Lumin University begins a fresh new semester, and school year. The beginning of the week comes with a varying emotional atmosphere. New students attend with anticipation, and excitement. A stark contrast from the returning Juniors and Seniors, who have mostly grown to dread this place by now.
"And that's where strategy comes in..."
A certain familiar deep toned voice echoes throughout the halls. Brett Syphon, leading the computer science program diligently in his massive auditorium.
"You'll have to make sure that your plugins and console menus are compatible with whatever language or engine you're planning to integrate. If there's even the slightest discrepancy in the smallest of functions, your program falls apart."
He demonstrates a live recreation of the problem while his screen is projected to the rest of the room.
"Huh... This wasn't where the class was hosted last year..?"
Lexo strolls down the halls of Lumin Uni, looking for auditorium 3b. Strangely enough, his business analytics class was on the other side of campus, and he didn't remember scheduling in such a long walk between back to back classes.
"This should be it."
He rounds the corner, finding the entrance to the auditorium, and steps inside. Already a few minutes late. Lexo steps inside, and immediately is confronted with the feeling he's in the wrong place.
"..."
Brett pauses his teaching as Lex steps in, turning his gaze towards him for a moment. Consequently, the entire class goes silent as they look back in curiosity.
The auditorium is filled with silent whispers and inquisitive glances.
"... Well, Lexo. Nice of you to join us. Better late than never." He says with a playful chuckle.
"Oh I'm... I'm sorry, I think I'm lost..."
Lex turns back towards the halls.
"Hm.. You could put it that way, I had just marked you absent on the attendance sheet." He says, with his scarlet eyes glancing back at his laptop.
This makes Lexo turn back around. Attendance sheet? This must mean he actually is on the roster, and this class being on his schedule wasn't out of pure misfortune.
"Surely the administration made a mistake, I'll have to talk to them about it..." He thinks to himself.
"Go ahead and take a seat whenever you'd like. Luckily, you haven't missed much."
Brett says, with an underlying tease in his tone. This is met by a harsh side glare from Lex, that Dr. Syphon doesn't even acknowledge.
"Anyways, back on the topic at hand..."
– GEMINI LECKY: IMPRESSIVE ABODE –
Saturday night, Gemini had just gotten back home and was already sorting through the Syphon industries' job postings for an IT or tech maintenance position on her computer. She sent in applications for a few of the listings under the pseudonym "Stella Johnson".
Early Sunday morning however, as she was preparing to stream, she received an email. It was like her application was reviewed nearly instantly, the background check conducted in moments, and the interview scheduled... Immediately. Though, nothing less was to be expected of the technology company portrayed as "the face of the city." The email requested a virtual interview, one she could do remotely from the comfort of her own home.
"Jeez. That didn't take them very long…"
She threw on a brown wig and put a hazel contact over her blue eye. She responded to the email.
Any time works great for me!
Stella.
They write back. The 'typing' graphic is only visible for a few seconds.
Time: Now.
"Right now!? Okay!"
She confirms the meeting invite, and her computer screen is suddenly hijacked by Syphon Industries Software. In almost an instant, her camera app is brought up, and her webcam turns on. At the bottom right corner, another window is opened. Displaying a man who looks to be in his early thirties. Presumably, the man interviewing her.
"... Good morning."
"Good morning! How are you doing?"
Luckily for Gem she kept her desktop pretty clean of anything she didn't want people to see. Any of her personal files were well encrypted. The man glares at her with harsh judging eyes. Adjusting his glasses with a heavy, exhausted sigh.
"You applied for computer support, Ms. Johnson. That is correct?"
"Yes, that's one of the positions I applied for -and you can call me Stella."
"Stella... Right."
After the man speaks, Gemini's mouse cursor shifts on the screen without her moving it. It then minimizes her camera app window, showing a mess of files and an amalgamation of spyware windows. At the very top however, remains the man's portrait and a timer underneath.
"Your computer has just been infiltrated with corporate level ransomware. Dispel it and all connected files within the given time limit."
A clock begins to count down…
00:29:59
"Can I use external hardware?"
The man nods in approval.
"Restore your previous framework by any means necessary."
00:27:46
She plugged in a thumb drive that forced a boot into safe mode, then scanned the task manager for any unwanted activity, and auto deleted any programs deemed unusual or malicious.
"That should only take about 5 seconds."
The computer's screen blacks out as it reboots, and returns afterwards, in safe mode. However, many of the programs and consoles remained. This wasn't just a run of the mill 'grandma's download mistake' virus, this was company threat level trojan spyware. The files that structured it were so encrypted and adaptive that they read out to be system software. Sometimes, even shown as files that originate back to the same dates the very OS was scripted. The man's portrait returns shortly after with a careful and precise watchful eye displayed by him.
00:18:21
"Need the big guns I guess. Not a problem."
She forced a total reset to a previous condition. One she had saved after deeming free of malware only a couple days ago.
"It'll delete some of my own files too, obviously I wouldn't do that if I had more time. I don't keep much on this PC anyway."
The action isn't met with much resistance. Though, once she boots her computer back up on the fresh framework, she's met with a lock screen that isn't responsive to her previous passwords...
00:08:23
She opened a command window and entered a few lines of code that bypassed the password screen entirely.
"Yeesh! No wonder there are openings. This interview sucks."
Everything was calm as the computer screen opened to a fresh, clean desktop. Even the timer and the tab of the man's camera were gone. She received a notification from her email which read only "Congratulations."
Almost as if on queue, her printer begins to work on a few pages. As they finished, it seemed to be employee paperwork, security clearance, and a completion certificate.
"Nicee."
She filled out all the pages with her faked info. "Stella" had her own employment records, a clean criminal record, and a social security number that all existed only on paper, or more accurately only online.
"I can't believe I'm actually going to do this."
She turned her computer off and covered the webcam with a t-shirt. She didn't like how easy it was for them to infiltrate it.
"God, I could get killed… at least there isn't anyone they could threaten to get to me like he did to poor Lexy… I can't even imagine…"
She shed her disguise.
"He's counting on me now…"
– LUMIN UNIVERSITY –
In the middle of class, Brett starts receiving a multitude of text notifications.
"Ah, crap. One moment."
He pauses the current topic and checks his phone.
"... Dang it! I knew I forgot something. Sorry class, we'll have to call it early. For homework, I suggest you all study up on the topic of integration overnight. My apologies." He exits class while answering a phone call.
"Well, that was one of the longest half classes I've ever had in my life."
Lexo sat in the very back of the class. In all honesty, he wasn't paying much attention to the presentation. He was on his phone the entire time.
"Right, now I'll head to the office to get switched back to my actual class."
He leaves with a heavy sigh.