Dmitri has been compromised. Alice plots her next move.
Dmitri has been compromised. Alice plots her next move.
The Hacker Chronicles
Presented by Tenable. Learn more at Tenable.com/Alice
Vote for The Hacker Chronicles in the 2nd Annual Signal Listener's Choice Award.
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Credits:
Starring Michael C. Hall as John Doe
And Chloe Taylor as Alice
Executive Produced by Michael C. Hall, Jerome Robert, Skyler Schmanski and Ian Faison
Directed by Rex New
Written for Audio by Rex New, Jerome Robert, & Skyler Schmanski
Story based on the Novella The Hacker Chronicles created by Jerome Robert and written by Skyler Schmanski
With:
Nicole Britton as Katie
Paul Coltofeanu as Andrei Novikov
Nick Fyrsting as the Bartender
Douglas Thornton as the Newscaster
The Hacker Chronicles is produced by Caspian Studios.
Produced by Taylor Brim & Rex New
Produced by Dane Eckerle
Supervising Creative Producer: Landon Pontius
Sound Design by Dan Scott and Zack Dingman
Sound Mixing by Dan Scott
“Jacob’s Celebration” composed and performed by Joshua Glenn Wilson
Associate Producer: Mark Wolf Roberts
Dialogue Editing by Nick Canepa and Scott Goodrich
Production Support by SJ Nichols, Bradley Glanzrock, Jon Libbey
and Dani Godard
Marketing Support from Dino Pasalic, Kyle Rusca, Dylan Langlois and Rockable
Additional Production Support provided by Echo Mountain Studios
Demitri (00:00):
Alice, call me as soon as you can. I've been compromised. Alice, call me as soon as you can. I've been compromised. Alice, call me as soon as you can. I've been compromised. Alice, call me as soon as you can. I've been compromised.
Alice (00:19):
Oh my God. How does he know already? Okay, Alice, you can't put him off. You got to call him. Okay. Just do it. Just open signal and just call him.
Demitri (00:45):
Hi, Alice.
Alice (00:47):
Hey, John. Sorry I missed your message. I was in the bathroom.
Demitri (00:53):
Yeah, I really don't need that mental image right now. What matters is that I've been compromised.
Alice (01:00):
Are you sure?
Demitri (01:01):
Yes.
Alice (01:02):
Well, do you know what happened?
Demitri (01:04):
Or I'm working on it.
Alice (01:06):
Okay, so what can I do?
Demitri (01:10):
Give me remote access to your systems. I have to see if you're compromised as well.
Alice (01:16):
No,
Demitri (01:17):
I don't have time for games.
Alice (01:19):
I don't either.
Demitri (01:21):
There's only one of us good enough to figure this out.
Alice (01:23):
Listen, I already know I'm not compromised. Every morning I review my configurations, white lists, account settings, logs, everything every morning. It's the absolute most boring thing on the planet, but I do it because I've been caught already by you. So I do everything I can to make sure that never happens ever again.
Demitri (01:45):
Look, I just need to verify.
Alice (01:47):
No, it's a non-negotiable. John, look, you want me or us to pull this thing off? You can't waste time dotting all my i's. I have just as much skin in this as you do. I'll recheck everything. Just let me do my job so you can do yours
Demitri (02:09):
Right now. Lay low, double check any potential vulnerabilities. Get creative.
Alice (02:14):
Yeah, you got it.
Demitri (02:15):
And Alice?
Alice (02:17):
Yes?
Demitri (02:18):
When I call you, answer your phone. Goodbye.
Alice (02:21):
Wait, hold on. Hold on.
Demitri (02:23):
What?
Alice (02:24):
This is the first time you haven't hung up on me.
Demitri (02:27):
Then this must be a very serious situation.
Alice (02:33):
I've been compromised. Dmitri's words. His fear just wracked my skull. I'd been lurking in his command and control center for three days listening to his every click breath and ribbit. I heard everything. I was still putting the pieces together, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew the ransom money Dmitri was raking in. I knew he was shorting stocks off the backs of our missions together. I also knew that we were doing everything he said from the outset. We really did do the dirty work for the good guys, and of course, the occasional act of corporate espionage except something was missing. No matter how many hours I put in Dmitri's digital basement, I couldn't find the key Andre Novikov. I still had no idea why Dmitri was still obsessed with this man, why he was so different from the rest of our targets. But even if Andre was the key, at least I had enough to lock pick my way out of all this with what I'd extracted from Dmitri's computer. It wasn't the maximum leverage I wanted, but it was enough, and sometimes that's all you have.
Newscaster (04:37):
Breaking news in the Suez Canal. The Marquez Maritime Corporation has announced that after 42 very long hours, the H C V Orca has now been repaired. The company attributed the issue to an unexpected mechanical error, and though the boat was only grounded for less than two days, it's believed there's an estimated 3 billion in trade damages around the world.
Alice (05:00):
Well, I guess we did some damage. It's been three hours. Dmitri still hasn't called. I guess I should keep up appearances.
Demitri (05:15):
Yes, Alice?
Alice (05:17):
Just wanted to check in. Still not compromised here.
Demitri (05:22):
And no leads here. I'm working on it.
Alice (05:25):
If you need any help—
Demitri (05:27):
I can. I've got it, Alice, but here's what I'd like you to do. In about 45 minutes, Andre is making a live announcement on Wakefield City's social media channels. Watch it.
Alice (05:36):
Sure.
Demitri (05:36):
My gut says he's announcing some type of charitable initiative. If that's the case, then perhaps that's an in for us.
Alice (05:43):
Okay, so what exactly do you want me to do?
Demitri (05:45):
Just watch, think about it. Think about angles, opportunities, or at the very least, do some reconnaissance before your next social engineering attempt. I wasn't a big fan of your winged approach last.
Alice (05:57):
Got it. Okay, so watch the video and just leave
Demitri (06:01):
Me a message with your thoughts. I'll contact you when I'm ready. Goodbye.
Alice (06:06):
Bye, Andrei. Andrei, Andrei, fine. I'll watch your video. Let's just get this over with.
Andrei (06:21):
Is this live? You are sure that we are live. I thought I was supposed to see a red light. I'm just kidding. Okay, I guess we are live. Hello, Wakefield City fans all over the world and maybe even a few rivals too. As you know, I left Russia nearly 10 years ago after realizing my values didn't align with the country's political context. I have made the United Kingdom home since then. Looking for a community to call my own. Today, I can say I have founded here in Wakefield City. What I love most about this city is that it truly takes pride in its values, hard work, family, and winning. And that's why I'm announcing our newest initiative, the Wakefield City Community Program. It's simple. I the owner of Wakefield City want your feedback on everything you already know. We are renovating our stadium in the off season, but what can we do to improve your experience here? What can we do to be a better part of the Wakefield community? That's why I want to hear directly from you, the Wakefield City fan. You can email me anything at community@wakefieldcity.uk. I will be reading every single email within 24 hours of receiving them. That is a promise. This team is my passion. This community is my home. And even if we are not all running onto the pitch for Wakefield City, we are all one team. Remember the email address community@wakefieldcity.uk. I cannot wait to hear from you. This is the start of a new era for Wakefield City, forged by you. Thank you.
Alice (08:27):
Okay, well, that was a valuable use of my time. Hey, John. It's me. Just watched Andrei's big speech, not much in there for us. He announced an email address where fans can send him suggestions, make a better fan community or something like that. Pretty cheesy shit isn't the kind of front strike we'd want anyway. Oh, and fun fact, Andre is a boomer who thinks he's a lot funnier than he actually is. Anyway, let me know how things are going with your end points or whatever. Bye. Dmitri. Dmitri, Dmitri. I'm almost there. I'm almost there. I just need another day or two. I just need to know a little bit more.
Newscaster (09:40):
However, the Marquez Maritime Corporation, the owners of the H C V Orca have said they do not know the source of the mechanical failure and they
Alice (09:47):
Have no, oh, Katie, can you turn that off?
Katie (09:50):
Oh, hey, Alice. Didn't see you there. Sure. What's up?
Alice (09:54):
I'm just so tired of the news.
Katie (09:57):
Wellness break. I get it. I know. Obsessing over someone's misfortune is the opposite of hookah, but another boat stuck in the Suez Canal. They're saying they have no idea what happened. The boat passed every inspection.
Alice (10:12):
Yeah, it's a real mystery.
Katie (10:14):
Do you want to hear my favorite theory? I saw it on TikTok. People are saying that AI did it. The boat had AI on it, and now the AI is sentient, and this is just the first battle in the coming war between corporations. It's just crazy, right? I mean, oh, sorry. Also, we're not supposed to say the word crazy. I apologize. Anyway, I can also see by the look on your face that I'm spending way too much time on the internet.
Alice (10:41):
I'm sorry. I'm just tired. My work, and I don't know my boss. It's…
Katie (10:47):
What now?
Alice (10:48):
He's just been acting really strange.
Katie (10:52):
Wow. Shocker. Textbook toxic boss. From everything you told me. You crushed that pen test and he's probably jealous. Like I said, textbook toxic behavior.
Alice (11:05):
Yep. When you're right, you're right. I'm going to grab some coffee. The coffee in Denmark is so good, by the way.
Katie (11:13):
Hold on. You don't just need coffee. Alice, I'm looking at you right now as both your friend and your emergency contact, and I'm concerned one of the 10 principles of is presence and you aren't present right now.
Alice (11:32):
I mean, I'm here.
Katie (11:35):
No. You know what I mean? You need a break. Even if it's 10 minutes. I've got an idea.
Alice (11:45):
I really should get back.
Katie (11:46):
No, no. What is the one thing you have not done since we got to Copenhagen or since Europe, period?
Alice (11:57):
I know. I've been so busy and I'm a little bit worried about carpal tunnel. I'm not going to lie.
Katie (12:06):
Well, you can take 10 minutes.
Alice (12:11):
I don't even think I'd know what to play.
Katie (12:13):
So don't think just sit down, play what's on your mind, but no banging on the keys.
Alice (12:21):
Okay. Okay. Wow, that's been a minute. Okay. You think the neighbors will complain?
Katie (12:34):
Not if you play them something worth hearing.
Alice (12:36):
Touche. Okay. Okay. Hold on.
Katie (12:53):
Yeah, that's the Alice I remember.
Alice (12:58):
This is nice.
Katie (14:17):
Alice. That was amazing. What was that?
Alice (14:22):
It's called Jacob's Celebration. I played it for Arthur on his birthday last year. It was his wife's favorite song.
Katie (14:29):
Oh wow. I don't know what Jacob is celebrating, but it sounds like it wasn't easy. So what are you celebrating?
Alice (14:40):
I don't know. The song's just been on my mind since I promised Arthur I'd play it again at the wedding.
Katie (14:47):
Well, you've got like three months till your brother's big day, so I guess you have an excuse to practice more.
Alice (14:53):
Yeah.
Katie (14:56):
Don't look at your phone presence.
Alice (14:59):
Sorry. I have to. It's the boss. Oh, wow. He says he'll call me tomorrow morning.
Katie (15:08):
Does that mean you have the day off?
Alice (15:11):
I definitely have tonight off.
Katie (15:14):
You know what this means, don't you? It's Wine Night and tonight we are at Sunflower, one of the most iconic wine bars in the world.
Alice (15:36):
I didn't know there were iconic wine bars.
Katie (15:39):
Everything here is organic, biodynamic, natural, and whatever is going to be the next new thing in wine. This place is legendary and also incredibly cozy. It's as if Huga had 10 to 14% alcohol content.
Alice (15:54):
Oh, there are two seats right there. Oh God. Could I get more comfortable?
Katie (16:11):
That's Copenhagen, the capital of comfort.
Alice (16:17):
This wine list is a little intimidating.
Katie (16:21):
That's why you have me. They change their menu here every single day based on whatever is in season and whatever they have. I've been studying it ever since. You agreed to wine night.
Alice (16:32):
I thought you said they changed it every day.
Katie (16:34):
They posted on Instagram every day at 3:00 PM
Alice (16:36):
Katie, I thought you were on a social media break.
Katie (16:39):
Ah, yeah. I struggle with that. But right now we are having the ultimate wine night. Zero socials total presence.
Alice (16:49):
Oh, that's really sweet of you.
Katie (16:52):
But God, it's addicting. I posted three stories today about coming here. This is bucket list stuff. Alice, I think we should start with an orange. What do you think? I'm a little warm under all these layers. Yeah.
Alice (17:09):
Yeah. Orange sounds great with some funk, some funky funk.
Katie (17:15):
Okay, I've got just the thing in mind.
Katie (17:39):
Doc,
Katie (17:43):
Cheers to you, Alice, and thank you. Thank you for paying for dream trip to Copenhagen.
Alice (17:51):
Come on. Can't we just cheer and enjoy this wine?
Katie (18:00):
I taste, I'm tasting the gum Lingham like grass and also apricots, dried apricots. But the dried apricots I used to buy at Arthur's store, not the ones from Trader Joe's.
Alice (18:18):
That's a very distinct difference. Okay. Yeah,
Katie (18:25):
But okay. Look behind you very slowly. What? Very carefully
Alice (18:31):
What?
Katie (18:32):
There is a hot guy at that table. I just got him staring right at us. I think he's looking at you.
Alice (18:40):
Okay.
Katie (18:41):
Let's your lucky day, Alice. Oh God. Don't turn around. I already made eye contact with him. You got to wait like 30 more seconds. We don't want to look like we know just yet.
Alice (18:52):
Okay, fine. I'll play along. What does he look like?
Katie (18:55):
Hot. I mean more specifically like big time daddy energy. You know what I mean? Or is he a daddy sometimes? That's hard to tell, you know?
Alice (19:05):
Okay. I can get with that.
Katie (19:07):
He is wearing a weird t-shirt though. I can kind of make it out. It's like something with a bear with deer antlers and it says beer. Ugh. Total dad joke. I guess he's a daddy. I can't see if he's wearing a wedding ring though. Or does that even matter in Europe?
Alice (19:26):
Katie, what did you say about his T-shirt?
Katie (19:29):
It says beer. Beer. Yeah, but it's a bear with deer antlers.
Alice (19:34):
Okay, I'm going to look now. Oh my God,
Katie (19:38):
He's hot, right,
Alice (19:39):
Katie? That's my boss. What? The man at the table. That's the asshole. I work for my toxic freaking boss. Whoa. Yeah.
Katie (19:48):
He's not what I pictured.
Alice (19:49):
No, he definitely isn't.
Katie (19:52):
Talk about busting stereotypes. That is not the computer nerd I was expecting.
Alice (19:57):
I mean, he's not that handsome.
Katie (20:00):
He is Alice.
Alice (20:02):
Okay. Yeah, he is
Katie (20:04):
Crazy coincidence. But I guess this place is pretty well known.
Alice (20:08):
Yeah. Crazy coincidence. Wow. Hey, kitty, can you give me a few minutes? I'm going to go talk to my boss. Sure.
Katie (20:21):
You want some backup?
Alice (20:22):
No. I'm actually going to go quit my job.
Outro (20:44):
The Hacker Chronicles, presented by Tenable. Learn more at tenable.com/alice. Starring Michael C. Hall as John Doe and Chloe Taylor as Alice Executive, produced by Michael C. Hall, Jerome, Robert Skylar, Skyler Shamans and Ian Faison, directed by Rex New, written for audio by Rex New Jerome, Robert and Skyler Shamans story based on the novella, the Hacker Chronicles, created by Jerome Robert and written by Skylar, shaky with Nicole Britton as Katie Paul Cole. Nu as Andre Novikoff. Nick Fiercer as the bartender, Douglas Thornton as the Newscaster. The Hacker Chronicles is produced by Caspian Studios, produced by Taylor Brimm. And Rex New produced by Dan Ackerley. Supervising creative producer is Land Pontius Sound, designed by Dan Scott and Zach Dingman. Sound mixing by Dan Scott Jacob's. Celebration is composed and performed by Joshua Glenn Wilson. The associate producer is Mark Wolf Roberts dialogue, editing by Nick Cana and Scott Goodrich. Production support by SJ Nichols, Bradley Glands Rock, John Libby and Danny Goddard. Marketing support from Dino Pai, Kyle Ruka, Dylan Langley and Rockwell. Additional production support provided by Echo Mountain Studios. Learn more at tenable.com/alice.