| The Hacker ECO |
| Summary: | Recruiting for IIG continues apace. Yeah, I said 'apace'. What of it? |
| Date: | 9 August 2041 AE |
| Related Logs: | None I can't add later. |
| Players: |
  |
| Naval Offices |
|---|
| Room fulla cubes. |
| Post-Holocaust Day: #164 |
Cora has a cubicle staked out in the officers' area, though at this odd hour most of those around it are empty anyway. She is offduty, blues jacket hung over the back of her chair, and she types away on a laptop, starting and stopping and pausing occasionally to sip at coffee and glance at the door, clearly expecting someone.
Marko makes his way into the officer's quarters, looking around a little before stepping all the way in. "Excuse me, I'm looking for a Lieutenant Nikephoros?" he calls into the area, not spotting Cora behind her cubicle. "Anybody know where I might find her?"
Cora finishes a swig of coffee as Marko enters, replacing the cup on the table and rising out of her chair to lean over the cubicle wall. "Mr. Scaurus," she calls to the pilot, "Over here, please."
"Oh, hi." Marko says, chuckling softly as he makes his way over to the cubicle. "Sorry about that, sir." he smiles. "So, CAG told me to come and talk to you." he begins, nodding at the woman politely. "She didn't really get to mentioning what for, though." he adds, cocking his head curiously. "Is there some kind of programming work you need done?"
"Not a problem," Cora replies, gesturing to the other chair in the cube, "Please have a seat, Mr. Scaurus, thank you for coming." Her smile is polite, just skirting the border with friendly. "Yes, Major Hahn mentioned you had some technical expertise. Would you mind explaining that for me briefly?"
"Oh, thank you." Marko replies, taking a seat and peering with great curiosity at Cora. "Well, I'm kind of a hacker. I used to design password crackers, data miners, encryption-decryption stuff." he replies with a little shrug. "I had kind of an interesting teenage life." he says, smiling a bit. "Spent most of it on the wrong side of the law." he admits. "But you gimme a locked system you need gotten into and a little time to work, I can pretty much get into it."
It is Cora's turn, then, to look curiously at Marko as he explains exactly the sort of technical skills he possesses. "Well," she replies, "I admit that wasn't quite what I was expecting. But that's interesting," she nods slowly, almost to herself, though her attention is visibly focused outwards, "Very interesting. When you say 'data miners', what do you mean, exactly?"
Hoo boy…how to explain this one and keep his security clearance? "Well, sir. They're basically…." he begins. "You ever heard of a spider program?" he inquires. "You know, like a search engine?" he adds. "Well, a data miner's kind of like one of those. Only where a search engine's used on an open system, you know, it's programmed into it by the people that made it to make it easier to use? A data miner's more of a virus…." he says, wincing only a little bit at the implications of that. "It's something you dress up to look like another program, feed it into a system, then you can peek around the files without anyone knowing you're there."
Cora looks intrigued more than concerned, listening with clear interest as Marko explains. "Interesting," she repeats once more, nodding, "I think that could potentially be very useful. How are you on the other side of things?" she asks, "Data protection against others who might attempt similar attacks?"
Marko lets out the tiniest sigh of relief when he realizes that Cora's taking his shadier skill set as an asset and not a potential mark of him being a Cylon. "Well, I really haven't done a lot of that." he admits. "I would imagine that I'd be pretty decent at it, though. I mean, it's like the old saw about it taking a thief to catch one." he smirks. "Sure as heck, I'd know what to look for if someone was trying something like that. But up against Cylons? Eh….I wouldn't make any promises. I've read some of the stuff that came from the first war. They're about an order of _magnitude_ faster than I'll ever be in my wildest dreams."
"Who said anything about cylons?" Cora replies, brows rising innocently. She nods again, "But that's good to know, Mr. Scaurus, and that's all very interesting. We'll definitely have to discuss that further. Basically," she redirects the conversation very slightly, and the shift is indicated in a slight straightening of (already perfect) posture and crisping of (already cut-glass) tone, "I've been tasked with forming an interdepartmental taskforce to undertake investigation into certain matters, and Major Hahn recommended your involvement. This project — both its existence and its work — is strictly Top Secret."
Marko shrugs a little. "Well, given our situation, Cylons would be the ones I'd be worrying about trying to hack our systems, sir." Marko replies simply. The way the Lieutenant subtly sits up to attention causes him to do the same, and the mere mention of the phrase 'Top Secret' is enough to get his complete and undivided. "Okay, Lieutenant, you have my attention." he says carefully. "What's the project?"
Cora smiles at Marko's question, though it isn't much of a smile all things considered, just a slight curve of her lips that stands out only because her default expression is so neutral. "That, Mr. Scaurus, is for me to know and you to find out at our first meeting, along with everyone else. In the meantime, I hope you'll keep this discussion to yourself, as it is classified at that level as well. I'll be in touch soon to let you know when and where we'll be meeting."
"Very good, sir." Marko replies, nodding again. If he's disappointed in not being told just yet, he's got the good grace and sense not to let it show. Suffice to say, that whatever time and place she sets for the first meeting, he'll be there with bells on. "Anything else, sir?" he asks.
"No, Mr. Scaurus, I believe that's it for the moment," Cora replies, not rising, but sitting back a little in the time-honored way of bosses everywhere as meetings are ended, "Thank you for coming. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I'll be in touch soon."
"Looking forward to it, sir." Marko replies, rising and giving another polite nod before starting to make his way out. "If you ever wanna talk computers, let me know." he adds. "I've got an idea I'm cooking about how to deal with the Centurions."
"I will definitely take you up on that, Mr. Scaurus," Cora assures the JiG with a nod, "Thank you. Have a good evening. And congratulations," she adds, somewhat out of the blue, "I hear you're recently engaged."
"Yes, sir. Still trying to get a date picked out." Marko replies with a grin. "Hopefully, it won't be too much longer to wait."
"Well, best of luck with that," Cora tells him with a nod, and something that approaches a smile that would count on someone else's face, too, "Hopefully this won't interfere too much."
Marko chuckles. "It shouldn't." Marko replies. "Without schedules, the only time we really get to spend together's when we're working in the hydroponics lab anymore." he adds. "Which, I am proud to report, is coming along swimmingly.
"I'm glad to hear that," Cora nods, "Apostolos was telling me about the lab, I'll have to stop by some time. Maybe I'll see you there," she offers.
"Me and Lunair''d be happy to show you around our little playground." Marko says, smiling proudly. "Oh, Lieutenant, is there a date set for Abbot's court martial?" he asks.
"I'll definitely do that some time," Cora agrees with a smile of answering friendliness. The question draws a shake of her head, "I don't know, I'm afraid that's not my area. You'd have to check with JAG about that."
Marko shrugs a little. "Eh, just curious is all." Marko replies simply. "My fiancee was stuck down on Leonis a long time." he says, voice recalling some of the worry he was feeling. "Well, she wasn't my fiancee at the time, but still…If it turns out that man had anything to do with all of that…Well…..It would be nice to know, you know?"
Cora's smile tightens and she replies, "I understand, Mr. Scaurus. I spent quite a bit of time on Leonis myself. I'm confident that the Judge Advocate General's office is proceeding with the matter as expeditiously as possible considering the delicacy of the situation."
"Copy that, sir. Delicate's about as good a way to put it as anything." Marko replies, sighing a little. "Do you think that he _knew_?" he muses. "Abbot, I mean? Do you think any of what he might have done, I mean, all of this is still speculative, but let's say he's guilty. Do you think he was doing anything consciously?" he asks. "Cause…I dunno…I mean, I trust Tillman and what I've heard from the people who were down there and saw the evidence. But still….something about all of this doesn't quite scan with me somehow."
"Honestly, Mr. Scaurus, I haven't thought about it," Cora tells him, "I came on board at Leonis, myself. I have never met Rear Admiral Abbot, and I have intentionally refrained from becoming involved or even familiar with that matter in any fashion. I know only that those who acted to remove him believe strongly that they had sufficient evidence to do so, and that given that the JAG is proceeding with a trial, some evidence must exist. I think we'll all just have to wait for that to happen before we find out anything more."
"Yep, that's about it in a nutshell." Marko concedes. "Still, the mind does wonder about these things sometimes." he admits with a rueful smile. "Either that, or I'm half-crazy from stress, nerves and a tendency to be too frakking curious most of the time." he chuckles.
"I can understand wondering about it," Cora nods, "I'm sure I would if command hadn't made sure all my available time is spent worrying about any number of other things." Her mouth twists into a crooked smile, and she offers, "If I hear anything, I'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, I've got another meeting I need to take shortly, but I'll speak with you again soon, Mr. Scaurus. Thanks again for coming."
"Take care, Lieutenant." Marko replies, giving a wave as he exits. "I'll be looking forward to our first meeting." he adds.