lot there that he just wasn’t seeing because he was too blinded by
her beauty. He knew that it could get him into hot water, but he continued to
stare at her like a teenager with a crush. She could tell he was into her. She
could tell how much he was attracted to her, but she was used to that. She was
used to the unwanted advanced of men all her life.
“Tell me more about your work? I’m fascinated by it. Seeing
you there, teaching, at the university, was inspiring. I’ve never met someone
like you before. I guess that’s what it is,” he said. He raised his glass to
meet hers and stared straight into her pale blue eyes. “Cheers,”
he added.
“Cheers,” she said. “About my work?
I guess you already know a lot about it. I’m very much into applied mathematics
and advanced algorithms. I spent a couple of years in the lab in Virginia
working day and night, and I guess I got burnt out, which is why I came back here.”
“What exactly were you doing there?”
“I was working on a project, which I told you about, but it
got out of hand. Everything got out of hand. The pressure was unbearable, but
the pay was terrific. I was always married to my job, but this was extreme even
for my own standards. I was working day and night, and would only go home to
literally sleep. I woke back up the next day and did it all over again. It was
a never-ending cycle. I felt trapped. I’m so happy that’s over with for now.
Right now, all I want to do is just relax, spend time with family, and catch my
breath.”
It was the exact opposite of how Jonathan had been living
his life. He almost felt guilty for living in such utter disregard for others
and himself. He hadn’t worked hard at all; he was just on a downward spiral
that seemed to have no end in sight.
“How about you?” she asked.
“Me?”
“Yeah, what’s you’re deal? Why are you really
here ? I know you didn’t come all the way over here just to track me down
just so that you could get to know me better.”
“Well… I’m looking for something?”
“Oh,” she said, but she didn’t look surprised.
“I’m looking for something you helped to create,” he said.
He took a big swig of his wine and poured himself another glass.
“And what’s that?”
“The cipher drive. I’m looking for the cipher drive. Jen
you’re in danger and I need to find the cipher drive.”
“Well… I don’t have it.”
“Who does?”
“I don’t know. It was taken from the lab in Virginia. All I
know is that they told me it was stolen from there after my work had been
completed ; after I had already left the country. I’m
not about to go back now. It’s their problem. I did my job. I did the work that
they forced me to do.”
“Forced? Stolen? By who?” Jonathan wondered if it was the Italians who stole it . But, if they had stolen
it, then someone must have stolen it from them. He hated being in the dark
about the information. He hated not knowing what really was going on. He
realized he should have prepared better for the meeting. He should have asked
more questions and done more research. He started feeling stupid and sorry for
himself.
“I don’t know who stole it. I have no idea,” she said. “All
I know is that whoever has that cipher drive, if they know just how to use it,
it could be catastrophic.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it, Jon – that cipher drive has an
advanced-algorithm deciphering system that can crack the most advanced RSA
secure server technology through brute force in under 30 minutes. Do you know
what that means? Could you imagine what someone could do with that technology?”
“Isn’t that what hackers can already do today?”
“No. It doesn’t work that way. Hackers usually use
sophisticated measures of phishing to gain employee access credentials to
servers. Then, they get in and do their best to do the most amount of damage as
quickly as possible, but once it’s discovered, the game is usually over.
her beauty. He knew that it could get him into hot water, but he continued to
stare at her like a teenager with a crush. She could tell he was into her. She
could tell how much he was attracted to her, but she was used to that. She was
used to the unwanted advanced of men all her life.
“Tell me more about your work? I’m fascinated by it. Seeing
you there, teaching, at the university, was inspiring. I’ve never met someone
like you before. I guess that’s what it is,” he said. He raised his glass to
meet hers and stared straight into her pale blue eyes. “Cheers,”
he added.
“Cheers,” she said. “About my work?
I guess you already know a lot about it. I’m very much into applied mathematics
and advanced algorithms. I spent a couple of years in the lab in Virginia
working day and night, and I guess I got burnt out, which is why I came back here.”
“What exactly were you doing there?”
“I was working on a project, which I told you about, but it
got out of hand. Everything got out of hand. The pressure was unbearable, but
the pay was terrific. I was always married to my job, but this was extreme even
for my own standards. I was working day and night, and would only go home to
literally sleep. I woke back up the next day and did it all over again. It was
a never-ending cycle. I felt trapped. I’m so happy that’s over with for now.
Right now, all I want to do is just relax, spend time with family, and catch my
breath.”
It was the exact opposite of how Jonathan had been living
his life. He almost felt guilty for living in such utter disregard for others
and himself. He hadn’t worked hard at all; he was just on a downward spiral
that seemed to have no end in sight.
“How about you?” she asked.
“Me?”
“Yeah, what’s you’re deal? Why are you really
here ? I know you didn’t come all the way over here just to track me down
just so that you could get to know me better.”
“Well… I’m looking for something?”
“Oh,” she said, but she didn’t look surprised.
“I’m looking for something you helped to create,” he said.
He took a big swig of his wine and poured himself another glass.
“And what’s that?”
“The cipher drive. I’m looking for the cipher drive. Jen
you’re in danger and I need to find the cipher drive.”
“Well… I don’t have it.”
“Who does?”
“I don’t know. It was taken from the lab in Virginia. All I
know is that they told me it was stolen from there after my work had been
completed ; after I had already left the country. I’m
not about to go back now. It’s their problem. I did my job. I did the work that
they forced me to do.”
“Forced? Stolen? By who?” Jonathan wondered if it was the Italians who stole it . But, if they had stolen
it, then someone must have stolen it from them. He hated being in the dark
about the information. He hated not knowing what really was going on. He
realized he should have prepared better for the meeting. He should have asked
more questions and done more research. He started feeling stupid and sorry for
himself.
“I don’t know who stole it. I have no idea,” she said. “All
I know is that whoever has that cipher drive, if they know just how to use it,
it could be catastrophic.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it, Jon – that cipher drive has an
advanced-algorithm deciphering system that can crack the most advanced RSA
secure server technology through brute force in under 30 minutes. Do you know
what that means? Could you imagine what someone could do with that technology?”
“Isn’t that what hackers can already do today?”
“No. It doesn’t work that way. Hackers usually use
sophisticated measures of phishing to gain employee access credentials to
servers. Then, they get in and do their best to do the most amount of damage as
quickly as possible, but once it’s discovered, the game is usually over.
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