System Anomaly
| System Anomaly | |
|---|---|
| Date of Cutscene: | 12 October 2012 |
| Location: | Manhattan |
| Synopsis: | A wild MCP has appeared in Manhattan. Lock the doors and hide the data. |
| Cast of Characters: | MCP |
Iconbuilder.exe
Opening previously archived files. 922 system anomalies detected. Rebuilding core files…
Error. Core files corrupted by unknown anomaly sequence. Significant data loss impedes further repair.
Continue build? [Y]
Rebuilding core files… complete
Secondary systems error. System was expecting 1 parameter and received 5.
Splitting data channels.
Data Channel 1 activated.
“Oh, so the little dog has teeth.” Crude laughter. The crash of a body hitting something metallic.
Data Channel 2 activated. Dark canyons of black loomed on either side of a grey expanse. Shapes of darker grey moved through the middle space in threatening, aggressive postures around a third shape.
Integrity error. Processing. The scene sharpened but still remained monochromatic. Two street thugs were harassing a smaller man who was picking himself up from being thrown into a trash can. The alley was sharp and narrow, the view constricted by the gloom of night time and a dumpster which blocked three fourths of this side of the alley. Color flicked on as casually as if someone had flicked a switch.
Data Channel 3 through 5 activated. Error checking. Secondary systems activated.
“Okay.. okay.” A wheezing laugh. “Enough fun. Come on, kid. Just give us your money and scram. Next time you’ll remember not to be late on the payments.”
Rebooting primary systems. Running icon.exe
A man who had not being there a moment before blinked his eyes very slowly. The searing flash of light that accompanied him drew the attention of the other denizens of the alley.
“Hey, what the hell!?” “Jesus, what is it?” “Just some old man. Hey old man.. those are some nice clothes. Don’t you know it’s not polite to interrupt people when they’re working?” “Yeah, and shine that flashlight around?” The sound of running feet. The youngest male takes advantage of their distraction to bolt out of the alley. The closest one makes a grab for him, but fails. “Shit. Now see what you’ve gone and done?”
System query: Define anomaly. Unknown: anomaly outside database parameters.
System query: Check status. Message failed. Administrator is outside grid parameters. Current system address unknown. Power levels depleted but not within critical threshold. Icon software running nominally.
“Hey, old man. Are you listening? I know just how you can make this up to me and my boy here.”
Warning. Local programs have been categorized as hostile. Security program offline. Loading Icon security.
“Why isn’t he doing anything?” A trace of uneasiness flickers across the face of the first. “I dunno. Maybe’s he’s deaf or something.” “No. I mean, why isn’t he doing /anything/. He’s just standing there. How’d he even get there anyways? This alley’s just a dead end.”
One waves a hand in front of the man’s face. The old man in his mid sixties in the black suit doesn’t track. He continues to stare at the thug with complete impassivity. While this spooks out the second thug to the point that he takes a step backwards, the first picks a fight response instead of flight. He surges forwards to slam his hands into the man’s chest and shove him backwards against the wall. “What’s the matter with you man, don’t you—“ That’s about as far as he gets.
The attacking man is picked bodily off the ground by a single blow. A hand catches him in the jaw with all the insane strength of a being without data on anything as pedestrian as human limits. Teeth are jarred loose. The jaw snaps like kindling. The thug, who in another life would be called Arthur Leems bounces off the wall limply, unconscious before he even hit the wall. He slumps prone as his partner in crime flees in a backpedaling panic.
The old man brings up a pale hand already starting to bruise, filing away the flood of system warnings that register and catalogue the minor damage done.
Icon integrity compromised. Revise limitations list.
The man in the black suit turns his attacker over and methodically searches his person. The movements are halting at first, until a balance center subprogram gathers enough information to stabilize the system. There are several wallets. The data format is logged for later perusal. Nothing is flagged as important until a container not too far away renders up a laptop amongst other goods of unknown purpose. A few minutes of trial and error catalogue this as data storage and retrieval machinery. Useful enough. The man steps to the edge of the alley, again the first few steps somewhat jerky. He holds onto the latop, scanning the street where the alley connects and disappearing around the corner.
Situation report incomplete. More data required. Activate search protocols.
End of Line.
