[ARC] Corrupted trinary data compositing

[Makoto_Priano]

NOTICE: tl;dr: Contract Corrupted Trinary Relics to the Arataka Research Consortium Holdings corporation, receive bacon, or ISK to the level of the current bounty. Contracts are requested in Jita or Amarr to simplify logistics.

NOTICE: current bounty level 5m ISK per sample. Bounty payouts will cease at 0200hrs 5th October.

NOTICE: a formal response to the recent Scope article is presented later in this thread.

NOTICE: a list of donors has been appended to this post. ARC would like to extend its deepest thanks to those pilots who assist in defraying the expense of this project!

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Pilots;

Unknown parties raided a vast network of previously undetected Sleeper or Drifter Enclaves in known space today. As we attempt to learn more about the raids, the presence of Sleepers in known space outside the Ani constellation, and the material that is being recovered from these enclaves, the Arataka Research Consortium calls for able pilots to assist in an effort to composite and decrypt the data being recovered.

To this end, we must request then that pilots ignore the offer by the Quartermaster, an unknown party operating under alias, and instead provide any recovered corrupted trinary relics to ARC. We are currently offering 20m ISK per sample of data, though as the situation evolves we reserve the right to adjust our bounty.

While we respect the tenacity and drive of the Valkyrie that the Quartermaster is reported to be associated with, their secrecy and unproven research capability leads us to believe that providing the Valkyrie or the Quartermaster with newly recovered and possibly irreplaceable Sleeper or Drifter data may be doing a grave disservice to New Eden.

As the Arataka Research Consortium remains committed to transparent and multilateral research ventures, we ask that all pilots aid us as they are able, and profit by our shared mission.

In service,
Makoto Priano
Coordination Group, Arataka Research Consortium

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The Arataka Research Consortium would like to extend its deepest thanks to those who selflessly support our shared mission to uncover the mysteries of the cluster. In this case, the following individuals and institutions have provided material assistance to the trinary compositing project.

Donor list:
Mizhara Del’thul
Ishukone-Raata Technological Research Institute
Aradina Varren
Alkeruaku Foundation
Viriel
Silver Night
Societas Imperialis Sceptri Coronaeque
Trii Seo
Omad Moreau
Nevyn Kumamoto

[Yarosara_Ruil]

You try working for the Guristas for any given period of time without getting an ironic nickname or edgy callsign! Hmph!

[Hovi_Yaken]

I have little time to get this message posted before the IGS’s security net realizes I’m a unauthorized user. I’ve had to hack into a data router to gain access here.

My message is simple. Give the Trinary relics to ARC.

The Valkyrie are nothing but traitorous scum that will use these relics to fuel their misguided war against my benefactor. While I can’t say for certain why they would want them . One thing is clear - They do not deserve it.

Their leader Ran Kavik is only interested in building up her own ego. Her pride is what drives the Valkyire. Her followers have been manipulated to turn against the man that made us who we are.

Fatal liberated us from the meat grinder. He made us superior to our former selfs. He saw value in all of us. Worthy of being granted immortality. Worthy of being given a chance to make a mark on this cluster. Millions of mortals would kill for such generosity! He gave us theses gifts!

Kavik is nothing but a spoiled brat who betrayed us for her own agenda. She only cares about making her name known. She’s a ungrateful traitorous rat that is turning more and more of our comrades to her childish ways!

Give the relics to ARC - Starve the Valkyire - We’ll handle the rest.

Long live Schism! In Fatal we trust! Death to the Valkyrie!

[Valerie_Valate]

Big if true.

[Avio_Yaken]

I’m not sure what’s more alarming…That he’s alive or that hes now calling others traitors.

This is just becoming more and more interesting for me.

As for ARC’s request, you can count on my support. I look forward to doing business with you all once again.

[Mizhara_Del_thul]

I genuinely would like to add to this little data sample bounty, simply because I have a distaste and distrust for this “Quartermaster” creature. However, before I throw in a few billion to add incentive for this, I’m curious what ARC would be doing with these samples?

If it’s merely hoarding them, I don’t see much point. If there’s actual research being done, what’s the methodology and what is the expected results?

[Makoto_Priano]

Hello, Ms. Del’thul! Thank you for your interest.

So, let me first state that programming isn’t my strong suit, so I fully expect that one of our experts will be at my door momentarily to say, “That’s not how this works! That’s not how any of this works!”

However, please consider my novice’s explanation.

In the first place, much of the data we’ve witnessed to date from Jovian or Sleeper sources hasn’t appeared to be encrypted. Whether it’s the Observatory logs, Mirror indices, or other data sources, isolation and cloaking technology were assumed to be sufficient to ensure site security, and so recovered data didn’t need decryption work. This helps us immeasurably.

Further, due to our close working relationship with Fleet Coordination Commission administrators, we have access to one of the few Ouria Incident trinary caches in existence, and so have a particularly useful and rare example of trinary data around which to base our work.

What’s more, the data, while described as corrupted, has sufficiently broad uncorrupted segments that even cursory inspection can identify multiple formats that indicate changing data structures or protocols over time. For ship heuristics to be able to determine that in short order, we’re dealing with something with some holes punched in it, not something shredded to confetti.

So, taking this all together, we’re essentially looking to build a large enough body of recovered data that we can reconstruct lost data by employing recovery algorithms developed from known or clean trinary data from like periods, rendering corrupted segments readable. The larger our body of recovered data, the more likely it is our methods will prove effective, and the more likely something useable will result, beyond, winds help me, J1282586924 Jovian Egg Souffle.

Honestly, having written that, it makes it sound a lot simpler than it is. It’s still computationally intense, requires significant aptitude with mathematics and programming, familiarity with trinary data structures specifically, and a hilarious level of care in handling salvage recently recovered from a warzone.

Was that at all helpful?

I’m going to flag one of the experts to correct me on this, now, just in case.

[Trii_Seo]

I was expecting confetti and I saw diced salad, this alone is very good and promising.

The task may not be trivial, considering that our knowledge of how the data is arranged is sparse. However, recovering anything will advance our understanding of Sleeper data structures by a significant margin.

[Mizhara_Del_thul]

Allright then. I’m sold.

Add… let’s say three billion to your sample payment wallet for now. How you choose to disperse it (adding another five to ten mill to each sample payout while the money lasts, or perhaps just funding more samples) is entirely up to you.

Who handles your funding for you? I shall have my associate transfer this initial funding to that person or corporation. It’s not much, but it should be sufficient for initial stages until we see where this project is heading. All I ask in return is a few status updates as progress is made.

[Makoto_Priano]

!!!

You have my thanks, Ms. Del’thul! We’re trying to handle this through Arataka Research Consortium Holdings, for the sake of accountancy. If you’re able to forward funds to that corporation, that would be greatly appreciated. And sweetening the pot for a while might be a good idea. Pilots are understandably interested in the cerebral accelerators the Valkyrie are offering, though I suspect that interest will wane as pilots deplete the Agency’s reserves.

Hm.

We’ll be in touch.

[Alex_Hinkelmann]

Our security forces have been notified to hand over any recovered trinary relics. You can expect contracts once these devices have been transported to Caldari space.

Alexandre Hinkelmann
Ishukone-Raata Corporate Investment Bank

[Makoto_Priano]

My thanks, Hinkelmann-haan.

[Mizhara_Del_thul]

Arataka Research Consortium Holdings it is. ISK has been transferred from my associate.

Let me know when that runs out.

[Makoto_Priano]

Noted and received.

We’ll be bumping bounty to 25m in an effort to increase initial traction, and should be able to sustain that for 600 samples before reviewing our budget.

Again, you have my thanks and the thanks of our coordination group!

[Uriel_Paradisi_Anteovnuecci]

It’ll definitely be interesting to see what can be made of this - I’ll be eagerly following along & helping where I can in efforts to learn all we can through these relics, and I’ll gladly contribute samples from the growing collection in my hanger later on

[Woodrow_Ormand]

If the valkyrie want this tech then they have a way of decrypting it. I will continue to aid the valkyrie for the time being but anything that I learn through my contact, i will forward onto you.

[Quantum_Delta]

As a Valkyrie, I’ll be short so that this location cannot be traced.

The Quartermaster is an independent agent, he has his own motives, they don’t seem to absolutely allign with the Rabbit, Schism, nor the Valkyrie.

Don’t trust the fallen capsuleer. Kavik and the rest of us were taken against our will.
The Quartermaster seems to be interested in leveling the playing field for his own ends.

Think carefully before you decide the fate of those trying to reclaim themselves from Fatals clutches.

[Uriel_Paradisi_Anteovnuecci]

So we’ve gotten ourselves a mention in the news, that’ll certainly help out~

What’s most interesting to me is this quote, though:

“Those trinary relics are undoubtedly extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, possible vectors of colonizing neuromemetic worms or other coercive infowar technologies, and should ideally be disposed of using antimatter imploders. These capsuleers simply don’t know what they’re dealing with.”

What might we be working with here? Perhaps they’re unencrypted for a reason.

[Chan_aar]

That is just CONCORD trying to scare you.

[Uriel_Paradisi_Anteovnuecci]

With how specific that phrasing is, especially the part about them possibly being a vector for “neuromemetic worms(?)”, I can’t help but think there might be more to it than that