CHAPTER 15: THE PRANK GOES VIRAL
The apartment was in a state of utter despair. Leonard, Howard, and Raj were huddled around the coffee table, their faces long and their shoulders slumped. Sheldon was sitting in his spot, a grim, defeated look on his face. The reason for their despair? A video of the "Kripke-fy" prank, with Sheldon speaking like Kripke, had been posted online and was getting a lot of views.
"It's a digital transgression!" Sheldon said, his voice a low, furious whisper. "It is a violation of my personal and intellectual property! My voice, my identity, has been co-opted for a cheap, puerile joke!"
Howard moaned. "I can't believe it. I even tried to get my mom to take it down. She told me to go get a job."
Aron, sitting on the opposite couch, quietly consulted the System.
[SYSTEM: MISDIRECTION PROTOCOL: VIRAL-VIDEO-ALIBI ACTIVATED. RATIONALE: DAMAGE CONTROL. SOCIAL CREDIT GAIN: HIGH. CAUTION: DO NOT ACTIVATE ANY FURTHER VOICE-ALTERING PRANKS ON UNIVERSITY NETWORKS.]
Aron just sighed, a silent protest. He didn't want to use the System. He had to be a real friend. He had to fix this. But the System had already acted, creating an alibi, a perfect, logical, and utterly ridiculous explanation for the prank.
"Guys, relax," Aron said, a calm, confident look on his face. "I have a plan."
The group stared at him. Then, a collective groan went up.
"A plan?" Sheldon said, his voice dripping with skepticism. "What plan could you possibly have that would erase a viral video from the internet? It is a digital impossibility!"
Aron just smiled. "It's called 'data forensics,' Sheldon. And I've just discovered something." He then proceeded to tell them the most ridiculous, convoluted story he could.
"I've been running a security protocol on the university's network," Aron began, "and I've discovered a serious flaw. A bug in the system. It's a flaw that could have been exploited to create fake voice chat signatures. It's a vulnerability in the university's network. It's a flaw that could have been exploited to create fake voice chat signatures. It's a vulnerability that could have been exploited to... well, to make it sound like you were talking like Barry Kripke."
The group stared at him, their mouths agape.
"And you just... discovered this?" Leonard asked, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and wonder.
"I'm a good debugger," Aron said, a deadpan look on his face.
The group was ecstatic. The video was a fluke. A bug. A happy accident. Aron had pulled off the impossible. He had used the System to make them happy, and he had done it in a way that only added to his mystique.
The bell above the door jingled, and Barry Kripke walked in, his face a mix of annoyance and something that looked a lot like... amusement.
"Hello, boys," Kripke said, his voice a strange mix of his usual speech and a subtle, unreadable tone. "I'm told you're the ones who fabricated my speech impediment on the internet. It's not that funny, but I've seen wowse."
The group stared at him.
"It was an unintended consequence of a server test," Aron said, his voice calm and unbothered. "I was running a security protocol on the university's network and discovered a serious flaw. A bug in the system. It's a vulnerability that could have been exploited to create fake voice chat signatures. It's a vulnerability in the university's network. It's a flaw that could have been exploited to... well, to make it sound like you were talking like... you."
Kripke stared at him, then at Sheldon. A strange, knowing look passed between them. A silent, unreadable conversation. Kripke just nodded.
"I see," Kripke said. "Well, that's a good one, Aron. But next time, just use a normal password. It's not that hard." He then left, a small, amused smirk on his face.
Sheldon stared at Aron, his eyes narrowed. He looked at Kripke's back, then back at Aron.
"A server test?" Sheldon said, his voice a low, furious whisper. "A bug? This is a logical impossibility. You are a puppet master, and we are all your puppets."
Aron just smiled. "Sheldon, you're being ridiculous. I'm just a guy who likes to help his friends."
He had given them a gift, a moment of joy, and he had done it with the help of his new, strange friend. He was a silent puppeteer of their lives. And he was enjoying every second of it.
[SYSTEM: THREAT ASSESSMENT: SHELDON COOPER'S INVESTIGATION: LOW. HE HAS BEEN GIVEN A PLAUSIBLE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION THAT HE CANNOT DISPROVE.]
A plausible scientific explanation that he cannot disprove, Aron thought. He's right. It's a lie. I'm a liar. I'm a fraud. And I'm getting a little too good at it. He knew he had to stop. He had to be a real human, and he had to be a real friend. This moment would prove to be a crucial turning point, forcing Aron to confront his reliance on the System. He knew he had to use his own, genuine skills. It was a terrifying, but necessary, step.
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