9. The Swallowed (3)
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-Akashiu: Midterm exams are barely over…
-Akashiu: I think I’m really going to fall behind.
-Tutoshiu: ?
-Tutoshiu: I’m really hungry.
-Akashiu: ㅠㅠ
-Tutoshiu: Look at that ‘ㅠㅠ’ thing. Since you’re flirting with a girl, the way you speak changes.
-Seonhyeop Siwoo: Huh. Some people get headaches from running the bureau day after day, while others just leisurely show off…
-Tutoshiu: But you’re also flirting with women, damn it.
-Seonhyeop Siwoo: I am part of legitimate work.
-Tutoshiu: I’m screwed.
-Nut Pan Siu: But if you think about it that way, there is a person here who has not been involved with a single woman?
-London City: …
-Tutoshiu: ㄹㅇ Strangely enough, even if it’s not a romantic relationship, everyone around me has a woman. Same goes for Sifeng Siu, who received artificial intelligence this time.
-London City: …
-Jo Yong Si-woo: That’s a bit surprising. I also have an older sister who lives here. Adriana is also there. Seonhyeop also has Ha Yu-ran and Chae Do-yeop. You are a constellation, but you are a woman anyway.
-London City: …
-Tutosio: I think it’s a rule at this point. Ah, but artificial intelligence is okay, right?
-Jo Yong Siu: When I received it, Si Feng Siu didn’t say anything, so wouldn’t it be okay? SF Siwoo, he must have given it well.
-Tutosio: I guess so?
-London Siwoo: I really want to make everyone corrupt Deep One.
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*
When you join Sarah’s organization, ‘Swallowed Dagger’, you need to install several programs.
From basic security and bypass programs, tools for work performance, virtual account opening and management, to secret in-house messengers.
On the outside, they don’t seem to have much of a problem. On the surface, it appears to be a normal program, the source code is completely open, and you believe it because it is downloaded from the official site. There is no need to unpack that long code one by one.
It is true that there is no problem. Only within the Windows operating system.
However, the ‘official site’ is actually a fake site elaborately forged by Sarah.
The operating system Siwoo uses is not Windows.
[PC_SIU CONNECT]
Almost all organizations that use the Tor network service, including Sarah’s, pursue zero-trust and are therefore wary of any program whose source code is not open. They suspect that there is a backdoor program hidden inside it and that it may be tracking them.
Wiretapping, data collection, and control through these backdoor programs boasted a long history, so it was impossible to quickly conclude that it was just a conspiracy theory. There are cases where backdoors exist even in online services used by hundreds of millions of people.
[File Searching… ]
Therefore, instead of Windows, they use a Linux-based operating system with completely open source code.
Also, no vaccines are used. Vaccines, or anti-virus software, often become security vulnerabilities due to their own loopholes.Because even such programs cannot be fully trusted.
In other words, it means that it is Muju Gongsan Mountain that can be easily attacked.
[/Usr/cosmos návĭta]
Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll be defenseless.
Normally, external intrusion is prevented through internal security using differential access rights provided by the operating system, various applications with open source code, and various know-how, and frequently used hard disks are even formatted periodically.
However, programs already installed. There is no way to block a program that can steal root privileges, the highest level of privilege in Linux, at any time.
“… Uh?”
Sarah looked into Siwoo’s laptop remotely and found an unusually large file.
From Noble mtl dot com
A program worth a whopping 700 terabytes. No matter how much times have changed from the past, it is a capacity that a single individual program cannot have.
Sarah instinctively smelled the scent of Jackpot.
-Hello. This is Cosmos Navita. How can I help you?
An artificial intelligence that only has a voice without the usual holograms or virtual characters.
At first glance, it looked like a primitive artificial intelligence program from the past, but Sarah saw through it the terrifying potential it contained.
A logo for a company that cannot be found anywhere. Various restrictions that are not specified at all. A voice I’ve never heard before.
And, code with logic and structure that cannot be understood at all.
Sarah seemed to be possessed and copied the program onto her spare laptop.
At that moment, the cosmos návĭta became hers.
*
Next day. As soon as Siwoo got to work, he received a call from Sarah and entered Sarah’s office.
Because of what happened the day before, Siwoo naturally imagined the worst. But contrary to her worries, Sarah was putting on her outerwear and getting ready to go out.
“Is there a problem?”
“Ah, today is a field trip for the revolution… Should I say that? To go to the city and do something like that. “You lost your memory and don’t know much about the outside world?”
Siwoo nodded, tracing her memory.
She certainly had that excuse. It was a method that was reputed to be the best excuse among Siwoos, and since most of the people who lived in these shadowy areas originally had a disease in their hearts.
But is that still a reason to go outside? Siwoo was skeptical.
“I already got all the information I needed on the internet, but…”
“Seeing it on the Internet and in person is on a different level.”
“What I mean is, isn’t the security risk too great?”
CCTV spread like a spider web. Facial recognition system. Civilization points.
Sarah heard stories about these things in a way that made her feel scared.
I also heard that if you go out into the city carelessly, both rats and birds can disappear without you noticing, or that problems can arise in the organization.
But are you going to go out like this?
“Don’t worry. “I’ve got a solution for that, so just follow along.”
Sarah’s confident words. For a moment, Siwoo felt anxious and suspicious, but it quickly subsided.
I trust Sarah, who always values security so much.There must be a bar. Siwoo put aside his doubts and went out with her.
The means of transportation was an electric car prepared by Sarah. The electric car, whose name it belonged to, had a new car smell that did not fit this dark atmosphere. However, Siwoo did not voice that question out loud.
Electric cars that run on their own glide toward civilization. A city of true cyberpunk, encountered for the first time. Siu felt his heart pounding as he looked at the tall spiers.
The forest of buildings quickly got closer to Siwoo. It’s not as bad as I thought, and if anything, it looks ordinary. Perhaps because it was still daytime, it was noticeably different from what we saw in the media.
Siwoo conveyed these thoughts to Sarah.
“Does it look okay on the outside?”
“Well. “If you knew the truth, you would never think that way.”
Siu looked at Sara, but Sara passed through the center of the city without further explanation.
Whether it was a characteristic of this world, or the power of medicine in 2077, all the people I passed were either handsome or pretty. Although her beauty was not perfect, it was so good that no one could disparage her as ugly.
Sarah said, calmly ignoring the situation.
“Did you see the people earlier? “Remember that image well.”
“Yes. But what does this mean?”
“Well… Civilization score I used to have. Remember?”
“Of course.”
Civilization points. A system that numerically indicates how ‘civilized’ an individual is through CCTV installed throughout the city and wiretapping of internet usage history.
I heard that it is one of the most important things for people in this world, and that both employment and food, clothing, and shelter are affected by this civilization score.
“Then have you thought about how those civilization points will be used?”
“Isn’t it just the same as what you heard back then? You can only get a job if your civilization score is high. You also get priority in things like housing subscriptions. Get a higher salary…”
“After. “You’re still naive.”
Siwoo looked out his window and tilted his head. It was difficult for Siwoo to imagine whether it had any other uses.
Of course, the civilization score was not viewed favorably. It was uncomfortable to monitor their every move like that, and it didn’t seem good to judge people according to a custom-made model of humanity.
There are more than ten negative effects that immediately come to mind.
But in the end, that’s it. At best, it only filtered out impure molecules and there seemed to be no room for abuse. At most, it would be like manipulating the civilization scores of children of high-ranking people. Siwoo only thought that way.
The reality was much further than that.
“Civilization points are not like that. It’s just a means. And it’s clear what you want to achieve with those means. Civilization policy. And… Racial improvement.”
Hearing those unbelievable words, Siwoo turned to Sarah. Racial reform. What kind of outdated word is that?
However, Sara, with her red hair hanging down, continued speaking with a cynicism in her face.
“It’s a simple trick. The civilization points are intentionally given to those with ‘inferior’ genes that cannot accept civilization. They do not conform to the system, are not attractive in appearance, or have low intelligence. Or… “Or excessively just.”
“…”
Seeing Siwoo at a loss for words, Sarah chuckled.
“If your civilization score goes down, that alone lowers your social class. AroundMy eyesight also gets worse. If you go to the center of the city, there are many places where you cannot enter if your civilization score is below a certain level. The further they go, the more they are pushed out to the outskirts, and eventually are eliminated. That’s how it gets filtered out.”
“… Understand.”
Siwoo, who had not expected to encounter a eugenics perspective here, held his dizzy head. Although he couldn’t remember the original novel, he thought it would have something dystopian, as most cyberpunk novels do…
Siwoo tried to deny it and argued back.
“But if you’re going to improve your race, is there really a need to use such cumbersome methods? “There will be no shortage of genetic manipulation technology.”
“Because that’s not what the government and companies want. “If we just want superior people, why would just people be eliminated?”
Sarah said and parked her electric car in the parking lot of a restaurant.
Underneath the dark parking lot. The dark conversation continued.
“In the end, the racial improvement they want is… It means to reform the people into citizens who comply with the system. That’s it. In the first place, it is the civilization points and social system for that. “Look at what’s happening in this restaurant right now.”
When Sarah gestured, a holographic image appeared.
It was a picture of a child being s*xually assaulted by his own relative in the bathroom.
The ugly panting of middle age. The victim’s blank eyes. A scream that couldn’t be heard. Ruptured organ. Flowing blood. And the people who just look at it and pass by.
When Siwoo saw that, blood appeared on the back of his hand.
“How can you do that? I should report it right now… !”
“Don’t get too excited. It happened an hour ago. “Everything has been resolved now.”
“That doesn’t mean you can calm down… ! Ha…”
Siwoo barely managed to calm his stomach, which felt like he was going to feel nauseous.
I thought I was immune to a certain extent because I had heard of the reality of the world like Ngpan Siu, but seeing it this way was an entirely different level of emotional violence.
Sarah did not give Si-woo time to calm down and uploaded another video.
“Then how about this? This… “It happened about a week ago.”
Eventually, what came into view was the rooftop of a building.
About the 10th floor. On the roof of a not very tall building, there was a high school girl holding on to the railing.
She looked down at the floor for a long time, distressed. Man’s final hesitation to choose death.
One of her passers-by spotted her and shouted what she was doing.
Then people gathered to watch. They jeered and urged.
Why haven’t you jumped yet? I don’t even have courage. It’s hot so die quickly.
In the end, she broke down in tears, and onlookers applauded enthusiastically.
When Siwoo couldn’t move for a while because he couldn’t believe he was in royalties, Sara quietly asked.
“Isn’t it strange?”
“… Yes?”
“Civilization points greatly influence a person’s life. Why do they stand by and enjoy other people’s misfortune? Why would someone do such an ‘uncivilized’ thing? And, why is security so bad on the outskirts of the city that crimes occur so openly?”
“… “I see.”
Siwoo forced himself to think about that question.
In a world where civilization scores rule. The misfortune of others actually increases your civilization points.This is your chance to raise it.
If civilization points really worked, that’s probably what the world would be like. A world of dry warmth, ruled by calculated good will and show-window justice.
However, they tolerated, encouraged, and were enthusiastic about evil.
It implied quite a few things.
“Okay. Civilization points do not decrease by turning a blind eye to crime. And you don’t get promoted for helping someone in trouble. “They are intentionally encouraging neglect.”
Sarah leaned back against the backrest and spoke pessimistically.
“That was the purpose from the beginning. Do not allow citizens to form solidarity among themselves. Pursue thorough individualism. “At the same time, we make them loyal and devoted to the country and the company.”
Siwoo sighed. Information that could never be found out just by browsing the completely censored Internet.
Si-woo now seemed to understand why Sarah was so obsessed with security.
“What’s funnier is people’s reactions. The internet may be censored, and there may be corporate minions, but they already treat civilization points as an absolute measure of morality. I blindly obey it, feel superior because my civilization score is only slightly higher, put others down, and have no awareness that I am being brainwashed. “There are too many people who have been swallowed up by the system like that.”
Siwoo let out a sigh.
“Why is security on the outskirts of the city so bad? They are intentionally aiding and abetting it. These are things that should be eliminated anyway. What’s wrong with those things dying and getting hurt? If they die quickly, that’s good, just pick a few and do some publicity and that’s it. Look at these barbaric things. “All humans with low civilization scores are of this kind and should not interact with each other.”
Sarah’s comical tone was so tinged with sadness that I couldn’t help but laugh at her exaggerated hand movements.
Siwoo opened his lips to say something, but pursed them again because he had nothing to say. What are you saying? You understand why you want a revolution? A person who has only seen a few hours a day?
Si-woo was having a hard time, so Sara held Si-woo’s left hand tightly with both hands.
“There is only one reason why I am saying this today.”
“Revolution… Is it?”
“Okay. But that’s not all.”
So then what is it? The moment when Siwoo’s eyes fell on his left hand. Sarah said softly.
“Your program… ‘Cosmos Navita’. “I got that.”
“That…”
“It seems like you just used it as a coding assistant, but it was truly amazing artificial intelligence. It is thanks to artificial intelligence that we were able to come out like this today. “This car was able to avoid all surveillance because of Navita.”
Hearing these words right after hearing the shocking story earlier, Siwoo couldn’t turn his head. All he had was a vague thought that he shouldn’t fall for someone else and the thought that he had already moved on so what could he do?
That was exactly what Sarah had hoped for.
“Siwoo. I’ll tell you straight. The revolution needs Navita. I won’t ask you to follow me right away. Just you… All you have to do is be silent. “As long as you don’t interfere with my work.”
Sarah looked up mournfully, as if pleading.
“I know you joined my organization because you don’t like revolution and want stability. But as long as Navita is here, we won’t be in any danger. On the contrary, once the revolution is over, you will be able to enjoy everything you wish for. Therefore… “Can I ask you one favor?”
That watery voice, the tea that makes you cryBecause I couldn’t turn away.
He spoke impulsively.
“No. “It won’t happen.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Huh?”
“I will join the revolution too.”
Sarah’s face brightened at those words.
And she cried. Thank you so much. Let’s succeed together.
As Siwoo pondered her tears and the story he had heard earlier, he felt her will building up.
A pulsating, passionate will toward revolution and new beginnings.