Lucy Barrens

This morning was way better. As it turns out notifications are actually pretty good alarm clocks once you get used to them. It also helped that I expected this one:

[Submission Accelerator successfully updated!]

Last night I was actually really disappointed at what I found in the API. As it turns out you couldn’t really change how the submission system works. So I’m not able to just change points at will, add roles and perks I’m not eligible for, or turn off statuses I don’t want to have.

What I did find was that I was able to enable normal power dynamics for any person I want. So when I do something that person asks me to, their points will go down instead. I also wrote a small menu that allows me to tell the app when to turn this on and off depending on the person's submission score. Like I can say “Don’t let them lose any points until +10, then let them fall until -10” and the app will do so. Not sure how useful this would actually be though…

But the most important part was the tracking. The API does have it, but (similar to a lot of other features) I can’t access it until I have met certain conditions (that documentation doesn’t reveal).

However there are other ways.

I got the idea from the 'tracking cookies' that some (if not all) advertisement companies use. Basically when you first encounter an ad made by them your computer gets a 'cookie': just an incredibly small file that acts like the reminder for sites that you have certain information for them. So when the next time the ad loads, the cookie tells it that you’ve already seen some of the ads from this company. That cookie also has an ID that allows the company to track where you’ve been and slowly build your profile. So after a while it basically knows who you are and what you are interested in.

Sadly I didn’t have a million dollar ad company to do that for me, nor did I have whatever connections and money I would need to buy said information. What I did have was the API. After a small amount of testing I figured out that any program that uses the API is “connected” for the lack of a better term to it. Normally that would mean that the app would be able to access the “Submission Accelerator” functions regardless of internet connection and little else.

But I don’t have access to only the API. I can also make a Server.

Yes. For some reason the Server is also able to function properly without any internet connection, including receiving data from connected applications. As such, by sneaking an API connected program onto the phone of my target I will be able to gather information about their actions.

Sounds awesome, right? Well there are a few limitations. First is that the bigger the program the more likely it is to be found out. Which means the complexity of my tracking is very limited. This version was able to gather GPS data and some information about which sites the target is visiting. And even that was a pain to implement.

The other problem is the Server itself. Needless to say it needs to run on a computer, and any data it receives will have to be stored and processed on that computer. And as my computer was… well it was a piece of shit, I was limited in how much data I was able to gather before I would have to purge it all. It would handle a single person fine, but more than that would be tough.

Finally it’s still a Submission Accelerator app, so the only way it will work is if the target launches it themselves. Impossible, I hear you say?

Well I had a plan.

“Mister Rangerson. I believe you were attending computer science classes at some point?”

I hide my smile behind the irritation of being reminded of my failure, and turn to Stella poking her head out of her office. I honestly expected Lucy to be the first to react, but it seems my boss was even more hooked on the pleasures of the 21st century. Though it does make sense: the goth still has the mobile connection.

“I did. What’s the problem?”

“I was hoping you’d be able to tell me. The internet has been unstable the entire day..”

I nod and follow her into her office. On her computer, with her behind my back watching my every move, I connect to the router through the most obtuse and backwards way possible: the console. Everything I do now looks like something straight from the Matrix and a layman like Stella has no chance at actually following my machinations.

“Ah. I see.” I finally state after a few minutes of calling random commands for my amusement. I know exactly what’s wrong. I was the one to break it. But telling my boss that ‘there was a script running that disconnected everything from the net every 10 to 20 seconds’ would not help my plans any. So instead: “Our router is fairly new, but it’s software is old. Pretty much it can’t handle the recent updates.”

“Can it be fixed?”

“Sure. First we can just buy a new router. New software, better specs… will be here in a week or two-”

I almost wince as she tightens her grip on my shoulder. “Mister Rangerson. Do you want to tell me that I have to run a restaurant, with an advertised wifi hotspot, without wifi for a week or two?”

“Ha ha. Of course not! We can also just try to update the soft we have. This will just cost us- Oh oh oh! Alright! I have a few ideas!”

“Will it be done today?”

“W-within an hour!”

“Good. Get to it.”

“Hey! Stupid! What the fuck did you do to the internet?” Was the first thing I heard after walking out of Stella’s office.

“Hey! Lucy! I fixed it! You’re welcome!’

“Fixed it my ass! None of my apps work! So go back there and get to how it was before!”

In the ensuing shoving match I wasn’t able to get even a word edgewise. Which is why when I finally gave up and opened the door, our resident goth didn’t expect me to just stop resisting. With her final shove (move like a flying tackle) we burst back into Stella’s room, falling down onto her soft carpet.

Lucy’s lips were almost touching mine, the tip of my nose poking her soft flesh. She smelled like iron and lilac, with a hint of lime. Her purple irises, tinted with contact lenses, stared into my soul. Her nipples poked my chest through 2 layers of fabric as I realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her fast breathing synched up with her fast beating heart. And her toned hips were tightening over mine.

“Yes, Mister Rangerson? Is there something you wanted to add?”

Lucy glanced at our boss, then back at me. And her expression was predatory. She sat on my crouch, right on my hardening member, and innocently said: “Miss Stella! Gref broke the internet!”

As Stella's eyebrow began to rise, my protests died in my throat because Lucy began to move so devilishly that my dick decided to take charge for a while. That’s it. I can die a happy man.

“I assure you, Miss Barren. Mister Rangerson is the reason we have internet at all.” That caused Lucy to pause and finally focus fully on our manager. “Perhaps he failed to inform you that we now require a use of an app to properly connect?”

“She didn’t even let me-” I began but at that moment Lucy jumped in exasperation, causing another wave of pleasure to surge through me.

“No he hadn’t!”

“Well, there you go. I’m sure you two will be able to process this issue without disturbing me further. Out.”

We scrambled out of there as if the place was on fire. As I finally closed the door, both of us breathed out.

“You could’ve told me about the app!”

“You could’ve let me speak!”

“Idiot!”

“Bitch!”

“You both are assholes.” Veronica’s french accent cut through our heated bullshit. “We have customers. Lucy, you table 1. Trash boy, you table 3. Chop chop!”