worlds state you seem to
almost exist in, a message seems to fly right across your eyes, you don't
seem to remember the wording but it mentions that Sam is about to meet
someone and you should ask to attend. 15 minutes later Sam grudgingly agrees
to let you go on the condition you don't speak. You get the feeling that
that's one promise you won't keep tonight.
---**************---
<A inner Sprawl bar, three anonymous people walk in followed by a couple
of suits, the suits place themselves at a empty table, while the
bodyguards place themselves at various strategic locations in the
room.>
You've never been in such a place before, the smoke which reeks of the
illegal, and the sound of business seem to permeate through the bar.
Obvious and alone the two suits who you are to meet sit at a table. Even
you know that suits don't come anywhere near a place like this without some
form of bodyguard. You spot one of them at the bar, and wonder where the
others are standing. Sam and Young walk straight to the table and you go
and join them.
Realising you can't keep up with the flow of the conversation as it gets
technical, you go into the familiar double world you have practiced at.
This time the AI's appear and tell you to be quite and just listen, calling
themselves the guardians they said they will analyse the data.
Three quarters of an hour later your jolted by a sensation of danger,
most of the crowd has cycled through now, and as you look the number of
gang members seem to have increased until there is little in the way of
more normal customers. This change has also caught out both the bodyguards
and Sam, now all obvious, and by the sudden end to the conversation you
realise the danger is just not in you imagination.
Sudden action flashes to your left, the three guards are now on the
ground while three large punks head for your table pistols drawn. The
leader, all metal and little else in his face begins to speak,
"Well what have we here, Maybe a little skirt and money? Why doesn't
your corp friend their gives up his..."
Midway through the speech, Sam moves, slashing her nails across the
leaders eyes and diving at the same time. You feel yourself start to move
first to the left where a punch leaves a punk doubled over then to the right
as a shot rings out. Time seems to slow their movements, unfortunately
Young wasn't so quick, a shotgun appears in the hands of one member and
at point blank range, removes Young's arm from the rest of his body.
You see Sam moving towards the unguarded rear entrance, and decide to
follow here, more shots ring out although none are aimed at you, sprinting
for the door you arrive just after Sam, dive through and as you look back
see the Suits looking stupidly down at what remained of their bodies, dead
but not yet down.
Sprinting down the hall you reach the outside door without any signs of
pursuit. Turning the corner you here the hiss of a dart gun, and suddenly
it's dark.
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time. (Chap 6)
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:34:57 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Chapter 6. An interview.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You wake, to the worried sound of Sam's voice, you suddenly sit up with
a start as you remember the fight and pin prick of a needle.
'What happened to me?' You must have spoken out loud, as Sam and an
unknown doctor turn to look at you. Sam speaks,
" A good question. It seems someone want's you very bad. We were
ambushed in that bar, and they weren't your ordinary street thugs despite
their dress. One was waiting for us in the back, he darted you but I killed
him before he could get me. It seems he was just carrying knock out darts
though. Just be glad it wasn't anything more deadly. You need to relax
though, the needle may have been non-fatal but it wasn't harmless. We'll
just knock you out and let you rest."
With this the pin-prick of a needle is felt and tiredness encloses you...
---*************---
<A small office, on the edge of the security area of the sprawl. Two
people wait in front of a vid-phone. One is from the pub fight, the
other one is the head of research security. The phone flickers and
comes to life. On the other end, the chairman comes on, stony faced
and looking like he hasn't slept in days. He is the first to speak.>
" Well did everything go to plan?"
<The thug looks up, clears his throat and is about to speak, when movement
behind him makes him turn, the last thing he saw was the end of a
silenced gun. The chairman decides to start again.>
" Everything alright there?"
" Yes sir. Just clearing up a loose end. We lost all of our ground team
here but they managed to place the short term tracking device on him. We
should be able to pick him up for the next five days."
"Good, good. What do you want now?"
"Well I think we need to wait until he settles down for a day and then raid
the place, with luck we can get him and all that group who've been helping
him and causing us all these problems lately. If you can send down a
special action group I will have a plan for them by the time they get here."
"OK then, you have them. They'll be there within a day. You need anything
else?"
"I just recommend you be put all the staff on alert. The person they were
speaking to are experts in the field of ICE, I think they're about to try
and raid out computer system."
"Well some news for you. Our time researcher has just handed me a report
ten minutes ago. It seems that if the subject undergoes severe trauma he
could quite literally blow up. He could also disappear back to his own time
or to somewhere else in this time. We need him here though. We've staked
the business on this project, if he is destroyed we may not survive for too
long. On of our backers are starting to lean on us for results. They've
heard some disturbing rumours, just give them no reason to start believing
them."
"Yes sir. We'll raid then as soon as we're ready. Don't worry, we'll get
the subject back."
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time (Chap 7)
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:35:37 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Time to attack.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<A briefing, your surrounded by a number of unknown people carrying arms,
while you and two deckers are informed on what you and these fighters are
going to do. Sam, standing with a small map of the building is giving the
brief.>
" OK. Due to a number of reasons although they own a space-station in
orbit, their computer is based in this building. It's heavily guarded so
that to reach the machine itself is impossible. The assault team's target is
to reach the second floor operators room. From their they should be able to
distract the human operators and allow the deckers to attack the central AI
without human interference. Once the security forces have been alerted they
will retreat back to the vehicles where they will protect the deckers from
physical attack.
The second group will remain here in case the assault group is wiped out,
or there is a surprise attack on the deckers. The deckers MUST work from here
instead of from physical safety as by the time they work their way across the
matrix to the computer it will have been able to ID them and seal itself off.
By a coincidence, tapping in here actually gets them by this first layer of
security, unfortunately this puts our deckers at physical risk. We cannot
let them be harmed. Physical groups are dismissed."
<Surrounded by five deckers, your briefing is about to begin, but you
wonder how you are going to beat a high speed AI, possibly smarter than the
five of you put together.>
"Wolf, you and Chi are going to attack the AI directly. your abilities
should give you an edge that the others won't have. The rest of you will get
them through the outside areas and get them to the AI, then run around as a
distraction. Hopefully you can cause it to be slightly off balance. Wolf and
Chi, you will find an extra program in the armoury. A new an experimental
program which with luck will destroy the AI. I wish you luck, you should
begin the raid in five minutes from now."
---******************---
Five nervous minutes later you fully dive into what is the edge of the
system. Prepared for the colours use are surprised to see little in the
way of detail, and no colours. The others move ahead while you and Chi
lag behind enough to be safe. Suddenly, three of the deckers icons
explode before your eyes, yet their is no sound. Diving for your
destination you and Chi head for a small portal just ahead of you.
Suddenly a brightness comes from nowhere. You step into a room of seeming
limitless hight and in the middle is a small black box, which seems to
absorb the light. Not sure what to do next, you stare at the box as it
seems to start growing, a quick check shows you that this is the AI in
front of you, you quickly arm the software you were given and fire it at
it. Midway to the box the projectile breaks, forming itself into a net
suddenly growing, the box starts firing one form of protecting after
another. The net reaches the AI, and then starts cutting into the
surface. A scream is heard from somewhere but suddenly with a flash of
blinding light the net disappears while a laugh is heard from the box.>
"Nice try Wolf. You almost got me there, but your time is up and it will
be my delight to use your own weapon against you."
Suddenly the net appears. It heads for Chi and as he dives to the left it
catches him, suddenly wrapping him up until he disappears inside a white
ball. A second net appears, heading straight for you, Trying the
strongest of the protection programs you realise they won't work, but
maybe something simple will... Initiating the base protecting package the
net suddenly stops and collapses to the ground and disintegrates. Another
laugh, but this time you seem to be drawn to it.
"Interesting solution. But the Ice covering me cannot be broken that
easily, the second you touch it, you will feel real pain, just before
your death."
Slowly being dragged before it a reverberating crash comes from outside the
room. The Guardians appear, through the wall and proceed to attack the box
with a continuous stream of flame and light. The box starts to lighten but
suddenly counterattacks with a ferousness, but lets its grip on you go.
With a flare the two streams combine and start pushing back towards the
Guardians. Remembering some of the lessons you were taught you take a simple
Icebreaker and then modify it slightly. Activating it, and preying it will
work a sword appears in your hand. As the streams reach the Guardians one
screams but as it engulfs them the box wavers slightly and you drive the
sword into it. Suddenly the AI and the Guardians disappear leaving just the
matrix, vast and fascinating out before you. A paper appears in your
hands, after reading it disintegrates, but reveals the location of the
files on you. At the end it also had another small message,
' We lived to protect you, as such we gave our short lives in
overcoming just one obstacle in your life, remember us in your future
trials, and survive so we may live on.'
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
From: s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU (Neale Wolfson)
Subject: A Wolf in time. (Epilogue)
Date: 2 Mar 93 10:36:15 GMT
A Wolf in Time.
Epilogue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<A view outside the van, a group of people split into two groups, one led
by Sam takes cover around the van, the other head purposely towards the
building. They enter through the main door and silence lasts for about 4
minutes.>
---*****************---
<Inside, a group of men armed and in uniform are readying themselves for an
ambush.>
"Don't worry Sam, everything will be alright."
"I don't know runner, I'd rather be with them, making sure everything goes
to plan, the waiting is the hard part, SHIT! Where did that come
from!"
<Under fire, the people outside the van duck and take cover, the remains of
the assault group tries to retreat but are cut down, after leaving the
building.>
"WE'VE LOST THE ASSAULT GROUP! GIVE THE DECKERS COVER AND GET READY TO MOVE
THEM OUT! Runner check on them!"
<Furious activity with tracers and laser beams darting from one side to the
other, the sounds of men screaming soon drowns out most others, but the
fighting continues.>
"SAM! According to the other deckers they've been cut out of the system,
Chi's dead, the Wolf just seems out of it!"
"Damn! What can go wrong next?"
<Suddenly the whoosh of a rocket goes hitting the van and destroying it, At
the same time, the automated defences go haywire, killing indiscriminately.>
"EVERYONE! GET OUT OF HERE! DON'T WAIT FOR NOTHING! and I hope they got
that damn machine."
---*****************---
<The next day, outside the building a number of police and techs have
gathered, discussing the incident amongst themselves.>
"So what did they do?"
'It seems they made both a physical and matrix raid on the computer, The
raid seems to be a success, our reports says there were 7 deckers
operating out of the truck, when the truck exploded they all would have
been fried.'
'SARG!' <A young officer approaches> ' The medics have found six bodies
bodies in the van.'
<Turning back to the tech>
"Did you say they HAD to be in there?"
'Yeah, no way could they have been anywhere else.'
"OK then, where did the other go?" <puzzled look>
"What did this corp do?"
'They seemed to specialise on research, much of it illegal. The experts are
checking into the records they can piece together now.'
"Oh oh! Constable, you clean up here, write your report and then file it
away somewhere, no-ones going to learn anything more about this case..."
<Fade>
--
* This post is brought to you by The Wolf (Neale Wolfson) *
****************************************************************************
* s892057@minyos.xx.rmit.oz *** Full Time 3rd Year RMIT Computer Science *
* This line is for sale. This line is for sale. This line is for sale *
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