After nearly a year of (not really) thinking about what to do with this blog, I've decided to make it a haven for my writing ideas. Whether I pursue them or not, I find great benefit in taking notes on them, regardless.
This is originally borne from a dream I had, that I tempered a bit further into something larger. The concept itself, I think, is solid, but not something that could carry a story. Perhaps a substantial piece in a larger puzzle.
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In the future, in an age where nearly anything can be forged or copied, validity is key to safety and security. Verifying that something is real, or even if information is simply true is one of the most important functions a government or agency can do. This prompted the formation of the Networks.
From government-run Networks down to local neighborhood Networks, this program confirms (or denies, as the case may be) information passed through it. By encrypting a signature, known as a Network Certification, information is proven real or counterfeit, and given legitimacy to those who use it. As stated, Networks exist on many levels, but all function on the same framework. They are categorized by colors; government superpowers (United States, Great Britain) have the highest authority, known as Green Networks. States, provinces, governments-within-a-government, use Blue Networks. Things trickle down from there; Purple, Yellow, White, Orange, and many others. Even the criminal underground has their own Network, known as the Black Network.
Until fairly recently, the Network system was known to be impenetrable, incorruptible. But, humans are still humans, and they will always be the weakest link in any chain. It was discovered that administrators of various Networks were being given huge bribes, or blackmailed, or any other hundreds of ways to sway someone, in exchange for Network Certifications. Unerring truth was suddenly being questioned at every turn, and trust in the Network system plummeted.
That gave rise to the Red Network. The Red Network is not a government program, it, in fact, does not even function as part of the Network framework, but is as accessible as simply going to a website. The administrators of the Red Network are completely anonymous, even to each other. Their access was granted after proving, whether knowingly or unknowingly, their interest and drive to seek the truth was in line with the Red Network’s own goals of being the end-all be-all reference of truth.
The Red Network is self-governing, self-regulating. Without knowing it, all of the administrators keep each other in check, knowing only that other people are out there, checking what they’re doing, but having not a clue who they are.
Faith in the Red Network grew, and continues to grow, as it proves itself the only reliable Network in the world and local galactic colonies (a small point in this idea, but part of the larger picture). Faking a Red Network Certification has proven thus far impossible, as the encryption is like nothing anyone has ever seen.
Any attempt at revealing any information on the Red Network itself always seems to go nowhere, a virtual dead end. There are rumors of someone or something actively deleting information and leads that could result in cracking the shell that makes up the Red Network. There are rumors that such a one or thing is called the Blank Layer.
In truth, the Blank Layer is an algorithm that exists in every computer wired for internet access. If information is online, it passes through the Blank Layer. It ensures the Red Network is kept anonymous.
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Questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, bring them all! I welcome them like candy.
