09 // text // private to Sofia

[40410]

[The message is pretty elementary to hack. There's nothing worth hiding in it; Alex just doesn't feel like spamming the entire network. Not that he really expects any of this to get through.]

is the comm working yet

is the comm working yet

is the comm working yet

Is the comm working yet

is the comm working yet

is the comm working yet

? is the comm working yet ?

i s t h e c o m m w o r k i n g y e t

is the comm working yettttttt

is the comm working yet

Comments

[text]

[timisnotme.livejournal.com]

Why not?

*what is this privacy you speak of?*

[text]

[40410.livejournal.com]

I make them private for a reason. Have you hacked any before?

[Alex's mind flashes through his other locked conversations, the stuff he's said that he doesn't want everyone to know.]

[text]

[timisnotme.livejournal.com]

No. Bored now. Waiting.

Won't anymore.

[text]

[40410.livejournal.com]

You'd better n|

[Wait.

He backspaces, erasing that.

Waiting.

A long pause. He knows what J's said about Tim when he's like this. What he types next, he does slowly, so that the letters appear reluctantly one by one.]

Waiting for what?

[text]

[timisnotme.livejournal.com]

Waiting.

---

0perator

---

Waiting.

[text]

[40410.livejournal.com]

[Is it Alex, or did it just get cold in here?

Suddenly, powerfully, he gets the urge to turn off the comm'. But he'd never forgive himself if he ran at just the mention of the name.]






Why are you waiting for him?

[text]

[timisnotme.livejournal.com]

Instructed. Waiting.

Not near.

*That last little bit should cheer up Alex, because it's actually cheering up Masky quite a bit.*

[text]

[40410.livejournal.com]

[Okay, 'not near' is a nice thing to know, but the message as a whole tells Alex a few things. A few frightening, angering things.]

Oh god, Tim.

[That was spoken, low, in a strangled tone you might use to discuss the recently deceased. Seconds drag by. Then Alex starts typing again, his fingers stabbing the keys.]

Tell him to go the fuck away. He is not the boss of you.

[text]

[timisnotme.livejournal.com]

Can't

Want to.

Can't

*That middle part shows up very small very briefly and then is quickly erased.*

[text]

[40410.livejournal.com]

[Oh, this is a step up from taking memories. Holy shit. This isn't the same personal violation Alex felt when he first realised what was happening to him, but it's the same sense of cold fury. No, he's not exactly bffs with Tim, but that's irrelevent; you just don't do that to anyone.]

You'll be okay

[...but he can't give any specific reassurance. Can't say I'm going to kill that son of a bitch. First, always first, is the need to not compromise this plan.]

[text]

[timisnotme.livejournal.com]

Am okay.

*He looks at what he's just written. He may not be the best at communication, and he may be in league with the Operator, however unwillingly, but he's not stupid. He knows he's not okay.*

Will be.

Putting in danger talking to you. Will find me. Find you. Going now. Waiting.

[text]

[40410.livejournal.com]

[And what's that at the door? Is that knocking (http://40410.livejournal.com/3811.html?thread=153059#t153059)? Alex startles, his whole body whipping round towards the door, lifting his hand - then an instant later, recalls that he's expecting someone.]

Tim, take care.

[He doesn't use 'Markus'. That's probably some given name. Some slave name. This is Tim, for god's sake. Tim.

Then he snaps off the feed and goes to answer the knocking, knowing exactly which question he's going to ask Sofia first: that of how he can hone his weapon.]