Before The Run

One Screen At A Time

"Hehe... Ahahaha..."

Bernice Mai gave a chuckle. Not the kind given as a courtesy at those despicable networking parties she attended to get her first internship at NBN. Nor the kind she gave back when she had to exist as a vignette to Jackson's antics. This hearty laugh was of earnest intent.

Under her own spotlight she gave a twirl. Her brown hair accentuating fluidity of her movements, on a dime her finger stopped. Perfectly on one of the dozens of screens lining the air around her. An audible ping resounded as the screen enlarged and warnings and danger signs blared. A runner attacking HQ. Non too subtly either. They came crashing in packing an Eater and credits to hammer through the thin ice over at the CtM HQ.

"Amateur. Honestly now."

The runner made it in. Perhaps even felt a smug sense of self satisfaction in adding some information to his Datasucker.

In fifteen seconds the trace was fired through cyberspace. Pumped accordingly to be out of the runners range. Just enough however. While overwhelming this invader would have been a cathartic way of sending the message Bernice felt brute force was unnecessary. Not too mention inelegant bordering on uncouth.

In eighteen seconds the trace was finished and a tag landed. Four more mini screens opened unceremoniously in front of Bernice. And in twelve more seconds she knew everything about this runner's history from age fourteen. Nicolas Swai age twenty seven. Works as a part-timer at the Cheese Wheel, not too far off from her location no less. Is an avid blogger on the Fetcher Forums, Whatever those are.

Judging by his bank statements, forum posts, message records to his friend, and taste in trashy metal music. Bernice came the hasty and entirely accurate conclusion that Nicolas had been preparing his big debut and aiming to get in with the filthy 'narch crowd. Perhaps this was his attempt at "flexing" and he was looking to gain some connections by showing he could ram raid his way into one of NBN's most notorious megacorps. So that one day he could make it big and maybe move out of his mother's basement. Or as she rationalized it out in the plainest of words...

He's just another loser.

In another thirty four seconds she had left a voice message for the boys upstairs that played out as such. "I tagged our boy for you guys. Just a rookie, no harm done here. Collect the money from the campaigns. Check up on the startups. And then hit him hard on the newscast. I'm feeling generous today. Although if he's a persistent little shit then feel free to close his accounts. Same as always. Buh-byeeee!" Summarily closing the windows related to this incident it took Bernice point five seconds to determine she was hungry.

Then another seven to order a pizza from the local Cheese Wheel.

With a second grandiose twirl she flicked her fingers too and fro with the dexterity of a world renowned pianist. Organizing the tabs of news streams, security camera feeds, and closing that one shopping tab of the green dinosaur plushie she wanted to liven up her bedroom. All things done she gave a weighty sigh and snapped her fingers twice. Having received the custom added command the work space powered down and entered sleep mode.

It all went dark save for the dim lights that lined the ceiling. Turning and strolling over to the door that slid open automatically a mechanical voice said, "Please enjoy your lunch break Ms. Mai." She took notice of the voice as always but hadn't bothered to respond since her first week after the promotion here. After stepping outside the door a large green hologram screen sprawled across the room. A few PAD commands later the screen read "00h 30m 00s 00". Bernice strolled down the hall as the door shut unceremoniously. The timer began ticking down.

On the seventh floor of the building, third door down from the water cooler. A room plated with her name was the quiet sanctity she sought from the ever buzzing atmosphere that was the NBN work environment. On the inside was a decorated space that to some blurred lines of adulthood and adolescence. Plushies in almost every corner (even some under the work desk). One giant monster plush that functioned both as a beanbag chair and a bed that one time Gabriel Santiago strolled in and made a mess of the HQ servers. A stressful Tuesday of there ever was one.