Quinton Hirtz was a small quiet man in his middle ages. Of small height and not outstanding looks. He never took the time to marry and fooled himself into believing he had made the right decision. A methodical man who took solace in the knowledge that each day was the same; nothing new to worry about as he had been through this many times before.
He dressed simple. A white shirt and black tie. Colors that Omni-Tek encouraged employees to wear. He greeted the Omni-Sec guards at the entryway to the plaza. James was his name had been here for almost 3 years. Quinton tipped his hat to him as he did for the 3 years he knew him.
He stepped through the doors to his office. Clear solid glass doors and a large empty room. Cold and white. The light dimmed by tinted windows and the clouds over Omni-1 made the room look grey. Grey and plain just like Omni-Tek and Quinton liked it.
His desk was like him. Impeccably clean and simple. A synthetic aluminum with 2 drawers on the right side. On it a small computer terminal and display. 2 pens, one black the other blue, lay in a holder neat and simple. Quinton hit a key on the terminal to wake it and the screen and computer hummed to life.
For 23 years Quinton had worked for Omni-Comm. He had done his job well and without question. It was a simple one. It involved routing and encrypting of communications from OT field units. It was an important job but routine enough for him to enjoy it. He had earned the right and privelage to be trusted with this information. A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. The hours passed as he monitored the links, Quinton walked down the hall to get a cup of water at 10:30 as he did each day. He sat back down at his desk and placed the cup of water in the same spot he always did.
A red dot appeared on a map location on his display. 23 years he had never seen this before. Not on his watch at least. The red dot meant one thing, an Omni-Comm link had been compromised. He clicked and ensured the compromised network was disconnected from the terminal. System wide alerts went out to other Omni offices from his small quiet workstation. Red lines spread out showing further. Time seemed to stand still and he wasn't even sure how long he tried to stop the movement. Quinton started to panic. His hands grasped and roughed up his short slicked back hair. His hands moved forward an in his clumsiness a tragic mistake. All that could be heard in the quiet grey room was the thud of the cup spilling onto his terminal. Sparks were heard and the display flickered out.
Quinton stared in awe. Confused and surprised.
He jumped out of his seat and ran by the door which clipped him in his shoulder. He almost slide down the stairs as he ran to the mainframe a floor below him. Swiping his key card in the door, he ran in. Before him stood a surprised employee used to spending time in there alone. He tried to explain how his station was inaccessible. The younger employee not quite understanding. The hum of the machines grew louder. Quinton knew there was no time and pushed him aside using the terminal directly in the mainframe.
In the lobby, a man in a trenchcoat and hat entered. Dark brown and omenous. He took of his hat and introduced himself to James the guard as Marcel Stadtmiller. A gentleman employee by Omni-InternOps. The front lobby guard almost jumped and offered him anything he required. James hit an alarm and two corporate security officers came out of the buildings security room fully armed with plasma casters and Omni metaplast armor.
Marcel asked where the office of a Quinton Hirtz was located. The guard pulled up a camera view of the room. Empty. The guard clicked through cameras till he saw Quinton acting hastily in the mainframe core. Marcel moved quickly into the lobby elevator. Two guards besides him shot each other looks as even they were unsure what was going on.
Quinton was madly pulling up information on the mainframes terminal. The mainframe's assistant stood by perplexed by what he was doing. The red lines on the sceen grew forming a crimson web. Quinton looked disheveled as ever as he removed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt.
Marcel stepped out of the elevator with his the security officers following him. Outside the mainframe room he had security open the door. Marcel charged in his gun drawn and tracing Quinton's panicked face.
Quinton looked more haphazard than ever as the InternOps officer was before him. He slowly raised his hands and his thin frame revealed him to be like a small child who's father had caught him doing wrong. The mainframe attendant was unsure of what was going on.
Quinton's eyes chased back and forth between the terminal and the three individuals now facing him. With a quick lunge he tapped a few last keys on the terminal and the red web became white lines. He sighed briefly as Marcel fired a round into him. Hitting him directly into his chest. The officers and attendant were stunned. This was a man that had worked here before they were even born.
Quinton clutched his chest, his white shirt stained with blood. His quiet solemn face that had always looked plain started to twist. A grin began to form and slowly a smile. Panting slowly he started to burst out laughing. A sick gurgling sound came as the wound caught up with him but still he laughed.
Marcel looked slightly perplexed. Quinton tried to speak. For twenty years he had worked and waited for this time. For twenty years he had sat thinking of Emely. She was killed for being a traitor to OT. He had never supported the clans but hated Omni-Tek for doing that. He never smiled after the day he found out of her death and never did anything different from that day on. Today was different though.
He let the network be compromised and he let his water spill on his terminal. He had gone to the water coolor at 10:30 each morning for 20 years all so he would be taken for granted. Only then could he be trusted. Only then could he get right into the core. He knew InternOps would find out but he also knew he would succeed if he moved quickly. He had given the clans access to all the information in the building that Omni-Comm had.
He slowed his breaths but still the grin remained even on the last one. He knew the few moments of access the clans had would do let them do more than he could. Marcel stood and ordered security to clean up the mess. All he could hope for is damage control for what had been done.
