Alternative 3, p.10
Alternative 3, page 10
Curtis’s reverie was broken by the first real light that had entered the room since he’d come in. Ollie had got the monitor working. Curtis swivelled his chair back to watch, but just enough so that he could still keep an eye on Gina.
‘Here we go,’ said Ollie enthusiastically. ‘As I said, the quality is terrible, but I’ll just let you watch it the first time and we can go over it frame by frame if we need to.’ As the monitor flickered to life, a grainy picture of black, white and grey burst onto the screen. The camera that had taken the shots was being shaken, and then trained on something in the distance. The focus was adjusted and the picture became clearer. As clear as a snowstorm in Alaska.
Curtis had to squint to make anything out at all. It looked like rows of large buildings. Aircraft hangars. Huge ones, like the sort NASA used for the shuttle. But he could also make out, as the camera zoomed in, a Nazi swastika over one of the buildings. A swastika? Weird.
Curtis kept watching, trying to make out more of the picture, but whoever was holding the camera was having trouble focusing, because the screen kept going white. Then the camera zoomed right back, and Curtis could see that the whiteout wasn’t the fault of the cameraman. In fact, it was what was making it impossible for him. Because the white seemed to be emanating from one of the hangar buildings. It was shining so brightly that at times the whole screen was white. Curtis could tell the camera was being shaken by whoever was holding it. If what he was seeing was real it would probably make him shake too.
It was right out of an ‘X-Files’ episode. Curtis forgot about Gina and Ollie completely. Leaning forward, he watched as a black disc-shaped object rose from the top of the hangar building and seemed to hover in midair. The camera was really jerking around now, and Curtis sensed that this footage was something special. Then the monitor went black. The short movie had finished.
The room was silent as the occupants tried to grasp what they had just seen. Ollie was the first to speak. ‘You know every time I see that — and I’ve seen it a few times now I can tell you — it just seems to get weirder and weirder.’
‘What did we just see?’ asked Curtis.
Ollie shook his head in amazement. ‘Well, as far as I can make out, we just saw some footage of what looked like a UFO over a German World War II aircraft hangar. Did you see the swastika?’
Curtis nodded. ‘Yeah, I got that. What I meant was, what did we just see? What’s the significance?’
Ollie nodded seriously, as though fully understanding Curtis’s question the first time, and placed the remote down carefully on the board table. ‘What you just saw was an mpeg downloaded from a website three weeks ago. The webmaster claims this footage is a copy of an original, which was sent to him anonymously over the net. He just put it out there for the rest of the world to see. You know how the story goes . . .’
Gina spoke up for the first time. ‘What sort of website?’
‘Well, the people who traffic in this sort of stuff aren’t your usual tax-paying citizens. This was downloaded from a website dealing primarily with conspiracy theories. You know, wacko versions of history. Everything’s part of a cover-up. But the nature of this footage has got our sponsor really interested. He’s a keen collector of historical military information — if it’s real, that is. Anyway, the website we found this on claims the sender said it was actual footage of the Führer himself leaving Berlin as the walls came tumbling down. He even claimed it was shot by a Russian infantryman, no less.’ Curtis was damn curious now.
‘OK. So you’ve got some mpeg of what’s supposed to be some actual footage from World War II. What’s that got to do with us?’
‘Our sponsor wants you to find out where the mpeg came from. Who sent it to him, that sort of thing. He wants to find out if it’s a fake. And he can only do that by going back to the original footage. Finding who turned the original footage into an mpeg and sent it anonymously over the net to this weirdo’s website is going to be your job.’
Gina’s turn now. ‘Is that it? Your sponsor’s going to fork out a million dollars for that? I don’t get it. Seems way too much for a simple job like that. What’s the catch?’ Curtis wanted to shout ‘Yeah, that’s right! You go girl!’ Instead he just nodded thoughtfully. Ollie looked pained, as though he wasn’t being trusted as being straight with them.
‘Look. Think about this. Something that appears to be ancient historical film appears anonymously on the net. And the website claims the person who sent it believes it to be proof that Adolf Hitler didn’t die in Berlin, as everyone knows he was supposed to — as we’ve always been taught in school and in the history books. The catch is the significance of the footage. It would change modern history completely. And that’s worth a million dollars to our sponsor. Now if he’s got the money, I’m not going to argue with how he wants to spend it. I’m just telling you what you two have to do to earn it. One of you, that is — this is a competition, remember.’
Curtis looked at Gina, and found she was looking squarely back at him. Sizing up the competition. Now they were competing against each other with a million at stake. Curtis wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that.
‘Now before you rush off and start planning your strategies, there’s a second piece of footage I need to show you as well.’ Curtis and Gina both turned back to Ollie. ‘This is off the same website, also an mpeg, and also claimed by the webmaster to be a copy of authentic footage. And this one’s really interesting, I can tell you . . .’
Ollie swung back to the monitor and aimed the remote at it. This time the picture was clearer, but again, there was lots of white. But the hangars were no longer there. Just lots of white. A hell of a lot of white. Then Curtis realised he was looking at ice. He established a horizon where the white turned to grey, and picked out the little black dots that whoever was holding the camera was trying to capture. But to do this the cameraman had to swing in wild arcs. The horizon would roll over and back, causing the picture to focus off into the distance.
The picture then cut to one of the most bizarre sights Curtis had ever seen. The camera was now held still, and focused on what appeared to be the back of a ship. A military ship. Curtis could make out the barrels of anti-aircraft guns and a large helideck. All around the ship was white. Ice. But that wasn’t what was freaking him. Above the helideck on the ship was the same sort of UFO thing that had hovered briefly over the hangar in Berlin. A ladder was extended from under the UFO, and men in some sort of uniform were climbing down it onto the deck of the ship. Before Curtis could identify anything else the mpeg ended, and the monitor resumed its now comforting blackness.
‘Wow,’ said Curtis, impressed. ‘Is that for real? Have you had it analysed?’
Ollie nodded. ‘The sponsor has had some of the best people in their field examine the mpegs, and without access to the originals the footage appears to be authentic. They can find no signs of doctoring, or any evidence that they’re hoaxes. The sponsor will only know for sure once he’s had access to the original footage. And if they’re not a sophisticated hoax, history will never be the same.’
Curtis had been absorbing all this, while still thinking about the second mpeg. ‘Where’s the second one shot? That looks like ice to me.’
Ollie nodded again. ‘Yes it does. As far as the sponsor can figure, it’s a polar ice cap, or somewhere very close to it. And we don’t really have much on the ship at all — the uniforms appear to be US Air Force, and of a World War II vintage, but the expedition badges are pretty pixellated, and don’t resemble anything we could find on record.’
‘What did your sponsor say about the UFO thing?’ asked Gina.
But Ollie wasn’t forthcoming. ‘Not much at all. That’s part of the mystery. Fantastic, isn’t it?’ Ollie was starting to annoy Curtis, but since a million dollars was at stake here, he decided not to show it.
‘So let me get this straight, Ollie. You have someone who will pay either of us a million dollars, and all we have to do is track down where these mpegs came from? Is that it?’
Ollie did the hand thing again and smiled. ‘That just about sums it up, Cyrus. Whichever of you is the first to bring back proof of origin of the mpegs, so that we have access to the originals, will leave a million bucks richer. Not bad for a day’s work, huh?’
But Curtis still wasn’t completely convinced. ‘Why don’t you just hire a private detective?’
‘In a sense we’ve hired two private detectives, with specialist skills in cyber-forensics. But don’t think that this is just a job you can do from your desktop. There may be demand for some of your other skills, such as what we now call social engineering. In fact, your ability to succeed may depend upon a flexible approach to problem-solving. This isn’t a simulation, this is the real world.’ Thanks for the moral lesson, Ollie two hands, thought Curtis. He looked across at Gina, who was sitting thoughtfully, taking it all in. Curtis couldn’t figure her out. If that was Prometheus then there was one hell of a brain inside that pretty head. Cutest hacker he’d ever met. So why the hell hadn’t she been straight with him last night? Curtis could spot a game player when he saw one. And he didn’t like being played.
He forced his rising anger down, and turned his attention back to the dark room. And the million dollars. ‘I’ll need clean access to the net, and an anonymously routed ISP. I don’t care how that’s organised, but it’s non- negotiable. I’m not going to jail for this. Even for a million dollars. Got that, Ollie?’
‘It’s all been taken care of. You have a room each here at the Oasis. You can collect your keys on the way out. We’ve arranged to have the video-surveillance cameras on a one-minute loop, so there’ll be no record of your being here. There are a couple of other small inconveniences to secure your privacy, but I’m sure you won’t find them too obstructive. You’ll find you have everything you need waiting for you in the room, including the URL of the website in question. If you have any problems, call Mr Styles here, and he will see to it. As for the project, I’d appreciate your keeping me posted on your progress. I’m sure you can understand that the sponsor is very keen for some good news.’
Curtis turned his chair to look at Mr Styles. The name fit like a hand in a boxing glove. At least he wasn’t called Mr Yellow or Mr Pink, but Curtis was getting the feeling this situation was getting uncannily close to a Tarantino movie. Minus the blood. Shiny Styles returned Curtis’s once-over with a steady, expressionless gaze. Tough guy.
But Ollie wasn’t finished yet. ‘If you need to travel, you’ll have to make your own arrangements. As a measure of good faith, our sponsor has provided you with $5000 each.’ He pulled out two thick envelopes, and sent them spinning across the table towards them. ‘Of course we won’t require receipts, but you will be expected to account for every dollar upon completion of the project.’
Ollie got up and stretched. ‘So that just about wraps this up. I’m really looking forward to hearing how you get on. Good luck, and may the best hacker win!’ He smiled at his own joke. What a funny guy. And with that, the briefing was over.
Shiny Styles escorted them back down to the hotel lobby with the same level of polite chitchat he’d shown on the way up. None. But this time Gina — Prometheus — was with them. Curtis showed her the same courtesy as Shiny.
Shiny handed them a key each, and returned to the stratosphere of the upper floors. Curtis and Gina stood looking at each other, a key in their hot little hands, but he didn’t have anything to say to her. He turned his back and left her standing by the elevator.
Out in the lobby things hadn’t changed at all. Just Curtis’s whole world. Hitler and UFOs. This was way too much. Even if he got busted and had to explain all this to Terry or the Feds, no one would believe him. And the woman he’d just fallen for wasn’t who he thought she was. He wasn’t sure what was upsetting him the most. All of it. He needed some fresh air and some thinking time. Outside.
‘Hey Curtis . . .’ It was Gina. So what. ‘Curtis! Will you hold on!’ For you? Sorry, darling.
‘For God’s sake, Curtis. Will you just stop and let me explain? Explain what? That you strung me a line and hooked me like a stunned mullet?’ Well fuck you, Miss Prometheus. Curtis walked out into the dry heat of the Nevada sun, threw on his shades, and considered his options. He wasn’t ready to do the business yet.
‘Where are you going?’ Jesus, she was still following him.
‘Somewhere you aren’t.’
‘Listen Curtis, I couldn’t tell you who I was. But my real name is Gina. This is me. The real me. All that stuff is just something I do. And I didn’t tell you about it ‘cos I wanted to protect you. The less you know about that the better. I knew Ollie from DefCon a few years back. He contacted me to ask if I was interested in a BlackHat. All he said was that it was a big one. But I had to go through the comp just like you. That’s why I didn’t stay for the money — I sure didn’t need the publicity you and your friend got on stage. I was watching from the back of the hall. You have to learn to be more inconspicuous. Your friend just attracts attention —’
‘You leave Turk out of this. I owe him more than you’ll ever know. But you probably wouldn’t know a lot about friendship and trust, would you?’ Hope that hurts.
‘That’s not fair.’ Yep, bull’s-eye.
‘Maybe not, but from where I’m standing it’s the truth. You were shitting me, and I don’t like being shat on. Go find someone else to play your little games on.’
‘Oh for God’s sake, Curtis,’ said Gina angrily. ‘Will you stop behaving like a sulky little boy and grow up? Everything that happened between us was real. It wasn’t a game. Do you think I sleep with people just for fun?’
If she was waiting for an answer she wasn’t going to get one.
‘I see,’ she said, finally. ‘Well, if you’re going to let your ego get in the way of a million dollars you’re not the person I thought you were. I had a wonderful time last night. But business is business, Curtis. Opportunities like this don’t come along every day. Shit, they hardly ever come along at all.’
Curtis had reached the roadway. He had the choice of keeping walking, with Gina half-running, half-walking alongside him, or sitting on the edge of a fountain pool. He chose the latter. Gina took this as a sign he was thawing, and sat down beside him.
‘What do I have to do to prove to you that I’m for real? You want me to walk away from a million dollars? Are you scared I’m going to beat you? You afraid of being beaten by a woman? Again?’ Whoa girl, you’re pushing it now.
‘Of course not. I know you’re better than me. You proved it yesterday. The only reason I’m still in is more out of curiosity than anything else. It’s one for my memoirs, that’s for sure.’
Gina allowed herself a smile. ‘Do you believe all this? Mpegs of old forgotten film posted on a website that could change history?’
Curtis tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders. ‘All we have to do is find them. What Ollie’s sponsor does with them is his business. As long as he pays up, I don’t care.’
‘A million dollars is a lot of money just to find some old movies,’ said Gina.
Curtis shrugged again. ‘Some people have more money than sense. I’d love to know what that feels like.’
Gina suddenly got a faraway look in her eye. The same look she had when she asked him to go to dinner with her. ‘Why don’t we split it?’ she said. What?
‘What do you mean, split?’ asked Curtis, suspicious again.
‘Well, you’re right. It’s more than enough money for both of us. So why don’t we cooperate instead of competing. If we’re still together after all this then we come out equal. We go in as partners and combine our talents. What do you say, Cyrus?’
Curtis’s head said no, but his heart was screaming, ‘Go for it, my boy!’ He had to admit, she was meeting him halfway on this. Maybe she was for real after all. Half a million, one million. It all fell in the category of a shitload of money. More than enough. More importantly, it improved his chances of seeing any of it.
‘You haven’t seen my talents, how do you know they’re worth partnering?’
Gina unleashed one of those killer smiles again. ‘I saw enough last night.’
That got Curtis grinning. ‘OK, OK! Enough already.’ Damn it if she hadn’t found his weak spot. The male ego. Must be like stealing candy from a baby. Let’s just hope the job was as easy. ‘OK, Ginger, you’re on,’ he said finally.
‘You won’t regret it. Fred.’ They shared a laugh and one of those looks that said they were trusting each other again. It felt good.
‘God, I’ve got to get out of this heat,’ said Gina, fanning her shirt against her chest. It might have been a felony in some states.
Curtis jumped at the excuse for some space. ‘Yeah, I’ve got some things I need to do before we join the millionaire’s club. Why don’t you go and see what you can find out about the target? I’ll probably be a couple of hours — can you manage that long without me?’
She laughed at that. ‘It’ll be tough! Anyway, I need a long shower and some Zs before I can look at another computer screen. Wake me when you get in.’
Uh oh. That look again. She waved her key in front of Curtis’s face. Her room number was instantly inscribed on his memory.
‘You got it. Take care, Miss iMac. I’ll see you soon.’
‘Bye Curtis . . . and thanks . . . for listening to me.’
‘Forget it. Let’s start thinking about how we’re going to spend the prize money.’
As he watched those jeans make their way back into the lobby, Curtis couldn’t help thinking that maybe things really were looking up. He put his headphones on and punched up a song. U2. There was a spring in his step as he left Gina, and a million dollars, waiting for him at the Orion. He fought back a silly grin. It felt good to finally have something to smile about. Light my way Miss Prometheus.
6
On his way back to the hotel, Curtis tried Turk a couple of times on his cellphone. There was no answer when he buzzed Turk’s room either. Curtis wasn’t bothered — his main concern was that Turk was up to something on the wrong side of right somewhere, and that he’d somehow be implicated. But his first priority was to find an internet café and check his emails. He’d been away from his life too long for Terry Hay not to notice.
