1  INT. OBCO CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
  2  ===============================
  3  
  4  ALAN, AGENT JONES, AGENT HARRISON, and a couple more FBI agents sit
  5  around a conference table. The agents have big folders with papers in
  6  front of them through which they are flipping and reading.
  7  
  8  > AGENT JONES 
  9  >> Alan, based on reports so far, it seems that only vehicles using the
 10  >> ObCo system have stopped working, and almost all vehicles with the
 11  >> system have stopped working. A few are still operational.
 12  
 13  > AGENT HARRISON 
 14  >> A preliminary attack analysis indicates that ObCo is the only common
 15  >> factor in the failed vehicles. We do not yet know whether it is a
 16  >> technical problem, a criminal attack, or a terrorist attack.
 17  
 18  > ALAN 
 19  >> I would assume it is not a technical problem. We have not heard of
 20  >> anything to indicate a failure of our system.
 21  
 22  > AGENT JONES 
 23  >> At the moment, we must assume a terrorist operation. Can you think of
 24  >> a way in which the attack might have been made without involving
 25  >> ObCo? From the outside?
 26  
 27  > ALAN 
 28  >> No.
 29  
 30  > AGENT HARRISON 
 31  >> The simplest assumption is that it was done from within ObCo.
 32  
 33  > ALAN 
 34  >> Why would ObCo want to shut down the system?
 35  
 36  > AGENT HARRISON 
 37  >> It might have been just one employee. Have you fired anyone lately?
 38  
 39  > ALAN 
 40  >> Yes, as it happens, yesterday, but he did not have the access to do
 41  >> anything like this. All updates to the vehicle software must go
 42  >> through a central system to which only five people have access.
 43  
 44  > AGENT JONES 
 45  >> Why is that the only option?
 46  
 47  > ALAN 
 48  >> The vehicles only accept code signed by a digital key, and the key
 49  >> exists only on one computer, plus backup copies. The backup copies
 50  >> are in bank vaults and require at least three company officers to
 51  >> sign for it, and one of them must be me.
 52  
 53  > AGENT HARRISON 
 54  >> So you're saying that one of those five must have been involved? Who
 55  >> are they?
 56  
 57  > ALAN 
 58  >> Me, Carl X, Vera Y, Adam Smith, and Albert Onestone. Smith and
 59  >> Onestone are in Europe now.
 60  
 61  > AGENT HARRISON 
 62  >> Could they have done it via the Internet?
 63  
 64  > ALAN 
 65  >> No, the machine is not online. You need physical access. You have to
 66  >> walk to it. We take security seriously here.
 67  
 68  > AGENT JONES 
 69  >> So we need to concentrate right now on you, and these two others,
 70  >> Carl and Vera.
 71  
 72  > ALAN 
 73  >> Right.
 74  
 75  > AGENT JONES 
 76  >> Tell me about them.
 77  
 78  > ALAN 
 79  >> Carl is thirty, and he's been with us for five years. He's
 80  >> conscientious, and he never makes any trouble, except by following
 81  >> the rules too strictly. Vera has been with us for seven years, she's
 82  >> a Russian immigrant, came over with her parents as a child, and our
 83  >> best programmer.
 84  
 85  > ANONYMOUS AGENT 
 86  > <br> (Looks up from and offers his laptop to JONES) 
 87  >> Sir, we have a file on her.
 88  
 89  AGENT JONES reads the laptop screen for a moment.
 90  
 91  > AGENT JONES 
 92  >> Connections to the Russian mafia, eh? That's suspicious. Alan, where
 93  >> is she? Or that Carl fellow, for that matter?
 94  
 95  > ALAN 
 96  >> I haven't seen Vera today. She was on call last night for customer
 97  >> emergencies, so she's not required to come to work today. Carl is out
 98  >> there, standing next to a wall.
 99  
100  An anonymous FBI agent knocks and walks into the room, and whispers to
101  AGENT JONES and AGENT HARRISON.
102  
103  > AGENT JONES 
104  >> Put out a warrant for Y's arrest, immediately.
105  
106  > AGENT HARRISON 
107  >> Yes. We found evidence that she modified the code on your vehicle
108  >> software distribution server.
109  
110  > ALAN 
111  >> I can't believe Vera would do that. Are you sure?
112  
113  > AGENT HARRISON 
114  >> We are certain enough for now. Full forensics analysis will take
115  >> longer, of course, but we can't let her run free in case she is the
116  >> culprit.
117  
118  > AGENT JONES 
119  >> You continue the forensics, my team will look more into her
120  >> background. Still, no-one is in the clear yet, she might not have
121  >> worked alone. That means you too, Alan.
122  
123  > AGENT HARRISON 
124  >> While we wait for her arrest, could you explain why some vehicles
125  >> stopped exactly at noon, and why some are still working?
126  
127  > ALAN 
128  >> If it was a timed attack, it might not have taken into account that
129  >> the clocks in the vehicles are not perfectly synchronized. While many
130  >> are close to the right time, some are very much not.
131  
132  > AGENT HARRISON 
133  >> So then those vehicles will stop working once their clocks say it is
134  >> noon.
135  
136  > ALAN 
137  >> Right.