Unhackable (Elliot Alderson/Mr. Robot)

Chap6.iH@t3P30pL3.dpv

Third Person POV
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Thalia sat in place at the small table in the corner, trapped in a seemingly inescapable state of shock. The last ten minutes of her life were some of the most shocking she's ever lived through. That's saying a lot, what with her given past of stripping and extreme theft.


She had bugged the entire restaurant in a bid to capture Mr. Robot on camera. Although the person orchestrating her blackmail was far too intelligent for her to catch him, she managed  to capture something else instead.


Elliot Alderson came into  Ron's Coffee shop, seemingly waiting for someone. Having been given advice that someone she knows would lead her to the organization she was meant to join, Thalia immediately figured out it was Elliot who she was meant to follow. That's the only person she immediately recognized. He never acknowledged Thalia; she was too well disguised. 
After moving to settle down in a seat across a small table from a foreign man, Elliot slowly drops his hood.




Thalia had no idea what to expect, but it already blew her mind that the quiet guy who's barely able to formulate a sentence is the man she's supposed to follow to the mysterious Darlene.


The foreign man looks across the table, a heavy frown taking over. as he watches his uninvited guest.



"You're Ron." Elliot states quietly, causing Thalia to press her ear-bud further into her ear to overhear the conversation she bugged. Elliot watches the man in front of him carefully, before continuing. "But your real name is Rohit Thamatta. You changed it to Ron when you bought your first Ron's coffee shop six years ago. Now you got seventeen of them, with eight more coming next quarter."




Thalia notices out of the corner of her eyes; Ron's dark eyes narrow suspiciously. "May I help you with something?"



"I like coming here." Elliot nods blankly. "Your Wi-Fi was fast. I mean you're one of the few hotspots that has a fiber connection with gigabyte speed. It's good. It's so good, that it scratched that part of my mind, the part that...doesn't allow good to exist without condition. So, I started intercepting all the traffic on your network. That's when I noticed something strange."




Thalia nearly turns her head to stare at Elliot Alderson across the room. Such a strange comment--It almost seemed sad.



"That's when I decided to hack you." Elliot says calmly, almost robotically. Thalia finds herself leaning forward, shocked at the words she's hearing.




Ron stares at Elliot in slight shock. "Hack-"




"I know you run a website called Playdo's boys." Elliot continues.



"Pardon me-"




"You're using tour networking to keep the servers anonymous. You made it really hard for anyone to see it." Elliot says quietly. "But I saw it."




Thalia noticed Ron was shocked beyond belief. She sat it place, transfixed in amusement. Pushing the small ear bud further into her ear, it's a great struggle not to look across the room to watch Elliot crumble this man.




"The onion rooting protocol isn't as anonymous as you think it is." Elliot says quietly, not raising his voice any higher than when he first started conversing with Ron. "Whoever's in control of the exit nodes is also in charge of the traffic...Which makes me--the one in control." Elliot reveals, with what Thalia feels is the tiniest hint of smugness.




"I must ask you to kindly leave-" Ron begins, looking shaken.



"I own everything." Elliot continues, ignoring Ron's dropped expression  altogether. Thalia notices that Elliot brandishes a manila folder before sliding it across the table.





"All your emails, all your files...Al your...pics." Elliot continues, not even batting an eyelash.




Ron opens only one page, before his dark eyes bolt open in alarm. "Get out of here right now, or I'll call the-"




"Police?" Elliot finishes. "You want them to find out about the hundreds of plates of child pornography that you traffic to your four-hundred thousand users?"




When Ron says nothing, Elliot gives a small shrug. "Personally man, I was just hoping it was gonna be some BDSM stuff. You realize how simpler that would've been?"




A small moment pauses. Soon, Thalia overhears Ron take a heavy intake of breath. "I did not hurt anyone--I never did."



After this, it collapses in an awkward silence. One that caused Thalia to stare blankly into pace. It was all too shocking to overhear.
Soon, Ron looks back to Elliot, his voice breaking. "T-That's my personal life."




A few seconds tickly by, where Elliot leans forward, causing Thalia to give a small swivel of her head to watch the men. "I understand what it's like to be different-I'm very different, too." Elliot nods, causing Thalia to stare off in confusion.
Random banter begins to take place between the men, where Thalia suddenly feels suspicious. Maybe this is what Mr. Robot was trying to tell her. Maybe Elliot Alderson isn't only the person Thalia's meant to follow--perhaps he's the one who hacked her. He just proved he can expertly hack into a well hidden network--hacking into her would've been relatively simple.




"Whatever you want, I can get it-" Ron starts as Elliot stands up to swing his bag over his shoulder.


"If it's money you want-"




"That's the part you were wrong about, Rohit. I don't give a shit about money." Elliot says blandly, pulling up his hood and walking out the door just as the NYPD begin to make their way inside.

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Thalia POV
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It's him. I have no concrete evidence, but I feel it with every fiber of my being I found my hacker. Elliot Alderson not only hacked the owner of Ron's coffee, he's also the person who hacked me. Who knows, maybe he gave all that information to the jackass calling himself Mr. Robot.


Fuming, I calmly wait a few moments to follow Elliot. The irrational part of me wanted to tear into him for looking into my past, but my rational side remained calm. I couldn't draw attention to myself--following Elliot and harassing him wouldn't benefit me in the slightest. Tossing the cup away, I make my way out the door as the man named Ron tries begging the police not to arrest him.




"P-Please! It's the man--he hacked me..He showed you everything on the site-he must have planted it!!"



"Tell it to the judge!" An overweight policeman barks, slapping a pair of cuffs on Ron. They're really going to enjoy you down in Rikers..."



"Yo detective! Sick perv even has a folder containing all his kiddie porn-"






Hurriedly, I make my way out of the shop and past the police to catch up with the mysterious Elliot.
At the moment--I'm not sure whether to be in awe or absolutely terrified. This guy Elliot blew off the opportunity to make a bundle of cask from a very wealthy guy, and actually did something decent. He tipped off the police that Ron was running a child pornography website. He could've blackmailed him-he could've made well over a million bucks blackmailing the guy--he didn't.


Watching this exchange also brought me to a terrifying reality--it shows Elliot's a black-hat vigilante. That's not someone you ever want to piss off.
Clenching my jaw as I follow him; I sadly realize this one man has the ability to get me thrown in prison as easily as pressing a few buttons on a keyboard.


 After ten minutes of quietly staying over twenty feet behind him at all times; I make my way down town into a subway.
Sitting almost on the opposite side of the train as Elliot, I play around with my phone as to not draw attention to myself.
Firing off a text to The Enchantress, I hold my breath out of hope she'll find something on Elliot Alderson. If he wants to dig up dirt on me, I can play. I'll just do the same to him.



There's not really any worry about Elliot noticing me on the train. There's far too many people in the train car. The humorous thing is the look on his face. His clenched jaw and the way he keeps peering at two gentlemen on the other side of the train cause me to believe he thinks they're watching him.


They aren't. It's obvious Elliot feels he's being followed--he just doesn't know by whom.

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The train ride was tedious. It was tightly cramped, and it smelt of feet and cigarette smoke. Crying babies and annoying phone talkers filled silence, but it was claustrophobic. I was thankful to finally follow Elliot to what appeared to be a restaurant. Stiffening, I immediately recognize people already inside the building enjoying a meal and drinks. It's people from AllSafe--it's Angela's birthday party.



I contemplate changing into different clothes and following him inside--but there's no time. Elliot catches a glimpse of Ollie and seems to quickly decides he's out of there. Resisting the urge to run up and suddenly confront him; I follow Elliot as he makes a lengthy trip towards the south side of town.



Following him to a sketchy looking apartment building, I'm assuming this is where I'll meet the mysterious Darlene. Elliot dwindles nearby the apartment stoop, shuffling around slowly. Remaining hidden in the shadow of the ally, I quietly wait to see if this Darlene will make an appearance.
A woman with curly dark hair and a crazy looking wardrobe of mismatched clothing approaches Elliot; buzzing excitedly around him.


I'm about to approach the duo; before something stuns me into silence. The girl and Elliot quickly shake hands, but I notice something small. Elliot takes a small package of a crushed white substance into his hand before quickly slipping it into his pocket. I can't hear given my slight distance; but I have no doubt that I just witnessed a drug exchange.
The girl soon presses her body against Elliot's, and the two engage in what appears to be a tongue wrestling match as Elliot leads them up the stoop of the apartment.




As soon as they're inside, I'm about to leave before I find someone's already behind me. "I thought peeping Tom's were for only dudes." A woman with heavy eyeliner muses.





She'd been so quiet sneaking up on me I sadly hadn't even noticed her. It's the girl's coy grin that pisses me off. "You seem to have me pegged as someone who gives a crap what you think." I mutter coldly, moving past the woman with black-painted fingernails.





"You're pretty high and mighty for a former stripper." The woman muses, admiring her black nails.




Stiffening in place; I realize I just found who it is I'm looking for. No one else would know of my past history. "Whatever it is you want, I don't want apart of it. I've done nothing to piss you or Mr. Robot off, so go find some other bitch to help you."

I don't get far in my walk before Darlene calls my way. "You seem to think you have a choice in this, Natalia."

My eye twitches lightly. "You seem to think I'm just going to jump as you snap your fingers, Darlene." I counter bitterly. Turning, I find the girl looks indifferent. "Your Mr. Robot went out of his way to find me. You know who I am, and you know where I come from--what's to stop me from slitting your pretty little neck right in this ally besides the threat of my secrets coming out? After all, I don't have to follow whatever it is you want....To be quiet honest, I could disappear. I've done it before, I have resources...I could just make myself a brand new life without having to worry about some blackmailer hanging over my head." I growl in a whisper, whipping a razor bladed knife from my pocket to show my seriousness.





Darlene whips a hand up, motioning for me to stay in place. "Chill, chicka. Don't shoot the messenger. Actually, you should look at helping Mr. Robot as a beneficial gain for you."



"How the hell could you possibly benefit me?"




Darlene smirks lightly. "He knows who it is you're gunning for, Natalia. Who it is who got that pretty sis of your hooked on God knows what--you help our cause, we deliver Tyrell Wellick to you on a silver fucking platter."




My silence causes Darlene to grin. "I thought that'd tickle your fancy....So c'mon, tit for tat. You help us, you get the senior VP of technology at E corp--do we have a deal?"




Strangely, I want oh-so bad to agree. I find myself not even caring about any illegal properties that most likely come attached to this agreement. I want Tyrell to pay so very badly I'd sell my very soul for it.
Sticking my tongue in cheek, I stare at Darlene while contemplating this. "What exactly is it you people want from me?"





"First off." Darlene grins, sticking a finger up. "It's fsociety. We're going to revolutionize the modern world....And you, you're gonna help us."

"No shit, Sherlock." I mutter coldly. "I repeat, what the hell am I supposed to do to help you?"



Darlene claps loudly. "C'mon! Why would we need the former stripper with a love for  thievery....It should be quite obvious, Natalia. You're gonna steal something for us."