[Club] Research Club

[Linwelin]

Roman was practically sprinting to the club lab. Here I come, my new home-away-from-home! Right before he bursts through the door, he takes a second to compose himself. I wonder what kind of people will be in club? I wonder if anyone else likes magnets. I hope they like magnets, no one else will debate with me about them, which I really miss doing with one who taught me in Russia. At least my brother would humor me... With that final, rather pathetic though, he straightens himself, and opens the door.

He enters, holding back his giddiness, stepping purposefully. As he looks around, he asks, "This is research club, yes?"

[Mysticsage]

Opening the lab door he was met with the smell of disinfectant and gas from the few Bunsen burners around the room. There were three others who turned to look as he entered. One of them seemingly a senior was huddled over a bubbling beaker. An interesting sight for how tall he was around 6?3?? if you had to guess. His deep red medium length hair making his skin paler then otherwise it would be, as he looked up at Roman.

The other two a girl with lighter red hair and glasses a Sophomore named Misha you think, and a younger looking boy most likely a freshman with a uniform hairstyle with a ?done at home? look to were going through the shelves and cabinets.

?Welcome to the research club," said the senior over the beaker, ?So our little cabal of science is finally complete."

?I?m William Trail, we were wondering when someone would show supposed to be the schools scientific studies club if this note from the principle is anything to go by and it said we?d have a fourth member.?

?That?s Misha Print and Quentin Henry" he said nodding to each of them.

?We?re only just taking inventory of everything we can use at the moment,? smiled Misha "The science teacher seemed to have locked up or taken away anything interesting tho.?

[Linwelin]

"My name is Roman, it is pleasure to meet you all!" He says with a smile. Yes, he certainly felt more at home here. Though he was disheartened to hear that the "interesting" items had been confiscated. "Well what sorts of things do we have? And does the research club have a specific field of study, or is it any and all subjects? I am partial to the field of magnets, myself." He asks as he takes a seat on the nearest lab stool.

Haha, field of magnets, MAGNETIC FIELD. Good one. He thinks to himself.

"Also, I am happy to hear club is small. Less noise, and better friendships, no? He says smiling as happily as he says he is.

[Mysticsage]

"It seems at the moment we simply have three Bunsen burners and a handful of minor stuff, a handful of beakers, tongs an anatomy skeleton. For now that?s all we?ve been able to find that is available to us." Will sighed slightly, "and here I was hoping we?d be able to make things really interesting. Chemical experiments and so on. Or better yet maybe something robotic or genetically new! William was playing up the mad scientist role well. " His eyes sparkling, the enthusiasm sweeping you up and making you miss the strange chill running down your spine and the blue butterfly fluttering just as the edge of your vision. Having such an eccentric older student was comforting however perhaps he would understand your love of magnets!

It is at that point that Misha calls out from a back closet ?Hey I found something." The closet had a note on the inside saying for Research club only along with a label saying basic scientific components. Opening the drawers there are bottle and jars of all kind with mostly safe products.

?Now we?re getting somewhere!? said Quentin excitedly

?Now all we need is our first project.? Said William. Pulling out a book in the cabinet he opened to the first page.

It says here that we need a basic catalyst base to do much of anything. Why don?t we start there??

[Linwelin]

Mm. Boring project, but good one, I may as well help out, as a new member. Chemistry is not exactly my forte, though. Then he suddenly remembered something interesting that he'd not been able to try on his own. Considering this was a chemistry lab, the chances of success were much higher here.

"We could try creating a ferrofluid! All I know about it is we need, as far as household items go, olive oil and lye. I'm not sure if the school would keep lye on the grounds that's readily available, but there's your base. All I know after that is that we collect what gathers on the top of the liquid, add some magnetic particles, which I have many of, and suspend it in some sort of carrier. I've always wanted to make a liquid magnet! It'll take a bit of research, though, to be safe. I'm not much of a chemist, after all."

He really hoped the group would get behind him with this, but knew that they probably would go in favor of an easier idea. But it was magnetic stuff, so he had to say it!

[Mysticsage]

William smiled at Roman's enthusiasm and patted him gently on the back "Sure sounds like a great idea, I'm sure we can find what we need around here somewhere or in this cabinet"[/color] The group scatters gathering what materials they can as you described. As you look through the cabinets you see a streak of blue in the shape of a butterfly deep in the back of one of them. Then as you blink it was gone perhaps it was the florescent lights playing tricks on you eyes.

Reaching all the way back in an attempt to investigate you feel something small taped to the roof of the cabinet. Pulling it free you see a strange looking flash drive. Your curiosity takes over and a shiver run downs your spine and before you know it you have pocketed the device. Once you find everything you need you all reconvene and begin the process of experimenting. It takes you a couple hours and the entire group's cooperation, but with a squell of joy you actually pull it off. Misha clinging all the while to Williams arm.

All of you laugh and write down the data as you play with and then contain your creation. Just in type to because as you finish cleaning up the sky is just turning a light orange signaling that it is time for everyone to make their way home. Then your mind goes back to the flash drive home means that you'll have free rain to look at what's inside.

[Linwelin]

"Have good evening, everyone! I will see you tomorrow!" Roman says happily. This will keep school interesting, being in this club. He strolls out the door and begins his walk home to his apartment, about 10 minutes from the school grounds. It was a nice enough evening, so Roman enjoyed his walk, thinking back to the fun he just had. Well, besides the near-explosion, or at least that's what the fizzling and the club members' reactions told him could have happened. Yet even that was fun in its own way.

However, his mind kept coming back to the flash drive he'd found, seeing as he was led to it. He couldn't wait to check out its contents on his computer back in the apartment.

Roman walked up to the small, 2-story, 8-apartment building. It wasn't like home, much more quaint, but it was his. Other than his brother's help, nothing there had been handed to him, so he was proud of it. He made his way up to the second floor, unlocking his room, apartment number 5, and entering. It was small, but he had certainly made due; there was a narrow kitchen at the back that was kept neat, but  between his computer desk and what one could only assume was his workbench, paper and materials, even clothing, were strewn everywhere. He had been served by others from a young age, so this "living independently" thing was a work in progress. He thought he was doing a rather good job.

Once the door was locked and his bags were set down, Roman immediately jumped on his desktop and popped the flash drive into its port. He was eager to browse whatever files were on the device. Of course, he hoped for something magnetic in nature.

[Mysticsage]

Your excitement of what could be on the flash drive overrode thoughts and fears of what happened that afternoon. Quickly sitting down at the computer the strange occurrences at the school building is completely gone as you plugged the device into the booted up PC. After a few key presses you ended up at a login screen for a password appeared. From what you could tell it was an eight-digit code that was required to get the information that was required inside. You are far from an expert hacker hell even the words novice or amateur were far out of your reach, but you had managed to access some of your father?s files with the aid of some of the companies programs. You might have one or two still saved some where on your laptop that you could use to break the code.

Spoiler

Please follow the cheat sheet for how to make a base roll

[close]

[Linwelin]

"I really hope I kept those programs...I need to know what's on this thing. For someone to encrypt a flash drive, there must be good information on it!" Roman muttered to himself as he began frantically searching his computer for remnants of the decrypting programs, hoping to have some sort of luck.

Spoiler

[dice]Rolled 2d6 : 4, 2, total 6[/dice]

[close]

[Mysticsage]

As you boot up the programs that you found still on your hard drive you begin the process of decrypting the flash drive. Going slowly and cautiously it takes about an hour for the programs finish and a window opens up with six large color coded files. Almost three gigabytes worth of data in fact spread between them. Then another window popped up over all others. A warning from one of the security programs you had used to make sure nothing would install itself without your knowledge.

Spoiler

Virus Found 240 Seconds till total system corruption! Please initiate virus destruction within that time or this system will be lost!

[/b][/size]

[close]

Four minutes that?s all the time you had to grab as much data as you could before you had to run the antivirus and possibly lose everything. You don?t have enough time to look at anything in detail since the download will require all the time you can get. So you must decide quickly what file you plan to grab and start the process. On the other hand you could risk the virus and attempt to grab more then just one file.

The unnamed file colors are: Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, and Yellow.

[Linwelin]

Roman had a mix of panic and rage strewn across his face. "Virus!? Damn! Let's see...umm...which...that one...no...THERE!" At random, he begins the copying of the orange file and prepares his anti-virus for the worst. Though he knew it was most likely in vain, Roman tried to figure out a way to halt the attack in any way so he could get more information out of the drive. Though not completely well versed, he worked at finding the source and goal of the virus in hopes of blocking it while the file downloaded and the anti-virus ran.

Spoiler

[dice]Computer Skill attempt at halting the virus, or otherwise grabbing another file without damage:  2d6 : 2, 4, total 6[/dice]

[close]

"Why did I trust that hallucinated butterfly!? This better be worth it!"

[Mysticsage]

You manage to act quickly and some how lengthen the countdown. In the time left you start the download for the other files as you try to figure out what the virus is doing. Unfortunately it is impossible for you or your programs to pinpoint the source or target of the malware. Finally giving up on the endeavor you are forced to work to delay the virus as much as you can. Typing furiously you are able to hold off the virus until another two files have been safely stored away.

Now with the green blue and orange folders are in your grasp the computer really starts to struggle. You are just able to back up your own files as your computer sends an email that you did not write and then start to smoke and shock you hard. With a yelp you move away as the computer drive burns out and the computer is left as a smoldering pile of scrap.


You are still in a state of shock as you feel a strange sensation run up your spine.

Spoiler

Will have ramifications later

[close]

[Linwelin]

"Well, looks like I'll need to get a new computer...eventually." Roman says with a sigh, clutching the usb. He hoped the folders he'd managed to grab would be of use.

The next morning, he dropped the drive off at the Research club room, leaving it with William so he can take a look at it before class. "My computer blew up getting those, I really hope you find something interesting on there!" He says in passing before leaving the room. William gives a wave, but doesn't even look up at Roman, too engrossed in what might be on the flash drive.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few weeks later, William shouts for joy in the club room. "I've done it! I've finally cracked the damn encryption on these files! I'll have to thank the Computer club for their help later. Now let's see what's here..." You all excitedly gather around the computer to watch William open the folders. Perusing through the files, they seem to cover extensive research on a few intriguing topics: robotics, advanced weaponry, and biological manipulation of some sort. You could all tell William was overly excited about the biological files, and could see it was going to be hard to sway him from studying it.

Roman thought for a moment, recognizing that his expertise allowed him to better understand the other two folders, thus allowing him to research them on his own. He knew next to nothing about biology, so help from William and the others would be appreciated.

"Well, Misha, Quentin, I think William has made the choice of which one to study fairly clear." Roman says jokingly, then clasps William's shoulder and smiles. "Let's take a look!"