“With all the relevant data points,” Elaine said, “we can see that someone is using some sort of extremely sophisticated statistical magick to affect the outcome of tests. Now, it’s similar to but not exactly like the Improbability Engine that took hold in the minds of Brad and Larry. The type of effect we’re seeing … Read more
The “highly orchestrated action in Student Records” would begin to play itself out in mere minutes; but Elaine found herself far away from the activity: across campus, standing right outside the Engineering Computing Commons in the air conditioned antechamber of Engineering Wing H. Frog sat on the stairs fiddling with a small laptop open on … Read more
“I’m more interested in if people use it for less-than-legitimate purposes.” Their trek took them into a workshop made of iron girders, wood floors, with a furnace and a circular dais. He carefully stayed back as Shodan charged in recklessly and flattened all opposition that rose to attack her. She seemed to carom off the … Read more
Shodan didn’t appear to mind, as he waited to find out what would happen next, another message popped up: “You’ve been asking about Bitcoin on the forums. I don’t know how much you’ve googled on the subject, but I think that I can answer most of your questions directly if you don’t want to wade … Read more
Special Agent Ellis Warren found himself clearly out of his depth. Years of training as a field operative, extensive hand-to-hand experience, and seminars in profiling aggressors didn’t give him any edge against the pixelated fox-like creature on his computer. He’d spent the better part of the day trying to get into a discussion with the … Read more
“Actually, no,” Elaine said. “Neither of these Universities shows a great amount of anomalies. What is anomalous here is that ASU generally receives a lot more graduate students from out of state than they do from their own undergraduate population. In this case, the opposite is true. Something Dr. Fedora said earlier today got me … Read more
Zane enthroned himself in his ergonomic computer chair in the living room as he, Elaine, Frog, Roger, and Hadaly all held an audience by the flickering light of the numerous monitors. Each one currently displayed scenes from different video games as they cycled through downloading all the various media feeds that Zane consumed during a … Read more
“Longitude in this hemisphere is negative,” Elaine said, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “I’ll try that,” Frog said. The satellite picture resolved on the screen into a very familiar set of buildings: the Student Recreation Center. Right smack on the edge of Arizona State University. In fact, not so far … Read more
Elaine shook her head. “If someone is spying on him by leaving bugs in his office,” she said. “It would take some intense training and habit changes for him to address his own personal security.” “Still have your mind on that bug we found in his office?” Frog caught the pillow, set it to the … Read more
The gentle crinkle of ionizing air emanated from Frog’s skin as Hadaly gently brushed her holographic hand across her hair and back. The lights in Elaine’s room were off, but the suffuse glow from the various monitors, LED status lights, and Hadaly’s projected body provided more than enough light to distinguish the edges of objects … Read more