From 7d62d481f4ceda6e36c5115352dab169b5758db4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lars Wirzenius Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2021 15:40:56 +0200 Subject: add "Arrest" chapter --- Makefile | 3 +- arrest.mdwn | 271 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ index.mdwn | 1 + preamble.mdwn | 2 + 4 files changed, 276 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 arrest.mdwn diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile index 5298e38..39e558c 100644 --- a/Makefile +++ b/Makefile @@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ chapters = \ conflict.mdwn \ newhardware.mdwn \ assault.mdwn \ - ambush.mdwn + ambush.mdwn \ + arrest.mdwn shorts = \ origin.mdwn diff --git a/arrest.mdwn b/arrest.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a5c3295 --- /dev/null +++ b/arrest.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,271 @@ +# Arrest + +Anna knocks on the kitchen table. "We're agreed then. Given Antero is +out and Sam is in charge, we can void the termination of the contract +and continue working as if the ambush meeting never happened. Good. +I'll let Sam know at once." + +She goes to her own office, and dials on her phone. "Hi, Sam, we've +discussed the situation. We're happy to cancel the termination of our +contract, and continue as if nothing had happened. Is that OK with +you?" + +"Yes! Thank you." + +"However, I'm sure you'll understand if we will find it hard to +collaborate with Anders in the future. We feel he destroyed any trust +we had in him. When it comes to technical things, he's good, we agree +with that, but without mutual trust there's no basis for working +together." + +"I understand. I'm afraid I don't have a legal basis to fire him, but +I can move him away from the new platform project and give him +something else to do. Is that acceptable to you? + +"Sure. Thank you." + +---- + +Robin types frantically on IRC. "I just read in the news about +Antero's arrest. Here's a link. I'll be in the kitchen if anyone else +wants to discuss this." + +She stands up, picks up her phone, and goes to the kitchen. She puts +the kettle on, discussing worrisome things is always more pleasant +with tea. + +Andy, Bert, and Nina stroll in. Anna is away for the day, running +personal errands. Robin pours tea for everyone. Andy pick up his mug +and sits down. "Fraud, eh?" + +Robin nods. "Not entirely surprising, given how he wanted to replace +an existing subcontractor just to bring in his buddies. That's not +an honest thing to do and, well, wherever someone's doing something +fishy, it's not unusual for them to do other fishy things as well." + +Bert smiles. "Yeah, just like in code. Where there's one bug, there's +probably more." + +Andy clears his throat. "I'm not surprised, but I find the way he was +caught to also be suspicious. Why would he have printed all those +incriminating documents?" + +"The paper said he claims an intrusion into SmartHome systems." Bert +shrugs and looks into his mug. "Doesn't sound very likely either, +though." + +"The documents seem to be real, though." Robin sips some tea. "Maybe +they have a whistle blower. The Smart Home IT people say they're sure +there wasn't an intrusion." + +Nina laughs briefly. "As if they would know." + +The office doorbell rings. Robin looks around. "Anyone expecting +visitors?" Everybody shakes their head. Robin gets up and goes to open +the door. Two men in civilian clothes and two in police uniforms +stand outside. + +"Good morning, ma'm. I'm detective Lax. Is Nina Nirvi here? We are +looking for her." + +Robin tilts her head. "Yes she is. May I ask what this is about?" + +"We have a warrant for her arrest. Let us in, please." + +The police start walking at Robin, who decides to step aside, and then +closes the door after everyone is in. She shouts, "Nina! The police +are here to arrest you." + +The detectives look at her crossly, but before they have time to say +anything, Nina pokes her head through the kitchen door. "Arrest me? +Whatever for?" + +The older detective, a rotund man with gray heir and several days' +worth of gray stubble, turns towards Nina. "Are you Nina?" + +"Yes I am. Who are you?" + +"I'm detective Lax. I have a warrant for your arrest on suspicion of +computer intrusion at the Smart Home office the day before yesterday. +Where were you in the evening that day and can anyone corroborate?" + +"What do you mean?" + +"Do you have an alibi?" + +"Wait, what? Why would it matter where I was when the intrusion +happened?" + +"Just answer the question, miss." + +"No, I don't have an alibi. Robin, can you help me get a lawyer, +please?" + +"Of course." She takes out her phone and aims its camera at the police +officers. "Smile! I'm taking a photo so that the lawyer can identify +you later." The phone makes a shutter sound. + +The older detective turns towards her. His face is contorted. "Hey! +You can't do that! Delete the photo at once!" He tries to grab the +phone from Robin. The younger detective puts his hand on the older +one's shoulder. "Sir, I don't think you can demand that. We don't have +the authority to do that." + +"Damn these times. When I was young..." He stops abruptly in the +middle of the sentence. The younger detective turns to Nina. "I'm +afraid you'll have to come with use to the station now, miss. Do you +need a jacket or something?" + +"I'll come along. I'll be just a minute to get my coat. Robin, send +the lawyer to the station, please. I'll leave my bag here." + +The younger detective shakes his head. "We'll have to take the bag +with us, too, as evidence. And your phone and laptop." + +"As the person currently in charge at the office, I'll have to have a +receipt for the laptop. It's owned by the company." Robin is standing +with her hand in her pocket, with her phone. + +The receipt is made. Nina is taken away with her stuff. + +"Right. That was fun." Robin scratches her head. "I don't understand +why they'd suspect Nina, though. Oh well. I'll let Anna know and we'll +get Nina a lawyer." + +"Should we take Nina a care package?" Bert smiles. "A cake with a file +would be traditional." + +"Let's see what happens, first. Maybe they just want to question her +and won't keep her overnight. Don't see why they would. It's not like +she's suspected of anything violent." + +---- + +"All right then, miss. Where were you the day before last, in the +evening, from 18 onward?" The older detective is standing at the table +in the interrogation room, leaning on his fists on the table. Nina is +sitting in a chair, and the younger detective is also sitting, across +from Nina. + +"Lawyer first. I'm not answering any questions until I have my lawyer +present." + +"What do you have to hide?" + +Nina just looks blankly at the old man. He looks back, his face getting more +red. + +"You're behaving like a guilty person." + +Nina continues to look, being impassive. + +"We opened your laptop. There was green text on a black background, +for about a second, before the screen locked itself. What's the +password for unlocking it?" + +Nina doesn't move a muscle. + +"Do you know suspicious that is? The whole laptop smells of a hacker. +The screen colors alone show it's used by a criminal, but also all the +stickers. What's EFF? I did a search. They look like some sort of +pirate group. And there's a sticker for the Pirate party as well. I +would not be surprised if there's illegally copied software, viruses, +and child porn on the laptop. You young people think you're smarter +than anyone, and are always involved with that kind of shit. No +respect for authority." + +Nina doesn't react. + +"What's the password?" + +The detective hits the table with his fist. "Dammit, girl. We can +prove you're a criminal. Only criminal hackers have green text on a +black background. We'll jail you if you don't give the password. Now!" + +Nina tilts her head to the side. "Lawyer." + +---- + +"You did the right thing, not answering any questions without me, +Nina. I wish all my clients did that." A balding, athletic man in his +forties wearing a dark suit with a yellow tie sits across the table +from Nina. They're in the same interrogation room, but alone. + +"Thanks. Now what happens?" Nina drinks a little from a glass of water +on the table. + +"We're going to have to answer some questions, but before we do, +here's what I know so far. The police don't seem to have any actual +evidence to implicate you. They suspect you only because the staff at +Smart Home told them about the stunt you pulled in that first meeting +with them." + +"What? That was ages ago." + +"Indeed. However, I have to ask, under client-attorney privilege, so +that I can form the right strategy. Did you break into Smart Home's +computers the day before yesterday?" + +Nina doesn't hesitate. "No." + +"Good. Then I'll work on the basis that you're innocent, and that the +police need to be convinced that you are. If you weren't, my strategy +would be to avoid you going to jail, or avoid you getting convicted, +or at least you getting a small a punishment as possible." + +"I'd really like to have a criminal record." + +"Of course. And there's no reason why you should get any record from +this thing. Like I said, there seems to be no evidence against you. In +fact, the Smart Home IT people are saying there hasn't been any +intrusion. They think you're a bit of an arrogant poophead, but they +changed the wifi password after your stunt, so it can't have been you, +this time." + +"What do the police have? Do they have anything at all?" + +"No. They heard about your stunt, and they find it hard to believe +that Antero's computer would've printed all those documents by itself. +Frankly, so do I." + +"Yeah, it'd be a weird bug. But given how incompetent Antero is with +computers, maybe he printed them by mistake and didn't realize?" + +"Ho hum. I may suggest that to the detective." + +"The detective is an incompetent idiot as well. Especially about +computers." + +"I don't disagree. I've dealt with him before. What did he do this +time?" + +"He says my using green on black terminal windows is proof that I'm a +criminal." + +"What? Not again. Okay, if he's that desperate, I'll have you out in +an hour or so." + +---- + +The Team's kitchen is filled with laughter and empty pizza boxes. + +"What a dunderhead!" Bert is trying to eat his last slice, but is +laughing too hard to be able to take a bit of the slice flopping in +her hand, in front of his face. + +"I would not believe it myself, but I did some searching." Andy is +smiling, but happily takes the last bite and wipes his hands with a +napkin. "It's not the first time the police thinks terminal colors +is proof of being a criminal. Campus police in the US arrested a +student on that basis some years ago." + +"No, really?" Robin has almost a whole slice left. "I have trouble +believing how stupid humanity is, sometimes." + +"I'm happy they let you go, Nina." Anna is more serious than the +others. "I wish they'd dropped all charges, but they wouldn't. They're +continuing the investigation." + +Nina wipes her lips. "Yeah, the lawyer said, but he's sure they'll +have to drop the charges later, since there's no actual evidence. Not +against me, and not even that a crime has been committed." diff --git a/index.mdwn b/index.mdwn index 6a561e9..5d0dff9 100644 --- a/index.mdwn +++ b/index.mdwn @@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ There may be contradictions. Retconning in the future is possible. * Chapter 4: [[New hardware platform|newhardware]] * Chapter 5: [[Assault]] * Chapter 6: [[Ambush]] +* Chapter 7: [[Arrest]] * to be continued # Meta diff --git a/preamble.mdwn b/preamble.mdwn index be63279..8bbf632 100644 --- a/preamble.mdwn +++ b/preamble.mdwn @@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ title: Hacker Noir author: Lars Wirzenius date: work in progress +documentclass: book ... +\newpage This work is copyrighted by Lars Wirzenius, and licensed under a