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Flood: Now that some very convenient business scandals have called away Machine attention from our affairs, we should finally be able to do some real digging into Ouroboros' network. We've still got numerous computers hacked by Mauser to investigate, so get moving, operative.

Operator: Hm... See, the problem with following Ouroboros' own security records of Mauser's break-in is that...well, their security has a record of it. You're gonna have to convince some of them to look the other way in there.

[Hostiles: Ouroboros Security]

Ouroboros Security: Cap, do you think I could just check my email real quick?

Ouroboros Security: Don't touch that computer, you idiot! They're still running audits on this entire network section.

Ouroboros Security: Cap!






Computer:
Password accepted.
>conn chck echo -8
Checking connections...
Receiving diagnostics data...

Operator: Don't see anything interesting on that thing. Let's see what it connects to...

Flood: You might as well just hack their corporate web site and leave a blinking message saying "You've been hacked by the Merovingian," operative. Try to be a little less obvious, hm?

Operator: Ah, Flood--always the morale booster.

Doesn't look like they've got much of a security presence in that office, for a change.

[Friendlies: Bluepills]

Jack Huang: No, no, no... You can't carry that voltage on that circuit! Are you crazy? You're going to kill people!

Dianna Melroth: I can do it, I tell you! I'll show you--I'll show all of you!

This is going to be the best mouse ever!

Jack Huang: Insanity--pure insanity!

Gavin Vyse: The mob, the government... I don't know which is worse!

Emelia Ackerman: Did you hear the latest about Wright Research?

Richard Lukas: Yeah, I guess. Not like it matters much. They haven't actually produced anything interested since Wright died.

Emelia Ackerman: Some people are just determined to be dull.

Richard Lukas: Good thing there was never a "Mr." or "Ms." Ouroboros.

Emelia Ackerman: ...Nerd.

Computer:
Password accepted.
>conn chck echo -8
Checking connections...
Receiving diagnostic data...

Operator: Huh, just another empty link. Looks like it hooks into another system Mauser hacked. Jeez, I hope he wasn't just going in circles when he broke in here, or this'll all be a big waste of time--again!

Richard Lukas: Hey! You aren't supposed to--How did you accesss-- Aw, jeez, how'm I gonna explain that came from my computer?

Chantelle Exner: Don't you have papers of your own to shuffle?

Flood: Whether or not Mauser found anything in there, the links we found in their system to the data pulled from the Oligarch Network in the no-fly zone show that someone has been up to something at Ouroboros, operative, so I'll hear no excuses about what some Zionite may or may not have failed to do.

Operator: I think you've got this place all to yourself. The computer Mauser hit is showing up on the local network in there.

There's the computer.

[No signals detected]

Computer:
Password accepted.
>conn chck echo -8
Checking connections...
Receiving diagnostic data...

Operator: Okay, that's the one Mauser hacked. Or, wait... Actually, the Ouroboros security report we acquired shows that he tried to hack it, but it looks like he wasn't succesful. Our password worked, though, so let's see...

This is showing a close connection to a secured terminal--should be a computer in the next room.

What th-? There's no network in that room at all; I'm not even reading any cables running through. Then what the hell was that connection reading we just got?

Uhh... Try the room after that one, I guess. Weird...

Computer:
Password accepted.
>conn chck echo -8
Checking connections...
Receiving diagnostic data...

Operator: Jeez, that one shows two connections, and one's back to the dead room you just came through.

This makes like no sense, so I'm calling in an expert. Hold on a sec...

[New signals detected!]
[Heroes: The Effectuator]

The Effectuator: You don't say? Hm, let's see what we've got here...

Looks perfectly normal to me!

What, the other room? Well, all right. Meet you there.

Seeya!

The Effectuator: Well, that's-- But it came through-- Uhh...

Somethin' screwy going on... There are live data links into here, but actually in here, I've got squat.

Eeesh... I'm getting goosebumps. Do you feel all tingly, too?

Operator: Hm... Then we'll just have to move on. We can try checking the outgoing connection from the second computer.

The Effectuator: Guess it's just me.

Maybe I shouldn't stand around in here too long...

The Effectuator: He said that? Huh.

....I really wouldn't listen to him.

The Effectuator: What? This place seems perfectly fine.

Wake me when something cool happens.

Flood: Keep moving, operative; you've got a lot of network to cover. And don't call in the Effectuator to waste your time. I'm not going to shoehorn him into my operating budget, that's for sure.

Operator: Okay... I think you might have a few security guards to deal with, but nothing major.

[Friendlies: Bluepill]
[Hostiles: Ouroboros Security]

Ouroboros Security: Hold it right there, buddy! Let's see some ID.




Marcel Valvo: I wouldn't go in there if I were you.

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

Ouroboros Security: Hey! What--?





Marcel Valvo: I knew that was a bad idea.

Computer:
Searching...
Multiple file matches.
Listing...

Operator: Now that I check, it looks like we've moved into a part of their network where they didn't register any hacking attacks by Mauser.

Hey, we've got something here. Let's see... Corporate finances... Records of their shares, investor data, etc... Hm... Et cetera...

Well heck, I'm not gonna go through all this myself. I'll zip it up and send it off to the bean counters.

[Mission End]

Flood: Stop complaining, operative. It may not be flashy, but laborious pouring through reams of data is how real research and analysis actually works. What, did you expect to be the hero who would find some kind of cosmic smoking gun in a file cabinet?

I keep telling the Merovingian that the Effectuator is a bad influence on the operatives, but does anyone listen me when I'm right? Nooo...

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