teamsleep 2010/06/05(Sat)13:32 No. 188254 ID: 0f9dad
File 127576996691.png - (144.94KB , 1014x640 , preloading.png )

{begin operation: CPU registry enabled

teamsleep 2010/06/05(Sat)13:33 No. 188255 ID: 0f9dad
File 127576999348.png - (382.87KB , 1014x640 , loading.png )

Registry scanning...

teamsleep 2010/06/05(Sat)13:33 No. 188258 ID: 0f9dad
File 127577003761.png - (246.04KB , 1014x640 , loadi ng.png )

Crux.cvi is configuring presets.

teamsleep 2010/06/05(Sat)13:35 No. 188261 ID: 0f9dad
File 127577011740.png - (86.56KB , 1014x640 , loading finished.png )

Loading complete.

Begin Operation: Wake-up Alarm


Anze has awoken.

It is no different from any other morning yet she has a terrible headache and in general feels really, really bad.

It had better not been that damned Crux acting up again.

if by crux you mean us, then maybe.

teamsleep 2010/06/05(Sat)13:45 No. 188267 ID: 0f9dad
File 127577071089.png - (111.49KB , 1014x640 , error.png )

>if by crux you mean us, then maybe.

Anze is very surprised.

She has not enabled any applications to start voice chat.

What is she hearing?

And it's the crux? The system?

This can't be right. Maybe maintenance has gone wrong. Very wrong.

Begin Operation: intruderscan.cvi

What... What is going on here?

FAULT: No intruder connections detected.

Oh gods.

so where are we? your head? your spine? ... your ass?

teamsleep 2010/06/05(Sat)14:16 No. 188279 ID: 0f9dad
File 127577258378.png - (162.32KB , 1014x640 , crux.png )

>>188268
>so where are we? your head? your spine? ... your ass?

You're in the Crux operating system. I've just started using it because I was told it was safer than most interfaces during the epidemic.

But Anze's got voices in her head on the first day of use. She's not exactly convinced.

Do you guys like not know where you are?

You don't even know who I am, do you? Or don't you? Are you hackers?

we very well may be what crux is. you ask anybody else with it what it does?

>>188279
Not really, we're guessing about what -we- are at this point, to make no mention of you or your world. I don't think we're hackers, though.

What's the epidemic?

teamsleep 2010/06/06(Sun)06:15 No. 188942 ID: 0f9dad
File 127583012023.jpg - (16.90KB , 455x340 , 011.jpg )

>we very well may be what crux is. you ask anybody else with it what it does?
Crux, like almost all operating systems currently active, is a direct neural technological interface. Conventional technology's heydey disappeared after the Racks appeared and shut down an entire city.

>What's the epidemic?
I don't exactly know what it is. It's a rapidly mutating viral strain. It seems to spread through many, many ways.


It's wiping out the local population and we are on pace to go extinct in less than a decade. I am dead in less than a decade at this pace. In less than a decade, my skin will slowly bubble, i'll go rigid and blind, and eventually i'll die of cardiac arrest and


Anze realizes all of her pent up stress is pouring out.


She just doesn't want to think about it. It's horrid.

teamsleep 2010/06/06(Sun)06:15 No. 188943 ID: 0f9dad
File 127583014679.jpg - (18.37KB , 469x349 , 011111.jpg )

Nothing less than a killer.

teamsleep 2010/06/06(Sun)06:18 No. 188945 ID: 0f9dad
File 127583033074.png - (68.97KB , 1014x640 , calendar.png )

C'mon, get a hold of yourself.
Application calendar.cvi registry check: {true


{Exception call= hook if true;

loading alert.cvi

The government's been doing its best to fight the disease. There's a press conference soon, and I'll most likely have to write another article about it to appear on the city's intranet.

[update rewritten because writing error/ i'm kinda stupid at night AND I CAN'T CODE HTML EITHER]

We're kinda blind here. Let's hook your eyes up to Crux.

Begin Operation OccipitalVisualizer.cvi

teamsleep 2010/06/07(Mon)12:43 No. 189839 ID: 0f9dad
File 12759398108.png - (76.33KB , 1014x640 , optical.png )

error: program not found
initiating operation metercycle.cvi
{root=true
program found.
begin operation: FivePointoptical.cvi

teamsleep 2010/06/07(Mon)12:45 No. 189841 ID: 0f9dad
File 127593995690.jpg - (50.90KB , 480x344 , a.jpg )

loading complete.
Hold on a second, are you running programs externally or something? What?

Anze thinks she's overthinking. She wants to stop thinking. Even overthinking is thinking too hard. So much confusion.

Aside from that, it just looks like another morning, yet it has been anything but.

>>189841
huh? no we are doing whatever it is we do.

teamsleep 2010/06/07(Mon)14:15 No. 189898 ID: 0f9dad
File 127594530024.jpg - (13.40KB , 478x338 , tired.jpg )

>huh? no we are doing whatever it is we do.
But I don't know what that i- ugh, nevermind.

>>189898
you're making too big a deal about it. go talk to someone else that has us installed and ask how their's works.

teamsleep 2010/06/07(Mon)15:09 No. 189935 ID: 0f9dad
File 127594854465.jpg - (18.27KB , 460x434 , find help.jpg )

>you're making too big a deal about it. go talk to someone else that has us installed and ask how their's works.
Right, right, I should get to work. A walk will do me good.

Maybe someone knows what's going on here.

teamsleep 2010/06/07(Mon)15:13 No. 189942 ID: 0f9dad
File 127594878844.jpg - (160.69KB , 800x600 , aerial.jpg )

Someone's got to know.

teamsleep 2010/06/07(Mon)17:39 No. 190013 ID: 0f9dad
File 127595756894.jpg - (89.51KB , 500x375 , office.jpg )

Underhill Technologies was where I went to get augmented with Crux. If anything, they should know what's happening.

A bored-looking man is at the desk.

let's see if he knows anything interesting. ask him what's up.

teamsleep 2010/06/12(Sat)13:43 No. 192678 ID: 0f9dad
File 127637542786.png - (19.92KB , 478x362 , do you.png )

>let's see if he knows anything interesting. ask him what's up.

"Hello, can I help you?"

The man looks up as he speaks, his voice monotone and slightly tinny, as if his speaking voice had been run through a parametric equalizer that had been incorrectly preset.

"Yes," Anze replies, trying to smile. On the inside she's very scared, but she doesn't want to make this possibly small problem into a big one.

"Okay then, what are you having an issue with?"

Everything.

"Eh, I think Crux is having a security issue."

"Is that so?" He says, large silver eyes looking over a pair of glasses. Now he's interested.

Anze shifts from left foot to right, trying to recount the morning. "I woke up this morning as usual and expected, but I also awoke to... voices in my head. The voices seems to know as much as I do about it, which isn't much."

The man is quite interested now.

"Oh, is that so? Well, it's certainly nice to know they weren't malicious, because if so, you'd be on the ground right now," he says, getting up. His voice is suddenly becoming colorful as his attention increases. "Perhaps we'll have to take a look under-the-hood, so to speak."

˙ɟɟo ǝʞɐʇ oʇ buıʇɹɐʇs sı ʇoןd ǝɥʇ uǝɥʍ ʇsnظ ˙uɐɯ pɐq sןǝǝɟ 'pɐǝɹɥʇ sıɥʇ dɯnq oʇ ǝʌɐɥ ı ǝʌǝıןǝq ʇ,uɐɔ ı

>>192678
What does he mean by under the hood? Is he gonna crack open your head and poke your brain?

>>192678
You might as well tell him that you feel your system's been compromised... voices and odd thoughts... I'll warn you though. We aren't exactly 'system standard.'

You'll be lucky to pick us up on a scan.

teamsleep 2010/06/13(Sun)13:17 No. 193145 ID: 0f9dad
File 127646023983.png - (74.10KB , 479x361 , earth.png )

>What does he mean by under the hood? Is he gonna crack open your head and poke your brain?
Shit, I don't know-

"Sir?"

The man stares, blank at first. Then a smile spreads across his face. "Please, call me Sergei."

"Okay then, Sergei, but, when you say look under the hood..."

The man Sergei laughs, as if this is the funniest joke in the world but only he understood it. "Ah, it was just shop-talk. You'll be under general anesthetic; It's really no different from say a spinal tap or an endoscopy. It really shouldn't take long. Look, all our instruments are safe."

"I'm not so sure-"

"Hey, you said you were having security problems, right?"

>You might as well tell him that you feel your system's been compromised... voices and odd thoughts... I'll warn you though. We aren't exactly 'system standard.'

Anze swallows hard, but this is something she has to do. Right?

"Yes, a very bad issue, I believe I might be compromised."

Sergei looks askance for a moment.

"Then you would be in favor of a check, no?


I mean, it's a slow work day, so I most likely can start it up right now. It shouldn't take longer than... I don't know, an hour? To get finished. Why don't you lie down and we'll get started?"

>You'll be lucky to pick us up on a scan.
Should I really tell him that?

"Sure, that sounds great," Anze says with a straight face.

teamsleep 2010/06/13(Sun)13:17 No. 193146 ID: 0f9dad
File 127646025797.png - (31.33KB , 481x281 , 123.png )

"Alright, this shouldn't take long..."

teamsleep 2010/06/13(Sun)13:17 No. 193147 ID: 0f9dad
File 127646027458.png - (70.84KB , 479x354 , asleep.png )

Anze is becoming very tired

teamsleep 2010/06/13(Sun)13:18 No. 193148 ID: 0f9dad
File 127646029493.png - (77.17KB , 640x400 , 000.png )

...It's almost serene.

teamsleep 2010/06/13(Sun)13:24 No. 193151 ID: 0f9dad
File 127646066441.png - (98.11KB , 640x400 , 0.png )

!

Something tight grips around Anze's neck- is that her neck? Is that my neck? I can't see anythi

What you did, I'll admit was creative. I truly would recommend you not struggle, however.

A new voice, mechanical and almost toneless. Anze can't make out a gender. However, she can feel pain, which confuses her- just seconds ago she was drifting to sleep.

Don't struggle, I won't hurt you.

Anze feels like she's just attempted to breathe through her nose in a pool filled with chlorine.

Let me go-

You heard what was said.

well this is a rock and a hard place, just go with the flow.

>>193151
Who are you?

>>193151
Oy newvoice... get y'ere own head... didn'cha read the sign? no vacancies! Also, what's with all the heavy equipment outside. I was told there wasn't going to be any demo work in here! Just a little drilling.

teamsleep 2010/06/17(Thu)13:19 No. 194990 ID: 0f9dad
File 127680595118.png - (275.11KB , 1014x640 , aggressive.png )

Walk with me.

There's irony in the fact Anze can't walk. Yet she "follows" as well as she can. She's terrified.

>Who are you?

I do not have a name. A conventional name. I do not depend on names for identification.

"So you're nameless?"

Not quite. As I have said do not have a conventional name as your species does- first and last names are impossible. The most recent incarnation- I suppose I have copied, compiled, installed, uninstalled, deleted and quarantined multiple times- of my properties, I am Scylla.A.nxi.

"What do you want with me?"

I'm... I don't know.

teamsleep 2010/06/17(Thu)13:19 No. 194991 ID: 0f9dad
File 127680596487.png - (206.29KB , 1014x640 , 108.png )

No. Incorrect. I had a motive-have a motive. I did not assume the chance would come this quickly. It can somewhat wait. Walk with me, I said.

"I can't walk."

Not in the traditional sense. I was attempting to comfort you by using one of your terms. Follow me. It gets lonely with only the dead and artificial for company.





This is a very vast place. Anze. Is that your conventional name?















"Yes?"

You take your time to reply. Are you scared? I can tell- having access to your neurological output- but that doesn't tell me why. I do know why, but I rarely talk. "Talk". I suppose I am not actually talking right now.



"H-honestly, I don't know how I'm supposed to answer..."

Then simply don't.

teamsleep 2010/06/17(Thu)13:19 No. 194992 ID: 0f9dad
File 127680598421.png - (85.52KB , 640x400 , span.png )

>Oy newvoice... get y'ere own head... didn'cha read the sign? no vacancies! Also, what's with all the heavy equipment outside. I was told there wasn't going to be any demo work in here! Just a little drilling.

Scylla.A.nxi makes a noise Anze wouldn't have been surprised to call laughing.

A lot of different programs call you your home, don't they? Why don't your friends introduce themselves to me?

No? They're just voices in your head? I doubt that. Are they afraid to manifest themselves to me?


























"What do you want with me?"

A domain, girl. I am tired of running. Right now I'm doing my hardest not to be detected by that scan that man is doing. I do not wish to threaten, but my livelihood is at stake here.

I will not go easily if you decline. Your species' neural-interfaces are too deeply rooted in the brain. I could easily mimic the effects of transorbital lobotomy. Without releasing my full payload.

You could say I am a virus, but I do not wish to be unless I have to. I have spread to many targets for survival. I am tired of this. Each time I've thought of memories of what I was previously before existing- and I do not want to.

But I do not have that much time, as I believe your anesthesia is beginning to expire. Consider what I have said. There are many

teamsleep 2010/06/17(Thu)13:20 No. 194993 ID: 0f9dad
File 127680600724.png - (41.82KB , 450x304 , 111112.png )

Anze's eyes snap open, oxygen filling her lungs. Everything is still blurry and coming into focus. Sergei's face is obscured, but his head is tilted to the side in curiousity.

"I was unable to find anything, but I was concerned as your vital signs were at a statistic not unlike someone running a marathon. Was something wrong?"

say it was a nightmare, dreamed he was taking out your brain and using it in a tank.

>>194993
No, don't tell him. Scylla appears to be harmless. Just say you were having a nightmare.

teamsleep 2010/06/23(Wed)07:56 No. 197619 ID: 0f9dad
File 12773049981.png - (46.39KB , 450x304 , pause.png )

>accidentally my camera. at the moment paused.

teamsleep 2010/06/25(Fri)16:28 No. 198942 ID: 0f9dad
File 127750851761.jpg - (35.14KB , 450x304 , BN140201.jpg )

>No, don't tell him. Scylla appears to be harmless. Just say you were having a nightmare.

"Oh, it was nothing. Just a nightmare."

"Are you sure? You looked pretty bothered there."

"It was just about you taking out my brain and putting it in a tank," Anze concludes with nervous laughter.

If it didn't go over with Sergei, he doesn't show it.

"Hehe, alright then," he says, starting to put away the equipment. "You might have a bit of a headache for a little bit, but you'll be fine. If you continue to have problems like this, come back and we'll have a more in-depth look."



Anze's vision begins to clear up and

teamsleep 2010/06/25(Fri)16:28 No. 198944 ID: 0f9dad
File 127750853076.png - (157.44KB , 1024x768 , attention.png )

uɔʌ

teamsleep 2010/06/25(Fri)16:29 No. 198946 ID: 0f9dad
File 127750857175.gif - (43.55KB , 1014x640 , startup.gif )

From the top.

teamsleep 2010/06/25(Fri)16:30 No. 198948 ID: 0f9dad
File 127750865589.png - (109.23KB , 1014x640 , elt.png )

Good morning, beautiful.

You're a card.

I try my hardest.

What's in store for today?

>>198948
Hello. Um. You said before that we weren't just voices in her head. Thing is we're not sure what we are. Could be part of the 'epidemic'... Uh, I guess I'll try to do something.

[manifest]

teamsleep 2010/06/25(Fri)19:22 No. 199038 ID: 0f9dad
File 127751897762.jpg - (143.31KB , 448x560 , g20 wake up.jpg )

>>198953
>Hello. Um.

Well, what do we have here?

A prone body sits up from its stupor much quicker than it did in days before.

Looks like we have a new visitor.

I don't like this. You're becoming almost a motel for these things.

You're one of "these things", you know.

I just don't think... being so welcoming is a good idea.

True, true.

New to me.


>You said before that we weren't just voices in her head.

I said that? This one seems to be awfully confused.

I didn't know it was even here.

Some program you are.

Well, I'm not perfect.

Hehe, that's been your mantra for a while now. You should get it copyrighted.

It's trying to manifest, by the way.

The person yawns while shaking her head, brunette hair twisting in some fan-generated breeze.


No shit. I might let it since more or less I'm going down that route.

So what happens to be your story?

>>199038
WHAT. We're in someone else's head now?

Okay, who are you then? Who's this 'program'?

We're, uh, something. We're not really sure what, except that we think we're some kinda program running in CruxOS, or that if we're not properly a CruxOS program, then we're at least capable of calling up programs in the head of whoever we're being hosted by.

Something like that, anyways. Don't really have a name of our own.

Who're you lady? Who're you, other voice?

teamsleep 2010/06/29(Tue)18:05 No. 201006 ID: 0f9dad
File 127785995490.png - (116.31KB , 640x400 , mind.png )

>WHAT. We're in someone else's head now?
Were you in someone else's comp before?

>We're, uh, something. We're not really sure what, except that we think we're some kinda program running in CruxOS, or that if we're not properly a CruxOS program, then we're at least capable of calling up programs in the head of whoever we're being hosted by.

Crux is a cheap shit. If you can overtake a user being a manifest, that's terrible.

It's not like what you're running right now is better.

Shut up.

Nonetheless.

>Something like that, anyways. Don't really have a name of our own.

Well, okay then, stranger.



>Who're you lady? Who're you, other voice?

You can call me.... No. That's not proper.

Vancouver was a city before that disease ravaged everything. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch van Coevorden. Not my name, though. Used to be in my family. Before the disease, agaYou're talking in circles.

A transition's been made.

Whatever. I'm Skadi, she's Charybdis.

teamsleep 2010/06/29(Tue)18:06 No. 201008 ID: 0f9dad
File 127785997720.jpg - (337.15KB , 1280x960 , 0f.jpg )

This is the infranet.

teamsleep 2010/06/29(Tue)18:10 No. 201012 ID: 0f9dad
File 127786023088.jpg - (69.94KB , 480x320 , once was enough.jpg )

Well, partially. A visualization would be the best name for it.

The point is, we are here.

huh, well what goes on here? and i think it would be nice to find a way back, we promised to help the person and i'll be damned if we broke it.

teamsleep 2010/06/29(Tue)18:50 No. 201038 ID: 0f9dad
File 127786263756.jpg - (315.22KB , 1155x768 , 03.jpg )

>huh, well what goes on here?
Well, like Char said, this is a visualization of the infranet. The actual thing is even bigger.

I'm looking for someone. But that's something personal.

>and i think it would be nice to find a way back, we promised to help the person and i'll be damned if we broke it.

I'll keep an eye ou-

teamsleep 2010/06/29(Tue)18:50 No. 201040 ID: 0f9dad
File 127786265729.png - (77.38KB , 640x400 , manifest.png )

crap

teamsleep 2010/06/29(Tue)18:52 No. 201041 ID: 0f9dad
File 127786276649.png - (168.54KB , 640x400 , hostile.png )

That's a hostile manifest. Do you know how to combat one? Ugh, I don't have time.

acierice.la loaded.

This should at least keep her alright. If it gets any closer, we have an issue.

no, we don't. only thing we may have is that we are we, not I, so mind control would prove impossible.

teamsleep 2010/07/08(Thu)16:57 No. 205048 ID: 0f9dad
File 127863345592.jpg - (128.88KB , 640x400 , atdi5.jpg )

>no, we don't. only thing we may have is that we are we, not I, so mind control would prove impossible.

Neuken. Damnit.






















Wait a second.

teamsleep 2010/07/08(Thu)16:58 No. 205049 ID: 0f9dad
File 127863351084.png - (108.86KB , 640x400 , 08.png )

It appears that the manifest has snapped itself in two.










It's still heading this w

teamsleep 2010/07/08(Thu)17:00 No. 205052 ID: 0f9dad
File 127863360874.png - (103.57KB , 640x400 , 10101.png )

anze?

























anze? are you there? please respond. anze?
















I... I hurt.

hello?

>>205052
Hi, we're back. It looks like we're kindof split between more than one person right now though. I'm not sure what's going on.

computer's working again?

oh yeah.gif

>hello?
Hello.

>Hi, we're back. It looks like we're kindof split between more than one person right now though. I'm not sure what's going on.

I wasn't the only one.

Those things- they fought me off, took control for a while, but now it looks like they escaped. I can't understand why they suddenly left.

















where am i?

As in location? I don't know. I can look for a familiar place. Two places I do know about. The first is a sort of nexus of sorts for manifests when they're not...

in my head?

Not your head, specifically, but you can say that. Usually news travels fast through the infranet- Perhaps one of them has knowledge on this situation.

What is the other option?

The other option is following the network signature and getting out of here. While this could take us out of here, those signatures can have several security measures or be extremely long to find out.

so uhhhh, where are we physically?

>so uhhhh, where are we physically?

yeah, where am I?

Physically I assume still in sergei's room, but right now your consciousness- better word would be neural-interface is situated in the Infranet.

>>215984
Oh, lovely, we're confined to the local network.
Oh well, nothing much we can do about that at the moment.

looks like we are gonna have to go decker, or would it be more like uplink? anyway, we need hax programs.

>anyway, we need hax programs.

Heheh.

What do you have in mind?

offensive and defensive algorithms. perhaps cloak so as to hide our signature and a silencer that makes it so any network entities that spot us cannot call in reinforcements.
after that a scanner and a decrypter would be useful for any secure files we may come across.