[ Cadel's instant reaction is one of blind panic before he breathes through it and it clears. He can't afford panic. He forcibly reminds himself that tracking it back to this IP address doesn't matter, because he can pack up and leave this housing assignment if he wants and request another, or siphon funds into an account from a credit card company in a real emergency and get his own place. He can just go if she gets suspicious. (He knows this is a she because he found her ID by skimming the public network and picked victims from there, not wanting to waste time on inactive accounts.)
This is a stolen computer. He can ditch it. He's no attachment to it. He's fine.
Nonetheless he withdraws all of his probes and starts closing up shop on his end, slapping down protections as fast as he can, heart in his throat. In the middle of this he finally answers: ]
Looking. What are you?
[ Because the code he'd seen one glimpse of, and what's barraging him now, is not like anything he's ever seen. ]
no subject
This is a stolen computer. He can ditch it. He's no attachment to it. He's fine.
Nonetheless he withdraws all of his probes and starts closing up shop on his end, slapping down protections as fast as he can, heart in his throat. In the middle of this he finally answers: ]
Looking. What are you?
[ Because the code he'd seen one glimpse of, and what's barraging him now, is not like anything he's ever seen. ]