xp_logs | Seeing a man about a (non-trojan) horse

It was a little before noon as Kitty made her way to Jake and Pete's office, considering what she had read this morning. Well, none of it was really sensitive information... Pausing before the door, she rapped smartly. "Jake? I mean, Mr. Gavin? Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, door's open," Jake replied, putting his coffee cup down with a sigh. He'd finally gotten some sleep last night, but he was still a little tired. However, when work called, Jake answered. Always.

Kitty opened the door and nodded at Jake. "Hi," she said. "I wanted to talk to you about something I just found out..." She moved into the room and stood before Jake's desk. "Um, I didn't exactly mean to be snooping, but I kind of picked up the signal of your conversation last weekend with your dad, and since it looked strange and was encrypted, and since we'd only just been invaded a few days before, I kind of cracked it and read your message. Which I probably ought to apologize for. So, um, sorry." She didn't look terribly apologetic though, but rather very curious.

"Sit down," Jake said, nothing but mild surprise showing on his face. "No, close the door, then sit down." He waited, then he tilted his head and regarded her. "Why are you here?"

"Well," Kitty said after she'd shut the door and perched on the chair in front of his desk, "like I said, I read your conversation with your father, and I'm a little worried, but everyone keeps telling me I need to be less, well, paranoid - although they don't use that word - and actually talk to people. So, um, here I am." She was vaguely aware she hadn't actually answered his question, but wasn't quite sure how to get to her point.

Jake nodded and got straight to what he considered most important. "How did you break the encryption?"

Kitty looked startled, having expect to be berated for her invasion of his privacy, or at least for him to wonder why she'd done it. "Oh, um..." she started. "Uh, a program I wrote a while ago to help me break the encryption on the Sentinal files. I've updated and tweaked it since then, so it didn't take as long this time. Look," she said, hoping to get back to _her_ point. "Why're you spying on us? The people who attacked were after Mr. Wisdom, but now I find you sending private, encrypted messages to somebody about what happened here afterwards..."

"To my dad," Jake said, drily. He leaned back. "You've broken the encryption, you know what I've been saying... I haven't been saying anything that couldn't easily be found out through other means, you know that."

"Not easily," Kitty argued. "Who got hurt, how badly, that sort of information you'd have to be inside to know, and you are. And yeah, it's not critical, but _why_ are you sending encrypted messages to your father, going out of your way to hide them, about stuff that's really none of his buisness? Why should he care?"

"Well," Jake said slowly, eyeing her. "He _is_ my father. It's not entirely insane to think he's merely keeping track of what I'm doing, now is it?" He grinned when he saw Kitty taking a breath to continue arguing, and waved his hand to stop her. "Yes, yes, I know. The encryption. Mainly it's an old habit. Not everyone's all that enthused about Infonet. Obviously crazy people, but some of them are nearly as good hackers as you are."

That got a blush out of Kitty, and she closed her mouth on her latest argument. "I'm sorry," she said instead. "I don't mean to pry. The whole thing just looked... strange and I got concerned."

Jake smiled suddenly. "No, it´s okay, really. If I actually was doing something with reprecussions, I'd mind, but as is..." He contemplated for a moment. "I think I'm about to offer you a job at the Infonet Headquarters in Geneve. Beginning salery for info workers lies around..." he mentioned a sum that made Kitty stare. "with benefits and full dental and health, of course. I think the current benefits are house by the sea, maid service, babysitter -- though you won't be needing that, huh? -- and of course all the newest technology." Jake frowned. "I think there's some more, but I can't remember the rest right now. I'll have to look it up."

Kitty blinked, then blinked again. "You're joking, right?" she finally said.

"No, 'course not." Jake gave her a blank look in return. "I never joke about hirings."

"Then you're nuts. Why on earth would you want to hire me? I'm not even sixteen yet!"

"We're not ageist," Jake deadpanned. "And you broke the encryption, you did great work when we were trying to find Emma, I have _seen_ your course load this semester... Of course we want you. Infonet wants the best, and you´re it."

"That's nuts," she said again, although there was less conviction in her voice. "I'm good, sure, but I'm not the best, and I'm still just a kid. Hiring me would be... crazy."

"You've never heard of corporate sponsorship? It's a bit like that." Jake glanced down at his iBook, noting the time. "But why don't you take some time to think it over? And I'll of course get you that additional information."

"Yeah..." Kitty said slowly. "I'll... I'll think about it." She was still stunned, but remembering her manners, she stood and said, "Thank you for talking to me. Um, sorry again about the whole 'spying on your private conversation' thing. I'll... I'll talk to you later."