Star Wars - DRK-1X and its Mistress

[sblock=OOC]Firstly, thank you for your concern. Supposedly, they will be sending someone out tomorrow or Thursday to basically replace my entire fuse box system with something that is not over eighty years old. This off course will take all day and we will be without electricity for a number of hours as they do so, but at least it will finally be done. Thankfully, we have managed to avoid actual tragedy. I'm not sure just how much more stress I can take as it is. But, that's the life I chose, so I shouldn't compain too much I suppose...

I have pretty much taken it to be SOP (standard operating procedure) that before X does anything, it does two things: Scan for anything that can alert something or someone to its presense and to erase any evidence of its passing. I presume you will tell me if this changes.

Incidentally, I just recently watched the movie Stealth and the machine in there had an odd way of reminding me of X and its single minded determination. That and that fact that it could hack anything...
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Code Mastery is something that every droid that performs any sort of computer slicing prides itself on. The ability to find information on anything at any time without leaving so much as a trace is an ideal that organic sentients strive for, but even their best pales to the power of the machines. It is said that such pride can lead to downfall, but thus far, the probot known as DRK-1X has been able to avoid this fate.

The layout of the system's architecture is immense. It is so colossal that it would take an organic many years to draw it all out. X has no such time and indeed is only searching for specific things. One of these is it's mistress, Dofina. X has been long out of contact with her and it was highly possible she may not have survived during this time.

It takes quite some time to find anything even mentioning prisoners, but once you find it, a whole new area of information opens up. It would seem that the Imperials have taken to using slaves in its construction process. Entire sections of the facility are dedicated to housing these workers. It would take hours to search through all of the datafiles of each one to find Dofina. That and you haven't been able to contact Four as of yet. Luckily, these files use holoimages to keep track of their slaves, so you can go about other activities while sifting through the thousands of files.

The other Dark Eye models in the facility appear to be standard factory models, at least that is what the documentation states. They are used to supplement the facility's security. However, your perusal of their activity logs suggest something else. According to the records, they only check in at certain times of the day, but this is only to receive new data from the Imperial security force commanders. However, it would seem that some of them transmit a signal off the facility at a regular interval as well, and it would seem, only X and these droids and whoever is on the receiving end is aware of it. Extrapolating from this data, you determine that it is possible these droids are here to monitor the progress of the facility and perhaps other things as well.

Getting the schematics of the place is easy, but it would seem that this layout changes on a regular basis due to constant construction and, that and if you are seeing the plans right, not all of it is mapped out on the computer. You do have a basic idea of where everything is though and through your research, you've put some things together.

The ship that brought Dofina here is still docked at the facility. According to the records, it is still undergoing some final refit changes. Dofina herself was taken aboard and, if the holoimage of her is to be believed, she is still quite alive and unharmed. She was taken to a holding room for some time before being relocated to some sort of living quarters. According to the records, she should still be there. This room is located in the most likely of places however. Near the command center in the very middle of the complex, where the highest security is. That system is on a separate network and the only way to access it is directly. Luckily, your newfound knowledge of the layout lets you know that you can follow the ductwork to the outskirts of that area. Getting in from there will be more difficult. There are also at least ten slicer droids logged in at all times watching that network as well, looking for any sign of intruders. X's mastery would be tested.

If you need to know anything else more specific about the layout, let me know. I imagine you'll want a route from Dofina to the nearest hangar bay, and that is easily made given what X now knows. It is a long and arduous path, but given that Dofina can not fit into the ductwork, well...

[sblock=OOC]Taking the measurements of the entire structure (500 km across with two 150 km spheres on either end) along with the diagrams (1X is in one corner and has to reach the central hub) you've presented I believe DRK-1X is looking at a roughly 100 km straight-line journey to reach the central hub (500 -150 -150 = 200 km, the halfway point being where the central hub is located). Under the best of circumstances (on a flat unobstructed plane) 1X could traverse that distance in a day and a half or thereabouts. Unfortunately, with all the twists, turns and obstacles that 1X will encounter by following the ventilation system, the journey is likely to be stretched out even longer. Every grate, every security device, every unanticipated obstacle will force 1X to pause for some amount of time. It also seems likely that 1X will have to exit the ventilation system on occasion to traverse gaps in the system where separate areas of the superstructure connects together. 1X will also have to periodically stop to plug into the network to check the path ahead in case the superstructure has been modified during the interim since its last previous check due to the constant construction and modification going on.

Such a trip is no small undertaking. 1X will have to shut down and recharge at least once, perhaps twice if the trip takes more than four or five days. Consequently, 1X will carefully study the layout of the superstructure and its various ventilation ducts, maintenance shafts and habitable areas. The probot will map out its route, along with a few secondary and tertiary routes in case of unforeseen and insurmountable obstacles that might crop up along the way. It'll take note of the various isolated computer access ports and carefully choose predetermined rest points along its planned route. It'll then cross-check the route with scheduled maintenance and security checks to avoid, as much as possible, accidental encounters along the way. It'll take careful note of security devices along the route and either find ways to circumvent them or either access their design specifications in hopes of being able to safely bypass them when it reaches those locations.

Finally, 1X will access the droid labour pool data files via the computer network to identify which particular units are assigned to the particular areas it will be traversing along its route. It wants to have the ability to convincingly impersonate such a droid if it happens to be discovered. To that end it'll need to know the designations of units from that area along with a brief rundowns of their assigned responsibilities. 1X is particularly afraid of crossing paths with another Dark Eye; they're smart and quite perceptive. They'd be harder to fool than organic personnel I'd think.

1X will try to send a message to Four via its own encrypted comlink. It's got a range of 50 km I believe. Since 1X hasn't gone to far from the freighter I assume that she's still within range, at least for the time being. I don't know how close you judge that Derek happens to be to the structure; he and 1X had no expectation of him remaining within comlink distance. The plan is for 1X to slice one of the station's communication arrays once it's ready to signal Derek. Please let me know if you believe that Derek happens to be within range and also hears 1X's message.

Once it's sliced the required information and finished its planning 1X will set out. Knowing where security scanners are supposed to be, 1X won't bother taking 20 while scanning ahead; taking 10 and keeping a steady pace is preferable.[/sblock]Having completed is analysis of the layout of the facility DRK-1X carefully obfuscates its slicing activities within the computer network before withdrawing its Code back into itself. The diminutive probot then withdraws, folds and retracts its scomplink probe into its chassis before making its way back to the confined passages of the facility's ventilation system. Before starting the next leg of its long voyage, 1X momentarily pauses to extend its communications antenna to transmit a brief encrypted message intended for Four: "Violet eyes. Have located body. Am en route."

[sblock=OOC]Thus, the reference to long and arduous... I'm going to gloss over the unimportant stuff and and move ahead with the actual encounters, that way we can get right to the main portion of the rescue mission as soon as possible. At the moment, Derek isn't close enough to hear X, but Four certainly is. You know, I find it odd but fitting that X is more nervous about the other droids than the organics on board... [/sblock]

Its preparations complete, the little probot begins the first leg of its long journey to the center of the station. Four responds soon after your transmission. "It's about time. I was wondering if you got lost. Face violet. En route to secondary objective. You wanna send me body's coords?"

"Body in central hub command center, residential quarters. Please identify Face and secondary objective locations."[sblock=OOC]Summarize the trip however you see fit. It's all fine by me.

You know, it's true that 1X couldn't easily have found and reached this place without Four's help, but I'm starting to wonder if it should have bothered bringing her along. I don't yet see how she's going to be of any use to Dofina or 1X since she seems to be so caught up in pursuing her own goals. *shrug* I guess we'll see.

BTW, did the electrician manage to rewire your fuse-box and straighten out your system? Is everything status quo in your household again?[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]Well, after quite a bit of money and work, they replaced the fuse-box with a circuit breaker system, new ground wires and even a surge protection system for the whole house. So far, things have been running pretty smoothly, thankfully.[/sblock]

It takes a little while for Four to respond to your query, but when she does, it sounds hurried. She has also apparently returned to a female body. "Spoke too soon. Almost lost that one, had to ditch old face. I'm sending you a series of coordinates, I'll be at each location for a short period of time before moving on towards primary body. Recommend finding transport to location."

She ends her transmission with a set of coordinates that you are able to correlate with the plans of the complex that you have stored in your memory banks. Most all of them seem to be located in the personnel sections of the facility, and with some quick Code work, you are able to associate rooms with names. Though you have no record of encountering these names before, the records you have from the station tell you that they are all scientists of one speciality or another.

Your internal chronometer ticks away the hours as you make progress toward your ultimate goal of rescuing Mistress Dofina. The vents, unpopulated hallways and at times, simply hiding on the ceiling have kept you out of view. The basic holo imager security systems are pointed towards the floors of the facility, not the ceilings and even if they were, some random Code inserted in the proper place would take care of what they saw.

The first problem occurs when you are about nine hours into your progress. You've run through your system many other possible routes, but each one would take you much farther off course than you would like. You are currently located near a junction point in the connecting sections of the complex. The only way to get to the vent you need to access is by crossing this subcommand center. Its layout is similar to what you would expect in a circular base that would be in space, but attached to the facility. You've come to a point where the vent exits into an open area used for cargo transfer. In fact, according to the plans, a hangar is attached to it via an opening in the ceiling of this room.

Running a quick scan and comparison with the information you have stored within, you find that there are two exits other than the one in the ceiling. One will lead you directly into a security check point that leads to another part of this subcommand system and further towards your goal, the other appears to be an empty room, as there is no description of its contents in the plans you found so far. The security point is manned by at least four individuals at all times, and at various intervals, one of your lesser counterparts comes by on patrol as well. The cargo bay itself stands empty as far as organics go, but there are two CLL-8 Binary Lifting Droids moving materials around. The door to the hangar above is currently closed.

DRK-1X carefully exits its hiding place and heads towards the mysterious room that has oddly been left out of the plans of the facility. There is no more than a basic code-entry console that has as of yet to be activated. Carefully accessing the room, your sensors switch over to compensate for the lack of illumination. The baylights of the cargo transfer room are not enough to shed any extra light into the room.

At first it appears empty, but as your sensors adjust, you can see that indeed some pieces of machinery have been left in here. Most of them appear to be construction tools and equipment, but there is one crate in particular that seems out of place.

It is marked just the same as the others, but is has an odd energy reading coming from it. It's not powered per se, but there is definately something in the far infrared range of the EM spectrum that you are picking up. These usually indicate a power source of some kind, but there are no accompanying fluctuations and the like that would indicate such. There are no locks on the crate, but there appear to be no seams that would show how it opens either.

Other than this, it appears that the room is being readied for computer access, but it has not occured yet.

A quick scan of the complex plans tells you that the controls for the hangar door are in two places, the security room and in the hangar above. At present, it is uncertain how many personnel or others are in the hangar. According to the records, there are usually at least five cargo handlers and their droids, along with a small contingent of station guards. Whether this is still the case is uncertain. There is a vent that would lead you to the hangar however.

[sblock=OOC]I think I will be joining Kae'Yoss in his rant against World of Warcraft. Though entirely my fault, my bride has fallen in with that crowd, and this being the same computer that I work my forums on, well.... [/sblock]

Taking a final scan of the box and determining that whatever is in it is beyond anything its Code can currently identify, DRK-1X returns to its more important mission, rescuing Mistress Dofina. The vent opens easily, and your spherical chassis glides through it with ease towards the hangar area. At present, you scan nine individual heat signatures and at least seven droid energy signatures. There are two short range shuttlecraft parked here, one of which is being worked on by most of the organics and droids and the other appears to be in a ready status. There is at least one person on board that ship. Two of the heat signatures are patrolling the room.

The plans tell you that again, the exit to this room is staffed by another security detail, but if you can somehow get to the other side of the hangar without being detected, there is a vent there that can get you moving and back on schedule. There is of course the exit to space as well, currently maintained by a blue energy wall.