TWENTY EIGHT
"Look at that." Hawkins pointed at the central monitor.
TWENTY SEVEN
"What does that mean, it's not in the book?"
TWENTY SIX
"I dunno. No chances though." Hawkins switched his intercom selector to 'ALL', meaning that everyone on line, including the Mission Control Director would hear.
TWENTY FIVE
"We have an anomaly here . . ." Hawkins said into his mouthpiece.
TWENTY FOUR
"Specify anomaly, comm," The dry voice returned. Hawkins wasn't quite sure how to respond. The practice runs had not covered this eventuality.
TWENTY THREE
"Look up at Video 6. Switching over." Hawkins tried to remain unflustered.
TWENTY TWO
"Copy comm. Do you contain?"
TWENTY ONE
"Negative Mission Control. It's an override." Hawkins answered.
TWENTY FIRING SEQUENCE NOMINAL
The voice of Mission Control annoyed Hawkins for the first time in his 8 years at NASA.
"Confirm and update."
NINETEEN
Hawkins blew his cool. "Look at the goddamned monitor for Chris- sakes. Just look!" He yelled into the intercom.
EIGHTEEN
"Holy . . .who's . . .please confirm, local analysis," the sober voice sounded concerned for the first time.
SEVENTEEN
"Confirmed anomaly." "Confirmed." "Confirmed." "Confirmed." The votes streamed in.
SIXTEEN
"We have a confirm . . ."
T-MINUS 15 SECONDS AND COUNTING.
TEN
"We have a go for main engine start."
SEVEN
SIX
FIVE
"We have a main engine start . . .we have a cut off."
"Columbia, we have a monitor anomaly, holding at T-minus 5."
"That's a Roger, Houston," the commander of Space Shuttle Colum- bia responded calmly.
"We have a manual abort override. Columbia's on board computers confirm the cut-off. Can you verify, Columbia?"
"That's a Roger."
The huge block letter message continued to blaze across the monitors. Craig Volker spoke rapidly into his master intercom system. "Cut network feed. Cut direct feed. Cut now! Now!" All TV networks suddenly lost their signal that was routed through NASA's huge video switches. NASA's own satellite feed was simul- taneously cut as well. If NASA didn't want it going to the public it didn't get sent.
CNN got the first interview with NASA officials.
"What caused today's flight to be aborted?"
"We detected a slight leak in the fuel tanks. We believe that the sensors were faulty, that there was no leak, but we felt in the interest of safety it would be best to abort the mission. Orbital alignment is not critical and we can attempt a relaunch within 2 weeks. When we know more we will make further informa- tion available." The NASA spokesman left abruptly.
The CNN newsman continued. "According to NASA, a malfunctioning fuel monitor was the cause of today's aborted shuttle launch. However, several seconds before the announced abort, our video signal was cut by NASA. Here is a replay of that countdown again."
CNN technicians replayed one of their video tapes. The video monitors within Mission Control were not clear on the replay. But the audio was. "Look at the goddamned monitor for Chrissakes. Just look." Then the video went dead.
* * * * *
Steve Billings received an urgent message on his computer's E Mail when he got home from classes. All it said was
PHONE HOME
He dialed NEMO directly this time.
[[[CONNECTION]]]
He chose CONVERSATION PIT from the menu. La Creme was there, alone and probably waiting.
What's the panic?
YOU DON'T KNOW? [CREME]
Just finished exams . . .been locked up in student hell . . .
NASA ABORT . . .SHUTTLE WENT TO SHIT. [CREME]
So? More Beckel fuel problems I s'pose.
UH . . .UH. NOT THIS TIME. NASA GOT AN INVITATION. [CREME]
From aliens? SETI finally came through?
NOPE. FROM CHRISTA MCAULIFFE. [CREME]
Right.
SERIOUS. SHE WELCOMED THE CREW OF COLUMBIA. [CREME]
Get real . . .
I AM. CHECK OUT CNN. THEY RECONSTRUCTED THE VIDEO SIGNAL BEFORE NASA SHUT THE FEED DOWN. THE MONITORS HAD A GREETING FROM CHRIS- TA. ABORTED THE DAMN MISSION. [CREME]
I don't get it.
NEITHER DO I. BUT, DON'T YOU PLAY AROUND IN NASA COMPUTERS? [CREME]
Sure I do. Poke and Play. I'm not alone.
AND REPROGRAM THE LAUNCH COMPUTERS? [CREME]
Never. It's against the Code.
I KNOW THAT, BUT DO YOU? [CREME]
What are getting at?
OK GOOD BUDDY . . .STRAIGHT SHOOTING. DID YOU GO IN AND PUT SOME MESSAGES ON MISSION CONTROL COMPUTERS? [CREME]
Fuck, no. You know better than that.
I HOPED YOU'D SAY THAT. [CREME]
Hey . . .thanks for the vote of confidence.
NO OFFENSE DUDE. HADDA ASK. THEN IF YOU DIDN'T WHO DID? [CREME]
I don't know. That's sick.
NO SHIT SHERLOCK. NASA'S ONE PISSED OFF PUPPY. THEY HAVEN'T GONE PUBLIC YET, BUT THE MEDIA'S GOT IT PEGGED THAT HACKERS ARE RESPONSIBLE. WE MAY HAVE TO LOCK IT UP.
Damn. Better get clean.
YOU LEAVE TRACKS?
Nah. They're security is for shit. No nothing. Besides, I get in as SYSOP. I can erase my own tracks.
BETTER BE SURE.
I'm not going back, not for a while.
THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SERIOUS HEAT ON THIS.
Can't blame 'em. What d'you suggest? I'm clean, really.
BELIEVE YOU GUY. I DO. BUT WILL THEY?
I hope so . . .
* * * * *
Friday, November 15
New York City Times
NASA SCRUBS MISSION: HACKERS AT PLAY?
by Scott Mason
NASA canceled the liftoff of the space shuttle Columbia yester- day, only 15 seconds prior to liftoff. Delays in the troubled shuttle program are nothing new. It seems that just about every- thing that can go wrong has gone wrong in the last few years. We watch fuel tanks leak, backup computers go bad, life support systems malfunction and suffer through a complete range of incom- prehensible defects in the multi-billion dollar space program.
We got to the moon in one piece, but the politics of the Shuttle Program is overwhelming.
Remember what Senator John Glenn said during his historic 3 orbit mission in the early days of the Mercury Program. "It worries me some. To think that I'm flying around up here in a machine built by the lowest bidder."
At the time, when the space program had the support of the coun- try from the guidance of the young Kennedy and from the fear of the Soviet lead, Glenn's comment was meant to alleviate the tension. Successfully, at that. But since the Apollo fire and the Challenger disaster, and an all too wide array of constant technical problems, political will is waning. The entire space program suffers as a result.
Yesterday's aborted launch echoes of further bungling. While the management of NASA is undergoing critical review, and executive replacements seem imminent, the new breed will have to live with past mistakes for some time. Unfortunately, most Americans no longer watch space launches, and those that do tune out once the astronauts are out of camera range. The Space Program suffers from external malaise as well as internal confusion.
That is, until yesterday.
In an unprecedented move, seconds after the countdown was halted, NASA cut its feeds to the networks and all 4 channels were left with the omnipresent long lens view of the space shuttle sitting idle on its launch pad. In a prepared statement, NASA blamed the aborted flight on yet another leak from the massive and explo- sive 355,000 gallon fuel tanks. In what will clearly become another public relations fiasco, NASA lied to us again. It appears that NASA's computers were invaded.
/> CNN cooped the other three networks by applying advanced digital reconstruction to a few frames of video. Before NASA cut the feed, CNN was receiving pictures of the monitor walls from Mis- sion Control in Houston, Texas. Normally those banks of video monitors contain critical flight information, telemetry, orbital paths and other data to insure the safety of the crew and machin- ery.
Yesterday, though, the video monitors carried a message to the nation:
CHRISTA MCAULIFFE AND THE CHALLENGER WELCOME THE CREW OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA.
This was the message that NASA tried to hide from America. Despite the hallucinations of fringe groups who are prophesizing imminent contact with an alien civilization, this message was not from a large black monolith on the Moon or from the Red Spot on Jupiter. A Star Baby will not be born.
The threatening words came from a deranged group of computer hackers who thought it would be great sport to endanger the lives of our astronauts, waste millions of taxpayer dollars, retard military space missions and make a mockery of NASA. After con- fronted with the undisputed evidence that CNN presented to NASA officials within hours of the attempted launch, the following statement was issued:
"The Space Shuttle Columbia flight performing a military mission, was aborted 5 seconds prior to lift-off. First reports indicated that the reason was a minor leak in a fuel line. Subsequent analysis showed, though, that the Side Band Communications Moni- toring System displayed remote entry anomalies inconsistent with program launch sequence. Automatic system response mechanisms put the count-down on hold until it was determined that intermit- tent malfunctions could not be repaired without a launch delay. The launch date has been put back until November 29."
Permit me to translate this piece of NASA-speak with the straight skinny.
The anomaly they speak of euphemistically was simple: A computer hacker, or hackers, got into the NASA computers and caused those nauseating words to appear on the screen. The implication was obvious. Their sickening message was a distinct threat to the safety of the mission and its crew. So, rather than an automat- ic systems shut-down, as the CNN tape so aptly demonstrates, a vigilant technician shouted, "Look at the g_______ed monitor for Chrissakes! Just look!"
While the NASA computers failed to notice that they had been invaded from an outside source, their able staff prevented what could have been another national tragedy. Congratulations!
If computer hackers, those insidious little moles who secretively poke through computer systems uninvited and unchecked, are the real culprits as well placed NASA sources suggest, they need to be identified quickly, and be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. There are laws that have been broken. Not only the laws regarding computer privacy, but legal experts say that cases can be made for Conspiracy, Sedition, Blackmail, Terrorism and Extortion.
But, according to computer experts, the likelihood of ever find- ing the interlopers is " . . .somewhere between never and none. Unless they left a trail, which good hackers don't, they'll get away with this Scott free."
Hackers have caused constant trouble to computer systems over the years, and incidents have been increasing in both number and severity. This computer assault needs to be addressed immediate- ly. America insists on it. Not only must the hacker responsible for this travesty be caught, but NASA must also explain how their computers can be compromised so easily. If a bunch of kids can enter one NASA communications computer, then what stops them from altering flight computers, life support systems and other comput- er controlled activities that demand perfect operation?
NASA, we expect an answer.
This is Scott Mason, waiting for NASA to lift-off from its duff and get down to business.
* * * * *
Friday, November 15
New York City.
Scott Mason picked up the phone on the first ring.
"Scott Mason," he said without thinking.
"Mr. Mason? This is Captain Kirk." The voice was serious, but did not resonate as did the distinctive voice that belonged to William Shatner. Scott laughed into the phone.
"Live long and prosper." Mason replied in an emotionless voice.
"I need to talk to you," the voice came right back.
"So talk." Scott was used to anonymous callers so he kept the rhythm of the conversation going.
"You have it all wrong. Hackers aren't the ones." The voice was earnest.
"What are you talking about?" Scott asked innocuously.
"Your articles keep saying that hackers cause all the trouble on computers. You're wrong."
"Says who?" Scott decided to play along.
"Says me. You obviously don't know about the Code."
"What code?" This was getting nowhere fast.
"Listen, I know your phone is tapped, so I only have another few seconds. Do you want to talk?"
"Tapped? What is this all about?" The annoyance was clear in Scott's voice.
"You keep blaming everything on hackers. You're wrong."
"Prove it." Scott gave this phone call another 10 seconds.
"I've been inside the NASA computers."
That got Scott to wake up from the droll papers on his desk. "Are you telling me you wrote the message . . .?" Scott could not contain his incredulity.
"God, no." Captain Kirk was firm. "Do you have a modem? At home?"
"Yeah, so what." Scott gave the caller only another 5 seconds.
"What's the number?"
"Is this love or hate?" Time's up thought Scott.
"News."
"What?"
"News. Do I talk to you or the National Expo[1]]? I figured you might be a safer bet." The voice who called himself Captain Kirk gave away nothing but the competitive threat was effective.
"No contest. If it's real. What have you got?" Scott paid atten- tion.
"What's the number?" the voice demanded. "Your modem."
"Ok! 914-555-2190." Scott gave his home modem number.
"Be on at midnight." The line went dead.
Scott briefly mentioned the matter to his editor, Doug, who in turn gave him a very hard time about it. "I thought you said virus hacker connection was a big ho-hum. As I recall, you said they weren't sexy enough? What happened?"
"Eating crow can be considered a delicacy if the main course is phenomonal."
"I see," laughed Doug. Creative way out, he thought.
"He said he'd been plowing around NASA computers," Scott argued.
"Listen, ask your buddy Ben how many crackpots admit to crimes just for the attention. It's crap." Doug was too jaded, thought Scott.
"No, no, it's legit," Scott said defensively. "Sounds like a hacker conspiracy to me."
"Legit? Legit?" Doug laughed out loud. "Your last column just about called for all computer junkies to be castrated and drawn and quartered before they are hung at the stake. And now you think an anonymous caller who claims to be a hacker, is for real? C'mon, Scott. You can't have it both ways. Sometimes your conspiracies are bit far fetched . . ."
"And when we hit, it sells papers." Scott reminded his boss that it was still a business.
Nonetheless, Doug made a point that hit home with Scott. Could he both malign computer nerds as sub-human and then expect to derive a decent story from one of them? There was an inconsist- ency there. Even so, some pretty despicable characters have turned state's evidence and made decent witnesses against their former cohorts. Had Captain Kirk really been where no man had been before?
"You don't care if I dig a little?" Scott backed off and played the humble reporter.
"It's your life." That was Doug's way of saying, "I told you there was a story here. Run!"
"No problem, chief." Scott snapped to mock attention and left his editor's desk before Doug changed his mind.
* * * * *
Midnight
Scarsdale, New York
Scott went into his study to watch Nightline after grabbing a cold beer and turned on the light over his computer. His study could by all standards be
declared a disaster area, which his ex- wife Maggie often did. In addition to the formal desk, 3 folding tables were piled high with newspapers, loose clippings, books, scattered notes, folders, magazines, and crumpled up paper balls on the floor. The maid had refused to clean the room for 6 months since he blamed her for disposing of important notes that he had filed on the floor. They were back on good terms, he had apologized, but his study was a no-man's, or no maid's land.
Scott battled to clear a place for his beer as his computer booted up. Since he primarily used his computer for writing, it wasn't terribly powerful by today's standards. A mere 386SX running at 20 megahertz and comparatively low resolution VGA color graphics. It was all he needed. He had a modem in it to connect to the paper's computer. This way he could leave the office early, write his articles or columns at home and still have them in by deadline. He also owned a GRiD 386 laptop com- puter for when he traveled, but it was buried beneath a mound of discarded magazines on one of the built-in floor to ceiling shelves that ringed the room.
Scott wondered if Kirk would really call. He had seemed paranoid when he called this afternoon. Phones tapped? Where did he ever get that idea? Preposterous. Why wouldn't his phone at home be tapped if the ones at work were? We'll see.
Scott turned the old 9" color television on the corner of the desk to Nightline. Enough to occupy him even if Kirk didn't call.
He set the ComPro communications program to Auto-Answer. If Kirk, or anyone else did call him, the program would automatical- ly answer the phone and his computer would alert him that someone else's computer had called his computer.
He noticed the clock chime midnight as Nightline went overtime to further discuss the new Soviet Union. Fascinating, he thought. I grow up in the 60's and 70's when we give serious concern to blowing up the world and today our allies of a half century ago, turned Cold War enemy, are talking about joining NATO.
At 12:02, Scott Mason's computer beeped at him. The beeping startled him.
He looked at the computer screen as a first message appeared.
WTFO
Scott didn't know what to make of it, so he entered a simple response.
Hello.
The computer screen paused briefly then came alive again.
ARE YOU SCOTT MASON?
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