Present Day
Tom Bradley stares at his computer screen, the code on the monitor triggering a memory he'd buried for three years.
As Hart Industries' former lead developer, he recognizes programming styles the way musicians recognize melodies. Every coder has a signature, a way of structuring logic that's as unique as a fingerprint.
The code in Vale Tech's open-source security patch isn't just familiar.
It's identical to the work he remembers from Hart Industries' breakthrough project in 2021.
The project Leon Hart claimed he'd solved single-handedly during a weekend of inspired genius.
Tom reaches for his phone with trembling fingers.
"Mike? It's Tom Bradley. I think I know who really wrote the Morrison Bank security protocol."
Three years ago, 2:47 AM
Aria's fingers fly across the
