Shadows of Golstar

by Terrence Scott

  He normally went by his last name, as he wasn’t overly fond of the name ‘Janus’ since being teased mercilessly as a child by other children in his day crèche. Loders were hardworking people and their limited population dictated long, dedicated hours at their jobs. Loders took particular pride in their work ethic. Little time could be devoted to child rearing. As a solution, day crèches were established.

  The day crèches, a combination of day-care, school, physical conditioning programs and social centers, were where all children over the age of two spent the majority of their developing years. They would spend the greater part of their adolescent life under the care of the day crèche staffs, until they eventually returned to their families on their sixteenth birthdays and continued their educations in a more traditional manner.

  Owens, the son of a typical Loder family, was no exception to the rule and on his second birthday, he was bundled off to his assigned day crèche. As a child, Owens had always been a bit of a loner. Early on, his insatiable curiosity set him further apart from most of the other children. That same curiosity drove him to excel in his schooling and made him a favorite of many of his instructors. Unfortunately, this also led to jealousies among his peers.

  The day crèche was a closed environment and in such environments, cliques were often the norm rather than the exception with the younger children. They would frequently gather around and taunt those who were different and Owens, always the outsider, was forced to endure the ridicule. Owens’ name became a favorite target. He could still remember the high screeching voices calling out for “Janus the anus, Janus is a painus,” and other colorful taunts.

  Fortunately, the phase didn’t last long. Into a child’s tenth year, the curriculum intensified and individual achievement was emphasized. The cliques would slowly dissolve as each student focused on their heavily loaded schedules and spent less time in social gatherings. The jeers faded, at least in public. He would still encounter the occasional derogatory remark by some underachiever, but eventually they disappeared as Owens grew older and towered over his fellows. Even for a Loder he was unusually tall.

  Willens insisted that they address each other by their first names during Owens’ association with SolGen, and every time he was called ‘Janus,’ he was reminded of his childhood embarrassment. He was glad he wouldn’t have to hear his first name for much longer.

  Owens stifled a smile as he watched Santee struggle to get out of the chair. Squirming and wiggling, he finally managed to slide to his feet. He momentarily stumbled but caught himself just before he fell. Ignoring his awkward exit from the chair, Santee’s dignity remained unscathed. He walked purposely forward, stretched to his full one hundred and twenty centimeters, and extended his hand. Gingerly, Owens reached down and gently shook the hand of his diminutive client.

  “Thank you Willens,” Janus Owens, of Owens Investigations, warmly responded. “It took a while to nail the thief, but I don’t think that you’ll be bothered by SynthEnGen stealing your trade secrets again anytime soon… or by any other competitor, for that matter,” he added.

  SolGen had originally gone by the name of Solaris Genetics. It was one of the three original companies founded by the first families colonizing Genhome. They were still headquartered and operating successfully on the planet. SynthEnGen was first known as Synthetic Engineering and Genetics. The third company didn't change its name and still operated with the corporate logo of General Innovations Biotech.

  Although they were technically competitors, their companies’ product lines and fields of research were frequently complimentary. The companies often entered into joint business alliances to share in special project research, development costs and ultimately, the profits. At the very least, inter-company relations had always been professionally cordial. So it came as a shock to SolGen when it discovered that SynthEnGen might be engaged in corporate espionage against its fellow company.

  Owens had been hired to discover how SynthEnGen had been able to release unique, new products that SolGen itself was readying for market. SolGen’s concern began when SynthEnGen introduced an original lightweight wood product that closely mimicked the characteristics of dense, ceramic-metal alloys used in surface transportation components. SolGen had been about to announce virtually the same product later that month. That SynthEnGen released it weeks ahead of SolGen was curious enough, but the added fact the product was outside of SynthEnGen’s usual product lines indicated to SolGen it was possible that it was being beaten to the market with one of its own product designs.

  In the past two years, SynthEnGen released a number of other products, almost identical to what SolGen had been preparing to market. SolGen realized it had a serious security problem that was wreaking havoc with its market share. If the problem persisted, it could conceivably drive SolGen right out of business.

  With no evidence of actual break-ins or data hacking, SolGen concluded secret company research information must have been leaked from a source within the company. There had to be a corporate spy active in their midst, someone probably placed within the product research and development organization. Management believed this hidden mole was responsible for somehow siphoning off product research data to SynthEnGen, allowing them to beat SolGen to the market.

  Since the local authorities had limited resources and no experience with the suspected white-collar crime, the investigation fell on the shoulders of SolGen’s own Office of Internal Security. Although SolGen’s Security itself had little experience in the field of corporate espionage, it was well staffed and at least formally trained. SolGen management was confident that its Security staff would solve the crime in short order. However, after eight months, their Security failed to report any real progress. They seemed no closer to finding the spy than when they had started.

  Management realized their confidence had been misplaced. SolGen’s Security had been unable to discover the source of the leak and the company continued to hemorrhage in the marketplace. Worse, they were beginning to lose prestige as a leader in their line of genetically engineered products. SolGen watched helplessly as SynthEnGen again beat it to the market, releasing another product very similar to one that SolGen had under development. In desperation, SolGen’s management turned to Owens, an ex-police detective, turned private investigator. Over the past few years Owens had gained a solid reputation for success in solving cases of corporate espionage.

  On being retained, Owens reviewed SolGen Security’s investigation. He quickly saw that SolGen Security had concentrated its investigation on its own research, engineering and technical staffs, working from the bottom up. It was Security’s theory that those at the lower levels, involved with the “hands-on” research and development, were the ones most likely to succumb to the temptation of making a fast credit.

  Based on his work on past cases of this nature, Owens instead focused on upper management, administration and marketing; starting at the very top. It was Owens’ experience that the higher one climbed the corporate ladder, the less scrutiny one received related to security and other matters. And with unlimited and unsupervised access to company data, Owens often found information leaks led right back to the executive offices.

  It took several weeks of investigation for Owens to ferret out that a particular high level SolGen officer was ripe for blackmail. Through patient investigation, he discovered a family member of a certain well-placed executive was a drug addict. It turned out to be the executive’s daughter. In interviewing the daughter’s friends, Owens found the daughter was not the soul of discretion. She had confided in one of her friends. She had bragged she was blackmailing her father for hush money about her drug use.

  The suspected officer’s daughter was addicted to a highly illegal endorphin-based drug. If the daughter’s addiction was revealed, the legal and social implications would severely affect the family. The father was being groomed for a higher position within the company, so to avoid scandal and protect his pending advancement he provided money a
nd, at times, actually procured the drug for his daughter in exchange for her silence.

  As it hadn’t taken him very long to find the potential weak link in SolGen’s management core, Owens surmised SynthEnGen had easily discovered the daughter’s addiction as well and had decided to exploit the situation. Instead of demanding money, their payment was confidential company information in exchange for silence. The executive was now entangled in two separate blackmail schemes based on the same dirty secret.

  However, this was hearsay and speculation. Owens had needed hard evidence, some real proof of what was going on. Bank accounts and personal spending habits often provide the first clues. But since money wasn’t changing hands, no fiscal audit trails existed. And until now, the suspect had been clever enough to evade discovery. Somehow the officer was able to mask his download access into the corporate database.

  Owens decided that the suspect would have to be caught in the act, and to do that would call for an old-fashioned sting operation. He took part in a number of stings while still serving as a detective in the police department. Some had been quite elaborate, but in his experience, the simplest scenarios usually had the greatest chances for success. He felt certain a fairly straight-forward plan would be best to nail the culprit.

  Owens immediately went to work. In his investigation, he had reviewed the company’s internal practices. As a result, he knew that many high-ranking officers received bulletins on new products and could access more detailed technical information on products that were under development. He reasoned this was the likely source of the leak. From this questionable practice, it was easy for him to conceive a simple trap.

  He met with selected SolGen researchers and data managers he had personally screened. The trap was based upon providing company officers who had regular access to new research information with unique sets of what would appear as legitimate data. The data would relate to a single high profile product currently under development. As usual, the officers would receive the new-product notification through normal company channels. However, unknown to them, each would have computer access to a distinctive set of “tagged” technical records. At first blush, they would all appear to be identical, and though the differences were subtle, they became clear if you knew where to look.

  Owens also worked with the local judicial system and law enforcement to have a search warrant made ready. Owens then had company techs monitor all the terminals’ read-only access. He didn’t waste time trying to figure out how the data was being downloaded from supposedly restricted terminals. First, he needed to catch the thief with the marked data in his possession. Discovering how the thief had covered his tracks would come later. With the preparations completed, the trap was set and a new product was announced to the corporate executives.

  Within two days of being notified of the new product, the suspect’s terminal was accessed a number of times but with no indication of an illicit transfer of material. Owens waited another week and noted the suspect had stopped accessing the product materials for three days. Under surveillance, the suspect was observed at a public cyber café using one of the in-house terminals. Owens knew then that the trap was sprung.

  He notified the authorities and accompanied them on the search of the SynthEnGen research department. The search warrant provided authority to freeze all R&D files and required that data located in those files be decrypted for a technical audit. Searching SynthEnGen’s R&D files, it didn’t take long to locate the SolGen product research data and the hidden markers unique to the suspect’s terminal access. At first, SynthEnGen vigorously denied the data belonged to SolGen but the protests were abruptly silenced when the nature of the trap was explained.

  The suspected vice-president in-charge of SolGen product marketing was then confronted with the evidence. The tearful company officer immediately confessed and implicated a number of SynthEnGen employees. He was promptly arrested. The now ex-SolGen officer, along with the accused SynthEnGen employees, was residing in the only jail on the planet, awaiting a lengthy trial. The daughter was committed to a long-term recovery hospice.

  The planetary authorities, as a result of information provided by Owens, were attempting to continue the investigation. Other than uncovering how the terminal’s security was breached, Owens was doubtful anything further could be achieved. He believed all guilty parties had been apprehended. Now, it was only a matter of determining the damages SynthEnGen would have to pay SolGen. The local courts could easily handle that.

  All in all, it had been one of the simplest cases he had ever investigated. In their inexperience and naiveté, the SolGen officers and security had not followed basic investigation principles and overlooked many obvious clues. He was almost ashamed to accept his fee, well almost.

  Smiling at this thought, Owens asked Santee, “Have your people reviewed the recommendations that I included in my report? Some key changes in the way you internally disseminate information on product development would be helpful in preventing any reoccurrences of the corporate espionage you experienced. I’ve also included a few suggestions on how you can improve your personnel background and security clearance procedures. I know my recommendations are unsolicited, but I thought they might be helpful... no additional fee of course, all part of the service.”

  Santee nodded energetically, “Yes indeed. The Board of Directors and Security have reviewed your suggestions and saw the merit in them.”

  “Good, I’m glad that they think so.”

  “Absolutely, and I extend to you their sincere thanks. Corporate staff has been working with Security, and I’m happy to say we’ve already begun to implement a number of your improvements. With this breach uncovered, the corporation is now focused on improving our security procedures and I fully expect we’ll have most, if not all of them in place by the end of the year.”

  His voice lowered in a conspiratorial tone said, “I admit to you that I was a little surprised we didn’t think of several of them ourselves, but having little experience with this kind of...” He trailed off with a slight frown crossing his brow. Then, his expression clearing, he said, “In any case, with the information we’ve already found through your recommended changes in our employee background screening process, there will be few personnel changes in the very near future.”

  He paused and smiled, “Not to change the subject, but I wanted you to know the final installment of your fee was transferred to your account this morning and…” his smile widened, “with the unanimous approval of the Board, along with your fee, we added a ten percent bonus.”

  Owens was surprised, “That is very generous, but not…”

  “Hell, you saved our corporate butts, Son, plain and simple,” Willens interrupted. “I admit I’m rather fond of mine and thanks to you, I get to keep it. So, just call it an added payment for your suggestions on security. It would have cost us a lot more to call in a consultant to come up with the same recommendations that you’ve thoughtfully provided us. We want you to take the money with our sincere appreciation.” He winked, “And no offense, Son, but I hope we don’t have to do business with you again anytime soon.”

  Owens chuckled, “None taken and thank you again.”

  Willens then talked Owens into a farewell drink from the well-appointed office bar. After receiving a heartfelt toast from the tiny businessman, Owens exchanged a few final pleasantries. Later, after Santee took his leave, Owens quickly packed the few personal items remaining in the office and entered the mag-lift for the last time.

  On the way down, he imagined the miniature building maintenance crew already swarming in his vacated office, busily tearing down the over-sized accommodations like so many termites attacking a pile of wood. He smiled at the image and heard the soft chime that indicated he was approaching his destination. Still smiling, he exited the mag-lift.

  On reaching the parking area, he pressed a stud on his wrist-comp, signaling the Rialto. He was ready to leave. The sleek transport pulled up and Owens got in. “Let�
�s get to the spaceport, slip seventeen; it’s time to go home,” he instructed.

  Pulling out of the protection of the parking complex, heavy rain pummeled Owens’s vehicle. The muffled sound of sheets of water striking the Rialto’s insulated skin sounded like surf crashing, in the distance. The windshield’s rain repulsers struggled to keep the passenger view clear. The AI, not relying on visual orientation, accelerated into traffic. A transport AI would normally connect to a traffic route control computer, but again, with its relatively small populace, the frugal citizens of Genhome had chosen not to install one. The Rialto’s AI instead had to rely on a variety of on-board sensors to navigate in the rotten weather.

  Ignoring the storm, Owens closed his eyes and relaxed. For the first time since arriving, the rain soothed him. He was looking forward to finally leaving dirt-side. Two months, though a relatively short time for the SolGen case, was too long to be stuck on a planet like Genhome. He was anxious to get back aboard his ship, the Sherlock Holmes.

  As a fan of old earth pulp literature and being a private investigator, he had named it after the ancient fictional detective. It was a late model 203, a decommissioned long-range military scout ship he had bought at auction eight standards ago. It took a lot of time and money to refurbish and modify it to his preferences.

  Fortunately, he had inherited a considerable amount of money when his grandfather had died in an accident, so money hadn’t been a hindrance. When he was finally finished with the modifications, the Sherlock’s original six-crew quarters had been converted into a single, spacious stateroom. The galley had been modernized and the equipment storage compartment was converted to moderate-sized guest quarters. The sizable main storage hold remained untouched.

  Owens was especially proud of the ship’s engines. As a long-range scout, it had been outfitted with subspace generators and reaction engines larger than a civilian ship of similar size would merit. After a thorough overhaul, she could still lay claim as being one of the fastest non-military interstellar ships plying the space-lanes. The ship’s original, declassified military AI had been recently upgraded. Though lacking in personality, it managed the ship quite satisfactorily.