mc.prey-第3章

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f　termites；　swarming　bees；　and　stalking　lions。　It　was　fun；　and　I　would　probably　still　be　there　if　I　hadn't　taken　on　some　additional　responsibilities。　In　my　last　few　months　there；　I'd　been　put　in　charge　of　security；　replacing　an　outside　tech　consultant　who'd　had　the　job　for　two　years　but　had　failed　to　detect　the　theft　of　pany　source　code；　until　it　turned　up　in　a　program　being　marketed　out　of　Taiwan。　Actually；　it　was　my　division's　source　code…software　for　distributed　processing。　That　was　the　code　that　had　been　stolen。
　We　knew　it　was　the　same　code；　because　the　Easter　eggs　hadn't　been　touched。　Programmers　always　insert　Easter　eggs　into　their　code；　little　nuggets　that　don't　serve　any　useful　purpose　and　are　just　put　there　for　fun。　The　Taiwanese　pany　hadn't　changed　any　of　them；　they　used　our　code　wholesale。　So　the　keystrokes　Alt…Shift…M…9　would　open　up　a　window　giving　the　date　of　one　of　our　programmers'　marriage。　Clear　theft。
　Of　course　we　sued；　but　Don　Gross；　the　head　of　the　pany；　wanted　to　make　sure　it　didn't　happen　again。　So　he　put　me　in　charge　of　security；　and　I　was　angry　enough　about　the　theft　to　take　the　job。　It　was　only　part…time；　I　still　ran　the　division。　The　first　thing　I　did　as　security　officer　was　to　monitor　workstation　use。　It　was　pretty　straightforward；　these　days；　eighty　percent　of　panies　monitor　what　their　workers　do　at　terminals。　They　do　it　by　video；　or　they　do　it　by　recording　keystrokes；　or　by　scanning　email　for　certain　keywords　。。。　all　sorts　of　procedures　out　there。
　Don　Gross　was　a　tough　guy；　an　ex…Marine　who　had　never　lost　his　military　manner。　When　I　told　him　about　the　new　system；　he　said；　〃But　you're　not　monitoring　my　terminal；　right？〃　Of　course　not；　I　said。　In　fact；　I'd　set　up　the　programs　to　monitor　every　puter　in　the　pany；　his　included。　And　that　was　how　I　discovered；　two　weeks　later；　that　Don　was　having　an　affair　with　a　girl　in　accounting；　and　had　authorized　her　to　have　a　pany　car。　I　went　to　him　and　said　that　based　on　emails　relating　to　Jean　in　accounting；　it　appeared　that　someone　unknown　was　having　an　affair　with　her；　and　that　she　might　be　getting　perks　she　wasn't　entitled　to。　I　said　I　didn't　know　who　the　person　was；　but　if　they　kept　using　email；　I'd　soon　find　out。　I　figured　Don　would　take　the　hint；　and　he　did。　But　now　he　just　sent　incriminating　email　from　his　home；　never　realizing　that　everything　went　through　the　pany　server　and　I　was　getting　it　all。　That's　how　I　learned　he　was　〃discounting〃　software　to　foreign　distributors；　and　taking　large　〃consultant　fees〃　into　an　account　in　the　Cayman　Islands。　This　was　clearly　illegal；　and　I　couldn't　overlook　it。　I　consulted　my　attorney；　Gary　Marder；　who　advised　me　to　quit。
　〃Quit？〃　I　said。
　〃Yeah。　Of　course。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Who　cares　why？　You　got　a　better　offer　elsewhere。　You've　got　some　health　problems。　Or　some　family　issues。　Trouble　at　home。　Just　get　out　of　there。　Quit。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　I　said。　〃You　think　I　should　quit　because　he's　breaking　the　law？　Is　that　your　advice　to　me？〃
　〃No；〃　Gary　said。　〃As　your　attorney；　my　advice　is　that　if　you　are　aware　of　any　illegal　activity　you　have　a　duty　to　report　it。　But　as　your　friend；　my　advice　is　to　keep　your　mouth　shut　and　get　out　of　there　fast。〃
　〃Seems　kind　of　cowardly。　I　think　I　have　to　notify　the　investors。〃　Gary　sighed。　He　put　his　hand　on　my　shoulder。　〃Jack；〃　he　said；　〃the　investors　can　look　out　for　themselves。　You　get　the　fuck　out　of　there。〃
　I　didn't　think　that　was　right。　I　had　been　annoyed　when　my　code　had　been　stolen。　Now　I　found　myself　wondering　if　it　actually　had　been　stolen。　Maybe　it　had　been　sold。　We　were　a　privately　held　pany；　and　I　told　one　of　the　board　members。
　It　turned　out　he　was　in　on　it。　I　was　fired　the　next　day　for　gross　negligence　and　misconduct。　Litigation　was　threatened；　I　had　to　sign　a　raft　of　NDAs　in　order　to　get　my　severance　package。　My　attorney　handled　the　paperwork　for　me；　sighing　with　every　new　document。
　At　the　end；　we　went　outside　into　the　milky　sunshine。　I　said；　〃Well；　at　least　that's　over。〃
　He　turned　and　looked　at　me。　〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃　he　said。
　Because　of　course　it　wasn't　over。　In　some　mysterious　way；　I　had　bee　a　marked　man。　My　qualifications　were　excellent　and　I　worked　in　a　hot　field。　But　when　I　went　on　job　interviews　I　could　tell　they　weren't　interested。　Worse；　they　were　unfortable。　Silicon　Valley　covers　a　big　area；　but　it's　a　small　place。　Word　gets　out。　Eventually　I　found　myself　talking　to　an　interviewer　I　knew　slightly；　Ted　Landow。　I'd　coached　his　kid　in　Little　League　baseball　the　year　before。　When　the　interview　was　over；　I　said　to　him；　〃What　have　you　heard　about　me？〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃Nothing；　Jack。〃
　I　said；　〃Ted；　I've　been　on　ten　interviews　in　ten　days。　Tell　me。〃
　〃There's　nothing　to　tell。〃
　〃Ted。〃
　He　shuffled　through　his　papers；　looking　down　at　them；　not　at　me。　He　sighed。　〃Jack　Forman。　Troublemaker。　Not　cooperative。　Belligerent。　Hot…headed。　Not　a　team　player。〃　He　hesitated；　then　said；　〃And　supposedly　you　were　involved　in　some　kind　of　dealings。　They　won't　say　what；　but　some　kind　of　shady　dealings。　You　were　on　the　take。〃
　〃I　was　on　the　take？〃　I　said。　I　felt　a　flood　of　anger；　and　started　to　say　more；　until　I　realized　I　was　probably　looking　hotheaded　and　belligerent。　So　I　shut　up；　and　thanked　him。　As　I　was　leaving；　he　said；　〃Jack；　do　yourself　a　favor。　Give　it　a　while。　Things　change　fast　in　the　Valley。　Your　résumé　is　strong　and　your　skill　set　is　outstanding。　Wait　until　。。。〃　He　shrugged。
　〃A　couple　of　months？〃
　〃I'd　say　four。　Maybe　five。〃
　Somehow　I　knew　he　was　right。　After　that；　I　stopped　trying　so　hard。　I　began　to　hear　rumors　that　MediaTronics　was　going　belly　up；　and　there　might　be　indictments。　I　smelled　vindication　ahead；　but　in　the　meantime　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　wait。
　The　strangeness　of　not　going　to　work　in　the　morning　slowly　faded。　Julia　was　working　longer　hours　at　her　job；　and　the　kids　were　demanding；　if　I　was　in　the　house　they　turned　to　me；　instead　of　our　housekeeper；　Maria。　I　started　taking　them　to　school；　picking　them　up；　driving　them　to　the　doctor；　the　orthodontist；　soccer　practice。　The　first　few　dinners　I　cooked　were　disastrous；　but　I　got　better。
　And　before　I　knew　it；　I　was　buying　placemats　and　looking　at　table　settings　in　Crate　&　Barrel。　And　it　all　seemed　perfectly　normal。
　Julia　got　home　around　nine…thirty。　I　was　watching　the　Giants　game　on　TV；　not　really　paying　attention。　She　came　in　and　kissed　me　on　the　back　of　my　neck。　She　said；　〃They　all　asleep？〃
　〃Except　Nicole。　She's　still　doing　homework。〃
　〃Jeez；　isn't　it　late　for　her　to　be　up？〃
　〃No；　hon；〃　I　said。　〃We　agreed。　This　year　she　gets　to　stay　up　until　ten；　remember？〃　Julia　shrugged；　as　if　she　didn't　remember。　And　maybe　she　didn't。　We　had　undergone　a　sort　of　inversion　of　roles；　she　had　always　been　more　knowledgeable　about　the　kids；　but　now　I　was。　Sometimes　Julia　felt　unfortable　with　that；　experiencing　it　somehow　as　a　loss　of　power。
　〃How's　the　little　one？〃
　〃Her　cold　is　better。　Just　sniffles。　She's　eating　more。〃
　I　walked　with　Julia　to　the　bedrooms。　She　went　into　the　baby's　room；　bent　over　the　crib；　and　kissed　the　sleeping　child　tenderly。　Watching　her；　I　thought　there　was　something　about　a　mother's　caring　that　a　father　could　never　match。　Julia　had　some　connection　to　the　kids　that　I　never　would。　Or　at　least　a　different　connection。　She　listened　to　the　baby's　soft　breathing；　and　said；　〃Yes；　she's　better。〃
　Then　she　went　into　Eric's　room；　took　the　Game　Boy　off　the　bed　covers；　gave　me　a　frown。　I　shrugged；　faintly　irritated；　I　knew　Eric　played　with　his　Game　Boy　when　he　was　supposed　to　be　going　to　sleep；　but　I　was　busy　getting　the　baby　down　at　that　time；　and　I　overlooked　it。　I　thought　Julia　should　be　more　understanding。
　Then　she　went　into　Nicole's　room。　Nicole　was　on　her　laptop；　but　shut　the　lid　when　her　mother　walked　in。　〃Hi；　Mom。〃
　〃You're　up　late。〃
　〃No；　Mom　。。。〃
　〃You're　supposed　to　be　doing　homework。〃
　〃I　did　it。〃
　〃Then　why　aren't　you　in　bed？〃
　〃Because…〃
　〃I　don't　want　you　spending　all　night　talking　to　your　friends　on　the　puter。〃
　〃Mom　。。。〃　she　said；　in　a　pained　voice。
　〃You　see　them　every　day　at　school；　that　should　be　enough。〃
　〃Mom　。。。〃
　〃Don't　look　at　your　father。　We　already　know　he'll　do　whatever　you　want。　I'm　talking　to　you；　no