The Planner

by Robert Smith

Bates took the opportunity while the aircraft was on the ground to use the Large Conference Room to give a presentation on the back-story. About thirty people squeezed into the briefing room. On a back projected screen, he displayed portraits of the hijackers with short profile details as text below. He used a laser pointer to pick particular characteristics and was able to make quite a few jokes around some of the subtlety of details arranged in the back-story.

  The Rainbow Team called out information from their own research of the Rainbow Actors actions and known locations to bolster the narrative.

  The plane engines started up. They all found a seat: color coordinated, of course, and prepared for take off.

  Due to its reduced passenger count and weight compared to a commercial 747, the E4-B felt smooth and agile on take-off.

  Once airborne and at cruising altitude, Colonel Purple lead Planner and Bates into the Command Room. Lieutenant Orange, a fresh-faced, thirty year old, explained the radar picture on a large, flat-screened computer display.

  Planner pulled a face when he found out that Bates did not understand anything about transponder codes or what they implied. So Orange explained it to him.

  “Have you heard of IFF,” asked Orange to Bates.

  Bates frowned; he had not.

  “Identification Friend of Foe115. It was devised in the second world war to identified radar blips as either one of ours or one of theirs,” he explained patiently.

  “Right,” Bates apologetically. “Yes, I had heard of that.”

  “Well a transponder code is the same sort of thing. A radar sweeps around radiating RF waves. These waves hit an aircraft. Onboard they have a device, called a transponder, which then transmits back a particular type of radio wave. That’s interpreted by the receiving system as a four-digit code and that’s the transponder code,” said Orange. “It also provides extra data, particularly the altitude of the aircraft, most radars can’t work out height so they get the information from the aircraft itself.”

  “That four digit code… that’s the same as the Squawk Code?” suggested Bates.

  “Yep, same thing. So it’s just a number coming back from the aircraft. It’s those four digits that are displayed on the radar picture below the track symbol,” said Orange.

  Bates nodded.

  “Ok, here’s where it gets complicated. Because an enemy can spoof these numbers, there are military bands that encrypt the number,” said Orange. “So we can tell whether they are friendly, hostile or civilian. And we color code them on-screen: Blue tracks are other friendly military aircraft. Green tracks are civilian airliners. Red tracks are hostiles, tracks that are not returning any valid transponder codes, flash red and yellow.”

  “So they are easy to spot,” said Bates.

  “Yeah, that’s the point. Even Red tracks could just be a problem with their equipment; at least you know where they are. But no code at all, well they’re dangerous no matter what the situation. Potential for mid-air collision.”

  “So how do you spot aircraft with no transponder,” asked Bates.

  “Well, the computer does it. Autotracking, is the term. It used to be done by the Mark One Eyeball,” he said pointing to his eye. “Ok. When I press this button,” Orange pressed a button and all the blue tracks disappeared on his radar screen, “This is what the FAA sees: just green and red tracks. But not blue tracks and not red/yellow tracks.”

  “It cuts out the military picture,” said Planner.

  “Right,” said Orange and pressing another button, “but we will be seeing the military picture, we will be seeing this picture, blue tracks, red and red/yellow. As you can see, quite empty in comparison.”

  “A couple of things confuse me,” sighed Bates, “how does the FAA see aircraft with no transponders?”

  “Well, they don’t. If the FAA needs to track an aircraft with no transponder the track is manually selected by NORAD and passed through to them over a data gateway. The same gateway where we plan to pass dummy data during the Big Event.”

  Bates nodded, “And how do military aircraft see civilian aircraft?”

  “Oh we can always see them, here,” and Orange pressed a button and the green tracks reappeared. “It’s just a way of de-cluttering the screen. There’s collision detection software running continuously to alert of any hazard.”

  “The clever stuff, hey, Orange, do you want to tell him?” said Planner. “About dead reckoning?”

  “No, I’ll let you, Sir,” smiled Orange.

  “The clever stuff, is that these tracks persist when there is no radar cover and no transponder returns,” Planner said with a smile.

  “I don’t follow,” said Bates.

  “The tracks exist in the database and they are updated using the last known information in the computer: speed direction altitude. The computer predicts where the aircraft is going to be using Newton’s laws of motion. Even when there is no radar cover,” said Planner.

  “So this provides the space where a airliner can be replaced by a drone?” said Bates cautiously.

  “Hole-in-one, Bates,” smiled Planner. “The blip on the ATC screen is just the computer’s best guess.”

  “And there’s just one further thing,” said Orange.

  Bates and Planner looked back at him, worried.

  “It’s not so easy to see on this display, but see this light blue circle?” Orange pointed to the radar screen. “In the centre of that circle is an AWACS aircraft116. You know what an AWACS is, right?”

  “It’s a flying radar?” said Bates uncertainly.

  “Right, so we have an entirely separate radar picture, not shared with NORAD and the FAA, just for us on a separate communications network running at secret level. We’ll have three AWACS flying on missions many miles away, on their own training mission. Each AWACS only sees their own returns. Only we get to see the fully compiled big picture.”

  “The big radar picture,” offered Planner.

  “Right,” said Orange.

  “So not even NORAD will know what’s going on?” asked Bates.

  “Not even NORAD. Actually, since we’re inserting fake tracks, they will be in absolute fog,” smiled Orange.

  “The fog of war,” joked Planner.

  * * * *

  A late lunch was served in the Rest Area by burly uniformed military men, with tattoos on their arms, but still with the same civility expected from a commercial flight.

  For the rest of the flight, Bates and Planner learnt how to use and comprehend the radar consoles. They were able to watch and listen to the radio communication from an AWACS perform routine monitoring of aircraft flying into the USA from the south. According to radio reports, two of the aircraft were identified as smuggling drugs.

  At sunset, they flew in formation alongside an AWACS at 25,000feet. It flew within half a mile, much closer than you would ever see a civilian aircraft in normal operations. An AWACS aircraft is based on the Boeing 707 airframe, but on top of the rear fuselage supported a saucer shaped disk, 30 foot in diameter. Planner and Bates saw it out of the windows along the starboard corridor with a red sunset behind. It would have made a nice picture.

  They had flown almost to Cuba and back that day.

  * * * *

  Several days of intensive flying and training later, Planner returned to his allotted officer accommodation at Tinker Air Base. In an attempt to recover from his tiredness, Planner splashed cold water on his face, and then performed his usual ritual with the cell phone. He inserted a new Sim-Card into his cell phone and dialled a number.

  “It’s Robert,” he said.

  “You missed our scheduled call yesterday,” said the old man smoothly but clearly indicating some irritation.

  “Many apologises, Sir. We were in the air all day and all night.”

  “All night?”

  “In flight refuelled; In the air all of yesterday and all of today,” said Planner.

  “Impressive. Let me know if this might happen again. As you can imagi
ne, we have many very nervous stakeholders in this operation. They like to be kept informed.”

  “I understand, Sir.”

  “Good. And progress?”

  “We’ve refined the scenarios and have covered the Big Event and side shows. We have worked through all expected scenarios and have demonstrated that we are fully flexible with pre-recorded transmissions, live transmissions, disruption mechanisms and have established over-ride protocols. As you know all communications from other Stage B operations will be routed through our command center. We’ve tested that. We have total visibility and control of the air picture, no-one else will. All ground operation teams are green, although they need a final push next weekend to make everything ready.”

  “So the contingency plans? Any need for the simulations?”

  “No, no need for the contingency plans. We will work with the cruise missile for the first target, to save money, as agreed, and so need the first video rendered. I presume the computer graphics work on the second target is still progressing?”

  “Yes, still progressing even though it will not be required from the sounds of it.”

  “Right,” confirmed Planner. “It will not be required.”

  “Good. And the news media?”

  “We have Gatekeepers in place at the big six TV channels. They’ve all been briefed. Operation Las Vegas has additional people on the ground ready to promote our story.”

  “Communications?”

  “We’ll be using the Special Routing Arrangement Service117, to ensure the COG are kept informed with reliable information,” stated Planner.

  “So are we ready to go?”

  “We’ve planned it, simulated it, rehearsed it and now tested it. We have just one final test with the drones. It’s a formality. We are ready to go.”

  “Any loose ends? I know that you worry about them.”

  “There’s bound to be some. I’ll tidy up the ones I find as we go, as best I can,” said Planner smoothly.

  The Lodge Master sounded delighted, “That’s the spirit, Robert. Very good. I’ll make sure everything has the all-clear. Stage B will be initiated.”

  Chapter Fourteen: Shadow

  At 3am at the World Trade Center Plaza, thirty people exited the North Tower via the underground car park and dispersed into the night. The office cleaning crew, they work every night from 6pm to 3am.118

  Across the road, four men in a white van were dozing. The back of the van was piled high with numbered colored packages.

  A cell phone woke up the guy in the driver’s seat.

  “Ok. We’re ready for the elevator upgrade,” said a voice on the phone.

  “Yeah,” replied the sleepy man and clicked off the phone.

  “Oi, guys. Come-on. Elevator — Upgrades — R — Us,” he called to his colleagues.

  The driver started up the van and drove across the road into the WTC underground car park.

  * * * *

  Planner skipped breakfast to arrive at the aircraft in advance of the rest of the team to go over some changes in the day’s schedule. He entered the rear door of the E4-B and was greeted by Colonel Purple.

  “All ready for another day, Sir?” he said.

  “Locked and loaded,” said Planner. They exchanged a few pleasantries as they walked down to the small conference room.

  Planner extracted a document from his briefcase to explain to Purple his proposed changes. “We need to go over the communications systems and the radars again. As well as listen again to the aircraft transmissions.”

  “As many times as you need, Sir.”

  They agreed the changes and Planner prepared to go to the galley to make up for missing breakfast and casually said, “Thanks, Colonel, that’s much appreciated. Oh, and I’m apologising in advance for the changes of plan that we’ll be making on the day.” Planner knew it was inevitable that they would be changes to the plan as events transpired. However, Purple seemed to read a different meaning into this innocuous statement.

  “Indeed, Sir,” said Purple with a fixed smile. Then the Colonel, stepped to Planner’s side and said in hushed tones, “I have been briefed about that by the Shadow Team…”

  Planner was electrified by this comment but tried to hide it, “Shadow Team… Right.” Planner fumbled with his folder and dropped the document he was holding.

  Planner said, thinking fast as he picked the document back up, “I presume they’ve only told you the minimum you need to know, not the complete picture.”

  “Just about the tidy up, Sir. I think that’s enough,” said Purple carefully.

  “Indeed that’s enough. The bigger picture will become obvious later on,” said Planner. He faked a smile and left hastily. The Colonel raised his eyes to the ceiling.

  * * * *

  The lining inside the Communication Room, muffled the noise of the engines and the hum of air conditioning. Planner was being briefed by Captain Ochre on the communications equipment.

  “Unlike SRAS119, there really is not any non-repudiation on civilian communications,” explained Ochre.

  “You can spoof any number, any communication?” asked Planner.

  “Sure”

  “So how do you do it?” enquired Planner.

  “So to spoof120 any number, cell phone or land line, you enter the calling id here,” said the young man, pointing to an odd-style, push button telephone pad. “Do that first before making the outgoing call which you do using the standard keyboard. You can save all the caller ids and outgoing call numbers in this preset list: Only ten per terminal though. The technology used here is quite old.”

  “So you can call any number from any number?” said Planner.

  “Any number to any number. All voice calls are beamed to our dedicated communication satellite and just patched through into the public telephone traffic. It will even be billed to the calling number,” smiled Ochre.

  “Right. And Radio?”

  “Aircraft Radio transmissions are trickier. They use ACARS121 but these too can be spoofed using a similar technique. The only problem with spoofing ACARS is the inclusion of navigation and maintenance data. And you can roughly track the source transmission; plus or minus fifty miles,” he explained.

  “Right. So when we switch to drones, we need to switch off ACARS on the real flight and switch on our spoof recorded transmissions transmitted by the E4-B,” said Planner.

  “Hey, it’s like you planned it,” joked Ochre.

  “Thanks but I don’t think I went into this much detail. It was just a note on a To-Do list. Someone else made it happen,” smiled Planner.

  Planner was just about the leave when he had a thought, “Just wondering whether I could test some of this out and make a private call,” he said.

  “Go for it,” said Ochre. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

  Ochre stepped into the corridor, allowing Planner to make a private call. He typed his cell phone number into the old-style keypad and entered another number into the computer.

  He could hear the phone ring on his headsets. The phone was picked up. “Hi, Turq. It’s Planner,” he said.

  “Hi, Boss,” came her cheerful reply over the headset.

  “Can you see my caller id?” asked Planner.

  “Yes. Calling from your Blackberry? When will they get you flying?” Turq said.

  Planner smiled, the test of the spoof system had worked.

  Planner changed the subject, “How did it go in Florida with the package delivery?”

  “Good. We’re on record; Atta went to hospital. He’s fine though… suspects nothing. And Hiijii has now left the country. He dropped everything; didn’t even pack.122”

  “Great. Excellent. Anything else going on?”

  “Yes, I’ve liaised with some of the ground teams. We’re all on track at the airports and airlines,” she said hinting that something might not be on track elsewhere.

  “Go on,” said Planner paternally.

  “I found out about bomb sniffing dog
patrols at the WTC. I didn’t know whether it was important or not but I sent a message to Kroll to stop the police dog patrols123,” said Turq diplomatically.

  “Good,” said Planner. “You’ve done the right thing.”

  “I found out about them from the Elevator upgrade people,” she said euphemistically. “Who also said that they want complete power downs of the electricity in the towers for a few nights124.”

  “Well that’s ok, isn’t it?” asked Planner.

  “Well, no. The place has computers that run 24-7,” said Turq.

  “Well perhaps some warnings over the public address system and some private words. The less written evidence the better,” said Planner.

  “Right.”

  “I have another thing for you, Turq. I need a couple more for WITSEC.”

  “Ok. I’ll pass through. I just need gender, age and ethnicity. If you have a photo all the better. You need to say what plane they’ll be on. I can arrange tickets.” Said Turq.

  “No tickets required. They’ll be, er… lost in the towers.”

  “Ok. There’s quite a few of them. That’s fine. So who will it be?”

  “Female, 36, Caucasian, Blonde hair, blue eyes…” said Planner.

  “Ok. Don’t worry about eye color. That can be fixed later. The other?” asked Turq.

  “Female, 10, Caucasian, baseball player.”

  Turq almost laughed, “Baseball. Ha. Ok, got it. I’ll FedEx details out to you by the weekend.”

  “Thanks,” said Planner and was about to cut the call.

  “Are you bailing out too?” asked Turq.

  Planner was confused, “No. Why?”

  “I heard that Bates was going,” she said.

  “No… might he be part of the… er… Shadow Team?” ventured Planner awkwardly.

  “Shadow Team!? Counterintelligence125? News to me. Though I suspect there would be some of that sort going on. There usually is for operations as large as this,” remarked Turq.

  “Ok. Thanks,” said Planner. As he processed the information, to fill the silence in the conversation, he showed his level of distraction by asking, “Are you coming out to Oklahoma?”

  “I think I have enough to do here,” she said flatly.