drear | i try but i get overwhelmed

[ It wasn't that Scott didn't know, generally, that the guys he worked for were shady. As long as he'd worked there, as much as they'd dragged him in on because of his position, it'd be more than a little hard for him not to have figured it out by now. So when he gets the drive and plugs it in, he's not exactly surprised by any of it per se.

But he'd been under the impression nobody outside the company had proof, only suspicions either because they seemed shady on the surface or because of everything they had a hand in. So a flash drive being sent to his department, with as much crap as they had on it? Well that was more than a little unnerving.

So of course he answers. Doesn't tell his bosses about it, because they're only liable to assume he's the leak and that won't end anywhere well, but he goes through all the channels. Follows the protocols he needs to in order to keep it secure, and sends a text. ]

who are you and what do you want?

[ With all the company has done, Noiz is in a position to make a good amount of money. He already has backups on backups, information that could be released with a press of a button. All people want to do is to benefit themselves. And to do that, they'll buckle under extortion.

The first contact is important. Noiz responds to the message ten minutes after it arrives. ]

you saw what i have. that's what matters.
if you're smart you'll listen to my demands.

[ 'Demands'. Of course there are demands, there are always demands. What the person on the other end wants has to be within his ability because why go to him otherwise, why not pick somebody higher on the totem pole, but that's not exactly encouraging. Hostile takeover, contract and customer information, company secrets, he has no fucking clue but until he says something he knows damn well his imagination's just going to run wild.

He's quick with a response if only because he doesn't want to give whoever's on the other end a reason to be any worse about things than they're already going to be. ]

ego shot. ouch. fine, what do you want

if you're caving to my demands because you don't want me to think you're dumb, you're dumb.
i want access. to everything.

[ The network the company has is a resource Noiz needs more than any money. With access to their connections, he could make the money, and have everyone but the IT guy be none the wiser. ]

I'm caving because I saw how much you've got, asshole

what are you gonna do with it?

[ Not that it matters a hell of a lot; that much info, there's no telling what he's got that Scott doesn't know about. It's go to his bosses or go to the cops, and either one's got the potential to get him killed. Probably. Maybe? Or maybe he's just being paranoid, but he's not about to take that chance. But knowing what the guy's going to do with it at least has the potential of making him feel better? Maybe? ]

uh-huh. totally.

[ Well, probably true, but he's going to mouth off over text as much as he does in person. ]

it's none of your business. the less you know the better.
i want physical access too. expect me friday night at the office and don't do anything stupid in the meantime.

[ As with many companies that deal in information and huge amounts of money, weekend evenings are often filled with more networking and alcohol than time in the office, a hypothesis Noiz has already confirmed with some casual CCTV viewing. And if it comes down to it, he can release the information even if he's not at a computer. ]

you're telling me you've got access to pretty much everything where I work but it's not my business. right.

[ He wants to ask why he could possibly need physical access if he's already got digital access, but as much access as the guy's already got, it might not actually be worth the risk.

Especially with that vague threat. ]

not like I have a choice, right?

depends on how much you want to be involved.

[ There was hardly any defensiveness, protest, or bargaining. Admittedly Noiz does have a lot of shit on them, but the resignation in these responses makes Noiz wonder if he has an in here, too. ]

you have a choice in that.

don't seem to have a choice in a hell of a lot else. whatever. fine. Friday, it's a date, if I tell anybody I'm more fucked, right?

[ Snark is a good coping mechanism, right? Not like he's wrong, that was definitely the implication. ]

what happened to being not dumb.

[ So, that's a yes.

Come Friday, Noiz hasn't told him what he'll look like, but who else is coming to the back door of a corporate building with nothing to deliver? He has a key he copied a while ago, and lets himself in to seek out the IT department. Having not bothered to dress himself down at all, he's got all his piercings in, and a small green and black backpack on as he comes through the doorway. ]

I'm here for my date. [ A smirk, and he jerks his chin at the computer Scott's sitting at. ] You ready for me?

[ The hours leading up to the meet are probably the worst. Every little thing seems to be a Clue, something that's going to get him caught and never mind that hes' not the one doing anything, really. Letting some guy in, it's not like nobody else has ever had a late night visitor at the office but it would have been nice if it wasn't for such a shitty reason.

So when the door finally opens he can't help startling, or the surprised noise that bursts out of him even if he tries to cover it. The guy's a hell of a lot younger than he was expecting, and for a moment he just stares, trying to reconcile, before mentally kicking himself into answering. ]

You don't have a dragon tattoo anywhere, do you? Because you've got a whole...thing. Anyway. Not important. I'm not ready, but you're here, so do your thing. How the hell did you get in?

[ Noiz just shrugs in response to the entire spiel, partially because he has no answer and partially because he knows it's not helpful. ]

Get ready. Where's your main server room? I need direct admin access.

[ Ready for what? But he's half afraid to ask, so he doesn't, at least not immediately, instead only gestures towards the door where the server's housed. ]

In there. Only thing, you can't miss it.

[ A beat, then: ]

Ready for what?

For this. Our evening rendezvous. Didn't I tell you?

[ With that, Noiz just jerks his head at the doorway and expects Scott to follow. He isn't going to tell him what he's going to mine with the company's servers and networks, but he does need to prepare him for something else. ]

I'm plugging this into the main server. If anyone asks you tell them it's for maintenance until you can get a stable version up because you don't want anyone losing data.

[ 'This' is a hard drive, matte black and utterly unremarkable, that Noiz holds up and waggles like a dog toy. ]

You said you were coming by because you needed physical access, you didn't exactly explain much after that.

[ It's more sarcastic than it probably needs to be, but it's reflex at this point anyway. The kid moves on and Scott follows, as much sick curiosity as because he wants to know the depth of what he's gotten himself into. He keeps his distance but remains close enough to get a good view. ]

While you get a chance to copy whatever it is you want. Great. Can I ask what it is you're looking for?

You can ask.

[ And Noiz won't answer, he'll just flash a look and a smirk at Scott. ]

Why are you asking so many questions? Almost seems like you don't care about defending your employer at all.

I've worked here long enough to know they're not up to anything great. But they give me a paycheck every week and I like the work and I'm pretty sure if I try to bail there's a fifty-fifty chance I'm gonna end up an 'accident'. ...pretty sure whatever you're up to might get me those same odds too, actually.

[ A beat, then a lopsided, wry smile and a shrug. ]

Not that you give a shit. You're just here to take your data and bail. What choice do I have? I'm fucked either way, so what's the point?

[ Noiz doesn't look up again, indeed disinterested in the probability of Scott's survival. If it helps, he's not really interested in his own either. ]

I'm not just taking information. And I'm not bailing, either, so you're not off the hook. [ After the hard drive's indicator lights come on, he checks the status of his set up on his phone quickly before straightening back up to better look Scott in the eye. ]

But you could choose. You could be useful to me.

[ Scott's attention flicks from server to drive to the kid, expression nothing short of skeptical and highly unsure, but he leans against the server tower rack, arms crossing over his chest as he considers both implied offer and the clarification. ]

Of course you're not just taking information. Information's useless in a vacuum.

[ He huffs, a soft, frustrated sound but the idea of choice, even if just the illusion of it, is appealing enough. ]

I thought I was already being useful letting you in tonight. But okay, I'm listening.

[ At least he knows that. Information comes from somewhere and it has to go somewhere, to mean anything. ]

I wrote this so it'll run without any input. [ A short jerk of his head at the drive. ] But it'll work better with maintenance. Generate more profit from the mining. If you're good, I'll give you a cut.

[ So it's not any sort of revenge or even justice, just Noiz, making the most of an opportunity. And though he's offering it to Scott, too, he makes no mention of the other parts—the surveillance parts—that are even less moral. ]

A cut. So you're the middleman. An entrepreneur. I'm not sure if that's better or worse.

[ And it's not really an answer. ]

And you're working for a corporation that defrauds everyone they're supposed to be protecting, so.

[ He tilts his head at Scott, very slightly, eyes narrowed. ]

What's one more crime on your resume?

And by the time I figured that out I was too deep in to do anything about it. I'm not some superspy James Bond Swordfish hacker. I'm just a guy who's decent with computers.

[ He drags fingers through his hair, rubs at the back of his neck. ]

Helping them's a crime. Helping you's a crime, not like I've really got anywhere to go here.

So?

[ Then why not go in the direction where there's more money? ]

Think about it. [ He shrugs slightly, finishing his installation and straightening up. ] I'll even think about cutting you a better deal.

Now you want to make friends.

[ He'll take the offer, because he's not an idiot, but that doesn't mean he's not going to question it along the way. ]

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