Jake was both shocked and confused when he saw what just happened to his system. He had just been working with it before Jade’s call came in. So what happened?
He picked up his laptop and began to examine it, but the system had just crashed.
“How is this possible?” He asked himself frustratedly. This wasn’t a good sign.
He grabbed a tablet from his desk drawer, he noticed the tab was slower than usual and in no time it also crashed. He was yet to understand what was happening right now.
‘This seems like a virus’ He thought.
Jake was stupified by this. From all indication, this was a virus. A virus had just infected his system. But how was this even possible?
What about his software, ProGuard? It was specifically made to prevent things like this. It was an anti-malware as well as an anti-virus software, so why didn’t it work?
Jake was still trying to analyze the situation at hand when Blake ran into the study like a squirrel running for its dear life.
With heavy breaths he asked, “Bro did you see it? Did you laptop also crash?” He anxiously asked. He has also experienced the same problem.
“Yeah” Jake replied.
“It’s ProGuard, isn’t it?” Blake asked again. He had the same thought as his brother. Just last night there was a glitch, and now their systems were crashing; that was too much coincidence. He was unsettled by this and was terrified for his brother.
“I’m yet to come to that conclusion” He replied, without looking at Blake. His eyes were still glued to the laptops on his desk. He didn’t want to assume the worst yet.
“Get me grandfather’s laptop” He ordered.
“Okay” Blake replied before running out of the study to get his grandfather’s laptop. While Jake also rushed up to his room to get his own personal laptop.
Soon they both returned with the laptops. Jake turned on his grandfather’s laptop and waited for a couple of minutes but nothing happened. It was working just fine, it didn’t slow down neither did it crash.
But soon as he turned on his own, he noticed the computer was slow, and in no distant time it crashed as well. That was all he needed to confirm it was indeed his software. His grandfather’s laptop did not have the software installed in it, and that was why it didn’t crash.
Jake was at a loss, when he noticed what was going on with the system. All the systems with the ProGuard software had crashed. Jake was stunned by the sudden turn of event. His fingers moved as fast as they could, but nothing was working. Everything was out.
He stared at the systems on his desk in stupefaction. He was yet to understand what was going on.
It has got to be a virus. That was the only suitable explanation for this, only a virus could cause such damage. And the virus wasn’t just affecting all systems but only those with his software in it.
How did this happen? How was it even possible? ProGuard was supposed to be a anti-malware and an anti-hack software, so whatever had infested it must have been specifically engineered for it.
How the hell was this able to get past the firewalls of the software? Those things were not easily penetrable, they were supposed to be impenetrable. This was unbelievable! He had placed the software on the hackers black market for weeks but not even one person was able to get past the firewall, so how could a virus affect it?
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t do anything. It was like he had completely lost control of his software. As a matter of fact that was the case.
Jake didn’t want to believe that this possible. It felt like a dream. He kept gawking at the system in disbelief, and he didn’t even believe this was possible.
He stood up from his seat, the look on his face was dark and blank. He picked up his phone and keys. He turned to Blake who has been standing behind him, and was also stunned by what was happening.
“Call every team member to work right now. And you’re coming with me” Jake said in a cold tone before walking out of the study.
He rushed up to his room to have a quick bath, after which he checked on his grandfather, but he didn’t mention anything to him. He wasn’t going to trouble him with such issues, the old man has paid his dues, now it was his turn to pay his.
By the time Jake arrived downstairs Blake was already waiting for him by the car. They both hopped in and drove away to the company.
Jake was trying really hard to keep his cool. It was weekend for crying out loud, and he was supposed to be with his girlfriend today but something like this just had to spring up now.
This was a direct attack launched at him. It was suspicious that something like this would happen a few days before the board meeting. It was obvious as day that someone was after his company. But who? That was what he didn’t know.
It could be anyone, one those shareholders who has always been against their family leadership for so long. He knew that there were people vying for his seat but he didn’t know them.
This was going to affect the financial status of the company drastically. Not only that it would also affect the intending collaboration with the foreign company. Nobody would want to partner with a company who was currently facing challenges, and terrible like the one that was forthcoming.
Acrosoft would bleed money, and if this problem persist the company might hit rock bottom.
This was going to be a hiccup for Acrosoft.
How could someone do something like this? They were really trying so hard to sabotage him, and make him lose his credibility as a competent leader. Whoever was behind, got a dangerous programmer on his side, no doubts. But what they didn’t know was he got one too, but the only problem was how to get him onboard.
….
*Walker’s Mansion.*
Mr Walker was slowly running out of patience. His tolerance for his wife was running thin. He had given her a week to provide the missing guy which she has wickedly sent to jail, and there was only one day to go before the stipulated time, but her nonchalance and unrepentful attitude was making him lose his cool.
She was barely showing any effort about releasing the young man from whatever hole she had dug him in.
His hand clenched into a fist when he saw walking out of the house. She was going out, probably for one of her stupid parties again. He had noticed she has been going out a lot lately, but not to her office.
“Vivian” He called out in a stern and cold voice, making her halt on her stride. He noticed the way she stiffled when he called out her name.
Mrs Walker closed her eyes when she heard him. She had a feeling what this was all about. She wasn’t ready to have this conversation yet. There was still a day left and she was going to hold on to that one day. She slowly turned around to face him, but she didn’t take a step closer.
“I’m surprised you still remember my name” She said sarcastically, with a sardonic smile etched on her face. Mr Walker hated it when she acted aloof with such a delicate matter.
Maybe she thought he was joking when talked about divorcing her. He stood up and took a few steps towards her.
“Vivian my patience with you is running out. Where is the boy?” He asked in a fierce tone.
“Honey, if I remember correctly, you said seven days, and this is just the sixth, meaning I still have twenty-four hours left. So why the rush?” She spoke in a slow and calm tone, which Mr Walker found to be annoying. He didn’t know how she slept with herself at night knowing exactly what was lying on her shoulders.
“Vivian!” He snapped.
“What?” She snapped back. Mr Walker eyes were blazing with anger and he was trying really hard, really really hard to pay himself down. His wife was driving him crazy. She wasn’t like this before, but somehow along the line she had changed and turned into this woman he didn’t know.
“Where’s the boy?” He asked with anger.
“I’ll remind you again, I still have twenty-four hours. Maybe you can ask me by then, only if you still want to” She replied curtly before walking away.
Mr Walker looked at her retreating back and sighed. This wasn’t the wife he married.
Mrs Walker heaved a sigh as soon as she walked out of the house and stepped into her car. Seeing her husband like that had scared her.. She had to find that bastard before he cost her her marriage.
__________
Jake has spent the remaining part of the weekend in the office doing all he could to save the software, but nothing seems to work, even his teams couldn’t do anything about the virus.
The virus wasn’t technically harmful, it only slowed the system and crashed it for a while, at least a couple of times daily, other than that there were no more damages. Files and important details were not lost.
But the number of people who had uninstalled the software from their devices was on the rise, ProGuard was close to it’s end. They had noticed that the virus goes away when the software is uninstalled from their devices.
Several calls have being coming through his phone every second, and that has resulted in him switching it off.
Jake raked his hand through his hair frustratedly. He felt like yelling and cussing about how incompetent they all were, but he couldn’t lose his cool. It wasn’t their fault that they couldn’t do anything about it.
He turned to look at Blake who was in turn looking at the teams working, and he hissed.
“Are you going to do something or what?” Jake snapped at him, making Blake turn to him.
“What do you want me to do?” Blake asked looking at him. Jake narrowed his eyes at him without saying anything. Funny how he’d ask such a question.
He sighed and walked past him without saying thing else. It wasn’t Blake’s responsibility to fix things, but a little help from him could go a long way most especially at a critical time like this.
He knew of his capabilities, he wasn’t just a lazy brat like he pretended to be, but he wasn’t going to force him to step on board.
He has been feeling very cranky, but it was worse this morning. He hasn’t had a moment of rest or good sleep since the problem began. He missed the quiet time he has been enjoying before this trouble came hitting him. He missed his girlfriend. Speaking about her, he hasn’t called her since the last time they spoke, and that was on Saturday morning.
He was sure, Jade was worried out of her mind, since she hasn’t be able to reach him because he had angrily turned off his phone. He wanted to call her now, but he stopped himself from doing so. She must also be busy at work, he’d call her later.
“Sir the meeting will begin in five minutes” Patrick informed him. Everyone in the room turned by to look at Jake who was sitted on one of the swivelling chairs at the development department, while he kneaded his temples. He closed his eyes as he nodded responsively.
He calmed himself down and picked up his Jacket, before turning to his secretary, Patrick. “Let’s go”.
…
*Outside Acrosoft.*p
“What do you think will be the outcome of this?” Shirley asked her boss.
“What do you think?” Hillary returned the question back to her.
Shirley stayed quiet for a minute as she thought about it. She had to be careful with her reply so as not to get Hillary angry.
“I think you’ll get the job, since we have that guy on our side” She paused and waited for a while before she continued. “But you know Jake isn’t someone who can be easily shaken up. He hasn’t even contacted the hackers forum like we thought. So I think you should also be careful, and preferrably stick to your old plot of using those shareholders, but now—” Shirley stopped talking when Hillary tsked, slowly shaking her head at her.
“Poor Shirley, you don’t understand a thing. I thought after being with me for so long you’d have learnt by now. But it seems you still have a long way to go, but let me help you understand things right” She said.
“You see my step son Jake is like a king which everybody looks up to for proper leadership. And just like real politics, not everyone likes the king, and also not everyone hates the king. Some will lay their life for him if it’s necessary. So when the traitorous ones begin to seek for his abdication, the loyal ones will protest it and then an internal battle will ensue. But there is a way to surpass that torn, and that is to make the king look incompetent, that way even the loyal ones would be in support of his abdication, claiming it’s for the good of the nation. And the good thing is the dowager like me just has to step on to the plate and do the needful. So Shirley if you want to kill a snake you must kill it properly least it grows another head and come right back at you. Taking Jake’s support is my first step towards crushing him” She explained with a eery smile. Shirley nodded her head in understanding. She had to give it to Hillary for her careful and meticulous planning. The woman was pure evil.
Not only does She have a good percentage of the shareholders wrapped around her finger, she was also going to turn Jake’s loyal supporters against him.
“Ah” She exclaimed, taking a deep breath. “You make me talk too much” She hissed softly.
“I’m sorry” Shirley apologized.
“Don’t be, just keep learning” She said slowly, her lips curving upward in a smile.
“Okay” Shirley nodded.
“Then let’s go take my throne”
…..
*Xenox Inc*
Jade’s grip over her phone was strong enough to break it into pieces. She has been trying to call Jake since the last time they spoke, but his phone has been unreachable. She didn’t know how to reach him. She didn’t want to call Amy to give her Blake’s number. She didn’t want to make a fuss about everything.
He was getting her worried and the more she couldn’t get across to him, the more it bothered her.
‘Did he lose his phone? Did something happen to him? Was he sick? Even if he was, he should tell her so she wouldn’t be this worried’
She was having a hard time focusing on work…thanks to Jake for going MIA on her.
If he dares to call and show up with no reasonable explanation for going ‘AWOL’, she’d kill him. She tear him apart limb by limb, and throw his carcass in the air. But she was also certain that Jake wouldn’t stay away from her without calling her if it wasn’t serious.
They might have just been dating for a short period of time, but she knew her man well, he wouldn’t keep away from her for no reason. Something was wrong with him.
Jade was still lost in thoughts when Sara came rushing in.
“Jade there’s trouble” She nudged Jade on the side, making her jerk. She almost glared at her when Sara scared her like that.
“Jade what’s wrong with you” Sara asked out of concern. Jade seemed out of it since she resumed work this morning. She kept zoning out at every second. Jade shook her head as if she was clearing out a clog of cloud hovering in her head, before turning to look at Sara.
“I’m fine. Just had a stressful weekend” She explained.
“You’re sure?” Sara asked again. If she was sick, she could inform their boss, Simon, to give the day off.
“Yes I am” Jade assured her. “What’s the trouble you’re talking about” Jade asked, while Sara gasped dramatically when she remembered what she had hurriedly come to gossip about with Jade.
“Oh my, did you hear about the new virus that’s affecting devices now?” Sara asked, while Jade narrowed her brows.
“What virus are you talking about?” Jade asked. She hasn’t heard of such.
“Well I heard that ProGuard software has been infected with a virus, and it has been causing such a uproar. Even our games are suffering of same problem. The bosses are having a meeting right now. I heard the company which owned the software are losing their clientele and customers at the moment, it terrible” Sara paused, she looked up at Jade when something finally dawned on her.
“Isn’t this the software you had gone to sign a contract for?” She asked Jade with widened eyes, when she came to this realization.
She narrowed her brows when she noticed the way Jade was staring at her, unblinkingly.
Jade was beyond dumbfounded when she heard the first statement that came out of Sara’s mouth. A virus had affected ProGuard? So this was the reason Jake hasn’t called her. And here she was getting angry at him. How could she have been so foolish and selfish. But was this really true? Was this really happening to him? She wanted to believe that this wasn’t entirely true.
She snapped her head up to look at Sara in the eye. “And who told you this?” She desperately asked.
“Ermm Simon. He told me” Sara told her.
Jade felt a pang in her heart when she heard her. If Simon told her that meant it was true.
Jake was indeed having troubles at work.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 4
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