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Corky and Ocasa were in Cara’s domicile, it had been secured and only those permitted to enter were allowed in, armed security Monicons hovered outside and challenged anyone, attempting to enter. They were not, to be ignored.
Their. bolts of energy could shock if not stun; those who dared to oppose their orders! A primary demonstration of their power. Their weapons could be used to disable you until the security forces seized you, to cart you off!
Corky had thankfully, remembered the right response codes. Scanning, it let them through.
“So why are those Monicons, programmed to kill?“ "Nothing gets past you does it Ocasa! You're right. The small tab at the bottom that glows red indicates the reprogramming to security level 1. Inside the domicile, they were examining some of the items left lying around.
“Whoever killed Cara wanted to silence her, that much I think is obvious. For what reason? Something she knew, had, or?
We know someone, was here earlier, but got interrupted! Destroyed one of the Opticons. I, don't know why, Serenia only put one of those things in situ. It was badly damaged by some kind of energy weapon.
Why we have to be on our guard, hence the reason that Monicon is programmed with the right commands to kill!"
"Do you think, whoever the intruder was, they found what they were looking for?" "Keep looking, we might be lucky. I don't think they will be back. Unless they're incredibly stupid of course, they must be aware that security has been increased to level 1"
Corky had taken a small device from his pocket passing it to Ocasa. A 'Scirran cube' that glowed. He followed Corky to a central Tmail / coms unit. Opening some of the panels below the main console unit, that housed, some vital internal com units.
“Pass me the cube.“ Ocasa handed him the cube. It shimmered a pale blue green, Corky slid it amongst the internals to leave it suspended. Seconds passed before it started flickering. A small streak of light across it. Stood in front of the holographic unit. Corky activated it.
The illuminated screen was unlike anything, Ocasa had seen before. A strange looking layout to it and whatever Corky wanted access to, he had it. Watching what was now happening, Ocasa knew what the cube was and suspected that he was witness to some illegal hacking in progress.
"You've seen nothing!" Corky turned to look at Ocasa. "I am accessing all, of the data from this terminal, in the hours before,
Cara died; to see if there are any clues as to identity of the killer.
Some of the files are normally, heavily encrypted files due to her position as an ambassador, diplomat. Suddenly the screen had started to clear, as an image of sorts was forming? What he was now seeing unnerved Ocasa!
The face looked at them both, the eyes moved skittishly, as Corky stared muttering to himself, he leans down and rips the cube out.
Why was Corky so quick to remove the cube? The screen went black before it cleared again and turned itself off.
“What was that.“ squealed Ocasa “Scoria. “ Corky leaned down retrieved the cube, closed up the panels, before muttering again. “Scoria”
Now its fair to say isn’t it, that we all get infuriated, when we have someone say something to us, but not explain? To answer our question, you know; the one that is on the tip of your tongue. Fully occupying the otherwise empty space, between our ears?
NOPE! Corky did NOT answer Ocasa’s question. Partly due to the fact, that Magise had arrived.
"How did YOU get past the Monicon!" Margise smiled. "I'm OK, pleased to see you too Ocasa!" He grinned and apologized. Gave her a hug? Corky stared in disbelief, pleased to see Ocasa other than his usual hostile self, towards Margise.
"This device!" She pointed to what we would have said was like a metallic badge? "Bishw made it for me. Said for security reasons it would get me in and only once could I use it! Obviously I don't have to worry about leaving, it has already identified, that I am NOT, a threat, or anyone, it is programmed to stop!"
In her hands she had a Shelde, now handed it to Corky. He glanced at the screen. "Cara sent that, from my Tmail console, the day before she was killed.“ “I’m going to see if Bishw, has found anything for me.“ He went to move, tucking the cube, quickly into his pocket, hoping that Margise had not seen it!
Handing the Shelde back to her. “Delete it, I’ve seen it I don’t want anyone else to see it.“ Magise nodded and before Ocasa could move to glance at it it had gone. "I think I know why she used your system behind your back, without you knowing, well until now that is. Her systems here were compromized.“ He paused. “Scoria”.
Stepping out past the Monicon, Ocasa was a little wary. It amused Corky. "Well it is the first time, that I've seen one of those, in 'kill mode'." They continued for some distance, before he left them. They were walking along a pathway in the opposite direction.
“He wouldn't tell me! What's a Scoria Mags?” Margise looked at him, he wondered, if she was thinking on whether to tell him or not? “As I know you, I’ll tell you, but don’t repeat any of this!” Ocasa agreed, she continued.
“Scoria was a brilliant scieste. Some of the best tech we have is thanks to that guys ingenuity! What changed HIM from the genius he was to a wanted criminal? It could not be proved, or so they said. One of his technologies, was stolen by a rival organisation and marketed to make billions of credits.
Scoria tried to get the theft acknowledged by the Galacia Federa, but rumours were rife, that those making the final decision, had been bought off. He died without a Draxet to his name. His family destitute and impoverished, ended up as slave colonists.
Some years after, it was proved beyond doubt that he was the inventor of that Transcast device.“ She paused.
“The main Globenet Transcast systems and who doesn’t use Globenet Transcast systems?“ Ocasa nodded. “Tmail relies wholly on its service systems? Shortly after he had died, to get those who had profited from his misfortune to confess all, someone had created the Scoria trojan.
If you see the face leering at you on the screen, by the time it vanishes, the entire console system with data backup and supplementary systems are compromised.
The Scoria trojan rewrites the values to all of the main op modules, totally irreversible, any attempt to modify, cleanse the system invokes the second 'Skoripa trojan' Creating a firewall no one so I have heard, has ever been able to get past.
Installing new equipment. Clean and free of the Trojan is the only way past it. Pay the Scoria Foundation, a substantial sum of revenue, for a release code. The code, is specific to that system? Imagine owning several hundred systems?
Payback for their greed!
According to what Corky said, someone embedded the Scoria trojan, to activate the moment, anyone accessed certain parts of her data storage. Probably in case there was anything they might have missed, that would incriminate them. Now destroyed.
We're dealing with a very dangerous individual or? They didn't break into retrieve or steal. It was so they could plant that Trojan on the system?" Ocasa stopped, looked at her. "I think you were right! I think you ought to tell Corky."
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