Except it hadn’t been that long. It just felt like it, what with going to prison, breaking out of the warden program, being a captive of the rebels, hiding with the King Street gang, not to mention the mad scavenger hunt they’d gone on just to unlock the database. It hadn’t been forever – but man had it felt like it.
The projection flickered once, then jumped into motion. And just like that, Kaiden could almost, if just for a moment, convince himself that Bernstein was still alive.
“Well, uh, if you’re watching this, that sucks,” Bernstein said, a slight frown pulling at his features. “I mean, you solved my clues and found the database, so good on ya! But also, I’m likely dead, so, well, I guess I should have been more careful? I wonder what I got wrong? What tripped me up?” He waved the thought away. “Bah, no reason to get caught up in what-ifs. It’s just as likely no one will ever watch this. I’ve made it this far, haven’t I? But, on the off chance someone is watching this, I suppose I owe you an explanation.”
“Yeah, I’d say so,” Titus said with a disbelieving laugh.
“You, uh, have the database now, so obviously you already know what’s in it: the sum of my decade’s worth of research into the Party’s egregious abuses of power, complete with evidence enough to prosecute most of their leadership. I would say I hope you use this wisely, but, you see, I designed that scavenger hunt to ensure I wouldn’t have to hope. In order to solve all of those riddles, to unlock all of those passwords, you needed to know me. And I don’t mean ‘know me’ like old man Gerald two doors down. I mean really know me. Like that kid, Kaiden. I let him get closer than I should have, but you can’t beat a decent gaming buddy. Nothing like a good puzzle to give you insight into a man’s mind, eh? Yes, if I were to keel over tomorrow, he’d have a decent chance of finding this. Great lad. Lot of potential.”
Kaiden’s mouth fell open at that.
I didn’t know he thought that highly of me. Though, considering I did help get this database and open it, I guess he was right. Maybe I don’t think highly enough of myself?
“Actually,” Bernstein said, stroking his mustache. “Zelda would probably find and unlock this thing first. She’s a clever one.”
Hey!
Bernstein faced where the camera must have been, as his eyes turned right toward them. “Zelda? That you watching this?”
Kaiden looked over at her. Her jaw was clenched but there was no visible expression on her face to betray what she was feeling. Was that a tear creeping into the corner of her eye, though, or was he just seeing things?
“Anyway, whoever you are watching this, you must have been someone I knew and trusted. But why the lengthy scavenger hunt to unlock it? I know it probably felt random, but let me assure you it was anything but. In fact, I specifically designed that hunt so that it could only be completed once you were at a sufficient level. And if you weren’t, then you’d be forced to power level before being able to open the cipher and access the database. Ooh, did you have a good time against the grachnids? That part was one of my favorites. I love those big creepy crawlers.” He had a childish grin on his face as he said the last bit.
“But the hunt, right.” He cleared his throat. “It was designed to power level you so that when you hear the rest of my plan you won’t say it’s impossible.” He laughed. “Just mostly impossible.”
“What’s he on about?” Titus asked. “What rest of the plan?”
“He’s getting to it,” Kaiden said, all too familiar with the way Bernstein liked to draw things out for drama. Apparently, it persisted even when he was recording critically important videos meant to be played in the event of his untimely death. Had to hand it to him, the man was consistent, if nothing else.
“All right, so back to a question I’ve wrestled with for a while now,” Bernstein said. “How does one spread the critical information I’ve gathered – information that will see justice brought upon the Party – without getting caught? Furthermore, how does one spread it to enough people that it’ll actually make a difference?” Bernstein started pacing, the projection wading through the front seats of the van as he did.
“The obvious answer would be the internet. Of course, the Party has censored that to the point of crippling it. Their AI censor programs are so effective you wouldn’t get one megabyte into uploading this database before they stopped it, identified your IP address, and dispersed some Party thugs to your house. Everything after that – well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty.”
Kaiden couldn’t help but wince. Bernstein had found out exactly how bad it could be when Party thugs turned up at your door. He’d deserved better.
“So, what to do, what to do? How do you disperse information to the masses when the entire government is set against you doing that very thing? You go through a loophole. A particular loophole that’s been a thorn in the Party’s side for years now.” He drew out the moment, then smiled. “You go through Nova Online.”
The projection of Bernstein was getting excited now, talking more quickly.
“Nova Online, the only place they can’t censor... yet. That makes it the perfect loophole. Slowly and secretly, I uploaded the database to Nova, bit by bit and hidden inside innocuous files. Then, once it was in-game, once it was safe from the censors, I put it all together. Assembled my masterpiece!” He cracked his knuckles. “Then, I just needed to weaponize it. To disperse it to the masses. But... again we come to the question of ‘how?’”
“This guy likes to hear
