316 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
316 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
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########## ### ### ##########
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Underground eXperts United
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Presents...
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[ Backfire ] [ By The GNN/Phearless ]
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____________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________
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"BACKFIRE"
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by PHEARLESS and THE GNN/DualCrew/uXu
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"The only thing we know about our future is that
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it will be mighty interesting..."
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(Arthur C. Clarke)
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FROM: Iri Santee Date: 29 july. 1998.
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TO: Michel Kovacs
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MICHEL,
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THE TESTING OF THE OBJECT WE HAVE DISCUSSED EARLIER
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IS SATISFYING. I WILL RETURN WITH A COMPLETE REPORT
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LATER ON THIS WEEK.
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They had increased their activity in the bulletin board system very much
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during the last two weeks. When he first started to hack the system he did
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not expect any sensations from it. The security was low, but what else
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could you expect from systems in a country that had their technology level
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twenty years back in time. He quickly got himself complete access to the
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system. Inside, he found nothing. The computer system was barely used,
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probably due to the fact that computers were very rare in the country.
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Even the military had only a few working ones left after the violent
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revolution a couple of years ago.
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Something was happening. Now and then he used to call the secret system
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in the poor country to fool around a bit. The message areas were empty
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together with everything else. No registrations, no files or information.
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Then, fourteen days ago, the system exploded in activity. It expanded and
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connected with other systems rapidly. Classified information rained over
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the subs. The security system was updated, but it did not matter to him.
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The amateur that were in charge could not discover him and left his account
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unattended. Something that really made him puzzled was the fact that the
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people inside the system used the message areas. "They" discussed, like
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any ordinary BBS, secret information about the army. "They" decided if
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they should arrest certain people or kill them without a sound. Maybe
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"they" were children in a world that were new to them. The complex
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computer systems that you could find in the civilized world was miles away
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from this one.
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His name was Carl and he liked to title himself 'hacker'. Computers
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and modems were the main part of his life. Outside was dangerous. Like a
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man who walks in his sleep he slowly entered the streets only when it was
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necessary. The other time was spent in front of the monitor, chasing
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secret systems and accounts. The abstract world welcomed him without
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attitudes to himself as a person. Everybody was equal, with the main
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difference that it was the brain and not the look that meant something.
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Bulletin board systems had no barriers that could not be broken with a cool
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way of behaving. In front of a monitor it was easy. Much easier than
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outside.
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The country was small, poor and forgotten. War and starvation had ruled
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the people as long as anyone could remember. New leaders every year - all
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of them suffering from mega-paranoia which legalized them to kill everybody
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that scared them. Liberation groups shot at anything that wore uniforms
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and the uniforms shot back at anything that moved. They had one main
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computer system in the country; TMCS - "The Military Computer System".
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Even the lowest system operator in the western world would laugh at it.
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The country had no spies that could steal and use new technology. It did
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not interest the government anyway since computer technology was useless as
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a weapon in a bloody combat zone.
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FROM: Iri Santee Date: 30 july. 1998.
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TO: Michel Kovacs
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MICHEL,
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I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS IS OUR KEY TO
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THE WORLD. YOU WONT BELIEVE THE POWER.
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They discussed that "object" again. It was a private chat between two
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people, both of them to him unknown. A pure coincidence made him discover
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the messages and it sure interested him. In several days Michel and Iri
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had talked about a project. The project was probably a weapon, but not
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like to ordinary ones who just tried to explain how AK-47's worked. This
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was something extra. He could not explain why it was something special
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about the project, it was just a feeling. His experience as a hacker did
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not only include knowledge about computers. The human mind was a basic
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factor too.
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FROM: Michel Kovacs Date: 2 aug. 1998.
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TO: Iri Santee
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IRI,
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THIS SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING. SEND ME THE
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INFORMATION ASAP.
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- You must be joking?
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Richard had been one of Carl's best friends during his childhood but the
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relationship between the two of them had slowly faded away. Still, they
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met each other now and then. Mostly because their interests in digging out
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secret information from computer system matched. They were sitting in a
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small cafe and talked about hacking. Carl poured some milk into his
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coffee. The street outside was crowded with people, who rushed away into
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unknown places. The sun shined. Carl felt bad anyway. He longed to get
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back to his silent home.
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- What do you mean?
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- Well, Richard answered, I suppose you mean the TMCS network. I
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recognize the information you are talking about.
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Carl had just mentioned the structure of the system to Richard. He felt
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rather confused when Richard suddenly knew everything already. Richard
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cleared his throat from the latest cigarette and continued.
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- I have been inside the system for as long as you have.
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FROM: Iri Santee Date: 5 aug. 1998.
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TO: Michel Kovacs
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MICHEL,
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THE COMPLETE INFORMATION IS NOW AVAILABLE IN YOUR
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PRIVATE DIRECTORY.
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First impression was a laugh. Carl and Richard quickly gained access to
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the directory and got the information. "The Project" came slowly into
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their hands from a printer. Three small pages with a brief description
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about something that looked like a remote control to a ordinary TV. Then,
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a cold silence occurred when both of them realized what they had in front
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of their eyes. They looked at each other with a sudden knowledge that they
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wore the future of planet Earth on their shoulders. "The Project" was a
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awesome weapon, constructed by a genius. In the wrong hands, anything could
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happen. It was a matter of borrowed time.
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They tracked every part of the now very complex system, known as TMCS,
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and destroyed it. All information was wiped out before they left it. The
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next day, another war had started.
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Two days later, they had built "The Project".
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A black box and a button. It was not complicated. Carl did not like to
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state himself as "anyone", but in this case he must confess that anyone
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could build this machine.
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- Do you dare?
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- Why not?
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Richards question almost invited Carl to act tough. They stood in Carl's
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room, the computer was off, and looked at the black box Carl held in his
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hand.
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- Well, do you dare?, Richard repeated.
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- I could need a target first!
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Richard took a deep breath and sat down on the small chair in front of
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Carl's computer. Carl looked at the object again. He wanted to push that
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button now and see for himself if it was true.
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Richard continued. - How about your mother?
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Carl began to laugh. He felt rather calm when Richard started to laugh
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too. For a moment he did not know if he was serious. Then that unpleasant
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silence occurred again. They looked at each other and then at the black
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box.
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Carl broke the thick ice. - We can't just sit here.
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Richard looked out the window with tired eyes. They had done the final
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work on the box during the night. He wanted to sleep.
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- Ahem...
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Something touched Carl's leg. He looked down and faced his black cat who
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strolled around in search for pleasure. The pleasure was often found as
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warm places to sleep on or plenty of forbidden food. The cat looked at
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Carl with big eyes, as if it expected something extra.
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Carl raised his head and looked at Richard. Richard nodded. Quickly,
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Carl pointed the black box against the cat and pressed the button.
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No sound, no light. The cat still looked at Carl with big eyes. For a
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moment they felt disappointed until they realized that the thing worked.
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The cat did not move and would not do so for a long time.
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- Goddamn!, Carl cried out loud.
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They had to wait. The instructions had simply mentioned that the weapon
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would freeze any biological object for about six hours. After that, the
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frozen object would rapidly come to life again without any wounds. Six
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hours is a long time while waiting. Richard avoided to say any clichees
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like that it would never end.
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Nothing is eternal. The hours passed. A small twist on his head and the
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cat came to life. It looked at Carl again as if it still wanted something
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from him. Then it turned around and walked away.
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- Great.
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Richard did not sound especially happy.
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- What next?, Carl asked.
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They both knew what they wanted to do next.
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Outside, was dangerous. But with the strange weapon in his hand, Carl
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felt very secure. They walked the streets of their home city. All around
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them there was people. - Oh, if they knew, Carl thought to himself.
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Almost two hours passed before they dared to do what they wanted to do.
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Richard had the device in his hand at the moment, when he suddenly pointed
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it at a drunk who leaned against a wall and watched the ground. Carl was
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about to stop him when he pushed the button.
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People looked strange at them when they laughed cruel and ran away.
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The world belonged to them. After the first attack against the drunk
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they stunned people everywhere. They entered big super-markets and stunned
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the entire staff together with all customers. They drank coffee which had
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been served by people who now stood completely stiff and watched nothing.
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Men, women and children. Everybody were targets for the two hackers.
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Like gods, they rampaged the streets and turned people into living statues.
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When the night fell, there was almost hard to find people who weren't
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marked by their machine. All moral was gone. Carl and Richard entered
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homes and stunned entire families before they stole or smashed their
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possessions.
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But they did not feel any guilt when they came to Carl's home in the
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middle of the night, completely exhausted.
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FROM: Michel Kovacs Date: 8 aug. 1998.
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TO: Iri Santee
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ALEA JACTA EST.
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- Hey, Carl shouted to Richard who was in the kitchen, They seem to have
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repaired the TMCS system already!
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No answer. - Probably can't hear me, Carl mumbled. He turned his face
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back to the monitor and discovered that he had been logged out.
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- Darn!
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He yelled loud enough to get Richard's attention. Still no answer. He
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quickly tried to enter the system again.
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- What the...
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Sweat begun to drip from his forehead. His account had been completely
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erased. He did not recognize the system anymore. He made yet another
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try with the same result. Then another one. After a while he accepted
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the fact that he faced a very complicated situation. He were just on his
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way to deal with the problem when he heard Richard talk with a very
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weak voice from the kitchen.
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- Carl. Get yourself over here at once...
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- Just a moment.
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- NOW!
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That was all he needed. Carl rushed to the kitchen. He almost tripped
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over some old magazines on his way. When he got there he found Richard
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down on his knees.
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- Are you sick or something?, Carl asked with a very confused voice.
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- Look!
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At first Carl could not make a head or a tail of what Richard was talking
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about. Then he saw a pile of dust under the kitchen table. He bent down
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and stared at it. No, it was not dust, it was more like ash. The ash was
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grey and black and the pile had the size of a football.
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- What the hell is that?, Carl asked. He did not expect any answers.
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- I think I know what it is...
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Carl knew what Richard was about to say. No, it could not be.
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- It must be...
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- No way!
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But the color of the ash was frighteningly close to the color of his cat.
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Carl put the ash into a plastic bag and threw it into the trashcan.
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Richard watched him from a chair, without a word. Carl felt the silence as
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a cold blanket and tried to get rid of it by telling Richard about what had
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happened with TMCS. When he was finished, Richard looked even more strange.
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- This can't be true, Richard said.
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- What can't be true?, Carl quickly said, The ash was not from the cat!
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It could have been something else!
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He knew that he was walking on thin ice. Richard looked around with mad
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eyes as if he was searching for something. His voice sounded weak.
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- Where is... the machine? The project?
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- Don't touch it!, Carl said and began slowly walk towards his room.
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Richard got the situation and pushed the chair back and rushed after him.
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Carl took a leap and grabbed the black box.
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- We are fooled!, Richard cried out. They have planned this! Everybody
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we have used the machine on will be turned into nothing after a while! And
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we are responsible for it! Oh god...
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- Take it easy now Richie, Carl said and tried to remain calm. Richard
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was mad and could get violent. He fumbled around against the wall, with
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his eyes moving in circles. He started talking again.
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- You know I'm right! Why do you think it was so easy to get the
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information? Anyone could have done it!
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Carl felt very bad. That feeling that told him that something was wrong
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came creeping up his back. He held the box in his hands with a steady
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grip.
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Richard continued. - Don't you remember how you got the number to the
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system? It was posted everywhere by some unknown user! Don't you see?
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EVERY hacker could have gotten access to this information! There must be
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thousands of people who have built this horrible machine and used it! Who?
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Who? Who posted the number? NO ONE KNOWS! Why was the system still there
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when you tried now? BECAUSE THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY TMCS! It was all
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planned by someone! We have done exactly what they wanted us to do!
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Richard leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He breathed very
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fast. Then he screamed and threw himself against Carl. They fell down on
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the floor and Carl felt how Richard reached for the box. Carl gave him a
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blow to the stomach and got to his feet. Richard moaned in pain but made
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yet another try to grab the machine.
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When he opened his eyes he found Richard on the floor in front of him.
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He did not move, but his eyes were open. The box was still in his hands,
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and he understood that he had used it on Richard.
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He limped to the window of his room and looked outside. The room spinned
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around him and he felt very dizzy.
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- Alea jacta est, he thought. The dice is thrown...
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/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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Call THE STASH - Home of Underground eXperts United - NEW NUMBER!
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Check the INDEX file for a complete list of our boards and sites.
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