Computer Capers

by Dan Kelly

  “Thank you Ashok. From what you’ve just said, we no longer have to worry about how to access the ground stations for the satellites undetected. That’s not an earth shattering development, but I’ll take any good news I can find anywhere I can find it. Sandy, compile a list of the people we should contact regarding the hacking crisis. I’ll review it and then have you get the word out. Ashok, keep working on that electro-magnetic theory of yours. There’s got to be a way to deal with it.

  “Okay, let’s summarize. We’ve got feelers out in all the right places, we’ve identified some people who match the profile we’ve created, we’ve a better handle on how our tormentors are driving us crazy and we’ve come up with some countermeasures to deal with the hacking. So, what’s our next step?”

  Joel replies with, “So far, we’ve come up with 24 people who warrant closer scrutiny. Since Tania, Barbara, Collette and I already have copious notes and have developed some opinions regarding these individuals, it makes sense to let us divvy up the list appropriately and continue our probing. The rest of you can keep your eyes and ears open for anyone new fitting our profile. The four of us will check in with Hank on a daily basis with our progress and the rest of you can touch base with him if you come across anything that will shed some light on what’s going on.”

  Hank agrees and dismisses them with, “Remember, time is also our enemy. Judging from the timeline of events so far, whoever is behind all of this is on a very strict and tight time schedule and my gut is telling me that what has happened so far is a day at Disneyland compared to what they have planned for us next. Don’t waste one second of the time we have.”

  Chapter 6

  -Washington D. C.-

  A few days later things have gone from bad to worse. The entire Eastern seaboard is now without power and the number of deaths and hairy situations related to these outages is rising alarmingly. Pockets of panic are beginning to pop up and are being nurtured by unsubstantiated rumors appearing on sporadic news broadcasts and in editorials of newspapers that have managed to get their papers out on the streets.

  John Q. Public is demanding factual information and resolutions, but their demands are being met with silence. President Weinstein is in a meeting in the Oval Office with Bill Demerit the head of Homeland Security, pacing and wringing his hands, trying to come up with a game plan to deal with the power outages and reduce the potential for rioting that could be just around the corner.

  “Bill, we’ve got to come up with an effective game plan to deal with this mess or all hell is going to break loose. Have you heard anything from Hank Aldridge?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Get him on the phone now.”

  A minute and five rings later, “Sentry, Aldridge here.”

  “Hi Hank, Bill Demerit here. I’m in the Oval office with the President and I’m going to put us on the speaker.”

  “Hi Mr. President. I won’t ask you how you are because I have a pretty good idea of what your answer would be.”

  “Hi Hank, do you have any good news for me. I could sure use some.”

  “Maybe. I was holding off on calling you until I was able to give you a better answer than that.”

  “What have you got?’

  “We believe we know in general how the communications are being disrupted. A remotely controlled, mobile and flexible electro-magnetic force field is being deployed that acts as a barrier, blocking out all signals of any kind coming into or leaving an area. We’re working on the specifics as to how they are being moved around, identifying all possible targets and ways to neutralize the force fields.

  “We’ve identified 24 individuals who fit the profile we’ve constructed and are in the process of investigating these people in more detail.

  “As for the hacking onslaught, we’ve put together a system access security procedure and will be relaying it to everybody responsible for the systems being accessed or those systems that could create public havoc if accessed. We’ve also developed a software program that will detect an unauthorized access attempt and send a devastating virus back to the source. We haven’t as yet come up with anything to deal with the viruses already in the affected systems. We’re working on it.”

  “Well, you’ve made some progress, Hank. That’s definitely good news, but we need more progress and faster. I know you are doing everything you can to expedite matters, but the American people are getting real nervous and I’m afraid if we don’t come up with some meaningful answers soon there will be rioting in the streets.”

  “I hear you Mr. President. We’ll keep the throttle wide open. We won’t let up for a minute.”

  By the way, I think it would be a good idea to keep these conversations to ourselves for a while. These people are highly intelligent and well organized. They could have ears anywhere.”

  “Agreed.”

  The connection was broken and the President resumed his pacing. “You know, Bill, I’m not surprised that Hank has managed to get off the ground towards a solution to this quagmire we’re in. What does surprise me though is we haven’t heard a peep out of the FBI, the CIA or anyone else here in Washington about this matter. That concerns me greatly. I think it’s time for me to turn up the heat and see who gets steamed. On your way out, please send my admin in.”

  Lorraine Caldwell has been with the President since he entered politics twenty-five years ago and is indispensable to him. She knows him like a book she’s read many times over and frequently is a step ahead of him when he’s troubled and dealing with a serious problem. This is one of those times.

  “Mr. President, Mr. Demerit said you wanted to speak with me.”

  “Yes, Lorraine, please have a seat. I’m greatly disturbed over not receiving any meaningful input from certain members of my cabinet and staff of advisors on the communications and power outage problems we’ve been having throughout the country. It’s time for me to kick some serious butt and perhaps make some changes. I want you to set up an emergency Top Secret meeting in the conference room at two this afternoon. Everyone on the list that I’ll prepare must attend, no excuses.”

  “Yes sir. I thought you might want to do something like this, so I drew up a list of people that I thought you’d like to talk with and have checked their schedules. All of these people will be in Washington for the rest of the week.”

  Scanning the list, the President shakes his head and says, “Amazing! Everyone’s here that would have been on my list but one.”

  “And who’s that Mr. President?

  “Abdul-Azim .”

  “That’s a name I’ve not heard before.”

  “You wouldn’t and shouldn’t have. He’s the head of a clandestine operation I organized to help with terrorist activities here in the U. S. Only a very few people know about it and he is to attend the meeting using the name of Vincent Torizzio as a private consultant for multi-national corporations with terrorist concerns. I want him at the meeting because so far Hank Aldridge is the only one that has made any progress towards a solution of our problems, but he’s concentrating on domestic causes and I’m thinking that these situations might involve foreign extremists with a hatred for us and our way of life. Our situation is beyond serious and approaching critical. I want his input and continued involvement in our investigations, the structuring of countermeasures and the formation of a resolution to these attacks on the American people. We’ve got to cover all bases. I’ll personally contact ‘Mr. Torizzio’ through prearranged means of communication. Contact everyone else on the list, telling them nothing of its purpose but that it’s mandatory.”

  “I’ll get right on it.”

  As Lorraine rises and walks out of the Oval office, the President is thinking, “I hope I’m not making a mistake agitating a pot that’s already threatening to boil over, but shaking things up is the only way I can think of to get what I need from these people, ideas.”

  Chapter 7

  -Washington D. C.-

  At two in the afternoon, everybody is
assembled in the White House conference room and except for Abdul-Azim they are a worried bunch of bureaucrats. From minute one, they have all been stymied in their efforts to find out who is the cause of what has been happening around the country, at least apparently so. President Weinstein is beginning to have suspicions that some of the people in the room would like to see him fail in his efforts to bring an end to the chaos spreading across America. They all know at the very least they are in for a good tongue lashing.

  After introducing ‘Vincent Torizzio’ and filling them in on why he’s there, the President lets loose with a verbal sortie that would give the most scathing, vitriolic theatre critic something to shoot for. He really poured it on. “People, to say I’m really disappointed in your contributions to a resolution of the threat our country is facing would be the understatement of the century. It’s an absolute must that I have producers on my team and your production so far has been zip. I cannot tolerate that any longer. I’m giving you one week to rectify the situation or I will be forced to make some changes. If any of you can’t handle that kind of pressure, I will regretfully accept your resignation. You are to give Mr. Torizzio your utmost cooperation with his investigation to determine if known terrorists are behind the attacks on our way of life. I have nothing else to say. You are dismissed.”

  After the last of the President’s advisors has filed out of the conference room, Abdul-Azim says, “Mr. President, I hope what you’re trying to do works. You definitely shook them up, but it could backfire and they could desert what they might consider a sinking ship.”

  “I’d rather find that out now than later.” If any of them are playing politics and want me to fail for political reasons, then good riddance to them. If some of them can’t cut the mustard in a crisis, they’re just an albatross around my neck. I had to shake things up to find out where I stand.”

  Abdul-Azim nodded his understanding and turned to leave and get his investigation underway, but the President stopped him with, “One more thing before you go. I’ve contracted with Sentry to help with finding out who is behind what’s going on and I want you to work together on this. Are you familiar with them?”

  “I’ve never heard of them.”

  “Good. That’s the way it should be.” Weinstein gave him the lowdown on Sentry and Hank Aldridge and then said, “I think it will be the ideal partnership to address the mess we’re in. I’ll call Hank and give him a heads up.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

  Abdul-Azim left and the President made the call to Hank with a silent prayer and everything he could cross crossed.

  “Aldridge.”

  “Hi, Hank. I’ve just drafted a new player for our team. He’s a terrorist guru and his name is Abdul-Azim. I believe his knowledge and resources could come in real handy. You’ve been concentrating on the domestic scene, but I believe it behooves us to also take a hard look at the international scene as well.” The President briefed him on Abdul-Azim’s credentials and present relationship with the U. S. Government and clued him in on the cover story he was using regarding Abdul-Azim.

  “Well, Mr. President, I think it’s a good idea to leave no base uncovered, but my gut tells me that the culprit or culprits behind our troubles are homegrown. However, now that I think about it, people that are this wealthy and powerful are bound to have resources all over the world. They just might tap those resources to achieve their goals. If we could establish a terrorist connection between any of the people we have on our list and surreptiously monitor their communications, we might be able to devise a plan that could bring an end to our nightmare. Okay, I’m onboard. When can I expect to hear from your new draftee?”

  “I’m sure before the day is out. I’ve arranged for a private corporate jet to be available for his use 24/7. Anything new on your end?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure that our sniffing around will definitely stir up some hornet nests. I just hope it’s none of us that get stung.”

  “I hear you.” Having said that, the President broke the connection.

  Chapter 8

  -Washington D. C.-

  When Sam Ferguson returns to his office after the President’s dressing down of his cabinet and other advisors, the only thing on his mind is letting Halkias know what has just happened. It will definitely make his day. It sure made his. They are definitely getting under the skin of the powers that be.

  After preparing a summary of what has just transpired and providing an explanation for why he is using FEDEX to communicate, he sealed the communiqué in a FEDEX envelope addressed to James Hollingsworth and decided to drop the envelope off at a pick up location across the street instead of having it picked up at the office. This would forestall any questions about why he was using FEDEX. If and when he receives a FEDEX from James Hollingsworth, he can then use his cover story. Why should he bring attention to himself when he can avoid it?

  He put the FEDEX envelop in his briefcase and headed for the stairs in the lobby on the first floor in the West Wing. These stairs go down to the ground floor where he can exit the White House. As luck would have it, half way down he sees the President’s gal Friday, Lorraine Caldwell, at the bottom talking with one of the staff in Homeland Security. “Shit! That nosy bitch is going to ask me where I’m headed at two in the afternoon without letting her know I’m stepping out when I’m supposed to be preparing for a six o’clock press conference.

  “Excuse me, Lorraine. I’m just going across the street to take care of some personal business. I’ll

  only be a few minutes.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond. He just kept walking towards the door and out.

  Lorraine’s curiosity was momentarily piqued, but she was quickly drawn back into her conversation with the person from Homeland Security and the encounter was shunted to her subconscious to be recalled in the future if she wanted to dwell on it. She had a highly developed ability to recall all kinds of data when she put her mind to it. This is one of the things that make her indispensable to the President.

  True to his word, Ferguson was back in his office 15 minutes later preparing his comments for the six o’clock press conference.

  How he hated the banal commentary he was required to spout day after day. A lot of meaningless drivel to assuage the concerns and fears of the public at large when what he really wanted to be doing is educating the populace about the fantastic alternative to the so-called democracy they were being forced to deal with, recruiting them to the Last Resort cause and inciting them to riot for that cause.

  He knew, however, that Halkias was a very smart man and had given a lot of thought to his strategy and tactics. He has studied the American people for years and is well acquainted with their tendency to be apathetic towards a host of issues that they can’t see directly and immediately affect them. They are only motivated to get involved when they are forced to by intolerable circumstances. Well, Halkias is well on his way to creating those circumstances, but it’s going to take even more pressure on the American public to get them to the level of anger needed to get them to forcefully react to the turmoil surrounding them, to bring the powers that be to task for not effectively dealing with the staggering calamities that have befallen them. More time too and patience isn’t one of his long suits. “I’ll just have to tough it out and hope I don’t do anything stupid.”

  Chapter 9

  -Chicago-

  Joel Jergensen, Tania Russo, Barbara Sheehan and Collette Cummings are sitting in Joel’s office hashing out the best way to probe more deeply into the backgrounds and current activities of their 24 people of interest and to parcel out assignments to get the job done. As always, Barbara’s canine companion, Midnight, is with her and lying at her feet. From the tension in the room, he senses something unusual is up, so instead of taking a snooze like he normally does at these meetings he’s wide awake and alert.

  Joel’s saying, “As Hank has repeatedly stressed, time is not on our side. These screwballs appear to have a lot in st
ore for us and are wasting no time in getting it on. We’ve got to act quickly yet keep a low profile while sniffing around. We don’t want to tip our hand until we know we are zeroing in on the right people.