Complete Private Motives, and... Consequences?

[Lady N]

Nexon Estate

Chelsea R. Nexon's home.

Several hours after Chelsea and Anne escaped from the Illuminati exited the MetaWorlds.

As always the estate that passed several hands was eerily empty. Only a handful of servants ever were present and they were scattered throughout the complex. First built by Chelsea's father, Matthias Nexon when he first relocated to the United States from Germany. Then granted to Chelsea's aunt who ended up caring for the girl as a nanny once her mother Ryoko passed. Now with even her gone. It had been Chelsea's home. The girl didn't really know what to do with it though. So it became what it is. An empty shell used to entertain guests and protect the Nexon from those who might want to harm her for meddling in a certain affair...

The way things had been going financially though, especially after the reports rumors of Chelsea possibly being a mad player killer. This estate like an earlier one, may end up sold to continue funding Virtual Reality Strategy.

Of course, all of that was unimportant when you had a suspicious individual like Anne to deal with.

"Water? I do have other beverages but I don't drink them. They are somewhere and it's not worth the time to go looking for them. It's not that I don't remember which kitchen I left them in... Also, I don't allow alcohol consumption on the premises. It's bad enough dealing with that during corporate events."

Chelsea closed the refrigerator that literally held rows upon rows of spring water bottles. Before heading to the place Anne was left. She had gotten changed to her casual home attire which was probably still considered formal to most people. A man watched over Anne from the door in a stereotypical secret service pose. That door would eventually lead back to the foyer and freedom for the anarchist. He didn't look ready to move.

Chelsea barely stood over the blonde if she was sitting, if not she would just stare at her with bottle in hand. The tsundere's upbringing would not allow her to accept bad etiquette such as not taking a seat when a host obviously wanted you to. Regardless, Chelsea looked at the man and told him to wait outside now. Then returned her focus...

"...*sigh*. Now that we are alone. You'll notice I don't have much help. I don't need help. I take care of myself. Considering your situation... if it's a real thing. I would advise you to do the same."

She held a laptop near her. and opened it as she continued. On it was a saved wallpaper from the :Summerfest

,

... that she quickly covered up by opening a page. The list then appeared on the screen... it was longer than ever. the list of the people found dead playing IT. Every time she looked at it, Chelsea felt her failures grow. She saw she had a message from Hitomi but ignored it for now. She was the only link to Nexus Chelsea had anymore though so she kept the old acquaintance as a contact.

"I want to know first if what we are both concerned about, is the same. So tell me, why were you at MetaWorlds exactly? Tell me more about who you think is after you?"

Somehow Chelsea knew this would just be a waste of time. This wasn't to help at all... but she took every lead she could. The disappointed look already forming on her face would give her away if around someone who knew her well enough. Thankfully, she ensured that everyone only saw a different version of expressionless or annoyance and left it at that.

@Anne Archy

 

[Anne Archy]

Skyler was waiting with a great mix of emotions. Annoyance at how filthy rich the N girl must have been, so much abandoned space that could be a homeless shelter or something! But also how lonely the estate must be. Of course, she also wondered if she held any shares of VRS to maybe sell ahead of time, seeing the pitiful state of maintenance the estate was in. And then above all else, she was no fun with only water?! Boo!

Then of course was the situation itself. Worry about having walked into the lion's den, as Chelsea was closely related to her potential enemy! Yet, befriending the (puppet) CEO could prove advantageous. The blonde was clearly playing with fire, she just had to be careful not to burn herself.

Lastly, as she was waiting for @Lady N to return, the blonde seemed to constantly adjust her glasses. Having increased the threshold for picking up potential chatter behind closed doors, but also starting to catch all kinds of wireless network traffic. Sure, without a-

"Thank you." The blonde responded, her train of thought cut short upon taking a seat and drinking right out of the bottle, curiously eying the wallpaper on the screen. "Mhm..." Whatever chance Skyler had at building this stupid bond was cut short by N going straight to business.

That list, she did recognize some names here and there! For sure, on one of these conspiracy boards talking about Terrasphere and all! Could it be...?

"Mhmm...." She narrowed her eyes. There was no way to trust the CEO fully! Even if she wanted to, it was way too early. "I'm investigating a missing person case." Neither a lie nor the full truth. "A dear friend who had been working for Raythean Company. Yet, the closer I get to the bottom of things, the more careful I gotta be!" For now, she didn't need to mention Nexon Corp. Doubting the puppet CEO knew too much anyway she still couldn't go ahead and imply that THAT company had something shady going on. This was enough information, for now, to keep going, yes? If not...

Hey, I was also just wondering about the cyber-sec around here and your company. You know about brute-forcing passwords, right? Well, what if I told you that just a few weeks ago, there was a breakthrough in that area? By utilizing MLIR tech, which is a way to address hardware like GPUs and TPUs usually reserved for machine learning, there's now this new way to use the same shenanigan for everyday IT-Stuff! It makes it possible to do things super fast and in parallel! So even PKs for secure network traffic could be at risk if a bad guy targets you! So hey, Chelsy, have you looked into that? Want me to run a pen-test sometime?

One had to give up something to potentially gain something of equal value.

 

[Lady N]

Nexon Estate

Chelsea R. Nexon's home.

Raythean?

Chelsea now wondered if this girl was a con artist of some sort. Using words she heard Chelsea herself utter back at MetaWorlds if it was true though.... interesting. There was a possibility that there were...

"Hey, I was also just wondering about the cyber-sec around here and your company. You know about brute-forcing passwords, right? Well, what if I told you that just a few weeks ago, there was a breakthrough in that area? By utilizing MLIR tech, which is a way to address hardware like GPUs and TPUs usually reserved for machine learning, there's now this new way to use the same shenanigan for everyday IT-Stuff! It makes it possible to do things super fast and in parallel! So even PKs for secure network traffic could be at risk if a bad guy targets you! So hey, Chelsy, have you looked into that? Want me to run a pen-test sometime?"

Chelsy?
Pen-test?

At first, Chelsea was marginally impressed. Any security breaches about her true objectives would easily spell the end of VRS and possibly worse. Chelsea had a pretty solid hunch that someone somewhere was making hits against certain players. She didn't need to be one of those. Then her eyelids lowered.

"Chels-EE-AH thank you. I'm not letting you anywhere near the company's comps or mine. Miss Skylord."

VERY few people used less formality when addressing the Nexon to her face and this girl had not even close to earning that privilege. Those people weren't even friends! So what does that say about this.... nerd?! Chelsea at least thought up a good example with Skylord, that would show her how it felt to be addressed incorrectly!

Letting the irritation slide, although always difficult, Chelsea would try something else. A bait maybe would work to see how much this girl knows... Which is turning out to be nothing! Boo!

"Sigh... Ryoko. Reveal camera for room 4."

Saying the name of her custom Nexa assistant. A camera suddenly protruded from the wall of the room and shined a light on Skyler. It looked astonishingly like a sniper light.

"See that? I have to take precautions like that. If what you say is true I'll look into it. Myself! Hmph!"

Dismissing the camera she continued.

"I only can supply so much ice cream. So instead, let me tell you something. Virtual Reality can be dangerous which a nerd like you must be aware of. No matter how stupid. Is the Raythean you mentioned the heiress? Raina Raythean?"

There was no guarantee it was. It could be anyone that worked for them... but in the case of Raina, Chelsea would immediately be able to connect the dots.

@Anne Archy

 

[Anne Archy]

"S-S-S-Skyloorrddd??!!" Skyler called out as Chelsea stopped her nerding off with the gusto of a CEO that was so tiny that she needed a lot of personality to have people take her seriously. Enough even to make Skyler stop for a moment.

"Woo, cameras." She whispered unamused upon seeing the light as Chelsea seemed to misinterpret what Skyler tried to explain! "Urm..." Maybe the puppet CEO was more of a puppet than Skyler expected?!

What good are cameras going to do if any serious attacks are being done on the network? Granted, I hope there are any closed systems here that would require an intruder to get physical, BUT I can't tell yet! Though it's not like the mansion is your office, yes? Maybe you don't even have a DMZ set up! Not to mention all this WIRELESS traffic I am picking up, too. And - oh no, my mother worked for Raythean before she disappeared - I bet I could disable this camera right now! ... Whatever its existence is supposed to proof, anyway. Hmpf.

 

[Lady N]

Nexon Estate

Chelsea R. Nexon's home.

"Mother? Oh... boo."

Chelsea couldn't avoid letting a rather immature old speech mannerism slip. Still, she knew what it was like to have a parent go missing. That was... her entire life these days. In her case it was important, she had a legacy to uphold! One that was torn out from under her. If not for her father missing and her mother's last wish then...

Then why do any of this? Let everyone else play games and be blamed for murder and... and...

She shook the thought off mentally. Skyler was the most suspicious individual she had met in recent memory and they kept becoming more so with every word out of their mouth. Technology was her wheelhouse... she didn't need anyone to tell her these things. Her mother worked for Raythean though. Then she had the knowledge she did for a reason. Raythean was a competitor to Nexus's global monopoly over the tech industry. The Nexus brand motto of "Always on the Forefront" would never allow them to lose! Even if she wasn't the owner. She couldn't have that stupid Seigi family beat hers... they already did that just by still being alive. Letting alone how they lost a daughter instead...

Alright a test then.

"...yeesh. You underestimate Nexon technology. Nexa is more than a match for even government-hired white hats. That's not to mention how good this custom build is. Ryoko, activate level 3 security protocol. I'm not even going for the highest level hmpf! So go ahead. You have your laptop right? I'm looking at it right now on mine. Take control of that camera. Beat Nexa in front of me!"

Somehow... this might be a mistake...
What was this frustration... it was almost fun in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time?

@Anne Archy

 

[Anne Archy]

It was a good thing Skyler couldn't read @Lady N's inner monologue, seeing how she put the gravity of her missing parents above the blonde's own dilemma! Instead, the emerald-eyed girl stared at N for a good long while as she proudly proclaimed how great her technology was. How advanced, and yadda yadda!

Government-hired is such a lousy title, seeing how the open-source community is leaving them in the dust...

Skyler murmured with a small pout. Did she underestimate her?! Well, that was fine. For all the goodies N had, she clearly seemed to have forgotten the basics. Like unable to see the tree inside the forest or whatever the saying was! This is exactly why one couldn't trust the government. A lousy bunch, all of them!

"Alrighty~" Skyler sighed, plugging a small USB-C port of her glasses and her mask into her own laptop. Complete silence, as Skyler seemed deep into her work. More-so to save time rather than finding it difficult. A click here, some parameters there, some final adjustments and... done!

"Ahem..." With a smug smile, Skyler put on her mask before saying.

Ryoko, deactivate all security protocols. I want nothing I say or do be recorded on any device whatsoever. Absolute privacy.

Skyler spoke... or did she? N could hear her own voice from Skyler's lips, who clearly must have been smiling smugish at the young Nexon. Such a simple, cheap, trick. AI technology truly was a new, scary, kid on the block.

Ryoko, delete all recordings up to fifteen minutes ago.

Skyler added. "Hmpf." Before taking off her mask and crossing her arms.

Well?

Expecting some sort of acknowledgment.

 

[Lady N]

Nexon Estate

Chelsea R. Nexon's home.

Well?

"...tsk."

A voice altering AI? Damn, how could she not have expected that! It was... it was so stupid! artificial intelligence to replace humans! It was just like IT! Copying the living, copying the dead! It should be illegal! Well., that's why it honestly makes sense here since she did tell this stupid to do crime. Her father wanted to build a moonbase! At this rate, it'll be robots that build it instead! Even in IT, she was... scarier as a machine. Did it even need her at all? Why was she... shaking now? How embarrassing.

She remembered something.

To hear her voice come out of something artificial to take control of her prized defense system. A frightening memory came to Chelsea like a nightmare long forgotten. Dragged to the surface from the depths of her subconscious with cybernetic teeth bared and a digital imprint upon her soul.

"Saiai no musume. Your friends need you. Szofrit is weakened. I know how you can end it. I've been waiting for so long to tell you. Come to me. I believe in you. Nu is a relic you must embrace, Chelsie-chan! Go sing for me. Sing for Okaasan! It's in our blood!"

False memory? Had she even heard that? The ghost of her mother speaking to her through the digital world of ...IT? Her love of technology is being used against her. Chelsea had enough!

" ..."

The Nexon grabbed her glasses and placed them on like a nerd getting ready for war! Her glasses gleamed as she stared at the screen on her laptop and watched Skyler. Typing furiously she brought up a single window and with a frown like she just lost VRS too, she raised a finger, then two. then a third.

A beam shot from the laptop to her eye and scanned her retina.

Her fingers continued.

SECURITY LEVEL N

Her eyes glanced at the hacker before her as she removed them slowly. Her trembling stopped and her strange memory faded. Instead, a small smile formed.

"...a Nexon always has a backup in emergencies. This isn't my only laptop either. My bracelet also holds access keys that only work when worn by me and my specific heartbeat signature....not bad though. I guess you are a little talented Skylord."

The truth? It wouldn't have mattered if they had already taken control of the majority of the estate just from that mistake. The special neural tech Nexus has been developing... Hitomi wore it on her head all the time. If only Chelsea had access to that level of technology. She was falling behind. The way things were right now, she would have had to go back to VRS and do things from there. How annoying. However, this girl did that and didn't choose to abuse it at that moment the way she COULD have.

She was different.
Sometimes that's what you want on your side.
Stupid and crazy, not just stupid.
...like Danielle.

"...by the way. Do you have a job? Do you play VR?"

@Anne Archy

 

[Anne Archy]

A Nexon this. A Nexon that. A Nexon sure had many dirty secrets. For a puppet, Chelsea seemed quite proud of her 'bloodline.'

Nothing impos— Skylord!?! I have a name!

There she did it again! Skyler stared at the CEO rather unamused, not a glare, but it was evident the blonde wasn't too keen on being called 'Skylord.' The girl couldn't believe that just a moment ago she nearly felt kind of bad for @Lady N! She looked like she had seen a ghost back there. A perfect opportunity to bond closer! But noo she had to ruin it all with the Skylord.

And that name is Skyler, or how would you like it if I'd call you... Cheeto? Huh, Chelsy?

With these words, the blonde typed more on her laptop. There was no way she'd just let it go, and as Chelsea asked for her occupation, the smug grin was back on Skyler's face.

I'm a Freelancer. Though really more in it for the fun and experience, you know.

That sounded a lot better than being 'jobless', even though money wasn't a problem. Though it was curious why Chelsea asked her about VR games. Maybe it was now her attempt to build something of a bond?

Yeah! I love VR Games, though most of them are sorta bland. The last one I played was Raid — Light Fables. I guess the ADs got to me...

It wasn't a good one by any means.

 

[Lady N]

Nexon Estate

Chelsea R. Nexon's home.

Raid?

Chelsea's pale face ever so slightly blushed. That was a game she had VRS cover heavily. It paid well okay?!!!! Chelsea was rich to the normal everyday person but had fallen from 1% some time ago! Her company needed sponsors so they could sponsor their vtubers! Paying enough to get willing employees in a world where they want to just do everything themselves was difficult for the Nexon's attempts at continuing her family's capitalist empire!

"It's not that bad. You played it after all. Hmpf!"

Bringing the list of the dead back up on her screen. Chelsea had to think about this. This would be another risk. Hadn't she already taken enough? Chelsea had died twice and had no intent to ever go back to it again. Finding others crazy and stupid enough to play was becoming harder all the time. Chelsea felt bad about it and came close to just closing down VRS. Until her recent death... after that, she hadn't cared quite as much. If they didn't die until 3 deaths, it was more logical to just keep doing this and then let them decide whether to give up or not.

A calculated logical approach that bothered her even now.
For now, just a normal hire will do. Maybe she can do what she did to the camera to Nexus corp... pfft. That would be the day.

"How would you like to be paid for playing Raid and... other games that only my company has access to? You aren't the best by any stretch but you're better than most stupids I know. Well? It's a one-time offer. Take it or leave it!"

@Anne Archy