(Untitled)

[sunnydalealum]

Tom, as a rule, doesn't go on rescue missions away from his own world any more. He promised Door. This is different, however, and helping Andrew on his world is something Tom's done before. Helping Andrew with Merriman along for the ride- well. Tom's safe as houses

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[sunnydalealum]

Later:

Andrew's sitting backwards on a chair next to where Mac's computer is set up, watching over her shoulder.

[q_in_training]

Mac isn't paying any attention to him.

This isn't a reflection on Andrew's character. It's more like one on how if Mac doesn't do this exactly right, they're all going to die, and she kinda needs all of her focus to make sure that doesn't happen.

(Because if it does happen, Sam might end up as one of the first people to get killed.)

Tick-a-tack-a-tick-a-tack-a-tick -- code flashes across the screen as Mac bites her lip, easing through the tangle of firewalls and security measures layered over Wolfram and Hart's mainframe. It's been a while since she's done anything this hardcore; she's not rusty, per se, but it's not like she's going at the speed of light, either.

Some time later, though, she exhales, glances over her shoulder, and flashes him a grin. "We're in."

[stilljustandrew]

*He grins back, and hands her an index card.* Excellent. Here's the names Dean said they'd be using --

[q_in_training]

She takes the card, reads it, and snorts out a laugh. "Jerry Karlin and George Wendt?"

That nerd, says her tone. With love.

Propping it against her monitor, she adds, as she begins typing again, "Okay, two blatant references to a Chevy Chase movie coming right up."

[stilljustandrew]

You have to respect that level of pop-culture dedication, *Andrew agrees.*

[sunnydalealum]

It's easy enough at this level: remote data entry is something employees have to be able to do themselves, after all.

The next part is going to be significantly tougher.

[q_in_training]

"And..." A final flurry of typing. "Messrs. Karlin and Wendt of the Cleveland branch have an appointment with Greg Matheson at four o'clock."

There's a bit of a smugface to go with that as she picks up the card and hands it back.

It disappears pretty quickly, though, when she pulls out and moves on to navigating through the deeper layers: the ones responsible for electronic and telecommunications throughout the firm, internal and external.

Crap. Crap crap crap, is this going to take a while.

Think, Mac.

[sunnydalealum]

It's code on a screen. That's all it is. Complex and daunting, yes, but just code: rational, linear, solvable.

It certainly doesn't move when you're not looking at it, or anything silly like that.

[q_in_training]

Mac quickly scrubs a hand across her eyes and pushes some of her hair aside, then settles her hands back on the keyboard. The staccato rattle picks up again.

It stops.

Starts again, a lot more tentative than before. Maybe if she tries to --

Wait, there is no way that was like that before. She scrubs at her eyes again. "Come on," she mutters under her breath, quickly spotting a gap and looping around to slip through it. It doesn't take her much further in.

...Actually, it seems like it just deposited her a bit further out. What the hell -- ?

"Shit," she swears, a little louder.

[stilljustandrew]

What?

*Andrew sounds a touch uneasy.*

[q_in_training]

"I don't know." Her voice is pulled taut with stress. "Give me a second, I think I -- "

It must have been a screw-up on her part: not rusty, maybe, but not at the top of her game, either. She tries to edge back into the deeper levels, fingers flying.

Don't think about Sam. Don't think about how many other people could die if you mess this up.

[sunnydalealum]

There's the gap she tried to slip through before --

Oh wait. No there isn't.

[q_in_training]

And that confirms it, she thinks. It cinches a sickly-feeling knot way down at the base of her stomach; Mac pulls in a deep and somewhat shaky breath as she stares at the code.

Weakly, "I think they know I'm here."

Because how else could the code be modifying itself this fast, and this deliberately, unless they were trying to chase her out?

[stilljustandrew]

*Andrew goes a little pale.*

Can we get out and try again?

[q_in_training]

"I can -- yeah -- "

Hacking bail-out powers: activate. She scrambles backward out of the system, a little clumsily, trying to leave a few diversions behind. They might know she's in, but at least she can try to keep them from tracing it all back to here.

[stilljustandrew]

Okay.

Okay, has that ever happened before? The target system going all Neuromancer on you?