diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 3c21f18..792ff00 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
 source "https://gem.coop"
 
+# "standard lib" gems
+gem "base64"
+gem "rexml"
+gem "logger"
+
+# "game" library gem
 gem "cyberarm_engine"
+gem "sdl2-bindings"
+
+# networking libs
+gem "async"
+gem "async-http"
+gem "async-websocket"
+
+# misc. libs
+gem "digest-crc"
+gem "ircparser"
+gem "rubyzip"
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 4bd2415..aef10ed 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,20 +1,124 @@
 GEM
   remote: https://gem.coop/
   specs:
+    async (2.39.0)
+      console (~> 1.29)
+      fiber-annotation
+      io-event (~> 1.11)
+      metrics (~> 0.12)
+      traces (~> 0.18)
+    async-http (0.95.0)
+      async (>= 2.10.2)
+      async-pool (~> 0.11)
+      io-endpoint (~> 0.14)
+      io-stream (~> 0.6)
+      metrics (~> 0.12)
+      protocol-http (~> 0.62)
+      protocol-http1 (~> 0.39)
+      protocol-http2 (~> 0.26)
+      protocol-url (~> 0.2)
+      traces (~> 0.10)
+    async-pool (0.11.2)
+      async (>= 2.0)
+    async-websocket (0.30.0)
+      async-http (~> 0.76)
+      protocol-http (~> 0.34)
+      protocol-rack (~> 0.7)
+      protocol-websocket (~> 0.17)
+    base64 (0.3.0)
+    console (1.34.3)
+      fiber-annotation
+      fiber-local (~> 1.1)
+      json
     cyberarm_engine (0.25.1)
       gosu (~> 1.1)
+    digest-crc (0.7.0)
+      rake (>= 12.0.0, < 14.0.0)
+    ffi (1.17.4-x86_64-linux-gnu)
+    fiber-annotation (0.2.0)
+    fiber-local (1.1.0)
+      fiber-storage
+    fiber-storage (1.0.1)
     gosu (1.4.6)
+    io-endpoint (0.17.2)
+    io-event (1.15.1)
+    io-stream (0.11.1)
+    ircparser (1.0.0)
+    json (2.19.3)
+    logger (1.7.0)
+    metrics (0.15.0)
+    protocol-hpack (1.5.1)
+    protocol-http (0.62.0)
+    protocol-http1 (0.39.0)
+      protocol-http (~> 0.62)
+    protocol-http2 (0.26.0)
+      protocol-hpack (~> 1.4)
+      protocol-http (~> 0.62)
+    protocol-rack (0.22.1)
+      io-stream (>= 0.10)
+      protocol-http (~> 0.58)
+      rack (>= 1.0)
+    protocol-url (0.4.0)
+    protocol-websocket (0.20.2)
+      protocol-http (~> 0.2)
+    rack (3.2.6)
+    rake (13.4.1)
+    rexml (3.4.4)
+    rubyzip (3.2.2)
+    sdl2-bindings (0.2.3)
+      ffi (~> 1.15)
+    traces (0.18.2)
 
 PLATFORMS
-  ruby
   x86_64-linux
 
 DEPENDENCIES
+  async
+  async-http
+  async-websocket
+  base64
   cyberarm_engine
+  digest-crc
+  ircparser
+  logger
+  rexml
+  rubyzip
+  sdl2-bindings
 
 CHECKSUMS
+  async (2.39.0)
+  async-http (0.95.0)
+  async-pool (0.11.2)
+  async-websocket (0.30.0)
+  base64 (0.3.0)
+  console (1.34.3)
   cyberarm_engine (0.25.1)
+  digest-crc (0.7.0)
+  ffi (1.17.4-x86_64-linux-gnu)
+  fiber-annotation (0.2.0)
+  fiber-local (1.1.0)
+  fiber-storage (1.0.1)
   gosu (1.4.6)
+  io-endpoint (0.17.2)
+  io-event (1.15.1)
+  io-stream (0.11.1)
+  ircparser (1.0.0)
+  json (2.19.3)
+  logger (1.7.0)
+  metrics (0.15.0)
+  protocol-hpack (1.5.1)
+  protocol-http (0.62.0)
+  protocol-http1 (0.39.0)
+  protocol-http2 (0.26.0)
+  protocol-rack (0.22.1)
+  protocol-url (0.4.0)
+  protocol-websocket (0.20.2)
+  rack (3.2.6)
+  rake (13.4.1)
+  rexml (3.4.4)
+  rubyzip (3.2.2)
+  sdl2-bindings (0.2.3)
+  traces (0.18.2)
 
 BUNDLED WITH
   4.0.8
diff --git a/lib/constants.rb b/lib/constants.rb
index 1073d32..7438729 100644
--- a/lib/constants.rb
+++ b/lib/constants.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 module W3DHubLauncher
   ROOT_PATH = Dir.pwd
+
+  USER_AGENT = "#{NAME} v#{VERSION}".freeze
 end
diff --git a/lib/worker.rb b/lib/worker.rb
index 2f8c152..df585ca 100644
--- a/lib/worker.rb
+++ b/lib/worker.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 module W3DHubLauncher
   class Worker
+    Response = Data.define(:status, :request_id, :data)
+
     def initialize
       @threads = []
+      @requests = []
+
+      # next available request_id to assign incoming requests
+      @request_id = 0
 
       # listen for requests from frontend
       listener = Thread.new { listen }
@@ -10,15 +16,28 @@ module W3DHubLauncher
       # connect to and monitor Backend web service
       @threads << Thread.new { backend_websocket }
 
-      Ractor.main.send({ message: "3 o'clock 'nd all's well!" })
+      @w3dhub_api = W3DHubLauncher::W3DHubApi.new
 
       listener.join
     end
 
     def listen
       loop do
-        request = Ractor.receive
-        pp request
+        query = Ractor.receive
+        pp query
+
+        case query.type
+        when Request::FETCH_URL
+        when Request::DOWNLOAD_URL
+        when Request::W3DHUB_API_CALL
+          Async do
+            result = @w3dhub_api.send(query.data[:call], *(query.data[:arguments] || []))
+            response = Response.new(result.okay? ? Request::STATUS_COMPLETE : Request::STATUS_ERROR, query.request_id, result)
+            Ractor.main.send(response)
+          end
+        else
+          raise "UNKNOWN REQUEST"
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/worker/request.rb b/lib/worker/request.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d52ac5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/worker/request.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+module W3DHubLauncher
+  class Worker
+    class Request
+      Query = Data.define(:type, :request_id, :data)
+
+      FETCH_URL = 0
+      DOWNLOAD_URL = 1
+      W3DHUB_API_CALL = 10
+
+      STATUS_ERROR = -1 # request has failed
+      STATUS_PENDING = 0 # request has not yet started
+      STATUS_OK = 1 # request completed successfully
+      STATUS_COMPLETE = STATUS_OK
+      STATUS_IN_PROGRESS = 2 # request is in progress
+      STATUS_BUSY = STATUS_IN_PROGRESS
+
+      # NOT "Thread"/Ractor safe
+      @request_id = 0
+      @requests = []
+
+      # NOT "Thread"/Ractor safe. Only call from main ractor
+      # returns next available request id, and auto increments by 1
+      def self.request_id
+        @request_id += 1
+      end
+
+      # NOT "Thread"/Ractor safe.
+      # returns an array of pending requests
+      def self.requests
+        @requests
+      end
+
+      attr_reader :type, :data, :request_id
+
+      def initialize(type, data, request_id: Request.request_id, &block)
+        @type = type.freeze
+        @data = data.freeze
+        @status = STATUS_PENDING
+
+        @request_id = request_id
+        @callback = block # only called on error or success
+
+        enqueue(@type, @request_id, @data)
+      end
+
+      def enqueue(type, id, data)
+        Request.requests << self
+        W3DHubLauncher::WORKER.send(Query.new(type, id, data))
+      end
+
+      # event from Worker received
+      def handle_event(event, data)
+        pp [event, data]
+
+        case event
+        when STATUS_COMPLETE
+          Request.requests.delete(self)
+        when STATUS_ERROR
+          Request.requests.delete(self)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/worker/w3dhub_api.rb b/lib/worker/w3dhub_api.rb
index e69de29..2d05908 100644
--- a/lib/worker/w3dhub_api.rb
+++ b/lib/worker/w3dhub_api.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+module W3DHubLauncher
+  class W3DHubApi
+    API_TIMEOUT = 30 # seconds
+    API_CONNECT_TIMEOUT = 10 # seconds
+
+    PRIMARY_W3DHUB_API_ENDPOINT = "https://secure.w3dhub.com".freeze
+    ALTERNATIVE_W3DHUB_API_ENDPOINT = "https://backend.w3d.cyberarm.dev".freeze
+
+    def initialize
+      @access_token = nil
+    end
+
+    def headers(form_encoded: false)
+    end
+
+    # return raw response to requester
+    def fetch(url, method: :get, body: nil, headers: headers())
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+
+      Sync do |task|
+        task.with_timeout(API_TIMEOUT) do
+          Async::HTTP::Internet.send(method, url, headers, body) do |response|
+            result.data = response.read
+          rescue StandardError => e
+            result.error = e
+          end
+        rescue Async::TimeoutError
+          result.error = e
+        end
+      end
+
+      result
+    end
+
+    # write response to file, periodically reporting progress to requester
+    def download(url, path:, method: :get, body: nil, headers: headers(), &block)
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+
+      Sync do |task|
+        task.with_timeout(API_TIMEOUT) do
+          Async::HTTP::Internet.send(method, url, headers, body) do |response|
+            if response.success?
+              content_length = response.headers["content-length"] || 0
+
+              total_downloaded_bytes = 0
+              File.open(path, "wb") do |file|
+                response.each do |chunk|
+                  file.write(chunk)
+                  downloaded_bytes = chunk.length
+                  total_downloaded_bytes += downloaded_bytes
+
+                  block&.call(downloaded_bytes, total_downloaded_bytes, content_length)
+                end
+              end
+
+              result.data = true
+            end
+          rescue StandardError => e
+            result.error = e
+          end
+        rescue Async::TimeoutError
+          result.error = e
+        end
+      end
+
+      result
+    end
+
+    def user_login()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def refresh_user_login()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_user_details()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_applications
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_news()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_events()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_manifest()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_manifests()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_package_details()
+      result = CyberarmEngine::Result.new
+    end
+
+    def fetch_package()
+      download()
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/w3d_hub_linux_launcher.rb b/w3d_hub_linux_launcher.rb
index 32861f5..c1f53b4 100644
--- a/w3d_hub_linux_launcher.rb
+++ b/w3d_hub_linux_launcher.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@ rescue LoadError
   require "cyberarm_engine"
 end
 
+require "rexml"
+require "base64"
+require "logger"
+
+require "async"
+require "async/http/internet/instance"
+require "async/websocket"
+require "digest/crc"
+require "ircparser"
+require "zip"
+
 require_relative "lib/version"
 require_relative "lib/constants"
 require_relative "lib/attribution"
@@ -23,6 +34,13 @@ require_relative "lib/window"
 
 require_relative "lib/worker"
 require_relative "lib/worker/api"
+require_relative "lib/worker/request"
+require_relative "lib/worker/w3dhub_api"
+require_relative "lib/worker/task"
+require_relative "lib/worker/tasks/install_application"
+require_relative "lib/worker/tasks/uninstall_application"
+require_relative "lib/worker/tasks/repair_application"
+require_relative "lib/worker/tasks/update_application"
 
 module W3DHubLauncher
   WORKER = Ractor.new(name: "Parallel Worker") { W3DHubLauncher::Worker.new }
@@ -37,8 +55,17 @@ end
 # NOTE: May need to mangle Window#update to do ruby-land sleep so thread gets time to process :(
 Thread.new do
   loop do
-    message = Ractor.receive
-    pp message
+    response = Ractor.receive
+    pp response
+
+    request = W3DHubLauncher::Worker::Request.requests.find { |r| r.request_id == response.request_id }
+    request&.handle_event(response.status, response.data)
+  end
+end
+
+10.times do
+  W3DHubLauncher::Worker::Request.new(W3DHubLauncher::Worker::Request::W3DHUB_API_CALL, { call: :fetch_applications }) do |result|
+    pp result
   end
 end