"No, what I mean, the sky really is falling. Take a look and you'll see for yourself."

Jessica takes one of the bags.

"Now, I think I saw a public restroom somewhere over there. Not quite the hotel room I prefer, but low profile and zero cash use is always a plus on a Code White."

Elena seems hesitant at Jess' suggestion.

"Err...or we could go to Anatoli's place. It's only a few blocks from here and it won't stink of mildew and piss."

"I would rather avoid that. If somebody's trailing us, we're only drawing your friend into a disaster waiting to happen. And just in case we're not being trailed already, we'll draw more attention when we leave this crowd."

Jess reads Elena's facial expression.

"You don't have to come with me. If you want to go talk to Anatoli, please wait until I've switched."

"Have it your way. I'll wait out here."

Jess walks into the public restroom, the words ghastly and vomitous come to mind as her boot squishes into various bits of detritus on the broken tile floor.

Applying the hair dye and cheap make-up, Jess takes no time in her transformation. The redhead that walked into the restroom walks out a bleach-blonde.

Jess walks over to Elena.

"See, that didn't take too long, did it? Now, if you still want to meet Anatoli, I'm ready."

A short walk later...

Elena leads Jess to an apartment block and up ten flights of Soviet concrete stairway. The booming sound of a subwoofer heard several floors down now fills the hallway with a deafening roar of Eurotrash techno. The vibrato gets louder as they near the end of the dimly-lit passageway, Elena stopping at the door of what seemingly is the cause all the racket. Knocking hard on the offending entrance, Jess gets a momentary feeling of uneasiness...the same kind of feeling that usually preceeds someone getting their throat cut from behind.

The hallway goes silent as the music is abruptly halted. A voice shouts from behind the door.

"Who is it? My rent is paid through January. If it is the police, come back when you have a fucking warrant!"

Elena rolls her eyes, leaning up to the peephole and smiling.

" 'Toli. It's Elena. I'm brought booze and a friend. Let us in...pleeease."

A brief bit of grumbling is heard beyond the door, followed by the unlocking of no less than six deadbolts. The door opens on a chain, a barely-robed Anatoli doing a final peek outside.

-Who is your friend?
-A cousin from Moscow.
-I see. (smiling at Jess)
-Just let us in 'Toli. It is freezing out here.

Anatoli slides off the chain and lets them in, closing the door and dogging it shut, sliding a piece of steel across its width. Retrieving a remote from his robe pocket, the Russian switches on a 500-Watt stereo blaring the latest in bad remixes.

A cursory glance around the apartment tells Jess that Anatoli is far from a computer programming student at the University. A gamut of western gadgets and technology fills the room, ranging from high-end computers to a 50" Plasma TV showing an obviously bootlegged copy of the latest Star Wars movie.

Jess takes a good look around.

"What brave new world that has such people in it..."

She catches a glimpse of a cupboard of DVD bootlegs, speaking to Anatoli in a slightly mischievous, but amused way.

"Guys like you are the reason none of my new CDs work in a car stereo."

"If it didn't cost 600 Rubles for a new CD, I'd be all for the free-market system. Being as it does, one should never pay retail."

"Or not pay at all, in your case." says Elena, looking through Anatoli's extensive collection of burned CDs.

"Have you come here to tell me the error of my ways, or was there something else you needed?" grumbles Anatoli.

"We're in town waiting for Sasha."

"Oh. That bastard!" snarls Anatoli.

"He stiffed me last week on a new encryption system. I tried getting my deposit back, but one of his goons threatened to cave my head in. I think I'll be sticking with the black market from now on for all my home PC needs."

(Edited by Dieter at 10:57 am on Sep. 15, 2004)

"Sounds like a real bastard. Too bad he will soon meet his match."

Anatoli turns down the music to a dull roar, looking at Elena with a puzzled gaze.

"Elena, who is this chick? Does she know what kind of guy Sasha is? He's not small potatoes. He's working his way up the scumbag foodchain. He knows people who know people."

Elena smiles, walking over to the programmer giving him a peck on the cheek.

"My dear, 'Toli. I think she knows exactly who Sasha is."

"What do you intend on buying from him?" asks Anatoli concerningly.

"Travel documents."

"Are you crazy??? He'll end up selling you bad copies taken off of Japanese tourists. You'll arrested the first time you're stopped."

"Seeing how I don't intend to pay for them, that is a risk I'm willing to take. Though I do wonder...how secure is your computer and your net access?"

Anatoli scoffs, as if he sits around all day waiting for someone to ask him that question.

"Are you kidding me?"

(looking at Elena)

"Is she kidding me?"

(sitting down at the terminal)

"This shit is custom designed by yours truly using encryption software that the FSB would sell out their mothers for. It's three years ahead of the latest security in place. I've hacked NORAD and MI-6 on more than one occasion. She's secure enough for you..."

(Edited by Dieter at 12:59 pm on Sep. 15, 2004)

"Great. Get cracking, I'll tell you where to go."

Jess leads Anatoli down a few links from password-protected sites, finally landing at an innocent-looking forum. After surrendering the correct login information (Prodigal_Daughter24), Jess dictates a series of numbers followed by her message.

Wings bent, not broken. Proceeding to Location 5-Bravo-32-Zulu.

As Anatoli sends the message, Jess nods.

"That will be all. Don't bother going over the logs, everything I just led you through was only useable once."