Smash It And Pretend You Never Saw It

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Where: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

When: August 10th 2012

What: Terri brings the drive that she and Nicholas both came into possession of, to an LVMPD tech nerd to see what is on it.

It's a day or so after the incident where Terri got her thumbdrive. After talking with Nicholas, and finding out that he's got one as well, she's calling in a favor owed by the technerd at the station. Here's hoping that they can lend a help, since she doesn't have the skills needed to break the encryption. Coming in on her day off with Nicholas at her side, she makes her way down to the bowels of the department where said technerd has their office. A rap of knuckles to the door proceeds her peeking in, "Hey.. got a minute?"

Nicholas follows along behind Terri, feeling a bit uneasy in the police station, but not letting it show on his face or in his posture. It's just another day out and about, trying to decrypt secret USB thumb drives, just like every day. He lets Terri do all the talking, since she works here and knows these people, but keeps an eye out behind and around them, just in case.

"Heeeeyyyy" This may be in the basement, but it's no nerd cave. A multitde of desks with a couple screens per, technology hums in here. The reason it's in the basement is the heat of the machines in here, need any extra coolness that being sunk below the ground can provide. In a button down and slacks, the technerd in question isn't some fresh out of school young thing. Nor is it the glasses and quirky sterotype.
'Hey, Detective" He's alone, everyone else out. "Sure" The actually average looking guy offers up. "I got about a half hour, what you need. Just running a few checks on stuff"

There's a brief look to Nicholas offered with a smile before Terri steps inside the basement office. "Got a mystery for you to break open for me, if you're up for the challenge." And since she's coming 'off duty' it's not connected to anything else, right? Slipping a hand into her pocket, she takes out two thumbdrives - hers marked with red ribbon, the other white. "They're encrypted. Need to see if you could break them open for me?"

"Run of the mill, hiding porn stash from computer ignorant mommy encrypted or something more?" He asks. The two drives are taken from her, turned over in his hand, regarding the innocent looking white and tan drives with their removable covers and the ribbons to differentiate them. He offers his hand to Nicholas to shake. "Derek Mason. Forensic Technologist, you are?"

"I think something more, but that's what I need you to help me figure out." Terri answers Derek. As he introduces himself, she ohs, "Derek, this is a good friend of mine, Nicholas." Which if Derek ever listened to the grapevine about the station, he might remember the rumors of her being engaged a few years ago to a man by that name.

"Like she said, Nicholas." He shakes the techie's hand with a charming Irish smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Derek. We're not sure what to expect on those little things, so anything you can tell us would be helpful." Nic steps back out of the way then and leans against the sidewall of the cubicle.

Rumors rarely make it down here. Firm shake offered, there's a nod and he's easing away from his desk to another one. "You need information right this minute or can I take my time" That's assuming he can't crack it right away. He's figuring that he'll crack it right away. "Where's you get the drive?" The first one, red ribbon, is slid into home and he starts in on doing what he does best.

"As soon as you can get it to me?" Terri answers, moving to follow him as he goes to a workstation. "I was hoping it would be a quick job though and we can be in and out of your hair without trouble." Here's hoping, crossing fingers! "Someone gave it to me.." Not going into who, though.

Fingers fly across the keyboard, David's brows furrowing as he blinks at the drive. he pauses, reaching over to switch out the drives, and repeat the process with the other drive, waiting for the computer to recognize.

Five minutes pass, then another. Then another shaking his head as programs run to decrypt come up fruitless.

"Who'd you get this from?" He turns in his seat, looking to Terri and Nicholas. Mostly Nicholas. "Are you with some.. agency?"

"No. I'm just a security consultant. Where those came from, well…you know in the movies when the heroes tell the Dennis Miller character that it's probably a good idea for him not to know? And when he finds out, bad things happen to him? Let's just go with…we found them?" Nicholas smiles at the other man and gives a little shrug of his shoulders. "I take it you can't get into them?"

Terri leaves it up to Nicholas to answer Derek's question, instead, watching curiously as he tries to get into the drives. With the question asked by Nic, she glances to her technerd, brow raised in silence.

He looks suddenly, a little unhappy to be even looking at them. So much so that he's plucking them out and passing them to Terri. "Listen detective, I don't know where you got them, but I don't think you should have them. I have some pretty good decryption programs, and I'm not exactly a wimp at it myself. These.. I've never seen anything like it. I mean, I've literally seen nothing like it, I wouldn't even know where to start and it would take weeks, if that"

Would. If. Specific words. "I can't help you. These, these are bad news detective. If I were you, I'd smash it and pretend you never saw it. It's got the smell of government all over it"

Nicholas raises an eyebrow slowly and then just shrugs. "We'll take it under advisement." He lets Terri get the drives from him, keeping the 'chain of custody', so to speak with her. "Thanks anyway, Derek. Was good to meet you, regardless."

Terri sighs at Derek's words, nodding as she takes the drives in hand. "Well, thanks for trying anyway." As for his suggestion, she will take it under advisement, but likely won't be crushing them any time soon. "I'll owe you for this.. " That said, the drives are tucked into her pocket and she makes to leave, no doubt to talk with Nicholas once they're clear of the station about finding some techy to pay.


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