comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

32
. . . the Matrix user . . .
The woman in the black business suit passed a plastic folder full of paper across the table. “The
dossiers for the team, coaches, and support staff, as well as their playbook. It’s all there.”
Chrome flashed as Ajax’s cyberarm passed the folder to the freckled teenage elf sitting to his left.
“Hardcopy?!” the girl said incredulously, “Ew!”
Ajax’s eyes rolled as his client took another disapproving look at the young hacker. “Mr. Ajax,”
she said plainly, “I really do have my doubts as to the composition of your team. While I have been
assured that you have demonstrated past competence, your employment of minors in this situation
lacks the level of professionalism that ...”
“Professionalism?” squeaked the elf, “You want professional, lady? Let me tell you some stuff,
and then you can judge our professionalism.
“When we’re done here, I’m going to spend half the time it takes to scan this hardcopy shit to
evaluate the weakest areas of the stadium for electronic and social attacks. Then I’m going to build
some back doors while my professional omae infiltrate the team and its families using credentials that
I’ll build while I’m pretending to be a normal kid at school tomorrow. I’m going to arrange the delivery
of a box that I’ll be using to get past the stadium’s jammers and wireless blockers. I’m going to sleaze
past both teams’ hackers during the second quarter and slide a virus that I will customize myself into
both teams’ tacnet software. Then I’m going to feed information from the media and referee drones to
both teams, and tweak the data streams so that the other team gets good intel. While that’s happening,
Yorick and Chordae and Lume will be deployed in the stadium posing as team staff members
and doing their wicked little things to kill Seattle’s chances this year. Then, after the game, I’ll erase
all evidence of our presence and provide overwatch to my team as we make our departure.”
“Just a—”
“But you’re right. If I was really professional, I’d have checked out our employer, too. I’d have
sussed out her name by now, along with her position and maybe even her gambling history. If I was
really, really professional, I’d have discovered that gambling on a fixed game is just a convenient cover
for a twisted but ingenious ploy to arrange for a certain free agent to leave Seattle at the end of the
season and take another team’s offer.”
The woman stared at the smug little elf, who shrugged. “If I was really, really, really professional,
I would have already obliterated the data trail that could lead someone else to the same conclusion, as
a professional courtesy to the valued client,” she turned to Ajax, “I guess I’ll get to work, boss.”
Ajax smiled at the woman, “If she wasn’t good, be assured we’d have dumped her freckled ass
months ago. Shall we finalize the terms of our arrangement?”
The girl stalked off. “Fuckin’ hardcopy ...”
Unwired
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9