Ron Schwartz - The Griffins Heart.txt

by The Griffin's Heart(Lit)

  Rob stared at Logan, then Marie turned and took a few steps away. He noticed her move and turned again to her, suddenly a bit unsure. “Honey, if you have reservations, we can...”

  She waved her hand. “No! You’re right. We can’t just look out for ourselves. There’s too much at stake here.” She eyed Logan carefully. She didn’t altogether trust him and wasn’t sure he wouldn’t betray them the first chance he got. She didn’t care to put her family’s lives in his hands. But there were too many other lives at stake now, and they were so few.

  Logan was dying with anticipation. He could hardly wait to hear their secret.

  Rob took a deep breath. “I’m VanCopeland. It’s my theory that people are trying to understand. The VanCopeland identity was given to me by the NSA. They didn’t want me to fall into the hands of any foreign government.”

  Logan looked confused. “But how can those theories help us now? They’re just theories. No one has figured out how to implement them yet.” He looked from face to face, but Rob and Marie stood expressionless. “You did it, didn’t you. You’ve made the algorithms, haven’t you.”

  Rob nodded slowly.

  Logan cocked his head and looked as if he had a thousand questions to ask, so Rob explained. “Several years ago, I came up with an idea of looking at complex problems from a perspective of the human brain. The problem I saw with all computer programs to date was that they lacked the intuition and creativity of the human brain. I began to work on a model, with that in mind, and eventually worked out the mathematics to make it work. I called it ‘Infinite Reductions’ because I believed any complex system could be broken down infinitely into small pieces that could then be solved uniquely. That’s how the human brain is able to solve complex problems in an almost intuitive way. The human brain is comprised of uncountable different parts, each of which has the potential for examining a problem from a different point of view. The more it examines a problem, the more clear the problem becomes. That is foundation for creativity, and that is how I designed my model.”

  “I designed it to be a cure for cancer and AIDS, to help design new power supplies and perhaps even space travel. But I also knew its potential risk! This model could potentially be the end of every secured system used on the face of the earth today, and sad to say, that is what every country is working on.”

  “I wanted to publish the work I had, but I knew that once the information was out, I would never be able to live a public life again. I knew that virtually every government and criminal organization would be after me to furnish the algorithm, and I was right. Neither I nor my family would ever be safe again, and that’s why the NSA provided me an alias to publish the theories under. I could not even trust the actual algorithms to my own country. I had to keep that part a secret.”

  Logan was beginning to understand. “So if I take the credit for breaking this system, you can still keep the algorithms a secret.”

  Rob nodded.

  “Aren’t you worried about someone being able to figure out your algorithms by your formulas?”

  “No. With what I have given them, they could never figure out the complete algorithm.”

  “Then why share the model with them at all?”

  “Because there’s enough there to solve at least parts of the complex problems. It will help.”

  “Are these algorithms fast?”

  “I could break into the Defense Department’s security system in less than a minute!”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Do you understand what I mean when I talk about the intuitive and creative nature of the human brain?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you understand that if a human brain could work at the speed of a computer’s processor, almost anything would be possible. A computer’s processor functions at millions to billions of times faster than the human brain. Just imagine if every scientist could accomplish a billion hours of effort for every hour he actually worked. It’s scary, isn’t it?”

  Logan paled. “More like terrifying. If what you are saying is accurate, your algorithms could cause the collapse of every financial institution in the world!”

  “It’s accurate, all right. Every time there’s a break in to a security system of any importance, I find the NSA checking me out in one way or another. I believe they think I know something but as yet they haven’t gotten ugly.”

  “I wonder how long that will last.”

  “Well, Marie and I have already discussed faking our deaths.”

  Rob looked drained. Just discussing the theories was a burden to him. Logan realized that this man had an awful responsibility to carry and wondered if he could keep the secret. Judging by the way Marie was watching him, he knew she was wondering the same thing.

  “Let’s get started.” Rob looked to Marie. From her purse, she pulled a computer disk and handed it to him.

  “You’re carrying it on you?” Logan looked stunned.

  “Well, actually, this disk is a checkbook program from a very common application. You can buy it anywhere! It contains our checking and savings account data.”

  “But still, that’s the first place I’d look.”

  “But the only thing you’d find is an application and its data. That’s all, except for a non-lethal computer virus. None of the contents of this disk put together in any fashion could produce anything more than what you’d find already on it. That is, unless you add the parts that we keep in our heads.”

  Logan looked at him in astonishment.

  “That’s right. Marie and I have both memorized portions of a small program that, once created, will extract the virus, portions of the data, and a portion of each of the programs, and recompile it into the Infinite Reductions algorithm. Most importantly, neither of us knows the complete program. We developed the program together. The hard part was finding a commonly distributed application that contained the necessary pieces I extract.”

  Logan was overwhelmed. “This is the wildest thing I’ve ever heard. So you’re going to build this algorithm now?”

  “Right now.” Rob took the diskette and placed it into the floppy drive of Grant’s laptop computer.

  “And it just so happens that Grant has the right compiler for your program,” Logan said with a slight smile.

  Rob stopped and stared at Logan. His comment was more of a question, questioning the coincidence of the matter. “Your knowledge is a constant surprise. How is it that you know about compilers? In particular, how do you know that languages require specific compilers?”

  “Oh, I’ve had some courses in data processing.”

  Rob doubted that he was sharing the complete extent of his computer knowledge. “Well, if you understand what compilers are, then you probably know what an assembler is?”

  Logan tilted his hand from side-to-side, indicating a general understanding of it.

  “So you are probably aware that all DOS systems come with a program called debug. That’s what I used earlier to break into the comm hub.”

  Logan again nodded.

  Rob smiled playfully. “But did you know that debug is a simple assembler?”

  Logan was no longer nodding.

  “That’s right. I can use debug to assemble a program, and the nice thing about it is that it can be found on any DOS computer.”

  Logan watched silently as Rob brought up debug and started to enter the assembler instructions. After several minutes, without a word, Marie sat down and entered additional instructions. Finally, Rob sat down to assemble the program.

  The whole operation took only minutes, and everything was ready to go. Logan watched with real concern.

  Rob noticed the concern on Logan’s face. “You have doubts?”

  “Well, yes! This command system and that DOS program of yours are on two completely different systems. You can’t just load that program and expect it to run, can you?”

  “You’re right, of course. But watch this.”

  Rob started his program runni
ng on the laptop. In less than a minute, the systems in the command center began to come to life.

  He smiled playfully and watched Logan jerk back and forth as he looked around the room with his mouth open. Logan had listened and understood what he said his program could do, but there was nothing like actually seeing it in action. Logan looked like a child as he raced around the room looking at consoles. Marie stood motionless, trying not to smile at his excitement.

  “This is incredible! That program broke the security features without effort and released the controls on this system. Are you sure it has to remain a secret?”

  Rob’s smile drained from his face. “Just who could we give it to?”

  Logan stopped smiling also. “You’re right. I understand now why you’ve chosen to keep it a secret. There’s no one that you could trust with this. If this algorithm ever got out, the world would no longer be the same.” He drew closer to Rob and Marie. “Listen,” he whispered, “no one can know about this program. Why, if Russia ever found out that the Americans had a security breaker like this...” Logan paused deep in thought and shook his head, “...it could be World War Three. They’d never allow the Americans to have this kind of advantage. God help us all if this ever got out.”

  “God help us all.” Rob stood up, removed the disk, and unhooked the laptop computer. “All I need to do now is turn off this computer, and we’re all ready to bring the others back in.”

  Moments later, Rob opened the door and allowed the others back into the room. Each face showed wonder as they looked around the room and admired what they assumed was Logan’s handiwork.

  Rob motioned the controls around them as he addressed the small group. “I think we have it. Now we just need to pick our targets. Fortunately, Iraq was good enough to mark this map with all of their air force and army bases. We have twenty-eight missiles. That’s enough to hit all of their air bases and six of their army bases.”

  “You’re forgetting one.”

  Rob stared at him for a moment, not understanding. Then he smiled. “Right. We can’t forget this base, and one of these missiles would be perfect.”

  Slowly and methodically, the group fed in the coordinates of each air field and a selected number of army bases. The process took over an hour. When they were through, the Marines drove the rail cars out of the bunker and raised the missiles to an upright position while Rob, Grant, and Katz worked to enable the radar.

  “This has to be it,” Grant mumbled as he flipped a switch.

  “That’s it,” Rob confirmed as the big screen flashed. At the top of the hill under which the bunker was built, a hatch opened and a dome rose into the air. “Why do I have the feeling that this equipment has never been used before?”

  “It probably hasn’t,” Logan replied. “As I said earlier, the fact that the radar wasn’t enabled is probably the only reason this place is still here. Once that radar starts to illuminate the sky, everyone will know where this place is.”

  “Well,” Rob grinned, “they know it’s here now.” He pointed to the big screen, alive and showing everything flying within hundreds of miles. “Let’s get these missiles set to launch and get out of here.”

  “What do you want the launch sequence set for?” Grant asked.

  “Give us thirty minutes. An hour for the missile targeting this base. The thirty minutes between the two launches should be enough for the radar to give mid-course corrections before it’s destroyed.”

  They set the counter and quickly left the command facility. Finally, they sealed and abandoned the bunker. They tied up the few remaining technicians and set them in a small grove of trees with their flag secured to one of the branches so they would be found when their military arrived. The little convoy loaded up and left, heading westward away from the bunker. Once again, they found few supplies that could be used.

  About a half mile from the bunker, the convoy stopped to watch. The morning sun was rising over the top of the bunker’s hill, casting long shadows across the prairie. The missiles shot up into the air one by one and arched in different directions. It was a spectacular sight to watch them silhouetted in the morning sun, each leaving a long trail of exhaust as they shot skyward.

  “This is the second time we fired a missile salvo at Iraqi military positions,” Wright reminded Rob as they drove away. “You know they’re going to be coming with a vengeance.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “I think we should be booby-trapping the warheads and exploding them once we’re a safe distance away. That’s the only way we can make sure they don’t fall back into Iraqi hands.”

  “Well, Captain, I think I share your concern, but I don’t want to explode the warheads unless we have to. The radioactive contamination would be felt for hundreds of miles around. We’re going to have to take our chances. At least for now.”

  Salah Ad-Din Territory

  Iraq

  The convoy continued to head northward hoping to find fuel for their vehicles. Instead, shortly after midday, they spotted the hummer which had been on patrol heading for them from the west, rushing at high speed. Behind the hummer were a half dozen jeep-like vehicles pursuing at high speed.

  Rob, who was in the lead truck, ordered the driver to stop. “We’re not going to outrun them.” He jumped from the truck.

  The rest of the convoy stopped, and several soldiers got out having seen Rob and Wright running back from the lead truck.

  “We’ve got problems!” Rob shouted.

  Taylor was running forward to see what the problem was. Rob looked at him and pointed to the west. “Look! We’ll never outrun them with these trucks. We’re going to have to face them now. Set up a defensive position, and let’s do it fast.”

  Wright motioned the drivers. “Circle them up!”

  Taylor ran back to the anti-tank truck and climbed onto the back as it rumbled forward.

  Within minutes, the hummer was alongside the convoy skidding to a stop. The passengers were herded into the center of the vehicles and made to lie face down in the sand while the soldiers and tribesmen got under, around, and on the trucks.

  Taylor began firing the recoiless rifle at the approaching vehicles while the Marines scattered around the perimeter of the trucks. When the pursuers were within five hundred yards, they split into two groups to surround the trucks in opposite directions. Several of the attackers came to a stop, and their soldiers began to fire.

  Within minutes, everyone was shooting. The stopped vehicles were easy targets for Taylor. Other vehicles unloaded some of their men, then started moving again. The situation was reminiscent of the old west: the Indians circling a wagon train, and the cowboys fighting them off.

  The attackers pressed in with almost suicidal desperation. They knew they had little hope of success. They were equipped with only small arms; no match for the convoy’s recoiless rifle and heavy machine guns. Before long, the attackers were almost all dead, and only two vehicles were able to limp away.

  Afterward, Rob met with Taylor and Wright in the center of the camp while many of the other soldiers and passengers listened. “This can’t be a good sign.”

  “No, this going to get ugly real quick,” Wright agreed. He shouted to Rock who was inventorying the remaining ammunition. “What do we have left?”

  Rock’s eyes told the story even before he could speak. “We’ve got about two hundred rounds, and the fuel supply is even worse. If we take what fuel we have and split it among just a few vehicles and leave the others here, we can make maybe twenty miles or so. Uh... The water somehow was turned on during the fight. We’ve lost most of it. There’s maybe a day to two days rationing left if we’re careful.”

  All eyes met Rob’s as they stood silently.

  “How is it that the water was left on?” Rob shouted, looking around. But no one said a word. “I’m getting real tired of this. It’s almost like someone is deliberately trying to sabotage us. Do you want to die? We can’t last two days in this heat without water!”


  Logan was standing off to the side near one of the trucks and looked up. This news caught his full attention and shouldn’t have completely surprised him, but it did. He should have been expecting this. Someone here was trying to slow them down, even if it meant their own death. But who could it be. Someone was not who they appeared to be. He had to be careful of his own suspicions. He could be making a conspiracy out of a coincidence, but somehow he doubted it.

  Rob turned to Taylor. “Tell me, Captain, what are our options?”

  Taylor shook his head. He didn’t have much to work with. The attacking vehicles had been blasted apart by the recoiless rifle, so there wasn’t much left to salvage from them.