The Hacker Chronicles

1.12 Do Pobachennya

Episode Summary

Until we meet again...

Episode Notes

Until we meet again...


Thank you for listening to The Hacker Chronicles. If you liked Season 1, you're going to love Season 2. You can stay up to date at Tenable.com/Alice

If you want to help grow the show, please tell a friend, and leave a rating and review. 

THE HACKER CHRONICLES WAS CREATED BY THE TEAM AT TENABLE, BASED ON THE NOVELLA THE HACKER CHRONICLES CREATED BY JÉRÔME ROBERT, AND WRITTEN BY SKYLER SCHMANSKI WITH TECHNICAL CONSULTATION PROVIDED BY SYLVAIN CORTES.

THE HACKER CHRONICLES PODCAST WAS PRODUCED BY CASPIAN STUDIOS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY IAN FAISON

ADAPTED FOR AUDIO AND WRITTEN BY REX NEW, SKYLER SCHMANSKI, JÉRÔME ROBERT, AND IAN FAISON

PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY REX NEW

SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR AND CREATIVE PRODUCER WAS LANDON PONTIUS. 

SOUND DESIGN AND MIXING BY DAN SCOTT WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BY SCOTT GOODRICH AND CALLEN TURNBULL 

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT BY SEANNON GONZALEZ, COLIN STAMPS, JON LIBBEY, DANE ECKERLE, AND BRADLEY GLANZROCK  AT CASPIAN STUDIOS.

MARKETING SUPPORT FROM KYLE RUSCA, DINO PASALIC AND ROCKABLE.

THE PODCAST WAS EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY JÉRÔME ROBERT AND SKYLER SCHMANSKI. 

THC is starring: 

CHLOE TAYLOR as Alice

and 

John Katona as Genie

Hans Wackerhauser as BlueFalcon

Nicole Britton as Katie

Natalie Rarick as Beth

Jimmy Yamaguchi as Ryan

Jackie Netis as Helen

Douglas Thornton as Arthur

Levi Squier as Tech Support

Matt Burke as Duncan

Sean Deabler as Greg

Colin Stamps as Agent Stewart

Ian Faison as John Doe

Rex New as Kaden 

Skyler Schamnski and Jerome Robert as the hosts of the Tenable Research Podcast

Meredith O'Neil - NPR

Landon Pontius - Frank

Dan Scott - Uber driver

Jon Libbey - Police Officer

Jaz Zepatos - Doctor

Dino Pasalic as rude coffee guy 

Additonal cameos from Videm Youri, Seannon Gonzalez and the team at Caspian Studios

Thank you again for listening. Alice will be back soon. Do Pobachennya

Episode Transcription

Alice:

What's going on?

Speaker 2:

And how do you know Alice?

Arthur:

I'm her landlord, but we're friends.

Alice:

When is she going to wake up?

Speaker 2:

She's lucky to be alive.

Speaker 4:

I can't believe this happened.

Speaker 6:

We used to come up here as kids. I didn't realize she liked it so much.

Speaker 7:

The coffee shop hasn't been the same since she left.

Speaker 8:

She played the piano for me on my birthday.

Speaker 2:

I've been so wrapped up with my own stuff. I never asked Alice about how she's doing.

Speaker 6:

The last thing I said to her, God, I was such a jerk.

Speaker 9:

We've got the internal bleeding under control.

Agent Stewart:

I'm with the FBI. I just need to talk to Alice for a few minutes.

Speaker 6:

What do you mean you're with the FBI?

Agent Stewart:

She has information about an ongoing investigation.

Speaker 3:

Is Alice in trouble? Is Alice in trouble?

Alice:

Hello?

Arthur:

Oh.

Alice:

Hello.

Arthur:

Look who's awake?

Alice:

Where... am I in jail?

Arthur:

If you're in a hospital, Alice, I don't think I'd be sitting next to you if you were in jail. Funny story though, the nurse predicted you'd say that when you woke up. Said that's one of the most common conclusions people come to. Apparently we all have some unresolved guilt.

Alice:

Wait, what happened?

Arthur:

A nasty car crash. You've got a broken collarbone, a few cracked ribs, a heck of a lot of internal bleeding. And from what I hear, you are pretty lucky it wasn't worse. It's one of those just an inch to the left things, oh.

Alice:

Just all I remember was this DUI checkpoint and then just here, I guess.

Arthur:

Well, you've been out for five days. You got all of big pharma pumping through your veins.

Alice:

Five days. I think. I feel like I was awake some of the time. I was hearing my brother, and Beth, and Katie.

Arthur:

Well, you've got a lot of people who care about you.

Alice:

Are they here?

Arthur:

Well, your two girlfriends had to go back to the city, but your brother's still here in Lake Placid. He's been sitting by your bed the whole time passing the hours learning Ukrainian on one of those apps and he asked me to help him practice. Said he's trying to win back a girl. I made him go snowboarding today, told him I'd call him when you woke up. I couldn't hear that accent of his anymore, he sounded like a cross between a James Bond villain and a cat passing a fur ball. It's not easy for the ears.

Alice:

Oh. Oh, I probably shouldn't be laughing. Oh, but Arthur, could you wait to call him please? Just...

Arthur:

Hey, we'll let you wake up first. Though, there is someone here to see you.

Alice:

Who?

Arthur:

You remember that man I told you about? The one who got cold cuts and played heart and soul like you never even heard it before.

Alice:

Yep. Yeah.

Arthur:

Well I was right about him. He's FBI and he has a few questions for you.

Alice:

I saw the agents at the checkpoint.

Arthur:

Look, I don't know what it's about Alice, and he won't tell me, but I can call a lawyer for you if you need one. I've still got quite a few friends from my Hell's Kitchen days. And let's just say, we trafficked in civil disobedience.

Alice:

No, I'll talk to him. It's not a big deal. It'll be fine.

Arthur:

Well, here I was thinking I had a remote worker rebel fighting the system in my cabin. Yeah, I'll grab him.

Alice:

Thanks.

Arthur:

She said she's ready to talk to you.

Agent Stewart:

Thanks Arthur.

Arthur:

Don't mention it.

Agent Stewart:

Alice, I'm Agent Stewart with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Alice:

Hi. Hi. It's nice to meet you.

Agent Stewart:

How are you feeling?

Alice:

Oh, I've been better.

Agent Stewart:

Oh, I can always come back later if you're not up for it? But I do have to talk to you.

Alice:

Yeah, I saw you at the DUI checkpoint.

Agent Stewart:

It actually wasn't a DUI checkpoint. We're in the midst of, well I guess you could call it a manhunt.

Alice:

So you're looking for someone, or?

Agent Stewart:

That's why I'm here. And boy, am I glad you're awake.

Alice:

Yeah, that makes one of us.

Agent Stewart:

Come again?

Alice:

Oh, it's nothing. Yeah, it's just that scratchy throat thing with the...

Agent Stewart:

Yeah, I feel ya. It's all this cold air. But yes, the manhunt. Yeah. So we're trying to put a few things together. Give me a second, I just need to grab something out of my briefcase.

Agent Stewart:

Do you recognize the man in this photo?

Alice:

No, I don't. Who is he?

Agent Stewart:

So this is the man who crashed into your car. Well, rather, into your friend's car. He's a runner for a drug smuggling operation. He saw the DUI checkpoint and turned around, he lost control on the ice and well, here we are.

Alice:

Wow. Is he okay?

Agent Stewart:

He's in custody, but he's been around Lake Placid quite a bit the last few months. Your landlord, Arthur's actually seen him a few times. So we've been asking anyone local if they've seen this man or his acquaintances.

Alice:

Oh yeah. I just work, and I snowboard, so no, not really. No, I...

Agent Stewart:

I heard you're quite the piano player too.

Alice:

Well you said it, not me.

Agent Stewart:

I also heard you haven't been here very long. Arthur says you work in tech.

Alice:

Yeah, I'm just a freelancer. It's mostly just boring programming stuff.

Agent Stewart:

For who?

Alice:

Just little projects here and there. Just apps and stuff for businesses and whatnot.

Agent Stewart:

Nice. I'm just trying to make some chit chat. My kids actually into computers. Oh, that's her actually. Hey, tell you what, I got to take this, but I left my card with Arthur, so if you do remember anything, you know where to find me. We're really trying to piece together what this guy was doing in Lake Placid. And anyway, thanks for your time, Alice. Really appreciate it.

Alice:

Yeah, I'm really happy to help.

Agent Stewart:

Glad you are. Now rest up. We'll let you know if we need anything else. Thanks Arthur.

Arthur:

Anything for the police state? Well, that wasn't so bad. Oh. Oh. Alice.

Alice:

Arthur. I can't reach the Kleenexes with this cast.

Arthur:

Of course. Here.

Alice:

Oh God. Why does it hurt more to blow my nose than just to move my arm?

Arthur:

Oh, the concussion?

Alice:

Ow. Oh, yeah that makes sense. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying.

Arthur:

Yes, you should. You've been through a lot. It's part of the healing process. I've actually been crying a fair bit myself. I hate the idea that something could happen to you.

Alice:

You probably just want your rent check.

Arthur:

Okay. Guilty as charged. Underneath it all, I am as capitalist as the rest of us.

Alice:

You were right, Arthur.

Arthur:

About what?

Alice:

About the FBI? It's always drugs, that's what you said. They were just asking about that guy who hit me at the checkpoint. That's all it was.

Arthur:

That's the one thing I wish I hadn't been right about.

Alice:

Oh, hey, do you know where my phone is?

Arthur:

Typical remote worker, always got to be connected.

Alice:

Yeah. I just need to check something that's all.

Arthur:

Oh, well there's a box over here with your belongings. I don't know if your phone made it. We can try. I brought a charger with me actually, so we're thinking positive here. Putting out the good vibes, let's see what we got. Okay. Ooh, is that a towel? Oh, there it is. Okay. Screen's a little cracked, but it's in better shape than you are. I'm going to plug this in for you. Hey, it needs a charge, but you're good to go.

Alice:

Thanks Arthur. Yeah, I need to see what I missed.

Arthur:

Well Alice, I know you're worried, but maybe laying off the technology for a few more minutes.

Alice:

Oh, Arthur I have to take this, could you just give me a little bit of privacy?

Arthur:

Well, maybe I can answer and just tell them to call back in a bit.

Alice:

Arthur, could you call Ryan maybe and let him know that I'm awake.

Arthur:

You got it.

Alice:

Thank you.

John Doe:

How's the car been going? I heard it's in a few pieces.

Alice:

What do you want?

John Doe:

To be your friend?

Alice:

I don't need any new friends.

John Doe:

I told you, Alice, you had three hours.

Alice:

Yeah, I guess I got a little tied up.

John Doe:

Have you seen the news recently? Robert Sky has resolved its security issues. They've patched their vulnerabilities. Unfortunately they can't identify the corporate, and it doesn't look like they'll ever be able to. You weren't the only one inside Robert Sky. In fact, we were in the early stages of a very important operation. So when I saw you in their system, I started keeping an eye on you.

Alice:

I know you told me this in your voice message.

John Doe:

Don't be snarky. I know you're good at it, but you know what you helped me see? That you're talented and most importantly, you're fearless and that's an intriguing combination.

Alice:

Look, what do you want?

John Doe:

The question is what do you want? Here's how I see it. With just a few clicks in my keyboard, I can expose you to Robert Sky and Gold, Thorpe & Hudson. You can spend the next 20 years of your life in a federal prison, or you could work for a friend.

Alice:

I don't make friends with people who sound like Transformers.

John Doe:

It's a necessary precaution in my line of work, don't take it personally. The truth is, I think we're kindred spirits. Once you were inside Robert Sky, you could have made money 100 different ways. Instead, you locked the door and you threw away the key because you wanted to be the good guy, you wanted to take a stand. So let me tell you about myself. I'm one more people in the tech world might call a consultancy service and we work with governments from around the world, only the good guys.

Alice:

Yeah, I've learned in this line of work, there is no such thing as good guys and bad guys. Whatever you're doing, you're going to bring down someone innocent with you.

John Doe:

Hey, you might be right. There's always collateral damage, that's the cost of doing business. I'm not saying we make the world a better place all the time, but we're aligned with the interest of a lesser evil.

Alice:

Bullshit.

John Doe:

It's bullshit that I reached out to you. I don't usually give people this green a second look. You've only been hacking what, two months? Someone as naturally talented as you doesn't come along every day though.

Alice:

Yeah whatever, dox me. I don't care. I don't want to do this anymore.

John Doe:

Yeah, of course. That's no problem at all. I can dox you, what about your friends, what about your family? Think of all the people who must have helped you get here, whether they knew it or not. Who paid for the wifi at your old apartment, Alice? Was it you or your roommate, Katie? We both know there are other accomplishments, and I'm sure the FBI would love to hear from each of them. Perhaps an ongoing investigation. National news stretched over years while you sit in prison.

Alice:

Listen, you leave them out of this. I don't want anyone else to be hurt.

John Doe:

And take my offer. Don't be fooled Alice, if you don't want to be friends my work will continue and maybe you'll hear about it in the TV room of a federal prison. So you can sit in jail and feel bad about yourself, or you can go out in the world and make a difference, do some good for a change, Alice. And if it makes you feel any better, we get paid like the bad guys. So I'll tell you what, we're way past the deadline and I know you got banged out pretty badly, so here's what I'm thinking. In 24 hours, I'll release an anonymous tip to the FBI with your IP address. It won't take long for them to retrace your steps, so just let me know if you'd like to be friends, unless you've decided no?

Alice:

The last person who tried to hire me wanted to give me afternoons off so I could go to piano auditions.

John Doe:

Sure, play the piano as much as you want I don't care. Anything else in your [inaudible 00:15:28], Green M&Ms?

Alice:

How do I know you're telling the truth?

John Doe:

There's only one way to find out.

Alice:

Well, I guess you're not giving me much of a choice, are you?

John Doe:

You always have a choice, Alice. And so, until we meet again, or shall I say... [inaudible 00:15:58].

Speaker 12:

Thank you for listening to the Hacker Chronicles. If you like season one, you are going to love season two. You can stay up to date at tenable.com/alice. And if you want to help grow the show, please just tell one friend and maybe give us a five star rating until we meet again, [foreign language 00:16:22].

Speaker 12:

The Hacker Chronicles was created by the team at Tenable based on the Novella; the Hacker Chronicles, created by Jerome Robert and written by Skyler Schmanski, with technical consultation provided by Sylvain Cortes. The Hacker Chronicles podcast was produced by Caspian Studios, executive produced by Ian Faison. Adapted for audio written and produced by Rex New, supervising sound editor and creative producer was Landon Pontius, sound design and mixing by Dan Scott with additional support by Scott Goodrich and Kellan Turnbull. Additional production support by Channing Gonzales, Colin Stamps, John Libby, Dane Ackerley, and Bradley Glancerock. Marketing support from Kyle Araska, Petino Pasloick, and Rock Bull. The podcast was executive produced by Jerome Robert and Skyler Schmanski.

Speaker 12:

Starring Chloe Taylor as Alice, John Catona as Genie Hans Walker Hausser as Blue Falcon, Nicole Britten as Katie, Natalie Rerick as Beth, Jimmy Yamaguchi as Ryan, Jackie Needis as Helen, Douglas Thornton as Arthur, Levi Squire as tech support, Matt Burke as Duncan, Sean Diebler is Greg. Colin Stamps as Agent Stewart, Ian Faison as John Doe, Rex New as Kayden, Skyler Schmanski and Jerome Robert as the hosts of Tenable Research podcast. Meredith O'Neal as NPR, Landon Pontius as Frank, Dan Scott as the Uber driver. John Libby is the officer. Chaz Zepotos is the doctor. Do you know Paslick is the rude coffee guy? Additional cameos from Vita Myori, Channing Gonzales, and the team at Caspian Studios.

Speaker 12:

Thank you again for listening. Alice will be back soon.