Read Online Hacker by Malorie Blackman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Malorie Blackman
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a minute,’ Gib complained. ‘I don’t write shorthand.’
I waited for him to catch up.
‘What do you mean by the program being compiled and linked?’ Gib asked, writing furiously. ‘And what’s this object file?’
I sighed. ‘There are three steps to running a program on the bank’s system. First you have to write it, using an editor to produce a source program. Then you have to run a program called a COMPILER to translate the source program so that the computer can understand it. The file that holds the translation is the object file. And then all the object files have to get linked up together to produce a master program you can run on the system. With me so far?’
‘Don’t be snotty!’ Gib ordered. ‘Why not just translate the program and run it?’
‘I asked Dad that. He said compiling programs takes ages. And if you did that, all the code would have to be in one file. The system at the bank must have millions and millions of lines of code and if you only wanted to change one line or one small thing, you’d still have to compile the whole lot again. So the programs are split into manageable chunks for different teams to work on and then each bit can be changed and translated separately. And then you can just link the whole lot together at the end. I think that’s right.’
‘Oh, I see. Then …’
‘Hello, Gib, hello, Vicky.’
It was Mum.
I jumped up, the listings on my lap falling on to the grass. I looked past Mum eagerly. But I couldn’t see Dad.
Where was he?
Chapter Six
‘MUM! I DIDN’T hear you arrive. Where’s Dad? Is he with you?’
Gib’s questions came thick and fast. I hung back behind him – I don’t know why.
‘Your dad’s upstairs. He’s having a bath,’ Mum replied.
Mum’s face looked so strange. Gaunt and lean, as if in a few hours she had lost all the flesh from her cheeks. And she looked so tired. At any second she might keel over.
‘What happened, Mum?’ Gib asked earnestly. ‘Is it all over? Is it all sorted out?’
‘I wish! Your dad has to give up his passport. They want to make sure he doesn’t skip the country with the bank’s supposed million,’ Mum said bitterly. ‘Once a date for the trial is set then he’ll have to appear in court again.’
‘But at least he’s home now,’ I said.
‘But at least he’s home,’ Mum agreed.
I watched as she leaned against the door, her chin against her chest.
‘Now, I want you two to promise me something. I don’t want either of you to say a word about this business to your dad. Not one single word. Do you understand?’
I nodded.
‘Yes, Mum,’ Gib said, adding, ‘Can we see Dad? Is he all right?’
‘He’s fine. He wants to see you after his bath. Then I want him to get some sleep. He’s very tired.’
‘Mum … what’s going to happen about Dad’s job?’ I couldn’t help asking. ‘I mean … will he be able to clear his name when he gets back to work on Monday?’
‘He’s been suspended from work until the outcome of the trial is known,’ Mum said, her voice as hard as granite. ‘Eric, the Systems Manager, said he’d try to help us and I know Beth will do what she can. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed that they find something.’ And with that, Mum went back into the house.
After she’d gone, the garden, the whole world was silent. No birds, no traffic, no nothing. At least, if there were sounds then I couldn’t hear them. There was just Gib and me staring after her. I forced myself to break the silence.
‘We’re going to need Chaucy’s PC,’ I said softly.
‘I was just thinking that,’ Gib said, without looking at me. ‘I’ll go and check it out.’
We both went into the house. I went upstairs to my room. I waited by my bedroom door until I heard Dad emerging from the bathroom, then I ran out on to the landing. Dad had on his white towelling dressing gown and his back was towards me as he closed the bathroom door.
‘Dad, I …’
Whatever
I waited for him to catch up.
‘What do you mean by the program being compiled and linked?’ Gib asked, writing furiously. ‘And what’s this object file?’
I sighed. ‘There are three steps to running a program on the bank’s system. First you have to write it, using an editor to produce a source program. Then you have to run a program called a COMPILER to translate the source program so that the computer can understand it. The file that holds the translation is the object file. And then all the object files have to get linked up together to produce a master program you can run on the system. With me so far?’
‘Don’t be snotty!’ Gib ordered. ‘Why not just translate the program and run it?’
‘I asked Dad that. He said compiling programs takes ages. And if you did that, all the code would have to be in one file. The system at the bank must have millions and millions of lines of code and if you only wanted to change one line or one small thing, you’d still have to compile the whole lot again. So the programs are split into manageable chunks for different teams to work on and then each bit can be changed and translated separately. And then you can just link the whole lot together at the end. I think that’s right.’
‘Oh, I see. Then …’
‘Hello, Gib, hello, Vicky.’
It was Mum.
I jumped up, the listings on my lap falling on to the grass. I looked past Mum eagerly. But I couldn’t see Dad.
Where was he?
Chapter Six
‘MUM! I DIDN’T hear you arrive. Where’s Dad? Is he with you?’
Gib’s questions came thick and fast. I hung back behind him – I don’t know why.
‘Your dad’s upstairs. He’s having a bath,’ Mum replied.
Mum’s face looked so strange. Gaunt and lean, as if in a few hours she had lost all the flesh from her cheeks. And she looked so tired. At any second she might keel over.
‘What happened, Mum?’ Gib asked earnestly. ‘Is it all over? Is it all sorted out?’
‘I wish! Your dad has to give up his passport. They want to make sure he doesn’t skip the country with the bank’s supposed million,’ Mum said bitterly. ‘Once a date for the trial is set then he’ll have to appear in court again.’
‘But at least he’s home now,’ I said.
‘But at least he’s home,’ Mum agreed.
I watched as she leaned against the door, her chin against her chest.
‘Now, I want you two to promise me something. I don’t want either of you to say a word about this business to your dad. Not one single word. Do you understand?’
I nodded.
‘Yes, Mum,’ Gib said, adding, ‘Can we see Dad? Is he all right?’
‘He’s fine. He wants to see you after his bath. Then I want him to get some sleep. He’s very tired.’
‘Mum … what’s going to happen about Dad’s job?’ I couldn’t help asking. ‘I mean … will he be able to clear his name when he gets back to work on Monday?’
‘He’s been suspended from work until the outcome of the trial is known,’ Mum said, her voice as hard as granite. ‘Eric, the Systems Manager, said he’d try to help us and I know Beth will do what she can. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed that they find something.’ And with that, Mum went back into the house.
After she’d gone, the garden, the whole world was silent. No birds, no traffic, no nothing. At least, if there were sounds then I couldn’t hear them. There was just Gib and me staring after her. I forced myself to break the silence.
‘We’re going to need Chaucy’s PC,’ I said softly.
‘I was just thinking that,’ Gib said, without looking at me. ‘I’ll go and check it out.’
We both went into the house. I went upstairs to my room. I waited by my bedroom door until I heard Dad emerging from the bathroom, then I ran out on to the landing. Dad had on his white towelling dressing gown and his back was towards me as he closed the bathroom door.
‘Dad, I …’
Whatever
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