High Pace in Cyberspace

Cyberspace - Repliforce Hub

A technojungle of sorts, this old, but useful section of the 'net was designed by Web Spider, the oldest and most experienced of Repliforce's hackers. A facility buried deep inside a virtual jungle, this area is populated by attack programs and defenses that blend in so cunningly with the digitial appearance of the area that they're almost undetectable. A bit unusual, to be certain, but the Repliforce's digital security is in good hands. The facility in the center of the jungle is a deep subterranean base, very austere and military in design, well-befitting the robotic army.

Contents: Contents:

Orion Corth [Beastzilla.exe] [NA]

Out <O>: Cyberspace - Southern Cross Web

The Repliforce hub was quiet a moment ago. Defence programs circling around on patrol, keeping watch for any intruding programs that make the jump from the standard internet grid to the Fortress V's communication array. Each file, as it passes into the Fortress V's mainframe, is slowly scanned and processed before being let in. It's a dull (and some might say very Repliforce) procedure, but it works well enough.

Then, without warning defence programs are suddenly unleashed from the communication hub, and patrols swell to nearly three times their side. Most likely this is an automated response to the Fortress V suddenly being forced into a potential battle. Attack programs swim outwards through the internet, trying to intercept any offending viruses or programs before they can reach the hub.

It is most unfortunate for the Fortress V's defensive programs that most of them do not travel the virtual underground. Which is quite opposite to the hulking behemoth that is beginning to cause quite the stir with the virtual landscape. Moments before the the programs start to scramble, a singularly massive file was detected. It was detected forcing its way past the normal barriers with the virtual equivalent of repeated smashing hammer blows against automated scans.

Less than a second after it pentrated the comm-array's firewall, though, it disappeared. Leaving behind only a single clue.

A mound of scrambled data on the virtual floor. The fragmented and mortifyingly disrupted data covers its tracks well, though. For the time being, it moves closer by circumventing standard Hub Defenses with its absurd modus operandi, biding its time for the proper strike. A purging fire building within its belly.

The automated programs are swift to react, closing down the firewall so no further files can make it through. A quick investigation, however, shows that it wasn't quick enough, and there's -something- inside the Repliforce's hub. During a battle scenario, this is a major problem. The systems are both at their most vulnerable and their most protected. On one hand, all of the Fortress V's systems are needed right now, so the option of shutting them off in order to force out an intruder is no longer there. On the other hand, there's a heightened sense of security as all non-essential processing power is going to both the battle outside, and the battle in here.

Additional attack programs, along with Search and Destroy Command protocols, begin sniffing around, finding the scrambled data on the floor of the hub and attempting to locate where the file went. Although whoever designed this defence program is no doubt brilliant (Web Spider, natch), it's dubious whether it can deal with a skilled hacker without backup.

The enemy is within, biding its time as it starts to explore the substrata of the Repliforce Hub's code. The operating system's basics if you will. For a while it seems totally inert, its scrambled path through the system's underground stopping somewhere deep inside, the ground ceasing its creaking rumble.

Though if one were to explore Repliforce's computer systems, it would find the file is busily exploring the hidden, the underground, files of the system. Until finally a remote instance of Task Manager is activated, the file examining the network's resources for a few moments. Then, with a tremendous rumble, the ground itself starts to glow, a deep, bloody red at first. Though it quickly increases in brightness and color value until it becomes white and a geyser of flame erupts from below the surface. Within seconds the fire is out and a massive beast starts to climb from within the hole. A fusion of Godzilla and Blanka and some other random things that circulate the internet, forming a more bizarre looking avatar. A true Beastzilla. It roars again as it rises from the smoking, partially slagged hole in the data stream, eyes glowing fiercely.

o/~ Up from the depths! Standing 2 stories high! BEASTZILLA! BEASTZILLA! o/~

Ahem... Having gotten that out of my system, let's move on to the actual description of Beastzilla.EXE, shall we? Yes. We shall.

Standing 2 stories tall, according to Cyberspace scales, is a massive avatar. Covered everywhere with gleaming dragon scales and in several places with very coarse and thick fur, would the first glance of this freakshow. Razor sharp claws glint in an unnatural light, while sabertooth tiger-like fangs jut from the upper and lower jaws of the beastial avatar. Flaring out around his neck and down his back are spikes of steely gray, matching the huge claws on his hands and feet, contrasting with the deep emerald of his flesh and the brilliant red of its digital eyes.

The interception programs, still scouring their own hub with their search engines, do not appear to be having any luck finding the electronic intruder. Said intruder will find the hub all nicely laid out, except for one, small thing. Everything is built in layers of redundancy. Destroy one thing and it's likely to not even be the thing you were gunning for. Destroy something else and you might find it's a fake. Reroute a third thing and it might turn out that you've accomplished precious little. Yeah, Web Spider designed this thing, no doubt. What looks so deceptively simple is vastly more complex once one starts looking under the surface as the intruder appears to be doing.

The programs, designed with knowledge of how this maze works, continue their search, finally moving underground. But it's too late. The ground erupts and suddenly a powerful avatar stands before them. The attack programs, looking something similar to a helicopter, beep and whirl angrily. There's at least a dozen of them, and the more heavily armed defence programs, plodding along the ground in a most tank-like fashion, are on their way. They should be here soon. But in the meantime, the attack programs unleash a barrage of laser fire on the huge reptile, strafing it.

Mazes are of little concern to Beastzilla/Orion Corth. Anything can be brute-forced given the right amount of pressure. Beastzilla drags itself completely from within the cooling hole, Orion's fingers flying across a keyboard in real space to pull up about twelve instances of a Network Explorer Search Engine. He quickly intones his search parameters to each instance. Within a few seconds, dozens of parasites are spat from Beastzilla's gigantic maw, spreading out throughout the network as they search out security systems and defensive systems alike.

Meanwhile, Beastzilla finds itself being strafed by attack programs. Orion finds a certain amount of irony in the fact that Beastzilla is under attack from attack copters. He smirks slightly before tapping a pair of keys on his Nintendo Power Glove style VR interface. The lasers leave singes and burns all over Beastzilla's hide, the chimeric behemoth roaring angrily before rearing back and spewing a massive, green tornado at the offending copters. Its purpose? To virally infect and/or destroy them, one by one if necessary.

Web would not be happy with you, young man. You're not playing the game she's laid out for you! But Web isn't here, so she can't do anything about it. "Intruder!" "Intruder!" One of the interception programs bleats out pathetically. Half of the squadron splits up, tracking the parasites, firing lasers at them all the while. Many of the parasites are able to survive, however, and the hub slowly gets pieces of it infected by... by whatever it is that Orion is doing to it. One of the parasites happens to find gold. Is... is that the shield control to the Fortress?

The interception programs that stayed with Beastzilla, meanwhile, continue to pepper it from all sides. The green thingamajig rams into two of the programs, deleting them in a fiery explosion instantly. It's now that the defensive tank programs have arrived on the scene, and they begin unleashing volley after volley of digital missile-fire.

Orion Corth doesn't much care for Web Spider and her little games. Much less for mechanical rules to a virtual game. But that's just him. He narrows his eyes, peering into the VR visor thoughtfully as he surveys the situation. Beastzilla's claws move in time with Orion's as he swipes great swaths of fire through the air, deflecting numerous laser blasts. A lot of the hits, though, still manage to hit him, not that they're doing much. Then there's paydata, Beastzilla's head cocks to the side, leaving the Corrosion Tornado to wreak havoc within the Repliforce Hub on its own. The great tornado of viral gas sweeps this way and that, destroying things one at a time.

It's the controls that one of Beastzilla's parasites have found that have caught Orion's attention at the moment, a foreboding rumble escapes Beastzilla as its optics start to burn crimson, flicks of energy sweeping up and away at the corners of the optics as Orion focuses Beastzilla's attention on the code. With a sudden burst of crimson light, twin laser beams streak from Beastzilla's eyes, focusing in on the primary source of code, focusing several seconds of energy fire there before Beastzilla's head starts to turn, shooting down anything that crosses his field of vision. The first few missiles explode against his side, sending bursts of damaged data flying away from Beastzilla, one of his toe-claws actually getting blasted off... Only to go flying toward a cluster of tanks... Perhaps to destroy. Perhaps to inconvenience.

Shields go down. Shields go up. Shields go down. Shields go up. Storm Owl and his crew on the bridge are working furiously to keep manual control of the shields away from Orion's control. The end result is shields that are functional about half the time. The interception programs continue their attack, and some even resort to Kamikaze tactics by smashing themselves against the giant digital reptile. The attack drones' numbers are thinning rapidly due to their battle. The defence tanks are a little better off, having only arrived.

The tornado continues to swish around, infecting programs and systems. Was that the weapons-control? God I hope not. The shields being battered is already bad enough. The question is now starting to be whether or not the programs are able to wear down Beastzilla before the entire network crashes.

Snipe Anteater has arrived.

Beastzilla rumbles, swatting and lasering and fireballing as many attackers as he can... Until he finds himself very nearly dead and his job only half done. Now's as good a time as any for him to use his ultimate technique. No, not his primary attack. Rather, it's the one utility Orion has successfully programmed to do what Beastzilla needs to do. Because frankly, when you're a few stories tall and not that fast, you need energy and you need stability. And what better way to get that, than to /EAT/ your opponents?

The massive chimera roars again, maw wide open as he starts inhaling anything that comes near him, chomping down as his mouth fills. Beastzilla storms toward the tanks, claws swooping down to scoop them up and into his mouth, popping them like some sort of freakish nightmare Mentos commercial. Orion swipes and chomps and generally does everything in his power to bolster Beastzilla's defenses, controlling his avatar smoothly toward something hopefully approaching victory.

Because everyone knows that military vehicles and bombs taste like victory in the morning.

The Repliforce hub is looking worse and worse as additional systems are falling prey to the virus. Weapons are completely offline, as well as shields. The power grid is fluctuating viciously. About the only solid system left are the engines on the mighty craft. When you have millions of tons floating high in the air, you better believe the engines are high on your priority list when it comes to protection. The automated attack and defence programs, meanwhile, are falling in drones to both the parasites and Beastzilla. A huge swath of them are inhaled by the beast, being deleted and recompiled into energy for the massive avatar. It's obvious at this point that the only course of action is shutting down the entire server.

Who is it that is perched on top of one of the few remaining trees but Snipe Anteater? His avatar seems to have been sloppily repaired for the occasion, still with bits of wireframe showing. The avatar has as close as he can get to a displeased look on his face, as he looks down at Beastzilla from his perch. He shouts, "Hey, it's the n00b again! Think you're going to destroy this server? Nevermind that, bozo ... watch!"

He drops down from the tree, and then executes the shutdown program with a few motions of his clawed hands. A large dialogue box appears, showing the percentage of the shutdown process. It is currently at 1% ... 2% ... and rising quickly.

Beastzilla rumbles and belches loudly as it finishes its intoxicating meal of automated programs. It turns slowly toward Snipe Anteater as he speaks to him, optics burning in seething hatred. "YOU! Didn't I teach you not to **** around with me, /PINNOCHIO/?" Orion roars into his mike, Beastzilla slamming its massive mits together for a moment before leaning in and snorting dismissively at Snipe Anteater, a massive burst of flame and air flying loose and burning across the landscape toward Snipe Anteater. "I suggest leaving the server alone. I'm not done feasting on your sloppy code."

Orion Corth strikes Snipe Anteater with his Fiery Snort attack.

Snipe Anteater is temporarily disoriented by Orion Corth's Fiery Snort attack.

Snipe gets knocked backward by the gust of flames, his back slamming against the ground. For the moment, he's rather out of it. Flecks of code are shed by his avatar.

In the meantime, the shutdown process is gaining speed. The area around the two begins to dim further. 10% ... 15% ... 20% ... 30% ... 40% ... 45% ... 50% ... 60% ... almost there ... at the same time, the very basic components needed for the FV itself go into lockdown, physically shown as massive walls piling over where it must be.

The BioMechanic panics as he glances around the area, walls starting to materialize. He grits his teeth, he still has a few moments before the shut down is complete. Beastzilla's body starts to glow, the spines on its back turning various shades of the rainbow as he starts to charge up, using his claws to climb slowly to the top of one of the nearest walls, emitting a Cretaceous roar. "And now, I shall endeavor to leave you with a fair trade. Free heating for your accursed ship."

With that, Beastzilla casts its jaws wide open and an immense blast of what could be considered astronomical proportions streaks out of his maw. Flames burst forth, whitehot as any white dwarf. Beastzilla turns his head in every direction, spewing whitehot death around the server before it can finish locking down... Before it can shut down. After all, we all know what happens if you start |-|4><0r1//g a computer during the shut down process. File corruption, system instability, alerts to various alien ships in high Earth orbit that the time is right to steal socks from the dryers, the death of Illuminati members, the forging of rampaging evil AI constructs on the internet, etc. Y'know, standard crap that you need to reformat to fix.

In short, BURN BABY! BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRN!

Snipe stands back up, just in time to see the WHITE HOT FIERY DEATH everywhere. Being a hacker, he is fully aware of what happens when you destroy and corrupt things before it can shut down: not good things. At this rate, he estimates it will take weeks to repair all of the files. So while the database is shutting down, Snipe begins to execute further programs - programs that would help restore the walls. Meanwhile ...

70% ... 80% ... 90% ... 95% ... 96% ... 97% ... 98% ... 99 ...

Orion taps a couple of keys and bows gracefully to Snipe Anteater, "Do have fun, n00b," he calls from high above. And then he starts a graceful log out... Just enough time to avoid dumpshock. Hopefully.

*BWIP*

Snipe himself also proceeds to log out, while emitting a stream of curses that would make Javelin Whitetail faint. The server is now shut down, and that's all that matters.

================================= Repliforce =================================

Message: 14/59 Posted Author

Repliforce Server Sun May 29 Snipe Anteater

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The server is currently down. Do not attempt to connect to it. A Neo Arcadian had broken through the firewall and began to indiscriminately destroy security programs and files.

Estimated damage: 174735kb

Estimated time for decorruption and repairs/replacement: 70 hrs

___

/ | \

(--+--) - Are you sure you're not in his sights?

\_|_/

==============================================================================