"Behold the wing-cave, then." He paused. "It's not actually called that."
Tim lead him to what appears, at a casual glance, to be the cofeeshop's walk-in freezer, but which opens to reveal a second staircase.
The stairs lead sideways as well as down - not into the basement of the coffee shop, but the underside of the warehouse next door. Numerous cameras and alarm systems stud the staircase, but little in the way of more substantial security except for a pair of industrial freezer doors - heavy metal, airtight. The warehouse has been partitioned into office-like spaces, and frontmost space has a rounded desk, practically humming with the number of server blades, parallel processors, and cooling fans at work inside it, overlooking sixteen flatscreen monitors on the wall.
Two things are immediately obvious about it. One: it's a team space. The other offices aren't occupied at present, but they have been. Two: the operating budget of the whole place barely breaks six figures. This place was built on bootstraps and shoestrings, whatever was available. Tim settled into the desk (in a chair that was obviously designed for someone taller) and turned his attention to the monitors, scrolling quickly through dozens of camera-feed images of the mob.
Normally, he would be comfortable here, in his element, but now he was self-conscious, awaiting whatever judgment was rendered, and realizing... in the game or out of it, no matter how long it had been... he still cared.
no subject
Tim lead him to what appears, at a casual glance, to be the cofeeshop's walk-in freezer, but which opens to reveal a second staircase.
The stairs lead sideways as well as down - not into the basement of the coffee shop, but the underside of the warehouse next door. Numerous cameras and alarm systems stud the staircase, but little in the way of more substantial security except for a pair of industrial freezer doors - heavy metal, airtight. The warehouse has been partitioned into office-like spaces, and frontmost space has a rounded desk, practically humming with the number of server blades, parallel processors, and cooling fans at work inside it, overlooking sixteen flatscreen monitors on the wall.
Two things are immediately obvious about it. One: it's a team space. The other offices aren't occupied at present, but they have been. Two: the operating budget of the whole place barely breaks six figures. This place was built on bootstraps and shoestrings, whatever was available. Tim settled into the desk (in a chair that was obviously designed for someone taller) and turned his attention to the monitors, scrolling quickly through dozens of camera-feed images of the mob.
Normally, he would be comfortable here, in his element, but now he was self-conscious, awaiting whatever judgment was rendered, and realizing... in the game or out of it, no matter how long it had been... he still cared.