


                  DDT: another group dies with its 1st issue
                          only the good die young

 
 This article is dedicated to all the DDT members in their short (but active)
 history, that are/were (chronologically):

        + Billy Belcebu (who writes this)
        + zAxOn
        + Frontis/JuaNJo
        + Johnny Mnemonic (was kicked, you'll see why)
        + DuSTFaeRie
        + SeptiC (only 2 days)
        + VirusBuster (only 1 week)
        + ThE_WiZArD
        + Mandragore
        + Ypsilon

 This is for all you, friends. DDT forever!

 [ Introduction ]

 As you  know, DDT is  dead. Although  i don't  know if ThE_WiZArD  continues
 carrying the DDT label, i consider it dead  as a group. And that makes me to
 feel sadness. You are wondering now why such a promising  group, as we were,
 is dead. How could it happen? Why? Ok, let me tell you the whole (but short)
 DDT history.

 [ Why, when and how DDT appeared? ]

 Well, this is going to appear in a book soon (hey SyS, lo acabas o no?), but
 anyway i think it should be interesting for you to know it.

 Personally, i always  wanted to write a virus, since i've read the interview
 published in PCMANIA with Wintermute  and Mister Sandman, and about 29A, and
 all the virus descriptions in this same magazine fascinated me.

 The story began in October  of 1997, a long time ago. After  our school mate
 JuaNJo downloaded (he was the only one of us that had inet) some virus rela-
 ted  material, such  as  IVP, G2, NRLG,  some  Hacking/Phreaking/Bomb-making
 stuff, and passed it to  zAxOn and me, we began to  be interested in writing
 some  undergroung material. I had an idea in  my mind: create a viruswriting
 group, such as  NuKE, YAM and  29A were (hey, don't  blame me. We  only knew
 that three groups!), but i  was afraid  to tell  it  to zAxOn, because  he'd
 laugh on me, as always. But i  finally commented  it  to him, but i've never
 expected  his answer: "oh, shit, i've  thought the same  as you. It could be
 nice!". So, i, with  my  knowledge  of  Pascal,  and  him, with  his  little
 knowledge of assembler, tried to  write  our first  thing: a virus  creator.
 JuaNJo was included in  the group because he's  a very close friend to zAxOn
 and me, and thanx to him we had some access to the contents of the net. Also
 we included Johnny Mnemonic in the list, but he  had no idea even of use his
 computer (and still he doesn't  know to do some others things like HTML code
 and play videogames), but he passed  us Carmageddon, and we  had to  include
 him here. The first thing that was  born was  the interface  of the program,
 written by me. It was nice, with some bitmapped satanic fonts (unreadable!),
 such as NRLG ones, but even  more radical. It  was also  menu-based, but not
 as VCL. It was black (i like  that color) with a  menu in the left middle in
 the screen (a'la IRG#8). After  i've done it, i  took all the code of it and
 went to zAxOn's  home  to write together  the virus  engines. It took us one
 weekend to rip most of  the IVP  code, adapt it, change  some parts, and add
 many payloads. As i didn't knew  how the hell to  code in ASM, zAxOn done it
 for me. Also, some other  routines were  ripped from NRLG. Don't blame, yes,
 we know it was lame, but see... I was  14 and zAxOn  was 15... So, what  the
 fuck you expect? Well, the  virus generator  was finished, and  we called it
 NOP ViRUS CREATOR 0.666 (we didn't  knew that there was a group called NoP).
 It had some  cool things  in the  interface, such as  very nice  copper bars
 going up and down in the goodbye screen, some political  messages inside the
 program (what do  you expect  of  me? i can't  avoid it!). It was, and  will
 never be released to the public. As we were growing up  in coding, i started
 to write the  interface for the  second  version of  the  virus creator, the
 NOP 1.666. But our  plans were  fucked up, as  in  Christmas, zAxOn failed 6
 subjects (imagine his parents, he never had failed any subject in his life).
 So, his parents  punished him. I was alone in  the coding. Anyway, i built a
 very very good new interface for the new program, with some graphical stuff,
 such as fire, bump  mapping, pictures, fadings,  etc. As  i  knew  a  bit of
 assembler, i coded many different payloads for  the virus. The interface had
 some windows, was  able  to save  your settings, it still had some political
 messages :) The most  important, the  virus  engine, was  taken  from 29A#1,
 Wintermute's Apocalyptic virus. As  you  know, that  virus  is a TSR COM/EXE
 size-stealth virus. I modified a bit the source, gave  many greets to Winter
 (although i didn't knew him), and finished  it, alone. It was a great mental
 exercice. Just after it, i  wrote  a brand  new interface for the NOP 2.666.
 This virus generator was never finished. But still, you can see its interfa-
 ce in DDT#1, as it's the  same (KME!). We began  to give  our first steps in
 the  real virus  coding. We  kicked  Johnny because  his lameness, he didn't
 wanted to collaborate in anything, or learn. So,we focused our coding skills
 in writing the NOP 2.666  virus engines  by  ourselves. The project was very
 ambitious. While i've  written the  runtime engines  and the TSR ones, zAxOn
 wrote a polymorphic engine for NOP, called zPe (zAxOn's Polymorphic Engine).
 As i was a  bit  bored of  the  project, i  began  to  write  my  Antichrist
 Superstar. zAxOn helped me with  its encryption. The virus was a TSR COM/EXE
 with antidebug/antibait/retro/antiheuristic/antiemulator/antitbclean,  size-
 stealth, and some other features i am not able to remember. Meanwhile, zAxOn
 was giving his  firsts  steps in  Win32 ASM programming. I've written also a
 poly engine, X-FME (X-Files Mutation Engine). Also, i wrote my Virus Writing
 Guide, version 1.00. The group  idea was  working ok. I've  written a little
 test of a magazine for the group, with  all our  current stuff, called ROL#1
 (Rebels Of Leather magazine). But as  we  had  a lack of stuff (we were only
 2 coders), we didn't published it. Also,  the NOP 2.666 project was dormant.
 And here came  to our  lives Internet. After  3 months  earning money (in my
 case; zAxOn had already a modem) i bought a  Diamond SupraExpress modem 56k.
 It was our first big step. With both us connected, the  project of DDT would
 be a reality. As i am a sucker, and at that time i seeked for fame,i applied
 both 29A (MrSandman rejected me) and iKX (also rejected me and didn't answe-
 red my emails). so, i realized  that my place was at DDT, and we had to make
 it to be a  good  group, and  demonstrate everyone that any group, with hard
 work, coudl do very good things.

 [ DDT grew up: new members, appears in the media... ]

 I labeled myself as  organization of  the group (zAxOn agreed), so it was my
 task. In one of the  ussual netsplits of  undernet's #vir channel i met with
 DuSTFaeRie, a 16 year old french  coder, that was  interested in viruses and
 demoscene. He had a TSR COM  infector, and  i asked him to join. He did! The
 group was formed  by 3 16 year  old  guys (zAxOn, JuaNJo and DuST), and a 15
 year old kid (me!). After uploading  our first webpage, in xoom (at the same
 address where i have my personal web now), and  VirusBuster  put it  in  his
 links, Cicatrix interviewed  zAxOn and me. We were grewing up step  by step.
 I've met with a wonderful guy  called SeptiC, that  was 17 year old, and was
 member at  that time  of JVS. He  asked  him to join. He did, but  anyway he
 decided to leave us 2 days after. After some months in IRC, and  asking many
 people for join and/or contributing, happened  the thing  that  marked a the
 before and after of the group. I asked  some time  ago many times ThE_WiZArD
 to join us, but  he always  ignored  me ;) Well, one  day  i  connected  and 
 suddendly VirusBuster told me "Hey, i'm a new  member of DDT, and ThE_WiZArD
 is too". Fuck! What a point! One of  the  most  respected, loved, and  known
 VXers joined  DDT!. What  two  additions! So, the  viewpoint of  many people
 about the group changed. We passed from being one of those heap of unproduc-
 tive groups that only chat in the IRC to be a serious one. In my case, i was
 lost in  the coding of my Win95.Garaipena, zAxOn was coding his Win95.Auryn,
 and giving form to great ideas, and all was going ok.

 Some days after  joining, VirusBuster changed his status inside the group as
 collaborator, although  he had  all the  privileges of a member, for re-join
 29A (he asked me for do it before, and i agreed).

 We implanted the democracy in the group, all our  decissions since here were
 made voting.

 I continued searching for  new members. A french guy called Mandragore asked
 for contribute. He sent two viruses,  Replay II and  Glaurung v2.0. I  asked
 him for  join, and  he agreed, and all the  DDT members answered  YES to his
 apply. So, here was  another impressive  coder in our group! It was growing!

 Here came our  media apparitions,  in the  most famous spanish paper-printed
 magazines. They all  described us as a  very promising group, with a name in
 the world's virus scene (damn, it was true!). 

 The joining  of Ypsilon  was similar to ThE_WiZArD's one. I asked  him  many
 times to join, as Super told  me  how good  he is. He  always replied  to me
 "Let me think about it". But after many asks by my side, he said "Why not?".
 All the members also agreed, so he became a member, although i lost communi-
 cation with him since there.

 Some people helped us in our way to the elite, mainly were 29A and Feathered
 Serpents. 29A helped us  letting me  publish  an  intro to DDT in 29A#3, and
 with a lot of contribution from  their members to DDT#1, and Owl, the leader
 of FS commented me about the Feathered Serpents Alliance idea, we all agreed
 with it, and DDT became part of the powerful FSA. 

 [ DDT#1: the group impresses the scene, and my own decay begins ]

 We were developing an impressive piece of work with our first e-zine. Indeed
 it was the best first e-zine  of a  group  ever, because our hard work. But,
 some months before publish it (in January) happened  the thing  that was the
 main reason of my decay as organizer, and as DDT member:after two impressive
 phone bills (over $500 both two), my  neurotic  mother  cutted litterally my
 connection to  the net. Fuck. That was  the  beginning of a hard time to me.
 I passed the control of  the group  to zAxOn's hands. But my  life situation
 turned againist me:my vice (IRC) fucked up my studies,i failed two subjects,
 and many other  problems appeared (imagine it, and its consequences).  So, i
 had to think  about my  situation. For me, DDT was screwing  my  real  life.
 There wasn't any  other solution i could think of: if i don't leave it, it'd
 screw up my access to the  university. Of  course, my coding activity, after
 finish my two first released viruses (Win95.Garaipena, and Win95.Iced Earth)
 decreased  a lot, in  order  to pass  the exams (that were very near). Also,
 i thought that all the  stuff we had for DDT#1 was enough, so i mailed it to
 ThE_WiZArD for let him to upload it in his web (as our SOK address was down)
 So, he done it, and that's what appeared. DDT was over for me. 

 [ What happened to DDT after Billy's departure? ]

 As i have a very close relation with zAxOn, i knew what was happening to the
 group. I planned to let it in the hands of zAxOn,but instead him, ThE_WiZArD  
 took care of the group, and asked  to all the members if they would continue
 after DDT#1. As far as  i know, DuST, Mandragore, zAxOn and JuaNJo said that
 they would leave. I don't know what  happened with  Ypsilon, but i know he's
 not in the group now, so  i  guess he  left too. So, ThE_WiZArD was the only
 one. I think he left too.

 I wasn't a good end  for a very promising  virus group. Fuck,  if i've known
 that they all would leave, i wouldn't left. However, everyone can still take
 a look to the wonderful and impressive DDT#1. 

 [ What happened to Billy? ]
 
 Luckily, after i passed  the exams, everyone went  good, so i  could be able
 again to code, and the summer was there for let me code even more. I had the
 offer of iKX and i accepted it. And here i am.

 [ What happened to the rest of DDT? ]

 JuaNJo is still carrying its life (if we can say he has a "life" ;), copying
 CDs to every lifeform around, getting games even 1 month before its release,
 getting OS betas for free, etc ;)

 zAxOn left the whole idea of virus coding, after releasing only two viruses,
 including the first PE infector that a  member of DDT wrote, and the world's
 ever first CorelDraw virus. He's  working right  know in  strange  things in
 C related to neural nets, and, btw, he doesn't have installed Windows in any
 of his 2 computers, he only uses LiNUX.

 DuSTFaeRie is still coding demos.

 Ypsilon is still working in  earn more  and more money, fucking with his gf,
 and trying to make his VAS to work in SP4 :)

 About ThE_WiZArD and Mandragore i don't know anything (hey, mail me!)

 Sadly, another group died.
 
 (c) 1999 Billy Belcebu/iKX
