The noise, albeit faint, does make him jump, but if anyone asks a) he didn't and b) it was a trick of the light. And anyway he's far too busy: hands racing over screens and keyboards, checking their contingencies, adding extra fall-backs to cover fall-backs, eyes still fixed on the ongoing chaos on what remains of their video feed.

"I assume we're compromised?" he says, by which he means don't worry, we've got you.