.Hack//Heist
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing related to Project .Hack that could possibly make me any money.
Notes: Takes place between Infection and Mutation. Parentheses indicate thoughts. Thus endeth the first half of Heist. Expect to see some familiar faces in the coming chapters. Until then, enjoy! And please, if you've got a second or two, let me know what you think so far. Like all writers, I need to know if I'm doing this right or not. Well, okay, I don't need to know, per se, but it'd make me feel a lot better. And in the end, isn't that what really matters?
Chapter XIII - Pro Bono
------------
From: MKerrek@undernet.lm/asaraeast.net
To: ARosenberg@acor.net
Subj: Mission Report
Attached is the operation report provided by Dean Stollis (HR-Temp #381) concerning attempted procurement of the desired data. I do so without further comment.
----
#081509
Employer: Asara Corporation
Orders: Steal files described by Asara Corp. representative (A. Rosenberg) from Cyber Connect
Assets: Shinji Kayora (39, former programmer, CC) - Status: KIA
Max Kerrek (32, contact, Asara) - Status: Active
"Kite" (14, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
"BlackRose" (16, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
Case status: Closed
Details:
I was contacted exactly three weeks ago by Asara's representative, Max Kerrek, and contracted for security purposes in an attempt at data theft from Cyber Connect, through the rogue programmer Shinji Kayora. We arrived at Tokyo two weeks later. Asara's technicians had discovered a means to infiltrate CC's mainframe via a backdoor in The World, however we required the aid of someone properly equipped to do so.
We gathered all relevant information regarding Cyber Connect and The World, and discovered incidents where System Administration was defied; protected areas were hacked, enemy creatures were altered to be indestructible, and - most importantly - several players became incapacitated as a direct result of attacks within The World. One such incident surrounded the character Kite, whom we later contacted for assistance in hacking the mainframe.
During a test of Kite's abilities, our team was attacked by the entity Delphi, whom we later learned was a security countermeasure developed by Cyber Connect, designed specifically to combat viruses, hackers, and the so-called 'phases' - including the creature Skeith, whom Kite claimed to have fought and beaten. Delphi struck TamonAdillo, Max's Character, with an attack called a Data Drain (a hacking ability seemingly exclusive to The World; Kite shares this ability) and Max himself fell into a coma as he covered our escape.
Hours later, agents from Cyber Connect accosted me at the hospital, and then Shinji in a separate encounter. It was then revealed that the men sent Delphi to stop us, having discovered that Shinji was contacted by another corporation (they did not know it was Asara at the time). We both escaped relatively unharmed, but the agents successfully, if temporarily, implicated Shinji in the murder of two police officers on the scene.
Pressed for time, we were forced to acquire Kite's help in retrieving the data. Upon meeting him and his partner BlackRose in The World, it was revealed that, somehow, Max's character had attacked BlackRose of its own volition. At first, it was believed that Max and TamonAdillo had suffered an event similar to one that occurred roughly six months ago, involving the character Tsukasa, who continued to exist in The World despite that his player was comatose and his terminal inactive. During our hack attempt, however, this assumption was proven false.
Kite successfully destroyed the firewall protecting the backdoor, allowing Shinji to connect with CC's mainframe and locate the data, which he copied onto a disc. During the download, Tamon attacked us - Kite, BlackRose and myself. We then discovered that Delphi was controlling Tamon; as the files on Delphi later explained, it could take command of avatars and other entities on the Internet, essentially stripping the player or hacker of any control. The unique user interface for The World added another side effect to the attack: incapacitation.
We destroyed Tamon, though I currently have no confirmation as to whether this destroyed Delphi as well. We lost contact with Kite and BlackRose after the agents accosted us at Shinji's apartment; in the ensuing battle, Shinji and both of the agents were killed. I escaped before the police arrived, taking with me the copy of the data and the personal identification badge of one of the agents. With this, I successfully infiltrated CC's Tokyo headquarters and accessed their mainframe from within the building, where I permanently deleted all data pertaining to the Delphi experiment, including my own copy.
It was then that I encountered 'Lios', who appeared to be behind the agents' attempts on our lives. His name was not present on the documentation for Delphi, which means he was either not involved (he appeared to be a security official of some sort) or the name is a pseudonym. I was incarcerated for one day only, when Max, who had since recovered from his coma, paid my bail and released me. With no proof linking Shinji to the deaths of the two policemen, or Shinji's death to myself - and because of CC's desire to avoid publicity relating to Delphi - the only charges made against me were breaking and entering, illegal possession of a firearm, and assault - all of which were covered by bail.
Postmortem:
With Shinji and the agents dead, there is no longer threat of attack or exposure from Cyber Connect. However, although the theft of the data was successful, the nature of the data necessitated its destruction; currently there is no information about the condition of the remaining copy of Delphi inhabiting The World, or of Kite or BlackRose. Consequently, the mission is thus deemed unsuccessful.
-
"So, how does it feel?"
Dean blinked, throwing a glance at his blond, suit-clad companion. "Hmm?"
Max turned to face the detective, peering up at him through curious blue eyes, his boyish, rounded features contrasting sharply with those of his avatar. "To not have bad guys with guns coming after you?" he asked.
Dean snorted, turning back to the counter, which was staffed by a single uniformed attendant. Several feet to her left sat the gate connecting the airport terminal to the plane, which loomed large and imposing through the wall of glass facing it.
"I don't know," said Dean. "How's it feel to walk again?"
Max chuckled, setting down his suit bag to free up a hand, which he promptly pulled through his short, spiky hair. "Different," he answered, his even-toned voice subtly restrained. "Everything feels different."
"But nothing's changed." Dean sighed. "Not really... those things, those 'phases'... they're still in there, aren't they?"
"Probably."
Dean met Max's gaze once again. "Men died over all this. Shinji died 'cause of us."
The blond-haired business agent nodded, his shoulders sagging. "Yeah... yeah, he did. And this is just the tip of the iceberg."
"So, what do we do?"
"Nothing. We can't do anything, Dean, not right now." Max frowned. "Cyber Connect had Delphi, but they aren't the good guys or the bad guys; I'll bet even they don't know what the hell's going on." With a sigh, he gestured towards the plane. "All you can do is what's right for you. What YOU have to do. Everything else is just luck."
"And that's why you're going?"
Max nodded. "Rosenberg tricked us all. Somebody has to make sure he doesn't get away with it." He faked a smile. "Besides, if I don't get home ASAP, my wife is gonna kill me."
Dean couldn't help but smirk at that. "She thinks you're on a business trip?"
A soft chuckle perforated Max's reply. "No, I'm pretty sure she knows I'm up to no good. God help me if she finds out I was in a coma for all of a day."
Both men shared a chuckle, and Dean's smirk fell into a smile. "Hey, listen... thanks for bailing me out, Max," he said, as if it were as common an activity as holding a door for someone.
Max smiled and nodded back. "You saved my ass and you got halfway there; figured it's the least I owe you."
An announcer's voice came over a loudspeaker; a quick glance indicated the attendant had begun speaking into a microphone, and was gesturing towards the gate door, which was now open. A small line quickly grew before it, next to which stood another uniformed attendant, this one taking tickets.
Max knelt down and picked his suit bag back up. "Well, guess that's that. Sure you don't wanna come back?"
Dean nodded. "Little late for that. Besides," he added, "there's just one more thing I gotta do."
The agent grinned. "Still gonna play hero?"
Dean reflexively flinched, almost hearing the voice of another kind of agent in Max's place. Max instantly realized his mistake. "Sorry, man, I... er, sorry," he said sheepishly.
"Don't sweat it," answered Dean. "And... well, that and I gotta pay someone a visit." He nodded to the gate. "G'won, you're gonna miss your flight."
With a parting, "Take it easy," Max joined the back of the line, ticket in hand. He turned back around to face Dean, however, when the detective called his name once more.
"Hey, Max."
"Yeah?"
Dean swallowed a breath of air, deliberately pausing before speaking again. "Did we do the right thing?"
Max smiled, an unusual air of honesty in his reply. "You did." He nodded to Dean, and added, "it was right enough."
The answer didn't completely satisfy Dean, but the words fell on eager ears nonetheless. Dean nodded back, and offered a small wave to Max before turning away. "Thanks," he said under his breath as he strode away from the gate and into the main concourse.
(Something's going to happen,) he thought as he made his way towards the exit. (And it's going to happen here.)
Somehow, the idea invigorated him; he approached the glass doors with a smile on his face, one hand firmly set in the other as he cracked his knuckles. (No gun, no money, no boss; just one big goddamn mystery.)
Stepping out into Tokyo, almost blinded by the daylit city skyline that was all but alien to him, he raised a hand to flag down a taxi. "Sounds like fun," he said to himself, his smile persisting.
-
#081609
Employer: Self
Orders: Investigate disturbances in the online game "The World", and its creator, Cyber Connect corporation.
Assets: "Kite" (14, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
"BlackRose" (16, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
Case Status: Open
- End of Chapter XIII
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing related to Project .Hack that could possibly make me any money.
Notes: Takes place between Infection and Mutation. Parentheses indicate thoughts. Thus endeth the first half of Heist. Expect to see some familiar faces in the coming chapters. Until then, enjoy! And please, if you've got a second or two, let me know what you think so far. Like all writers, I need to know if I'm doing this right or not. Well, okay, I don't need to know, per se, but it'd make me feel a lot better. And in the end, isn't that what really matters?
Chapter XIII - Pro Bono
------------
From: MKerrek@undernet.lm/asaraeast.net
To: ARosenberg@acor.net
Subj: Mission Report
Attached is the operation report provided by Dean Stollis (HR-Temp #381) concerning attempted procurement of the desired data. I do so without further comment.
----
#081509
Employer: Asara Corporation
Orders: Steal files described by Asara Corp. representative (A. Rosenberg) from Cyber Connect
Assets: Shinji Kayora (39, former programmer, CC) - Status: KIA
Max Kerrek (32, contact, Asara) - Status: Active
"Kite" (14, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
"BlackRose" (16, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
Case status: Closed
Details:
I was contacted exactly three weeks ago by Asara's representative, Max Kerrek, and contracted for security purposes in an attempt at data theft from Cyber Connect, through the rogue programmer Shinji Kayora. We arrived at Tokyo two weeks later. Asara's technicians had discovered a means to infiltrate CC's mainframe via a backdoor in The World, however we required the aid of someone properly equipped to do so.
We gathered all relevant information regarding Cyber Connect and The World, and discovered incidents where System Administration was defied; protected areas were hacked, enemy creatures were altered to be indestructible, and - most importantly - several players became incapacitated as a direct result of attacks within The World. One such incident surrounded the character Kite, whom we later contacted for assistance in hacking the mainframe.
During a test of Kite's abilities, our team was attacked by the entity Delphi, whom we later learned was a security countermeasure developed by Cyber Connect, designed specifically to combat viruses, hackers, and the so-called 'phases' - including the creature Skeith, whom Kite claimed to have fought and beaten. Delphi struck TamonAdillo, Max's Character, with an attack called a Data Drain (a hacking ability seemingly exclusive to The World; Kite shares this ability) and Max himself fell into a coma as he covered our escape.
Hours later, agents from Cyber Connect accosted me at the hospital, and then Shinji in a separate encounter. It was then revealed that the men sent Delphi to stop us, having discovered that Shinji was contacted by another corporation (they did not know it was Asara at the time). We both escaped relatively unharmed, but the agents successfully, if temporarily, implicated Shinji in the murder of two police officers on the scene.
Pressed for time, we were forced to acquire Kite's help in retrieving the data. Upon meeting him and his partner BlackRose in The World, it was revealed that, somehow, Max's character had attacked BlackRose of its own volition. At first, it was believed that Max and TamonAdillo had suffered an event similar to one that occurred roughly six months ago, involving the character Tsukasa, who continued to exist in The World despite that his player was comatose and his terminal inactive. During our hack attempt, however, this assumption was proven false.
Kite successfully destroyed the firewall protecting the backdoor, allowing Shinji to connect with CC's mainframe and locate the data, which he copied onto a disc. During the download, Tamon attacked us - Kite, BlackRose and myself. We then discovered that Delphi was controlling Tamon; as the files on Delphi later explained, it could take command of avatars and other entities on the Internet, essentially stripping the player or hacker of any control. The unique user interface for The World added another side effect to the attack: incapacitation.
We destroyed Tamon, though I currently have no confirmation as to whether this destroyed Delphi as well. We lost contact with Kite and BlackRose after the agents accosted us at Shinji's apartment; in the ensuing battle, Shinji and both of the agents were killed. I escaped before the police arrived, taking with me the copy of the data and the personal identification badge of one of the agents. With this, I successfully infiltrated CC's Tokyo headquarters and accessed their mainframe from within the building, where I permanently deleted all data pertaining to the Delphi experiment, including my own copy.
It was then that I encountered 'Lios', who appeared to be behind the agents' attempts on our lives. His name was not present on the documentation for Delphi, which means he was either not involved (he appeared to be a security official of some sort) or the name is a pseudonym. I was incarcerated for one day only, when Max, who had since recovered from his coma, paid my bail and released me. With no proof linking Shinji to the deaths of the two policemen, or Shinji's death to myself - and because of CC's desire to avoid publicity relating to Delphi - the only charges made against me were breaking and entering, illegal possession of a firearm, and assault - all of which were covered by bail.
Postmortem:
With Shinji and the agents dead, there is no longer threat of attack or exposure from Cyber Connect. However, although the theft of the data was successful, the nature of the data necessitated its destruction; currently there is no information about the condition of the remaining copy of Delphi inhabiting The World, or of Kite or BlackRose. Consequently, the mission is thus deemed unsuccessful.
-
"So, how does it feel?"
Dean blinked, throwing a glance at his blond, suit-clad companion. "Hmm?"
Max turned to face the detective, peering up at him through curious blue eyes, his boyish, rounded features contrasting sharply with those of his avatar. "To not have bad guys with guns coming after you?" he asked.
Dean snorted, turning back to the counter, which was staffed by a single uniformed attendant. Several feet to her left sat the gate connecting the airport terminal to the plane, which loomed large and imposing through the wall of glass facing it.
"I don't know," said Dean. "How's it feel to walk again?"
Max chuckled, setting down his suit bag to free up a hand, which he promptly pulled through his short, spiky hair. "Different," he answered, his even-toned voice subtly restrained. "Everything feels different."
"But nothing's changed." Dean sighed. "Not really... those things, those 'phases'... they're still in there, aren't they?"
"Probably."
Dean met Max's gaze once again. "Men died over all this. Shinji died 'cause of us."
The blond-haired business agent nodded, his shoulders sagging. "Yeah... yeah, he did. And this is just the tip of the iceberg."
"So, what do we do?"
"Nothing. We can't do anything, Dean, not right now." Max frowned. "Cyber Connect had Delphi, but they aren't the good guys or the bad guys; I'll bet even they don't know what the hell's going on." With a sigh, he gestured towards the plane. "All you can do is what's right for you. What YOU have to do. Everything else is just luck."
"And that's why you're going?"
Max nodded. "Rosenberg tricked us all. Somebody has to make sure he doesn't get away with it." He faked a smile. "Besides, if I don't get home ASAP, my wife is gonna kill me."
Dean couldn't help but smirk at that. "She thinks you're on a business trip?"
A soft chuckle perforated Max's reply. "No, I'm pretty sure she knows I'm up to no good. God help me if she finds out I was in a coma for all of a day."
Both men shared a chuckle, and Dean's smirk fell into a smile. "Hey, listen... thanks for bailing me out, Max," he said, as if it were as common an activity as holding a door for someone.
Max smiled and nodded back. "You saved my ass and you got halfway there; figured it's the least I owe you."
An announcer's voice came over a loudspeaker; a quick glance indicated the attendant had begun speaking into a microphone, and was gesturing towards the gate door, which was now open. A small line quickly grew before it, next to which stood another uniformed attendant, this one taking tickets.
Max knelt down and picked his suit bag back up. "Well, guess that's that. Sure you don't wanna come back?"
Dean nodded. "Little late for that. Besides," he added, "there's just one more thing I gotta do."
The agent grinned. "Still gonna play hero?"
Dean reflexively flinched, almost hearing the voice of another kind of agent in Max's place. Max instantly realized his mistake. "Sorry, man, I... er, sorry," he said sheepishly.
"Don't sweat it," answered Dean. "And... well, that and I gotta pay someone a visit." He nodded to the gate. "G'won, you're gonna miss your flight."
With a parting, "Take it easy," Max joined the back of the line, ticket in hand. He turned back around to face Dean, however, when the detective called his name once more.
"Hey, Max."
"Yeah?"
Dean swallowed a breath of air, deliberately pausing before speaking again. "Did we do the right thing?"
Max smiled, an unusual air of honesty in his reply. "You did." He nodded to Dean, and added, "it was right enough."
The answer didn't completely satisfy Dean, but the words fell on eager ears nonetheless. Dean nodded back, and offered a small wave to Max before turning away. "Thanks," he said under his breath as he strode away from the gate and into the main concourse.
(Something's going to happen,) he thought as he made his way towards the exit. (And it's going to happen here.)
Somehow, the idea invigorated him; he approached the glass doors with a smile on his face, one hand firmly set in the other as he cracked his knuckles. (No gun, no money, no boss; just one big goddamn mystery.)
Stepping out into Tokyo, almost blinded by the daylit city skyline that was all but alien to him, he raised a hand to flag down a taxi. "Sounds like fun," he said to himself, his smile persisting.
-
#081609
Employer: Self
Orders: Investigate disturbances in the online game "The World", and its creator, Cyber Connect corporation.
Assets: "Kite" (14, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
"BlackRose" (16, data retrieval specialist, unaffiliated) - Status: Unknown
Case Status: Open
- End of Chapter XIII