In preparation for their audit, the company in question surely wants to make a good impression on their guests.

~

Okay, so, back to it! I hope!

This is actually inspired by a dream I had, and will build up to it.
I only told a few people about said dream, so please don’t spoil it for anyone.

~~

An Audit Gone Wrong – 1
Written by Mirath


“So...”

Snapped back into reality of the moving car’s dark interior, the low rumble acting like white noise, I looked up from the paperwork I’d been engrossed in reading, and at where my colleague was sat opposite me running a hand through his short strawberry-blonde hair.

“So, what?”

Max leant back in the black leather seat after shaking the creases out of his grey suit jacket, hands resting on his thighs as he smiled in response before elaborating, nodding to the sheets of paper in my hands and lap,
“What do you think of them? You’ve read through those old reports enough times, they might as well live in those green eyes of yours.”

Managing a small grin of my own, I nodded back in silent answer at first before running through my thoughts, tidying the stack of paper before putting it away in the rucksack between my feet, the zips secured together with a padlock. It always helped to have a hard copy as well as digital. As security auditors, the portable equipment we used wasn’t exactly cheap, nor could we skimp on security ourselves, whether the threat was tangible or not, the latter being my specialty.

This company, Kilverlay Technology (KilTech was the short and sweet version of that long name) had been up and running for a few decades now, although this was the first time Max and I were visiting them. Like any tech company I had to audit (never mind run a pentest...) I had an idea of what to expect, ask about, and look for, but things could change on a whim. Headed by a board of directors, three of which co-owned the company, they had numerous security audits every year to make sure everything of theirs was safe, up to the industry standard, and running smoothly.

“They seem to be okay, at least that’s what I get. I don’t really want to know too much about their systems. Electronics with high security is usually our field, huh?” I huffed a short laugh, “Non-compliances? Nothing too major, but no company’s ever perfect, even if we spell it out for them. Besides, how often have we been chauffeured in a limo?”

They obviously wanted to make a good impression.

Max laughed with me, drumming his fingers against his thigh in a rhythmic pattern,

“Good point.”

As we got closer to the outskirts of the city, the sky outside grew darker as if in sone kind of foreboding, of warning, as the thunderclouds started to roll in. I knew that the tinted windows made the outside world look worse, but that did little to make me feel any better about the gloomy weather. Why did it always have to rain without fail whenever we travelled north?
Miserable country…

~

Getting to the hotel room was a relief from the hours of traveling, even if we’d been driven and had little luggage it was still draining, like we’d driven ourselves. Tipping the porter with a few coins of change, I followed my colleague into the modern-styled twin room, the light colours used for the room theme making it seem much bigger than it actually was. At least it was big enough to give us both a mere sense of broad personal space.

I heaved the rucksack that held my laptop and his tablet off my shoulders and onto the nearby desk chair that sat by the window at the far end of the room, drawing the curtains on the black clouds that started to rumble and rain. After finding the right app and typing in the passcode, it was as simple as holding my phone against the small padlock that kept it secure, getting a soft click in response – because anyone could pick a lock these days...

Getting distracted for a moment after straightening up, I stared at my reflection in the black screen of the TV, zoning out to no thought in particular as I let myself mentally wander.

“Man that’s better...” The other man groaned, leaving his suitcase leant against a wall, and let himself fall backwards on one of the two beds, effectively claiming it as his own, “Kay? You good?”

Trailing my fingers through my hair to put it back into place, trying to flatten down the toffee-coloured strands that stuck up at all angles and not getting anywhere, I watched him watch me, Max now leant back on his hands to catch my gaze in the reflective surface, concern and question flashing through his usually-mirthful grey eyes.

Breathing out a sigh. Silence. Blinking a few times before I answered,
“I’m good. Tired.”

The other man nodded in reassurance, the crisp white covers rustling loudly beneath his body with his movements, stretching out behind himself as he reached for the concertinaed room service menu on the central bedside table,
“Me too.”

“I know it’s only a few days... But at least KilTech’s paying for all of this...” Max stated with a low whistle as he threw the menu down after a few seconds of looking at it, for it to land somewhere behind his head, but finishing with a laugh, “Just remind me to not order room service. Prices are insane.”

“Will do.” I chuckled in reply, before turning my back to him to give the guy a sense of privacy as he started to undress, busying myself with setting things up to charge on the wide desk that took up most of the wall.

Both laptop and tablet hummed into life, both wanting the long and complex passwords if I wanted to go any further. But not this time.

We were close enough friends that we could stay in the same room, just at a respectable distance, despite our jokes and other’s comments since we usually worked together, and well too. Only at the confirming sound of sheets moving and wood creaking did I turn back around, Max with his back to me as he got comfortable for the night.
Yeah. He had the right idea.

It didn’t take long for me to follow his lead, undressing and hanging the sharp black suit in the other side of the wardrobe and unsuccessfully stopping a yawn.

Soon after settling down in my own bed and killing the lights, I reached for my phone, the soft orange glow of the screen lit up the room for a few seconds before it automatically dimmed, giving the place a mildly eerie appearance even then.

Quietly apprehensive of the day to come, I flicked through the stored emails, checking the ones from our boss to make sure everything had been put into place - at the very least the company knew we were coming - the time and the place, the level of formality we should expect, all was there in black and white. He’d been kind enough to forward us the email chain too once everything was said and done, so we had a gist of what they were like without them knowing.

Sighing to myself, I set the alarm for 6am before locking the device and setting it back down, Max already seeming to be fast asleep from how quiet the room was aside from the low hum of the air con, the stormy weather outside muffled by the drawn curtains.

For a while I stared up at the ceiling, mind and breathing slowing even as I started to adjust to the darkness. Some companies weren’t the best at playing host, just wanting to get things over and done with as soon as possible and damn everything else. They were the most likely to try and cut corners in every aspect of their business. If Max had been awake he’d have made some comment that I was overthinking it all. Maybe I was.

Closing my eyes, sleep came easily even as Max’s soft snoring started to fill the air.