Differences From
Artifact [eefb41a30c]:
623 623
624 624 Somehow, this must lead to a problem. Does the money itself get her in trouble? Perhaps the plan is for her to use the money to immediately buy more cryptocurrency in a face-to-face meeting where urgent need gives her a significant profit margin -- or, more to the point, perhaps several such transactions. She chooses to avoid this after the first couple transactions when she finds that the people with whom she does business put her off, thus leading her to decide she should just keep the cash. Maybe the nice guy is the guy with whom she decides to cease trading.
625 625
626 626 The next day, the prioritizer tries a different approach, and sends her out to buy a parallel option for her phone. This other device, much like a typical phone replacement, does not use the standard telephone system. It instructs her to complete configuration in circumstances that will not be linked to her personally via her movements.
627 627
628 628 That evening, back home, a pair of people arrive to question her. They introduce themselves as checking up on the study participants, on behalf of the government, and question her about low log activity for the prioritizer. She says she doesn't really know why they aren't getting full log activity. The Technocrat looks at her gear and pairs it with a device he carries, then says they shouldn't have any further problems, then the two people depart.
629 629
630 -The prioritizer reveals that it received an update that day. That night, she has a dream about trying to return the prioritizer and being convinced to continue. The next morning, with that dream in mind, she realizes she just needs to be more careful about how she follows the prioritizer's advice. When she dons the glasses again, though, it does not do more of the same. Instead, it questions her at some length about her beliefs about good and evil, and about where and how she developed those beliefs. It asks her, after Dalton came up, to skim through various articles Dalton wrote, and later to sideload some of his videos to a place the prioritizer can access them.
630 +The prioritizer reveals that it received an update that day. That night, she has a dream about trying to return the prioritizer and being convinced (by a grad student, probably) to continue. The next morning, with that dream in mind, she realizes she just needs to be more careful about how she follows the prioritizer's advice. When she dons the glasses again, though, it does not do more of the same. Instead, it questions her at some length about her beliefs about good and evil, and about where and how she developed those beliefs. It asks her, after Dalton came up, to skim through various articles Dalton wrote, and later to sideload some of his videos to a place the prioritizer can access them.
631 +
631 632
632 633 ## Crossing The Threshold:
633 634
634 635 Alley has a dream about her home being raided, and herself getting getting questioned at length about there being too much cash in her home. She is ultimately released, but the money is gone, taken under "civil forfeiture" laws. She shakes it off as a weird dream.
635 636
636 637 In the morning, she resists what she sees as "dangerous" activities and instead just tries to get work. She feels she has enough money to get by at this point, but will have to figure out how to actually use it without getting in trouble for tax evasion or something like that, reading her dream as her subconscious just worrying about the long-term implications of having money of dubious origins.
637 638
638 -She gets a message from Zeke telling her that she is going to have to pay the damages, and when she asks what damages he sends her video of her home being raided. She has a near-panic-attack, but (with some calm aid from the prioritizer) informs Zeke she'll head home right away. The prioritizer then discusses options with her, and urges her to stall. She tells Zeke something came up and she'll be later than expected -- "work stuff" -- and may not even make it back until the next day. She then Faraday bags her phone and makes a deal on Craigslist (or something like it). She sells her car for cryptocurrency, sells some cryptocurrency for cash, and buys a motorcycle.
639 +She gets a message from Zeke telling her that she is going to have to pay the damages and, when she asks what damages he means, Zeke sends her video of her home being raided by armed men in tactical gear, with the two agentlike people that had visited and questioned her earlier supervising the raid. She recognizes the bag they carry out, which contained her stash of dubious origin cash. She has a near-panic-attack, but (with some calm aid from the prioritizer) informs Zeke she'll head home right away. The prioritizer then discusses options with her, and urges her to stall. She tells Zeke something came up and she'll be later than expected -- "work stuff" -- and may not even make it back until the next day. She then Faraday bags her phone and makes a deal on Craigslist (or something like it). She sells her car for cryptocurrency, sells some cryptocurrency for cash, and buys a motorcycle.
639 640
640 641 Somewhere in the midst of this, she does some research on the people raiding her place, and this helps her decide to go along with the stalling and vehicle swapping. She arranges a place to stay for the night via some barter-ish resources, and she works on ideas for how to get out of whatever is going on. The prioritizer convinces her she needs more help, from someone with resources and connections. Ultimately, this leads to contacting Dalton and hiding from anyone watching her home. Technically, she is not targeted by law enforcement, and has no responsibility to report, and California law is unlikely to side with Zeke over nonpayment of damages caused by a corporate home invader.
641 642
642 643 None of this means she's safe from that corporation, though. The Technocrat would totally find a way to make her disappear if so desired. How does this get conveyed? There must be some information about the person and/or the corporation to give this impression.
643 644
644 645 Does she learn that the Technocrat was involved in the disappearance of her uncle at this point? If so, this could become the first pinch point.