InsaneJournal

(Post a new comment)

lunkhead 2010-07-30 04:08 am UTC (link)

Spike had been able to gather sufficient proof that the girl was, indeed, the Edward he knew. From her quirks to her knowledge to her trademark calling card, she'd proven her identity. Still, however, he wasn't sure what to expect or just how much he could say. He doubted the network was secure from their captors and, for all he knew, Ed could have been forced to lure him to room 406. Then there was the matter of recognizing the kid. Nineteen: she was nineteen years old by some illogical twist of events (or, at the very least, had been drugged to the point of believing that she was older). Would she look the same? Things were a little more complicated than would be ideal, but if anyone could get to 'the heads' and crack this prison of a location, they were the ones. (He hoped.) At the very least, the fact that he'd been left armed and Ed had a computer system indicated that they'd been severely underestimated. Such was always an advantage. It sucked that the kid had been dragged into what - if his hunch was correct - would be something akin to Hell without the fire and brimstone; but she was right. If nobody else, they could trust each other. That had to be more than most could say. When he reached room 406, Spike leaned one shoulder against the door frame and gave it a light kick instead of knocking. Rather than laziness, it was an attempt to blend in with the noises of her computer re-wiring while still getting her attention. (Surely, she would know what her own actions sounded like. She was a professional, after all.) He didn't know where - if anywhere - the metaphorical eyes and ears were in this place, but having nosy residents eavesdrop to see who was visiting didn't sound like a good idea. (Reply to this) (Thread)

radicalhacker 2010-07-30 04:24 am UTC (link)

One more clue that the red haired young woman at the laptop really was Ed was the return of her calling card, the loud smiley faces, to the background of her computer system. As she pulled a graceful (as graceful as a hacker could be) grab of the VR goggles she heard the kick, a sign it was indeed Spike since it was a very common sound aboard the Bebop. That was when she threw in one more trick since few very knew of how flexible she could be, she used a back walkover to grab a stray screw driver. Bright green eyes peeked up when she came out of the move and spotted Spike and used the exact same line from when she met the crew. "Ed will introduce Ed. Full name Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV" as she waved the screw driver in the air. Yes her quirks were alive and kicking but the skinny jeans, tee and ankle boots were a change from the tank tops and shorts she once wore. The room meanwhile was a mess of tools, computer gear and of all things Ed had gotten her hands on a welding torch. "Been trying every trick I could think of but nothing is clicking" she was finally honest. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lunkhead 2010-07-30 05:20 am UTC (link)

Spike wasn't surprised to find how easy the door was to kick open. He figured security was the last thing the crazies who'd taken them would want to give. All the better to sneak in and reassemble the human anatomy, or something like that - provided he wasn't just being paranoid based on past experience. (He hadn't bothered to stop and check if she'd left the door partially open.) At least the girl had a mini-arsenal of blunt and sharp objects to defend herself with, should anyone else follow his example. His gaze trailed from the mess of tools and computer parts to the screen - on which a very familiar army of smiley faces rested - then to the VR goggles. Those were definitely the same goggles to which he'd become accustomed, and he had yet to meet anyone else as flexible as the little trick demonstrated. So it really was the infamous Radical Edward, his one-time bounty hunting partner and (though he was hesitant to admit it) friend. She acted the same, spoke the same, and had the same eyes and smile that he knew. The rest, however... Well, it was clear that she hadn't just been drugged into thinking she was nineteen. She looked older and dressed in a manner which made her look less like an androgynous, alien child. "If you named yourself, how can you be the fourth?" he asked, remembering that she'd not revealed on the network (or to many people overall) that she'd named herself. There wasn't so much as a hint of real confusion in his expression, as he'd long since grown used to the botched logic of the young genius. She more than made up for her quirks with usefulness. Spike stepped inside, smirking slightly when he saw the welding torch, and shut the door. "I was afraid you'd say that," he admitted. "Maybe once the system's fully operational..." The sentence trailed off as he produced a cigarette from seemingly nowhere (as he often did) and lit it. Already, he could tell that they were in for the long haul. "What's the real theory," he asked lowly, "about this place?" He had his own, but it was one which he was more than a little uncomfortable sharing. Spike just wasn't a man to speak openly of the past, let alone to someone he viewed as a child (even if said child was an ally). It would take a little coaxing to get it out of him, though he'd promised to explain. Besides, she'd mentioned having a theory of her own... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

radicalhacker 2010-07-30 06:32 am UTC (link)

Even Edward had forgotten she had left the door open in case of another power outage mid rewiring job and it showed, a rare thing for someone like her. But she had gotten her hands on plenty of small but sharp objects just in case she did have to fight back (mostly since she was better with keyboards the fighting). "You never know, there could just be another one out there somewhere" she flashed the same cheery smile she had always been known for. But that one admission was proof he was indeed Spike since the fact she named herself was known by very few. "The bulk of the rewiring is done, just have to fine tune a few things to allow for the goggles and figure out if the system here has any unusual quirks and maybe another test hack just to be sure" she explained, being careful not to slip into hard core tech lingo. "One thing coming to mind besides bounty heads out for revenge is something like Pierrot Le Fou or even the Brain Scratch nuts" thinking of the two most likely bounties that could pull something like this. "Space gates don't seem reasonable since the moon here is at least pre gate accident and I know the system like clockwork" having ran her hunch through the software. "Plus I'm going over the note via another bit of software as another option". "As for the torch, part rewiring and part decent in a pinch weapon". (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lunkhead 2010-07-30 07:10 am UTC (link)

"And you would know them, I'm sure," he muttered with a slight laugh. It really was good to have a known ally, all things considered. At least it made the decision of choosing who to trust a little easier, even if she did have him lost with several of the finer tech details. He was more of the mechanic sort when it came to handiwork: hand him a broken fighter ship and he could patch it up before the night was over (given access to the proper replacement parts). Hand him a broken computer, and... Well, usually, he'd just kick it. "I thought of Brain Scratch," he said, moving to sit on an arm of the nearest chair. "If one of them was even half as good as you are with this stuff... It'd make sense to try to recreate the illusion." He paused to take a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled with a muttered, "Also makes sense we'd be taken." He thought for a moment, remembering how close Londes had come to drawing him in as well; but he also knew that - with a little effort - he'd managed to break through. Was that because of Ed's timing, or some technical detail of his false eye? He didn't feel like explaining the dilemma, so simplified the thought when spoken. "Whatever Londes did, it only half-worked on me. I've tried to find holes in this since I got here, and it seems solid. Impossible, but solid. I don't think we're dreaming, kid." He nudged a nearby tool with one foot just to have something to do and looked at her for a moment. "And Pierrot's dead. I promise he's not coming back from that one." Yeah, the crazy bastard deflected bullets and flew; but Spike felt confident that nobody could live through being smashed to death by a gigantic, robotic dog. What a way to go... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

radicalhacker 2010-07-30 07:31 am UTC (link)

"There is always that chance!" Ed had to smile, a much lighter moment in the midst of some hard core crazy was never a bad thing. She nodded,"For now Brain Scratch is still on the list but axing Pierrot Le Fou since you have a point" making a note on the laptop which held the ongoing and well encrypted list. "Only thing that really bothers me is if this is an illusion then I would have to be wearing the goggles" she offered as a second idea. She swallowed, this other hunch a more scary one. "Can't believe I'm even thinking this but we can't rule out the Red Dragons given our history" finally saying what was on her mind. "Heck we can't even rule out anyone that may just be an old bounty out for revenge at this point" dark eyes speaking more than words. "But the moon bothers me more, I mean I know the gate accident era version of the moon and its just too uncanny". (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lunkhead 2010-07-30 08:20 am UTC (link)

Spike's expression grew somber when she mentioned the Red Dragons. "Without Mao..." He hesitated, taking the opportunity to calm his nerves with another deep breath of nicotine-laced smoke. "...it's possible." Given what he knew of the 'Dragons, their involvement would make sense of not disarming him. There was an honor code even among the corrupt, one which denied the privilege of attacking those without reasonable methods of self-defense. Once the opponent had gun in hand, shooting it away was a totally different matter, of course; but on principle alone the theory had merit. "Wouldn't be the first time they got mixed up in something too big for their own good. But... Why would they bring you into this? The you that's..." Yeah, that was just a weird sentence. He didn't bother finishing it, and instead amended for clarity: "Why not just grab you on your way out, before getting me?" What difference would it make to them whether she was nineteen or thirteen? Maybe she had pissed them off at some point during her timeline, but... Just contemplating the possibility made his head hurt. He ran a hand through his hair, making it even more unruly than it already was, and slid down so that he was sitting properly in the chair. "Some of the others think it's fake; the phases aren't accurate, or something. When Dora told me, I thought someone was trying to rebuild Earth... dome over a crater, project a holographic moon, and pretend the disaster never happened. But now it seems much bigger than that." It took a bit of awkward silence to convince him to (ever so slowly) tread into the territory, but Spike looked directly into Ed's eyes and broached the topic he'd promised earlier. "I don't think we're here by chance," he explained. "We were chosen for a reason. Someone knows how to sneak in on us - all of us. Otherwise, I'd have shot the bastard and you'd still be where you belong." He really did sound like a paranoid, but he didn't notice. It was part of the way his mind worked when treading such territory as his past. "I know who might have done this; and they may know more than we think, if I'm right," he said, looking away from her under the guise of stretching and cracking his neck. The undercurrent of discomfort was evident in his general demeanor, however, and there was a darkness in his gaze seen only when he had murder on mind. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

radicalhacker 2010-07-30 08:35 am UTC (link)

Ed knew she would need a few blanks filled in about the Red Dragons since she only knew portions but it could wait. "But at the same time how comes there are others besides you and me? When I went looking for parts I did some recon just from listening and this place has everything from a professional thief" meaning the blonde haired woman she had not caught a name for,"To people that look to be from whole other time periods pre gate accident". She then offered,"But the moon phases is something I can easily track and keep notes on via the laptop" her way of saying she was on it. Dark green eyes met brown as she spoke,"Why would we be chosen? I mean I know I have a rep online but cyberspace is a whole different story" since her alter ego has a pretty massive rep in their true time. At the same time she knew just how paranoid Spike could be at times and was ready for it. "For right now we just have to keep our guard up and consider anything and everything suspect. I'm adding extra encryption to the laptop since if they know I'm a hacker they could attempt to hack me" she finally spoke. But the younger woman's hand was atop the table the whole time,"And besides we have something most don't, we're the cowboy and the hacker". (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lunkhead 2010-07-30 09:27 am UTC (link)

"And a woman with a panther... demon," he added, hesitant to speak the last word. It was beginning to feel more as if anything was possible, but he still didn't like feeling as if he were losing touch with sanity. Losing touch with reality was fine - if not an integral part of who he was when at his lowest - but sanity was an entirely different topic. Even when he went berserk on someone, he was fairly well in control of his actions. Spike considered that sanity, though perhaps it was something more along the lines of psychosis. "Don't know," he said flatly. "Maybe you pissed someone off. You said something about a job on Jupiter... The people I had in mind don't care much for criminals." Then again, hackers weren't anywhere near as offensive to morality as syndicate thugs. And he didn't honestly believe the mysterious figures from his past had a single ounce of morality in them. Why would that have changed now? "But then," he admitted, "I could be wrong." For the sake of his revenge, he hoped not. Yet, for the sake of his quirky, young friend, he hoped he was. It was a strange feeling - and one he didn't wish to claim - but he felt protective of her. He didn't want to see her get hurt. "So far, I haven't heard anything of actual... harm. Not without crossing the line. That's very uncharacteristic..." It wasn't as if he had names to add to the equation, anyway, so he didn't waste breath finishing the sentence. "Good." He crushed the remains of his cigarette against the chair arm and flicked it aside. "And be careful on the network, too." After all, its existence seemed a little too convenient. The 'residents' were all told to go out and socialize then given access to a network which connected them. That alone, he believed, was reason enough to suspect that their abductors had access to everything. But, in spite of the paranoia and the complete lack of knowing where, when, or why they were there, Ed managed to draw a smile from him. "The cowboy and the hacker," Spike repeated lowly, his smile slowly turning into something more akin to a smirk. "We're their fatal mistake." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

radicalhacker 2010-07-31 02:17 am UTC (link)

"A panther demon?" Ed's eyes almost bugged out at that one. "That is a new one but then not much can phase me anymore" thinking of old cases and things from her travels. "As for Jupiter it was a quick and routine freelance hacking job. But I can't think of anything that would even feel off unless its an old case coming back to haunt me". "I did find a mention of a line in several network posts" Ed offered. "Could that be a clue or something to at least keep track of?" she added. She nodded,"Will do, may not be able to encrypt everything but the fewer details the better right?" she offered. That was when her trademark cheery abet semi crazy smile came back,"The cowboy and the hacker, this place has no clue what we are really made of". (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lunkhead 2010-07-31 04:53 am UTC (link)

"Yeah. Something like a soul mate, and not very fond of outsiders." He shrugged. "I assumed she... they... were like Faye, at first. Said she was from Earth. The one before the gate disaster." Apparently, assumptions wouldn't get them anywhere. This was why Spike needed Ed on his team and vice versa: they each had their strengths and weaknesses, and those just happened to balance one another. "Keep track of everything about the line. Threats, consequences... anything. I have a plan to test it, but I'm waiting until I can lift some more ammo." Never mind that he'd already done a significant bit of searching and had yet to find anything close to spare ammunition; stealing things required knowing where they were. "Never know when I might need it, and if the plan doesn't work..." Seeing Ed's crazy smile once again gave Spike a certain sense of calmness - a feeling that things were as normal as they could be in the situation and things would play out in their favor. Now, to the hard part: making sense of things and sticking together... He was silent for a while, kicking idly at a screwdriver on the floor, as he thought about nothing in particular (yet everything at once). After a while, he nudged the screwdriver a few feet across the floor and stood, walking over to the window. He stayed off to the side as he looked out, watching quietly to see if there was any suspicious activity outside. Old habits died hard... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

radicalhacker 2010-07-31 08:37 am UTC (link)

"Will for sure dig into that one, could be something but could be nothing either" Ed nodded as she made a note onto the screen. "Before the gate accident? That proves one thing, this place is grabbing from all time periods since the Earth I know has falling chunks of moon attached". She nodded,"I've made a filter on the network to grab anything spoken of about the line to start with and will keep watching as well". Ed added,"Keep me posted on the ammunition hunt? Getting a small stash of supplies may not be a bad idea if we do have to fight and I'm keeping the torch for now". That was when a brainstorm hit,"Maybe we need a code of some sort, things only we would know like old bounties?". She caught the screwdriver with her boot, for the moment things feeling like old times back on the Bebop. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Deleted post)

radicalhacker 2010-08-01 05:41 am UTC (link)

Ed typed that into her laptop as Spike spoke,"I'll run a scan to see if any periods add up besides the two of us, maybe there is a common link of some sort". She then added,"But you're right, pretty sure we're hit for our time frame". Ed nodded,"Of course and if you run across computer parts grab them?" she asked: knowing Spike knew how constant her computer was and it might as well be a part of her. Her smile said it all as a smiley face danced across the screen,"I'm thinking along the lines of things only we would get like old bounties, things from around the Bebop and that sort of thing. But yes to changing it every so often to keep them guessing". As she spoke Ed plucked a screwdriver from the dresser, the old flexible side rushing back in the process. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Deleted post)

radicalhacker 2010-08-01 07:10 am UTC (link)

"Anything is worth a try at this point, even it its just me nosing around the network" Ed offered. "As for the parts when in doubt just ask, I'll try to keep the tech lingo to a dull roar" knowing she could tone down her cyber lingo if needed as she nodded,"I'll keep that in mind, ironic since I've seen you kick who knows how many things" since most of the time Spike's trick seemed to work. Her hair seemed to bounce as she worked,"What will the first code set be?". She was going over old cases, trying to find one that only she and Spike would understand. But that ran the map from a teddy bear bomber (and Andy) to a cult using computers. "Good question actually" as her fingers tapped along the keys of the keyboard, sending a little smiley face across the screen. "We're different in so many ways but at the same time there are things that are the same" sounding a little wacky but her brand of wacky. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Deleted post)

radicalhacker 2010-08-01 05:41 pm UTC (link)

Ed let out a howl of pure laughter, that case had been both memorable enough to inspire a code and now it was just a crazy set of events. "I love it! Nobody would get the idea of teddy bear bombers or what happened afterwards" meaning Cowboy Andy showing up soon after. After a moment of laughter she then went back to work on the computer and finally asked,"Crash course version of demon souls for the tech inclined?" since to be honest she was curious about the idea. She nodded,"You and I fight different, I hack and you go for the guns. But in the end its the same thing". (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Deleted post)

radicalhacker 2010-08-02 05:43 am UTC (link)

Ed nodded, it was making a little more sense at the time. "Like that one legend Jet said something about during a couple of bounties?" she asked just to clear things up. She added,"Sounds painful" but she would not say a word, she was just not the sort to spill things not meant to be spilled. "Smash anything really" she cracked a smile at the mental image of a laptop thrown at whoever was behind this. The sound of tapping keys could be heard as she was running a hunch,"But something bothers me, its all the different people with no common links. I've seen everything from a professional thief to magic users on the network via a few scans". (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Deleted post)

radicalhacker 2010-08-03 06:03 am UTC (link)

Ed nodded,"It makes a little more sense now that its explained". She tapped a few notes into the laptop as she spoke and yes she knew quite a bit from her days of staking the Bebop and of course via her skills as a hacker. After all, she was Radical Edward, a hacker with a rep in the pair's true time. "Its a valid hunvh and its something I'll play with too" she tapped the idea into the screen. The screen was now filled with various hunches, bits of code, the ever present smiley faces and an ongoing algoryhtm Ed was playing with for the network. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Deleted post)

radicalhacker 2010-08-04 03:48 am UTC (link)

"Gotcha and you know its the same for me" Ed nodded. She knew Spike could hold his own easily in a fight but she figured if he needed anything from tech advice to simple company she could at least offer that much. Because as she saw it they were a team again (and she could hope that they were friends now in spite of the her being older factor). "Expect an encrypted post later on with what I find". (Reply to this) (Parent)