up and running again, with only a few users bitching about the downtime.’
‘If they don’t like our service,’Nolan replied, ‘they can just take their business elsewhere.’
Grin laughed hard enough that Kilkenny didn’t need the speaker phone to hear him. Both men knew that the MARC computer lab was one of the finest supercomputer facilities in the country, and one of only a few in the Midwest that was available to outside researchers.
‘Don’t let your old man hear you talking that unbusinesslike trash. After all, we exist to serve our customers.’
‘Thank you for that “total quality” reminder, Mr Demming. Now let’s see what our unwelcome guest is really made of.’
Kilkenny unwound a patch cable and connected his laptop computer to the interface connection on the bypass module. After loading the communications software that Iverson had provided, he accessed the joint memory of the two black cubes. A menu of options appeared on the laptop’s monochrome screen.
‘Hmm, what to do first,’Kilkenny mused while looking over his options. ‘I think I’ll request a listing of the Spyder’s operating code.’
‘Hold on,’ Grin’s voice called out from the speaker. ‘Let me get over there and pull up a chair. I’d love to see what makes this thing tick.’
Grin perched himself on the lab bench as Nolan made the request. Almost at once, the drive light on the laptop flashed on to indicate that information was flowing down the portable computer’s hard disk. A few minutes later, the download finished and Nolan checked the size of the file.
‘Boy, that program is a hog!’
Grin glanced down to the bottom of the screen, where a status line showed only twenty-two megabytes of disk space remaining on the laptop. ‘Good thing you had some room to spare. What now?’
‘If you’d be so kind as to bring that phone line over here, I’m going to transmit this file to Bill Iverson at Moy.’
Grin disconnected the phone and handed the line to Kilkenny. ‘Why not use the network? We’ve got a line into Moy, and it’ll go a lot faster than your modem.’
‘This is why,’ Kilkenny replied, pointing at the Spyder. ‘Big Brother is watching us. Here, call the number on this business card; it’s Iverson’s direct line. He knows your name; just tell him you’re with me and that we’re sending him the Spyder program.’
Grin slipped the card into his shirt pocket and began walking back to the main lab. ‘I’ll be sure to tell him to have plenty of disk space free.’
‘I think he’ll know what to expect.’
Grin made the call and, once Iverson was ready, Kilkenny began transmitting the file. Even with high-speed modems, the transfer took almost twenty minutes. Iverson signaled Kilkenny over the modem line that the download was successful. With that program in hand, Iverson could dissect the instructions that the Spyder’s controllers used to manipulate the device.
Grin returned to the lab as Kilkenny was reconnecting the phone. ‘What now?’
‘Wait and watch. This bypass will allow us to keep a closer eye on the Spyder than our jury-rigged laptop, and I’ll find out more about what happens next when I go to D.C. That reminds me-I’d better give Mosley a call.’
A mischievous smile appeared beneath Grin’s pointed goatee as he sat down in front of Kilkenny’s lap-top. ‘Well, while I’m just sitting around, maybe I’ll just take a little peek at that thing’s fancy hacker program.’
‘Grin, the Spyder is classified so high that no one in the government will even acknowledge that it exists.’
The tone in Kilkenny’s voice caused Grin to pause and turn in his swivel chair toward him. Kilkenny stood with his arms folded across his chest and a look of dead earnest on his face.
‘Let me give you a little fair warning, as one who knows firsthand about government secrets. Don’t let so much as one byte of that program out of this room or you and I might both find ourselves living in some dark hole in the ground.’
‘I know, I know.’ Grin pressed his hands against his heart with false sincerity. ‘Mosley read me the riot act yesterday. Rest assured, not one government secret will pass from my lips.’
Kilkenny accepted Grin’s word. ‘That said, let’s take a crack at it; I’m just as curious as you are about how they accomplished this. Also, see if you can stash a copy somewhere for future reference. I expect that once this is all over, we’ll be asked to turn over all materials related to the Spyder.’
Grin’s jaw dropped slightly before curling back into a smile. ‘Nolan Kilkenny, you sneaky devil! You read my mind.’
‘Great minds think alike, as they say.’
Kilkenny picked up the phone and dialed the number that Mosley had left with the MARC receptionist. After two rings, a receptionist answered and informed him that he’d reached the Detroit office
of the FBI.
‘Nolan Kilkenny calling for Cal Mosley, please.’
The operator put Kilkenny on hold as she made the connection.
‘How are you feeling, Nolan?’Mosley asked, his gravelly voice booming over the phone.
‘Been better, but I can’t complain. What are you doing at the FBI?’
‘The kind folks at the Bureau loaned me a little desk in the corner while I was in town. It’s not as cozy as my rabbit hole at Langley, but it beats working out of a hotel room.’
‘Very true. I’ve got two things I wanted to talk to you about. First, Iverson’s bypass is in place and working as advertised. I’ve already dumped the Spyder’s operating program and sent it off to Chicago.’
‘Good work. The FBI agents you were working with are out making the installations at the Internet servers. They should be back in Detroit on Thursday to monitor the situation with the Spyder.’
‘Grin will like that. I think he’s kind of sweet on Harbke.’
‘I heard that, Nolan!’ Grin shouted back, loudly enough for Mosley to hear. ‘My relationship with Special Agent Harbke is strictly professional.’
‘I stand corrected. Grin is interested only in Agent Harbke’s mind and has taken no notice of her other attributes.’
Mosley’s laugh roared through the receiver as a wadded-up ball of computer printouts struck Kilkenny’s chest.
‘I may be a gentleman, but I am not blind.’
Kilkenny threw his hands up for a cease-fire. ‘All right, Grin. I won’t speculate about your love life anymore.’
‘Thank you very much.’With a curt nod, Grin accepted Kilkenny’s surrender and sat down. ‘Now I can get back to work.’
‘That’s a strange guy you’re working with, Kilkenny,’ Mosley observed.
‘Grin is definitely a book you shouldn’t judge by its cover. The man is brilliant, but not without his eccentricities.’
‘So I’ve noticed,’Mosley agreed. ‘What was the second thing you wanted to discuss?’
‘The Washington trip. What’s the plan?’
‘We’re booked on Northwest flight one oh two two, a nonstop from Detroit to Washington leaving tomorrow morning at seven-forty-five. Bring any notes or material that you might think helpful. The DCI is a very inquisitive man, and he’s been known to grill guests at meetings like these. I expect that he’ll want to hear about your experience with the Spyder.’
‘I’ll see what I can scrounge up,’ Kilkenny promised. ‘See you in the morning.’
40
May 5
