sixth install | video; backdated to the night of 12/31

[cava]

Bonne année et bonne santé, Network! Ça va?

[Cain is sitting on his balcony and looking...festive. Bottle of wine in hand, he's got a pair of these stupid ostentatious rainbow things on his face - but the nonsense doesn't end there. Perched on top of his head like a gaudy monstrosity is the stitched-together frankenhat born when this and this collide, backed up by a solid amount of EL tape forming an outline around the hat. The less said about the rest of what he's wearing, the better. It is horrifying. Who lets him go anywhere? He explodes a party popper towards the camera of his phone, grinning.]

Watch this.

[Before he does anything else, he takes a long drink of the wine. Next he fishes a lighter out of his pocket, setting a flagrantly illegal mortar firework on the thick railing of the balcony before lighting it.

The shell blasts up into the air, eventually hitting the top of its trajectory and bursting into a dazzling blue star. Cain tracks it with his phone's camera all the while, before putting it back where it was. Those in Japantown may have just noticed.]

Ah...truly, truly beautiful! Très bien. But fireworks and the New Year are not, regrettably, why I'm speaking with you tonight. [he takes another long sip of wine, looking serious. Cain glances around, cursing.]

Tabarnac. The things are back inside.

[and like that it's back into his apartment! Among the other things in the background, a black Santa suit on an outfit hanger is slung over a nearby chair. Cain places his phone down on his desk to record what comes next. First, he holds up a small USB dongle to the camera.]

This is a stealth keylogger. It saves text logs of everything typed on the computer it is connected to. It does not announce its presence. In other words, it is exactly what one would imagine from the name.

[Cain then opens a box under his desk, pulling out an unusual tank, an odd laptop and something oddly like a credit card. He opens the laptop, plugs a couple of wires from the tank into it, and holds the card between two fingers. finally, he applies a clear patch to the keylogger, before setting it down within the video frame.]

Let's write up a little Metavirus.

[he swipes the card down a slot alongside the laptop's screen.]

Install!

[the reaction begins. A pink glow overtakes the tiny USB device, as the laptop announces in a robotic tone:]

U-S-B RO-I-D
USBROID

[When it's done, the thing is standing at a proud inch in height. It now has eyes, four of them, tiny red spots. occupying a central position on its chest alongside odd text is this mark, matching the one on the tank. It waves once towards the camera with a spindly little arm, before looking up towards Cain.]

Where do we start?

[And apparently, it sounds eerily like Sean Connery.]

I have a plan. I'm not certain of how much it will turn up, but it seems worth the effort.

I would request that one of the network police smuggle our new ami petit into headquarters. There will be no need to plant him - as you see, he will be able to get himself into position. I would ask, however, that you keep track of this creature to the best of your ability. He will check in with his partner as regularly as they are comfortable with. I leave the details up to you. Obviously, it will do us no favors if he is discovered.

If there is any sensitive communication going out from the police's work computers, I intend for us to intercept it. Edwards and Sherman seem to be the best candidates.

[A long pause follows, as he thinks further. Nnnnope, that's it. He waves, and the video goes off.]

Comments

video; forward dated to the 4th

[wannabered]

[Thomas just stares into the camera for a moment, his face the definition of shock and awe. That is before contorting to fear and rage.]

N-no. No. No no no! Enter!

[He slams a hand onto the desk by his laptop, it shaking a bit. His other hand is holding his moe moe z-cune off screen.]

What do you think you're doing?!

video;

[cava]

I had been wondering when you would appear.

[the corner of his mouth quirks down when Akagi calls him that.]

Did you not pay attention? This is meant to help us.

Video

[soulsborderline]

Okay that's almost as creepy as those Vermedi things.

video;

[cava]

Be that as it may, he is a professional.

[seriously why do you think this is weird.]

[ursoreckless]

But why Sean Connery?

[cava]

[Cain doesn't even say a word. He just shrugs.]

text;

[centurian]

Do you have any idea just how many laws you've violated here?

[ ...BUT DAMN IT, WOULD HE ACTUALLY LIKE SOME INFORMATION ON THESE MEN. ]

text;

[cava]

I might hazard a guess.

[WHATCHA GONNA DO, GARRUS]

[video]

[seishindairingun]

[sentient robot]

That's not a trick, is it?

video;

[cava]

[Cain just sort of looks at the camera.

Then looks at the Metaroid. It looks back up at him.

Then he looks back at the camera and the Metaroid turns to follow his gaze.]

[Video]

[chalicejoker]

[So that's what the source of all those fireworks was. At least seeing the culprit on the network has cut down on the chances of an irritated armored guy going around and bothering people for it once his family obligations for the evening were taken care of. But he's quickly distracted by the process by which this guy made that little monster.]

...what kind of card was that?

[Cards. They're what make the world go round.]

video;

[cava]

Metavirus.

[as if it's perfectly evident what that means. come on, keep up.]

Video; probably sometime during the tay of the 1st.

[sugoku]

An evolved virus, like Papa Messiah.

[The worry was clear on her face, but she pushed it away.]

video;

[cava]

... Certainly one way of putting it.

[he frowns at that. no, come on, fucking talk to him.]

[video]

[amajin]

You can't--

[He looks, for the first time on the network... angry. Frustrated.]

Enter!! You're... That's a Metaroid...

[He scowls, clearly having issues with a pulse. After a moment, he calms down, is quiet for a few long beats.]

This is really, really for everyone's benefit, isn't it?

video;

[cava]

[Cain is visibly...surprised. The Echo hits and it all comes together.]

I would rather you didn't call me that, if you wouldn't mind.

[he stares at him for a long moment.]

I have every reason to aid the Network. Honestly, is that much not self-evident, Beet Buster?

video;

[sucrosity]

[When Yoko hits the feed, she looks extremely irritated. It's this guy again. And now she knows why he's so annoying!]

You.

[She leans up to point at the screen, showing off that she's wearing her Go-busters uniform jacket over whatever t-shirt she's wearing underneath.]

If I find out you're making anything bigger than that little guy... [She trails off, hoping that sounded threatening. She fights Messiah, right? That was her job! So it should totally be threatening.]

video;

[cava]

[call him completely unimpressed, but...still, surprised. the memory of this girl comes together.]

Quite frankly, Yellow Buster, I believe you have bigger concerns than me at the moment.

video;

[willchange]

[She's about to respond to the post, but is silent for a few moments thanks to a very annoyingly timed echo. Weeeelp.

What was at first just apprehension, is now kind of starting to become full-on panic.]

I... Th-That thing, how did you... [She's trying to stay calm, but the echo is still too fresh, so she can't really stop freaking out.] I don't think this is a good idea...!

video;

[cava]

[oh god, more teenagers. teenagers freaking out at him.]

And what would be the problem?

[voice]

[umbrael]

[Given that is is back on new years eve, Doyle might actually be- hahah no, there's no way he'd ever be drunk enough to think this guy's outfit isn't the most ridiculous and tacky thing in existence. Who actually buys those glasses?

Fortunately the rest of the video captures his interest more, and shockingly he doesn't comment on the outfit at all in his reply.]

... Okay that's super weird, but kind of cool. Saves you the trouble of walking it in yourself, I guess.

[There's a long pause, before:]

Sean Connery?

audio;

[cava]

And the unnecessary risk.

[god don't inflate his ego more, Doyle.]

Evidently so. I don't claim to understand that part, admittedly...

video

[tenaciousc]

That's... actually kind of cool.

[The robot, not his outfit. Cain, what are you doing. You look like an idiot in that... everything. Cain, seriously.]

video

[cava]

Ouais, I thought so as well. With luck, we'll discover something useful.

[oh god, he's still drinking. and the joual is slipping.]

text;

[alilyinthemoonslight]

[Well. Lily is ... disturbed. Thanks for that echo, pal. Seeing this, and them remembering those other monsters...]

How can you be certain you have control over it?

text;

[cava]

[YOU'RE WELCOME]

I hardly have a tight leash on its every action. However, its directives and loyalty are not in question.