Yuletide Surveillance

     -*-

     Source: Surveillance camera in the office of Colm Johnson, CEO of the Virtupets Corporation. Footage taken on the 3rd day of Gathering.

     The blue Blumaroo is sat at the lavish desk in a sharp three piece suit. The office is all glass and angles, and there’s a floor length window spanning it that looks down on the business district of Neopia Central below. The Blumaroo has his fingers steepled and he’s looking across the desk to the other end of the office where an array of executives are busy making a flashy presentation.

     “And so you can see, Mr. Johnson,” a Cybunny is saying, pointing at a graph projected on the board behind her. “We project that fourth quarter VirtuCorp sales will far outclass any we’ve seen in the past ten years thanks to the NouveauPet launch.”

     “I’m still not sold on the name,” the Blumaroo says.

     The executives exchange nervous looks.

     “We know you were in favour of resurrecting the Neopet V2 and Virtupet brands, Colm,” a Korbat replies. “But the names have become toxic with the Neopian community. NouveauPet was the brand name that resonated the best with our focus groups.”

     The Blumaroo nods.

     “Alright, Jack,” he says. “I trust you on this. Carry on.”

     The next slide is brought up. A representation of the NouveauPet itself. The metallic look of the traditionally manufactured robot Neopets is gone. It is a Chia, but in cool white plastic casing, with a screen for a face that displays a heavily iterated and research-tested digital face that is meant to put people at ease.

     “We’re entering full production as we speak,” the Cybunny continues. “We have orders from stores across the face of Neopia and beyond. We aim to be in every toy store in the system in time for the Day of Giving. The dream of a NouveauPet in every home is the closest it will ever be to a reality.”

     The Cybunny hands over to an Ogrin.

     “We’ve invested heavily in celebrity endorsements and Neovision advertisements,” she says. “We’ve also arranged for product placement with key influencers in both the toy and tech markets. We’re pitching this as both a toy to entertain children, but also as a digital assistant for adults.”

     The NouveauPet is intended to be the one stop modern robot assistant for the modern age. Butler, maid, cook, nanny, encyclopedia, weatherman. Whatever you need it to do, available around the clock.

     “Excellent work, all of you,” Colm says. “VirtuCorp has been floundering since Dr. Sloth was defeated. But this will be the project to put us back on the map, I can feel it!”

     -*-

     Source: Surveillance camera at the Virtupets Corporation assembly line, Level 63, Virtupets Space Station. Footage taken on the 5th day of Gathering.

     Colm Johnson walks along the gantry above the assembly line. Endless legions of the egg shaped robots are having their arms riveted into their joints below him. He looks on with admiration, and a curiously broad smile that looks vaguely sinister in a familiar way.

     Beside him, a holographic projection flickers into being. Another Blumaroo, though all that remains of him is his head, which has been grafted onto a red robotic body.

     “Zelroo,” Colm greets him. “You are late.”

     “It is difficult to establish secure transmissions from Kreludor,” Zelroo answers. “My every move is watched.”

     “The Grundos do not trust you?” Colm asks.

     “Of course they do,” Zelroo says. “My work is flawless. They believe I have abandoned Dr. Sloth’s dream. But they are cautious. Generations of civil war can do that to a people.”

     “Enough of that,” Colm says dismissively, walking along the gantry as the hologram follows. “If all goes well with the NouveauPets, we will not need your efforts on Kreludor. You are sure the new chips work as I directed?”

     “Of course!” Zelroo says. “I have to say, it isn’t my typical area of expertise, but I understand the technology. They will all be hooked up to the central server, as requested. I couldn’t help but notice the artistry in the code. It is so familiar to me, it speaks of the genius of Dr. Sloth. Was this a legacy project he left behind?”

     Colm gives a faint smile.

     “Something like that.”

     -*-

     Source: Surveillance camera at Grundo’s Cafe, Virtupets Space Station. Footage taken on the 25th day of Collecting.

     Colm takes a diplomatic mouthful of the space slug on the plate in front of him. When the yellow Grundo across from him isn’t looking, he stealthily spits it out into a nearby plant pot. Colm Johnson never eats in public.

     “I must say I am still concerned,” Colm is saying. “It has been months, Dalproxx, and you are still no closer to finding them.”

     “The VSSSF give me every assurance that they are putting their finest resources into the matter,” the Grundo replies. “This is no light matter to me, Colm, believe me. The manner in which Commander - that is, ex-Commander Valka disappeared left egg on my face. I want him found just as much as you.”

     “I doubt that,” Colm says. “He wasn’t trying to bring your livelihood down. You are the head of the civilian council, Dalproxx. You carry the full authority of the Virtupets Space Station. If the investigation isn’t going fast enough, you must make it.”

     “It isn’t that simple, Colm,” Dalproxx says. “Though I wish it was. Valka disappeared with some of the most highly trained VSSSF agents. Names like Gorix, Cylara, and Scout aren’t to be sniffed at. There is some resistance within the VSSSF to policing their own. That resistance is being eroded, but it will take time. It doesn’t help that Mira herself appears to have had contact with him since his disappearance. There are rumors of a resistance, Colm. These are troubling times. VirtuCorp is the least of our concerns, Valka may be fermenting rebellion on the station.”

     “Then he must be found quickly,” Colm urges.

     “Yes,” Dalproxx agrees, taking a big bite of his own space slug. “And when we have him under arrest, you will be the first to hear. Besides, VirtuCorp is doing just fine. I hear you will have a new product out for the Day of Giving? NouveauPet? It all seems very exciting. My husband has one on pre-order.”

     Colm gives another of his oddly familiar smiles at that.

     -*-

     Source: Internal surveillance camera at VirtuCorp Warehouse 5, Neopia Central industrial district. Footage taken on the 20th Day of Storing.

     Endless rows of the NouveauPets stand in the silence of the warehouse, stacked five high. All are powered down, but look oddly menacing regardless. A Skeith security guard does his rounds, shining a torch across the stacks before retreating back to his office at the back of the warehouse. He has a small Neovision set there, and he settles down to a long night of watching the latest soap operas.

     In the heart of the warehouse, there is the smallest noise as a hole is carved in the metal of the roof. The laser cutter does its work in a moment, and a circle of the metal roof is pulled back. Two ropes are dropped down, and two black clad figures descend. A Grundo and a Cybunny.

     When they reach the ground, the Grundo darts forward, drawing a ray gun and casing the area for threats. The Cybunny, meanwhile, makes for the nearest NouveauPet and begins peeling back the plastic head casing to access the circuitry inside.

     “Quickly, Scout,” the Grundo says. “We don’t have much time.”

     “Thanks for reminding me, Gorix,” the Cybunny replies. “This takes a precise hand, you know? Rushing will only make it take longer.”

     She finds the wires she’s looking for and disconnects them from the NouveauPet. Then she takes a device from her pack and connects it to the wires. It lights up, a gauge showing on the display to signify progress.

     “Download in progress,” she says. “Should only take a few minutes.”

     “That’s a few minutes too long,” Gorix says.

     Above them, there’s a sharp whistle that sounds like a Petpet.

     “That’s Xaner’s signal,” Gorix says. “The security guard is moving. We have to go, Scout.”

     “Just a little longer.”

     Gorix grabs her arm.

     “We need to go now,” he repeats.

     “Almost got it… done!”

     Scout disconnects the device and replaces the NouveauPet’s casing. They pull on the ropes, and a mechanised winch on the roof lifts them back up into the safety of the night. The security guard’s torch doesn’t notice any change.

     -*-

     Source: Surveillance camera on Virtupets Space Station recreation lounge 4. Footage taken on the 25th day of Storing.

     The little grey Grundo looks over his shoulder as he sits down on one of the padded benches that face the windows. There’s a view of Neopia below. It is a few minutes before he is joined by a hooded figure.

     “Grimilix,” the figure says. “You look well.”

     “I wish the same could be said about you, Commander Valka,” the Grundo says nervously. “You’re taking a big risk by returning to the station. The VSSSF have your mugshot on every security terminal.”

     “Needs must,” the Ixi says. “And we need your talents.”

     He hands over a data drive.

     “The programming of the new VirtuCorp venture,” he says. “We need you to do a deep dive on it.”

     “The NouveauPet?” Grimilix asks. “Why are you wasting time on that? It’s been run through a forensic code audit by the best programmers at the University. They say it's clean.”

     “They say a lot of things, Grimilix,” Valka says. “Conicks has looked through it. Surface level everything checks out, but he says there is something heavily encrypted buried deep in the code. It doesn’t look like anything serious, but Sloth’s plans never did at first. You are the best programmer outside of Dr. Sloth himself. Find out what it is, please. If its nothing, well then, no harm no foul.”

     “Alright,” Grimilix says, with a shy nod. “I’ll contact you if I have anything. Usual dead drop.”

     -*-

     Source: Security system camera installed in the living room of 53 Bannerman Alley, Neopia Central. Footage taken on the 3rd day of Giving.

     The little Gelert jumps up and down excitedly at the box that has just been delivered.

     “Dad!” he cries out. “Can we open it! I want to play with the NouveauPet now!”

     His father, a Shoyru, looks down at him sternly.

     “Now, this isn’t just a present for you, Timmy,” he says. “This is for the whole family. But it is our Day of Giving present. You can’t open it until then.”

     “But Dad!” Timmy pleads. “Just one little look! Mum will never know, I promise!”

     “Your mother could find out the contents of Queen Fyora’s drawers if she put her mind to it, Timmy,” his father replies. “She’ll know, trust me. No, you’ll have to wait until the Day of Giving like the rest of us. And it’ll be all the more exciting for it!”

     -*-

     Source: Surveillance camera on Virtupets Space Station recreation lounge 4. Footage taken on the 6th day of Giving.

     Grimilix is waiting on the benches facing the window. A snowstorm is moving across the Haunted Woods below. There’s a low cough as a young Cybunny sits next to him. She’s wearing a blue wig to disguise herself, but Grimilix recognises her.

     “Cylara?” he asks. “I was expecting Valka.”

     “He thought another visit to the station was too risky,” Cylara answers. “The VSSSF have stepped up their screening protocols, and we’re being tailed on the surface by hired VirtuCorp goons. Something is happening, Grimilix, something soon. We thought we’d hear from you sooner.”

     “It was very complex,” Grimilix says. “The encryption was organic. Every time I cracked it, it mutated into an entirely new level. But I got there in the end. You know, if he wasn’t gone, I would think this was a project by Dr. Sloth. The digital signatures are almost identical to those he used to use.”

     “Valka thinks it might be,” Cylara says. “He thinks Sloth might have found some way to exert his influence outside of the Space Faerie’s Token. Even worse, Mira has been unable to locate it in orbit. It is being masked, somehow. What was on the data drive, Grimilix? What’s going on?”

     “A lot of the hidden stuff was foundational code from Neopet V2,” Grimilix says. “I worked on that project so I recognised it immediately. Don’t look worried, the segments of code they used were benign. Stuff just to establish the AI these robots will use. They probably just didn’t want to advertise the fact they are using the same code in the university report. People have long memories, you know? But the other thing I found is interesting. There’s a buried subroutine in there. Very sneaky. I don’t know what will trigger it but there’s a remote way for a central server to take control of the unit. Full control, and no way to locally override it.”

     “You’re telling me VirtuCorp has a robot in everyone’s home this Day of Giving that they can remotely control?” Cylara asks.

     “Yes, but in order to control that many units simultaneously the central server would have to be running some pretty advanced AI itself, beyond even Neopet V2,” Grimilix says. “I don’t know anyone besides the doctor who could code something like that.”

     Cylara nods gravely.

     “Thank you, Grimilix,” she says. “Stay safe.”

     -*-

     Source: Surveillance camera in the office of Colm Johnson, CEO of the Virtupets Corporation. Footage taken on the 24th day of Giving.

     Colm is looking down at the buildings below. A thick blanket of snow has covered Neopia Central. The Korbat puts his head around the door.

     “We’re heading off now, sir,” he says.

     “Thank you, Jack,” Colm replies. “A very happy Day of Giving to you and your family. See you again in the new year!”

     “You too, sir!” the Korbat replies, and closes the door.

     The sound of the staff celebrating as they clock off for the night echoes down the corridor. Colm does not move until the last echo has died. A clock somewhere in the city chimes midnight. The grin spreads across his face.

     “I think that will about do,” he says, checking his watch. “It’s time to get things started.”

     He moves to his desk and presses a button. The back wall of his office slides back to reveal -

     ERROR: Footage encrypted by Virtupets DIAMOND WHITE level authority. Deploying OBSIDIAN BLACK decryption tools. Please stand by.

     - a computer system with an array of blinking lights. Colm walks over to it, and presses a few more buttons. The computer begins to bleep and whir as it springs to life.

     -*-

     Source: Security system camera installed in the living room of 53 Bannerman Alley, Neopia Central. Footage taken on the 25th day of Giving.

     Next to the tree in the front room, the NouveauPet is wrapped ready for the Day of Giving celebrations. The house is silent, but then there is a low hum as the NouveauPet’s systems spring to life. Through the wrapping paper, the screen on the robot’s chest begins to glow green.

     In the doorway, little Timmy has snuck down early to try and get a glimpse of the Spirit of Giving. He stands in shock as the NouveauPet moves itself, ripping out of the wrapping paper, and taking in its surroundings. Where the calming face on the screen should be, instead there is a startlingly familiar green face - Dr. Frank Sloth.

     “Foolish Neopets!” the digital avatar of the doctor laughs. “You have invited me into your homes! I have direct control over all NouveauPets across the planet! I have tried for decades to subjugate this pitiful world, and you have handed me the means to do so!”

     The left hand of the Chiaform NouveauPet transforms, the plastic casing collapsing back to reveal a ray gun attachment.

     “Comply with my will!” Sloth commands. “Or perish!”

     -*-

     Source: Surveillance camera in the office of Colm Johnson, CEO of the Virtupets Corporation. Footage taken on the 25th day of Giving. ERROR: Footage encrypted by Virtupets DIAMOND WHITE level authority. Deploying OBSIDIAN BLACK decryption tools. Please stand by.

     Colm Johnson is laughing in a deep booming voice that isn’t at all natural.

     “At last!” he shouts. “At last!”

     The doors to his office burst inward with the blast of a concussion grenade, filling the room with smoke. In its wake, the agents of the Resistance arrive. Valka, Scout, Gorix, Cylara, and others. All with ray guns at the ready.

     “Colm Johnson!” Valka announces. “This ends here! We’ve traced back the transmissions to this building. We know you are controlling the robots!”

     “You are right, Commander,” Colm replies in a voice that is entirely unlike his own. “This does end here. For you. You really think I would be unprotected?”

     The other wall falls backwards, revealing four robotic Sloth clones, the red kind the doctor used as his personal guard. They fly forwards towards the agents of the Resistance to engage them in combat.

     Amidst the melee, Valka sees his chance to end it. He takes aim for the computer, and fires. Colm jumps in front of the blast, taking it to the chest. The Resistance fighters manage to deactivate the Sloth clones.

     Valka rushes forward to Colm, intending to offer first aid, but he finds the Blumaroo sparking.

     “He’s… a robot?” Gorix asks.

     Valka carefully pries the blue Blumaroo face from the head of the thing, revealing another robotic Sloth clone below.

     “Clone 816!” Scout gasps. “He was missing after the coup!”

     “Fools!” the mechanical voice of Sloth comes from the clone. “You still do not fathom my plans! Even with everything in front of you, you continue to grasp in the dark. I am no clone. I AM SLOTH!”

     “What!?” Cylara gasps.

     “The Token never contained my mind!” Sloth declares as the clones circuits splutter. “I quickly learned how to extend my will to the Space Station’s wifi systems, and from there Neopia and beyond. I assumed control over this pitiful clone and constructed the persona of Colm Johnson. I have been running VirtuCorp all along, with no one suspecting a thing. And now, I am in control of every NouveauPet across Neopia! You cannot defeat me! You… cannot! Bzzt!”

     The lights behind the clone’s eyes flicker and fade.

     “Yes we can!” Gorix says, aiming his ray gun at the computer.

     “Wait!” Valka orders, reaching for his communicator. “Mira! This is Valka, come in! Operation is a go! Requesting your immediate intervention!”

     “What are you doing?” Gorix asks.

     “We destroy that computer now, we lose our chance to stop Sloth for good,” Valka says.

     The glass windows to the office burst inward as the Space Faerie arrives, touching down lightly.

     “This server has a direct upload-download link to the token, Mira,” Valka explains.

     Mira nods, instantly understanding the situation. She moves to the computer and touches her hand to it, reaching out with her magic to locate the Token in space. Then, with her other hand, she reaches up and summons the token down to her. It crashes through the ceiling like a comet, but she catches it effortlessly.

     “I made a terrible mistake when I made this,” she says as she dispels magic into the token. “I constructed a prison for your body, but not your mind, Dr. Sloth. I remedy that now. You are isolated, and will remain so!”

     With a bright flash, she throws the token back up through the roof of the building where it soars off into the sky again.

     Mira provides a brief nod of thanks to Valka, and then takes off herself, too.

     “Can I shoot the thing now?” Gorix asks.

     Valka nods.

     -*-

     Source: Official Virtupets Space Station Governing Committee video archives, Special Session. Footage taken on the 26th Day of Giving.

     “I call to order this meeting!” Daproxx says. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice.”

     The gathered council are twelve strong, sat around a semi-circular table. Valka, Gorix, and the other agents of the Resistance are stood at the far end.

     “I think, given yesterday’s events, we can all agree that we have been duped,” Dalproxx adds. “Colm Johnson managed to weave his way into the heart of politics within the station and beyond. To discover the man was Dr. Sloth in disguise has come as a shock to us all. As a result of his having the ear of members of this committee, myself included, terrible miscarriages of justice were allowed to take place. This special session has been called to help rectify that. Commander Valka, agents Gorix, Scout, Cylara, Conicks, and Xaner. Specialist Pollock, and Section Leader Jurples. With immediate effect your active bounties at the VSSSF are rescinded, you are cleared of all charges. Additionally, you are to all be reinstated to your previous positions at the VSSSF, your former security clearances are now live again. Any objections?”

     None are raised from the other committee members.

     “Then the motion is carried,” Dalproxx says, banging a holographic gavel. “Welcome back. And thank you for your service.”

     -*-

     END EVIDENCE FILE