2013.05.15 - Access Denied

It's happened a few times over the past week...the local library has gotten a somewhat odd visitor. A child who dresses oddly and behaves even stranger...the kid tends to make a home in the reference area, poring over maps or atlases or other such things, and draws some strange looks from people...but the youth is very, very quiet and unobtrustive, so no one really seems to pay much mind as yet. There are poor kids who come to use the library, after all, even if most of them don't wear the odd combo of old robe and shiny new sneakers, and don't have really long hair, and don't carry around an antique late-1800s educational atlas that has increasingly seen better days. Today, as on many other days, the kid is seated at one of the reference tables, though this time it isn't a map or atlas that's out but a fairly complicated-looking book on the US Government. The kid's been seated there reading page-by-page through that book for quite a while now, and looks set to continue for quite a while longer.

The Academy of Tomorrow was just starting to hit it's stride, and Emma still insisted on meeting all of her potential recruits in person, and this one was no exception. He was surprisingly easy to track down, but she didn't have much knowledge about the boy himself. So today was to be hopefully an enlightening experience.

She immediately sat across from the boy and plopped down the book "The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health". She was dressed in a simple white long sleeved blouse with nice slacks and shoes that were custom designed. Emma smiled at the boy, "Hello Yeweseisisel"

At first, there's no reaction at all. Another page is turned, and the odd boy's eyes remain focused on the book. Slowly, though, he looks up...and there still isn't really anything that would be called a reaction. He watches her silently for several moments, before he finally speaks. "Alert: Subject is aware of this unit's designation without previous contact. Evaluation: Potential danger. Elevating threat level." Not that he looks or sounds nervous, and even a mental or emotional reading would reveal he's still utterly calm. It's just a statement of fact.

Emma closed the book and slid it aside. She gently reached out and held up her hand to possibly shake his. Emma let a small, friendly smile spread across her lips, "I'm Emma Frost, I assure you I am no threat to you. I simply want to say hello."

Emma is also reading for his thoughts, only a casual scan at the moment.

157 just kind of stares at her hand, evidently either unfamiliar with the "handshake" or just really not all that polite. Probably both. "Understood. Subject designation 'Emma Frost'." His thoughts are a combination of things--he would appear to be performing some sort of threat analysis on her by analyzing possibilities, as well as thinking of a mental diagram of the library and the nearby region with some very complicated mathematics going on in what might be some way of planning escape routes if needed, thinking of the information he's just been reading about the Government and how it operates...all while just continuing to stare at her. Staaaaaaare.

Emma was more then used to being stared at. But the little lad here had zero social graces. But his mind alone was amazing, she did like a good puzzle now and then. Emma let out a chuckle and took her hand back, "That's right. And I'm only here to perhaps get to know you better, if you would permit it. You are in no danger."

"Statement: I am only here to perhaps get to know you better, if you would permit it. You are in no danger. Understood. Conversation will not trigger this unit's defenses. Alert: Attempts to damage or capture this unit will require defensive response from this unit. Possibility exists that response would negatively impact continued function of female." And with the warning given as emotionlessly as one might talk about what's coming up on TV next...actually, quite a bit /less/ emotionally than that...he goes back to looking at his book. Another page is turned. "Clarification required: Identify information request."

Emma adjusted herself in the seat to make herself a bit more comfortable. She mused quietly to herself that the chairs in her library were far more comfortable. One must be at ease for quality learning, of course. She looked the boy over, curious, "You are correct, I am looking for information."

Emma adjusted herself in the seat to make herself a bit more comfortable. She mused quietly to herself that the chairs in her library were far more comfortable. One must be at ease for quality learning, of course. She looked the boy over, curious, "Tell me a bit about yourself Yeweseisisel. I'm sure you can guess, but you are different then most boys your age. Which is completely fine. I run a school for unique and different boys and girls, like yourself."

157 doesn't look up from his book, turning another page. "Request: Tell me about yourself, Yeweseisisel. Probable meaning: Request for information on identification and purpose of this unit. Answer: Unit identification Yeweseisisel. Current language usage: English. English translation: One-Hundred and Fifty-Seven. Unit will also respond to variants. Examples: One-Hundred Fifty Seven. One-Five-Seven. Hundred-Fifty-Seven. This unit will also respond to identifications 'kid', 'young man', and 'hun'. This unit is an observation and information retrieval unit created by access denied. This unit was sent by access denied to planet designated 'Earth' to observe." Well, he's honest. "Clarification required: I run a school for unique and different boys and girls, like yourself. Does subject designated 'Emma Frost' have contact with other units of access denied?"

This made Emma's eyebrow arch. Perhaps this one actually was a threat. Curious. She rested her elebows on the table and linked her fingers together in contemplation, and kept reading his thoughts, "I see. So are you on a sort of pilgrimage to Earth, or are you simple observing and recording information for whomever sent you here?"

"Explanation required: Pilgrimage," 157 says. "Preliminary answer: Low probability that this unit is on 'pilgrimage'. This unit is simply observing and recording information for access denied." He still has the "escape plans" in his mind, but there's less of a "priority" designation to them now. Most of his focus is actually on the book he's reading. Emma herself hasn't drawn much actual study yet. Of note is that there's absolutely no "bleed through" of any identification of whoever the "access denied" might be. The kid's mind is easy to access in some ways, but it would seem he does have some training in locking down info hard.

Emma wasn't going to make it so casual anymore. He clearly knew how to hide his information, but Emma at the moment was at least curious to know the boy's deal. She dove harder into his mind, trying to access the areas that were denied, "Why are you observing us?"

As it turns out...the protection over those areas is quite formidable. The boy's mind is akin to a computer file system...some parts are easily accessible, but other parts are placed behind top-notch security. That security...it's of a very unusual and possibly unfamiliar nature. There's the usual hardening of the mind against assault that one might get from a trained operative or some such, but there's also something more--it's like that part of the boy's mind just plain works on very, very different rules. Like encryption, maybe, or just...like trying to run Windows programs on a Mac or vice-versa /without/ the aid of a virtualization or emulation program. Everywhere she turns trying to access that, it seems to be wrong. On the bright side...157 doesn't even seem to have noticed, or if he has, it isn't causing any real reaction. "Query: Why are you observing us? Answer: This unit was ordered to observe by access denied." A pause. "Possible additional meaning of query: Identify priority observation targets. Answer: Priority observation targets: Government. Political organizations and leaders. Security forces. Military forces. Resources. Access denied. Technology. Access denied. Energy sources designated 'food.'"

Emma suddenly was wishing that Tessa was around, her mind worked in a very similar way to this boy's, and was a telepath as well. Very interesting indeed. She backed out of the boy's mind. Another project for another day. Emma waved her hand and looked to the side, "As I said, I run a school for unusual but gifted boys and girls. I teach them to refine and learn their talents, and give them a superior education."

She wasn't quite sure if she even trusted this boy, but what is the old saying, 'keep your friends close and enemies closer?'. She turned her eyes back towards them, "Is this something you would be interested in?"

157 looks up at her again, finally paying her more attention instead of just parroting back what sounds like canned responses. Not that he's any more of a great conversationalist. "Query: Is this something you would be interested in? Answer not available. This unit does not require refining of 'talent'. Explanation required: Information contained in 'education'."

Emma reached forward and took one of the books from his piles and casually looked through. A small smirk spread over her face, "Oh? Well you are certainly are a confident one. My school we teach one another, learn, and interact. We teach all of the common school subjects of course, but this is a school of higher learning."

"It is not necessary for this unit to be confident," 157 replies. "Explanation required: This unit has no data regarding 'common school subjects' of planet designated 'Earth'. Explanation required: Meaning of 'higher learning'." He doesn't react at all to the book being taken, but by now that's probably to be expected.

Emma let out another chuckle, "No, I suppose that isn't an issue for you. We teach the subjects taught at every school. Math, English, history, of course. Are you only getting your Earth education from books and observing?"

"This unit does not require additional data on subject: Mathematics. This unit does not require additional data on subject: English." A long pause, and 157 regards her quietly for a few moments. "Subject: History is a secondary information target." Another long pause. "Query: Are you only getting your Earth education from books and observing? Answer: Negative. This unit gathers data from information resources designated 'books' and 'maps'. This unit gathers data by observation. This unit gathers data by interaction with native entities."

Emma learned from the best how to settle a deal, Sebastian Shaw was a dangerous man in the boardroom, and always served as an inspiration. Emma stood, and tossed his book aside, "Learning from books teaches nothing, because that's clearly all that you are doing. If you want to learn 'everything' about us, you must do so much more. With my school, you might actually learn how to integrate and seem like a part of society. Mull it over, and give me a call if you are interested. I'm not one to waste anyones time, let alone my own."

Emma tossed a embossed business card onto the table with "Frost" and a phone number. "My door is always open, or shall be for you."

157 slowly reaches out and picks up the card, looking at it for several moments. "Information recorded." And he unceremoniously drops the business card back on the table. Evidently he trusts his memory, though he probably wouldn't describe it as trust, per se. Slowly, he gets out of his seat and picks up the book that she knocked over. "Confirmation required: Information resource designated 'school' contains information useful for gathering data on priority observation targets. Examples: Government. Political organizations and leaders. Security forces. Military forces. Technology."

Emma lifts her eyebrows, "Indeed. And this is a special school, full of special people."

She looked about the library and commanded all of their minds to not notice what is about to happen. She turns completely to diamond and gives him a wave before leaving.

157 watches the demonstration...no notable reaction, of course, as she probably expected by now. But it seems to have had the desired effect all the same. "Priority of investigation of information resource designated 'school' elevated." But evidently not /urgently/ so, as the boy sets the book down on the table again, sits back down, and resumes his studies. Still, it sounds like she might very well get that call after all.