Snippet #2296350

LondonsFog sat at her desk as her fingers flickered over the diary she kept for research purposes. She had always been a researcher, always questioned the methods used and if they could be improved upon. But never did she question if it was right to use the method, if it was ethical. The method was a tool, no different from a scalpel or a microscope or keyboard used to program.

Now she sat at her desk, her fingers tracing over a frame with a shy smiling man. A long time ago the idea of a living breathing data base had ignited debates all over the world. Many of the debates heated and one-sided and the idea quickly died. And the creator of the idea was quickly written off and shuttered from lab to lab before fading altogether. But as the idea was dismissed in the scientific world, it had sparked intrigue in the hacker world.

The sharp eyes of LondonsFog read over several forums, hoping to spot an advantage and to catch up on what the local hacker groups worldwide were chattering about. She smiled as she read about a little server reboot in India. Apparently there was a youngster coming up the ranks by the name of Glitch, an appropriate name in London’s mind, as the reboot looked natural- enough that the technical teams of the bank that owned the server blamed it on normal maintenance. It made London feel old as she read about it. The one behind the reboot couldn’t be older than 25…. At 25 London had been fighting a losing war and planning to go into hiding- the same life she was living now.

A beep went off from her computer, indicating a new message. Frowning she signed on as a hidden user and saw who had spoken in the chat.

“Oh no…. No… you fool….” Quickly she checked the status of the user The Lorax…. 62.12.128.0…Switzerland….

“LAN!” She gasped, “You’re a fool.” But for a moment her heart raced with joy, he was closer to her then he had been in years. If only… Then she read his words and a sense of shame came over her. “Oh Codec, you miss him terribly don’t you? But you don’t know how much it pained me that I couldn’t keep our vows. Not with Lotus. So long as Lotus exists, I cannot keep our vow.”

Standing, LondonsFog closed her computer and placed it under the bed in the proper box. Outside the bells rang, and for once London was glad to be called to prayers.

She needed time to heal.