server<\/a>. However, they couldn't retrieve a single byte of data from the server and returned it to its place.<\/p>\n \u2014 Yes, I know this story perfectly. \u2013 a haughty shadow flashed across the director's face. \u2013 Including through my channels, straight from\u2026 Never mind, anyway. What were you trying to say? About Kesha, I assume?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Yes, about Kesha. \u2013 Sergey nodded and unexpectedly smiled. \u2013 You mentioned the other day that he played some role in pulling us out of the crisis\u2026 Is this related to the audit?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Yes, I was talking about those events.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Will you tell me what Kesha fed you? I'm genuinely curious.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sergey, I'm sorry, but we\u2019re not playing children's games here. \u2013 the director began to drill the programmer with his trained gaze. \u2013 Your version, my version\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, should I take off then? \u2013 Sergey slowly stood up from the chair and took a couple of steps towards the door.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Damn it\u2026 \u2014 the director exclaimed. \u2013 What kind of clown show is this?<\/p>\n
\u2014 A clown show?! \u2013 Sergey retorted again, his anger boiling. \u2013 Excuse me, who among us is being fired based on trumped-up charges? If it were just made-up, fine, but it\u2019s pulled out of thin air! You don\u2019t care \u2014 one more or one less, what am I supposed to do now? Where am I going to find a job in our village? A clown show...<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alright, Sergey. \u2013 the director raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. \u2013 I apologize. Please, take a seat. I will share my version, as you wish.<\/p>\n
Still fuming with indignation, Sergey returned to the chair and, clicking his tongue, stared at the table.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Innokenty told me this. \u2013 the director continued. \u2013 When he saw that the inspection team arrived, the first thing he did was rush to the server room. As far as I understood, he needed to activate the data protection system he had installed earlier when\u2026 Well, we learned that an inspection might happen. He activated the system...<\/p>\n
Sergey clicked his tongue again and smiled hopelessly.<\/p>\n
\u2014 When he activated the system, as I understood, it was necessary to hide the protection key that was on a flash drive. Otherwise, if it fell into the hands of masked men, the protection system would be pointless \u2013 they would gain access to the data. Thinking on his feet, Innokenty decided that the best place for the flash drive was, forgive me, the toilet. And he rushed there. Apparently, he overdid it and attracted attention, but he managed to get to the stall and even close the door behind him. He destroyed the flash drive, but the pursuers, realizing that Kesha was hiding something, broke into the restroom, dragged the IT director by the collar, inflicting minor injuries \u2013 which, by the way, were documented at the emergency room; Kesha\u2019s fingers were bloodied. However, no matter how hard those bastards tried, they couldn\u2019t get anything more from our hero.<\/p>\n
\u2014 And now \u2013 the true story of Little Red Riding Hood. \u2013 Sergey waited a long time for his turn to speak. Let's start from the beginning.<\/p>\n
Sergey paused for a moment, building anticipation for interest in himself.<\/p>\n
\u2014 First of all, the protection was not installed by Kesha, but by me. It may seem not very important, but it actually determines all further events. To be honest, I tried to explain to him how it works, but he never understood. So I\u2026 Uh\u2026 Considered Kesha\u2019s stupidity.<\/p>\n
\u2014 How so?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Please don't interrupt, I will explain everything, or I will get off track. \u2013 Sergey continued. \u2013 Second, Kesha did not run to the server room at all. You can check the cameras, the access control system, whatever you want. I'm not sure Kesha even knows where the server room is located and how it differs from the boiler room.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So you mean he wasn\u2019t in the server room? \u2013 the director was genuinely surprised. \u2013 No, well, okay... Let\u2019s assume. And the story about the bathroom?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh, here the truth is almost complete. \u2013 Sergey smiled. \u2013 He ran quickly, the door got broken, and there were minor injuries. But... he was running so fast that he locked himself in the bathroom even before the masks reached from the checkpoint to the office building. You can ask Gena \u2013 he was in the bathroom at that time washing his hands but didn\u2019t know anything about the check yet. If you remember, our alarm button went off then \u2013 the security staff managed to press it. But Gena thought we were just testing the alert system.<\/p>\n
The director nodded silently, continuing to stare intently at Sergey and listen carefully.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Kesha stayed in the bathroom almost the entire time of the inspection. \u2013 the programmer continued, clearly enjoying both the story and himself. \u2013 Until those gentlemen with automatic weapons decided to call the hedgehogs.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, to the bathroom, for a little one. Although I don\u2019t know, maybe also to send a package... It doesn't matter. Basically, they came to the bathroom, tried all the doors \u2013 apparently out of habit. Then bang \u2013 one doesn't open. They suspected something was off. And Kesha, not being very smart, broke the handle when he locked himself in \u2013 on purpose, as if to say it wasn\u2019t a functioning booth. That's how he ended up with his minor injuries, namely scraped fingers. The guys, without thinking too much, kicked the door down \u2013 it was flimsy, and they had strong heads. And they dragged Kesha out.<\/p>\n
The director was no longer paying such close attention. His gaze shifted from Sergey to his own desk.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So here\u2019s where it gets interesting. Kesha had the flash drive, and he handed it over immediately. He introduced himself as the IT director, and said he was ready to cooperate, handing over the server protection key and asking them to record it in the protocol. They almost kissed him out of joy and led him to the server room, where Kesha was ceremoniously flustered\u2014he was asked to show which server the protection was for. Without thinking much, he pointed to the largest one. The guys laughed\u2014they knew that it wasn't a server but an uninterruptible power supply that took up half the rack. Somehow, after a bit of effort, they managed to find something to seize and left.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Wait a minute... \u2014 the director suddenly became a bit pale. \u2013 So, it turns out... They said they found nothing... But did they really find something? So we need to wait longer...<\/p>\n
\u2014 There's no need to wait. \u2013 Sergey smiled. \u2013 As I mentioned, Kesha is not the brightest. When I installed the protection, I took that into account. I gave him a flash drive with some random key\u2014I don\u2019t even remember which software it was for... Basically, just a text file with gibberish. And, just in case, I also damaged the flash drive physically. I\u2019m not sure, but I suspect that when they couldn\u2019t start the server, they thought the issue was with the broken flash drive. They probably have some pride, so they decided to pretend that they found nothing. They definitely couldn\u2019t start the server.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Are you sure about this, Sergey? \u2013 the director asked, hope in his voice.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Of course. \u2013 the programmer replied as seriously as he could. \u2013 It\u2019s quite simple. To turn on the server, you need a flash drive. A normal one, which is at my dacha. If you turn it on without the flash drive, it will physically start, but the system won\u2019t boot, and you can\u2019t retrieve data from the disks\u2014they're encrypted. Once you turn off the server, that's it\u2014without the flash drive, you can't turn it back on.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So, if the electricity goes out...<\/p>\n
\u2014 Everything will be fine. \u2013 Sergey smiled. \u2013 I bought an uninterruptible power supply\u2026 Well, actually you bought it\u2014it's very good. It\u2019ll be enough to make a round trip to my dacha. But if the server crashes\u2014things happen\u2014then, well... no flash drive would help; it would take the same amount of time to recover.<\/p>\n
\u2014 And what if they hadn\u2019t taken the server, for example? \u2013 the director asked. \u2013 What if they just copied the data from it without turning it off?<\/p>\n
\u2014 There's a possibility of that. \u2013 Sergei nodded. \u2013 But, if you remember, while preparing for the inspection, we monitored the situation for a long time. They don\u2019t like to mess around on-site; they prefer to take things with them. After all, they have far fewer programmers and admins than these hardware-savvy types who can force a door open with their heads, not always their own. You can't take someone on every trip. And programmers like to work in their own cave, afraid of daylight like worms. Ultimately, it would take terabytes to copy, and with some USB, they'd be without lunch. In short, considering all the risks, we decided to do it the way we did. And it turned out well.<\/p>\n
\u2014 One more time, Sergei\u2026 \u2014 the director pondered. \u2013 I don\u2019t understand why you gave the flash drive to Innocentiy?<\/p>\n
\u2014 I knew he would give it back. Well, he\u2019s that kind of person.<\/p>\n
\u2014 And you\u2019re not like that?<\/p>\n
\u2014 I don\u2019t know, to be honest. \u2013 Sergei shrugged. \u2013 I\u2019m not a hero, but\u2026 Okay, I won\u2019t fantasize. I knew Kesha would give it back, so I used him.<\/p>\n
\u2014 You used him?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well. Those guys wouldn\u2019t leave without assurance that they took something valuable. And what could be more valuable than a secret flash drive received from an IT director hiding in the restroom?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, perhaps\u2026 Ah, damn it, I don\u2019t know\u2026 Please tell me, Sergei \u2013 did they definitely not copy the data?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Definitely. You can call any hackers, shut down the server, and ask them to download anything. Just to be sure.<\/p>\n
\u2014 No, let\u2019s not\u2026 \u2014 the director shook his head uncertainly. \u2013 I try to believe people. Perhaps I\u2019m not always right in this.<\/p>\n
\u2014 That\u2019s true. \u2013 Sergei chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What do you mean?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ah\u2026 No, everything\u2019s fine. I was referring to Kesha.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Yes, Kesha\u2026 What should we do now\u2026 On the other hand, we\u2019re all human. In general, he didn\u2019t do anything criminal. But maybe we should have a heart-to-heart with him.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So, do I still need to be here? \u2013 Sergei started to slowly get up from the chair, carefully listening to the director\u2019s disjointed monologue.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ah, no, Sergei, thank you. \u2013 the director suddenly remembered. \u2013 I\u2026 I don\u2019t even know\u2026 Maybe we should\u2026 Well, I don\u2019t know\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 What? \u2013 Sergei paused, not yet straightening completely.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ah\u2026 Yes. \u2013 the director finally gathered himself. \u2013 Sergei, we need to talk again. I think there might have been a mistake regarding your dismissal. Do you already have job offers? I gathered\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 No. \u2013 Sergei settled back down.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Okay. Let's discuss everything again tomorrow morning. Today, I need to talk to Innocent. So, he is\u2026 Yes, he should be at my place, there's something with the Wi-Fi, my wife asked...<\/p>\n
\u2014 The Wi-Fi is fine there. \u2013 replied Sergey.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What do you mean? Are you aware of this? \u2013 the director was taken aback.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, yes. I went this morning, got it all done. Did you think Kesha did it?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Wait\u2026 What exactly is he doing?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Everything. The network at home, GSM boosters, Wi-Fi repeaters, cameras, and a server in the garage\u2026 I did all this. Kesha just drove me in his fancy car, otherwise, they might not have let me into your elite village.<\/p>\n
\u2014 No, they would have let you in; they issue passes there. \u2013 the director missed the irony. \u2013 Damn\u2026 So, as it turns out, Kesha...<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, as it turns out.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alright, when he arrives, we'll talk. It's unclear, though, what he's still doing there... Is he doodling? Imitating activity? What was going on with the Wi-Fi today, Sergey?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Your wife asked to change the password. She said she read somewhere that it's good to change passwords periodically. I didn't mind \u2013 I came, changed it.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Yes, passwords are important\u2026 \u2014 the director fell into some sort of mental haze again. \u2013 Oh, wait, will you give me the password? Because my wife and I\u2026 Well\u2026 We had a bit of a quarrel yesterday. You know how it is\u2026 She might not tell me the password, and without Wi-Fi, I'm at a loss...<\/p>\n
\u2014 No problem. \u2013 Sergey pulled out his smartphone, fiddled with it, found the password, took a piece of paper from the table, and carefully wrote down a long, meaningless phrase:
\u2014 How long. \u2013 proud of his wife, the director nodded. \u2013 Is it a complex password? I mean, is it secure?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Yes, it has different cases, special characters, and a decent length. \u2013 Sergey confirmed. \u2013 It's a serious claim to security.<\/p>\n
\u2014 How am I supposed to remember it? \u2013 the director turned the piece of paper with the password in his hands.<\/p>\n
\u2014 You just need to enter it once, and it will be remembered by the device. Usually, such passwords mean something. It's some phrase in Russian typed in an English layout. I was too lazy to translate it, so I don\u2019t know...<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alright, I'll ask her when she\u2019s feeling better... Maybe tomorrow... Thanks, Sergey!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Glad to help.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, see you tomorrow!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alright, I will be there in the morning.<\/p>\n
Sergey left the office with mixed feelings. Since yesterday, upon learning about the dismissal, he had gone through all stages of grief. For a couple of minutes there was denial, anger lasted almost until night, forcing him to wash down the pain with a heavy dose of alcohol, bargaining ended with an attempt to write an angry letter to Kesha, but his wife stopped him, and in the morning, along with the hangover, depression hit. However, after reaching work, and then, once again, rolling to the director's cottage, completing tasks under the guise of 'I'm a programmer,' Sergey accepted everything.<\/p>\n
Now, however, the story took an unexpected turn. Not a breathtaking one, but indeed unexpected. The director wouldn\u2019t expel Kesha over the verification incident, that\u2019s for sure. But he will probably scrutinize Sergey\u2019s work more closely. Although... if you think about it... Bam!<\/p>\n
Sergey didn't even realize how he ended up on the floor. Something, or someone, rushed down the corridor so quickly that it knocked the unfortunate programmer over like a coat hanger. Lifting his head, Sergey saw a vague silhouette of the fleeing director.<\/p>\n
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