Me and My Encounter

Beyond Freedom, in a room on the third underground level of the Deep Pit Grand Hotel

"So that's how it is. I finally figured it out."

At Paradise Bird's words, the wall began to change. First, a crack split open in the center. Then, with that small opening as its center, countless cracks spread out. The cracks pieced themselves together into a large door. The number 302 was engraved on the bronze door.

"Punk cipher decryption, restoration of the underlying visual data, then retranslation through Avalanche Software. Only by accomplishing all three simultaneously can this room be completely opened."

Although it sounded simple, these three master hackers had spent nearly a month here before reverse-engineering this encrypted gathering place.

East Rent District, Third Street, House 320

"Going in together?"

"Of course. We went to all this trouble to find the place. How could we not go in and take a look?"

Paradise Bird pushed the door open and entered.

Inside was a place resembling a café. It seemed a salon had just been held there, and unfinished coffee still sat on the black wooden tables.

At the same time, an old-fashioned disc player sat in the corner, but there was no disc in it.

Paradise Bird pondered for a moment, then said, "Put the disc from earlier in."

A-Hong did as told. Soon, intense, leaping Baroque music rang out.

Amid the music, one blurred figure after another seemed to have had the fast-forward button pressed. Some sat with their legs crossed at the tables, while others stood in pairs by the walls, discussing things in silence.

"What is this? Data playback?" A-Hong asked softly.

"Punk encryption is different from every other encryption method we've studied. It seems that certain fixed conditions must be assembled in certain fixed places before it