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Snow Crash [Phalla] - Game Over: Final Narration page 165

Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C ERegistered User regular
edited July 2008 in Debate and/or Discourse
Ilya Prodolzhenie studies the avatars milling about the Hacker Quadrant. The Black Sun has had its physics engine redone since the Snow Crash scare, so he fingers his sniper rifle and shifts position on the raised platform in the center of the Quadrant. So far everything looks pretty hunky-dory, but Hiro is pretty much never wrong about these things, so Ilya is prepared for anything.

A voice whispers in his ear: “Anything yet, Recur?”

Ilya shakes his head, even though of course the person on the other end can’t see him. “Nothing so far, Mr. P. I have my eye on a few guys I don’t recognize, but they haven’t done anything out of the ordinary yet.”

“Alright, well keep a vigilant eye out for anything weird, I’m pretty sure something’s about to go down.”

“Yes sir, Mr. P.”

Ilya settles back into his position and looks through the scope at the avatars he’s been following for awhile. Hiro calls him Recur because Ilya hasn’t told him his real name. Recur is a screenname of sorts; his Metaverse persona is completely different from his Reality persona, which is semi-common among hackers.

Ilya works for Hiro Protagonist Security Associates, which has been spending 100% of its resources pursuing the Snow Crash virus. Whoever is behind the most recent outbreak has begun creating daemons that distribute the virus, rather than risking actual people. Some of these daemons are basically ninjas; they attack their victim and when their prey is vulnerable they unleash the torrent of information that causes the hacker’s brain to basically freeze in place. Some are more subtle about it, though, which is what he suspects he’s dealing with here.

It’s apparent that some of the conspirators are in the upper echelons of the Black Sun, because daemons have been able to gain access to the building when they should have no business doing so. Due to these infiltrations, Jethro, Da5id’s successor, has allowed Hiro to retool the physics in the building to allow for certain projectile weapons, including Ilya’s sniper rifle. The rifle delivers a program that will instantly kick a user off the Metaverse, or will delete any daemon program it encounters.

Ilya notices one of the strangers looking suspicious, and peers at him through his scope. The avatar reaches into his pocket and pulls out a syringe, sticking it surreptitiously into a hacker’s avatar. The syringe is the visual representation of a unique version of the Snow Crash virus; once the virus has spread through the system of the victim, the hacker is instantly kicked out of the Metaverse, and the Snow Crash “white noise” fills his goggle display. Occasionally the hacker has the presence of mind to quickly snatch off the headset, but most of the time the virus does its work too fast, and another hacker falls victim to the Snow Crash virus.

Ilya only has a couple of seconds before the virus completely infects the hacker’s system, so the first thing he does is put a bullet in the hacker’s head. This kicks the hacker out without Snow Crash appearing in his goggle display; it’s a pain, since he’ll have to wait several minutes to log back on, but certainly better than becoming a vegetable. The daemon starts to run towards the exit, but Ilya is very good at this, and tracks the daemon’s progress before drilling a bullet through its ear. The daemon falls to the ground and disintegrates. Ilya relaxes and sets the gun down before getting back in contact with his boss.

“You were right again, Mr. P. There was another one of them here.”

“Did you take care of it?”

“Yeah, I had to take out the hacker, but he should be fine. The daemon’s gone.”

“Alright, good. Come on back to the office for a general meeting. I think it’s time to go on the offensive…”

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Posts

  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Welcome to Snow Crash Phalla! Here are your rules:

    Basics:

    Stolen blatantly from the OP of LaOs’s phalla.
    This is a Phalla. If you are not sure what that is, check this or ask.

    If you have any public clarification requests, please post them in Orange.

    The standard rules apply, including the ban on anonymous contact (so if the person you are talking to does not know it is you, you are breaking this rule) and the ban on screenshots/forwarding PMs to players. You may, of course, paraphrase as you will. Also, there is to be no communication with/amongst the dead until after the game is over.

    Voting:

    Once per day, make a vote for whom you suspect to be involved in the Snow Crash conspiracy. Please vote in Bold Red. Retractions are not necessary, only your latest vote will count. However, if you wish to retract a vote, you may do so by retracting Bold Lime.

    The Metaverse:
    Each day, you may make a public announcement in Bold Cyan detailing whether you wish to be in the Metaverse or the Real World for that day. Some abilities can only affect you in one place or the other, so choose wisely. Any announcements of this nature must be made an hour before voting closes. Any switches made in the last hour of the day will not count. Everybody starts off in the Metaverse. If you do not make an announcement, it will be assumed that you stayed in the place you most recently switched to.

    Hacker ability:

    Each player has a one-time ability to have their vote count as two votes. If you wish to use this ability, PM visiblehowl, and your vote will count double. This ability can only be used once in the game by each person.

    Activity:
    Activity is highly recommended and greatly encouraged. There are no hard and fast rules for judging inactivity (it's up to me), but please make an effort. If you do not think you will be able to commit the proper amount of time to this game, please let me know and bow out graciously. I have several reserves at the moment, but even if I use them all, please don't drag down the game for anyone else by staying in if you cannot play. You'll be thanked for dropping out rather than hated for being inactive.

    All actions and clarification requests should be PM'd to visiblehowl. If visiblehowl’s PM box is full, please send them to VisiblyApathetic.

    Each night will close at exactly 8 pm Pacific time or 11 pm Eastern time. If I am able, I will make a “Vote Closed” post, but even if I do not make such a post, the vote will close at exactly that time. Any votes or actions made at 8:00 or later will not be counted. Day 1 will end on Thursday.

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Player Roster:

    Arasaki - Snow Crash Conspirator
    B:L – Hacker
    Casual Eddy – Hacker; Member of Uncle Enzo’s Mafia

    cheez - Hacker; HPSA Agent
    Daedalus
    DevoutlyApathetic - Hacker
    Drez – Hacker
    durax - Hacker; Citizen of Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong
    Dynagrip - Hacker; Kourier

    El Skid
    Elldren - Corrupted Assassin Daemon
    enlightenedbum - Hacker; Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia; Bodyguard
    evilbob - Hacker; Member of the Black Sun
    [strike]Fembot replaced by CJTheran[/strike] replaced by ocious - Hacker
    Frosteey - Member of the Black Sun; Snow Crash Conspirator
    FrostMist - Hacker; Metacop
    FunkyWaltDogg - Hacker
    galenblade - Hacker
    Gorilla Salad - Hacker; Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia; Bodyguard
    [strike]Greeper[/strike] replaced by eecc
    Grundlterror
    James
    Kilroy - Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia; Snow Crash Conspirator
    LaOs - Hacker; Member of the Black Sun
    Lignisse - Mr. Lee; Snow Crash Conspirator
    Malkor - Hacker
    [strike]Maximus[/strike] replaced by FreeAgent
    Medopine
    Mike Danger
    mtvcdm – Hacker
    narvinye - Hacker; Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia
    NATIK
    Nerissa - Hacker; Secondary Gargoyle
    Nion – Hacker; Member of the Black Sun
    Nova_C - Hacker; Member of the Black Sun
    One Thousand Dicks - Hacker
    Plutonium - Hacker; Citizen of Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong (inactivity)
    precisionk - Hacker; Gargoyle
    [strike]Premier Kakos[/strike] replaced by chamberlain - Hacker
    Proto
    Ragnar Danneskjold - Hacker
    [strike]real_pochacco[/strike] replaced by Hilger - Hacker; Member of the Black Sun
    Red Bird
    Sabs - Hacker
    [strike]Satan[/strike] replaced by Cauld – Hacker; Citizen of Mr. Lee’s Greater Hong Kong
    Scooter - Hacker; Rat Thing Mechanic
    Shamus - Snow Crash Conspirator
    SpeedySwaf - Hacker
    stormwind - Citizen of Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong; Snow Crash Conspirator
    TehSpectre - Hacker
    TheLawinator - Hacker; Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia
    Thetheroo - Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia; Snow Crash Conspirator
    thorgot – Hacker; Gargoyle
    Trust - Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia; Snow Crash Conspirator
    tuxkamen - Hacker
    Unearthly Stew - Hacker; Jethro, Leader of the Black Sun
    Variable - Hacker
    wazilla - Hacker
    werehippy - Hacker; Member of Uncle Enzo's Mafia
    Wildcat - Hacker;Uncle Enzo

    Results and Narration Links:[/B]

    Day 1: Results and Narration
    Day 2: Results and Narration
    Day 3: Results and Narration
    Day 4: Results and Narration
    Day 5: Results and Narration
    Day 6: Results and Narration
    Day 7: Results and Narration
    Day 8: Results and Narration
    Day 9: Results and Narration

    Clarifications:
    LaOs wrote: »
    With Fembot withdrawing, do the votes cast by Fembot remain and the replacement would have to re-vote to change, or are they removed now?

    Any votes and/or actions made by someone who is dropping out or replaced will be nullified. The replacement will make their own votes and/or actions.

    Thetheroo wrote: »
    What happens in the event of a tie?

    In the case of a tie, both players will be killed.

    Do hackers change their locations before or after actions are taken and votes are tallied?

    Hackers switching locations happens first in the order of events.

    The order of events is:

    Location switch -> other things

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    We are go, people. Have at ye!

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • VariableVariable Mouth Congress Stroke Me Lady FameRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    yay!

    Variable on
    BNet-Vari#1998 | Switch-SW 6960 6688 8388 | Steam | Twitch
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    This will be an interesting game. Is Day 1 ending Wednesday?

    James on
  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Oh right, Day 1 ends Thursday.

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • cheezcheez Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I'm far too drunk to read that narration right now. Or the rules.

    I look forward to these revelations tomorrow.

    cheez on
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Oh, Cheese. You drunk.

    Malkor on
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  • cheezcheez Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Right you are, Malcore.

    cheez on
  • WildcatWildcat Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    At least this way he gets anticipation as well.

    Wildcat on
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    So we're all super futuristic and shit right? Like Ghost in the Shell or what.

    Malkor on
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  • ElldrenElldren Is a woman dammit ceterum censeoRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Malkor wrote: »
    So we're all super futuristic and shit right? Like Ghost in the Shell or what.

    I call Tachikoma!

    Time to prepare a Tachikoma av

    edit: on second thought, I like the last av more.

    Elldren on
    fuck gendered marketing
  • SpeedySwafSpeedySwaf Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Malkor wrote: »
    So we're all super futuristic and shit right? Like Ghost in the Shell or what.
    Kinda, but we won't be flying around in primary colors, while interacting with giant rings that may or may not lead to ghost-destroying attack barriers.

    SpeedySwaf on
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Malkor wrote: »
    So we're all super futuristic and shit right? Like Ghost in the Shell or what.

    Like The Matrix but with hobos instead of machines.

    James on
  • ElldrenElldren Is a woman dammit ceterum censeoRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    James wrote: »
    Malkor wrote: »
    So we're all super futuristic and shit right? Like Ghost in the Shell or what.

    Like The Matrix but with hobos instead of machines.

    Except not really, because dimensions, proportion, color, size, etc. are all in user hands, which means yours. Not the machines.

    Elldren on
    fuck gendered marketing
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Ok, I have my character, but what's my motivation?

    Malkor on
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  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    A bit less on the "Direct neural interface" stuff too. We're just fucked because we learned how to code and fucked up our brains in the process. Stupid biological PROM.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Yeah, if you haven't read Snow Crash before, I'd recommend that you at least read the wiki, because otherwise the Snow Crash virus isn't going to make much sense to you.

    Like, at all.

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • Mike DangerMike Danger "Diane..." a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Yeah, if you haven't read Snow Crash before, I'd recommend that you at least read the wiki, because otherwise the Snow Crash virus isn't going to make much sense to you.

    Like, at all.

    Seconded.

    Mike Danger on
    Steam: Mike Danger | PSN/NNID: remadeking | 3DS: 2079-9204-4075
    oE0mva1.jpg
  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Yeah, if you haven't read Snow Crash before, I'd recommend that you at least read the wiki, because otherwise the Snow Crash virus isn't going to make much sense to you.

    Like, at all.

    Actually, when I think about it, this is true of pretty much the whole setting.

    "Black Sun? Goggles? Daemon? Huh?"

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • ElldrenElldren Is a woman dammit ceterum censeoRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Yeah, if you haven't read Snow Crash before, I'd recommend that you at least read the wiki, because otherwise the Snow Crash virus isn't going to make much sense to you.

    Like, at all.

    Actually, when I think about it, this is true of pretty much the whole setting.

    "Black Sun? Goggles? Daemon? Huh?"

    Goggles should be pretty obvious. I mean, they are goggles.

    Elldren on
    fuck gendered marketing
  • SpeedySwafSpeedySwaf Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I'm going to be gone for nearly the entire day, so I leave it to the Random Number Generator to make my choice.

    And it says I must !vote B:L.

    See you guys in another ten hours or so.

    SpeedySwaf on
  • GoslingGosling Looking Up Soccer In Mongolia Right Now, Probably Watertown, WIRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Yeah, if you haven't read Snow Crash before, I'd recommend that you at least read the wiki, because otherwise the Snow Crash virus isn't going to make much sense to you.

    Like, at all.
    I'm a nonfiction kind of guy; I think it'd be more fun for me if I just flew blind and go along thinking Black Sun is going to come and wash away the rain.

    That said, I have no freaking clue what I'm doing but think it might be somehow advantageous for me to be in the universe everyone else isn't, so let's go ahead and go go gadget real world for now.

    And a vote... on no info, the usual Day 1 fuckuppery, but let's see if I can hit anything. Malkor, love you, hope that on an approaching day I can refer to you as "constituent", but for now, die, Malkor, you goddamned daemon.

    Gosling on
    I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Oh, yeah. This is a Phalla.


    I !vote FrostMist because of various random reasons.

    Malkor on
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  • DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2008
    I !vote precisionk because of his sig and well, because he's precisionk.

    Dynagrip on
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Elldren wrote: »
    James wrote: »
    Malkor wrote: »
    So we're all super futuristic and shit right? Like Ghost in the Shell or what.

    Like The Matrix but with hobos instead of machines.

    Except not really, because dimensions, proportion, color, size, etc. are all in user hands, which means yours. Not the machines.

    You might note that I said "instead of machines."

    That means they're not there.

    James on
  • NerissaNerissa Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Hmm... the OP is as interesting in what it doesn't say as in what it does.

    We don't know how many bad guys (I'd think in a game this size it must be at least 8) or how many groups they're divided into (OP seems to imply they're all working together in a single group, but that would be unusual in a game this size). I suppose we'll know at the end of the first day how many kills they get per night anyway.

    We also don't know how many / what type of good specials we have, and what the restrictions on them are.

    Also, shall we speculate on what "Some abilities can only affect you in one place or the other" really means?

    I'm going to guess that the virus can only affect you when you're in the metaverse.

    Maybe a second group of bad guys can kill you in the real world?

    Maybe there are two of each good special -- one for the metaverse and one for the real world?

    Thoughts? Ideas?

    Nerissa on
  • ScooterScooter Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Yea, was wondering if I missed something on what exactly the differences are re: real-world and metaverse.

    Scooter on
  • DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2008
    Nerissa wrote: »
    I'm going to guess that the virus can only affect you when you're in the metaverse.

    Maybe a second group of bad guys can kill you in the real world?
    Yeah, this seems likely as well. or at least if there is one group of monsters they can kill one person a night in each world.

    Though with a game this size they may have a few bonus kills.

    Dynagrip on
  • FunkyWaltDoggFunkyWaltDogg Columbia, SCRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Woo!

    Real World sounds fun.

    FunkyWaltDogg on
  • El SkidEl Skid The frozen white northRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    Nerissa wrote: »
    I'm going to guess that the virus can only affect you when you're in the metaverse.

    Maybe a second group of bad guys can kill you in the real world?
    Yeah, this seems likely as well. or at least if there is one group of monsters they can kill one person a night in each world.

    Though with a game this size they may have a few bonus kills.

    I'm thinking there will definitely be a snow crash virus... So if someone tries to infect you and you're in the real world, nothing happens. Maybe if you're in the metaverse you can't be targetted by certain physical attacks as well?

    If that's the case, I hope all the bad guys won't be able to be online in the last hour of the day, when the final public declarations of who will be in the metaverse are made...

    El Skid on
  • DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2008
    Woo!

    Real World sounds fun.

    You're totally going to get run over by a deliverator.

    Dynagrip on
  • ProtoProto Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Nerissa wrote: »
    I'm going to guess that the virus can only affect you when you're in the metaverse.

    If we are following the book, then yeah. For those who haven't read the book, Snow Crash is like an internet virus that fucks up your brain.

    Proto on
    and her knees up on the glove compartment
    took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
  • NerissaNerissa Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    El Skid wrote: »
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    Nerissa wrote: »
    I'm going to guess that the virus can only affect you when you're in the metaverse.

    Maybe a second group of bad guys can kill you in the real world?
    Yeah, this seems likely as well. or at least if there is one group of monsters they can kill one person a night in each world.

    Though with a game this size they may have a few bonus kills.

    I'm thinking there will definitely be a snow crash virus... So if someone tries to infect you and you're in the real world, nothing happens. Maybe if you're in the metaverse you can't be targetted by certain physical attacks as well?

    If that's the case, I hope all the bad guys won't be able to be online in the last hour of the day, when the final public declarations of who will be in the metaverse are made...

    Day end is early enough in this game that I'd count on at least one bad guy from each group (assuming multiple groups) being on-line during that hour, probably right up to vote close.

    Also, I just had an odd thought... what if one group of bad guys can steal your goggles, effectively trapping you in the real world? Given that we're not sure what effect being in each place has, that may or may not be a serious problem, but if they hit, say, a seer who only works in the metaverse, it could be pretty bad.

    Nerissa on
  • ProtoProto Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I haven't played Phalla in a while, but last time it was announced what kind of/how many special characters there are in the game. I am assuming this doesn't happen anymore?

    Proto on
    and her knees up on the glove compartment
    took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
  • El SkidEl Skid The frozen white northRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Nerissa wrote: »
    El Skid wrote: »
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    Nerissa wrote: »
    I'm going to guess that the virus can only affect you when you're in the metaverse.

    Maybe a second group of bad guys can kill you in the real world?
    Yeah, this seems likely as well. or at least if there is one group of monsters they can kill one person a night in each world.

    Though with a game this size they may have a few bonus kills.

    I'm thinking there will definitely be a snow crash virus... So if someone tries to infect you and you're in the real world, nothing happens. Maybe if you're in the metaverse you can't be targetted by certain physical attacks as well?

    If that's the case, I hope all the bad guys won't be able to be online in the last hour of the day, when the final public declarations of who will be in the metaverse are made...

    Day end is early enough in this game that I'd count on at least one bad guy from each group (assuming multiple groups) being on-line during that hour, probably right up to vote close.

    Also, I just had an odd thought... what if one group of bad guys can steal your goggles, effectively trapping you in the real world? Given that we're not sure what effect being in each place has, that may or may not be a serious problem, but if they hit, say, a seer who only works in the metaverse, it could be pretty bad.

    The mechanics of this game certainly have the potential to be extremely...nuanced. Should be fun times.

    El Skid on
  • DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2008
    Proto wrote: »
    I haven't played Phalla in a while, but last time it was announced what kind of/how many special characters there are in the game. I am assuming this doesn't happen anymore?

    Yeah, they've kept that quiet for some time now.

    Dynagrip on
  • precisionkprecisionk Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    So is the Snow Crash book good?

    precisionk on
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I too will probably end up by one of these books. Good job VH.

    Malkor on
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  • ScooterScooter Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    precisionk wrote: »
    So is the Snow Crash book good?

    I think there's a bit of a suspension of disbelief in making the jump from real world to Snow Crash's future (especially since I don't think he put it very far in the future at all), and I imagined Y.T. as acting about 10 years older than the book said she was, but all in all it's pretty awesome.

    Scooter on
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