Hacking Event

In the room a bank of computers stand ready, systems all at the password screens. Between each terminal is a screen to disguise your activities and progress from those around you. Somewhere in this network of computers, not all of which are in the same room, a single file awaits liberation.

A network of computers, mostly separate from the Eroz mainframe, as been set up to act as the medium for the Hacking event. Luna, the cheerful A.I. who runs the Eroz Lunar Facility, has filled most of the systems with junk files and trivia from the Encyclopaedia Maxima, but somewhere on the system is a different file. The title and location are unknown but the file contains “Classified Information”. Retrieving this file first is necessary for victory in this event. Be warned, the system is guarded by high security software and Luna herself.

Event specific rules:

1. Don’t hack into the Eroz mainframe. – I know we are all about industrial information gathering here at Oracle but if you are caught trying to access systems outside of the game you will be disqualified and asked to leave the Eroz facility.

2. Personal equipment IS allowed for this event. – I know most of you hackers have your own personalised systems set up and given how much of hacking involves cybernetics and personal computer systems it wouldn’t make much sense to ban access to these things. If you require the use of a hacking computer then one will be provided for you however if the UIG ask we did not provide you with the software.

3. No internal AI's. - This is a competition testing the skill of the user, not of his personal assistant thus we ask that internal AI's are only used to regulate cybernetic functions and that their cryptographic and sorting algorithms are not used to aid a competitor in this event.

Mechanics:

The system is a Secure system managed by an A.I. and thus each hacking roll is made at a -12 penalty. 3 passed rolls are required to gain access to the system at which point you must find the appropriate file. This requires a total XS of 10 on straight Intelligence + Computers and A.I. rolls (This is not a hacking roll and thus none of the penalties or bonuses usually associated with hacking apply.)

In your first post please roll only your hacking rolls to determine how quickly and easily you access the system. Rolling for finding the exact file will take place once all competitors have attempted to access the system. It is assumed that all competitors are beginning at the same time; this rule is mostly for dramatic effect.

(Hacking total for this is 24 (12 with the -12 penalty) - 8 Int, 8 C&AI, 4 for Neural Jack, 2 for the hacker's computer and 2 for hacking software)

Xu sat at his computer, keeping his expression closed. He still wasn't entirely sure why he'd let Ace talk him into this, but no matter. Perhaps he would at least learn a bit about how the others hacked. Besides, this was at least practice.

Now, accessing the system...

Things started off well, as he peeled back the initial layers of security (AT=12, roll=5, pass by 7), but then stalled as he ran into a few tricks in the system that took him some precious time to work around (AT=12, roll=16, fail by 4). He gritted his teeth and carried on, forcing his way past the next couple of problems (AT=12, roll=9, pass by 3). Thinking he'd gained access, he started to relax, but then realised that what he was seeing was just a decoy program (AT=12, roll=14, fail by 2). With a shake of his head, he dismissed the decoy and took apart the last couple of layers, finally gaining full access to the system (AT=12, roll=4, pass by 8 ).

(AT for this roll is 23 (Comp and AI 5, Neural Jack 4, Hacking Software 2, Hacking computer she's borrowing 2, Int 10), before -12 penalty. Which gives me an AT of 11.)
(Rofl.)

"N.. no internal AI? Oh, you're right, it does say that. You're gonna just have to sit this one out. ..Well, maybe? But you should probably just shut up. Mmm, that's been.. a while. Well, let's see if I can remember my undergrad days." She talked out loud, aware Xu could hear her... And grinned, taking a seat next to him. She knew from personal experience she was one of the weakest hackers in the company, but.. it might be fun. At least something she could excel at. Her pride was still a little wounded from pole vaulting.

She hooked up the loaner computer and plugged in, closing her eyes. (Roll 13, fail by two.) Her face twitched once as she was locked out; the system was a good deal more secure than she expected, and she wasn't even able to get past the log on screen. She pressed on, giving herself the briefest seconds to remember Insta-Noodles and the hacking society in university. Oh right, you just go here, and here, looking for the common exploit in--no, they patched it, but with humans you always got--yes, there! (Roll 9, succeed by 2.) The file didn't so much open as a flower but as an onion, peeling back the files, searching sub-routines for weaknesses. She was dimly aware of Tex complaining that he wanted to help, but she ignored him, finding it easier now that she knew what she was doing. (Roll 9 again, succeed by 2.) She liked this feeling, like no gravity acrobatics, dodging and weaving to avoid being intercepted by the computer. Sure, scans were conducted, but a good AI was always looking for files that were accessed, verifying that requests were legitimate.. Like now! She realized just at the right moment to stop her security probe, though she would get the access in.. now! (Roll 11, succeed by 0.) It had been a hard fight, but she finally got in.

Parvati sat down at the terminal and stared for a long moment at the computer screen. She really wasn't sure why she'd volunteered for this one. hacking was barely something she understood let alone had any skill in... But something in her wanted to at least give it a try.

So she sat and thought and tried to come up with somewhere to start. She tried to think of what she'd seen the others do when they hacked but mostly it was so fast that she couldn't really tell, not to mention that her attention was usually focused outwards trying to help them avoid getting shot.

Looking again at the terminal she stared at it for a few moments then started entering words into the Password field. She started with the obvious, password, 1234, guest, Ace, Positron, Oracle, EROZ, Luna, Olympics and when she ran out of those she started on more obscure stuff, various foreign and mythological names for the moon, names of any hacker she could remember, references to Personal data that she'd been told about and then just fell into random words, names and numbers.

She didn't speak or move other than to type and seemed to completely ignore the other competitors.

Ace was glad to see such a good turnout for this competition. He had given Luna instructions as to the form the competition should be but had left the A.I. to get on with the job. This should prove to be an interesting mission. He had hoped Positron would turn up, but he was apparently berried in work. Xu was here though, which was a plus. Surprisingly Parvarti had turned up to compete and given Ace knew she wasn't a hacker he was unsure as to if she knew what this competition was about. Still the open nature of the games meant than anyone could try their luck at any aspect of it. Ace sat down at the computer and extended his hand to the x-pin port on the computer, connecting his neural jack to the system. It had been a while since he had hacked without benefit of his Internal A.I., but as it was unavailable to him and he couldn't use it he would have to do without.

His vision faded away, replaced with total immersion to the computer system connected to his own. In this way everything was so different than using a keyboard. It was faster, more immersive, more controlled. Ace's eyes scanned over layers of computer code, looking for an exploit. [AT12, Roll 13. Fail by 1] There hadn’t been enough time for Luna to drastically adjust the security of the systems so the computers were almost stock. Given this Ace looked for access via a high numbered port that was usually unblocked in this configuration. He found what he was looking for but as he tried to access it he found it already closed. Either Luna noticed his interest and closed it or someone had got here first. Annoyed at the wasted time Ace looked for another way in.

Roll 17. Fail by 5
Roll 14.Fail by 2
Roll 10. Pass by 2
Roll 15, Fail by 3
Roll 14, Fail by 2
Roll 7, Pass by 5
Roll 12. Pass on the nose.

Ace’s earlier confidence turned to frustration as he found his every turn blocked. Every way in he tried someone had already managed. Finally he managed to hijack a few packets and insert some subtle code that was enough to pry the system partially open, but Ace was still no-where near inside. He had rapidly lost any hope that he could win this, but he was not one to give up. He only needed a few more lines of code modified and he would have full system access, only his next hijack attempt resulted in him editing code destined to the wrong place and alerted the security system of his presence once again. His true entry point was by pure accident. Almost out of ideas Ace tried a longshot and happened to discover the traces of another Hacker. Following them he discovered pulled apart files and a dismantled decoy that denoted access and he followed another competitor into the system. He knew at this point that he was last, but he wasn’t going to give up until he had accessed the logs and determined how many people had managed to access the correct file before him.