Running Code

Title: Running Code

Author: Prentice

Rating: NC17; FRAO (Fan Rated Adults Only)

Fandom: Numb3rs

Warnings: Violence, Adult Content, Language

Pairing: None

Spoilers: None

Category: Case-Based, General

Series: None

Archive: Patterns, AFF.net. Others, ask first, please.

Feedback: Is always cherished and appreciated.

Disclaimer: The names of most of the characters contained here-in are the
property of CBS and its creators. No infringements of these copyrights are
intended, and are being used here without permission. No profit was made and no
harm was done. The characters of Jason Parker, David, Jennings, Amelia Johnson,
P.J. Markham and the company Cycom are purely the author’s creation and should
not be used without prior consent.

Author’s Note: This story was largely inspired by watching Numb3rs on
repeat and reading Dan Brown‘s “Digital Fortress”. Hopefully, it’s not too
horrible.

Dedicated: This one is for San, because she heard it first.

Summary: We all have the right to keep secrets.

 

Prolog

Jason Parker was unstable. That much was beginning to become painfully
obvious over the last few hours. He was angry and snappish, abusive to his
coworkers and incensed with his supervisors. Everyone was beginning to worry
about him and what he might do, most especially the Tech Support members around
him.

Jason was, after all, Alpha Tech One. He had all the codes to the interior
files, had imbedded backdoors to every program and knew the system better than
anyone else. Hell, he was the system. That was why Cycom International
had hired him. He was the best in the business; nothing a server could throw at
him fazed him and even the best IT guys couldn’t make a dent in his intricately
coded back-ups. Which meant that, in as plain English as possible, they were
screwed if they couldn’t get him out of the building for at least six minutes
while his old team shut him down.

It would be a tough job, knocking him out. He had hidden backdoors,
interlaced alarms and enough code to make their eyes cross. And, they had to do
this all in six minutes. Or else.

Usually, a job like this would be handled by Jason. He was the best; he could
get this done in less than six minutes. Hell, he could do it in less than sixty
seconds. Calmly sitting in his cubicle office, Jason would sip on a coffee,
ready and waiting. David, Alpha Tech Two, and Jennings, Chief Technical Officer,
otherwise known as Big Papa to the Tech team, would be in another two cubicles a
few feet away; laptops open, ear pieces in. David would worry about what if they
didn’t shut this person down before they had the chance; Jennings would be
nervous, his ass was on the line if they screwed up; and Jason would be calm.
Cool as a cucumber.

They’d sit and wait for the signal from upstairs; the alarm that said “Go!
Go! Go!” and they’d start the count down.

Sixty. David would start gnawing on his thumb nail, worried that it would
somehow be his mistake that would slow them down.

Fifty. Jennings would tap his fingers against his desk, mentally establishing
a resume should this fall through.

Forty. Jason would continue playing his game of Solitaire, picking up his
coffee mug that said “No, I Will Not Fix Your Computer™
” and draining it of its dregs.

Thirty. David would continue his gnawing; staring at his computer screen as
though it might bite him.

Twenty. Jennings would uncap that bottle of Pepto-Bismol he had stashed in
his duffle, once again redrafting his resume mentally.

Ten. Jason would move a two of spades onto a three of spades and complete the
game.

Nine. The look-out they had posted to watch the poor individual who was about
to be shut down would shift from foot to foot, glancing at their watch and
wondering why their own stomach was tied into knots.

Eight. David would stop gnawing and look at his thumb in alarm. It was
bleeding.

Seven. Another swig of Pepto and Jennings was feeling calmer.

Six. Jason contemplated another game of Solitaire.

Five. The look-out swallowed thickly watching Mr. So-And-So being approached
and talked to by the supervisor, whom would in turn lead them away from the
cubicle and toward the boss’s office. They needed to talk.

Four. David had found a band-aid and was wrapping his thumb up, cursing
himself for doing this again.

Three. Jennings was calm. That’s what he kept telling himself. He was calm.

Two. Jason decided to forego the game of Solitaire. He had other things to
do.

One. The look-out held his breath, watching the door to the bosses office
close. Then…

“GO!”

And, they would be off. Jason, David and Jennings fingers would be flying
over the keyboard; shutting down one system after another. Blocking entry codes,
changing passwords, putting up walls; they’d cover Cycom’s ass from here to
dooms day so Mr. So-And-So couldn’t cause any problems when he found he was
fired. Jason would lock it down tight.

Now, it was Jason’s turn to be watched by a look-out. It was Jason’s turn to
be locked out. And, it was David and Jennings job to do it, one man, the best
man, short. The worst part, Jason would know exactly what they were doing.