𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ - ᴛᴡᴏ

𝗥ueben stood with his hands in his pockets behind his office chair, watching as Maverick clicked on a series of attachments that he didn't understand in the slightest. Rayne was sitting on the desk next to him – her eyes were wide with curiosity, much like his own.

Jonah did as he asked; once Isaac left, he got back to business. Maverick came over not too long ago and since then, he's been going over the encrypted file that they've uncovered on the Clarke figure. So far, it hasn't looked like he's made much progress. His fingers nervously tapping his chin and his eyes darting back and forth on the screen indicated such.

"What's the diagnosis?" Rayne asked as he leaned back in his chair.

He sighed, "It's going to take a while to decrypt – maybe weeks."

"Why so long?" Rueben chipped in.

Maverick turned his head so he could see the both of them, "Whoever created this document really didn't want anyone to slip into it. There are layers of firewalls – a few of them are rare types. It's also laced with digital traps. One wrong move on my part and the entire thing will be deleted," he spun and faced the computer, "You can thank that moron at the station for that."

"Ugh."

Rayne nodded and hopped off the desk, this time, leaning against it. She continued to quietly watch as Maverick navigated the site; every so often, he would lift his hand and explain what he was doing to her, and when she would ask why he couldn't scoot around it, he'd mention another type of coded description.

The whole thing made him feel more irritated. For the last six months they've been running around like chickens with their heads severed for what?—just to reach an optimal position only to be told that the answers they seek will not be uncovered for weeks?

It sounded like bullshit.

"Are you sure you can't access it faster?" he voiced after another few minutes.

"Yeah, I am," he looked at him, "—patience is a virtue when it comes to this stuff. I can't put a rush order on this and potentially ruin everything because of it. I mean," he gestured defeat with his hand, "I can try my best to get this done as quickly as possible but—"

"No," he waved him off, "It's fine. Take your time."

Maverick gave him a solid nod and stood up. He unplugged the flash drive and slipped it into his pocket; it would be better for everyone if he worked on this through his own computer. It had the technology that his normal one did not.

"I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks, man."

"Of course."

Maverick stepped around Rayne and slipped through the office door without another word. He looked down at his girlfriend – she who had yet to make eye contact with him since the station – and blew out a breath so obnoxious it shifted the pieces of hair that rested on his forehead.