Since VAs often share sensitive information, they

have developed special forms of encryption to protect such

data. Although passwords and mathematical formulae are

effective, they lack the Eliteness expected of the true

Adept. To that end, chaotic fractal formulae are used by

mathematically skilled VAs — progs that turn important

data into haunting pattern sculptures.

Fractals are common sights in Netspace; thus, encrypted

data resembles the Purloined Letter, resting in plain sight.

Even so, some VAs conceal fractal information by using the

pattern as an overlay on a cyberspace object, or by breaking it

up into pieces that can be reassembled later. With the capabilities

of trinary systems, an Adept can also construct 3-D fractal

"crystals" of data. Only the proper code "key," used with a

trinary system, can unlock the contents of these data crystals.

[Entropy and Forces shatter a data byte into an entrancing

fractal pattern; to unlock that information again,

the same procedure must be used a second time. A blown

roll at either "end" of the trip garbles the information

beyond recall.]