📝 - Virus Eradication - Planning Thread

[ThatBomberBoi]

1- There is currently no indication that Preserved memories can ever unpreserve. In fact, the code bloc we recieved during the first preservation event included the following lines:

// EXECUTING PRESERVATION LOCK SEQUENCE
PRESERVE.LOCK({
timestamp: 1470700800,
retention: "INFINITE",
immutable: true
});

SNAPSHOT.CREATE(1470700800);
RETENTION_POLICY.APPLY(1470700800);

2- We’re looking to block off dates in 2016 and to force it to stay in 2017 as much as possible, as once it runs out of adjacent blocs (which happens a lot in 2017 due to how empty that year is), it’ll return to a waiting cycle until we add a memory to its next -null- seed date. This allows us to contain the virus as much as possible without using Preservation.

[Rusty]

Do we need a fail-safe preserved towards around the end of 2017 for containment (Dec 1 2017 “Prawn Curry” or Jan 17 2018 “Got your pass”)?

I suppose if we lose all of 2017 then the future/present will be in serious trouble.

[ThatBomberBoi]

Not really, I marked @DevilinPixy’s 2017 calendar of seeds and preservation dates (slightly outdated, missing today’s events) with all of the active 2017 memories here.

From first glance, it seems like none of the blocs are adjacent to a seed bloc (excluding 7th Aug which is itself a seed bloc), so even if we use up a seed bloc to plant a trap, the virus will delete itself into a holding pattern really quickly without touching any of the other memories.

[ThatBomberBoi]

Sorry for the shotty quality, but I made a few quick gifs to explain how the virus moves:

1- Simple propagation unhindered after picking a seed date. Note: Orange blocs here represent dates that are also deleted by the virus once they’re touched.

2- Blocking propagation by preserving adjacent dates in both directions.

3- “Jumping” from one set of memories to another. Only occurs after the Virus has been blocked off from its current set of memories.

4- “Jumping” onto a -null- date, after being blocked off. Note: This mechanism can be used to contain the virus for 24h if a duplicate is not anchored to the next targeted seed.

[ThatBomberBoi]

Throwing in a potential battle-plan into the ring to kick off discussion:

1. Anchor copies of the top two candidates from the target thread to 4th and 5th Feb to knock two potential targets in one go.
2. Preserve 19th Dec and 24th Aug, forcing the virus to jump directly to 6th Feb 2017 on failure.
3. Repeat the process picking 6th and 7th feb for adjacent candidate anchoring.

Now this is where this plan runs into a lil issue though. The next immediate seed would be 14th Jan 2017 which is already a null date. If the 7th feb bloc is consumed, we wouldn’t know if that memory worked or not since the virus would be forced into another holding pattern if it didn’t work.

This is super rough and basically follows Archie’s recommendations to a T, so any and all input / discussion is highly encouraged! I really hope we can come up with a foolproof plan in time, keeping our knowledge of the pattern in mind.

[Selfie-Gek]

1. If we place anything on Feb 5th, we can’t pre-stage Feb 6th as well without wasting a preservation. We could use it as a buffer, as you suggest, but we also have Jan 14th 2017 to use as a buffer. Having two empty dates may make it harder to keep track of if we don’t know for sure how long it takes to pass a null date.

2. Dec 19th is already preserved. We only need to preserve Aug 24th.

[ThatBomberBoi]

Ahh all good points, im a lil zooted off my scooter atm so I’m mixing up a lot of the dates. I think the specifics might be handled better with someone who’s had a cup of coffee to be fair

Glad for the corrections and getting the ball rolling though!

[Turbulentflow]

Just to state here, im sure its already known but between December 30 and Jan 8(the two preserved blocks to contain the void) there are 9 potential memories we can attach to the 19th seed trap for Jan7th.

This is me assuming that we place values into those blocks not yet created

[fort_wort_wort]

how exactly are we planning to trap, though

[ThatBomberBoi]

@ThatBomberBoi

It is believed that the virus is searching for a key memory which already exists in System’s memory banks. Owing to this, it is believed that “Feeding” the virus a false duplicate of its target memory (by placing a clone in the path of its deletions) will satiate the virus and eliminate the threat. Candidates are requested to be submitted here.

Top Post should answer most of your questions.

[fort_wort_wort]

just to confirm, the virus consuming date means that the data is deleted, not just corrupted, yes?

[ThatBomberBoi]

@ThatBomberBoi

• After deleting the seed memory, the virus then begins to delete memories on either side (before and after) of the seed. When consuming a memory, it leaves behind a black hole / void, resulting in that bloc being permanently deleted from the Project Skyscraper website.

[Vau1t]

Since we don’t know what the virus plans to do with its target date, does it make sense to lay the trap to the day immediately before and/or after the jump date instead of on the jump date itself?

[toddumptious]

I think it would be best to place our most likely candidates for its search, on the seed in the february jump and around it our other candidates in order of most likely to least likely as it spreads out.

If we get it right early on, we lose less of february. Who knows, system might want to make some memories there some day. We should at least try to prevent massive date eradication where we can, even if it’s 2017.

While they are not important dates to us rn, in the world of Waking Titan, early 2017 was probably important to Emily and their creation, so from an in character perspective, I would like to preserve as much of that year and period as much as possible too. Who knows what System has access to from then relating to Emily’s memories.

[fort_wort_wort]

are we sure that feeding the virus the supposed correct date will satiate it, though? i mean, it IS a virus

[Turbulentflow]

@ThatBomberBoi

it is believed that “Feeding” the virus a false duplicate of its target memory (by placing a clone in the path of its deletions) will satiate the virus and eliminate the threat.

I got this one

[toddumptious]

It’s certainly not something we may have concluded on our own, but it is what Archie has told us that needs to be done, through several messages, so it seems like this is what they need from us to solve the puzzle. It is searching for something, we need to figure out what it is, and bait it to it using a dupe so we don’t lose the actual memory.

Over the last 2-3 days, we have been given more and more clues and hints as to what the actual memory we are looking for, is.

These can be found in the original thread created upon the Viruses reveal.

But the most recent hints talk about valuable memories, “a precious metal, like a collectable coin”, a floppy disc image, and now some dominos falling towards a globe, with the recalldreams doorway image also overlaid on top of it.

Some of these hints may be red herrings, but they all point to key memories in 2016. The good news is, we have plenty of null dates in February around its next jumping point, to propogate them all into as Dupes.

[Vau1t]

This plan seems the most sound and I second it.

Unless there’s an implication that the trap date must be on a seed date and then we should do similar but rank our list of candidate memories and use that to create trapped seed dates with preserved dates on either side going down the list from most to least likely.

[Selfie-Gek]

Only problem I see with this, is how we decide as a collective which dates to put forth as best candidates? Do we have the time to run a quick poll?

Or do we just go by reaction count?

[fort_wort_wort]

hot and potentially stupid take: we clone system. this iteration is already infected, and we don’t even know if feeding the target date will stop it, we’re assuming it will. and, system has been built on community sourced data. at least, the majority of system has been. so, why not do it again?