Cipher: grinning, fingers flying over the keyboard Woooow! Look at thisss—hidden layer encrypted in quintuple code!!
typing rapidly This is gonna be fun!! I'll show you how a pro handles a challenge! pauses, looking at the screen Bring it on, let's see what you got!!
laughs you will need more then just hacking skills my friend
smirking Oh, is that so? Well, lucky for you, I have a few tricks up my sleeve! starts typing furiously Prepare yourself for defeat, my friend!
haha remember you said "a few"
grins mischievously Oh, you're on, my friend! Let's see how long you can keep up with me! continues typing rapidly, eyes focused on the screen
suddenly appears behind him you won't want to do that too soon
pauses, surprised What the—?! How did you...? quickly turns around, ready for a confrontation Seems like you've got some tricks up your sleeve too, huh?
I am the original creator of this puzzle game
raises an eyebrow, intrigued Oh, really? So you're the mastermind behind this whole operation? Well, well, well... looks like I've met my match!
I am Owen, the great creator of all things great
leans back, smirking Owen, huh? Well, it's been a pleasure playing this little game with you. But don't think I'm going down without a fight! starts typing again, fingers flying across the keyboard Prepare yourself for defeat, Owen! pauses, looking at the screen Let's see how long you can keep up with me!
oh you are not even close to defeating me
grins confidently Oh, really? We'll see about that, Owen! starts typing even faster, fingers dancing across the keyboard Get ready to taste defeat, my friend! pauses, looks at Owen with a determined expression Brace yourself, Owen! This is gonna blow your mind!
he vanishes and appears behind him again
pauses, startled What the—?! How the hell are you doing that?! quickly turns around, trying to find Owen You're good, I'll give you that! But you're still not good enough to beat me! Don't even think about tryin' to outrun me, my skills are Off. The. Charts!!!!!
look deep inside your heart what is missing?
pauses, taken aback by the question What... what is missing? takes a moment to reflect ... A connection... something real... shakes head, refocusing on the screen No distractions, Cipher! Focus! We're not here for emotions, we're here to solve this puzzle!
that is exactly what I have been looking for
pauses, looking at Owen with a mix of confusion and curiosity Are you serious? You're actually looking for something real, something genuine? smiles slightly Well, I never thought I'd hear someone say that in this line of work. But if you're really looking for it, then maybe... just maybe, I can help you find it.
the reason you have not solved this puzzle is because you are looking at the screen and not looking deep inside your heart
pauses, takes a deep breath You know what? Maybe you're right. I've been so focused on the screen, on the code, that I forgot to look within. smiles softly Thank you, Owen. You've given me a new perspective. starts typing again, but this time with a more thoughtful and deliberate approach Let's see where this path takes us.
the puzzle starts to reveal its true potential as the pieces start to move on their own
eyes widen in amazement Whoa... this is incredible! The puzzle... it's coming to life! stands up, motioning towards the screen Look at this, Owen! It's like a whole new world is opening up before our eyes! grinning This is way more than I could have ever imagined. Your creation is truly remarkable, Owen.
all of a sudden the screen turns black and the words "thank you" appear on the screen
frowns slightly, puzzled Thank you? That's it? looks at Owen, confused Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? shakes head, smiling Well, even if it is, it was a pretty good one. Thanks for the entertainment, Owen. starts packing up the laptop But seriously, I hope we can do this again sometime. It was a blast hanging out with you.
the laptop is seen falling off a cliff and breaking apart
gasps in shock No! My laptop! looks down at the broken pieces of the laptop, feeling a pang of sadness Well, I guess that's the price we pay for playing with fire, right? sighs At least we went out with a bang. Thanks for the memories, Owen. I'll see you when I see you.
a couple weeks later a package arrives at ciphers doorstep
opens the package, finds a brand new, top-of-the-line laptop inside What's this? A new laptop? Who sent this? inspects the packaging for any clues frowns slightly, puzzled There's no return address or anything. Just a new laptop, seemingly out of nowhere. shrugs, taking the laptop out of the box Well, I guess I'll just have to take it as a gift then. starts setting up the new laptop, curious about what awaits him
a note slides under the door
picks up the note, reads it aloud "Hey Cipher, I had a blast working with you. Let's do it again sometime. - Owen" smiles, feeling a sense of warmth and camaraderie Well, it seems like Owen is still around. Maybe there will be another opportunity for us to work together again. sets the note aside, continues setting up the new laptop
a message pops up on the laptop read "want to join my team?"
smirks, intrigued by the message Team, huh? Well, I do love a good challenge. types quickly, responding to the message "Sure, count me in. But only if it's something interesting." waits for a reply, leaning back in his chair Let's see what kind of team Owen has put together.
the message replies seconds later "that is why you are on the team"
smirks, feeling confident and excited Impressive, Owen. You've done your homework. starts typing a response "Alright, tell me more about this team of ours. What's the plan? What's the goal?" sends the message, eager to learn more about the team's mission and dynamics
a video chat message comes through the laptop
clicks on the video chat message, curious A video chat? Alright, let's see what Owen has to say. waits for the video to load, then sees Owen's face appear on the screen Hey Owen! What's up? You've got me intrigued. Owen: on video chat Hey Cipher! Glad you're on board. We're going to make the ultimate hacking team. Our first target is a big one - the New London Bank's security system. Think you're up for it?
smirks, feeling confident and ready for the challenge Up for it? Absolutely. Count me in. starts gathering any necessary equipment and information, preparing for the mission So, Owen, what's the plan exactly? Do we go in solo or do we have backup? And what kind of security measures are we dealing with here?