Viral Engineering
Posted on Fri Mar 15th, 2024 @ 1:08pm by Lieutenant Njalia Sayffier
Mission:
Shakedown Shake-Up
Location: Ops Central
Timeline: MD ?
2151 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure
Njalia reviewed her notes and then checked the security screen and secured communications links. “Maiden, anything I am not seeing or is our secure room secure?”
Maiden flicked for a moment, running crosschecks along the comlinks. “It is as secure as we can make it,” she replied.
“Then begin meeting, Working Group: Project Frozen Access,” said Njalia. The lighting changed as the other six members of the working group arrived or, more accurately, their holographic avatars did.
T’vye, Vulcan specialist in defenses against computer viruses, was in a pale blue room, unadorned and the only item was her computer, it advanced holographic display carefully recreated by the holoprojectors of the Nelson. T’vye was dressed in a simple white robe with an IDIC pin over her heart, with no indication of the Starfleet rank of Commander she had when she left active service.
Lieutenant Commander Olan Ver was broadcasting from his office on Starbase One, the windows behind him showing just a sliver of Luna. He was an older man with a slightly impatient cast to his features. He monitored the Starfleet network for viruses and other malware. His uniform was slightly unkempt.
Commander 01Flower of the Binar, a specialist in cross-system computer interfaces and an unusual Binar in that they had been allowed to create a branched personality of their choice but apart from a stylized flower decoration worn as a necklace, Njalia could not immediately distinguish them from any other Binar.
Lieutenant Commander Ajax Nguyen of Starfleet Intelligence, Computer Branch, who was whom Starfleet Intelligence assigned to the group after a polite request from Njalia, backed by the Admiral’s authorization. He certainly looked happier to be here than Var. He was sitting on a comfortable couch with a strange set of lamps behind him, all filled with some sort of liquid with a second liquid moving within them.
Lieutenant Tolost Yarris, a Tellarite woman with heavy features and a scowl. She was the lowest-ranked officer here, besides Njalia, who had written viral code used against an Orion raider in the midst of combat and hopefully had some useful insights. She was obviously broadcasting from her quarters on the USS Tobruk.
And, lastly, there was Commander Njikes Karulean, a fellow Andorian and one of her mentors from the Academy, an expert programmer but he was here to ensure the morality of whatever they came up with. As was usual, he was looking very relaxed with a mug of something in one hand. He waved to Njalia and gave a reassuring smile.
Introductions were made, though most everyone knew one another from reputation if not by having worked together before.
“Thank you all for agreeing to help, it is an unusual task but it has been signed off on by Starfleet,” said Njalia.
“It seems an acceptable use of our technology to prevent others from highjacking it to their own ends,” said T’vye.
“Yes, if it prevents a war, it is good,” said 01Flower through a voice synthesizer. “We must make sure to locate and eliminate all traces of the technology left behind.”
“It is embarrassing that we have to clean this up,” added Nguyen. “But we will, efficiently, and prevent this from causing more trouble.”
“While causing minimum harm to their society beyond the targeted elimination of access to Federation technology and information,” added Karulean. “While they are an objectionable society, it is not our place to fix them.”
“Of course,” agreed Nguyen, not sounding fully convinced.
Ver studied the information in front of him. “The easiest part will be dismantling the operation of the gravity catapult. The very fact that they have accessed the OS and manipulated it makes it vulnerable. Otherwise, we would be fighting against all of our own safeguards.”
“Which would be annoying,” grated Yarris. “My initial review indicates that the best route in is probably through the communication system. My instinct tells me the link between it and the planet is heavily secured but the internal comms are barely protected, at least from what I can make of these comm logs.”
Njalia nodded. “That was my thought as well, this is the program I was thinking of for the gravitic catapult OS. A self-replicating worm that ultimately overwrites itself leaving nothing by random data behind.” She tosses out the program in progress to the rest of the working group, there was a few minutes of silence while the other people reviewed the program.
T’Vye commented first. “That is a very nice piece of programming, Lieutenant. The self-deletion at the end is particularly well executed. May I ask if you were inspired by some of the recent Romulan programs we have been encountering?”
Njalia nodded. “The Romulans are good a subtle code, it seemed that it would be the obvious starting point.”
“I admit my style is more brute force,” said Yarris. “But I like this, direct, efficient and nearly untraceable if allowed to run its course.”
01Flower sent back a copy back with some notes. “I believe it could be tightened up to run faster. After all, that it the worry, that the system is shut down before it can complete its task.”
Njalia nodded and reviewed the changes. “Isi, yes, that is nice. Tying the replication cycle to the data overwrite, that will save some valuable milliseconds.”
“The contained nature of it is superb,” said Karulean. “Very little chance that it will spill out and infect other systems.”
Ver frowned and he checked over the program again. “We need to keep this locked down until we can build in specific counter-measures, this could hijack a wide variety of civilian systems without up-to-date anti-viral defenses. Can I task you, 01Flower to help me and the computer defense with that once we are done here?”
“Yes,” replied 01Flower’s expressionless synthetic voice. “I am free of other obligations in the immediate future.”
“I have some thoughts on the,” said Njalia flicking another program file into the group feed.
T’Vye nodded. “Thinking ahead. You should be proud of your student, Karulean.”
“Believe me, I am,” the Andorian said before taking a drink from his mug. “She was one of my best students.”
“Isi,” said Njalia trying to get things moving on before her embarrassment became obvious, “now for the tricky bit. Designing one to hunt down all traces of information on the gravitic catapult throughout the computer systems. My initial though was hiding the base program in a set of image files from the shuttle, something that looks like it was overlooked, Images of the Nelson, we can make sure no vital informate is include, they will want to study those, pass them around throughout their scientific and intelligence communities.”
“Are you sure you are happy in Operations?” asked Nguyen. “You seem to have a natural talent for Intelligence work.”
“You cannot have her,” said Karulean with a laugh. “She is much to sensible for Intelligence work.”
“That is an eminently sensible method, it will appeal to their desire to gain information about us,” said T’Vye. “I approve. The Romulans would as well.”
“I am already putting new protocols into place,” said Ver grumpily. “It will be propagated by the end of the week.”
“This is proving to be a most productive meeting,” said 01Flower.
“Agreed,” said Yarris. “I now see why the Andorians were such formidable enemies back before the Federation.”
“Thankfully, we are allies now,” said Karulean.
“Yes,” said Yarris, “we are stronger together. And anything that will make life difficult for the Romulans is a victory!”
“Agreed.” Yes.” said Nguyen and Ver almost at the same moment.
“Let us look at this code to be embedded in the image files,” said 01Flower.
“Yes, please,” said Njalia, pushing several possible image files along with their embedded code into the group area.
“I wish to see it as well,” said T’Vye scanning the files. “Am I correct in thinking the code will need at least two of the image files in the same location to trigger their activation?”
“Yes, at least six,” said Njalia. “That way, if they pust an image or two out to their media, if will not trigger across a larger network. But no technology analyst will be satisfied without as many of the files as possible to try and understand how our systems work.”
“And the same with their intelligence people,” agreed Nguyen.
“Layering code in such a fashion,” said Yarris, “that could be used in microbusts to possibly spoof enemy sensors or communications in real time.” The Tellarite opened another set of files. “That would present some interesting tactical options.”
“I am almost regreting coming here,” said Ver. “This is going to require several new layers of firewalls and active anti-virius protocols to be instated throughout the fleet.”
“Is it not wonderful?” said 01Flower, the synthesized voice expressing no emotion. “Seeing new possibilities in programming bloom.”
Karulean stacked holographic images and watched as the code activated. “If they are not looking for something like this, it will spread through their system like a weed.”
“That is my only concern,” said Njalia. “Is how do we set it to die out? We do not want to stifle this cultures ability to do research on gravetics.”
“What about a hard timer on the effect? Say half a Terran year and then it just is rendered inert?” suggested Karulean.
“Better if it deleted itself and the image files,” said T’Vye. “That way it will look like some sort of coordinated sabotage.”
“Yes, especially if the image files are coded in such a way that copies and enhancements are tagged and the final code just erases them all,” said Nguyen. “They might still blame the Federation but then they would have to admit they were trying to reverse engineer our technology.”
“They might not care about admitting that,” said the Vulcan.
“Maybe half a year is too long,” said Yarris. “They will notice the attack against the gravetic catapult files before then, yes?”
“I do like a hard time based trigger to the end though,” said Karulean. “That way even if they isolated the code in a system, it still writes itself out of existence.”
“Can we model how long it is likely to take to spread through out their scientific establishment?” asked T’Vye.
“Not with precision,” mused Nguyen. “They strike me as more compertmentalized than Starfleet, similar images would be spread through our science departments within days and it would only be weeks before there had reached every interested corner.”
“So, double that?” said Njalia. “Six Terran weeks and then,” she made an exploding gesture with her hands, “poof!”
“Boom would be better,” said Yarris.
“It will only slow things down,” said Karulean, “we cannot pull information out of peoples’ heads and anything that is a hard copy. Will survive.”
“It is not an easy technology to build,” said T’Vye, “once its is . . . rendered inert but whatever means. They are unlikely to spend the resources to rebuild it, especially is they must rebuild theory from memory and the occasional note.”
“True,” agreed Nguyen. “Let us work with this and present it to the Admiral. If it fits their requirements, great, if not, we will tweak it until it does.”
“Let me review the code and see where it can be tightened up,” said 01Flower.
“I will do the same,” said T’Vye.
“It is too fancy for me to help with, but I appreciate the chance to learn more,” added Yarris.
“Meet again in twenty-three hours for another code and strategy review?” asked Njalia.
A chorus of assent went around the group and they slowly winked out until just Karulean was left. “I am not entirely comfortable with this, Njalia.”
“I know, sir, but it seems better than actual war which would be the likely result if we do not stop this now,” said Njalia.
“Cold comfort,” said Karulean. “But, morality aside, that was some exceptionally clever programming. You make me proud.”
Njalia’s antennae curled in embarrassment. “Anyone could have done it . . .”
He cut her off with a gesture. “No, no they could not. Stop selling yourself short, Njalia, accept that you are good at your job, and embrace your talent.”
“Isi, I will try, sir,” she said quietly.
“Good,” he said with a smile. “Now I am going to dig into your code. I am very curious about your stacking image files trick.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said.
“Go, have some The, take a nap, play a game, relax for a bit” he said with a shooing motion. “You deserve it.”
She nodded.
“Until tomorrow,” he added with a smile and the hologram winked out.
Maided materialized. “That went well,”
“It did,” Njalia smiled. “I think I will have a nice meal and then a short nap, Karulean is right, I deserve it.”
Maiden smiled. “He is and you do, now go.”
