Virus Alert

Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
As far as forty year olds went, Valli considered himself pretty hip with the times. He knew about the internet. He knew about all the hot new trending sites. He knew what twitter was, and tumblr was, and how important instagram was for many people. He was capable of handling his own email. He even managed to update the YELP page for his practice, making sure that his hours and information were up to date.

Or at least he'd considered himself pretty hip with the times, right up until his computer had gotten with the virus to end all viruses. Everything was locked. Everything was encrypted. All of his stuff was now suddenly walled off, and even the option presented--to pay money to get it all back--wasn't likely to work.

Valli had gone from having a good day to having a very not good day.

His distress was obvious as he hurried down the corridor towards the library, his massive computer tower cradled in his arms like the worlds ugliest baby.

Maybe the computer had an IT lab. Maybe. He'd never thought to ask.

 
Last edited:
TORY

TORY

{ Lurker in Training }
Inactive
Nov 11, 2016
418
Southern California, USA
Pronouns
She/Her

gears + empathy

Technology was definitely Sorrel's specialty.

It was in his blood - figuratively and literally. It was installed into his mind and body, it was his life. When he had joined the program here, he found himself constantly working to get the certifications and degree's he needed to do to work properly here as well as further his knowledge. While his world could be considered more advanced, new methods of this madness were always interesting to know and humans always seemed to have a trick up their sleeves when it came to new information.

The amount of technology available in the school both made him concerned and delighted. The data in the air, the fresh information at his fingertips. On more than one occasion, it helped in his assignments and personal work (mainly getting that arm to work when it decided it needed to reset after being used without break for hours working on that final). Though some of the behavior of the other students concerned him - like how freely they downloaded things without being aware of a virus.

Or how they didn't know just where to get things fixed.

Sorrel had been on his way to the computer lab to get to access one of the programs he was learning with when he noticed the other adult hurry towards the lab in hopes of finding some solace. The Ayouei stood there for a moment and just kind of squinted at him, processing the data he could collect from his situation. But he hurried after him. Why would someone carry their whole computer towards the computer lab? While the teachers were there, he had never seen someone there to fix computers.

"Sir, why are you in a panicked state - over your computer?" The second half sounded more like he was double checking. "Is there something I can help you find?"
below the sun


@Romi
 
Last edited:
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Valli jerked to a stop at the sound of someone speaking to him, glancing over his shoulder as he did to take in the speaker. Valli's brain said student, but it was hard to tell--they were on that cusp, that range of maybe an older student or maybe a younger teacher. And that wasn't even taking into account the possibility that they were a vampire or something that didn't age at all. Some of the teachers looked like they should have been in elementary school, let alone college! It seemed obvious to him that the person he was looking at wasn't human--the markings and the weird arm things made that clear--and after a moment Valli decided they were probably faculty.

Hopefully someone who worked in IT.

"I, uhm -" Valli spluttered, taking yet another moment to compose himself. A handshake was right out, as was a bow, so he settled for nodding his head. "I haven't really had any technical issues before, so I'm not really - well, I don't know where to go. For computer help."

Valli was normally composed, but with his files in peril, he was anything but.

 
TORY

TORY

{ Lurker in Training }
Inactive
Nov 11, 2016
418
Southern California, USA
Pronouns
She/Her

gears + empathy

Sorrel just stared up at their companion, glad he had finally stopped rushing. But he seemed still rather uneasy with the whole situation, so hopefully the student could help him find exactly what he was looking for. Judging by the.. what Sorrel assumed was at least slightly dated human technology in his hands, it must have been something with it.

"Normally I would suggest asking one of the Computer teachers, however it seems that you are in need of immediate assistance." The Ayeoui chuckled. The person in front of him looked like faculty - though he wondered on that... Would a faculty member know exactly who to go to when they had a problem? Or perhaps he was a guest teacher?

Sorrel moved the notion aside, inquiring, "May I offer my assistance?" He could probably bring up one of his teachers office hours, but he hoped that he could be sufficient.
below the sun


@Romi
 
Last edited:
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
So the man in front of him wasn't a teacher--or at least not a member of the usual IT staff. Maybe some other part of the support staff? Or a teacher who was just technologically competent?

Or maybe a student, but Valli pushed the idea away without much thought. They seemed a bit too calm and composed, and he certainly wasn't expecting any students to be quiet so helpful.

"Uhm, if you think - I mean..." Valli paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to try and compose himself as he did. "What I meant to say was, if you think you'd be able to provide technical assistance, that would be much appreciated. I seem to have... well, let my computer become infected with a virus."

Valli didn't know the term randsomware, but he knew enough to at least explain what little he did know.

 
TORY

TORY

{ Lurker in Training }
Inactive
Nov 11, 2016
418
Southern California, USA
Pronouns
She/Her

gears + empathy

"A virus?" Inquired the male. That could make any number of problems.

He nodded to his words and gave a soft smile despite the sharp additions to his features. "If you will allow me, let us find a place to work with it. Can you tell me what exactly this virus had been done to your computer or its data?" The more information he had to work with, the better.

"Do you have any kind of protective systems on your computer? Specifically for viruses or otherwise?"
Sorrel motioned to start walking, his extra arms offering to help carry the other mans ugly mechanical baby. He had enough mental stress with the virus, since he freaked out enough to carry it all the way across campus.

below the sun


@Romi
 
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Valli was ever so slowly calming down from his panic, guided along the way by the fact that the man before him seemed to know what it was that he was doing. He wasn't panicking, and considering his apparent experience with such things, it made sense he'd be more alarmed if it was concerning.

"I used an antivirus - Yarr? Something piratey sounding is how I remembered. When I went to check my notes, the entire computer was locked down, and apparently I have to send them a hundred dollars to get my data back, because it's all encrypted. Only that sounds like a scam, and it would probably break the veil anyway..."

He was at least tech savvy enough to know that much.

 
TORY

TORY

{ Lurker in Training }
Inactive
Nov 11, 2016
418
Southern California, USA
Pronouns
She/Her

gears + empathy

"Likely." He sighed a bit and moved them to a more quiet and empty room so that he would work. He left the door open just out of habit, carefuly clearing a desk. As he did so, Sorrel went through everything he knew about human ransomware. It was not uncommon where the extraterestrial had come from, experience knew that everything and everyone had their own methods.

Sorrel offered a smile to the adult. "If you'll allow, I would need access onto your computer to see if I can counter their virus. I believe you all call this 'Ransomware'. Usually your software protects your computers from it, or at least provide assistance when it does 'slip through the cracks'."

"May I ask what kind of files are so important and have no other back ups?"

below the sun


@Romi
 
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Oh dear. This was the embarrassing part wasn't it? Valli went rather pink in response to the man's questions as he asked, his fingers winding and unwinding repeatedly.

"Well," Valli said gently. "I work as a therapist, and all my backups have to be very carefully secured, so I don't back up as much as I probably should. So I have backups, but they're... about two months old."

Which would be very, very bad. Of course, he was going to have to watch the recovery to make sure they didn't read those files, blissfully unaware he could probably read them without even making them pop up on any screen.

"Which means I should be backing up more regularly when it's back to functional."

 
TORY

TORY

{ Lurker in Training }
Inactive
Nov 11, 2016
418
Southern California, USA
Pronouns
She/Her

gears + empathy

Sorrel frowned for a moment, before laughing a little bit. He felt bad for laughing, but it was such a common mistake here that they forgot about it sometimes. "Okay, that is okay. I will do everything I can to get your files back uncorrupted." They promised.

He plugged everything back into each other, getting the computer started again. "May I have your permission to connect to the computer?" One of the robotic limbs from his back lifted up, as if to show just how this person would connect.

"I have no interest in your files. However I am intrigued by their code." While their own curiosity was peaked, if this virus made the man so nervous then there was something major in those files.

below the sun


@Romi
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom