by R E Kearney
All of this slaughter has been occurring for so many years that Robert, like so many others, has grown indifferent, adopting an attitude of “Who cares? We cannot do anything about them anymore. No governments exist there any longer and they are determined to kill each other.”
But Robert’s ennui disappears when the newscaster begins discussing a bizarre number of recent deaths of officials in Russia. According to the newscaster, three Russian generals and two leading Russian politicians died earlier in the week due to suspicious cyber and robotic accidents similar to the ones which killed Chennai and LeVayne, last night. As usual, the Russians are releasing little information, other than the names of the men who died; General Vbrytsa, General Pytki, General Porochnyy, former Minister of Internal Security Glupyy Dura and former Minister of Russian Defense Ochen Bezumnyy. Russian officials are blaming the US, calling it retaliation for the five men’s leadership of Russia’s successful defense against US aggression during the Nordic War. Yesterday, Russia’s President Ubiytsa Strana stated that he believes the US is directly responsible for the deaths and vowed to hunt down the assassins and avenge his countrymen’s deaths, swearing that there is no country, including the US, where they can hide or are safe.
The newscaster is discussing possible connections between the Russian deaths and the US deaths and the two year Nordic War escalation anniversary when Robert’s car parks itself in front of the triangle shaped Canadian Security Intelligence Service Headquarters. Two armed soldiers quickly approach his car. Having never before been at the headquarters, Robert nervously freezes in his seat, wondering if his car parked itself in a secure zone or violated some other rule.
One of the soldiers knocks on the car window, “Major Goodfellow? Please come with us. Minister Wilson is waiting for you.”
The two soldiers swiftly usher Robert into a bio-integrated transmitter and electronic tattoo removal and decontamination station. “Sir, we must search you for any possible micro-transmitters sewn within your clothing or internally or externally attached to your body. Please remove all of your clothes and place them on this analysis table. After you remove your clothes, I need for you to step into this body scanner, so our security technician can examine you for the presence of internal bio-integrated transmitters and external electronic tattoos. After we scan your body, we need for you to walk through our static electricity salt shower. Then we will provide you with clothing for your meeting with the Minister,” the Sergeant instructs Robert.
Although embarrassed, Robert complies with the Sergeant’s directions. The body scanner locates only his authorized electronic bio-info tattoo, which the technician dissolves with a burning laser shot. Still smarting from his painful tattoo erasure, he finds the static electricity shower rather ticklish and fun. He is reluctant to end it, especially since his new clothing consists of hospital-type scrubs and slippers. Once dressed, the soldiers escort him through the security posts and the maze of corridors into a secure Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility deep inside the building where Minister Wilson waits, pacing nervously.
“Major Goodfellow reporting, sir.” Standing at attention in his hospital scrubs and slippers, Robert semi-salutes. He feels ridiculous.
“At ease Major. Take a seat. We need to talk and we don’t have much time,” Minister Wilson continues pacing. “You worked with the Cyber Defense Group during the Nordic War, did you not?”
“Yes sir, I was one of what they called neurotypicals assigned to mentor and support a high functioning autistic US cyberwarrior named Corporal Jay Hawk. He could program robotic weapons and drones faster than anybody I have ever seen. I thought that I was a good programmer until I met him. I just…” Robert hesitates and then asks, “Why sir?”
“Have you heard about the deaths of the officials in the US and Russia, Major?”
Minister Wilson taps the top of his desk in front of Robert so that a Top Secret labeled screen displays before he can respond, “Well there is a lot more to the story. The deaths in Russia and the US are just the beginning. Just the big names. The US and Russia are charging head first into a full blown cyberwar and possibly a shooting war, and as usual, the US is dragging us into it with them.”
Wilson reaches out and places his finger on a visual, “Your Corporal Hawk is dead. He was assassinated in his apartment last night. Not certain if robots were involved with him. Police found him with his throat crushed. US Society Security investigators suspect Russians. They suspect Russians murdered the others too.”
“The others sir?” Robert starts flipping through the visuals on the screen.
“Yes, the others.” Minister Wilson rubs the back of his neck. “Whoever did the killings was prepared, ready and in place. Twenty one Americans who worked in the Cyber Defense Group died last night. We’re just damn glad that you weren’t one of them. In fact we were surprised, very happily surprised I might add, when you answered last night. My guess is that being on our Kingston base may have saved you. Or maybe it’s because you’re Canadian and they don’t know about you. That’s why we had you travel Highway 15 by yourself in your unmarked car. I also imagine that you didn’t know we had two Reaper drones shadowing you your entire trip, either. We didn’t want to draw any additional attention to you. But then, maybe you’re just lucky.”
Robert snickers nervously. “Better to be a lucky, living Canadian than a dead American.” He searches through the computerized visuals and biographies, “So am I the only one left?”
“We don’t think so, but we don’t know for certain.” The Minister swipes the screen in front of Robert again and visuals of two women appear. “Nobody is certain about these two women. One is named Mugavus Komfort, a neurotypical originally from Estonia and the other is a high-functioning autistic named Pion Ashpourger. You know them, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know Mugavus Komfort and Pion. But, I haven’t communicated with either one of them since Mugavus left the coalition’s Cyber Defense Group when the ceasefire was declared.”
Robert silently contemplates the visuals of the two women. Mugavus’ natural, yet understated, beauty highlighted by her soft blue eyes still hypnotizes him and the way her mouth turns up at each end in a perpetual smile still evokes him to involuntarily smile in response.
“Really? No communications?” Minister Wilson arches his eyebrow. He is skeptical. “I was told that you and Komfort got quite close while you were with the Group. That you spent a lot of time together…uh…bonding.”
Robert flushes warmly. “No. It wasn’t like that. I think we kind of…bonded…as you say because we were the only non-Americans in the group. We didn’t really fit. We didn’t participate in their required daily bible studies or join their evangelical prayer groups. So, the Americans became suspicious of us. Then they excluded and avoided us and we just paired as a two person group of outsiders. Everybody else was sort of…rah, rah. USA! USA! But Mugavus was not like that. In fact, she became quite strongly anti-American after President Abaddon ordered his forty thousand troop escalation and missile attacks that leveled more than half of her country. Most of her family died during the war, she told me.”
“Interesting. I was told that you two were closer than that.”
“Friends. Nothing more,” Robert does not know what the Minister knows about his relationship with Mugavus, but he certainly does not plan to provide him any additional details. What happened or did not happen between Mugavus and him during the Nordic War is none of the Minister’s business.
“Well, anyway, the information we have is that your friend Komfort…pardon me…Mugavus is now a citizen of that corporation state called the Society Preserving Endangered Agriculture. At least that is what US Society Security Intelligence is telling us,” Minister Wilson sneers derisively. He possesses little respect for the US SS.
“And since Canada remains a member of the Coalition, US officials can require our assistance. Your assistance actually. Anyway, as usual, the US SS is telling us…no
tice I did not say asking us…that they need you…because they believe you two are friends…to travel to the capital of that…uh…society country…SPEA…I think most people call it SPEA…and persuade your friend Mugavus and that other woman…Pion, if she is still alive, to return and help them against the Russians.”
“What? Why me?” Robert asks in disbelief. This is definitely not his type of gig.
As much as the opportunity to see Mugavus again interests him, doing it under these circumstances alarms him. “Why don’t some of their military or Society Security goons go? Or why don’t they just bring in some other cyberwarriors to fight the Russians? What is so special about Mugavus and Pion? I don’t think they have been involved with cyber combat since the ceasefire.”
“Didn’t you just tell me about Komfort having anti-American sentiments? And obviously, you don’t know very much about that SPEA country. If you did you’d know that place only exists because it’s anti-American. Which, it seems, is also the situation with most of the remaining, capable cyberwarriors. Most of the trained and competent cyberwarriors fled the US when President Abaddon and his Righteous Rightists Republican wing implemented their strict, Christian-only, Religious Freedom laws. And you already know the fate of the other members of the Cyber Defense Group. They are gone. Dead.”
Minister Wilson lightly pats Robert’s shoulder, “So there you are Major. You have been chosen to save our friends to our south. You lucky Canadian.”
“Yes sir. That’s great...uh…luck,” Robert grumbles. “I believe it was Hunter S. Thompson who said, ‘Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it.’ So, I can only hope to be a well-balanced, as well as lucky, Canadian.”
“Now you would know better than me.” Minister Wilson continues, “but I understand that this Pion woman that they want you to find is a cyber-fighting savant who US officials believe is their best, and maybe only remaining chance to survive another cyberwar. Especially because she has developed some cyber weapon called AIDAS that the US wants desperately. And I understand they are also afraid that if you don’t get to them, the Russians will, and either turn them or kill them. The Russians threatened to kill both of them during the Nordic War, I believe. So, I doubt that the Russians have changed their plan to eliminate everyone they know they cannot beat. Also, US officials are terrified that the Russians will get her AIDAS weapon before they do.”
Minister Wilson rubs his finger across the table-top computer screen and a man’s face appears. “The US is sending this Society Security officer, or plans to anyway, with you. He is an SS Deacon named Mack Evoil who will be joining you in Washington DC.”
“Wait. What? Why?” Robert flinches at the prospect of working with a religious fanatic of the SS. “Why send me with some SS Deacon to an anti-American country to meet with anti-American women? If I have to go, then send me alone. Or send him alone. Don’t tie me to some rock and then throw me overboard, sir.”
“Well Abaddon and his cronies don’t trust their own US military anymore.” Wilson smirks, “In fact, I hear some units of the US military are mutinying and refusing to leave their bases. So, they’re sending this SS Deacon. He’s your protection, according to US officials. They think the Russians are still waiting to kill you.”
“And I have to agree, as much as I never like to agree with the US SS.” Wilson taps the side of his head, “It only makes sense that Russia must kill Komfort and Pion and you…yes you…in order to win a second Nordic War…and trust me, there will be a second war if you don’t save Komfort and Pion. They are the only people the Russians fear.”
“But truth be told, I believe he’s going along to keep you…” Minister Wilson sneers and points at Robert, “…you observing the Righteous Rightists’ party line.”
The Minister begins searching through a drawer in his desk, “Just because they need us doesn’t mean they trust us, or you, especially. I have no doubt that everything you said and did at the Cyber Defense Group was recorded and reported and stored in a dossier. When they say the U and S mean Under Surveillance, they are not kidding. So get used to it. They are paranoid and scared. They have spies and eyes everywhere.”
Robert stands and steps away from the table. Tall and spindly, he considers himself a thinker - a cerebral soldier not a fighter. He avoids physical confrontations and appreciates the security and sanity of Canada. Thinking about traveling into the US, with all of its poverty and bloody, class warfare, causes him heart palpitations. He shudders at the thought of possibly becoming entrapped, as the US collapses upon itself. In Robert’s opinion, the US is a violent, staggering state where the poor are battling the poorer for subsistence. He considers it wise and best for his health to avoid the US.
“I suppose I will be harder for the Russians to kill as a target on the move, but this is definitely not what I signed up for. So do I have a choice?”
“No. Of course not. You wouldn’t be here if you had a choice. Besides, Major Goodfellow, you’re a soldier. You should expect to put your life on the line for Canada.”
“Canada, yes. But, not the US. I’m a cyberwarrior not a killer. When I’m hacked, knocked offline or deleted, I don’t expect it to be physical and permanent.”
Frustration contorting his face, Minister Wilson points toward a map of Canada. “I’m disappointed in you Major. You are defending Canada. If the Russians eliminate Pion and Komfort, they will be able to push what’s left of the Coalition’s forces into the Baltic Sea, and that includes some of our Canadian troops. Once Russia overruns the Baltics there is nothing to stop them from taking Finland, Sweden and Norway, should they want. Then they control the Arctic with its oil and fish, and they’re just a few icy miles away from our northern borders.”
“I apologize, sir. But, aren’t you concerned that if the Russians don’t kill me then they are using me to lead them directly to Komfort and Pion?”
“Yes, we are. That’s why we are doing the only thing that we can think to do in this situation. We are hiding you in plain sight and in public. We don’t expect the Russians to attack you if you’re surrounded by other civilians. And then we are funneling you directly into SPEA.”
From his desk, the Minister hands Robert a specially programmed and hack-protected, PCD. “You’ll need this old personal communication device. Learn the information our Intelligence group loaded into it. I know it’s an antique, but they are so paranoid in the US now that they are confiscating hologlasses. They can’t see what you are seeing and that makes them very nervous. Do you remember how to use one of these?”
“It may take me a minute. But, yeah, I think I can figure it out,” Robert exams the PCD. He pushes an icon on its screen and the words Society Preserving Endangered Agriculture appears. The Intel report begins by paraphrasing the Background passage from SPEA’s annual state of the State report.
As Robert starts to shut it off, Wilson stops him, “Let it play. Let’s hear what they have to say. We can both stand to learn a little more about where I’m sending you. That way, if you don’t come back, I will at least know where to start looking for you...”
Wilson grins wickedly, “…or your body.”
Groaning at the Minister’s attempt at humor, Robert initiates the Intelligence report.
“The Society Preserving Endangered Agriculture, commonly referred to as SPEA, is an independent and sovereign state of more than twenty thousand citizens. SPEA is located on a twenty acre artificial island platform constructed upon columns anchored in the lagoon of the submerged and abandoned Pacific island of Kiritimati in the former island-chain nation of Kiribati.
“SPEA is recognized by the United Nations as an independent, member state under the following international definitions: Entities that have a defined territory and a permanent population, that are under the control of their own government, and that engage in, or have the capacity to engage in, formal relations with other such entities. Sovereign states hav
e three absolute prerogatives: independence, equality and unanimity. Independence means a state is completely free to organize any system of government, proclaim an official religion of its choice, and structure its economy as it sees fit. No outside state has any right to interfere in these strictly internal matters. Equality means every state is of equal rank with every other state. Unanimity means that no state is bound by the majority decisions reached by groups of states. A state is bound only if it agrees to be bound. SPEA operates in full accord with the three absolute prerogatives of sovereign states.
“The state of SPEA’s system of government is an Algorithmic governed Democracy, although it is based upon a modified version of the corporate charter under which the Society Preserving Endangered Agriculture was originally incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia of the United States of America. SPEA’s founder and the current President is Dame Gutefrau. She was elected by a vote of SPEA’s employees, who are simultaneously recognized as both stockholders and legal citizens of the state. Each SPEA citizen-employee owns one share and has one vote. The elected Board of Directors serves a dual purpose as SPEA’s legislature and President’s cabinet. Other standard corporate departments and divisions serve similar dual functions for the state of SPEA in a modified matrix structure as follows: Legal is Justice; Marketing is Commerce; Human Resources is Immigration; Finance is Treasury, Operations is State Department; and Security is Department of Homeland Security. SPEA’s corporate culture created SPEA’s state culture.
SPEA’s Algorithmic governance, enabled by big data, is a pure expression of technocracy and is celebrated as a path to an enhanced society. Its Algorithmic governance is a digital reimagining of government centered on computerized processes unified to create a governing network. Fulfilling SPEA’s needs as a corporate state, it supplants current governing systems with a computerized, politician-minimal alternative.”