by Bobby Akart
One by one, the old, wealthy families of Boston paid their respects and good wishes to John Morgan. The names were synonymous with New England gentry and would be familiar to anyone who had studied American History in high school—Hancock, Tudor, Warren, Bradlee, Crowninshield, Winthrop, Endicott, Peabody, Sargent, Adams and Morgan. Morgan greeted them all heartily and with genuine respect. They were more than his wealthy, powerful friends. They were members of an exclusive group of patriotic Americans dating back to the War for Independence. The members of these families were lineal descendants of the Sons of Liberty—our Founding Fathers.
They were the Boston Brahmin.
Chapter 17
January 5, 2016
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Sarge sat in silence as Steven navigated the G-Wagen onto Memorial Drive. He was deep in thought, weighing his personal life, career and “other” responsibilities. He envied Steven’s lifestyle, though it was consumed by excessive indulgences. Everyone has a way to relieve stress—blow off steam. Steven’s life put him in life-threatening situations. Why shouldn’t he play hard after returning from a mission?
Sarge didn’t have any life-threatening stresses—yet. His instincts told him his talents and services would be called upon sooner rather than later. So what is preventing me from having a balanced personal life with my careers—both of them? Is that what’s holding me back from a relationship with Julia? Sarge hated deep thinking and turned up FoxNews on the G63’s COMAND system.
“So, with the support of my family, my colleagues and the lovely people of the great state of Massachusetts, I proudly announce my reelection campaign to finish the work I began six years ago in the United States Senate!”
Gee, thanks, universe. Your timing couldn’t have been better. Sarge physically rolled his eyes and shook his head at this thought. Is Abbie the reason I can’t move forward with Julia? The two had practically grown up together after Sarge’s father died. Her dad was Sarge and Steven’s godfather. Sarge and Abbie had a serious romantic tryst a little over ten years ago. Abbie was practicing law at her father’s firm, and Sarge had just received his offer from Harvard. The two were made for each other in many respects, but Sarge always got the impression that her father disapproved of the relationship. Rising careers pulled them apart, which had made things easier for everyone. In the past few years, their work on the “project” had put them in close contact. Sarge still felt an attraction, but the spark was gone. The spark, however, was there with Julia.
“Here you go, Miss Daisy, your tips are greatly appreciated,” said Steven, pulling up to the curb of the Taubman Building. “Have you spoken to Abbie?”
“No, I didn’t know she was coming to town,” replied Sarge.
He found it odd that she didn’t touch base. Maybe this was a quick trip for purposes of the announcement. He really couldn’t think of a reason for her not calling.
“We don’t have anything to discuss right now, but we all need to get together soon,” said Sarge, reaching into the backseat and grabbing his briefcase.
“Have a nice day at school, young man. Did you remember to bring your Scooby Doo lunch pail?” teased Steven.
Sarge half turned back to him, holding up his free hand to distinctly show five fingers. “Talk to the hand, my friend,” he said. “This also means to be back here at five!”
Sarge jogged towards the entrance of the Taubman Building before Steven could volley another round of bullshit. The tires squealed as Steven presumably took his beloved G-Wagen on a date from hell. He wondered if the living arrangement with his brother would survive until the spring thaw, when Steven would be back on the Miss Behavin’—where he belonged.
Chapter 18
January 5, 2016
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Sarge lived for the sense of excitement ushered in by each new semester, a sure sign that he loved his job. He brought up the first slide on the screen as his new students filed into their assigned seats.
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
+
ECONOMIC POLICY
The course, similar to his last semester’s offering, focused on the interrelationship between global entities: nation states; international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; along with multinational corporations and civil activist organizations like Anonymous. Students would discuss the international economic impact these entities interplayed, ultimately focusing on their relationship to the United States economy.
“Good morning, everyone, please find your seats,” said Sarge, finding a few familiar faces in the crowd—like the ever-present Miss Crepeau.
Everyone settled in their seats, and as was his custom, he surveyed the faces to determine who was serious and who was simply following daddy’s orders to be there. They all look remarkably serious. Maybe they’re paying attention to the news.
“I see many new faces this semester and look forward to meeting you. After class, I would like students new to my lectures to schedule an appointment so we can discuss my expectations, and yours,” said Sarge.
“This class is the second in a series of lectures on the topic of global governance. Last semester, we narrowed the topic to the subject global governance in the context of new modalities of modern warfare. This semester we will focus on world economic policies. Let’s start with a recap of the concept of global governance. I’ll pick on some old hands first—Miss Crepeau,” said Sarge, already identifying the teacher’s favorite.
Miss Crepeau had recorded a near perfect score on last semester’s final. Sarge had an inner debate about how to deal with a young female student who was clearly enamored with him. Most professors would push her away to deter any appearance of impropriety. Sarge decided to encourage her through classroom attention and avoid personal contact outside of class. She was a gifted student, and he did not want to discourage her. Gotta hide this one from my brother.
“Yes, Professor Sargent,” said Miss Crepeau.
“Provide a summary of the global governance movement,” said Sarge, adding, “in one hundred forty characters or less.”
The Twitter reference brought muffled laughs. Imagine if all conversations required the speaker to maintain a strict 140-characters-or-less policy. People might engage in real dialogue.
“Global governance refers to the complex conduct of international affairs. Without a global government, the concept relates to the different ways governments, organizations, institutions and businesses administer their affairs,” said Miss Crepeau. “The theory allows for consensus-forming among these various entities, which generate formal and informal guidelines affecting governments and multinational entities.”
“Thank you, Miss Crepeau,” said Sarge. “We live in an interconnected world. Without a single government to establish the necessary laws governing this interaction, some level of cooperation must be achieved; otherwise every nation would build a wall around their borders, both real and virtual. Of course, politics plays a significant role.”
There were a few mumbles exchanged between the members of the class. His students were well tuned to politics. Statistics suggested that half of his students would hold public office sometime in their careers.
“On the left side of the political spectrum, global governance under a one-world government is appealing, because it helps protect the poorest nations, which often fall prey to stronger nations or international organizations.
“Conservative thinkers argue that this neoliberal approach is a direct threat to the independence of the nation state, and thus its sovereignty. Therefore, a balance must be achieved, in our interrelated world, to satisfy the political objectives of nation-states while maintaining the sovereignty of those who wish to remain independent.”
Sarge surveyed the room. Everyone looked interested, so he opened the discussion with qu
estions.
“For those of you who are new to my lectures only, who has a question?” asked Sarge, watching as over a dozen hands flew up in near unison.
“Excellent. Let’s try it this way. I will point at each of you, and as I do, please provide your question concisely. Remember, one hundred forty characters or less. I know you can do it, tweeps.”
Sarge wanted to determine if there was a consensus question, and this also enabled him to determine what each student’s political leanings were. The students, one by one, fired off their interrogatories. The issues were anticipated—fairness, wealth transfer, socialism, border protection, level of participation. One young man mentioned nation bullying, piquing Sarge’s interest. The issue of alliances and building of global powers across nation-state boundaries intrigued Sarge.
“Mr. Ocampo, you are new to my lectures, right?” asked Sarge.
The young man appeared unsure of himself. Sarge decided to give him some confidence.
“Yes, sir. I am a first year law student and in the dual-degree program. I was approved to take this course as a first year elective,” said Ocampo.
Sarge recognized the surname. Marcos Ocampo was the grandson of the former United Nations Under-Secretary of Economic and Social Affairs. At twenty, he was the youngest law student at Harvard, and probably the youngest student in Sarge’s tenure. This young man grew up in a household where these topics were regularly discussed. Sarge decided to test his mettle.
“Mr. Ocampo, lawyer-in-training, what do you mean by nation bullying?” asked Sarge.
“Well, Professor Sargent, most people might associate the word bullying with larger, wealthier nations asserting their will upon the smaller countries who don’t have the same leverage in international matters. I believe the concept of global governance allows for just the opposite. Smaller nations may band together to force the wealthier, more powerful nations to participate in global governance initiatives against their will,” said Ocampo.
“For example,” interjected Sarge. He liked Ocampo already.
“One example is global shaming,” stated Ocampo. “The United States is continuously accused of being the root cause of global environmental issues because of our reliance upon fossil fuels. Our country must react by enacting laws or promulgating regulations restricting the ability of our businesses to operate. Many times, these laws are not reciprocally enacted in other countries—like China, India and Russia—who are just as guilty of environmental abuses, if not more so. The increased regulatory apparatus in the United States places our businesses at an economic disadvantage on the world stage.”
“To summarize, those organizations and nations active in global governance have used the power to shame the United States to gain an economic advantage,” said Sarge. “Any other examples?”
“Yes, sir. Another example is the formation of major trade partners and alliances. For a long time the G20 and G8 dominated the world trade markets. In the last five years, the BRICS alliance has been formed between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The first four countries represent nearly half of the world’s population and the most lucrative emerging market trade partners,” said Ocampo.
Sarge could learn from young Ocampo. He observed the faces of the fellow classmates. Often, the egos of other students would get in the way of their learning from a student. Ocampo had captured their attention. This was why Sarge loved teaching.
“You mentioned the first four countries as being the most lucrative trade partners in the emerging markets. I assume that would exclude the United States, because we are clearly the world leader in trade—therefore not considered an emerging market. Why is South Africa included in the BRICS alliance?” asked Sarge, already knowing the answer.
“Gold,” replied Ocampo. “South Africa is the fifth largest producer of gold in the world and is the largest producer of many precious metals, including platinum and palladium. Not to mention the diamond mines. Their natural resources compliment the other four nations nicely. Plus, the acronym BRICS, instead of BRIC, sounds better.”
This drew some laughs and you could see Ocampo was gaining confidence on this first day of class. Time to let him breathe.
“Thank you, Mr. Ocampo,” said Sarge. “The BRICS alliance, as Mr. Ocampo points out, is having a significant impact on the world economy, and the United States in particular. Last semester, we discussed the changes in modern warfare. This semester, our focus on economic policy will also include another form of warfare—economic warfare. The BRICS alliance has the potential to cause substantial damage to the United States economy, if they so choose.”
And there was little doubt that the BRICS countries would make that choice.
Chapter 19
January 5, 2016
The Hack House
Antrim Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Lau sat across the desk from his two trusted lieutenants, Fakhri and Malvalaha. It was time to make the call. Lau had several firewalls of his own in place to avoid detection. Using a program called VyprVPN, Lau established a virtual private network that could extend beyond a public network. Since he had administrative user status within their network, he decided to make a clear and convincing point by contacting the TickStub chief technology officer directly through their Antec internal communications system.
The VyprVPN software would mask his location, and he utilized a Voxal voice changer to alter his voice. Voxal combined and stacked vocal effects like pitch, echo and volume to confound other listeners, like the FBI.
Lau would keep it simple. He’d provide TickStub with verifiable information only an internal administrator with a high level of security and administrative privileges could access. He would demand payment, wired to various bank accounts around the world, followed by a promise to leave them alone. They’d get one hour to provide an answer and another hour to comply. Walthaus and company would monitor TickStub’s internal servers, looking for evidence of last minute anti-hacking activity. If TickStub tried to plug the leak during the two-hour window, Malvalaha would unleash a series of DDoS attacks on their server. If TickStub’s IT team persisted, the domain would be taken offline, leaving a message that read:
We have your credit card information and it’s too late to do anything about it. Thank you for visiting the new TickStub.
“Showtime,” said Lau, connecting to TickStub’s interoffice communications system. Wilson Bittermint, TickStub’s soon-to-be-former chief technology officer, appeared on the screen in front of him.
“Hello, Wilson, we need to have a chat.”
“Who…what’s the meaning of this?” demanded Bittermint. “Who gave you access to this network? Why are you wearing that bizarre mask? Oh, shit.”
Lau had donned the infamous Guy Fawkes mask worn by members of the Anonymous group, adding a theatrical touch to the interaction. He also thought it might provide some misdirection for TickStub’s investigation.
“You may call me Mr. Who-am-I,” said Lau. “I do the talking and you take notes. This won’t take long. First, you will take no action to notify the FBI or any other alphabet agencies of the oppressive American government. Second, you will take no action to modify, alter or otherwise patch your corporate servers. The system is under our control, and we’ll know if your IT minions attempt any damage control.”
“This is outrageous. You’re out of your mind,” screamed Bittermint. “I’m done with this charade.”
He attempted to end the call, but his keyboard was unresponsive.
“Wilson, you need to calm down. Your keyboard will not work, and your administrative privileges have been suspended,” said Lau. “I suggest you allow me to finish. Now, do I need to repeat items one and two for you?”
“No,” replied Bittermint.
“Third, you will be asked to verify the authenticity of my statements. I will allow you the next hour to do so,” said Lau.
Lau proceeded to provide Bittermint private information on the TickStub CE
O, including the fact he had stage two cancer invading his lymph nodes. He provided a couple of TickStub usernames and corresponding credit card information. Finally, Lau provided Bittermint’s salary information and the social security numbers for several top-level employees.
“What do you want?” asked Bittermint defiantly.
“You’re going to convince your superiors to pay us what we ask to make this go away. Be sure to remind them the Super Bowl is less than two weeks away. They don’t want to fuck this up!”
“How much?” asked Bittermint.
“You see, Wilson, this is a zero-sum game. In this game, one man’s gain is another man’s loss; who gains and who loses is solely determined by who pays. We have other bidders, but the Buy It Now bid for you is fifty million. You will be contacted in one hour. Get to work!” Lau disconnected the transmission.
Now they wait.
Chapter 20
January 5, 2016
73 Tremont
Boston, Massachusetts
Abbie walked into the bookshelf-lined conference room, overwhelmed by raucous applause. As a public figure, she was accustomed to this type of reaction from her regular constituents, but this group was different. The faces greeting her inside 73 Tremont evoked long-standing memories. The people crowded into her father’s office had known Abbie since she was a child. Their children and grandchildren were neighbors on Beacon Hill. Forming the backbone of Boston’s historical elite, they were a tightly knit collection of families. The significance of bringing them together in one place was not lost on Abbie. Her father had orchestrated this event for a reason. John Morgan stepped forward to greet her with a hug.
“Hello, Father, what did you think?” asked Abbie.