This is pretty much a complete version of the first chapter. If you read the first version (v.000) you may want to re-read this because much has changed or been added. You can still read the previous version in the Chapter 1 Reversion folder. I may come back to this chapter later on to tweak it and possibly add clues or something, but for the most part, this is as close to the final version as a First Draft can get.
So on to Chapter 2 we go. This will be the chapter where he finds the “Got You!” calling card in Glenn’s code and introduce us to some IRC friends of Joshua’s. I may be doing the IRC chatting just like if you were to highlight the logs and copy the into the book. Somehow, I think that would be an interesting and concise way to convey what it’s like to be in a chat room.
Another plot point we need to come back to is what happened to the teenager in Germany. This is all still very fluid in my mind right now. Including how to introduce the killer. It’s important to meet the killer as soon as possible, so you don’t immediately associate him with the bad guy. Mysteries work best when you have all the suspects introduced early and then watch the detective go about weeding out the killer.
I thought of something this morning about the killer. He sets up a stooge to throw everyone off as to who actually did the murders. This will be a moderately talented coder who has most of the skills to do what was done, even a possible motive. But is only the apprentice. I even envisioned Joshua comparing the relationship to the Jedi from Star Wars. “Allways there are two, the master and the apprentice.” “But who was this, the master or the apprentice.”