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The Stepping Stone
Chapter Seven: Dawson Meets Quest
Scott A. Gese
Chapter 7
Dawson Meets Quest
“I'm glad to see that we are all men and women of our word. Now that we seem to have developed a certain level of trust, let's have a seat and discuss our understanding of what is taking place. I'll do my best to clarify anything you don't fully understand.”
Before Quest continued, the driver handed him the hard drive.
“And what is this?” he asked.
“I'm told it's the hard drive from Leeson's personal computer.”
“Are you serious? Have you scanned it for tracking devices?”
“Yes, it's clean.”
Quest turned his attention to Dawson. “You show up at my door with a most precious gift. I assume you are Darcy's father?”
“Yes, I'm Dawson. And you are Quest?”
“Yes, correct,” replied Quest. “It's my understanding you have been brought here to close what Leeson refers to as the Gates of Hell. Is this true?”
“That's my understanding,” replied Dawson.
“I'll be blunt. Your understanding is flawed. What Leeson actually expects you to do is hack into our computer system. If I might ask, what is he offering you in return for this favor?”
“There was never a discussion of compensation.”
“Don't you find that rather odd?”
“I assumed that since he couldn't stop me from gaining knowledge of the system, that would be my compensation. Taking this information back with me would be more than fair as far as I'm concerned.”
“Even though our form of money would be of no value to you, it's commendable that you didn't demand some sort of compensation.”
“The knowledge alone will earn more than he could ever pay me.”
“That's quite possible. Allow me to change the subject. Here's what I told these two young people yesterday, and I'll tell you now. I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I'll give it to you straight. Leeson is lying to you. He's not to be trusted.
He once had control of the Gates of Hell. We managed to wrest most of that control away from him. We've been able to shutter most of them, which has made the Elites quite unhappy. He wants to regain that control before we are able to close the last of them. That's why you're here. He believes that if he can gain control of our system, he can not only reopen those gates but also defeat us. He has no intention of freeing anyone. My guess is he will never allow you to return home. He's all about control.”
“Now that concerns me,” replied Dawson. “I have no intention of making my stay here permanent. Do you have access to the gate we came through?”
“Unfortunately, no, I don't. Although, if you're as good as Leeson thinks you are, you should be able to gain access. Leeson wouldn't have brought you here if he didn't think you were more capable than his own technicians. He's desperate but doesn't want others to know he's lost control of any part of his system. We have a team of hackers working around the clock, probing for weaknesses. It's a slow process, but it does pay dividends. Our system and our expertise are as good as his, and in some ways, it's superior. Even so, Leeson does have the upper hand regarding security. His system has protocols in place we've yet to overcome. Leeson's hard drive may provide some much-needed information.”
“I'm told you want to achieve more than just locking a few gates. What else are you trying to accomplish?” asked Dawson.
Quest looked Dawson straight in the eye. “As I'm sure you've been told, we are trying to achieve freedom. We want our freedom.”
The answer confused Dawson. “This is what Leeson told me he wanted as well. Who do I believe?”
“Miss Darcy expressed those same concerns. I can only tell you what I know. The truth will be for you to decide. Look, Leeson used your daughter to get you to come here. He didn't offer to compensate you in any way. You are an outsider. Even though he needs you inside the system, he can't allow you access since all computers are monitored. As soon as you start poking around with the programs, they would know. He will need to use stealth and deceit to get you access, correct?”
“That was the plan.”
“We have a computer that will allow you free access to the system. You will not be detected. If you're good enough, you can gain access to the gate that will take you home. No stealth and deceit games to play here. Access to the system is yours right now if you want it.”
“What's the catch? What do you want in return?”
“As I told you earlier. Freedom.”
“How am I supposed to help you with that?”
“The same way you were planning to help Leeson—by hacking into the system. Only now it will be their system. You have to understand: we are at war with the Elites.”
“I'm beginning to understand that,” replied Dawson. “Explain to me exactly who you are. Where do you fit into the overall scheme of things here?”
“It's like this. There are several classes of people in this world. There are the Elites. They are the few. They have control, and Leeson is one of them. Next are the Slaves. They are the many. They are chipped and controlled by the Elites. Everything they have has been given to them by the Elites, and it can also be taken away at the push of a button. In reality, they have nothing of their own, and that includes their freedom. Then there are the Unknowns—those who are working to defeat the Elites and free the Slaves. You are now among the Unknowns. We are without chips. The Elites want to destroy us, and the Slaves haven't been allowed to understand who we are.
The Gates of Hell give the Elites their power. The more we control these gates, the less power the Elites have. We have only been able to get so far with the gates, and we have yet to access the program that controls the chips. If we could gain access and disable the chips that control the Slaves, they would be set free.”
The thought of disabling the chips raised another question for Dawson. “If the chips could be disabled, wouldn't that wreak havoc on other systems that are tied to it?”
“If you're thinking about the monetary system, yes, to some degree. You have to keep in mind that Slaves don't have money or accounts or investments. All they have are credits given to them by the State. I believe we can keep those ledgers intact until we can develop a more equitable system.”
“You say you've managed to gain access to portions of the system. Showing me what you already know will go a long way toward my ability to help.”
“Does this mean I've convinced you? Will you help us?”
“I'm afraid we have no choice but to believe you. Going back to Leeson now is out of the question. You're our only hope of getting back home. If we find ourselves on the wrong side, I only hope you will still allow us to leave.”
Quest was ecstatic. “You have my word. You will not be disillusioned by your decision. You are on the right side. I guarantee it.”
“Can you introduce me to your most experienced technician?”
“You have already met him. I am he. Let me show you what we have to work with.”
“What about us?” asked John. “How can Darcy and I help?”
“Forgive me,” answered Quest. “I was momentarily caught up in the excitement of your decision. What are your strengths?”
“I'm a writer,” answered John.
“And I'm a college student,” replied Darcy. “Not much there, I know.”
“Don't underestimate yourself, Miss Darcy. A student of higher education has many talents. I will put you both to work with your father and myself. Come with me. I'll show you to your quarters and then to our system boards where all the fun stuff takes place.”
The four of them walked down a long corridor to an unmarked door. “This is where you'll be staying while you're here. It's rather large. I hope you don't mind.”
Quest opened the door, and they all went in. It reminded John of a very fancy hotel suite, but there were no windows. “There are three bedrooms and a kitchen area off the main room. A replicator will provide whatever you need in terms of food and clothing.”
“How about a toothbrush?” asked John.
“Yes, that too. And any other hygienic implements you may need. Any other questions?”
“No windows?” asked John.
“No, I'm afraid not. The security here is extremely high. Not many working within these walls know exactly where they are. We are heavily compartmentalized here. You will only know what you are working on. We ask you not to question others about what they are doing. It's a bit confining, but it's what we are putting up with for the moment.
“A daily dose of sunshine is important, and we do have that. I'll show you the garden area when time permits. The sun may be artificial, but don't tell the plants. Get comfortable. I'll be back for you in one hour. Oh, and one more thing. Thank you again for helping us. The appreciation is beyond what words can convey.” Quest closed the door behind him and left the three of them alone.
“Wow, what do you think?” asked John.
“I actually have a better feeling about Quest than I did about Leeson. I never felt fully comfortable around him,” replied Darcy.
Dawson glanced over at John. “I trust Darcy's intuition. She reminds me a lot of her mother in that respect—her intuition was always spot on.”
Darcy hadn't heard her father mention her mother in quite some time. Her death had been an untimely accident, and at this moment, she missed her mother more than she had ever thought possible. “I'm glad I inherited something from her,” she replied.
“You've inherited more than you realize, Darcy. More than you realize.” Dawson quickly changed the subject, still struggling with the loss of the woman he had loved so deeply. Keeping himself busy with his freelancing work helped distract him from the pain. He knew he would have to confront it someday, but now was not the time. “It'll be good to see what I can do with this system. The sooner we can give Quest what he wants, the sooner we can get back home.”
Darcy was all for it. “I'll second that.”
John was on the adventure of a lifetime and wasn’t ready to head home just yet. He made his way to the replicator to grab a cold drink.
Leeson arrived back at the house where he had left Dawson, Darcy, and John. He knew it would be empty; he had been following their every move since their arrival. He had anticipated their departure and had placed tracking devices on them, but he hadn’t anticipated the Unknowns' ability to elude the men tailing them.
Their skills seemed to be evolving, and he was becoming increasingly concerned. What worried him even more was what he found when he entered the house—or rather, what he didn’t find. His computer was turned on its side, and the hard drive was missing. The system should have notified him as soon as the power went off, but it had somehow been circumvented, and now he was furious. The Unknowns had not only gotten their hands on Dawson, but now they also had his personal files.
He called his most trusted technician and informed him of the situation. He was not polite. “You have less than twenty-four hours to locate it. If you're not successful, I'll demote you.” He disconnected the call. To the technician, being demoted meant only one thing: he would be chipped and added to the Slave population. He wasted little time as he threw all his computer expertise into the task.
Leeson was desperate to retrieve the hard drive. He reached out to his closest contact, whose job was to gather clandestine information on the Unknowns—information only he was privy to. “What can you tell me about the activities of the Unknowns? Are you aware of any operations taking place today?”
“I know they picked up several people from your residence this morning. Were you not aware of this?”
“I was aware of someone,” replied Leeson. “They also took a certain item, and I need it back.”
“I'm not aware of any items being picked up. I'll check with my contacts and see what I can find.”
“Do that and get back to me. Lean on them hard. I need answers fast.”
There was nothing else Leeson could do. For now, his superiors were unaware of the unauthorized computer system. If they found out, there would be hell to pay. Every minute that ticked by brought someone closer to doom, and he hoped it wouldn’t be him. He set his phone on the table next to his favorite chair and waited.
Later that afternoon, Quest knocked on Dawson's door and escorted the three of them to a secure room. He entered a code into a small keypad and placed his hand on a screen, which activated a camera on the wall in front of him. It scanned Quest's retina. Immediately, a door appeared seemingly out of nowhere and opened. They walked into a room filled with computer equipment. At the front of the room were two large transparent projection screens, both filled with code.
Dawson examined the screen. “Fill me in on what I'm looking at here.”
“Yes, absolutely, but first, if you don't mind, I'd like to put John and Miss Darcy to work. If that's OK with them.”
“Sure, what would you like us to do?” asked John.
Quest walked them over to a desk and introduced them to someone before returning to Dawson. “I've given them the task of monitoring several surveillance cameras in the area.”
That piqued Dawson's curiosity. “How do you get away with having surveillance cameras?”
“They're not ours; they belong to the Elites. We've hacked into them, and they don't know it.”
Quest turned his attention to the screens at the front of the room. “We were given a gift this morning. You're looking at it.”
“What am I looking at?”
“You're looking inside Leeson's personal computer. We've been extracting files all morning. It appears he's been collecting information on the Unknowns. But more than that, he's been gathering information on his superiors—damaging information. But this isn't why you're here. Let me hand this off to my coworker and show you what we need to work on.”
Quest removed the program from the screen and opened the main system. He navigated to the files involving chips and drilled down to those containing information pertinent to the Slave class. “This is as far as I can get. The security around this is so complex I can't cut through it. Each time I think I'm making progress, the system throws up a new wall I can't break through.”
“What do you mean it throws up a new wall? Does the system build code to protect itself?”
“Yes, it's like a chess game. If I don't anticipate far enough ahead, I'm blocked out.”
Dawson stared at the screen, tapping his pursed lips with his index finger as he thought. “Give me an example. Let me see this in action.”
“OK, I'll try to get into this file here.” As Quest began working his way into the file, the system generated code to block his entrance.
“This system is much more advanced than anything I'm used to. This will be a challenge, but as I always say, anything can be hacked... anything. How do technicians get into the program to work on it? There has to be some sort of code. I think we should start there. Let's go backwards and examine some history. Maybe something will jump out at us. Let me play with this for a while.”
Quest handed the keyboard to Dawson and watched in amazement as he quickly began to navigate a very complicated system.
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