"New Attack Programs for Cyberjockeys", © 1990, 1998-2005 by
Janos Honkonen, originally
appeared in _Challenge_ #47 (pages 66-67), and is reproduced
here with the author's permission (Janos changed his name from Markku, as it
originally appeared in _Challenge_).
Text-entry & HTML:
Steve C.
A cyberjockey's programs can be divided into two categories: attack and defense. The three main principles of attack programs are: to infiltrate the computer system, to duplicate, if possible, and to cause destruction and disorientation.
Attack programs have the same characteristics as decks (Speed, Accuracy, Offense, Defense and Volume). An attack program's volume is the space it needs in a deck rather than the space it has for storing programs. With the advanced state of high-tech computer security systems, attack programs have to be very complicated. This means that they are many megabytes long and quite expensive.
First the attack program has to get into the target system. This can be done in many ways.
The first and simplest way is for the attack program or the cyberjockey to search for the weakest point of the system, destroy it and slip the attack program into the system before reinforcements arrive.
A second way to get into the target system is to mask the attack program to look like a harmless program or even a security program.
Masking the attack program to look harmless is useful only when it is taken into the system by a cyberjockey or another program. It can delay the discovery of the attack program long enough for it to duplicate. After an attack program attacks, its masking disappears instantly. All security programs and cyberjockeys can roll a Difficult task to identify the program as an attack program. Cyberjockeys use their Computer skill, and security programs use their Offense.
Task: To disguise an attack program to look like a harmless program: Difficult. (Uncertain) Computer. 6 minutes.
Another tack that is often taken is to disguise the attack prgram to look like a security program, so that the security programs of the system it is entering will allow it to pass uninspected.
Task: To mask the attack program to look like a security program: Formidable. (Uncertain & Hazardous) Computer. 30 minutes. Referee: Superficial damage and minor mishap both mean a small bug. Every round that the masked attack program is within 10 meters of a security program, there is a chance it will be discovered as an attack program.
This chance is 1-3 on 1D10 if superficial damage was rolled and 1-5 on 1D10 if a minor mishap was indicated. Other cyberjockeys may roll for a Routine competitive task (see page 41 of the Director's Guide). The masker's Computer skill is compared against the possible discoverer's Computer skill.
A major mishap result means a major bug in the attack program. Every ten minutes the referee should roll 1D10. On a roll of 1-7, nothing happens. On a roll of 8, the attack program goes into a loop; it can be recovered with Wrench (see Earth/Cybertech Sourcebook, page 83). The loop counts as if 25% of the attack program were destroyed. On a roll of 9, the attack program attacks the nearest program. On a roll of 10, the attack program goes into an endless loop and dies.
Total mishap means big problems, and always results in the loss of the attack program. Roll 1D10: On a 1-4 the attack program crashes. On a roll of 5-8, the attack program starts to duplicate wildly (once every 10 seconds), and the possible host program crashes. The only way to stop the duplicating is to destroy the "parent" attack program. After the parent program is destroyed, the attack program duplicates into useless pieces of code. By the way, when the cyberjockey attacks the parent attack program, 1D6+4 duplicates attack him! On a roll of 9-10, the attack program goes berserk. It duplicates and attacks everything in site, including the cyberjockey and any of his friends in cyberspace. It can be stopped by destroying the parent program, as mentioned.
The most popular trick of experienced cyberjockeys is to destroy a security program and replace it with an attack program. This is not easy because of the presence of other security programs. Use the following task.
Task: To replace a destroyed security program with an attack program: Formidable. (Hazardous) Computer + Offense. Absolute (Volume of the attack program/The deck's Offense, in rounds). Referee: Any kind of mishap means the replacement attempt has failed. 1D6 other security programs have received an alert and will arrive in 1D10 turns.
Some expensive and rare attack programs can do the masking and replacing themselves. When an attack program tries such an action, it must roll the same task a cyberjockey would, but it uses its Offense, instead of the cyberjockey's Computer skill.
The final way for an attack program to enter a system is for the cyberjockey to plant it in a communication program which goes into the system.
Task: To plant an attack program in a communication program: Difficult. (Hazardous) Computer + Offense. Absolute (Volume of the attack program/the deck's Offense, in rounds). Referee: Superficial damage means the attack program can be detected on a 1-5 on 1D10 every time it is within 10 meters of a security program or another cyberjockey. Minor and major mishaps mean one of the security programs notices the attack program and attacks it. Total mishap indicates that the host program has crashed and the attack program sustains 25% damage.
Some attack programs start duplicating after they have infiltrated a system. All duplicating attack programs need a host program where they can keep their original code. If an attack program comes into the system planted in some other program, it already has a host. In other cases, the attack program must find a free program that is not a security program (has no Offense). It then grafts itself to that program, which becomes its host. The process of duplication does not always cause a masked attack program to lose its masking.
Fighting against an attack program is resolved normally (see Earth/Cybertech Sourcebook), except that the program obviously cannot jack out. All attack programs always fight to the death. No mercy is asked for or given.
A cyberjockey may always try to capture an attack program that is used against him. In computer terms, the cyberjockey copies it safely to his deck, thus maintaining the original code untouched for his use without setting it off in his deck simultaneously.
Task: To capture an attack program: Impossible. (Hazardous) Computer. One turn. Referee: (Nobody said it was easy!) Superficial damage, minor and major mishaps mean the cyberjockey is stunned. He is stunned one turn if the result was superficial damage, 1D6-2 turns for minor mishap, and 1D6 turns for major mishap. During the time a cyberjockey is stunned, he cannot do anything. Total Mishaps result in the attack program being copied, but going off in the cyberjockey's deck, thus subjecting him to two simultaneous attackers.
The following descriptions of attack programs are meant to be guidelines for referees. The first digit in the attack program's Speed characteristic is the movement rate of the attack program, and the second digit is the attack program's coolness under fire. All of the attack programs listed here are one-shot programs.
Fighter is a very simple attack program. It cannot be masked, and it can get into the system only in some other program or with a cyberjockey's assistance. After Fighter has been planted, it has to be given time (2D6 turns) before it starts to duplicate. This makes Fighter a kind of time bomb.
Other cyberjockeys may try to stop Fighter from detonating by rolling the following task:
Task: To prevent Fighter from detonating: Difficult. Computer. One turn. Referee: All mishaps mean the attack program has detonated, and the cyberjockey had better have a fast deck!
Fighter and its duplicates duplicates once in a minute. Only the parent Fighter needs a host program to duplicate. The others can duplicate on their own. Fighter attacks all programs that it meets, but stays inside of the DOS tower it was planted in. When there are more than five fighters in the same part of a system, there is a 1 on 1D10 chance that one of them attacks the other Fighters.
Speed: 1/4 Accuracy: 4 Offense: 2 Defense: 2 Volume: 15 Price: Lv 4,000.
CyberAIDS is used to make a system weaker before a cyberjockey raids it. CyberAIDS attacks only security programs and does damage only to their Defense. It can attack other characteristics when in great distress, but it is not capable of inflicting great damage. CyberAIDS duplicates quite slowly (only once every 10 minutes). This is mainly because it is quite complicated (but the parent program can be masked, and it does not lose its masking due to its duplication). It has a limited artificial intelligence, so it does not attack crowds of 10 security programs, friendly attack programs or its own duplicates.
Speed: 3/6 Accuracy: 6 Offense: 4/1 (First digit denotes the amount of damage when attacking Defense, the other digit shows the damage caused to other characteristics.) Defense: 3 Volume: 20 Price: Lv 6,000.
Carrier is an attack program that "carries" other programs to the inside of the system. It has a Volume of 90 for the purpose of storing these programs. Carrier must always be masked, and it does not duplicate. After releasing all the programs it carries, it self-destructs and attacks all programs that are in the same part of the system with its Offense (except the attack programs it carried in). If a Carrier is destroyed, 75% of each program it carried will be destroyed; they will also be instantly released into the system.
Speed: 1/1 Accuracy: 1 Offense: 1/10 (The first number shows the attack program's Offense in combat while still "loaded"; the second number is used when Carrier has unloaded all its attack programs) Defense: 1 Volume: 10-100 Price: Lv 3,000.
Cobra is a high-tech combat attack program - it can sneak into a system on its own. It can try to evade in a manner similar to cyberjockeys, but instead of Computer skill, it uses its Defense.
Cobra duplicates once every minute for an hour. For a variable additional cost (at least Lv 1,000), it can include a homing routine programmed to let the attack program attack only specific types of programs (a competing warehouse, other cyberjockeys, security programs whose defense is under 5, etc.).
Speed: 2/7 Accuracy: 1 Offense: 5 Defense: 5 Volume: 18 Price: Lv 8,500.
AntiAP (for anti-attack program) is more like a security program than an attack program because it is designed to attack only other attack programs and cyberjockeys in a system. It does not make a distinction between hostile and friendly cyberjockeys; it attacks them all. For this reason, it is often keyed to be triggered by another security program. Usually at least one AntiAP lurks in every DOS tower.
Speed: 2/4 Accuracy: 3 Offense: 3 Defense: 3 Volume: 15 Price: Lv 6,000.
Black Soul is an extremely dangerous attack program. The referee should be careful using it because a fight against Black Soul could be short and frustrating.
At first glance, Black Soul does not seem to be particularly dangerous, because it isn't dangerous - against security programs. But when fighting against a cyberjockey, it is lethal. It can attack straight to a human's nervous system, incapacitating the weakest people with the first strike. When working with Black Soul, any mishap always means that Black Soul attacks the cyberjockey, his friends and other people in site in cyberspace.
Black Soul duplicates once every 20 minutes.
Speed: 2/6 Accuracy: 4 Offense: 5 Defense: 4 Volume: 25 Price: Unavailable.