#2090

https://www.tumblr.com/mikereblog/799268854097395712/stop-see-ver-gallery-ia?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/mikereblog/799268854097395712/stop-see-ver-gallery-ia?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/mikereblog/799268854097395712/stop-see-ver-gallery-ia?source=share

Why did you send Karkat that code? It was such a bad idea. You suppose it was a boastful gesture to get a friend to think more highly of you. But why would flaunting your superior skills accomplish this? It was foolish.

You want to know the worst part? 

Karkat already thought highly of him.

Oh, hey, it’s the Felt! 

I’ve been waiting for this plot thread to rear its many-hatted head, since these guys probably come from either Alternia or the troll session. 

You did not write this virus. You copied it from an obscure server, far beyond your planet's global network. This application is running on that server perpetually.

Alternia is connected to an interstellar server network? That’s cool as shit. Is it just trolls that are linked into it, or are there other alien species as yet unseen?

That could explain the Felt, actually. They seemed integrated into Alternian Exile society, but maybe they’re unrelated to Sburb - they could just be another alien race, exploring this dead world. 

It is an extremely simple ~ATH program. Its main loop is tied to the lifespan of the universe. When the universe dies, a mysterious subprogram will be executed. You have no way of knowing what that subprogram does.

Sollux calls this program a ‘virus’, but I think he’s just guessing. All he can see is the program’s trigger - the destruction of the universe.

This, of course, guarantees that the universe will later be destroyed, so that’s fun. 

You delete the file, but it won't do much good. The program is already running elsewhere.

My guess is that it’s running on a lot of servers. Good ol’ redundancy. 

And even then, what harm could a virus do after the expiration of the universe?