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Ice-Make: Software	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 4775 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Gratsu Week Day 7: END
During Gratsu Week, this was the last day. However, I can't get everything I want in seven chapters, so this in not the … END. ^_^
Chapter 7
Did You Try Rebooting?
Lyon sat in the cubicle next to Gray. He sighed as he clicked on his computer.
"Anything wrong?" asked Gray, sitting beside him.
"Nah, waiting for the patch to finish. Reading Reddit in the meantime. There's some news from Alvarez."
"Where?"
"Dunno, some country, something about an electromagnetic pulse bomb pretty much wiping out their capitol. Can you imagine that happening here? All computers, phones, the Internet, lights, anything with an antenna. We'd shut down as a society."
"You're going conspiracy theory on me, Lyon," Gray warned lightly as he picked up his mug, saw it was empty, and scowled. "I'm gonna get more coffee. Go look at cat memes or something to cheer up."
As Gray walked to the break room, he paused at the elevator that led up to Natsu's floor. The CEO was still gone after a whole week, and the most Gray got were brief texts. Natsu could not say what he was doing, and Gray did not press for information. Companies had their secrets, after all, and that meant Natsu would hide secrets from him. He simply had to accept that.
Still, it was lonely. He missed their lunches together. Ever since he realized he had not yet told Natsu "I love you," that had been weighing heavier on his mind.
Was it really love? Would he just be saying the words out of social obligation, or out of real emotion? What did he truly feel about this man? Would their relationship even last much longer after Gray no longer worked at Dragon Enterprises? ICEMAKE was almost done, only one final patch after Gray discovered a minor security flaw that morning. Definitely by Friday, it would be ready.
At this rate, Gray might actually leave his job without having Natsu around to wish him off.
He pressed on. Invel had already told him that he would like Gray to stay around after the software release date. Bugs would be discovered, patches made, all the usual issues with new programs. They would need his expertise. He knew the program was solid, though. How long would he actually be allowed to stick around?
Natsu would hopefully be back soon.
Hopefully…
Gray poured himself more coffee and returned to the cubicle farm. He saw Eve, Ultear, and Invel all gathered around Lyon's desk and not looking happy. Gray hurried over, set his coffee down, and leaned in with them.
"What's going on?" He saw the screen. "What the…?"
The screen was blue with random code that Gray knew right away was unfamiliar.
"I swear, I didn't mess with it," Lyon said in a strained voice. "The patch finished, I clicked OK, and this suddenly popped up."
Invel looked over sharply at Gray. "This is…"
"A virus," Gray realized. "Don't click anything! Dammit," he sneered.
"The patch?" Lyon asked.
"No, this couldn't have been from the patch. It must have been hidden in a deeper layer. I need that on my computer, now! Don't send it over the network, just in case."
Gray slid over into his seat and tapped frantically into his computer, setting it up for testing. Lyon copied the program onto a memory stick and handed it over. Gray ran it and pulled the code straight up into his security program. He scanned through while the rest of the team gathered around him.
Suddenly, Gray stopped scrolling. He recoiled, as if something might jump right out of his screen. Then he scanned back up and scrolled through slower.
"Oh … fuck," he whispered, not caring if he got scolded for profanity in the workplace.
Invel's eyes narrowed. "I thought you had security worked out on this."
Gray scowled at the accusation in his voice. "I did. It's protected against all the usual viruses. This one's new, it's powerful, and it's vicious." He scrolled quicker through lines of code, skimming it much faster than the others could read. "How the hell did something like this get in there? ICEMAKE was never exposed to the network for security reasons, precisely to make sure no one hacked in and implanted something. There's no way a virus like this can get into the code except—" He froze and leaned back.
"Gray?" Invel said sternly.
"Directly planted," he continued numbly. "It's the only way. This isn't some random virus. What it's targeting is specific to ICEMAKE. Someone designed this especially for this program. That's why it was never detected. It's practically blended into the code, embedded so deeply, my security tests didn't stand a chance. This code is insane, it's brilliant, and it's specific. It's a direct attack, and since we never put ICEMAKE on the network, it came from within."
"Sabotage?" Ultear asked in astonishment.
Invel rubbed his chin. "We're so close, and the deadline is coming up. Investors are eager. If ICEMAKE has a late release, that looks bad on the company as a whole. There's also something going on, something deeper. Mr. Dragneel has been away for a week with minimal contact even to the managers." He looked down to Gray. "You're close to the CEO. Have you heard anything, any troubles with other businesses that might want to sabotage us?"
Gray shook his head. "He hasn't told me anything, no emails, no calls, just texts."
Lyon's mouth drops. "The boss texts you? Are you two, like, an item now or something?"
"Focus!" Invel shouted, jolting Lyon and bringing instant relief to Gray before he had a chance to panic. "I need to report this in case there's a wider threat to the company. Lyon, triple-check that patch."
"I told you, it's not the patch," Gray insisted.
"We're checking everything," Invel said sternly. "Eve, you were working on the graphics, so check your computer as well, see if this attached through one of the images. You too, Ultear. All of you, search for any unauthorized accesses to your computers, remote or otherwise. If this is sabotage and it had to be direct access, then it's from one of our computers. Gray, help me check my computer while I file the report. Access nothing on the network until we find out which computer was breached."
Gray started up a scan for his computer to pull up all accesses to his computer, but he saw right away, there was nothing amiss. As he got up to check Invel's computer, he saw that Lyon looked panicked. After all, the virus launched while the program was under his control. Gray patted his arm as he walked by.
"It wasn't you. As soon as we figure out which computer it originated from, I can hopefully isolate who did this."
"How do we reverse the damage?" he asked.
"I'll have to figure out precisely what it's doing first."
"Is it even possible to repair ICEMAKE?"
Gray steeled himself. "I have my work cut out for me."
"If I can help…"
"Everyone will have to help. We caught it quickly, and we have some backups on a remote site, standard security procedure. All's not lost."
He went to Invel's desk and instantly felt jealous about the comfort of his plush leather chair. The perks of being a manager! He tapped and clicked his way into the scan program. Instantly, warnings flashed up.
"Oh shit," he muttered. He looked around for the nearest team member. "Ultear!"
She rushed over, and she also saw the scan picking up issues.
"It was Invel?" she asked in surprise.
"Not him. His computer. Makes sense; toss a Trojan horse into the manager's computer and you have access to pretty much everything. The hacker must have known precisely which person to target, because the first suspicious remote access happened just after he got a standard report from the CEO. Only, it wasn't the CEO who sent it. Looks completely legit though. This hacker knew precisely how to format the report. After that, there were multiple accesses from a remote user." He pointed to one of the issues. "There. The access time is longer. The virus must have been installed then. However, there are these points, and here," he said, pointing to more entries. "Whoever is doing this has been accessing this computer in broad daylight, during work hours, for over a week. That's enough time to know absolutely everything about ICEMAKE."
"Invel didn't know?" she asked.
Gray clicked on a few of the trouble issues and read through generated reports. "Damn, this is so buried, morphing constantly. I'm surprised a scan like mine even caught it, and likely it doesn't see the full scope of this. Breaches to the firewall, digging through folders, accessing almost every file … but buried so deeply, Invel wouldn't have known it was going on right under his nose. He would just see it as his computer chugging a little slower."
"He complained about that last week," Ultear recalled. "So can we just get it off the program?"
"No, it branched tendrils. It's wrapped pieces of itself into just about every software program on the computer. It's probably on all of our computers by now, maybe even company-wide."
"What will that do?"
He shook his head, clicking through rapidly. "It can access anything, but the payload is only attacking ICEMAKE files. Still, it's aggressive. Insane aggressive! For a mere software attack, this is overkill." He paused as something flashed up on the screen. "Shit, he's accessed it again right now."
She leaned in close. "Now? You mean the hacker is in Invel's computer right at this moment?"
"Probably wants to gloat over his attack." Gray began to type frantically. "Strengthening the firewall, closing the gap … there! Slammed that bastard right out. He might be able to break that, but it'll take a while." He stood up and shouted, "ICEMAKE team, shut your computers down, now. Completely! Shut them all down. Ultear, you too. I'm going to patch what I can, but whoever is doing this, they're only targeting our software. We're the only ones truly at risk. The rest just have backdoors opened for access, which is bad but won't destroy anything … yet. I need to patch this before that bastard cracks the firewall and dumps a new payload. Shut your computer down for now."
Ultear left to her computer and closed it down, while all around her the other team members were saving work and turning off their computers. Ultear returned immediately to Invel's desk.
"Gray, how long has this been going on?"
He went back to the main scan. "Since last week. That means our backup last Friday is corrupted as well."
Her face paled. "Did we lose everything? The entire project?"
"No. It's a habit of mine, when I start on a new project, I copy everything onto an external hard drive before I begin my work."
"Gray! The company doesn't allow that for security reasons. You'd get fired."
"Well, this is why. A worst-case scenario. Natsu can fire me if he wants, but he probably wants to wait until after we get the project up and working." Besides, Gray knew that Natsu would never fire him for an offense like that which caused no harm.
She sighed and shook her head. Ultear also knew, with the friendship between Gray and the CEO, his job was secure. "So, we have a backup?"
"Yes, but I made it on my first day here. It would throw us back two months."
"Better than nothing."
He continued on Invel's computer, plowing through the company's network security and cursing as he saw breaches. How could no one have spotted these? Then again, they caused no noticeable damage. Gray ran back to his cubicle and retrieved a memory stick with a few programs he had hoped he would never have to use at this company.
Invel returned as Gray was intensely focused on his monitor, and the other team members, now without computers, had gathered around him to watch the cyber security expert at work.
Ultear looked over as Invel approached. "It was yours, sir. Gray is trying to patch the leak."
"Any luck?" he asked.
Gray rubbed his face. "The network is safe from future attacks; he can't access us anymore. I'll need to point out the signs of activity to the on-site techs so they know what to look out for if this hacker tries to breach the firewall again. However, ridding the virus is going to take a while. It's so embedded, it's has wrapped itself into absolutely every crevasse it can, replicating and morphing. Kill one version, a morphed version in another file activates, and with it another attack on a different part of the software. I'm sorry, but I'm going to need the team to shut down what they were doing. We'll need completely blank, clean computers. Completely fresh install from devices that have not been on the company network at all. If you have any backups from before last Friday, collect them. I'll need to inspect them first. Ultear, can you go to the server farm to collect last week's backups? If I can pull off at least a few safe files, it'll help augment my old copy. Make sure you use a completely clean extremal hard drive. I have one, if you need it. Don't use anything from work on your home computers or you might end up infected."
Eve raised his hand timidly. "I've been taking the graphics home with me to work on them."
"Then your home computer is compromised. As soon as I crack this, I can help you clean off the virus."
Invel came up to Gray. "Mister Justine wants to know if this virus has a name."
"A name? Seriously?" Then again, for sending a report to Natsu, it would be easier to name it instead of something vague like we have a virus. "I've not come across something like this. It came through a report sent over an extranet account and spread through the network through back channels, destroying security checkpoints along the way, but slowly, unseen … like using dental floss to gradually saw a deadbolt lock in half. The lock finally gave way, enough security access points opened…"
"They just need a name, Gray. We can correct it to the proper virus name later."
"Hell if I know! Extranet … network security … destroyer. ENSD?"
"How about E.N.D.?" Lyon suggested. "After all, this is the END of our careers if this project fails."
"I'll tell them you've named it the E.N.D. virus for now."
"Invel, I would like to isolate it before I go digging any deeper, just in case there are traps embedded that would corrupt more programs. I will need another computer, and I want to do it at home, where I can contain it easier."
"Then I'm sending you home right after you update the on-site techs to the security breeches. Lyon, Eve, you may go home as well. We won't be getting much work done today. Ultear, be careful retrieving the backups. Don't activate the program. Get a copy of the backup to Gray, before tomorrow if you can. We're relying on you, Gray."
"Understood, sir." Gray swore that sometimes Invel sounded like a general barking out orders on a battlefield.
"Now, shut down my computer safely. I have a feeling I'll be in meetings for the rest of the day."
Gray first backed up the program from Invel's computer since it seemed to be the worst. Then he handed Ultear an external hard drive he knew he could trust (he had not even used it since arriving at the company) and gave her directions to his apartment so she could give him a copy of the backups. After chatting with the on-site techs and seeing their horror at the extent of the security breech, he went home. This was definitely the worst day of his working career. He set up an area in his living room to do some serious work and loaded up the program he had copied from Invel.
"Now, E.N.D., let's see what you really are," he said to the virus.
Time vanished when he was like this. He could almost start to picture the route through the network this virus took, the slow etching away at security, so gradual that no one caught on.
It was getting late when there was a knock. Gray groaned as he stood, realizing how long he had been sitting, and answered his door. Ultear was there, and she instantly blushed when she saw him.
"I didn't mean to disturb you," she said, averting her eyes.
Gray hummed in confusion, then realized he had stripped off his clothes down to his boxers.
"Ah, no. This … it's a habit. Before getting into security, my focus used to be on hardware. Clothing causes static, so we'd remove as much clothing as possible. It's a habit that I never fully broke." He stumbled back into the apartment and grabbed a shirt. "Bring the hard drive in. Help yourself to soda or beer."
Ultear slowly entered, glancing around at the stark, cold loft situated above an ice cream parlor. "Nice place," she said, although she felt it was very empty. It looked like Gray had moved in and planned to move out at any moment.
Gray zipped up his pants and returned to the main room of the loft. "It's cheap, roomy, and close to work."
"Any success on that virus?"
"A slight success. I figured out how to shut down the security holes it left open. That means whoever did this, they won't be able to get back in the same way. Bad news, though." He slid back into his seat in front of the computer and began to click through what he had been working on, as if Ultear would understand the code he was showing her. "It copies parts of itself to the root directories of systems to prevent removal. It spreads tiny seeds all through the system, like blowing a dandelion across a field. Those seeds are spread through almost every software program. If you try to root out a seed, it corrupts the program it's inside, burning it. It will even burn the anti-viral program attempting to kill it."
"You said it only affects ICEMAKE."
"If left alone, yes. It doesn't really do anything to other programs. It just sits there like a landmine left behind from an old war. It's triggered by something within the code itself of ICEMAKE, and I haven't figured it out yet."
"Have you eaten?"
Gray looked away from the computer monitor with a jolt. "What?"
"You've been at this since leaving work, haven't you? You're obsessed with beating E.N.D."
"Are we seriously calling it that?"
"I'll fix you something to eat."
"I can order Chinese food."
"No, your job is important to our team, so I'm going to make sure you at least eat something healthy."
Gray made a face at the idea of healthy food, but he was also impressed that Ultear cared so much. He had not cared much for his teammates, figuring they only tolerated him, the newcomer hired just to patch up security flaws in a software the rest of the team spent months developing. He would do his job, and then he was gone. It was a temporary position, so no need to form attachments.
"Seriously, you have no vegetables in this place. Not even canned. What do you eat?"
"Rice, ramen, spaghetti."
He heard Ultear grumble something about 'such a typical male bachelor' before the noise of pots and pans clanked in his kitchen. Gray tuned it out, focused on the computer.
How could he freeze the virus before it burned the program it was sitting on? He had the usual anti-virus tools, but nothing worked, not against something this aggressive. He would need to get creative.
"Whoever created E.N.D. just wants to set the world on fire." He cracked his knuckles and leaned over his keyboard. "Let's see how you stand up to ice."

A/N: My husband is an on-site tech at the international headquarters of a computer company. (Ironically, one of the things they make is called iCE.) He knows about viruses and attacks to networks, so I asked him to invent a fictional "virus from hell." We had fun designing the parameters: how it works, how it could embed itself into software that's still in development, how would a hacker make it as challenging as possible to remove, etc. As he described something that would "burn the root directories if you try to remove it," I knew we were onto something perfect. His expertise was crucial in designing the E.N.D. virus... including how I could sneak in naming it that! Extranet Network-security Destroyer.
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Ice-Make: Software