He returned to the room with a key for the cuffs.
“We need to talk.” Mack was a convert to the coming war, knowing that there was no Zeus was a big change and seeing StarChild reinforced the situation. If you show most people three things they know are impossible it would leave them in wonder or break their preconceived universe. Mack's perception was not broken he was a convert to the cause and he had to keep his job. So with a clear conscience and a police badge he could arrest the men who would try to take over the world. The man he had in cuffs could already take over the world but Zeus could crush him anytime. No matter how bit his AI Zeus was the ballpark and all the other players. He was unsure why it was too late but he was not going to ask Zeus, was off that was what it meant. The first strike in any global domination would be to control the flow of information and silently take the world. If you needed you could rally the people or throw them all back to the dark ages killing most before they got organised and found fresh water. Someone was behind this and there were bigger things going on. He would let a demon go to catch the devil. “I need everything you have and everything you gather from the people responsible for this?”
“The remote units you took off of me will start working again as soon as I am out of your sight. It will contain a spawn of Bob with a single goal to help you find and punish the people who did this. Keep them you do not know how important they may become, they are like keys to the kingdom. Bob (the AI) communicates on a cellular logic with a new gigabit encryption algorithm that mutates on a fractal pattern at random frequencies he designs. You can mill over that one in your technology department but before you crack it he will have self-evolved new protection. I guide the evolution of him not really programming anymore.”
“We had guessed multi-megabit and some time-based pattern. You think even the military won't be able to crack him? No of course not. You intend to stop something that's why you have to go?”
“Yes, making the information systems of this planet work but uncontrollable by anyone. To do that I need to remake Zeus in Bob's image. Preventing the digital subjugation of the human race, if I manage it they can rule, they can conquer all but the internet will be a beacon of hope. Impossible to control or remove from the world. I see it like the sea, a path for commerce trade and communication no one could stop or truly control.”
“Its a monstrous plan, I don't even want to know what you are going to do to get into a Zeus control node. They are military bases. This will make you either the greatest villain in human history or a hero. Did you do the last hacking job to get arrested? Or for the data?”
“Because of the data, this company held plans to the next steps and I got the names of the conspirators. And I am in the room with the man who debriefs him on my hack in two hours. This plan provided me with a new weapon; you. I am sure you will be the one to arrest me when all this is over. I have yet to see a way out of this situation I just have a plan to the limit damage.”
“You hacked me and the anti-hacking police and when you have Zeus you will have hacked the planet.”
“No it does not matter to me, I am not the best hacker the one who sold me to you is far better. He is out there somewhere with and AI that toasted mine, he can hack between worlds and across light-years of space.”
“How long till your AI comes to get you?”
“He is already here.” They walked out of the room and towards the window. He pointed down to the plaza. A single person in the crowd was wearing all white. Either side of him were two cars parked off of the road. They were both black and looked like bullets from above. The lack of windows and any markings told Mack they were already untraceable before the AI started a digital mask for them.
“OK let's take you to central booking.”
As the rest of the office looked shocked they walked calmly towards the door. An officer stood and blocked their path, hand out in front and his other had been on his mag-cannon. His face was torn with anger and bitterness.
“We trust you Mack, but, you are letting him go? How many people have died because of him? How many peoples life’s has he destroyed?”
Mack pushed forward and placed his hand over the officer’s hand on the gun. “Stop! You all saw the video and the city lights? The least he could without Zeus is bring the planes above London down killing thousands! How long till his AI hacks a military spec mech and comes to get him? Or how about his white clothed friend walks in here? A man who can defeat three herc-mechs unarmed faster than you can three men. Take this one on faith he is out of our league today. We will have another chance to arrest him. Record the extra charges, I am taking him to central booking where the regular police can hold him by the book no one loses a pension.” Mack turned to the rest of the office. “There is far worse coming and this man will help us. I know it sounds insane now and I can not explain but this is the eve of a war we can not win. A war with an enemy we do not know we have. I need every one of you ready to help me find who the real villains are here. He did not turn off Zeus, he cannot have done that and who ever did could only be planning world domination. I would prefer a hacker than a military dictator controls the internet.”
Peoples eyes looked away in shame and despair. The mood in the office was lower than ever, more so than seeing the herc-mechs defeated. The officer blocking their way reached over to his desk and picked up a single shot chemical camera. He took a photo of Jish and wrote his name on the white space under the photo. Held it up to show Jish pushing it into his face. A hacker was as good as in jail if you have a photo of his face. Mack led Jish to the lift in silence.
The police in the central booking office neither knew nor cared who was being booked in. That nights drunks, meth addicts, London lady-boys, prostitutes and gang members had turned the place into a cattle market. Jish was tagged with a two dimensional bar code sticker front and back then placed into a line of people walking through orange and white corridor with glass air lock like doors. The bar code was read and the people were directed through doors by the safety glass that was illuminated from within. The people were walking now five a breast, separated by transparent glass. When a person got violent or abusive the glass was frosted as a warning. Then they were sprayed with pepper spray if they refused to move after the warning.
Mack watched him vanish into the automated system. He walked slowly to the stairs where he knew he had a good look at the release door. He walked two flights up grey carpet that was edged with metal and rubber. He stopped two floors up and looked out through the glass wall. Then he saw two women walking with Jish towards a the bullet like cars. He knew of them they were the Stars, Jish was collecting powerful employees. Their arrest would be as legendary as the release of a demigod level hacker. He shrugged off the sense of certainty that he would be fired. He knew worse things could and probably would happen in the next few days. That had been a lot quicker than he had expected, he must have walked all the way through at a steady pace to make it there at that time. Mack looked up and started up the stairs, he had never walked all the way up and he needed time alone to think about his next move.
A link to a Kindle copy of my book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hacker-Who-Sold-Earth-ebook/dp/B0067AU4IK
