Adrian adjusted his chair as the dim light from the monitor filled the room. The soft hum of his computer was the only sound that broke the silence.
He had already cleared his workspace, set up a secure virtual environment, and disabled all background connections. Then, with a single click, he opened the email.
The message appeared, clean and formal.
Dear NovaSec,
This is Dr. Amelia Rhodes, Chief of Cyber Defense at Aurora Systems.
I have reviewed the vulnerability report you submitted and verified three of the listed entries. They are legitimate and critical. The scale of impact is alarming.
I would like to arrange a confidential discussion regarding the remaining vulnerabilities and your terms for disclosure.
Please suggest a secure communication channel and a time convenient for you.
Sincerely,Dr. Amelia RhodesChief Cyber Defense OfficerAurora Systems
Adrian exhaled slowly. This was the response he expected, though a part of him still felt a flicker of satisfaction at seeing his bait land exactly where he wanted.
He opened his encrypted client and began typing a reply.
Dear Dr. Rhodes,
Thank you for your prompt acknowledgment.
The remaining vulnerabilities are not isolated issues but systemic weaknesses that could compromise core services across multiple product lines. If exploited, they could lead to unauthorized data replication, credential exposure, and network manipulation on a global scale.
I will disclose full details once the following conditions are met:
The conversation occurs within a mutually verifiable zero-trust environment.
Both parties agree to a non-retaliatory NDA.
The compensation structure reflects the scale and severity of each finding.
A secure video link will be shared with you at 10 AM EST through my proprietary encryption suite.
NovaSec
He read the message twice, ensuring that it struck the balance between professionalism and controlled authority. Then, he hit send.
Adrian leaned back, eyes shifting to a folder on his desktop labeled Project Solace.
It was something he had started years ago — an experimental communication tool meant to be fully encrypted, self-contained, and immune to conventional surveillance. He had abandoned it after realizing it would never make money.
But now, it was exactly what he needed.
He opened the file, and lines of code flickered across his screen like old memories being awakened.
Within minutes, the unfinished prototype came to life. It wasn't sleek or pretty, but the engine ran flawlessly. A few adjustments to the encryption protocols, a patch to the packet inspection filters, and the program was stable.
He named it CipherLink.
The interface loaded — simple, minimal, but efficient. A glowing field appeared at the center: Create Secure Channel.
"Still ugly," Adrian murmured, "but it'll do."
He generated a private meeting key and sent it through his encrypted email client. Then, stretching his arms, he glanced at the time.
It was just past eight. Two hours before the call.
"Plenty of time for breakfast."
He slipped into a hoodie, stepped out, and walked to a quiet corner café nearby. The smell of roasted beans and toasted bread felt grounding — a strange calm before the coming storm.
While he enjoyed his coffee, across the continent, Aurora Systems' cybersecurity division was in chaos.
Dozens of terminals glowed with red warnings as the internal audit confirmed each flaw that NovaSec had exposed. The room buzzed with tension, and faces paled with every successful verification.
Dr. Amelia Rhodes stood silently at the center, hands crossed, eyes cold.
"Each one of these could have been catastrophic," she muttered.
Beside her, Alex Warner, her deputy, let out a low whistle. "How the hell did we miss this?"
Amelia didn't answer. She couldn't. The truth was, even their last major audit hadn't picked up any of these. Whoever NovaSec was, they weren't ordinary.
Her phone buzzed.
A new message from her encrypted inbox.
"It's him," she said quietly, reading.
When she reached the last line, her brows furrowed.
"He wants to use his own video software. CipherLink."
Alex blinked. "He built his own? That's… risky. We can't just log in blind."
"I know." Amelia turned to one of the technicians. "I need a clean machine. Factory reset. No internal access, no company credentials. Prepare it immediately."
The technician nodded and hurried away.
Alex crossed his arms. "When's the call?"
"In two hours."
Amelia exhaled slowly, already running through countermeasures in her mind. Whoever this NovaSec was, he played a dangerous game — one she wasn't willing to lose.
By 9:50, Adrian was back in his apartment, refreshed and focused.
He adjusted the microphone and checked the feed, though he had already configured the software to obscure his face. Anonymity was his first line of defense.
Five minutes later, the connection initialized. The CipherLink logo vanished, replaced by a secure video feed.
Dr. Amelia Rhodes appeared on screen, seated in a completely empty room with blank walls — a clear sign she wasn't taking chances either.
"Dr. Rhodes," Adrian greeted, his tone steady. "Thank you for joining. Shall we begin?"