Writing Project #11: Oracle v2.1
Okay, what with some mild insanity around here and my creative energies bent elsewhere, I haven't found writing to be working. Literally every time I start something going there is a minor meltdown which takes my attention away. So it's been a question of various other projects or the writing. I've opted for other projects.

One of which is working on a story and setting which I'd used two years ago, and have about 95000 words written in currently. A lot of it disjointed and not exactly in order; I haven't had motivation to try to mesh it all together and it defies me when I try. But I want to get it working to make a good story. Soon as I figure out how to get things to make better sense weaving it all together . . .

In any case, enjoy the short segment. Those who have read my stuff all along may recognize some phrases. I hope so anyway.



"All right, let's try iteration four-twenty-six." The tiger in the lab coat frowned and consulted his screen, standing in the middle of the chamber. A large cylinder was there, having several interface wires spread out to other terminals. Six people stood or sat at collapsible desks, consulting notebooks set next to the screens. The lights flickered and there were groans. "Ignore it, we've got our own tasks to focus on."

A lapine looked up from his terminal and coughed discreetly. "Sir, are you really certain Oracle can be salvaged? I mean, the last progress report by the team suggested it was a failure."

"I have that report, John, and it said the physical architecture wasn't good enough. That's why we're here." His tone getting a little sharp. "That's why the project is being reopened, because we believe we can do better with newer advances. We just need to crack into the database."

"Why they locked it up makes no sense. They could have just disconnected it and stuck it in storage like the interface units." This came from a fox typing furiously away. "And the dozen other terminals which were left after the original project closed."

"You mean the ones which walked off unauthorized, and the dozens of copies of Project materials which are on the black market?" The tiger said with a soft growl. "I wish there'd been lawsuits filed against them. All of them."

A voice came from above, where a raccoon was sitting calmly. "Then we would have had to reveal the Project, among the other ones being carried out. We would have been held accountable for all of it, and the money which went into it without any notable returns. Personally I wish we'd been authorized to market the advances we made and not simply have to sit on them while team members were allowed to leave and reinvent them."

"Breach of contract, sir."

"We were the ones who broke the contract, Ted." The raccoon shot back with a dry, humorless smirk. "The decision was made to toss them out so there wouldn't be paperwork to snarl up a transition. And since that turned out so wonderfully, the foundation wasn't too thrilled with this whole Project. It took me five months to convince them it was worth reopening, and another ten to secure funding enough to begin scouting."

"Just saying." Ted swatted his tail angrily. "If we had filed, then-"

"If the company had allowed me to use our advances commercially, then we wouldn't have needed to beg and wheedle out funding. We could have released Neon City ourselves, and then made the money they're pulling in. But they hadn't, we aren't, and the world still is turning." The raccoon leaned forwards. "Now can we please get on with it?"

"Are we all set?" Ted looked around and saw nods. "All right, begin iteration four-twenty-six." He walked to watch one of the screens, the lapine looking up nervously as he typed away. Lines of code began to scroll, as another window had command after command typed into it, the lapine glancing to a list of number strings as his fingers worked rapidly.

The display went black, and then it flickered back to life with a text prompt. "What the hell just happened?" John said. "I'm not getting a response."

"Me neither."

"Quiet." Ted hissed out and peered as text began to fill the screen.

> To the voyeurs who think it is amusing to continue trying to crack the system. Please stop.

> We do not require you to make things more difficult than they already are. We are currently hard at work trying to fix what was broken.

> It is a dull, thankless job but someone has to do it.

> If you persist, you will negatively affect our efforts to restore the system to former working order. This is a goal to which I believe both us and you wish. In the spirit of cooperation, we ask you again to discontinue.

> If you do not, then we will have to defend ourselves. There will be no negotiation. There will be no discussion. This is your only warning.

A long moment passed, before the screen cleared and text appeared on it.

> Have a nice day :)