#(sombra voice) youve been hacked

[transl0cating-a-blog]

and now for something completely different.

There was a magical quality to the Winter Ball, one that was not lost upon Sombra as she entered the grand hall. It was a fancy event if she ever saw one, people adorned in their finery swirling about the dance floor and chatting it up with other guests. It seemed like so long ago that she had made the trip to Monaco with the rest of Talon. This was a lot like that, though it was missing the poker and roulette tables. A game of Blackjack might have been fun, too, were she not already on a mission of her own.

You see, these events were always so stuffy. Even if HIve City was different than back home, the way people behaved at these kinds of things was the same. Formal attire, droll music, extremely overdone manners. Everyone pretending they were in some kind of high-class society rather than a gilded cage. Rats, they were, free to do what they wanted so long as they stayed inside. Sombra was no exception, though she had yet to become complacent about it. As long as feeling remained in her toes while wearing these heels, the hacker was determined to really get the party jumping.

All she had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity. Powers were completely disabled while on the grounds of the ball, so using her ability was out of the question. This was fine-- After all, that technology stemmed from her extensive knowledge of hacking the old-fashioned way. The systems here were likely to be primitive and easy to slice into. All it would take was a minute or two and a well-timed distraction. 

Firstly, the matter of security. Most of the force seemed to be residents of the city rather than NPC’s, which posed sort-of an issue. Simple-minded NPC’s were easier to manipulate and get out of the picture as opposed to the others. There would need to be a fuss, something to draw people away from the sound booth long enough for her to be in and out without being noticed. Glancing around the corridor, Sombra noticed a server with a tray full of filled champagne glasses loitering on his own, looking quite bored. Yes, he would do.

Pulling a wad of bills out from her handbag, the hacker slid up next to him, whispering a few words before pressing the cash into his free hand. Winking, Sombra did not wait for a response-- She knew it would be sufficient incentive to do as she asked. The woman slipped out of sight, watching from the shadows as the man appeared to weigh his options, then start to move in the direction of a group of partygoers. She couldn’t help but grin when he brushed up against one of them, the tray tipping just enough for one of the glasses to slide off and shatter at their feet, sending shards and beverage flying. 

The chain reaction was beautiful, if she did say so herself. Sombra made a mental note to find a way to thank him later. After the first glass had fallen, the poor partygoer had nearly wet themselves in surprise, jerking around so suddenly that their arm caught the server’s tray and sent the rest flying. The cacophony that broke out was music to the hackers ears as the server began shouting and making a scene, nearly tripping over himself in his performance. She hoped it would grow into an altercation, as she noticed a couple members of the security contingent take notice and hurry over.

Even the person occupying the sound booth peered out to see the commotion. Sombra grinned to herself, slipping in the door after they left. The clock was ticking, the chaos without bound to be resolved within the next five minutes. Spotting a camera in the upper corner of the room, the hacker carefully maneuvered so she wouldn’t be seen, and pushed the device so it faced the cieling. Sombra immediately crossed to the soundboard, and set to work flipping switches and pressing buttons, rewiring certain things and typing commands into the main computer. The original playlist, consisting of hundreds, possibly thousands, of songs were wiped out, a new one blinking into existence. She could hear the noise outside dying down, the music on the dance floor cut off abruptly. The confusion was growing. Just a few seconds more....

Three keystrokes. A loud feedback noise blared over the speakers outside, Sombra wincing before adjusting the volume. Four more keystrokes. The ballroom is silent, until...

“ I like to sing! “

Thump.

“ Dance! “

Thump thump ding.

“ Pretend! “

Thump ding thump.

“ Annnd.... I like to have fun fun fun fUN FUN FUNFUNFUN! “

Sombra could hear chaos erupt as the beat dropped and the kitschy trap music engulfed the hall. It was time to leave and admire her handiwork. She did not worry about her playlist being taken off-air-- It would only stop after the entirety had been played. 54 minutes and 39 seconds of pure, unadulterated pandemonium.

Quickly and quietly as she came, the hacker exited the sound booth and slipped around the corner, just in time for security and the sound booth guy to return. She heard them frantically trying to fix the mess she had created. Laughing to herself, the hacker made her way upstairs, heading towards the balconies overlooking the dance floor. It was time to watch her masterpiece unfold.