WE WILL BUILD

by Michael Anderle

  Todd laughed, “That story has gone around a little, I was cognizant enough to make sure I didn’t grab the boss's leg!”

  “Yeah, good. That should be a rule somewhere.” Bethany Anne replied. “ADAM?”

  ADAM’s voice came over the speaker, “Yes, Bethany Anne?”

  “Please show me all spy satellites within view as we turn and bring up a 3D world globe and show the satellites online.”

  “They have that information available on the net?” Todd asked.

  “Oh, hell if I know.” She replied, “It might have been satellites spotted by TOM and his craft or special computer ‘searches’ by our team.” In front of her, two 1 inch circles showed up on the glass in front of them and the globe in the lower quarter. “Take us to this one,” She touched one of the circles. The Pod took off again, making the trip to the satellite in ten seconds, soon it was a hundred feet away from the satellite.

  “Can we go closer?” Todd asked.

  “Not without dealing with the satellite warning system.” She replied, “They have the ability to sense someone coming near. If we stay this far out, our Pods are definitely not seen by their sensors. This way, it doesn’t require ADAM to change the information that it sends.”

  “It isn’t that hard to do.” ADAM commented over the speaker.

  “I understand, but there isn’t a real reason to get closer at this time.” She replied, “Now, give me an update on the satellite plans.”

  “Everything revolves around the communications from the satellites to ground units and each other.” ADAM responded. “The plan is to infiltrate the programming on the satellites and then take over. Most requests will be passed through. Should the country who owns the satellite send a request that would be detrimental to our mission, it will ignore the request and send an artificial response.”

  Bethany Anne murmured, “I was wondering how you were going to lie to them.” She looked around, “Ok, kill the displays.”

  The screens blanked out.

  “Want to see anything?” She asked Todd.

  “Like what?” He asked, stupefied.

  “Anything. Like, do you want to go to the North Pole, South Pole, over the USA…” She let it hang.

  “I’ve always wanted to go to the moon.” He replied.

  “Seriously?” Bethany Anne was surprised. She hadn’t thought that Todd was one to go sightseeing.

  “Yeah, I’ve got the bug to see new places. One of the reasons I joined the military. It was a way to get out of the small town I came from.” Todd admitted. “Not much to do out my way honestly.” He turned to face her, “Did you know that John Glenn was the only Marine in the Mercury program, and that he flew on Discovery in ’88?”

  “Well, I think I have the time to swing by the moon. Hell, we can make you the marine to fly the farthest away from earth, at least for a little while.”

  They were pressed back in their seats as the Pod took off towards the moon in record time, swung around the back and shot across the regolith. Then, it gracefully arced up to shoot away from the moon for another twenty thousand miles and slowed down, turned to bring the moon and earth into view.

  “There you go, Mr. Marine man.” Bethany Anne said, “You are officially the farthest Marine from the earth.”

  “Well, that is recorded anyway,” Todd supplied, smiling.

  “That’s true.” She admitted, “They might have super secret liaisons with other aliens going on right now we don’t know about.”

  “Would you like me to look?” ADAM said over the loudspeaker.

  “No, thank you ADAM. I imagine that information is locked up very well and I don’t want you poking in those areas. At least not yet.” She amended.

  TOM, please take us back.

  Yes, Imperious Leader!

  I am so going to kick someone’s ass back at the base for letting you listen to this shit!

  Hidden chat room on the Dark Web

  >>d3stryer - Where did the packages go?

  >>br0kengod - What packages dimrod?

  >>d3stryer - The server update packages for the U.S. grid are bitching about no connectivity.

  >>partycactu5 - No! That stuff was supposed to go out this friday!!!!

  >>br0kengod - The power project?

  >>partycactu5 - Yes! Keep up br0kengod.

  >> br0kengod - It’s not MY project asswipe. Major is going to be PISSED.

  >>d3stryer - Well, it is one of mine and I worked for months on that bitch. Who the fuck screwed with it?

  >>partycactu5 - Hell if I know. I wouldn’t think the Americans

  would have caught it, but it's possible.

  >> br0kengod - Major is going to be PISSED.

  >>d3stryer - You said that already.

  >> br0kengod - Just saying a good c.y.a. might be in order here. But if you don’t want me to help, then good fucking luck with the major ass chewing.

  >>d3stryer - If he says too much, I’ll just drop this name. It’s not like anyone is going to trace me.

  >> br0kengod - Well, that’s one way to do it. You had better hope he doesn’t ever find out who you are.

  >>d3stryer - If I get found out, he will have to take a number. the Americans and Israelis already want my ass. If they can’t find me, I can’t believe one mid-list officer in the Iranian army is going to do it.

  >>MyNam3isADAM - Perhaps, but I have.

  >>d3stryer - Who the fuck are you?

  >>MyNam3isADAM - Who do you think? Like I’d share anything but my hacker name.

  >> br0kengod - Get the fuck out of our chat room, this is private.

  >>MyNam3isADAM - There is NOTHING private from me.

  >>partycactu5 - Says you. I’ll have your info in ten seconds if you got the balls to stick around.

  >>MyNam3isADAM - You couldn’t trace me if I drew you a DNS route, partycactu5.

  >>partycactu5 - HA! Says you. I’ve already got tracking back into China. That satellite uplink doesn’t mean shit to me.

  >>MyNam3isADAM - Perhaps I’m there, perhaps I’m not. You won’t find me either way. But I can tell all three of you this, you are already MY bitches. Your computers are infected and will lock you out. Good day.

  In three separate bedrooms across hundreds of miles, three young men started yelling at their computers and trying to pull the power cables to stop any more destruction from happening. One was startled to figure out that his virtual machine, setup exactly in case of this eventuality, had already infected his main machine.

  ADAM had started his attacks.

  TQB Base, Colorado - USA

  Bethany Anne and Ashur walked through the Etheric from the Ad Aeternitatem to her room on the base. She unlocked her door and pushed it aside and then let Ashur out into the hallway to go find someone to bug. She closed the door and went to take a shower.

  Ok ADAM, tell me the plans to clean up the computers.

  >> So far, the computer systems are responding to most commands as I suspected. My hacker persona has started making a name for himself with terrorists at this time. I am working to continue those efforts as I play around the world. Under the cover of this playing, I am setting up my own servers who will do the following, one - setup the ability to simultaneously run all programs at the same time. Two, it will run code planted on the control servers to fake communications with the bogus children program I’ve created and three, I have worked to remove the code to the many millions of network switches that the Chinese government had hacking code installed on for those purchasing the equipment. <<

  Wait, are you saying that businesses bought pre-hacked components for their networks?

  >>Yes. It has been believed and expressly stated for a few years by those high or previously high in the U.S. Government that Chinese products have trapdoors to allow Chinese malware to infect the devices. This includes potential military weapons components. <<

  That pisses me off, but on the other hand you have to be impressed with the effectiveness. Is this how so much R&D information
is stolen?

  >>It has been suggested that it is ‘a death by a thousand cuts’ to the U.S. by Richard Clark, previous U.S. counter-terrorism Czar. The effort to continue stealing information but keeping the pain below the threshold that requires businesses to do anything about it.<<

  Fucking genius. The cost to try and replace this would be huge.

  >>Correct.<<

  Ok, and your plan takes this into account?

  >>Yes, I will have to implement security at the communications layer of the network traffic for these devices as well as seek to ameliorate the system security flaws present in the systems.<<

  Sounds like you will be busy?

  >>It will take, on average, forty two percent of my capacity continuously for the foreseeable month.

  Yeah, that’s busy for you. Let me know if you need any direction but move ahead. How about the terrorist attack on the Electrical grid, any fall-out from your success?

  >>Not at this time. The Hackers know that I was in China, but could not go beyond China so at this time they can’t confirm that isn’t where I was.<<

  You mentioned that your hacker persona is getting some street cred, what else have you been doing?

  >> I have researched and found many of the unethical hackers around the world and started a project to become well known.<<

  Bethany Anne considered his comment for a second.

  ADAM, what are you going to do to these hackers?

  >>I’m going to make them my Bitches…<<

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  TQB Base, Colorado - USA

  “William?” The speaker squawked in the ‘lair’.

  “What’s up?” William barked while stepping away from his 3D metal printing machine to better hear the request.

  “I have a Michael Pendergrass here to see you, sir.” The speaker answered.

  “I’ll be right out. What’s the weather outside?”

  “Good sir,” He responded.

  “Ok, give me one minute.” William walked over to the table and took off his goggles and breathing unit. He wasn’t fond of the smells and chemicals that would come off of the metals and plastics the units used at times. He grabbed two clipboards and slotted a brand new yellow pad and extra pen in one and walked out of the lair.

  He walked thirty feet down to the security station that blocked anyone from coming into the area without permission and waved to the guard who opened the door for him. Stepping out, he saw Michael Pendergrass in a blazer, pair of khakis and a white shirt. He was about six feet tall and lean. Not skinny, but lean like someone who was athletic. William would put him in his late thirties. He held out his hand, “William.”

  “Michael.” He supplied, grinning.

  “Walk with me outside, Michael,” William replied and the two started back down the hallway.

  “Where are we in the mountain?” Michael asked

  “Actually, we are walking back into the mountain right now.” William answered.

  “There isn’t a closer door?” Michael asked.

  “Nope. Security reasons. Only one door for us humans in and out.” William answered.

  “Oh.”

  “Let me ask you a question.” William started.

  “Shoot.”

  William looked sideways at the new employee, “Do you like wearing a coat and khakis?” William asked.

  “Hell no. But since Jeffrey was dressed liked this, I figured it was common in the group. Being the new guy, I didn’t want to screw up the flow.”

  “Trust me, with that outfit you absolutely will screw up the flow. Where do they have your shit?”

  “Building C.”

  “Ah, temp quarters. Let’s swing by there and have you change. That jacket makes me itch.” William supplied.

  “I’m liking this more and more already,” Michael responded, smiling.

  --

  “Are you telling me,” Michael asked, looking at the massive number of black shipping cargo containers, “that we are going to put those on the Moon?”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” William responded, admiring the perfectly lined up and waiting boxes like they were all ready to move to outer space.

  “Well, I think it’s buggered up, that’s for sure!” Michael replied.

  William changed the subject, “Hey, I gotta tell you, we are going to have to change your name.”

  “What?” Michael was caught off guard by the unexpected subject change.

  “Yeah,” William continued, “we will have a name change ceremony sometime later, but we can’t have a ‘Pendergrass’ in the unit. Bad memories.”

  Michael looked over at William who seemed completely matter-of-fact, “Seriously?”

  William nodded, “Yes, and I would suggest using a different first name. You absolutely don’t want to be pointed out as ‘Michael’ around here.”

  He blinked a few moments at William trying to take it all in. He asked, “So, different first name and a change to the last name?” William nodded, “This isn’t a hazing project on your part?” He pointed to the containers, “Because I have to tell you, that sounds a little far fetched.”

  William looked back over to the containers. “You haven’t been told where the practice for hooking this shit together is going to be done yet, either.”

  “Why? Is it at the North Pole?”

  “God no!” William smiled and Michael laughed.

  “It’s Paraguay,” he finished.

  “You’re kidding!” Michael looked aghast as William shook his head no. “But, it’s like nothing but wet, cold and rainy there.”

  “Don’t forget full of trees, mud, few people and no infrastructure where we are.” William added.

  “Then why Paraguay?”

  “Boss says it has two things we need. First, Paraguay is not part of the Outer Space Treaty, second is all of that shit I just mentioned. Her logic is if we want it nice, warm and comfy we should probably build this shit in a horrible location to test it out.”

  “Then I would think under water is a good choice.” He retorted.

  “God, don’t say that out loud!” William looked around in alarm.

  “What? Why?” He followed suit and didn’t see anyone within a few hundred feet of them.

  “You might give her ideas, that’s why!” William replied.

  “Wait, you said ‘she’, I thought Jeffrey was our boss.” Michael asked.

  “He is, but everything, and I mean everything, eventually goes through Bethany Anne.” William said.

  “A real ball-buster?” Michael asked.

  “Dude, I’ll give you this one chance because you are new. Every one of us you will be working with respect the hell out of that woman. So, we joke a lot, but we absolutely do not make rude jokes about Bethany Anne. Are we clear?”

  Michael nodded.

  “Ok. I’ll answer that question because in a way she is. It is not outside the realm of possibility she could tell us to pack our shit up and go up to the moon in 24 hours.” William said.

  “Ok, now you have to be shitting me!” Michael laughed.

  “You’re right.” William grinned as Michael relaxed just a little, “She would probably give us 48 hours since you’re new.”

  Once again, Michael couldn’t tell if William was joking or not.

  William crushed his hope by adding, “No joking, so the faster we fix our problems, the faster we are going to be prepared for the eventuality that Bethany Anne is going to tell us to go up ahead of schedule, understand?”

  Michael started to realize that he wasn’t in a normal corporation. “Hey, you suggested I use something besides ‘Michael’. Was the other Michael with Jeffrey the reason?” William nodded his response. “He didn’t seem so bad. He barely asked any questions.”

  William turned to face Michael, “Let me give you some free advice. That man is the scariest mother-fucker you have ever run into. He is being ‘good’ right now because he is trying to be good and he’s got a hot girl-friend he is
working hard to change for, I think. But you never want to be in a cage with a tiger, no matter how tame you think they are. I’d rather just slit my own throat than be on his shit list and I’d go with him anywhere. Whatever you do, tell the truth, never say you will do something you won’t try to do, and for God’s sake, don’t be rude to the man.”