Hidden Message?

Everyone gives a start at Dalton's raised voice, and too surprised to argue, they back off.

Reese throws his arms in the air, meandering back towards his office. Susanne's mumblings filter on back as she trudges to her desk too. "We just want to get our work done like anyone else. We can't help it neither, and don't deserve to get yelled at. If Scott were..."

Reese sets a hand on Susann's shoulder as they walk. "Easy."

"Oh, I just..."

"I know..." Reese knew Susanne was more sensitive than she let on, and he knew good and well that she was thinking about the fact that Scott had never yelled at the staff like that. He couldn't blame Dalton though...the poor guy was trying his hardest, and Reese was just as guilty as anyone else for barging in on him and pressuring him.


Jason cocks his head to see out his open office door and sighs. Nice commotion... He stands up and wanders into the hall, but stops, seeing Dalton's door shut.

Guess some people get special privileges huh?

He smirks and turns back around. Have fun. Tell me when it's over.

Heaving a sigh, Jason goes back into his office and flops down in the chair. Trooper gives a whine and comes up to him for a scratch behind the ears, and Jason obliges absentmindedly. "What's the matter, bub, hmm?

He swivels in his chair, looking at the strange message that had appeared on his computer, along with Reese's and everyone else's. He tries to close it again with no luck. Frowning, he looks closer. Strange. What did the letters mean? What did it have to do with the system shutting down? And why had it shut down anyway? Hackers? The Agency? Those were scary thoughts.

Find anything? How's Dalton coming? I guess I can't blame him, but I sure don't think he made any friends today. If he gets us back up and running though, that should put him back in everyone's good graces.

Jason fools around a little on his own, coming up with nothing. Sighing, he scribbles out the strange letters on a piece of paper. Without being able to use his computer, there wasn't much else to do. alriednsghnbeori Short Circuit

Was the first word a code? A password? And why were the second two words capitalized, let alone not scrambled?


"Aw, now what." Bret groans and sinks down into a chair.

Con sighs. "Looks like we're blocked up for a while. We can't look anything up right now."

"Nice."

Con looks at Angelica and rolls his eyes, then glances back to Bret. "Cool it. It's temporary, and we got time."

"Well you're the one pushing me to get those guys quick before the law gets me again."

"We are the law, and we are running out of time. But you losing your temper won't do anyone any good."

Bret closes his eyes, wishing this whole thing could just be over.


Time passes, and it doesn't feel like over an hour has gone by. Jason scribbles some more, not really paying much attention. airlendshgbeori.... rilaendshgbnorei... irlndsaeniehgbro... irndleaborneigh...

Jason suddenly sits up straight.

What the...

He scribbles some more. irelandsneighbor... irelands neighbor. What on earth... that was what Scott always used to refer to himself. Was this some sort of block he'd set up to keep out hackers, or....what... But what about the last two words? Why were they capitalized? A title? Of what?

Jason quirks an eyebrow. He knew a movie titled Short Circuit. It had been a while since he'd seen it... he'd liked it. He grins a little at the memory of the escaped robot. Of course, the one main and always-quoted line comes to mind. "Number Five is alive!" It had been one of Scott's favorite movies in his collection.

The blood drains from Jason's face. He stares at his scribbles, then at the computer, then back again. Writing it out, he stares in disbelief. Surely not. It couldn't be. Ireland's Neighbor is alive.

Katie...I need to see you... right now... ditch Dalton and get in my office, pronto.



"Talk!" The raised voice is followed by a backhanded slap. "Talk!"

"No."

"Talk!" This time it's a jab to the stomach, sending the victim to the floor. "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

A kick is aimed at the victim's ribcage. "Tell me!"

A groan escapes from the curled up form on the floor. Words are muffled between gasps for breath. "No."

"Talk or someone else dies for real." The threat is followed up by another kick.

"Don't hurt anyone else!"

"Then talk!"

Wheezing, the huddled victim moves. "What's wrong...can't...can't get in?"

"We got info on how to bypass TJY security. We got confirmed passwords and methods to bypass and hack. Now since you said you were locked out, we can't even get back in. What did you do?"

"Stuff it."

The form is yanked up off the floor, shoved back into the chair under the glaring light, the assailant's face right up in his own. "Talk, or we go after the Pent girl."

"Don't..."

"Then talk!" The next hit to the face echoes through the dingy room.

"Alright, I locked everyone out. Everything's been reset."

"To what? What did you change it to?"

"I didn't." A moment is taken to recover breathing control. "I warned the system. It reset itself to its original security measures. It was....was set up before I even got there." Blood runs down from a cut. "I don't know the old information...old passwords."

"Well, you're just going to have to find out."

"I can't!"

"You will!"

One more hit, and the victim finally feels nothing else as the darkness of unconsciousness settles in...

Alice...it's Alice... He doesn't open his eyes, knowing he'll just be met with darkness anyway. He didn't know how much time had passed...but he was back in the cold cement room without light. He shivers. He had done it on purpose...lied. The system wasn't reset...it was backup security. The master password was Alice.
Just get my message...please...just get my message and find me... God, please let them see it.

The door opens.

No...not again...no....

Help

*Frustrated Dalton sits at his computer typing away with programs, as boxs open and close on his computer. Everyone was in his office, everyone was asking his questions, he new no more than he did but he was trying to correct the problem and find out what happend.

All the questions, everyone wanting to know what was going on, Dalton tryed to push them out of his mind he was trying he was trying.*

*As Katie's computer goes off and so do the lights her heart jumps.

What on earth...

Once the computer turns on again Katie clicks on a few things. Trying to axcess her files again to finish her work Katie hits a brick wall and non of her passwords work. Continuing to try and axcess one thing than the next Katie still gets nothing.

I can't get into any of my files J...

Standing Katie makes her way to Dalton's office other where there already firing off a million questions. Obvesily they were having the same problem.*

*The chatter and questions continue around Dalton as he continues to work. Not bothering to look up he trys to work. Continues to try and block out the questions, the complaining. Finally not being able to handle it anymore Dalton looks up and around the room raising his voice.*

"EVERYONE out NOW. I know just as much as everyone alse and I am trying to fix it. I CAN'T do that with everyone in here asking me a million questions at once. EVERYONE OUT NOW and let me do my job. As SOON as I know something you will know something now OUT."

*Looking down again Dalton continues to click but look up quick as he see Katie start to leave.*

"Kit Kat, wait you stay come here."

*Turning Katie comes back into the room. Why would Dalton want her to stay?*

"Sure whats up?"

*Dalton waves for the door to be closed and than points to a chair to pull next to him.*

"I need your help Kit Kat. I know this might be hard but you new Scott better than anyone. Any information you can give me that might help or if you take a look at these files it might help me out a bit too."

*Katie shuts the door and walks over to Dalton sitting next to him. The mention of Scott sends a pain in her heart. But she had to do this, it would help everyone and Scott would of wanted it no matter how much it hurt.*

"Ok let me take a look with you."

Noticing Time

Kyle opens his mouth to throw a retort at Katie, but for once, can't think of anything. Finally, just smiling, he shakes his head. "Alright. I made a fool out of myself on that one. I'll get ya... mark my words, I'll get ya."

Laura grins and nods. "Dinner. Sounds good." She gets up and gathers her purse, giving a little sigh. "Alright...." She looks down at Dani, offering a smile. "Nice to meet you, Dani. I hope we'll see more of you."

Dani can't help but smile. Laura was so nice. "Yeah...me too. Thanks for making me feel welcome."

Laura nods, then takes Nate's arm as they leave.


Friends disperse. But though parting, the laughter and smiles remain in minds and hearts, a warm reminder of the night, and a lingering expectation of the next time they would share their time again.

Mom and Pop's grows quiet. Herb and Mabel leave for the night, leaving the cleanup to Carson. A radio providing background noise, Carson cleans up the floor, tables and chairs, talking with Dani as he works. They don't talk about too many deep things... mostly just about recent events, or what has been happening with each of them lately. Both knew that more involved discussions would come, but for now...for now they were satisfied with just being together.

When Jess arrives, Carson makes the introductions, feeling just a little awkward. Dani can't help but offer a warm smile as her greeting, immediately taking a liking to her. The three wind up at a booth, just talking for a while until finally Dani is ready to hit the hay. Carson gets her settled in his room, and the next couple hours are spent with just him and Jess, listening to music, talking and laughing. Though much is on Carson's mind, he lets Jess distract him to where he can enjoy the late evening, and finally walk her home for the night.


Sometimes looking in from the outside, one would simply see the hands of time moving around the faces of clocks. One might nod and move on, simply accepting that time has occurred. Yet when one can grasp the very essence of that same time, and take into themselves the longing to understand, time can almost slow...and that one may catch a glimpse at what is really passing...what is really occurring, beyond the face of the clock...

...Thoughts are stirred, confusion lingering, mixed with a strange sense of friendship that one might not have thought would develop...

"What? Why?" Jason sits on the stool in Mike's basement, guitar in hand as the band practices. JetStream is there along with Katie and all of Cryptic, spending the evening talking, chatting, playing and singing.

Axel shrugs from his seat on the floor in the corner of the room. "I saw it was in bad shape. I was bored."

Jason's eyes are wide. He had finally discovered it had been Axel who had gotten his motorcycle back in running condition. But he hadn't taken it to a shop - he'd done all the work himself. "Bored? Well come on - I owe you something."

Axel shakes his head, looking Jason square in the eye. "Nope. Maybe someday you can return the favor. For now, just accept the fact that I wanted to do it."

"But it had to have cost you money!"

Axel sighs and looks at Katie, then back at Jason. "Let it go, Hotshot."

Axel's tone warns Jason not to argue further, and he finds himself backing down. "Alright. Well...thank you."

Though practice continues, Axel's eyes linger on Jason, studying him...perceiving who he was, and what his personality was. There was more there...much more than the surface implied, and Axel could see it. And there was much that was connected somehow to Katie.


...A battle continues...one to save a man from undue punishment, but one that is punishment in itself, for crimes of involvement...


Bret groans and paces Angelica's office. "If they weren't at the warehouse, then I don't know where they are."

"Think!" Con crosses his arms, leaning back against the wall. He'd spent a lot of time at TJY the last few days, getting himself inovled in Bret's case, helping his friend as much as he could. "You were right there, involved. You had to have been told something."

"But I wasn't!" Bret throws up his arms in frustration. He was glad he'd been released from jail after the hearing, but now he was obligated to help take down the other crooks. If he didn't, he would wind up in prison. Whether he helped or not, he was still an accessory to the crime. If the others wouldn't pay, he would. "The third bank they hit yesterday was the last one, for at least another month. They're laying low now... that was the plan."

"Where were they going to stash the money?"

"I don't know...I don't know." Bret's frustration was growing. He'd been here for two hours being questioned by Con and Angelica, and they were getting nowhere. Any locations he'd told them about already had been useless. The crooks had obviously changed plans when he'd been arrested, and were more than willing to let him take the fall. "They changed everything."

"Yeah, but if you don't come up with something solid, you're back behind bars."

"I know." Bret hooks his hands in his pockets. That was the last thing he wanted. The last few days behind bars was plenty, not to mention, he'd already missed Charlotte something awful. Now that they were back at his place though, it was constant worry that the crooks would pay a visit and do damage. Bret had to remember....something...anything.


...A heart in turmoil is being settled, and yet...something persists. Something deep within that only the very soul of that individual can decipher. They are so strong, yet so weak...their circle in life goes on, but where will it end...


Carson throws on his apron, glancing up at the clock. He'd barely made it in the kitchen on time. He'd made it the last few days, except for yesterday he'd been late again. He couldn't afford it, but he was doing his best.

Tying the apron, he winces a little, drawing back his hand to see his scraped knuckles. Grimacing, he shakes it off, and starts working alongside Herb.

"Carson?" Dani peeks her head into the kitchen cautiously.

Carson pauses at the sink, turning around, a smile on his face. "Mornin'." It felt nice to see her...to know that she was sticking around. A few days of having her stay with him had started them down the road of salvaging their relationship, and it felt good. Yesterday she'd gotten wind of some apartments she was going to go check out, and had been scouring the papers for job opportunities too. Carson was glad Herb had understood their situation too, and had allowed Dani to stay temporarily at Mom and Pop's. Though Carson wasn't thrilled that he still couldn't afford a place of his own, at least someone's kindness had given him a haven. "Heading out?"

Dani nods, after throwing a wave to Herb. "Yeah. I'm going to explore. Probably come back here for lunch."

"Alright. Call back here if you get lost."

Dani laughs. "Okay. Thanks."

Watching her leave, Carson gets back to work wincing as his knuckles hit the hot, soapy water.


...Still as the hands move slowly around the clock, one might gaze upon more, if only looking closely. As all lives are woven together in a complex web, each change affecting another, though seemingly worlds apart...


"You will do it."

"No."

"You will!" A hard object meeting flesh echoes. "Now!"

"I won't!"

"Do it or someone dies. You know we can."

"...I don't have..."

"You have everything here you need and you know it. Now get into the system. Now."


...And so it is...time has passed without a trace. The past never to be seen again...never to be revisted...never to be undone. The present is as much a mystery as the future...


Jason sits at his desk, answering emails, filing paper, and growing with irritation at all the same work he'd been doing for the last several days. It felt hot and stuffy in TJY today. Is the AC out or what... or am I just getting sick?


Reese types away at his computer, answering emails, talking on the phone, grabbing files, and downing another cup of coffee. "Susanne! Get me that record on Carl Darson, and call Brown to confirm our meeting tomorrow!"

His head shifts back to his phone. "Yes, I'm still here..."

The keys on his keyboard continue to click, but suddenly his entire computer goes dark. Everyone's computer at TJY goes completely blank, the lights go out, phones go dead, and all equipment shuts down.

Reese's eyes widen as he hears others on the main floor shouting questions in the dark. "What on earth..."

Before his sentence can even finish, everything is back online again. The lights come back on, a dial tone comes across the phone, and computers whir to life. Confused as anyone, Reese starts to get back into TJY's main files, but is locked out. His password won't work. He tries his own private files. Again, his password fails. "What is going on?!"

He picks up the phone. "Dalton!" But he's met with a busy tone. Someone else was already paging him. He hangs up in frustration, just to have Jason call.

"Reese, what's going on? I can't get back into my computer. It locked me out. I can't use my password."

"How should I know?! Ask Dalton!"

"I would, except two other people are already in his office bombarding him."

Susanne is desperate on the phone to Dalton. "It just went...kaplooey!"

Laura and Hal stand in Dalton's doorway, their eyes wide. "What happened? We can't get to anything."

Reese's mind reels. He gets up to check the security system. Everything was back online...they just couldn't access anything. Giving a groan, he flops back down in his chair. What had happened? Virus? Glitch? Hackers?

Just as he reaches for his computer mouse again, a message flashes on his screen. Blinking, he looks at it, confused. alriednsghnbeori Short Circuit
"Well obviously there was a circuit that shorted out!" Reese wails. He tries to close the message window with no luck. "What...wh.." He tries again, only to get more frustrated. He picks up the phone. Dalton's line was still busy. "Gah!" Getting up, he marches out of his office, across the main floor and down the hall. "Dalton! What's going on?!"



"What did you do?!"

"Nothing, I can't get in."

"You said you could."

"Well I can't."

"You're the tech guy. You set it all up."

"Things change! They probably switched everything around."

"Well what were you just doing then?"

"Trying to get in."

"So what happened?"

"It failed. I'm locked out."

"Well find a way in."

"I can't!"

A backhanded slap to the face brings silence. "Do it."

"I told you - I can't. I don't know how."

"What did they keep you around for anyway?"

"I don't know. For the fun of it?"

Another hit to the jaw. "Quit playing. Now what was that message you typed?"

"I was trying a password. It failed. Everything is scrambled."

"You have an hour. Get in, or else."

Crisp air

*Katie can't help but shake her head at Kyle and laugh.

Poor guy that was kind of mean of me.

Watching Kyle stumble over his words Katie just looks innocently at him trying to keep the grin from her face as she leans into Jason just a little bit.

Finally as Kyle breaks down Katie can't help it anymore and breaks into laughter again.*

"Well if thats what you thought, or new, why did you bother asking?"

*Katie gives a friendly kick to Kyle under the table.*

*Jamie smiles up at Con as she wraps her own arms around him as she walks.*

"I think I am getting a little sleepy as well. I am ready when you are hun."

*Continuing to walk with Con Jamie sleepy makes her way to the car.*

*Nate wraps his arms around Laura as she nuzzles into him. Keeping her in a strong yet soft hold.*

"I'll bring you hold as long as you come to a nice dinner with me tomarrow."

*As Nate looks down at Laura his eyes twinkle in the night light.*

*Jess slowly walks down the street taking in the cool crisp air. Her new apartment wasnt to far away now and not many more nights would be walking nights. So she might as well take it in while she can.

It was a nice night out tonight not many clouds lined the sky so it gave a cold edge to it. Winter would be here soon, and a new chapter would be open.

Slowly coming up to Mom and Pop's Jess see the soft glow coming from the windows. Smiling she round the courner and opens the small door as the bell rings scaning the area for who she was looking for.*