Deviation Actions
Literature Text
User Name: Gordon Tennyson.
Date: 27.12.2032
Logged onto Query Laboratories personal terminal.
OpenOffice.org Writer executed.
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Date: 27.12.2032
I hate it here. My doctorate as an astrophysicist has served no purpose at all here at Query Laboratories. But I can’t quit! Of all the abominable nonsense, that stubborn head-honcho Dr. Lockhead refuses to tear up my contract with him! Why? For Christ’s sake, why?!
I’ve worked here for only three years, but what I’ve witnessed – or overheard here is so crazy that I want out of this place more than anything now! He doesn’t even pay me anymore, Lockhead flat out denied me my check a year ago.
There has to be something I can do.
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Date: 01.01.2033
I only managed to spend the night at home to see the New Year start on the telly, before I had to report back to work at 6 AM. Jesus, why do I still have to work on a holiday? Even the average person doesn’t work this long!
I’m going to talk to some peers over lunch.
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Date: 02.01.2033
Spoke with James Atkinson, one of the programmers. He’s on a different level than me: While he agrees that Lockhead is a nutball, James wants to stay for at least 5 more years to see if he can at least get some extra money. I don’t really have much hope for that guy.
Anyway, he wasn’t a total loss: He gave me a flash drive with some passwords and a boss key on it. I’ll keep it on my person at all times and tonight, I’ll see what I can unlock with these codes.
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10.01.2033
Ohh, I feel so much better! I’m free on the net! It’s not hacking software, but these passwords have been doing wonders for me!
Level-9 Security clearance, bypasses to the protocols, access to the archives, and even the surveillance system!
That does beg the question, though: How did James get a hold of these passwords? Did he bribe a guard or something? Wouldn’t surprise me if that was actually the case, I’ve been hearing already, without clearance, that practically everyone hates working here! Well, at least the lower-clearance personnel do.
I should be lucky, either way.
I probably won’t be writing for a while, I’ve got some new ground to cover!
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12.05.2033
Have to stay low for a while, but at least that Boss Key is doing fine! The guards don’t suspect a thing!
I’m thinking next week, I’ll do some skimming in the archives. My curiosity has been stirred: How in the name of Douglas Adams did Lockhead get the way he is now?
Well, one way to find out.
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LEVEL 9 SECURITY CLEARANCE ACCEPTED. WELCOME TO THE QUERY LABORATORIES DATABASE.
16.05.2033
Found quite a few things, very incriminating. Scotland Yard would love to get their hands on this stuff.
- Dr. Lockhead’s father, Thomas, was just as deranged as his son. In the old photos from the 1960’s, he even looks like a mad scientist you see in cartoons and books! Some of the crazy machinery I’ve heard passed around in rumors are actually hand-me-downs from this guy.
- Apparently, back then this company was actually doing fine...just not as well as those actually getting the public’s attention. But they went bankrupt in the ‘80s, Thomas died in the next decade, and Eric carried on his work.
- Eric Lockhead is taking corporate competition so serious that it’s not even funny. I’ve found some newspaper clippings of companies in the last few decades.
> “2029: VelociTech Industries destroyed by facility-wide fire, former workers suspect gas leak.”
> “2018: Artemis Gruel goes missing. Gunshots fired minutes before disappearance. Subject possibly dead, but no sign of body.”
> “2027: Metahumans confirmed! Rogue scientists at large for causing global scare with dangerous new compound.”
> “2015: Laboratory in local university damaged by C4 bomb, live samples of a new vaccine destroyed.”
> “2023: Prize-winning physicist Max Morgan shot in the head with a Glock handgun, and several certificates and research theses burned in a nearby trashcan.”
- Only question is...how did he carry out all these crimes? Guess that’s where the next part comes in...
- Wow, these security logs show that he has a whole gang of thugs at his disposal, even a sentient robot, and a female one at that! Let’s take a look at their profiles:
> “Employee #892, Name: PHERUL (Peripheral High-End Robotic Utilitarian Liaison), Date of hiring: 14.11.2024, Security Clearance: Level-9, Classification: Artificially Intelligent computer supervisor. Handles company computer systems in areas that humans would be unable to, has full mainframe and cyberspace access, and even functions as a sentient antivirus program. Note: This AI shows severe signs of Rampancy.
> “Employee #564. Name: Dr. William Q. Ulysses. Security Clearance: Level-10. Classification: Previous designation unknown, hired on 09.02.2007. Mortal body killed in lab accident, "soul" digitized and processed into living holographic being. Serves as a (unwilling) "ghost" for espionage and stealth purposes.
> “Employee #901. Name: The Stain. Security Clearance: Level-10. Classification: Unknown. Description: Alien humanoid of ‘liquid darkness’, assumes the form of a man in trench coat and fedora. Bears great resemblance to fabled ‘Shadow people’.”
> “Name: Joseph Simms. Classification: gangster.”
> “Name: Richard Collins. Classification: gangster. Note: Smokes cigarettes.”
> “Name: Candace Knox. Classification: Professional Criminal. Cousin of infamous criminal Don Byron."
- Wait a second, this is new!
> Saved audio file ready for satellite transmission: “Get_GBM”.
Sh*t, this is horrible! I’ve got to warn whoever this Gage McIntyre fellow is! These people are going to kill him! I can’t let this...this crime wave continue! Better find his email address...
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SECURITY ALERT 52: UNAUTHORIZED EMAIL TRANSMISSION.
SENDING NOTIFICATION TO—
> Security Override Code: [*******]
> Override code accepted. Auto-notification cancelled.
[BEGIN EMAIL]
Date: 17.05.2033
To: gbmcintyre245@gmtech.net
From: tennybear15@nsm.com
I know who you are, Gage McIntyre, and believe me when I say that you HAVE to read this email!
Query Laboratories is a nightmare of a workplace, and the worst part is that the boss, Dr. Lockhead, has to be a boss so cruel that he should be locked in jail for the rest of his life! I’ve been downloading transcripts of his conversations over the surveillance system, and it sounds like he’s rounding up mercenaries to HUNT YOU DOWN! That’s right, Lockhead’s out for your blood and craving to shut down your company at the same time!
When you get this email, I would advise building some serious defenses and calling the police! Or better yet, try to break into Query Labs by whatever way you can, and kick Lockhead’s ass! Don’t just arrest him, MURDER that man, there is no other way, he’s a threat to all civilization! I beg you, heed what I say, or he’ll never stop trying to destroy what you’ve accomplished!
Regards,
Gordon Tennyson.
[END EMAIL]
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20.05.2033
I pray that Gage got that message. I want to call him to make sure, but someone will definitely notice now. I’m really getting nervous....how much longer can I hold out with these passwords?
[You have 1 new email message]
Uh oh, I hope this is good news.
[BEGIN EMAIL]
To: tennybear15@nsm.com
From: acturnAL@yeehaw.net
It’s James. You’d better read this quickly, I’m nervous about the security status right now.
Those passwords I gave you won’t be valid after today, I overheard that the guards are going to run a manual security scan, which means that all passwords older than 3 weeks will be rewritten. I’ve made a copy of some new passwords that I managed to get from the archives, but not as many as the ones on your drive.
I have to go now, I just heard that the lockdown’s going to happen in the next 20 minutes. Good luck!
--James.
[END EMAIL]
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SECURITY ALERT 37: INTRUDER DETECTED ON FACILITY NETWORK; REVEALED BY MANUAL SECURITY SCAN. FACILITY-WIDE LOCKDOWN INITIATED
Damn it, what do I do? The code to override this wasn’t sent! Do I just...hide?
....
No, even the phone’s disabled!
[sigh] I guess there’s nothing left to do than surrender. I only pray that I don’t die for this!
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File saved as: “May 20th”
File saved to directory: C:\Gordon\Documents\Personal\Journal.
Program active: Level-9 access security sweep. Sound recording online, user tracking enabled.
> Camera location: 3rd floor corridor 7.
>
> Gordon: “Let me go, I want to have a word with Dr. Lockhead!”
>
> Security officer: “You will, Tennyson.”
> Camera location: 9th Floor anteroom.
>
> Officer: “We’ve got him, Lockhead.”
>
> Eric Lockhead (over intercom): “Bring him in, Mr. Blackwood.”
>
> Officer Blackwood: “Yes, sir.”
>
> Camera location: Dr. Lockhead’s private laboratory and central control room.
>
> Eric: “So you’re the one who was poking around on the network. Care to explain how you did that?”
>
> Gordon: “Yes, I was on the network, and no, I won’t tell you.”
>
> Sound: Electrical torture device.
>
> Eric: “How about now? Wait, what’s this?”
>
> Movement: Eric searches Gordon’s pocket and removes flash drive.
>
> Eric: “Aha!”
>
> Gordon: “Give that back! That’s mine!”
>
> Eric: “But according to security, this was given to you and had some illegal data on it. Let me just see what it is...”
>
> Visual and movement: Eric connects the drive to his computer console, revealing the text list of old passwords and the .EXE file for the boss key.
>
> Eric: “Well, no point in asking where you got this, I already know who handed it to you, and he’s in just as much trouble as you are now.”
>
> Gordon: “What...what are you going to do to me?”
>
> Eric: “Mmm...you’ll see soon enough. I just want you to think about what you did and what it means for the rest of this company.”
>
> Gordon: “Pardon my language, but f*ck this company! You’re bankrupt! How are we doing anything useful if no one gets paid and the research gets shunned by the public? This whole corporation is a waste, and I think YOU need to think things over!”
>
> Eric: “How DARE you talk back to your superior! That’s it, you’ve crossed the line and there are no take-backs now!”
>
> Sound: Reciprocating saw on robotic arm. Surgical incision process on Gordon’s head started, subject's screams.
>
SECURITY OVERRIDE: SURVEILLANCE SWEEP PROGRAM TERMINATED.
Creepy, isn't it?