Cyber Chase

Storyteller (6/30/2010 1:55:19 PM): Roman, however, finds his email to be much more dramatic. As he logs in, he finds an email entitled ' I haven't seen your progress yet."
Roman(6/30/2010 1:57:55 PM): Roman rubbed his temples furiously. This whole thing was starting to wear away his nerves. He could barely cross the street without looking over his shoulder twenty times. He couldn't figure out why the hell this was happening to him. He considered not responding to the email at all, but a sick feeling in his stomach told him that wouldn't end it.
Roman(6/30/2010 1:59:07 PM): He nervously typed his reply. "Things have been complicated. I am working on it..." The truth was, he had no idea what he was supposed to do with the information he had been given. He still refused to believe in vampires and dragons.
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:00:01 PM): Theres a five minute delay. "Fair enough. You do seem to have distractions. Remember the pot at the end of the rainbow.' The gmail icon then indicates that 'Admin' had logged out.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:02:45 PM): Roman rested his head in his hands. He didn't know what the hell the pot was, but he assumed in the end it would be worth it... He slammed shut his netbook and decided it was time to get to the bottom of things. He had been interrupted the last time he was speaking with Kaide, but this time he would find out what the hell "beauty is only skin deep" meant. He threw his gear into his pack, and set out for the club.
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:07:42 PM): As he arrived at the club, he found that mornings were dry and dull. Several men were drinking thier breakfast. Kaide and other wman, actually, were not about. As he settled in, he did get a trill that alerted him to a new IM.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:12:20 PM): Part of him screamed to not check the IM. Some base instinct was telling him that this whole thing was wrong. Maybe if he had more common sense he would have listened. He leaned against a wall as he opened up his netbook and checked the message.
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:15:13 PM): Cypher: I'm seeing some bad waves though the net, man. Someone's closing in on you. There's a way out of the noose, though.

Roman(6/30/2010 2:18:05 PM): Roman couldn't remember ever speaking to somebody called Cypher. Maybe this was another test from "Admin". The tests and twists and turns were starting to get old. He decided to play it cool. R0M4N: Is that a black joke?
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:19:36 PM): Cypher: Ouch. Ok, my faux pas. I was mainly referring to Admin stringing you along with some fabled 'ultimate crack'. Don't do it, man. I saw something like this last year. Alice never was the same, man.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:20:55 PM): Now Roman was intrigued. This was a chance to find out some more about Admin. R0M4N: np. So what is this Admin's gig?
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:21:24 PM): Cypher: Money banks. Dangles the carrot, lures the kids in
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:22:34 PM): Cypher: Truth be told, I cracked that site. Its always something wierd, something new. Last few days, it was a dash cam. Some guy shot a cop- that guy that was on the news.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:24:04 PM): R0M4N: There is footage of that... Does it show anybody else in it?
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:28:30 PM): Cypher: Bunch of people in a van. Some scarred looking kid. But the fun thing is the encryption in the vid. Admins' setting you up. The program back doored my tosser CPU; trying to root through my info.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:32:24 PM): Roman lost it. He punched the wall next to him. Maybe if he hadn't spent his entire life in front of a computer it would have resulted in more than a light thud. He couldn't believe he had fell for such an old school trick. What was worse, is that his fucking image was plastered on a police tape somewhere out there. He bet admin was going to tun him over. He was fucked, so incredibly fucked. He slumped down to the floor. It felt like an ocean was crushing him. Then it hit him. How could he trust this guy? R0M4N: How do I know you aren't Admin fucking with me?
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:34:57 PM): Cypher: Look, man. Lots of people set here and steal code from kids, act the big shadow show. But I've watched Admin steal talented hackers, turn them into ghosts that just troll the nets. Its a crime, man. Crime against the community. So, I tossed that comp. But, I managed to ping the automater he has set up. He rigged it to look like he was in Boston, but he's right here in Salem.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:38:16 PM): Roman had heard of such people. They didn't want any up and comers to dethrone them, so they suckered talent in and then screwed him over. It was an urban myth though, nobody had ever proved such people actually existed. Roman didn't know what to believe. One thing he was sure of was that Admin wasn't being completely on the up and up with him. He was tired of playing his game. R0M4N: How do I find him?
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:39:03 PM): Cypher: wrong move, man. This guy reads like someone with backers. Lots of time, lots of money. If I were you, I'd just go.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:41:45 PM): What they guy said made sense. Roman had no kind of support. Sure he had his community contacts, but 90% of them were script kiddies and the other 10% wouldn't go after somebody like Admin unless there was a huge score in it. Not to mention it wouldn't be long before his face was all over the evening news. He couldn't just up and leave though. He had no where to go.

Roman(6/30/2010 2:42:41 PM): R0M4N: Go where? This place might be shit, but it's all I got.
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:43:04 PM): Cypher: Look. You got talent. You seem smarter than the prideful punks that end up on the news. I just relocated to a new pad, got most my stuff sent down. But I left some stuff at my old pad. Maybe you could apartment sit for me while I ride this job out.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:46:16 PM): Roman rubbed the top of his head. This was feeling too good to be true. Though if this guy really had friends burned by Admin, he might be on the level. It was a huge gamble, but what choice did he have? He couldn't sit around waiting for the FBI to break down his door. R0M4N: Fine. Where?
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:47:42 PM): Cypher: Detroit. Yeah, its a crime ridden dump, but us pasty techs slide right by. You can even use the stuff that's hidden in the fridge in the back room. I'll need you to hang there at least three weeks until I can get someone to drive me back for teh delicate equipment.
Roman(6/30/2010 2:49:55 PM): Detroit... Roman didn't think he could get much lower than Salem, but thats what he got for making assumptions. One thing was true, nobody would look for him there. He sighed heavily as his head thumped against the club wall. "Why me?" R0M4N:You got a deal.
Storyteller (6/30/2010 2:50:56 PM): Cypher: "Ok, good. I'll head over to Brewer's Cyber cafe and give you some stuff. I'd stay off the nets till you clear Salem, man.

Roman(6/30/2010 2:56:05 PM): Roman logged out, and buried his head into his knees. He couldn't let anybody see the tears running down his face. He wasn't particularly fond of Salem, but there was something about the entire situation that weighed on him. He was so in over his head that he couldn't see the sun. He wiped his eyes, and stood up. There was a look of determination on his face. This wasn't the end of him and Admin. He would be back, and when he was...it would be Admin that had better run.

Storyteller (6/30/2010 3:00:41 PM): As Roman reaches CyberCafe, he is surprised at the well to do restaurant/cafe. Diners eat lobster rolls as they work on computers, all set up in perfect ciecles with plenty of work space. The morning sees only a handful of patrons...
Roman(6/30/2010 3:03:53 PM): Once again Roman was on the outside looking in. He still had plenty of cash from Admin's check, but he had decided on the way here that it would be his seed money. Every single cent would only be spent getting him closer to his revenge. He takes a seat, keeping his face turned away from the other customers. There was no telling how many of them had seen the police tape.
Storyteller (6/30/2010 3:05:41 PM): "I didn't expect to actually recognize you." A woman's voice says. A slightly pudgy but pleasntly pretty blonde sits across the table from him. "You're in this even deeper than I thought, aren't you?" She asks sympathetically.
Roman(6/30/2010 3:08:12 PM): He couldn't believe it. He had logically assumed Cypher to be a guy. Women in the hacking community were the vast minority, attractive ones were practically extinct. He was taken aback, his awkwardness around pretty girls striking him again. He couldn't even look her in the face. "You... you're not what I expected."
Storyteller (6/30/2010 3:11:21 PM): Cypher laughed with a bell like qaulity. "Keeps us moving on the nets, doesn't it? " She glances around, apparently off put by the men who were suddenly keen on the table. "It is, sadly, a detriment. I hope that you'll keep it to yourself... and we need to wait out the eyes so I can pass you some information on my place. Otherwise, it's going to look really odd." She smiles.
Roman(6/30/2010 3:15:53 PM): He tries to look comfortable, but shifts nervously in his seat. He didn't know what to talk about, so he just blurted out what was eating away at him. "Why hasn't the video been broadcast on tv yet? Why haven't the police busted down my door in the middle of the night?"
Storyteller (6/30/2010 3:16:39 PM): "Well, I managed to send in a script to scramble it." Cypher replied quietly. "But it won't last long. That can't be the only file. they'll just scrub it and release it soon..."
Roman(6/30/2010 3:19:13 PM): Roman sighed and wiped his face. He wished he could just disappear into vapor right then and there. This was nothing like the movies pretended. He wasn't the criminal mastermind who strung the authorities around with cryptic clues. It was hitting him from all sides that he was just a scared kid out of his element. ".. I... I don't know how to thank you."
Storyteller (6/30/2010 3:24:35 PM): "Then don't." Cypher said pointedly. "I have seen a lot of fucked up things, kid." Her voice lends weight to that, a tired sort of sound. Nearly a defeated air. "But I really don't wnat to see this play out. " She sets a manilla folder on the table. "Here's the keys and address. The password to the security system.. it should all be good. You need anything?"
Roman(6/30/2010 3:27:55 PM): Roman laughed nervously as his hand hovered over the folder.. "How about a time machine?" He rested his netbook on top of the folder, using it as a cover as he scooped the lot into his bag.
Storyteller (6/30/2010 3:30:41 PM): "That'd help all of us." Cypher smiled sadly. "But I have to go. Can't stay away from- well." She stops, suddenly cagey. "Good luck. I'll look for you on the nets."
Roman(6/30/2010 3:38:27 PM): Roman nods, his mind only half there. he gazes out the cafe window, a mournful look on his face. It wasn't a love for Salem, or not wanting to abandon his mom that kept him glued in his seat. It was pure unadulterated fear. Fear of what he was running from. Fear of what he was running to. It seemed his whole life for the past few days has been dominated by that one emotion. Once again he found the fear slowly being burnt away by another emotion... Rage. He wiped away the single tear that rested on his cheek, and stormed out of the cafe. He walked with a fervor. He knew that if he stopped moving for even one second, his strength might fail him. He wasn't going to stop until he was on a bus out of this nightmare.