Entry #A-8: "Aberrant" [Audio, Private to Cesar, Backdated to Later on the 12th]

[dead_black_eyes]

Cesar.

Your secret is still safe with me, but now that Thundercorp has come out for the reason the blackouts have been occurring... there are a few questions I need to have answered. I trust you'll be forthcoming.

Comments

[evowhisperer]

I'm actually in the middle of something right now.

How many questions do you have?

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

[He switches modes of conversation if only so Cesar won't hear his exasperated chuff of breath. He's in the middle of a few things right now, one of which heavily involving Cesar's brother.]

That depends, but between 3 and 8, if you must have an estimate.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

*You mean the investigation Cesar keeps asking him to stop?*

I can't promise answers to anything, but go ahead and ask.

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

[The very same.]

Promises aren't to be made lightly. It's probably wise, especially when you're in a precarious situation. Working for Thundercorp, you are in a precarious situation, aren't you?

Re: [Text]

[evowhisperer]

*Dammit L they've talked about this.*

*Meanwhile Cesar stops working to look at his cellphone.*

Is this one of the three questions you wanted to ask me?

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

More rhetorical, than anything else. Obviously your situation is precarious.

If we're counting questions now, though... I suppose I shouldn't waste any. Is there a chance that the blackouts were intentional? Rather... I suppose I should rephrase.

Is there a chance they weren't intentional?

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

I'll answer that with a question: Why would Thunder Corp want to draw attention to their activity when this has only caused them trouble in the past?

No one in the office seemed pleased by the blackouts. I don't work with anyone in the departments directly involved, but I don't think anything that came otu of that was deliberate.

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

Maybe they'd want to draw attention from something bigger. Or, maybe they're working on something that they don't have full control over? Neither hypothesis is terribly comforting.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

*L is right, neither of those options are comforting. Cesar kind of wishes he knew, now, just so he could not worry about the worst.*

Your guess is as good as mine.

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

OK, I believe you.

That eliminates like four other questions.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

Which ones do you have left?

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

What were you in the middle of when I contacted you?

Re: [Text]

[evowhisperer]

Work.

*It's eight at night.*

Next question?

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

Working late? Or is this normal for you?

[Perma-text unless stated otherwise]

[evowhisperer]

Both.

*For a moment it seems as though the answer will be left at that. Then he adds,* Judging by past conversations, this is not something you're unfamiliar with, yourself.

*It's not meant to be a friendly connection, but a defensive one: there's nothing for L to read into, here. L does the same as him.*

[dead_black_eyes]

Justice doesn't sleep. Ergo, I probably don't need much of it.

Do a lot of people work late at TC?

[evowhisperer]

Not often.

When they do, there's usually a deadline involved.

[dead_black_eyes]

So it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that there's a deadline on the horizon at this time?

[evowhisperer]

Yes and no.

This is not a deadline that the Numbered need to be concerned about.

[dead_black_eyes]

Are you saying that Numbered should stay out of it, or that it can't hurt Numbered? I'm pretty sure those are different things, and I so like to be clear on such matters.

[evowhisperer]

Again, I'm saying both.

It's a deadline for sending off a new iteration of an engine model to a contractor. Very mundane, and very uninteresting for Numbered purposes.

[dead_black_eyes]

I guess you don't have much reason to fabricate that. It admittedly sounds very dull.

[evowhisperer]

I have little reason to fabricate it and every reason to not want it interrupted. If I have to run any of these tests again, my laptop is going to be strapped to the next burst pressure test.

*It's a slight lie: he can think of many reasons why someone might want a Numbered to look away in boredom from a given Thundercorp project. Still, if ignoring that part keeps him from getting outside interference, he'll conveniently neglect that fact any day.*

[dead_black_eyes]

That sounds dangerous for the laptop.

How trusted would you say you are within Thundercorp? On a scale of "they don't tell you anything" to "golf with the CEO," where exactly do you stand?

[evowhisperer]

It would be explosive.

Closer to 'they don't tell me anything'. I was hired on a little under two years ago, when they were expanding several departments in waves. I'm no longer 'new', but no one in my division is exactly in any kind of 'know'.

[dead_black_eyes]

I suppose it can't be helped... and if that really is the case, it's not that you won't tell me more, it's that you can't.

[evowhisperer]

That is correct.

Did you have any other questions?

[dead_black_eyes]

No. That suffices, for now. It's something to go on, and I'm content to let it rest.

[evowhisperer]

In that case, I'm going to get back to work, now.