Loose Lips Sink Ships.

The following transcript appeared in my inbox this morning from [email protected].  The emailer warned me that any attempt to respond would be futile as the account is unmonitored. Source X has since disappeared from my building. I post this as a warning those who would question the power of the powers that be.  

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LOCATION:                                Lenox Coffee, 60 W 129th St, New York, NY 10027
DATE:                                           March 24 2014
TIME:                                           11.42am - 11.48am
PARTICIPANTS:                        Source X (US Citizen) and Arthur Meek (Alien).
RECORDING METHOD:         Microphone tap of AM's dead cellphone. 
 
               TRANSCRIPTION BEGINS. 

                                   (Sounds) Busy cafe. Footsteps
                                   approaching. 

                                   ARTHUR MEEK
            Hey (Source X). Sorry I'm late. What's this?

                                   SOURCE X
            It's your coffee. No milk right? 

                                   AM
            How did you know? 

                                   SOURCE X
            I asked the girl at the counter.

                                   AM
            She knows what I drink? Creepy.  Hey, thanks for the invite. 

                                   SOURCE X 
            I'm glad you could meet up. 

                                   AM
            I always have such good intentions about meeting my
            neighbours, but, you know...

                                   SOURCE X
            I have something I'd like to discuss with you. 

                                   AM
            Go for it.  

                                   SOURCE X
            You're a writer? 

                                   AM
            Yeah. 

                                   SOURCE X
            I have a story I think you might be interested in. 

                                   AM
            (Inaudible)

                                   SOURCE X
            I'd like your help with the plot. 

                                   AM
            Umm... (Source X), what do you do for a job? 

                                   SOURCE X
            I'm a software engineer. 

                                   AM
            OK, well I have some software that I'd like your help to
            code. 

                                   SOURCE X
            With pleasure.  

                                   AM
            I don't have any software. I was just trying to... I usually get
            paid to talk story.

                                   SOURCE X
            I bought your coffee. 

                                   AM
            Who's the protagonist?

                                   SOURCE X
            She's a large and powerful nation. 

                                   AM
            OK. 

                                   SOURCE X
            Let's call her The United States of America. 
 
                                   AM
            Right. 

                                   SOURCE X
            She's not very good at fighting, but it doesn't matter
            because her strength has always been based on her brilliant
            mind games. Nagging, threatening, you know -- 'If you come
            near me I'll bomb you, or stop trading with you.' That sort of
            thing. And for the most part she never has to
            follow through, because she knows what matters
            to her rivals. She knows their business, because she's accustomed to
            listening to their landline calls, opening their physical mail and so on. And it
            makes her feel safe. But then along comes this crazy thing called
            the internet. And it's unruly and unmanageable and she can't
            keep track. She's terrified about what people could be doing
            in there.  

                                   AM
            OK... 

                                   SOURCE X
            So. This is where I am stuck. What should she do? 

                                   AM
            If I was her, I'd probably form an organisation, called, I
            don't know, the NSA to intercept everything that goes on in
            there so she can retrieve whatever she wants. 

                                   SOURCE X
            What if they couldn't do it?

                                   AM
            But they can. 

                                   SOURCE X
            What if they can't?

                                   AM
            They got caught doing it. 

                                   SOURCE X
            By Snowden? 

                                   AM
            Yeah. 

                                   SOURCE X
            So that's a credible plot point? A hired contractor just
            happens to gain access to all the secret plans that she's
            been hiding from the world for years? 

                                   AM
            They've admitted it. They collect all our data, they listen
            to all our calls. 

                                   SOURCE X
            How? 

                                   AM
            Through some fucking software, I don't know. That's your job.
            You tell me. The point is they admitted it. 

                                   SOURCE X
            And you believe them?

                                   AM
            Why would they lie? 

                                   SOURCE X
            Free baby sitting. 

                                   AM
            Huh? 

                                   SOURCE X
            The same reason my mother told me God was watching everything
            I did and could hear all my thoughts. So I'd be good. Do you
            believe God is actually doing that? 

                                   AM
            No. 

                                   SOURCE X
            But you believe that the NSA is? 

                                   AM
            But they said...

                                   SOURCE X
            Exactly. 

                                   AM
            So you're saying the NSA can't do what they say they can do,
            and don't know what they say they know?

                                   SOURCE X
            Would that be a good plot twist? For a story? 

                                   AM
            How do you know this? 

                                   SOURCE X
            I'm a software engineer.

                                   AM
            Doing what? 

                                   SOURCE X 
            Trying to figure out how to do the things the NSA is said to
            be doing. 

                                   AM
            For who? 

                                   SOURCE X
            For (deleted)

                                   AM
            Who's that? 

                                   SOURCE X
            Contractors for the NSA.

                                   AM
            Why are you telling me? 

                                   SOURCE X
            Because you're a writer.

                                   AM
            Wow. Do you know what I thought this was about? When you
            asked me to meet you for coffee? 

                                   SOURCE X
            What? 

                                   AM
            I thought you were going to apologise for your vocalisations. 

                                   SOURCE X
            My vocalisations? 

                                   AM
            You know. When you come home to see your wife in the middle
            of the day. 

                                   SOURCE X
            Excuse me? 

                                   AM
            I work from home, I hear things, and since we're sharing, I
            want you to know I don't care. I think it's cute. How long
            have you guys been married? 

                                   SOURCE X
            I never come home in the middle of the day. 

                                   Silence. 

                                   SOURCE X
            When have I come home in the middle of the day? 

                                   AM
            Sorry, one second, I'm getting a phone call.

                                   SOURCE X
            No you're not. 

                                   AM
                          (answering phone)
            Penny? Oh my God. 
                          (to Source X)
            It's my girlfriend. She's just been shot. 

                                   SOURCE X
            Your phone is dead. You're just holding it to your ear.

                                   AM
                          (into phone)
            Just keep pressure on the wound.

                                   SOURCE X
            How often do I come home in the middle of the day? 

                                   AM
                          (to Source X)
            Sorry mate, I owe you a coffee. 
                          (into phone)
            Babe I know, but you've got to fight that feeling. You can't go to sleep. Stay with me. 

                                   (Sounds) Busy cafe. Footsteps receding. 

               TRANSCRIPTION ENDS.