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(Echelon) Taking Up the Reins

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  1. #1
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
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    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

    Derek sits at his computer safely tucked with his Haven. There's no light save for the glow of his monitor and the internal lights of computer tower. It has been over a month since the events at Erika Alten's apartment. And from what was shared between himself and the Prince it seems as though nothing has been done to clean up the mess. Lina is gone from the Domain and Derek has taken it upon himself to ensure the First Tradition is protected.

    So now what.

    He begins with a cursory search on the web for news about Echelon's movements. As careful as Echelon has been to keep a low profile, based on the information Lina left behind, it's nearly impossible for such developments to go unnoticed and reported upon. He reads the top results, checking the sources and the meat of the articles that come up.

    What's this? The Echelon building planning a Grand Opening in the coming months? Have they made that much progress already? Well it's no surprise. They'd been setting the groundwork since January. Or at least that's when the Kindred had become aware of them. He continues to read. Based on photos the exterior looked mostly done. It was reported that the interior wasn't altogether finished, but considering how much money Echelon is pouring into the project it could be finished before any real effort is made to investigate the property.

    And then it'd be a fortress.

    And what was Echelon's goal? They had tried to secure experimental weaponry that could tear a Kindred body apart. They had already developed a toxin that could burn through Kindred flesh. And the underground expansion might mean they were encroaching on locations where Kindred were known to hide. The Haunts especially. To flush them out? To eradicate them? Or was Lina's theory correct that they were Kindred themselves, seeking to usurp Prince Alessandra's rule? If that were true then it was happening in other cities as well. Perhaps already happened.

    Too many questions. He needs answers.

    Since it's still early in the evening, 8:30pm, Derek decides to reach out to his Contacts to see what they might know. He shoots out some emails to a reliable if unsavory data broker, a middle management scumbag he's blackmailed into service, and a bored stock broker that offers the occasional tip. About the building construction timetable and its purpose, about the money funneled through Merchant National and Arnoud Geissen and what he might be able to do with an account number but no password.

      Contacts, 1sux
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-09-09 17:56:15 Derek Menzies rolls 9 to reach out to Contacts(Financial, Public Works, Digital Networks) [MAN+Pers+Contacts+Sp1] (10 Again) 1, 2, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5 1 success
    Steven

  2. #2
    S
    Steven

    Many have tried to reach out about Arnoud Geissen and determine how best to approach Echelon on from that avenue. And the result here is very similar. Arnoud was the business boogieman and Derek's contact didn't have any more information about him then what Lina was provided and left for the Mitnick. Merchant continues to be a source of frustration for the hacker, as they have a very advanced IT infrastructure and are well protected.

  3. #3
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
    Presence
    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

    Derek holds his hand in his heads for a moment after reading over the replies. It is a lot to ask for, he realizes. This figure, Geissen, doesn’t get where he is by leaving loose ends to follow.

    He briefly entertains a direct approach but is overwhelmed with doubt, knowing it would be throwing caution to the wind to try and infiltrate the most secure banking systems in the country. Maybe if he consulted Heinrich they could pursue a joint effort...

    Leaving that avenue alone, Derek redirects his attention to Alten. He begins searching for news surrounding murders at Alten’s apartment in the Palms. The body had been very real, but if it were only meant to send a message to Lina then perhaps they covered up the incident. Still, perhaps he could at least find firsthand accounts of the shotgun fire.

    Derek searches the web for publicized or witness accounts of the events at Alten’s apartment.

  4. #4
    S
    Steven

    It takes Derek twenty seconds to find… nothing… not a single line. Not a single story, not a single line, not a single syllable. But that was in the normal places. The news places. Let’s see what he can find in the hidden places.

    Int+Computers+Specs, no equipment bonuses here because you are not doing anything you couldn’t do on a smart phone or a my high school laptop.

  5. #5
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
    Presence
    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

    So Echelon has done the dirty work of concealing their trail. If there had been investigation by police or journalists, they were likely discouraged from reporting on it. Their reach is disconcerting, even as it is convenient that nothing had been made public.

    Still, there has to be some bread crumbs left behind to follow. Perhaps the deeper darker and less savory places on the web would provide insight...

      1 sux
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-09-13 12:46:51 Derek Menzies rolls 7 to Search the hidden places for information [INT+Computers] (10 Again) 4, 6, 3, 6, 10, 1, 6, 3 1 success

  6. #6
    S
    Steven

    Derek the Reeve does his digging and where he ends up is some of the skunkiest places on the internet. The dark web of conspiracies and lies. Where Lizard-people masquerade (pun intended) as politicians to rule the world. Where Jet fuel may or may not be able to melt steel beams. And where everyone knows that Kennedy was killed by a CI plot to counter an alien plot brought about by the military industrial complex. And what does he find about Echelon... very little. Whoever it is that does their scrubbing, they are good. Super good. However, no one is perfect.

    A small piece of info. A guy "MayorofGroomLake", posted on a bbs (yes, a damn bbs) about how he got bumped from echelon for walking into a meeting he wasn't invited too. Swears the guy in charge of Echelon is a spy for the shadow world government run out of Latvia. Why Latvia... well, no one has time to read all that rambling...

  7. #7
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
    Presence
    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

    Mayor of Groom Lake? muses Derek, observing the post and grumbling when the search result is for a salt flat associated with Area 51. Probably a nutcase. But then who isn't on these message boards. But with so little to go on, Derek can't help but make an extra effort to find out more about the Mayor.

    If he looks for vulnerabilities on the server hosting the message board, perhaps he can comb the IP address records for the Mayor's physical location, or a digital trail. If it were something close by then it might be worth investigating. But then it could just as easily be a disgruntled employee at one of the other four sites.

    Derek would like to attempt a Hack using his Desktop Computer •••• to learn all he can about the user MayorofGroomLake's digital footprint

  8. #8
    S
    Steven

    Go right ahead

  9. #9
    Derek Menzies's Avatar

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"
    Presence
    (Insecure)
    Derek Menzies

    Known as "Derek Mitnick"

    1
    PRE

      11sux in first 30 min
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-09-17 14:24:44 [01] Derek Menzies rolls 11 to hack a server for digital trail of MayorofGroomLake [INT+Computers+SP1+Eq3] (10 Again) 9, 10, 9, 10, 4, 5, 9, 8, 8, 9, 3, 10, 10, 6, 8 11 successes
      If more time is needed
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-09-17 14:24:44 [07] Derek Menzies rolls 11 to hack a server for digital trail of MayorofGroomLake [INT+Computers+SP1+Eq3] (10 Again) 10, 7, 10, 7, 7, 6, 8, 7, 2, 1, 1, 1, 8 4 successes
    2019-09-17 14:24:44 [06] Derek Menzies rolls 11 to hack a server for digital trail of MayorofGroomLake [INT+Computers+SP1+Eq3] (10 Again) 2, 2, 5, 2, 1, 5, 4, 6, 10, 1, 6, 10, 7 2 successes
    2019-09-17 14:24:44 [05] Derek Menzies rolls 11 to hack a server for digital trail of MayorofGroomLake [INT+Computers+SP1+Eq3] (10 Again) 8, 3, 8, 4, 7, 3, 5, 5, 10, 8, 7, 4 4 successes
    2019-09-17 14:24:44 [04] Derek Menzies rolls 11 to hack a server for digital trail of MayorofGroomLake [INT+Computers+SP1+Eq3] (10 Again) 3, 2, 5, 1, 7, 7, 1, 9, 10, 6, 7, 10, 3 3 successes
    2019-09-17 14:24:44 [03] Derek Menzies rolls 11 to hack a server for digital trail of MayorofGroomLake [INT+Computers+SP1+Eq3] (10 Again) 7, 7, 8, 2, 8, 8, 1, 10, 1, 9, 5, 3 5 successes
    2019-09-17 14:24:44 [02] Derek Menzies rolls 11 to hack a server for digital trail of MayorofGroomLake [INT+Computers+SP1+Eq3] (10 Again) 9, 5, 7, 6, 3, 2, 9, 5, 6, 7, 2 2 successes

  10. #10
    S
    Steven

    It's a little surprising to Derek actually. The Mayor is actually okay at covering his tracks. To any normal person, or someone who is just okay at hacking, they would probably have trouble. Derek though... is not nut okay. Derek is a monster when it comes to hacking, and he easily got what he wanted. A quick snatch of an IP Address, through that address, a location. Through that location, more information.

    The Mayor, is Eric Mathison. A low level accountant working in the brand spanking new Echelon Sacramento. Eric is also a self professed conspiracy hunter. He is a hardliner who believes that the government is controlled by a dark shadow government that actually rules the entire world. This shadow government is led by supernatural and extraterrestrial beings who exert influence through the private sector. All the world's biggest companies are part of it. Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Tencent and so on. Eric's credibility is far from perfect, but, he was definitely an Echelon employee and he definitely lives here in Sacramento.

    Derek takes no time at all in finding an address, phone number, and even a social security number for Mr. Mathison.

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