“Harrison.” Smith says quietly. “The kid …” his hand drops from Harrison’s shoulder.
“Man you’re weird.”
“Smith.”
“What? What’s wrong with you?” Harrison asks.
“Don’t know, Smith not dead.”
“No I don’t mean that, I mean why you acting all kinds of funny.”
“Sousa is the key. Send the device to the kid.”
“Errrgh!” Harrison lets out his frustration. “One of these days I’m going to figure you out Smith and I hope that’s sooner rather than later.”
“Star Wars.” Smith blurts out, touching a pocket near his chest.
Harrison only scrunches his face in reply, he doesn’t know what Smith’s playing at but he’s had enough. “Whatever man, are you ok or what?”
“Or what, man?”
“Jesus!”
“Where?”
“What?”
“Not what, where?”
“Not here, it’s a figure of speech. You know?”
“Jesus not here?”
“Of course not.”
“Of course not, not real.”
“You’re freaking weird man. I thought I was, but hey, you take the cake.”
Smith doesn’t respond.
“Where do we go from here?” Harrison looks around him.
Smith looks confused at the question. “Go where?” he answers.
“You were helping me, remember?”
“Smith help.”
“Yeah, that’s right, so where to next genius?”
“Don’t know.”
“I mean what’s next in your escape plan?”
“Don’t know.”
“Well it’s your plan isn’t it, why wouldn’t you know it?”
“Don’t know.”
“Man, it’s like your memory has gone or something, are you sure you’re ok?”
“Ok, man!” he responds jubilantly.
“Right, well we need to get out of here.” Harrison turns and surveys the area surrounding the boat, marvelling at what he sees. They’re floating in the open ocean, no less than a few hundred metres from land. Surely the land he spots is mainland Australia, meaning they’d just traversed the tunnels and come out into the open ocean.
“Bet that ain’t on any tour.”
Harrison can only smile at the ingenuity of Smith’s escape route, he’d clearly spent a lot of time preparing for this event. How else would he have known what to do? Harrison thought maybe it wasn’t his idea, maybe it was someone else’s and Smith just decided to run with it.
For what kind of a man plays house in tunnels beneath a major city, has an escape route that would baffle anyone smart enough to discover it, and to top it all off, the kind of man who survives a drowning after being spat out of shit pipes into the sea.
Whatever Smith is, he now has Harrison’s attention and he isn’t going to give up until he knows who he is.
“We should go over there.” Harrison points to a place on the coastline.
“This way?”
“Yeah, seems ok.”
Smith turns to face the direction in which he’s pointed, leans forward and dips his hands into the water in a dragging motion. Surprisingly, it causes the raft to surge forward a little and then a little more as Smith continues to paddle the water with his giant arms.
Harrison realises what he’s trying to achieve and makes a move to get up and help, only to be met by a long glare from Smith.
“What?”
“Smith paddle. Arm strong.”
Harrison isn’t going to argue, despite the fact his efforts would prove pointless anyway, he’s also wrecked from the struggle of going through the cisterns. He rests back on the wall of the raft happily.
Resting, he remembers the USB in his pocket and hastily fumbles the small slot in his jeans to get it out. He breathes a sigh of relief when he feels it’s presence and smiles as he pulls it out and holds it up to the sunlight.
“Safe!” he gives himself a little hurrah. Smith doesn’t seem to notice as he continues dragging them towards the sea shore.
Harrison has spent years in the I.T industry, first as a teenager in a call centre, working the help desk for a software company, talking customers through errors. He’d also spent time in a manufacturing plant, constructing hardware from the ground up.
His spare time was almost always devoted to computers, taking part in various online communities under an alias. He enjoyed his gaming and often hosted servers for others to join, taking small joy in being responsible for good gameplay. It was there he met another online gamer that got him into hacking.
His last ‘real’ job was as a programmer for an internet based company. It was whilst working there he did some of his best work and even started his own company doing software writing, programming language, database design and network engineering.
This was where he found the big money, in writing security software for companies that had virtual assets to protect. He’d spent years learning the ins and outs of the I.T industry and soon became an accomplished online security expert and even better hacker.
And so, to work out how to fix company security problems, he’d learnt how to break them first. He learnt very quickly how to seek and exploit weakness in computer systems and networks and got paid very well for the work he did.
He took great joy and pride in his ability to discover anomality’s and soon it started to take over his life, often spending days at a time in front of his computer screen. One of his greatest passions was he didn’t like secrets, as a child he’d always been lied to and it drove him nuts.
He became obsessed with the truth and devoted his time in pursuit of it.
He grew up in a typical fashion, but it wasn’t until he was in his twenties that he realised the truth about the world, about politicians, money and religion. It was all a lie and to him it was like learning that Santa Claus wasn’t real all over again, the world was not what it seemed.
He knew sometimes the truth hurt, but that it was far better to be open and honest, than to be deceitful. He discovered many corporations who were lying to the world and this was when he started to branch into hacktivism. Believing information should be shared publicly, a growing distrust for mainstream information fuelled him on, he wanted people to know the truth.
He wanted to know the truth.
And so, he started to gain access to sensitive information from both the private and government sectors through his work. He successfully obtained information on a large chain of retail stores that were misleading its consumers about ingredients in its food, he released it over social media and single handedly destroyed the company’s image.
This also gained him notoriety in the hacking community, the positivity he received from his peers gave him the support he needed to venture further. It was then he hacked the Australian Counter Terrorism servers and exposed them for illegally spying on the Australian public.
As he ventured further and further he learnt more, exposed more and soon became a wanted man. The people in high up places didn’t share his passion for the truth, they wanted to shut him down.
“Okay, okay.” Smith calls out as they reach land, he jumps out and pulls the raft ashore and motions for Harrison to get out.
Harrison does as Smith asks and jumps ashore, stumbling a little on the rocks as he moves away from the water.
“Now what?” he asks Smith.
Smith doesn’t’ reply, only pulls the raft ashore and begins forcing the air from it in an attempt to pack it away.
“Smith!” Harrison cries impatiently.
Smith stops himself turns and looks back at him.
Harrison has both his hands outstretched, “What are we going to do now?”
“Go here, Smith paddle.”
“Well, what do we do now?”
No response from Smith, so Harrison kicks the stones at his feet and screams out loud in frustration, “flipping hell!”
Smith stands calmly and watches him, expressionless.
“You have got to be the most annoying person I have ever met! You don’t act like a normal person at all, I mean are you deliberately trying to annoy me?”
Smith looks away and returns to packing up the boat calmly.
“Smith, what are we going to do? I don’t know which way to go.”
“Find way.”
“Oh great!” Harrison throws his hands up in resignation. “Excellent insightful commentary, I ...”
He cuts himself short as he thinks about Smith for a second, he hasn’t really asked a question nor proffered an opinion or statement. His communication skills appear to be completely lacking, but Harrison remembers the times he did speak were when he was asked a question. He also notes he’s different again after the near drowning.
“Smith, I need your help,” Harrison changes tack. “Can you help me to get back to my friends?”
“Yes.” comes the response.
“I know we met under strange circumstances but if you could help me get back to my friends then I would be in your debt.” he pulls out the USB in his pocket. “Do you know what is on this?”
“Yes.”
“The device, do you know what it is? “
“Send the device to the kid.”
“What?” Harrison replies, confused. “Anyway, look, it doesn’t matter. It means we’re in danger from other people who also want to find it, understand?”
“Ok, man.”
“Umm, right, ok. Look, I’m no good at this running and hiding caper and you seem to be pretty good at it. So how about you help me get back to my friends and I’ll do whatever you want in return?”
Smith doesn’t answer the question, he only looks up into Harrison’s eyes with his now familiar blank stare.
“Understand?”
“Yes.”
Strangely Harrison finds himself starting to like the guy, despite his oddness. Whatever it is, whatever’s wrong with him, it doesn’t matter, Smith’s on board. He’s Harrison’s man.
“So?” he asks him. “You can help me then?”
“Find way ... way find.”
“Right.” Harrison shakes himself off and looks up the shoreline, “this is going to be interesting.”
- -
catlin
She was frozen, both in time and in shock. A crowd had gathered nearby but was keeping its distance from the two bodies that had fallen on the floor. Catlin and her brother Mark were lying still in a swelling pool of blood at Sydney airport arrivals hall.
Her brother Mark, who’d never hurt anyone, was a young medical student. Catlin remembered how they’d joked as youngsters, by playing games of doctor and nurse. Mark would dress up as the good doctor and would pretend to diagnose Catlin’s dolls from a variety of illness’.
And true to his childhood wish, her brother had made it to medical school and would … could have made an excellent doctor one day, now he wouldn’t have that chance.
Now that dream was lost, his blood draining out in the arrivals lounge of an airport.
The despair and sadness began to well up inside her throat, tears formed in the corner of her eyes. As she lay, a single tear dropped from her cheek and fell to the floor, mingling with the blood. But her brain wouldn’t allow her to grieve right now, she wasn’t wired to think like most people.
Despite the tragedy of what’d just taken place, Catlin knew she was still in danger, that grieving wasn’t going to help her right now. She knew she had to get up, leave this place and get away to somewhere safe before something happened to her.
She thought she’d escaped her troubles back in Africa, that somehow by leaving the continent she was leaving the troubles behind. The consequences of her decision were now staring back at her, lifelessly.
She’d discussed her troubles with her brother prior to leaving Africa, but she kept the details of why from him. They mattered little at the time, she needed help and he was the first person she’d called. He was the one who told her to come home, where everything would be safer.
She loved her brother, but if he didn’t insist so strongly about coming back home he wouldn’t be dead. She hadn’t even considered coming home, but given his persistence she’d relented.
Quickly she forced thought from her mind, knowing it was of no use to her in this situation. Her jaw turned square, her eyes focused and she set her mind to the present moment. She needed to get out of here fast, so she reached inside Mark’s shorts and fumbled around until she found what she was looking for.
Retrieving a set of keys from his pocket, Catlin got up off the floor and took a last glance at her brother as he lay lifelessly on the ground. Wiping tears from her face, she turned and bolted towards the exit without looking back. She heard screams call out behind her, shouts for her to stop, but she didn’t care … she had to get away from the scene and fast. Staying behind would only lead to her incarceration.
Catlin found Mark’s car in the temporary bay and the parking ticket on the dashboard, she turned the ignition and made a hasty exit. As she drove haphazardly, there was only one place she could think of going, the only person who would really be able to help her.
He’d been her lover an age ago, the two being very young when they’d first met. She was in her rebellious stage, defying her father’s wishes to enrol in university, or to take any interest in his business. Instead she’d taken a head first plunge in photography, finding a love of imagery and the power it represented, there was something about capturing moments that appealed to her at the time.
Whilst studying photography at college she met Peter, and quickly became a young impressionable woman influenced by an older male.
The two were immediately inseparable, spending most of their time discussing life and ideals. Peter was already a well-travelled person and it was through him that she learnt of conflicts in East Africa, about starvation, genocide and global environmental issues. He would often describe theories he had about the world, about how we were all slaves to a higher power.
He would take her to protest rallies and marches and it fuelled a need for excitement that Catlin had inside her, a need for adrenaline. Being on the rebellious side had always intrigued her far more than the conventional.
Peter had often described his desire to capture events in a photograph and present them to the world, saying “… how can we live in such relative tranquillity here and do nothing about what we present, we should be helping, we should be telling the world of these inequalities. We can show them Catlin.”
Catlin prayed that he’d be at home, it was early evening and he should have finished work for the day. She caught word from a friend some months ago that Peter had been kicked out of Greenpeace and was back, freelancing in Sydney ever since.
Catlin buzzed the door to his apartment at the security entrance.
“Hello?”
“Mouse, it’s me, Cat, can you let me in?”
“Cat?” came the confused reply.
“Yes, it me.”
The door buzzed a moment later, signalling his acceptance and she made her way through the door to the elevator. Once inside the lift she couldn’t help but take a moment to re-arrange herself to look a little better. It was what she’d always done prior to seeing him, purely instinctual. She cursed herself for being so selfish at a time like this, it’d been years since she had seen him last.
The door opened, “Catlin, what are you doing here?”
She broke down almost at once, the emotion she’d stowed away whilst making her getaway now came gushing out of her in a wail of tears and screams. Seeing her old lover and looking him in the eye
had weakened her, softened her emotions.
Peter said nothing, only embraced her emphatically and soothed her by caressing the back of her head, “what’s going on Cat?”
“Oh my god, you won’t believe it … someone’s trying to kill me, Mark’s dead and now I don’t …”
Peter cut her off, “Hey, come inside, come inside and we can talk ... it’s ok.” He ushered her inside and closed the door behind him. “Mark’s dead? What the hell Catlin?”
“He’s dead.”
“I thought he was helping you?”
“I found something, I ... I never thought it would hurt anyone, it was just a photo and now, now Mark’s dead and countless others ... and I don’t even know who else ... oh my god Pete, you have to help me, I didn’t know who else to come to.”
“Oh Catlin, I’m so sorry.”
“Did you know?”
“What?”
“You just said ‘I thought he was helping you’?”
“Cat you look terrible, maybe get some rest first hey? We can talk later about this.” He ignored her inquisitive question.
She made no objection, the jet lag she felt made no objection, she rolled onto the living room couch, closed her eyes and less than a minute later was out like a light.
She slept for about sixteen hours, waking with blank eyes to see Pete sleeping on a nearby chair. She smiled that womanly smile ... almost as if she’d woken from a night with a lover. She gazed languidly at him as if in post sex, only to have that dream ripped from her, as in a flash she saw her brothers face appear in her mind.
Her rouse woke Pete from his post beside her and his immediate reaction was for her concern, he came to her side and brushed the hair from her face.
“Hey Kitty Kat” he used the pet name they used as lovers.
“Mickey Mouse.”
No matter what had happened in the past, the love could still be felt between them. They’d spent years together, sharing ideals and adventures and their bond had always been hard to break. Even when they fought, and fight they did, the lovemaking that followed was unbounded. Now after almost three years apart, it was as if they’d never left each other.
“Are you ok to travel?”
Recalling Destiny Page 7