by Thomas Fay
‘Ambassadors, Councillors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this evening’s gala event. My name is Rick Higgins and I’m the CEO of the Opera House. Before we begin, I’d like to offer a special thanks to the Iona Corporation. Without their generous support of this institution, we wouldn’t be here today.’
Rick paused for a round of polite applause before continuing.
‘Tonight is a truly special occasion and I couldn’t think of a more fitting venue—our new Grand Ballroom. Officially opened in 2040, this space is not only a state-of-the-art performance venue, it also allows us to host up to three hundred guests. Tonight we welcome ambassadors from around the world to our beautiful city, on the eve of the first ever UN Security Council summit to be held in Iona. On behalf of our great city and the Ruling Council, I hope you enjoy tonight, the award-winning food, the handpicked selection of regional wines and the music. We’ve organised several world-class musicians to entertain you throughout the evening.’
Another round of applause followed Rick as he left the stage. John scanned the room. Everything seemed normal. The ambassadors resumed their mingling with Iona’s business community. Several Councillors were also in attendance, while the security details kept a polite distance. There was no sign of Zachary Wallman.
‘I need to make a phone call. Will you excuse me for a moment?’ John said.
‘Of course. Take your time,’ Vanessa said.
John made his way through the crowded ballroom towards the exit. Stepping outside, he suddenly found himself in silence. He took his phone out. Scrolling through his recent call list, he found the number he was looking for. Fernali answered on the second ring.
‘Tesh, everything alright in there?’ Fernali asked.
‘Yes, fine. You?’
‘All quiet here. No unusual air traffic. The Ruling Council has two transport ships on standby just in case and there’s a medical chopper ready to lift off at a moment’s notice.’
‘Ever get the feeling you’re being played?’
‘You mean besides the times you ask me to do something for you and promise to return the favour?’
John laughed.
‘Come on, I’m not that bad.’
‘If you say so. What’s this about?’
‘I don’t know. Something about this doesn’t feel right. The gala is a bit too obvious. From what I’ve seen of how these people operate, they’re always one step ahead of you. By the time you catch up to what they’re doing, they’re onto the next phase.’
‘You don’t think the gala is the target?’
‘Yes and no. I still think something’s going to happen here but every instinct I have is screaming at me that there’s something going on somewhere else in the city. Right now. While we’re all focused on the Opera House.’
‘What do you want to do?’
‘Let me make another call and I’ll let you know.’
‘Okay.’
Fernali hung up. John scrolled through his call list. Finding the number for Councillor Alara Green, he hit the dial button. The phone rang several times. Finally, she answered on the fifth ring.
‘I’m starting to think giving you my direct number may have been a mistake,’ was the greeting she offered.
‘Why, Councillor, I’m offended,’ John said.
‘I’m sure you are. I’m a little busy right now. Did you need something specific or did you just call to chat?’
‘Specific. Has there been any unusual activity at any of your Flux Cell facilities?’
There was a moment of silence.
‘How did you know?’
‘Just a hunch.’
‘Maybe you’re as good as they say you are. A highly sophisticated cyberattack was launched against our facilities exactly five minutes ago. We’ve had to isolate numerous systems to prevent the intrusion from spreading.’
‘Which facilities?’
There was another silence.
‘Councillor?’
‘All of them.’
‘What?!’
‘Whoever these people are, they’re clearly equipped with considerable resources.’
John remembered the substantial monetary transfers made by Integrated Logistics and Shipping. Clearly, those funds had been intended to fund an all-out assault on the Iona Corporation.
‘Any physical intrusion?’ John asked.
‘We’ve had to shut down our link to the surveillance cameras.’
‘So … you have no way of knowing?’
‘Our security teams haven’t encountered anything yet but we don’t have enough operatives to effectively lock down every facility.’
John considered his options. He could pull all of the Sentinel teams from the Opera House security detail and redeploy them. That would leave the Opera House unprotected, other than by regular police. He was still convinced that something was going to happen here and having Sorensen on standby with a full tactical team was the best option. He would have to handle this differently.
‘What’s the most secure facility?’ John asked.
‘All Iona Corporation facilities and installations have the same level of cybersecurity combined with armed operatives and physical restrictions.’
‘Okay, let me put it another way. Which facility, out of all of the Iona Corporation’s facilities, is the most important?’
There was a momentary silence. Then: ‘The manufacturing facility in North Ryde. If we lost that it would set us back years.’
‘That has to be it.’
‘How can you be certain?’
‘I’m not but it makes sense. They tried to infiltrate it before and failed. They then managed to get an agent inside your distribution centre before we got to him. The manufacturing facility has been their objective all along.’
‘I’ll send a transport ship to—’
‘No. This might be our best chance of catching them all in one place and putting an end to this once and for all. Can you clear me and my partner for access to the manufacturing facility?’
‘Alright, I’ll get you clearance. You sure you don’t need backup?’
John smiled as his mind conjured up images of Socrates moving faster than his eyes could follow, brushing off a barrage of bullets while disabling the rogue operatives.
‘I’ve got this covered.’
Fifty
John raced down the steps of the Opera House. Reaching the bottom, he waved at a pair of Sentinels to let him through. They moved the police barricade aside as John ran through. Reaching the open plaza in front of the Opera House, he pulled out his phone and dialled Socrates. His partner answered on the first ring.
‘Hello, John.’
‘Socrates, are you in the cruiser?’
‘Yes, John.’
‘Time to move. Come and pick me up on Macquarie Street, near the Opera House. Just past the police cordon.’
‘I’m on my way.’
John put his phone away and raced across the plaza. Muller and several other Sentinels were positioned near the roundabout, the only vehicular access to the Opera House.
‘Tesh, everything alright?’ Muller called out.
‘Yes but I need to get through.’
‘Let him through,’ Muller instructed. Two of the uniformed police officers moved a portable barricade aside. John ran past, waving his thanks at them. Reaching the road, he veered to the left and ran up Macquarie Street. Reaching the exit to the underground car park, he slowed. The sound of screeching tyres echoed from inside the underground car park. A moment later, his Sentinel cruiser came flying up the ramp. Socrates slammed on the brakes and the powerful car came to an abrupt stop. John opened the passenger door and got in. Socrates accelerated away.
‘What is our destination, John?’ Socrates asked.
‘North Ryde. We’re going to the Iona Corporation’s main Flux Cell manufacturing and testing facility.’
A surge of power ran through the cruiser as Socrates continue
d to accelerate up Macquarie Street.
‘I am engaging the Sentinel traffic override. I recommend you fasten your seatbelt,’ Socrates said.
John barely managed to get his seatbelt on before Socrates swerved onto the Cahill Expressway. The cruiser had been designed for high-speed pursuits and took the sharp corner with only a small protest from its rear tyres. John found himself flattened against the inside of the passenger door. A moment later the car straightened out on the Cahill Expressway and John took a deep breath.
‘Are you alright, John?’ Socrates asked.
The android remained perfectly calm, making minute adjustments to keep the speeding vehicle under control. A complex schematic on the in-built touchscreen confirmed that the Sentinel traffic override was active. It would ensure they encountered only green lights.
‘I should let you drive more often.’
Socrates didn’t reply. They neared the end of the straight section of the Cahill Expressway. Entering the long turn inside the tunnel carved out of solid rock, John grasped the sides of the door. Rather than slow down, Socrates continued to apply small amounts of acceleration throughout the turn. The cruiser’s tyres were now making a constant screeching sound, which was amplified by the tunnel. It sounded like a Formula One racing car was going through the tunnel. They flew out the other side and onto the Harbour Bridge, narrowly missing several slow-moving passenger cars and a minibus. Socrates’s control of the speeding car was incredible.
John reached for his phone. Hitting redial, he waited until Fernali picked up on the second ring.
‘I was right,’ John said.
‘About what?’ Fernali asked.
‘They’ve just launched an all-out cyberattack on the Iona Corporation.’
‘Bloody hell! What should we do?’
‘Stay at the Opera House. That event is too important for Iona on the world stage for anything to go wrong. Socrates and I are on our way to the Iona Corporation’s Flux Cell manufacturing plant.’
‘You sure you don’t need backup?’
John cast a glance at his partner. Socrates continued to stare straight ahead. His hands barely moved as he weaved in between other cars on the bridge.
‘I think we can handle this. Let the Chief know and tell Sorensen to be ready for anything.’
‘Will do.’
Fernali hung up. John scrolled through his contacts until he located the number for Vanessa Koelmeyer. Figuring she’d be inside the Grand Ballroom and wouldn’t hear her phone, he typed a quick text message.
Vanessa, it’s John. Something’s come up. I won’t be coming back to the Opera House. I’ll call you later.
He hit send just as Socrates left the Harbour Bridge behind and accelerated along the Warringah Freeway. John could only sit and watch as Socrates pushed the powerful Sentinel cruiser up to its top speed of two hundred and fifty kilometres per hour.
‘Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to let you drive after all.’
Fifty-One
The Iona Corporation’s annexation of the city of Sydney in 2039 took the world by surprise. There had been numerous powerful corporations created over the years. Many had achieved success by creating new products, others had revolutionised the internet and the way we do everyday things. Some had amassed considerable wealth and power. A handful of those effectively influenced governments, utilising the considerable resources at their disposal. None had ever created a product the world so desperately needed that their wealth became almost immeasurable. The Iona Corporation’s revolutionary renewable energy technology, the Flux Cell, was the world’s most valuable product. While the vehicles and structures that relied on the Flux Cell were manufactured all across the world, the Flux Cell was made in only one place—Iona, with the manufacturing plant in North Ryde the primary production plant.
‘This is it,’ John said. Their Sentinel cruiser had travelled the seventeen-kilometre distance from the Opera House in about a third of the time it would have taken normally. Socrates’s driving abilities were truly astounding.
‘How do you wish to proceed, John?’ Socrates asked.
‘Park the car in that side street. I’m going to make a call.’
While Socrates drove the powerful cruiser down the side street, John called Councillor Alara Green.
‘We’re here,’ John said. ‘What’s the situation?’
‘Our surveillance is still down. So far, we’ve managed to isolate all of our internal systems but we have no way of knowing if anyone has physically breached the facility.’
‘How long has the surveillance been down?’
‘About ten minutes.’
‘I still can’t believe one hacker could cause so much chaos.’
‘Our security teams have identified the hacker as Tobias Jan Neumann. He was a child prodigy, an extremely gifted mathematician and physician.’
‘What happened?’
‘His parents were both killed during the GEC riots in Munich. Europol’s psychological profile of Tobias points to a deep-seated hatred and mistrust of government authority. He turned his skills towards computers and quickly became the most formidable cyberterrorist in Europe.’
‘So why is he running around Iona a seemingly free man?’
‘That’s what we can’t figure out. From all accounts, Tobias’s criminal activities ceased about a year ago. That would indicate he was arrested but Europol has no record of the arrest or his current location. He simply disappeared.’
‘Sounds like someone got to him and recruited him.’
‘That would make sense. Either way, he’s proving a match for all but our core security. Which means I can’t offer you any remote assistance.’
‘Alright, we’re going in. Tell your people not to shoot us by accident.’
‘I will. And, John … ’
‘Yes?’
‘We won’t allow them to leave Iona with the technology in that plant. If you can’t stop them, we’ll have to take drastic measures.’
‘Understood. We’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that.’
John put his phone away just as Socrates brought the car to a standstill. They opened the doors and got out. Covering the short distance to the front of the nondescript manufacturing facility, they were stopped by two Council operatives. They were wearing the standard lightweight body armour with reflective visors. They were both heavily armed.
‘Halt, this is a highly restricted area,’ one of them said.
‘John Tesh, Sentinel. ID Alpha-101.’
There was a momentary silence. John watched his reflection in the operative’s visor. He absently wondered what the man or woman underneath looked like.
‘John Tesh and Socrates. You may proceed.’
‘Has anyone else come in tonight?’ John asked.
‘No.’
‘Okay. Keep up the good work.’
John moved past them with Socrates one step behind him. They pushed open the reinforced security door. A narrow corridor, concrete floors and walls, stretched out before them. It was lit by LED panels recessed into the ceiling. There was a door at the other end.
‘I guess we go this way,’ John said.
They moved down the corridor, their footsteps echoing in the confined space. Reaching the door, they saw that it was protected by a sophisticated biometric lock, complete with fingerprint and retinal scanner. John pulled out his phone. He hit redial.
‘Yes?’ Councillor Alara Green asked.
‘We’re inside the facility but we need to get past the biometric security.’
‘I’ve already cleared you.’
‘I know but—hang on, what did you say?’
‘The door should open. Just hold your finger over the reader and look into the scanner.’
Despite the situation, John felt rather sheepish. Councillor Alara Green seemed to have that effect on him.
‘Right. Thanks.’
‘Anytime.’
John hung up. He placed his index finger on the reader. A p
ale blue light scanned his finger. He then leaned into the optical scanner. The same blue light blinded him momentarily as it passed across his retina. The door lock opened. John pushed it and they stepped through. They found themselves in a large room. The lights blinked into existence one by one in rapid succession, in predetermined patterns, illuminating the interior.
‘Wow,’ John whispered.
The interior was divided into a series of manufacturing stations. Each one looked extremely complex. They were interconnected by a series of fast-moving conveyor belts that appeared from the walls at various points, passed through the manufacturing stations and then disappeared into the walls in other parts of the room. John could just make out the objects on the conveyor belts. They were matt silver in colour and about forty centimetres long. In a moment of clarity, John realised this was what had saved the world from chaos. The fabled Iona Corporation Flux Cell.
‘John, I have detected several people in the adjoining area,’ Socrates said.
‘Which way?’ John asked.
Socrates pointed at the far wall. There was a single reinforced security door.
‘How can you tell?’ John asked.
‘I have accessed the security cameras throughout this facility.’
‘I thought they’d all been hacked?’
‘They have. I have managed to bypass the intrusion and access the surveillance in this facility.’
John stared at the wall, trying to picture what Socrates was describing.
‘What are they doing?’
‘Based on their positions, I would hypothesise that one of them is attempting to bypass the security while the other is standing guard.’
‘Let’s go help them then, shall we?’
‘I don’t understand, John.’
‘Follow me.’
John drew his handgun as he walked across the manufacturing floor. Socrates followed one step behind. Reaching the reinforced security door, John placed his left hand on the emergency release. His right hand held his weapon.
‘Ready?’ John asked.
‘Yes, John.’
Pushing down on the handle, John opened the door, surprising the two men on the other side, who fell back a step.