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Warbeard
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Post Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:26 am |
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CCC wrote: "Thank you." says Professor Clarke. "Before we get into the meat of the business, I have to ask - whatever you've got that messes with Sally's cameras, does it work on microphones as well? If not, we'll have to move to someplace a bit less public first." "We're covered, nothing electronic can see or hear anything we do or say," Thomas answers.
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weremensh
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Post Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:16 pm |
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Spot slips a tendril under the table to the Singularity Key. "You can counter long range microphones?"
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CCC
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:41 am |
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"Oh, yes." says the Key. "At long range. It's really quite easy."
The other team is a little surprised at the voice from under the table. "I don't suppose whatever you're using could be copied?" asks the scarred man. "It would be seriously useful."
"Alright, then, the basic deal is this." says Clarke. "CyberSolutions hasn't had a competitor in the last decade that they haven't bought out or legislated out of existence. Their products are buggy, poorly supported, and stop working entirely if you don't pay for the upgrade once a year. Despite all that, though, they really do employ the best and the brightest - as the planet's biggest employer of programming types, they get the cream of the local crop. But every year, they've got to include some new feature, and it seems that this year the new feature is a self-improving AI."
"The programmers themselves work in a building on the south end of the city. The security is mostly human - security patrols, guards at the gate checking access cards, that sort of thing. There are automatic systems, of course, but since lots of people work there the emphasis is on people to provide security."
"The backup facility, on the north end of town, is completely different. It is designed to be operated almost entirely remotely, and thus most of the security is automated - patrols are few and far between, but cameras watch the entire place. Trip the wrong security sensor, and you may end up facing knockout gas and wake up to some difficult questions from the security staff. Honestly, with that sensor-jamming thing of yours, I think the backup facility is the best choice for your team."
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FreakyBoy
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Post Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:37 pm |
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Professor Barnes nods. "Yes, I think so as well. Besides, this really is your show, Clarke. Wouldn't want you do have to be the 'backup' team."
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weremensh
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Post Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:48 am |
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Once it's finished it's drink, Spot clusters a few tendrils so it's obvious what it's talking about and indicates the automatic ordering system. "This system is broken?"
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CCC
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Post Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:17 pm |
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"Okay." says Clarke. He draws a rough sketch map on a piece of scrap paper, and talks quietly so as not to be overheard by the people at the next table. ![Image](http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q214/CCC_037/BackupFacility.gif) "The outer fence is chain-link. There's only three security guards - lots of cameras, but I don't know where most of those are. The fence is chain-link; there's only one gate, and one door into the building proper. Virtually no-one ever goes in there, so the door will be locked. One security guard is always in the little booth here by the front gate; the other two are supposed to patrol around the building, following the dotted line. However, our research has indicated that they're more likely to be in the booth at the gate, playing cards. Just about everywhere, inside and outside the building, is monitored by camera, and the cameras themselves are monitored from off-site. The building itself is a repurposed office block - it's a lot of space to house one backup server, I have no idea why they used such a big building. If you can get in past those three guards without triggering any alarms, then you'll have no trouble with the inside - their security is tight, but pretty much automated." "And those three will hardly be all that competent." adds the scarred man. "Being posted for security there is pretty much the bottom of the ladder - it's where people get sent when they're one mistake away from being fired." Weremensh wrote: Once it's finished it's drink, Spot clusters a few tendrils so it's obvious what it's talking about and indicates the automatic ordering system. "This system is broken?" "Probably not." says Clarke. "The restaurant probably just decided that they didn't want to pay the exorbitant fees for this year's software upgrade, and the system would have just stopped working one day. In any sensible system, that would be illegal. Here, CyberSolutions are the ones who decide what's legal or not, and so it's never illegal for them to get money."
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Warbeard
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:40 am |
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Thomas looks over the diagram.
"It would seem our best chance is to catch all the guards together in or near the booth," he says. "The key will keep us from being seen by the electronics, but there's no way for us to get to the door without being seen by the guards."
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weremensh
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 12:13 pm |
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Spot indicates the building. "Robots? Automatic protection?"
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FreakyBoy
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 12:15 pm |
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Professor Barnes seems to barely be paying attention. But he does ask, "What's the scale on that drawing? How much space is there between the guard house and the building, really?"
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CCC
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 4:15 pm |
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"At the very least, there are cleaning robots and knockout gas." says Clarke. "The emphasis is probably on capturing intruders and calling security staff; I wouldn't expect anything actually lethal, but of course if you do get caught you'll be in all sorts of legal trouble. By the way, why doesn't that anti-microphone effect seem to work on you?"
In reply to Barnes' question, Clarke says "It's not really to scale - there's about five metres between the booth and the door."
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weremensh
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 5:30 pm |
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CCC wrote: "At the very least, there are cleaning robots and knockout gas." says Clarke. "The emphasis is probably on capturing intruders and calling security staff; I wouldn't expect anything actually lethal, but of course if you do get caught you'll be in all sorts of legal trouble. By the way, why doesn't that anti-microphone effect seem to work on you?" After a beat, Spot responds "I am not certain. Maybe I am lucky."
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CCC
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Post Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:49 am |
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"That is extremely worrying." says Clarke, standing up. He nods at Thomas. "It seems your - protection - is not as complete as you had indicated. I think that we should move the rest of this discussion to someplace a touch more secure. If you gentlemen will please follow me?"
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weremensh
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:51 pm |
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Spot takes it's satchel and follows along.
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CCC
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Post Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 4:39 am |
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Clarke leads the group out of the airport, to the parking lot. He knocks on the back door of a truck; he is stubbornly refused entry until Thomas and his Singularity Key is more than four feet away from him.
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The inside of the truck is filled with electronic equipment, computer screens, monitoring and control equipment predominating. It also contains a young lady, aged approximately 19.
"This is Sally," introduces Clarke, "our electronics and robotics expert. She was controlling that cleaning droid you saw earlier. Sally, this is Professor Barnes and his team, they're going to be helping use deal with the CyberSolutions AI."
Sally snorts. "Who's the one who messes with my cameras?" she asks.
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weremensh
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Post Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:55 pm |
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Spot examines the gadgetry.
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