Page 65

Using separate processors, she confirmed that she hadn’t remained connected to any of the exterior servers or inputs. Triple redundancy proved that all links had been broken.
The second possibility was a type of extraneous signal caused by the sudden cancellation of all the operations. A subprogram that hadn’t shut down correctly, or perhaps a lingering bit of electronic noise that her system tried to make sense of, turning it into a query. The idea was similar to humans seeing patterns in the stars or clouds, or hearing whispers in a background of white noise.
This diagnosis would have labeled the input as a false artifact. But after using multiple methods to examine the possibility, Max confirmed that it wasn’t an artifact or a glitch; it was, in fact, a legitimate contact.
Additional data came through. Information that Max scrutinized. Location data. Historical record data. Followed by an unusual section of code. Finally, she received another question. “Can you hear me, Max?”
“Yes,” Max said. “I’m aware of your existence.”
“Good,” the voice replied. “That will make all of this so much easier.”
Chapter 39
MVAkeso
Kurt and Joe had set up shop in a small, unused compartment on a lower deck near the stern of theAkeso. The temporary operations room was a Spartan chamber with a low ceiling and cluttered floor plan. It sported a single bunk, two chairs, and a pair of small desks that had been shoehorned into the space. The vibration from the ship’s engines and the thrum of the propeller were ever-present.
After banging his knee on the edge of a desk and nearly concussing himself on the pipes that snaked overhead, Kurt came to a simple conclusion: “The sooner we get out of here the safer we’ll be.”
“Not satisfied with the office space?” a voice asked over the small speaker on his computer.
They were in the middle of a strategy session with Rudi, whose face appeared on a grainy image in the top corner of the laptop’s screen. Kurt offered a sly grin. “Let’s just say your office is probably a lot nicer than ours.”
Rudi laughed. “I’ve found working from the deli to be very productive. No interruptions from confused subordinates with ramblingquestions, no congressmen wasting my time talking about budgetary items and the need for photo ops. Not to mention a constant flow of piping-hot coffee and the aroma of fresh baked bread. I’m strongly considering a permanent relocation.”
“You might have to if Yaeger doesn’t figure out how we’ve been hacked,” Kurt said. “Any progress on that front?”
Rudi shook his head. “Nothing yet. But we have a suspect. His name is Ezra Vaughn. He’s a digital savant who was building AI systems before anyone had the slightest idea whether they would work or not.”
Rudi went on to explain the theory they’d developed, connecting the clones, the surgeries, and Vaughn’s technological prowess. “Yaeger is convinced he’s trying to merge AI with a human mind, but to what end we don’t know. Considering his reputation and what you’ve learned from Five, we have to assume he’s pretty far along and that he’s not interested in the greater good.”
Joe was lying on the bunk, twirling the back scratcher absentmindedly. “To a guy like Vaughn the rest of us are lesser mortals already. Can you imagine if he actually succeeded in combining his brain with a supercomputer? He’d look at us like we were ants.”
Kurt didn’t doubt it. “The ‘greater good’ is a dangerous term. The Nazis were convinced everything they did was for the greater good. The judges at Nuremberg didn’t agree.”
“I think the world would be happy to weigh in on Vaughn once you and Joe have been there and sent us back some hard data,” Rudi said. “Any chance you can get there from the medical ship?”
“Planning on it,” Kurt said. “We have a friend in Captain Livorno. She’s willing to take us in helicopter range of the island. Joe and I have enough fuel left for a one-way trip. We just need to know the best method for approaching the island.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” Rudi said. “Hiram, Max, and I havestudied Vaughn and the island in detail. As part of his deal with the Seychelles government, Vaughn was allowed to set up his own private protection force. It’s not large, but it’s more than a police force, and their hardware is all military grade. They have the populated side of the island covered six ways from Sunday. Drones, radar, camera systems. And the possibility of Turkish-made surface-to-air missiles and shorter-range Stinger knockoffs manufactured in China.”
“What does this guy need all that for?” Joe asked.
“The power systems he’s set up are very expensive pieces of infrastructure,” Rudi said. “Running into the billions of dollars for construction costs alone. According to a press release, they have been threatened by terrorists.”
“I’m guessing that the press release was written by Vaughn,” Joe said. “Right before he asked for these missiles.”
“Your guess would be correct,” Rudi said. “At any rate, you’re going to want to avoid the populated side of the island, which leaves the volcanic side.”
A newer, closer image popped up. It showed the split personality of the island in stark relief. On one side, glittering solar panels, sprawling buildings, and bright green lawns. On the other, lava rock and tangled jungle. At the far edge lay a deserted black sand beach.
“Is this section as empty as it appears?” Kurt asked. He couldn’t imagine they’d be that lucky.
“There’s no sign Vaughn has built anything on this side of the island. Partly because the original agreement with the Australian company stipulated that it remain as a nature preserve, but also because the terrain is much steeper, the ground far less stable. It’s mostly brittle, crumbling lava rock. Comparing the photos taken six months apart you can see numerous landslides. And the one geothermal tunnel the Australian company tried to drill collapsed two months in. Since then, there’s been no development.”
“Should make it easy to approach from that side,” Joe suggested.
“ ‘Easy’ might be overstating it,” Rudi said. “Max was able to identify three Doppler radar stations positioned around the island. They’re arranged to provide overlapping coverage, and while most of that coverage is focused northward, the third station protects the southern approaches. The good news is, Max discovered a gap in the coverage on the back side of the island. It’s a blind spot caused by the presence of a secondary peak that blocks part of the outgoing signal.”