Operation Questionable Intelligence

For reasons that escape me, I sometimes find myself being handed extraordinary amounts of trust by people that either A.) don’t know me, or B.) know me only through reputation. Personally, I don’t think either of those are very solid foundations to base your trust upon, either in Eve or out of game.

So I was a little take aback when I received the following convo the other day:

Eicero > would you sell info on an alliance if you knew any?

Did you say “sell”? Sir, you have my attention.

Aiden Mourn > Probably
Eicero > what do you know about Silentium mortalis
Eicero > name your price.

Silentium Mortalis [TOMB.] are a bunch of guys I know from the Fricoure area from their various can-flipping/baiting shenanigans. These are pretty cool guys; I’ve shot at them, they’ve shot at me, we joke around and generally get along pretty well. I can only assume that Eicero thought I’d know about them based off of the amicable conversation myself and Biife Stuhe (TOMB. Director) were having in local. Amicable; as in, friendly.

“Why not?” I though. I figured I’d see if this guy would actually cough up some money for “intel”.

Aiden Mourn > Depends what you’d like to know
Aiden Mourn > Because I do know about them
Eicero > rough count of active members, time zones, etc, etc
Eicero > what they like to fly in combat
Aiden Mourn > I see
Aiden Mourn > How much would that information be worth to you?
Eicero > hows 20 mil sound?
Aiden Mourn > Hmm
Aiden Mourn > 20 mil for active members, time zones, and ship types?
Eicero > yes.
Eicero > general info that is sort of handy to have.

Ninja gears began turning…

Aiden Mourn > make it 40 and ill give you complete member list, gameplay schedules, forum access, and ship types
Aiden Mourn > i know these guys pretty well
Eicero > done

*wallet blinks

Eicero > 20 mil up front
Eicero > 20 mil after i get the info
Aiden Mourn > how about this: 20 mil up front, 10 for the members and timezone list, then another 5 for shps and 5 for forum access

I figured the “forum access” would be a dead giveaway that I was completely talking out of my ass, so I put that last.

Eicero > kk, you have a deal.
Aiden Mourn > ok, i have the 20 active members that i know of

I pasted in the names of anyone who happened to be in the Eve Bloggers Channel at the time, as well as a few made-up names, and Biife and Soc Darklord just cause they were in local anyways.

Aiden Mourn > Soc Darklord
Biife stuhe
Ivanna Nuke
Cyberin
Haav0c
CainJacobi
Nijle
Mynxee
Black Claw
Prometheus09
Letrange
Mike Azariah
Rettic
00sage00
Mark726
Casiella Truza
IggyStooge
BowelFire
AntiTrust
Afool Andismoney

Aiden Mourn > 10mil please

*wallet blinks

Aiden Mourn > thank you sir
Eicero > thank you.
Aiden Mourn > and next is time zone right?
Eicero > yup
Eicero > list + timezones was the 10, ships is 5, forum is 5
Aiden Mourn > right right
Aiden Mourn > time zones mostly played are US east coast 3pm to 2 am
Aiden Mourn > thats when i mostly see them
Eicero > ok, thank you.
Aiden Mourn > ships types
Eicero > yup.
Aiden Mourn > these guys fly total fail fits
Aiden Mourn > like honestly, terribad

*For the record, TOMB can field a pretty awesome lineup of ships, including recons, HACs, and command ships.

Aiden Mourn > actually most of them stick with frigate wolf packs
Eicero > kk, tyvm
Aiden Mourn > hey, no problem at all.
Aiden Mourn > i gotta see if the forum access i used to have still works, one sec
Aiden Mourn > http://www.silentium-mortalitas.com/
Aiden Mourn > login: stuben green pw: livermore
Aiden Mourn > (old alt of mine)

*note: NOT an old alt of mine

Aiden Mourn > 5 mil plz
Eicero > kk, tyvm. just gonna check if it works
Aiden Mourn > ok
Aiden Mourn > just worked for me
Eicero > kk.
Eicero > pleasure doing business.
Aiden Mourn > with you as well
Aiden Mourn > good luck

*Ok, the jig is up as soon as he tries that login. But, 40mil richer, I called it a success. I was busy relaying all this to Biife Stuhe, one of the TOMB guys, when Eicero convoed me again. Get ready for the downhill slide.

Aiden Mourn > Anyone else you need info on?
Eicero > forum
Eicero > Cases are wrong
Eicero > stuben green / livermore
Aiden Mourn > Didnt go through?

*The login and pw i give him don’t go through and his first thought is “the cases are wrong”. I love this guy.

Eicero > no. any capiltalization i should know about?
Aiden Mourn > oh wait, yeah
Aiden Mourn > “S” in stuben, “G” and the “N” in green
Eicero > kk, ty
Eicero > any others? still didnt go through
Aiden Mourn > sure its not going through?
Aiden Mourn > it literally just worked for me
Eicero > Stuben Green – livermore
Eicero > erm, Stuben GreeN
Aiden Mourn > yeah
Eicero > doesnt go through
Aiden Mourn > well wtf
Eicero > hmm. last post on there was from 2009 anyway, not a huge issue i suppose.
Aiden Mourn > hmm ok
Aiden Mourn > let me look around, i might have some more intel on them if you want
Eicero > kk. that would be awesome.

When one comes across a money tree in the forest, one must shake it for all it’s worth. Write that one down.

Aiden Mourn > ahah!
Aiden Mourn > a list of know neutral alts
Eicero > that would be handy.
Aiden Mourn > hows 5 mil sound?
Aiden Mourn > (im a business man, what can i say)
Eicero > list first. forum didnt work =P
Eicero > (is also a business man)
Aiden Mourn > Evidently

*wait did Eicero grow some smarts? Not really. I started tossing out NPC corp character names from Vittenyn local as “known alts”. Eicero ate it up and the wallet blinked again. Now it was time to kick things up to the next level.

Aiden Mourn > Oh wow you’re going to love this
Aiden Mourn > i have a known POS location
Eicero > 10 mil.
Aiden Mourn > =/
Aiden Mourn > 20
Eicero > …. 17?
Aiden Mourn > *ahem*
Aiden Mourn > 20
Eicero > kk
Aiden Mourn > its a pos location, comon thats cheap
Aiden Mourn > and 5 mil for those alts?

*Blink Blink! goes the wallet

Eicero > 25 in your wallet
Aiden Mourn > thank you sir
Eicero > wheres the POS?
Aiden Mourn > ezzara
Eicero > kk, tyvm!
Aiden Mourn > planet 1 mn 2
Aiden Mourn > i have a password here too
Aiden Mourn > for the force field
Eicero > another 20 mil?
Aiden Mourn > lets call it 25

*Blink Blink!

Eicero > 25 done
Aiden Mourn > they keep a ton of ships behind the force field
Aiden Mourn > if you have the PW, easy pickings
Aiden Mourn > silentiumsempre69
Eicero > pleasure doing business, again.
Eicero > more war profiteering.
Aiden Mourn > heh, exactly
Eicero > just made this week alot more fun!
Aiden Mourn > oh im sure! And Likewise!

*I wind up for more wacking of the money tree.

Aiden Mourn > I have two more bits
Eicero > what kind of bits?
Aiden Mourn > bits like a second pos, and the name of a neutral hauler alt that could be suicide ganked
Aiden Mourn > i’m sure during war he’d be ferrying around their valuables
Aiden Mourn > he could be suicide ganked easy with like 3 guys in cruisers
Eicero > hmm
Eicero > kk, hauler alt.
Aiden Mourn > its a security hit yes, but it would hit them where it hurts
Eicero > 5 for alt?
Aiden Mourn > how about 30 for pos and alt
Eicero > done.
Aiden Mourn > hauler alt: Elizabeth Hope

*Yessir, two birds, one stone! (for those not in the know on Elizabeth Hope: Ninja Lore, courtesy of Khalia and Paul over at My Loot, Your Tears)

Aiden Mourn > POS location: Amamake planet 4 moon 2
Eicero > tyvm.
Aiden Mourn > I have a separate password for that one too
Aiden Mourn > i think its a research lab
Eicero > kk. 25 for pass?
Aiden Mourn > sure

*Blink Blink!

Aiden Mourn > silentiumsemper551L
Aiden Mourn > man, i wish more people would use this service like you
Aiden Mourn > we’ve just got so much to give!
Eicero > make a blog post about it.
Aiden Mourn > Oh I’ll definitely be blogging about it

At this point, Eicero had to go and get dinner, but promised to contact me soon as the war went live for more “intelligence”.

Yes, that 145 mil.

I had hoped to keep the isk-tap flowing, but 2 days later:

Eicero > shoulda told me it was opposite day on that intel
Aiden Mourn > Not sure what you mean?
Eicero > no POS’s they fly completely the opposite of what you said =p
Eicero > heck, some POS locations dont even exist
Aiden Mourn > Well dang
Eicero > as in, no such moon
Aiden Mourn > You sure you looked hard enough?
Eicero > yeah
Eicero > ah well. welcome to EvE i suppose
Eicero > was a good lesson
Aiden Mourn > lesson?
Aiden Mourn > im confused
Aiden Mourn > im sure its there
Aiden Mourn > maybe they cloaked it
Eicero > go look for yourself.
Aiden Mourn > very odd
Aiden Mourn > I do have that last pos location if you want it
Eicero > im ok.
Eicero > do anything interesting with that isk you got?
Aiden Mourn > rolling around in it as we speak
Aiden Mourn > =)
Aiden Mourn > I guess this means the pinata is going to stop dropping candy?
Eicero > yup
Eicero > dangers of flying drunk i suppose.
Aiden Mourn > could’ve been worse I guess
Eicero > yup.
Aiden Mourn > tell you what
Aiden Mourn > I feel sort of bad
Aiden Mourn > *sort of*, but still bad
Aiden Mourn > pay me 10mil for my troubles, and ill give you back the 145mil
Aiden Mourn > I’ve had my fun
Eicero > lol.
Eicero > pinata is empty.
Eicero > anyway, the 145 mil isk isnt so bad. i just saved money on my car insurance by switching to geico.
Aiden Mourn > lol
Eicero > expensive lesson, but those are always the ones that leave a lasting impression.
Aiden Mourn > Well that one line might’ve just somewhat redeemed you
Aiden Mourn > anyways
Aiden Mourn > im out for now
Eicero > o/
Aiden Mourn > adios
Aiden Mourn > o7

So spread the word! The Bureau of Ninja Intelligence is now open for business, with intel-packages starting at the low low price of 100mil (payment plans available). Is there a lesson to take away from this? Hopefully if you’re reading this, you’ve already figured it out.

o7,

-Aiden

~ by Aiden Mourn on March 28, 2010.