Commander Gogigobo Fairhug - To Catch a Virus
griz86
((The Hub, Deck 6, Command Center, StarBase 118))
There was no possible way to sort through all this code to find out any helpful information, because whatever was affecting their systems had already covered its tracks.
McLaren: Well I guess we have our work cut out for us then...
Fairhug: Are there any programs being run in any of the holosuites at the moment?
The answer was almost certainly yes, but it was still a question that needed asking.
T'Reyna: Evan organized a holodeck historical venture today.. ::she informed, her fingers curling in a strained worry:: ...our station and crew are in danger. Orders?
Gogi put his hands on his hips and let out something between a sigh and a grunt.
If this was related to what he thought it was, then it was not going to be a simple fix.
Still, he didn't want to say the name out loud just yet. Sol had already reminded him what happened when you tempted the universe. Perhaps if he didn't say it, their luck would change.
Fairhug: Hopefully Lieutenant Korras got enough of your message for him, Marsh and Whittaker to be curious enough to check out what is happening. Sol, what do you think the chances are of getting comms back up?
McLaren: If I were an engineer? Probably pretty good, as it is?
Fairhug: The crew in the holodeck may be in trouble, if we can't let them know, they may not realise it until it's too late.
McLaren: They'll realize... :: She looked to T'Reyna. :: they're all very capable.
T’Reyna: Agreed, yet survival within a hostile simulation with safety protocols offline is unlikely with a supercomputer algorithm dedicated to chaos.
He brought one hand up to scratch at his beard once again.
Fairhug: If we can't do anything else in the meantime, then maybe we can at least try to track the origin of this code. Let's take another look and see if there are any clues in there.
Sol stepped toward the large screen that T'Reyna had pulled up.
McLaren: Some of this looks familiar....
T’Reyna: I am afraid these symbols are alien to me.
Fairhug: Oh and er, one more thing…::pointing to the feline on top of T'Reyna's console:: whose cat is that?!
Sol shrugged.
McLaren: Not mine... Im more of a dog person...
The Vulcan pursed her lips and looked at the animal’s collar.
T’Reyna: It is named ... Aster. It appears to have an address inlain on the collar, directing to the Hong Kong District. He is far from home, Commander.
McLaren: Im sure we'll be able to reunite them with their owner once we figure out whats going on with our systems.
T'Reyna: Agreed. I shall temporarily care for the creature.
Gogi eyed the feline. Something didn’t quite sit right with him about the fact that it had appeared in the hub at all, but he wrote it off as a quirk of whatever was going on with the computer systems. T’Reyna had mentioned a transporter malfunction earlier. That must have been how the cat had got there.
Fairhug: Okay…just make sure it doesn’t walk over any important controls.
While he and T’Reyna discussed the cat, Sol had continued to try to decipher the code on the large screen.
McLaren: :: pointing at a section :: Does this look familiar to anyone else?
T'Reyna: I am not familiar.
The Bardeezan stepped closer to the screen, arms folded across his chest.
Fairhug: ::narrowing his eyes:: I don’t *think* so.
McLaren: Ive seen things like it in the past... :: she rubbed her chin, frowning slightly. :: I just can't remember where.
Fairhug: What’s your gut telling you?
McLaren: If I didn't know any better I'd say it was Orion... but... its pretty different from what I remember of their stuff...
T'Reyna: ...The irony would be palpable, if proven true.
Orion. It was a branch of the Syndicate that had been responsible for bringing the virus in last year that had wreaked havoc on the base. This was not looking good.
Fairhug: Is there anything we can do to prove or disprove that theory?
T'Reyna: I shall separate standard Federation coding configurations from Orion scripts and symbols using a translation algorithm and file-separation bypass.
T’Reyna tapped away at the new console she had moved to, unblinking as her fingers worked like a focused machine. As she did, Gogi turned to Sol.
Fairhug: If this is Orion, then that would suggest that we might have another unwelcome visitor on the base.
McLaren: ???
The large screen split into two sides. Numbers, symbols and letters began to slide into one or the other, compiling data from the actual holodeck update... and the hidden Orion malware between its lines. As they visually split off from one another in rapid succession, it became clear why nobody picked up on it. The new data had been hidden so well across the entire program, none would have seen it unless they had been looking for it.
After a few moments, the two programs had been separated. On one, the holodeck updates. Upon the other, the hidden Orion code. T'Reyna stepped away from her console to retrieve the feline, holding the furry beast in her arms as she read the message upon the screen.
T'Reyna: This Orion code indicates power and authorization access had been transferred to an assemblage already located within our systems. The virus controlling the station was not located within this program, thus why I am unable to track it. The virus was already within our systems, Commanders.
Gogi looked over to Sol. It had to be…
Fairhug: Lemoncable.
McLaren: ??
T'Reyna: ...There appears to be an encrypted message here. These numbers are not code. That is, logically speaking, a version of binary-- an... Orion cipher.
Aster the Cat: Mrow
Gogi looked down at the cat, with a frown, before looking back up at Sol and T’Reyna.
Fairhug: ::thinking out loud:: A message for who?
McLaren: ??
T’Reyna: Response
Fairhug: Do you think you might be able to crack it, Sol?
McLaren: Response
T’Reyna: Response
Once again, Gogi was reminded that their Vulcan security officer had not joined the crew yet the last time Lemoncable was on the loose. It was time to catch her up on exactly what they were dealing with.
Fairhug: The Lemoncable virus is sentient, which obviously presented us with a problem when we eventually got it under control last time.
McLaren/T’Reyna: Responses
Fairhug: We essentially imprisoned it while we waited for a better way of dealing with it to present itself. Unfortunately, up until now, it still hasn’t. That’s something that we’re going to have to consider again.
McLaren/T’Reyna: Responses
Fairhug: We also need to find whoever broke it out. How could they have gained access to our systems?
McLaren/T’Reyna: Responses
TAG/TBC
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Commanding Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
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