Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Up until recently maintained as a museum, the childhood home of the Braddock family has been pressed into service as additional housing and classroom space for the Institute. Additionally, the increased demands have led to the main ballroom being converted into a cafeteria for both the Institute and those University students on a meal plan. Student reactions have been mixed, and reports of paranormal activity are as of yet unsubstantiated.

Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:24 am

Cal was sitting at breakfast, a smartphone in his hand that was... showing an odd display, almost like something you'd see out of the Matrix. It was wired to a USB hub, the cable connecting it looking obviously like it had been patched together to connect two things that generally didn't go together.

A wire ran from the USB hub to a connection in Cal's arm, apparently providing power based on the socket that the wire was plugged into. Cal was plugging flash drives into the hub, apparently which ones making some sort of difference based on the fact that he was picking and choosing them, the only visible difference being the numbers written on the drives.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:11 pm

"Hey Hottie," Haley grinned, approaching with a tray full of food. "Need non electronic company, or too busy making money to buy me something cool?" she giggled teasingly.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:19 pm

Cal smirked a little, plugging in one last flash drive. "If it's you asking, the answer's always 'yes,'" he said, smirking a little. "Just give me a second so I'm not... distracted," he said, looking at the display, frowning slightly at the gibberish, then giving it a distinctly annoyed tap on the screen. "Hmph. Oh well," he said, pushing it aside next to his backpack.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:23 pm

Haley smiled and sat down across from Cal. "So what's up? Have good dreams?"
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:24 pm

"Only when I'm awake," he said, pulling his lunch tray back in front of him. "How about you?"
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:31 pm

"I hope I didn't moan in my sleep," she winked at him, spreading some jelly nonchalantly on an English muffin.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:34 pm

"Oh, so you DID dream about me," Cal joked, smirking up at her through a rather distinct blush.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:40 pm

"Yep. Maybe I'll show you sometime. I think I could sorta like...share things like that with my TP," she grinned.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:31 pm

"Still trying everything out?" he said with a knowing smile.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:46 pm

"Let's go for a walk pretty far from the mansion sometime and we'll see what I can do. The last thing I want to do is broadcast my naughty dreams to the entire school when I'm just trying to show you," she smirked.

"Hey, listen...about the whole...telepathy thing. Let me tell people at my own pace...it's kinda like...embarrassing and stuff."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:52 pm

"I kind of got that idea when you didn't say anything about it in class," he said dismissively. "I'm not a rat, don't worry."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:57 pm

"Thanks," she smiled a bit bashfully.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:10 pm

He smiled back. "No problem. Some things just make people act weird, y'know?"
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:12 pm

"Yeah," she smiled. "What do you think of classes so far, other than power control?"
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:18 pm

"Not bad," he admitted. "I mean, they're classes. Kind of boring, but nothing really hard. Except lit classes. I hate lit classes. What about you?"
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:26 pm

"I like most of them. Better than I did back at home at least. I don't mind power control, actually. I think I might get to blow stuff up in there and the teachers are both hot."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:31 pm

"Yeah, I guess," he muttered, taking a distracted bite of his pancakes. Score another for the great feathered pretty boy.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:42 pm

"Oh come on. You can't tell me that you don't think Miss K is hot,"
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:44 pm

Cal shrugged. "Kinda too 'preppy popular girl' for me," he said, shrugging.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:57 pm

"See now I'm really just questioning your taste in girls. You made out with me for one, and now you're not thinking Miss K is a fox?" she teased.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:07 am

"So?" Cal asked, probably more defensively than the statement had warranted.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:26 am

An older looking woman in a grey suit and white hair in a bun wearing wire-frame glasses walks past the table and, for a moment, glances at Cal's little project.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:39 am

The project looked like a smartphone with code streaming over the display, attatched to a USB hub.

The programming showed a much different story, though. The phone's general programming was all gone, save for a few subprograms that made the screen and other parts work. The rest was replaced by a personalized program. The flash drives in the hub all held various encryption and security programs, not THE most sophisticated methods, but definitely up there. To the best of Ashlie's knowledge, the program in the phone was trying to hack the drives. It was probably the closest thing to an obstacle course that a computer could have, at least that Cal could think of.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:49 am

The woman continues walking and sits down a couple tables over. She wouldn't be particularly suspicious, in fact she looks about as boring and bland as humanly possible. She looks like someone trying to fit in by being unremarkable, which probably makes her stand out in her own way. Plus she's just kind of sitting there, not eating, not reading, not doing anything really.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:56 am

Cal frowned, his eyes tracking the woman as she went past, his voice lowering like any kid when a teacher came within earshot. He turned his attention back to Haley, but part of his mind was on his visual displays, or rather the auxiliary readings. Confirm readings.
Code: Select all
Reading coherent photon arrangement energy patterns.

Figures. Open comm port.
Code: Select all
Port 1 open

He waited a moment to verify the code he saw behind the hard light projection. Cute. How many people think you're really an old lady?
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:00 am

She seems surprised that Cal noticed. At least that soon. Oddly enough she gets up to walk over to the table and sits down. "Miss Crusek. Mister Strong. You are being rather rude to your friend here. Though her phone-usage almost has her on the same level of digital awareness as you." she jokes. Probably. It's hard to tell with how dry she sounds.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:06 am

Cal looked up defensively. "I'm not being rude to her," he protested. He hadn't been the one to bring up their teachers being hot, after all...
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:30 am

"Perhaps I misinterpreted, but you seemed to be initiating conversation on comm port 1, something your friend would be unable to participate in."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:33 am

Cal swallowed, instantly tense. Dammit, why'd I even get up today?. "I don't know why anyone would be interested in that," he muttered, seeing the day going from 'okay' into the toilet in no time flat.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:53 am

She leans over to Haley and stage-whispers. "I'm not sure why but he thinks I'm messing with him."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:15 pm

Haley stopped mid-chew of her English muffin, her own phone in her other hand. She looked utterly confused.

"Uh....what?" she asked, forcing a swallow.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:22 pm

The woman looks blankly at the wall for a moment.

"He was about to text me." she comes up with the closest fitting explanation. "I thought it would be rude to exclude you from the conversation."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:24 pm

"Uh...okay?" she said still looking confused.

are...you as confused as me? she asked, hopefully just to Cal.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:40 pm

The woman looks confused. "You don't mind the person you're talking to having a conversation in their head at the same time? My apologies." And with that she simply disappears.




Code: Select all
>>"Those are not going to break the encryption of my data."


comes a helpful ping over Cal's open port.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:15 pm

Cal, meanwhile, had turned a very distinct shade of red, and wasn't making eye contact. Almost as confused, he confirmed.

Code: Select all
>>So what was that?  I see through the little disguise, so you have to make me look like an idiot?
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby ASHLIE » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:30 pm

Code: Select all
>>"I was merely trying to be polite. I do not always succeed."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:19 pm

Who the hell was that...this is still pretty weird...talking...but not talking...
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:22 pm

"That would be a... shit, I don't know, I thought it was someone screwing with me over the net, now it looks like a computer program that's fucking with me," he said out loud, still not looking back up at her.
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Haley Crusek » Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:34 pm

"What?” she asked. "Way lost dude."
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Re: Some cages aren't made of steel (open)

Postby Calvin Strong » Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:35 pm

"Yeah, welcome to my life. That wasn't a person, that was a hologram."
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