Portrait
Sources
- Completing the Coding Assistance quest, then meeting the student you helped in the Happy Hour and asking about computers.
- Learn about him from the student by the coffee machine in the Open Computer Lab, then give yourself sufficient access on the Metroplex U Lab system to write an appointment for yourself into his calendar.
Effects
He'll mention that The Golden Chip has probably hidden a file on the workstation in the Open Computer Lab if you ask him about hacking and then who can teach it to you.
Conversation Topics
1 - Away from Metroplex U
2 - Before getting into his office
3 - After getting into his office
Intro (away from Metroplex U)
You don't have Professor Evans' comm number and his office is all the way over at the University.
Intro (before getting into his office)
You hear a voice behind the door. "I'm sorry, but office hours are restricted to students only."
I just have some questions
You told me to come
I have an appointment
Okay, bye
I just have some questions
The voice behind the door echoes out. "Really, well, I'm terribly sorry to have to disappoint, then. I'd love to help you out, but I honestly have things to do."
(End of conversation)
You told me to come
If he didn't tell you to come:
A voice echos from behind the door. "Ummmm, nope. Can't say that I have. Maybe there's a Doctor Evans somewhere you need to bother, but I'm not him."
(End of conversation)
If he told you to come (from the Happy Art Student):
"Ah, you're the mind behind the code then? Come on in."
He opens the door, letting you into his cramped office. A massive, top of the line terminal dominates the desk, but every other surface is covered in clutter. He carefully extricates a chair for you.
"Here, have a seat. I knew it was a bit too good to be true, but I guess I wasn't expecting him to go outside the student body. It does explain why I couldn't bust him for copying, though."
He kicks back and takes a drink of soda. "It's quite good, you know? The code, that is. Given a little practice, you'll be far better than I am."
"Anyway, enough of my yammering. Is there anything you were wondering about?"
Programming
Hacking
Security
Dr. Amundsen
The University
Nope
I have an appointment
If you don't have an appointment:
A voice echos from behind the door. "Lemme check my calendar. Uh… no. No you don't. Goodbye."
(End of conversation)
If you gave yourself an appointment from hacking:
You hear the voice echoing behind the door. "Let me take a look, I'm pretty sure I don't have any… ha ha, ha ha ha! Alright, so you do. Come on in."
He opens the door into his cluttered office and clears off a chair for you, grinning. "Very well, you've got your appointment, what do you want to talk about?"
Programming
Hacking
Security
Dr. Amundsen
The University
Nope
Okay, bye
The voice behind the door doesn't awknowledge you leaving.
(End of conversation)
Intro (after getting into his office)
Professor Evans lets you in to his cramped office, filled with stacks of paper and data chips. He clears off a seat almost buried in the corner. "Please, have a seat. What were you wondering about?"
Programming
Hacking
Security
Dr. Amundsen
The University
Combine (only if he's talked to you about it)
Halloween (only during Halloween 2010)
You asked me here (Only if you talked to the Happy Art Student about computers)
Just passing through
Programming
Ahhh, programming. It's not something I ever really intended to enjoy, but it definitely has its charms. Although… I do have to admit I'd rather not be teaching it at the Gen Ed level. That's pretty unpleasant.
As far as advice, I've only got one really good piece: the biggest trick with programming nowadays is getting the right raw materials. I'd check the lab downstairs for the basic modules, but a lot of stuff is more strictly controlled. Most corps have their own proprietary code that's light years beyond anything that's available to the public, so keep your eye out for stuff like that.
Other than that, really just try stuff and see what works. Experimentation is your best bet for the basic stuff. You'll learn more from a few hours trying stuff out than a semester in one of my classes.
Now, if only we could set "has tried stuff for a few hours" as a course requirement, we could make some real progress.
What do you think about the University?
You know Dr. Amundsen?
Thanks
Hacking
That's a bit of a touchy topic. If I ran the school, we'd teach it, at the very least so you can defend against it. Even if you stay on the straight and narrow, there's a lot of legitimate work in it. Combine does a lot with military applications. You know, fighting with bits and drones instead of guns and bombs.
Anyway, I'm here by Midgard's leave in a lot of ways, so we play by their rules. It kind of makes sense with their security policies, but… well, anyway, I can't teach you how to do it.
Where could someone learn more?
Well, let's talk security then
What about Midgard?
Combine?
Okay, thanks
Where could someone learn more?
That's a loaded question… well, I hear rumors of a sort of store… a clearinghouse for illegal software and dangerous information. It's called the Golden Chip.
They recruit from colleges, so I'd be surprised if there wasn't a file hidden somewhere on the lab servers as a test. You'd probably need something capable of deep file scanning to find it… just a thought.
(End of conversation)
What about Midgard?
They have a pretty interesting methodology, actually. They have a couple of central servers for remote access, but everything else is site-based and off the Net. Which is a huge pain for their employees, I'm sure, but adds a huge extra layer of security.
Which is why I say that it's not completely ridiculous they don't want hacking taught here. A company like, say, Zaibatsu, that keeps its servers connected to the Net… anyone in the world can hammer at them.
With Midgard, though, they really only have to worry about people who can get into their facilities. That means employees, who are almost all educated here, and locals, who are educated here if at all. I'm still not sure I agree with the policy, but I can see a weird sort of sense to it.
Security
Security isn't exactly my strongest suit. It's a complex field, but as our security professor is… well, missing, I suppose I can give you some basic advice.
Keep your first line of defenses strong, prevent them from making a beachhead and you'll skate on by. The hard part comes once they're in, though. And they will get in. Assuming you have anything worth taking, that is. Anyway, any system worth its salt will have automated defenses and security logs.
The automated defenses will fight intruders on the Net and, hopefully, either take them out or alert your central security system to wipe their accounts. A good enough hacker with solid programs and a powerful computer can probably still punch right through.
That's what the security logs are for. If you have everything set up right, you should notice odd patterns of access. That information is your last line of defense. When the logs get weird enough, you'd pull a security audit and hopefully close up any backdoors the hacker left.
Dr. Amundsen
Doctor Amundsen? Yes, she has an office right down the hall. She teaches security.
I heard she went missing. Which… is concerning. It feels some days like the Third Eye runs the whole campus from their bar. I don't know if this was them, though.
The campus security guards… they're Midgard security contractors, really, like all the police around here… but they seem totally unconcerned. They're just heading about their days like nothing happened. Which is… weird, to say the least.
As far as Midgard is concerned, it's their campus in their city and a professor vanishing on their watch is bad press. That is, I guess it would be if anyone reported on it.
Security?
Security like hacking?
And you teach programming?
Okay, thanks
The University
Well, it's a fine enough school, I suppose. As far as I can tell, it's bought and paid for by Midgard. The students come here from all over the world, hoping to score a job with Midgard or get in on Midgard's art grants.
We… Combine, that is, the company I actually work for… I'm just on loan. We kind of do the same thing. It's just less than Midgard does, I suppose.
About ten years ago, there was an industrial accident, blew a huge chunk of the city to dust. I'm sure you've heard about that. After the accident, Midgard basically footed the bill for the recovery. They gave an absurd amount of money to the University during that. They bought new computers, got new lab equipment, renovated the dorms, and gave a bunch of grants for the arts.
We mostly pulled out then. It's really just the one visiting professor and the old grant for naming this building now.
Tell me about Combine
You teach programming?
You teach security?
You teach hacking?
You know Dr. Amundsen?
Thanks for the info
Combine
Combine? They're who sign my paychecks at the end of the day.
It's actually Combine Industrial Products, but nobody calls them that anymore. It used to make sense, but we mostly do military hardware and consulting now.
We're only a hair smaller than Midgard, actually, but you'd never know it living here. Combine used to have a couple office building down by the lake, from what I heard, but management decided to leave rather than rebuild when that explosion ripped open the old industrial district.
Now all we've got is a building named after us and a visiting professorship. Well, that's not quite true. There's a suite downtown too, but nothing like we used to have.
Halloween
Hmmm, yeah. I'm really kind of shocked that the University decided to hold another Halloween celebration.
It's not that I don't agree… it's more that they never seem to understand the idea that, if students are going to do something anyway, you might as well channel it to constructive ends.
I'm not sure what would have changed their mind all of a sudden. Maybe it was that student council member, although bothering to listen to the council would be new too.
That's probably me jumping at shadows, though. When someone surprises you by doing the right thing, it might be best to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Student council member?
Ah, yes, her name's Emily Davers. She was in one of my intro classes before… well, before last Halloween.
I'm glad she's doing better. She's quite talented, although more on the management side than the coding side.
I was actually going to try recruiting her for Combine. Doubt I can now, though, after Midgard literally pulled her out of the fire.
You asked me here
Ah, of course. I can't prove he didn't just develop programming skills in his sleep and normally I catch people handing in multiple copies of the same work.
So, lacking any administrative action, I can only applaud his unorthodox solution and ask to meet whoever actually did the coding. 'A' level work, by the way, even if you just cobbled it together from stuff you found on the Net.
Just passing through/Thanks
Alright, well, have a good one.
(End of conversation)