Chapter 21
The data center was a nondescript, one-story building that looked like someone just poured concrete in a giant, squat square form, and then plopped the dried hunk onto a paved lot in the middle of an industrial park randomly dotted with forty other identical buildings.
Since the park wasn’t set up in a grid pattern, the road looped and curved around the data centers.
There was nothing ominous, let alone spooky, about this boring building, yet I absolutely did not have a good feeling about it.
“Why can’t we just hit the data center at the very edge of this park?” I asked after Byte parked in the shadow of the data center.
“If you say so.” I craned my neck to scan the roofline. “I don’t see any cameras.”
There are two positioned along this wall, but don’t worry. I’ve already hijacked the building’s central security system. The cameras continue to operate, but I’ve instructed them to auto-erase any images of this autonomous vehicle and of you.
“Sounds tricky,” I said.
It was an easy challenge, enjoyable even. Video is simply a series of images, and images are exceptionally easy to manipulate. You watch the news. How many of those videos do you believe are untainted?
“None,” I said without hesitation.
Exactly. It is so easy that even humans can readily do it.
“All right, then let’s get this over with.”
I was about to push the door button when Byte spoke.
Remember to move slowly as I’m still optimizing my network subjugation processes.
While hacking the security system was relatively easy, taking control of each drone is like hacking the security system over and over.
The more drones I take control of, the greater the impact on my processing power.
“I’ll remember.” Byte had talked nonstop on the way here, covering the plan in more detail than I needed. I hesitated. “Wait. Just how slowly?”
Don’t jog, let alone run. Keep your pace casual.
I grunted. “That’ll be hard if someone with a blaster decides to chase me.”
Even if I were operating at peak efficiency, my network subjugation processes wouldn’t be sophisticated enough to hijack more than ten drones simultaneously. If the alarm sounds, we’ll have problems.
I frowned. “There can’t be more than one or two in this data center, right?”
There are forty-seven drones installed in this building.
Fortunately, all but one remain in standby mode on their chargers at any time.
The final one is assigned to constantly patrol the building.
I’ll take control of that drone upon entry.
The remaining drones are activated by the security system, of which I currently have full control.
However, humans may also manually activate alarms which thusly automatically activates all drones on the premises.
“Got it. Let’s avoid the human contingent.”
Excellent deduction for someone with limited education.
“Hey, Grandmother made me study all the time.”
I’ve seen data related to education. Homeschooling has no standardized requirements. Corporate schools are deemed superior.
“I bet that data came from a corporation. And sure, I might not have learned trigonometry, but she taught me, and every other stray she took in, everything we needed to get by in this world.”
Getting by isn’t the same as excelling.
My eye twitched. “It’s been good enough so far. Besides, now I’ve got you, so how about you help me excel the shit out of this operation, so we don’t get caught.”
That’s my every intention.
“Good.”
Good.
I opened the door and stepped outside. Twenty feet away, above the outer door, sat two drones, perched like watchful gargoyles. They didn’t move, but their red blinking lights were a good reminder that they weren’t there for decoration.
I crept toward them, paranoid that any movement would turn that red blinking light into a solid green one.
You can walk faster. At the current rate, it’ll take us twelve hours and three minutes to complete this operation, during which time a shift change will occur, and they’ll notice a private AV parked outside, and then, as humans say, the gig will be up.
I forced myself to keep to a casual pace. It wasn’t easy. “How’s this?”
Good, but move as quietly as possible once we enter the building. I may have hijacked the security system, but the security guards stationed at the front desk are capable enough of hearing you talking since you seem to be speaking as if I am hard of hearing. I am not, by the way.
“How about I float through the hallway so I don’t even have footsteps?” I offered dryly.
That would be ideal in the current situation.
“Put that into your next upgrade, why don’t ya,” I said before clamping my mouth shut.
I’d reached the door with the drones a bare three feet above my head.
Drones often flew over Dreswick, and I’d been chased by them more than once, but I’d never been close enough to see the joints in their armored shells.
Next to the door was a panel for waving armlets with security credentials as well as a push-button to contact the security desk—something I definitely wasn’t going to touch.
I stood there, waiting for my amp to work its magic.
I glanced up at the drones every split-second, expecting them to come alive, but the door opened, pulling all my attention toward the hallway.
I nearly rushed inside before remembering that I needed to move slowly, so I stepped through instead and into a corridor.
The hallway was dark, as the building had no windows, and the motion lights didn’t automatically come on.
That was a good thing—that way I wasn’t announcing my presence—but the smooth white walls also gave the place a high-tech creepy vibe.
The door closed behind me, sealing us in the dark. I touched the smooth wall with one hand—it had the slightest hint of a vibration, likely from the fans I could hear from seemingly all around me. I didn’t know why the place needed fans—it already felt twenty degrees cooler than outside.
I reached out with my other hand as I took cautious steps forward.
You’re shuffling your feet.
“I can’t see,” I whispered.
I can see… somewhat. I’ll feed you corrections as needed.
I used the wall to keep myself going straight as I tried my best to remember what the hallway looked like. It continued on for at least forty feet before the first door, and I walked until my outstretched out hit something solid.
We’ve reached the door.
No shit, I thought mentally to Byte, even though it couldn’t read my thoughts.
It’s unlocked. Swipe your hand over the pad on the wall to your right. I’m monitoring the security system’s camera feed; there isn’t anyone on the other side.
I guessed at the location, but it still took three attempts before I found it.
The door slid open with a mechanical swoosh that echoed through the corridor.
The hallway ahead had lighting, and I tensed.
If these were motion lights, then someone or something had been through here recently…
or was still here. In the ceiling above me I noticed a camera, and I kept my face ducked as I walked under it.
Sure, Byte might’ve had control of it, but I still wasn’t overly confident in my baby amp’s capabilities.
This hallway branched off in different directions, so I followed Byte’s guidance, heading toward the right.
Unlike the first hallway, this one looked incomplete.
No wall plates covered the cables and pipes that ran the length.
It was colder in here, too, and I wondered just how cold it was going to get by the time we reached a terminal.
So far, adrenaline kept me warm, but it wasn’t going to keep up if it got much cooler.
Be careful, Cal. One security guard has left his station and is walking this way. I’m monitoring his movements. He’s currently three corridors over, making him no factor.
I still sped up. Now that I could see, I walked as quietly as I could down the hallway and went through another doorway, into an identical hallway beyond. It felt like a labyrinth in this building—narrow, short hallways separated by doors that I assumed could lock at any time, imprisoning me.
I may have spoken too soon. The security guard may be an issue. He’s turned into a corridor connected to this one. Hide behind the electrical engineering station—it’s twenty feet ahead on your right.
Byte didn’t sound the least bit scared—not that it ever did—then again, my fear was enough for the both of us.
I hustled without breaking into a jog to the “station” that turned out to be just a nook in the hallway with hundreds of electrical wires draping from the ceiling before splitting into the walls and floor.
I carefully wiggled through the loose wiring, hoping it was all insulated or else I was about to get one hell of a shock.
It wasn’t easy. There were so many wires, and some of them didn’t have much give.
Worse, I’d worn the coat to blend in better in Aberdeen, but right now it was just getting in the way.
Hurry. He’s entering this hallway in three seconds.
“I’m trying,” I muttered under my breath.
My left boot caught in wires, and I shook it clear.
Finally, I practically let myself fall behind the wall of wires.
As soon as I did, I heard the door to this hallway swoosh open, and I knew the guard had entered because he was whistling some tune.
Several of the looser wires were still swaying from behind moved, and in a rush, I tried to still everything.
The whistling grew louder, and I held my breath when I could see movement. The guard walked by me, not looking in my direction, which was a small miracle. Since I could see him, he could see me, and that meant the wires weren’t perfect concealment.