The Kill Switch - Sample Chapters
Book Blurb:
They are battling an enemy that is omnipresent, able to infiltrate every electronic device on the planet, peer through every CCTV camera, and command every intelligence agency worldwide. Join Alex and Grace on their journey from Silicon Valley to Mumbai to halt a catastrophic monster spreading through the technological labyrinth. With just fifty hours available, they must traverse half the globe and elude arguably the most potent foe to prevent the code from dominating the world. “The Kill Switch” is a heart-pounding thriller that weaves together the realms of sci-fi and international intrigue, inviting readers on a breathless journey to save humanity from a digital apocalypse. Join the race against the clock, where every second could be the difference between salvation and doom.
Grace Hopper stretched her fingers, watching the tremors that had become her constant companions since she quit. A cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she quickened her pace towards the Computer Science building of the Turing Institute of Advanced Sciences in Sirap. The building was grand, centuries old perhaps, and had an aura of intimidating sophistication about it. Grace found the building rather dull and colorless.
She wished that the building, not unlike her own life, was decorated with more colors.
With every step she took, Grace felt more and more like an imposter. She felt that maybe she did not belong here, maybe they would see right through her bullshit, maybe she isn’t cut out for a place like this, maybe they’ll perceive her as an intruder. She checked her documents for what felt like the hundredth time. All the originals, along with the forged medical certificates, were securely stored in her file. She wiped the sweat off her palms, and tried not to pay attention to her palpitations.
Composing herself, she took a deep breath and walked towards the reception area. She was approaching her thirties and like everyone approaching their thirties, she was desperate. Grace wore a formal skirt, formal shirt, and formal make-up. She didn’t want to give an impression that she was the make-up type, but she didn’t even want them to feel like she didn’t prepare enough for the interview.
As the cascade of her introspective thoughts crumbled, she heard someone calling out to her.
‘Are you looking for Dr. Rauschenberg's office?’ She turned around to see a stranger. Grace found his attire odd-a black hoodie, and a pair of shorts were hung on his tall and skinny body; accompanied by flip-flops.
‘How—I mean, yes, can you help me?’
‘Follow me,’ he said, leading the way towards the stairs. He had an Indian complexion but spoke without any noticeable accent.
Grace followed him. ‘Are you one of his students?’ she asked.
The stranger remained silent. Grace found his lack of response odd, but she followed him nonetheless. As they ascended the stairs, she tried to convince herself that she was adequately prepared for the interview and that this could be her day.
Halfway up the staircase, the guy turned back. ‘Have you ever been expelled from college?’
‘What?’ Grace's alarm bells started to ring.
‘Which part didn't you understand?’
‘Who are you?’ Grace asked, her curiosity piqued.
‘No time for trivia, I'm here to help. Let's try this again,’ he said. ‘Were you or were you not expelled from Stanford?’
The truth was she was expelled from college, but no one here was supposed to know about it. Definitely not a skinny stranger.
‘You know what, I'll find the way on my own,’ she said.
‘It's on the second floor, first room to the right,’ he replied. ‘You can ignore me and risk getting rejected, or you can listen to what I have to offer.’
Grace paused for a moment. ‘No, I was not expelled,’ she finally said.
‘You are a terrible liar,’ he said, smirking. ‘I admire that.’
‘Are you Dr. Rauschenberg's assistant?’ Grace inquired.
‘No, fortunately, I am not,’ he replied.
‘Then what exactly is your role here?’ Grace asked, growing more curious.
‘I've seen your resume. It took me just a few seconds to spot your lie. While Rauschenberg may not be the sharpest, I'm certain he won't overlook it. Spill the beans, you’ll have a better shot,’ he explained.
Grace resumed walking, and the stranger walked alongside her. ‘I don't know what you're trying to accomplish, mister, but I have an interview to face. I'd appreciate it if you stop following me,’ she stated firmly.
Surprisingly, her words seemed to work, and the guy, whoever he was, stopped in his tracks. He pointed towards a nearby door. Grace nodded appreciatively and proceeded to enter the office.
_____
‘May I come in?’ Grace asked.
‘Yes. Please have a seat,’ Dr. Rauschenberg said.
Grace walked into the room. Her footsteps echoed in the silence, accompanied by the ticking of the clock on the wall. She took the seat opposite him. One other interviewer sat alongside Dr. Rauschenberg, their faces exuding an air of authority.
‘I am Dr. Marc Rauschenberg,’ he said in a sharp voice that sliced through the silence. ‘If you’re selected for this position, you’ll be working in my group.’
‘Yes, I am aware of that,’ Grace replied.
‘Good. Let’s start with your resume.’ The two pairs of eyes scrutinized Grace intently, as if interrogating her soul.
Grace handed him a copy of her resume. Her sweaty hands left damp marks on the paper.
After thoroughly reviewing it, Dr. Rauschenberg asked, ‘This shows a gap of two years before you started your bachelor's degree. Why is that?’
‘I...actually...’ Grace hesitated. She had prepared an explanation, planning to say that she took a sabbatical to explore her options and faced a medical emergency the following year, which she had a medical certificate for. But the encounter with the stranger outside had rattled her. She felt that a simple confession might leave a better impression, and if the stranger was right, they might appreciate her honesty.
She continued, ‘I was expelled from Stanford during my sophomore year.’
‘And why were you expelled?’ the second interviewer asked.
‘I got into a physical altercation with a guy on campus. I was drunk at the time.’ Grace couldn't face them and her gaze remained downcast.
‘Well, that explains why, with such good grades, you went to a local college.’
‘I suppose it does,’ Grace replied.
‘I also noticed another two years gap after you graduated. Another guy?’ the second interviewer asked.
Grace swallowed. ‘I fell into drug addiction. I went to rehab afterwards,’ her voice grew quieter. ‘I can assure you that I am completely sober now.’
She hoped they would give her a chance. If they asked her technical questions, she knew she could impress them. The room fell silent, and time seemed to stretch endlessly for Grace. She looked at their expressionless faces, hoping for some sympathy, some consideration, or even just a sliver of pity.
‘You do understand that lying on your resume is highly unethical?’ came the response.
Grace nodded.
‘Thank you for your time, Ms. Hopper,’ Dr. Rauschenberg said, handing her resume back. The room lapsed into silence again, but this time the silence felt painfully loud.
Grace felt disappointed but not surprised. It wasn't the first time, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. She regretted not lying and wanted to kick the guy she had met in the lobby in his nuts. She walked out of the room and saw him waiting for her. Grace was furious, but she kept her anger to herself. Ignoring him, she walked towards the staircase.
He joined her.
‘What do you want now?’ she said.
‘It may appear otherwise, but I'm trying to help.’
‘You're not. I followed your advice and got kicked out.’
‘That was my intention. That guy is trouble and I saved you from making a blunder,’ he said. ‘You're welcome.’
Grace stopped. ‘Who asked you to save me from him? And who the hell are you?’
‘I have an opportunity for you,’ he said.
‘For heaven's sake,’ she said. ‘Just leave me alone.’ She started walking, hoping he wouldn't follow. By now Grace was convinced that he was trying to recruit her into some shady business. Make calls, talk cute, and get confidential information. She has seen it before and she was not going to fall for it.
‘Ever heard of Dr. Baggins?’ he said. Grace had indeed heard of him, he was an esteemed professor.
Grace didn’t answer. At that point, all Grace wanted to do was to get away from the sloppy stranger and find a corner where she could sit and curse her life. And she also wanted to find a dealer and get some, but she wouldn’t do it, by now she knew better. With every rejection though Grace knew she was inching closer to a relapse.
‘You should go meet him. He would offer you a position,’ he said.
‘Why would he offer me a position? Stop messing with me, or I’ll call security.’
‘Because I say so,’ he said. ‘Peter is conducting interviews, and if you rush, you’ll make it before the ship sails.’
Grace didn’t entirely believe him, but there was no harm in giving it a shot. Reluctantly, she followed him, and he led her to Peter’s office.
_____
‘May I come in?’
‘Yes,’ Dr. Peter Baggins said. ‘How can I help you?’ Peter looked much younger than what Grace had expected. Although he had a balding hairline with no hint of black hair, he looked rather fit and charming.
‘I am Grace Hopper. I am here for the interview. I know I didn’t formally—’
‘Interview?’ Peter seemed puzzled.
Grace realized that the guy had fooled her again. She stood there, feeling stupid for having believed him again.
‘I am sorry,’ she said. ‘Someone told me that there was an interview going on, and that I could--’ she paused. ‘Nevermind, sorry to bother you, professor. I’ll leave.’
‘Wait,’ Peter said. ‘Did Alex send you?’
‘I don’t know his name.’
‘How did he look?’
‘Tall, skinny, Indian guy… dressed like an adult trying too hard to look like a teenager,’ Grace said.
Peter chuckled. ‘Alex, it is.’
‘I should get going,’ she said.
‘Have a seat,’ Peter pointed at the seat opposite him.
‘Pardon?’
‘Have a seat. Let’s see what you've got.’ Peter said rather humbly.
Grace didn't expect this, but she wasn't going to let an opportunity slip away. She eagerly sat down and handed him a copy of her resume. Peter took it, glanced at it briefly, and set it aside without reading.
Peter proceeded to ask her a series of technical questions, and she answered them flawlessly. Her confidence soared, and she felt positive that she would secure the position. However, there was still one bomb left to drop.
‘Is there anything else I should know?’ Peter asked. He picked up the resume and started reviewing it.
‘I was expelled from Stanford during my sophomore year,’ she said. ‘I had a fight with my boyfriend. I was drunk, and I became violent.’
Peter chuckled. ‘Relationships can be tough sometimes.’
Exactly. How difficult is it to understand that relationships can become challenging? How could no one else grasp this simple fact?
‘What happened after that?’ Peter asked. ‘You could have started with your doctorate earlier.’
‘After Stanford, I completed my graduation from a local college. Post that, things weren't going well for me. I fell into drug addiction, and it took some time in rehab to get back on my feet. I eventually earned a master's degree from the same college. Ended up in the same place, just with another degree to hang on the wall. Since then, I've been trying to secure a PhD position,’ Grace was overwhelmed. She didn’t want to cry there, but she knew she wasn’t far from it.
Peter handed her a glass of water, which she quickly gulped down.
‘Well, Ms. Hopper, I wasn't actively seeking any candidates, but I might be able to squeeze you in. I'll get back to you by this weekend,’ Peter said. ‘I can't promise anything for sure until then.’
‘That’ll be great, Professor,’ Grace was surely going to cry. ‘Thank you.’
As Grace left Peter's office, she couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. Maybe this unexpected turn of events would lead her to the opportunity she had been longing for, a comfortable and melancholic life of academics.
‘I went through all the cases,’ Grace said. ‘I must say, for those who haven't met him, it will seem like a work of fiction.’
She and Peter were waiting in the lobby for Alex. Grace was now comfortable with the premise and its grandeur didn’t intimidate her anymore, and unlike before the campus seemed bright and colorful to her.
‘Ah,’ Peter replied. ‘Indeed.’
‘Is it true that all the computers in the firm displayed the same message after you guys left?’
‘Yes,’ Peter said. ‘All the displays had a single word written on them, BUSTED.’
‘Was that part of the deal?’ Grace asked.
She had learned that Alex was a research scholar in Peter's team and that he was an exceptionally genius guy. A gifted guy, one can say. As part of her assignment, Grace had read about their work in finding loopholes in highly secure systems. When Peter asked her if she would care to join them for one of their ventures, she jumped to her feet with excitement.
‘No, Alex likes drama. He won't admit it, but he does.’
Grace smiled. She understood it from reading about their pen tests. ‘I wonder why he isn’t famous.’
‘Well, Alex is pretty strict about keeping his profile low.’
‘And why is that?’ Grace asked.
‘Well, anonymity helps him with the kind of work he does. Alex isn’t the kind of hacker who works sitting behind the desk. Absolutely not! He would jump off the walls, bribe the security, and impersonate the CEO if needed. He thinks of himself more as a detective than a white hat hacker,’ Peter said.
‘Now it makes more sense,’ she said. Grace checked her watch; they had been waiting for over half an hour. ‘I thought he'd be punctual.’
‘He is always on time,’ Peter assured her. ‘Must be something important, if you ask me.’ Grace noticed a sense of affection in Peter’s voice when he talked about Alex.
‘You seem to know him well, Mr. Baggins,’ Grace said.
‘I've known him for a long time. Long before he started getting into computers,’ Peter said.
‘How?’
‘Well,’ Peter said, ‘that's a discussion for some other time.’
‘Sure,’ Grace replied. ‘Was he always like this?’
‘Like what?’ Peter asked.
Grace smiled. ‘You know what I mean.’ She didn’t want to offend Peter with her inferences about Alex.
‘I know,’ Peter said. ‘But I want to hear it from you.’
‘Okay,' she said. 'Was he always so eccentric?’
‘Eccentric?’ Peter smiled. ‘Is that the word you're settling for?’
‘I think I should settle with being quiet,’ she responded. She took her purse on her lap and started looking for something inside it.
‘Hasn't he made you feel like you're the dumbest person in the world?’ Peter asked.
‘Every time I see him,’ she stopped looking into her purse. ‘And he is pretty vocal about it. Last week he was mad at me for not remembering what day it was when Halley's comet was last seen.’
‘That's what I'm talking about,’ Peter leaned back in his seat.
‘Well, yeah. He is rude,’ she said. ‘And arrogant, obnoxious, condescending—’
Peter leaned forward and whispered, ‘asshole.’ He rested back, ‘that’s the word you’re looking for.’
‘Son of a bitch,’ Grace said, rather loudly.
‘That’s another way to put it,’ Peter smirked. But then he saw Grace standing up and looking towards the elevator door as if she had seen a ghost. Her purse fell on the ground spilling her belongings on the floor. Peter turned and saw Alex arriving on the ground floor, accompanied by a girl.
‘Who's she?’ Peter asked.
‘She is Emma, my roommate from Stanford,’ Grace said. Emma was the person who played an active role in messing up Grace’s life. Grace believed that she had moved on from her past, but the sight of her made her realize that there’s a lot of resentment left in her.
‘Is that the girl—’
‘Yes, she is,’ Grace interrupted. She squatted down to get her belongings back in the purse. 'What the hell is she doing here?
‘This is fun,’ Peter stood up. ‘I'm sure Alex didn't know her before. So, if I were you, I would check my outbox.’
Grace realized that Peter was suggesting that Alex might have hacked her account and invited Emma. Before she could respond, Alex and Emma arrived.
‘Peter, this is Emma. She is a tech journalist, and she'll be covering our test today,’ Alex said. ‘And Emma, this is Peter. He is my boss.’
‘Nice to meet you, Peter,’ Emma said, extending her hand for a handshake.
‘Likewise,’ Peter replied, shaking her hand.
‘And of course, you know Grace,’ Alex added.
‘I missed you so much, Grace,’ Emma greeted, opening her arms for a hug. ‘How are you?’
‘Fine,’ Grace replied, burying herself in her phone to avoid the embrace. She checked her account and discovered that an email had been sent to Emma.
Embarrassed, Emma turned away.
‘I was just telling Emma what a great idea it was to invite her,’ Alex said. ‘All the credit goes to Grace.’
Grace forced a smile.
‘Thank you so much, Grace,’ Emma said sincerely. ‘It means the world to me.’
‘I'm sure it does,’ Grace replied dryly. ‘Let's get going, shall we?’ Grace took her purse and started walking.
_____
Peter drove the car, with Grace seated next to him. They were quiet for a long time with their ears fixed on the backseats occupied by Alex and Emma.
‘What's the deal with her?’ Peter whispered to Grace.
Alex was being friendly with Emma. And as far as he was concerned, it was unusual.
‘I don't know,’ Grace whispered back. ‘And you were right. He did hack into my email account to invite her. What a jerk!’
‘Oh, interesting,’ Peter said.
They fell silent, their attention focused on the conversation in the backseat.
‘I think I could use some breakfast,’ Alex suggested.
‘I'm literally starving,’ Emma replied.
‘We should grab something to eat after we're done. What do you think?’
‘Do you find this strange too?’ Grace whispered to Peter. Alex didn't point out Emma's inappropriate use of the word ‘literally,’ which surprised Grace.
‘Strange? First, he didn't correct her, then he invited her for lunch. This is blasphemous, if you ask me,’ Peter said.
‘Did you notice he's wearing a watch?’ Grace asked.
‘I did. He never wears a watch,’ Peter said.
‘And what's with the passport?’ Grace said.
‘What passport?’
‘There's a passport in his hoodie pocket.’ Peter looked into the rear-view mirror to check.
‘I didn't see that.’
‘What do you think he's up to?’ Grace knew that Alex must have a reason for his newfound friendliness. ‘You said he prefers to keep his profile low. Bringing a journalist with us doesn't add up.’
‘We've been working together for over a decade,’ Peter said. ‘He's always tried to avoid the spotlight. In fact, my clients think I do all the work. So, yes, if you ask me, this is strange.’
Grace nodded in agreement.
‘This is too much. Mind if I play some music?’ Peter asked.
‘Sure,’ Grace replied. The car filled with soothing folk music.
Grace let her window glass down and leaned against it looking outside. Amidst the glitz and glamor, the city of Sirap had its own complexities. Situated at an hour's drive from silicon valley, Sirap is a planned city aimed to decentralize the hustling valley. Not unlike Grace, the city was also trying to make its position and stabilize itself in the chaotic world around. As the wind blew past her, Grace felt a connection with the city.
_____
‘What exactly is this thing that they do? The pen test thing?’ Emma asked Grace as they walked towards the building. Peter and Alex were ahead of them.
‘These large firms hire ethical hackers to identify vulnerabilities in their security systems in order to make them more reliable,’ Grace said. If it were up to Grace, she'd never see Emma, but she knew it was important for Alex. So keeping her rage aside, she tried to play along.
‘And they won't sue him for, like, any damage?’ Emma said.
‘No,’ Grace said. ‘It’s covered under the contract they sign.’
‘Interesting. What about Peter? What's his role in all of this?’ Emma asked.
‘I'm not entirely sure,’ Grace admitted. ‘He's made a name for himself, that much I know. But he never actually does any hands-on work. Alex never takes credit, but he's the one who is behind the tasks.’
‘But he told me something different,’ Emma revealed.
‘What did he tell you?’ Grace asked.
‘I thought you knew,’ Emma said. ‘It was in the email you sent me.’
‘Okay, Emma, listen,’ Grace said. ‘Alex sent that email. I would never have contacted you.’
Emma was taken aback, she stopped in her tracks. Grace could bear Emma being around but she couldn’t pretend that things were fine with them.
‘Enough with the drama, keep walking,’ Grace said rather rudely. ‘So, what did he tell you?’ she pressed on.
‘Well, he told me he wants me to write about him and the tests,’ Emma replied. ‘You know, get him some spotlight kinda thing.’
Grace nodded. What she and Peter suspected was true. This wasn’t like any other of their cases.
‘I'm sorry, Grace,’ Emma said. ‘For what happened. I truly am.’
‘Just shut up, Emma,’ Grace said and looked away.
Neither of them said another word and soon they reached the lobby and were promptly escorted to the CEO's office on the fourth floor. Putting their conversation aside, Grace focused on the task at hand. She kept briefing Emma about the test.
Phoenix was a well-respected investment banking firm. Their new CEO, Stephen, had insisted on updating their security, investing millions into their IT systems, claiming they were unhackable.
They entered the CEO’s office. Stephen's office exuded luxury, and every detail screamed wealth. A large conference table dominated the room, with a projector screen hanging from the wall. Apart from Stephen, there were twelve senior executives present. An empty champagne bottle indicated they already had their premature celebration.
‘I hope you didn't have any trouble finding my office,’ Stephen said. ‘But it seems you did have trouble finding loopholes in our system.’ He chuckled, and Grace found his laughter amusing, thinking that he would make a good clown.
Peter remained silent, and Stephen took it as a sign of Peter's defeat.
‘I've heard a lot about you, Dr. Baggins,’ Stephen continued pacing on the floor. ‘I thought you'd bring someone—I'm searching for the right word—not an amateur, for this task. Looks like we'll have to find someone else to ensure our safety.’
‘I can assure you that if Alex hadn't found a way to hack into your system, no one else can,’ Peter said, still standing as no one offered them seats yet.
‘So, you're saying our system is unhackable?’ Stephen mused, more to himself than to Peter. ‘I do like the sound of that.’
Stephen's gaze fell on Alex, who had been silent since entering the office. Alex maintained an indifferent expression, and Grace couldn't help but wonder what lurked behind his intimidating eyes.
Without allowing Alex to speak, Stephen continued, ‘I've spent millions securing our systems. I bloody well know no one will be able to breach the walls I've built. Wait, I have a better analogy,’ he raised his index finger. ‘No one will be able to penetrate their bullet through my bullet-proof jacket.’
Stephen laughed, and his employees joined in.
After their laughter settled, Alex took a passport from his hoodie pocket and kept it on Stephen’s desk. Stephen looked at it with surprise. ‘What? You made a copy of my passport?’ he asked. ‘Oh sure, I’m impressed.’
Alex remained silent.
Stephen flipped through the passport. ‘I can still tell the difference,’ he said and reached into his drawer. ‘Let me get the original one, and I’ll show you.’
But he didn’t find his passport.
‘You might take an eternity to figure it out, so let me make it simple for you,’ Alex said. ‘It is your original passport.’
‘Are you a pick-pocket? What the hell, it was inside my drawer yesterday. This is outrageous. Do you call it a test? You bloody thief!’ Stephen said.
‘It proves that I entered your office unnoticed,’ Alex replied.
Stephen was speechless.
‘So you entered my office,’ he said after a long pause. ‘Well done. I have a surveillance video of you trespassing into this property.’
‘I am glad you brought that up,’ Alex said and walked towards Stephen’s desk. ‘May I,’ he said, pointing at the computer.
‘Be my guest,’ Stephen said and moved aside. ‘But you’ll have to enter my password, and no way on Earth I am gonna tell you that.’
Alex had already entered the password and had connected to the projector next to the conference table.
‘The show is on,’ Peter said and motioned Grace and Emma to follow him to the conference table. The rest of the employees joined them.
Alex then took off his watch, walked to the table, and handed it to a senior executive. ‘Can you please take a walk outside?’ The executive was staring at his boss for approval. Stephen nodded. The executive walked out, and Alex immediately projected the live CCTV footage of the floor on the screen. Everyone in the room was astonished to see the executive absent from the surveillance. The part of the screen where the executive was supposed to be present would blink before it could show him and played an old recording.
‘As you can see, I control your surveillance. Not only do you not have any footage of me breaking into this building, you don’t have any footage of us entering the premises this morning. As long as I wear the watch, I am invisible.’
‘I see what you did there,’ Stephen said. ‘You couldn’t hack what you were told to, so you hacked the simplest machine you could. Trying to save yourself from embarrassment, eh?’
‘This is more fun than I imagined,’ Alex said.
Grace was enjoying the show.
‘But how do you know my password? I don’t get it.’
‘Finally, you asked a reasonable question,’ Alex said.
‘I did not hire you to humiliate me,’ Stephen said.
‘First, you did not hire me at all. I tend to work for a better class of people. Second, I am not humiliating you,’ Alex responded. ‘Not yet, at least,’ he blinked.
‘Show me what else you got,’ Stephen demanded. He was furious by now.
Alex opened the terminal on Stephen’s system and punched in some commands. Everyone had their eyes glued to the screen. Except for Grace and Peter, no one understood what he was doing. Grace figured out that he was running a program that he had stored earlier on Stephen’s computer.
After a few minutes of silent speculation, they saw something familiar on the screen. It was their company’s software, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Alex was about to transfer 50 million dollars into Stephen’s personal account.
‘Well, I think you figured out what I was gonna do,’ Alex said. He stretched his arms and took a chair at the table. Alex took out a gum strip from his pocket and popped one in his mouth.
‘Why would you transfer the money to my personal account?’ Stephen asked.
Alex stared at Stephen for a few seconds. ‘Your naivety fascinates me,’ he finally said.
Turning to the executives, he continued, ‘Any guesses from here?’
‘To frame him’' one of them ventured.
‘Correct, to frame him. And why would any hacker want to frame him? Why not take the millions and disappear?’ Alex said.
They were left without any answers.
‘Power play,’ Grace broke the silence.
‘Correct,’ Alex said.
‘What?’ Stephen was losing his composure.
‘Hacking is about showing someone that you're better than them,’ Grace explained. ‘And putting a CEO of a Fortune 500 company behind bars kind of serves the purpose.’
‘Enough.’ Stephen demanded, ‘I want to know how you did it.’
‘There’s nothing like a bulletproof jacket,’ Alex said.
‘You arrogant prick,’ Stephen said. Rage was pouring out of his mouth, rage was smoking out of his ears, rage was blistering out of his skin. ‘Just give me the damn details.’
Alex yawned and turned to Peter. ‘It was fun, Peter.’ He stood up and walked up to Stephen. ‘Delete your browsing history, you dirty old man,’ Alex patted lightly on Stephen’s cheeks, and walked out. As soon as he left, every computer in the building rebooted, and the displays showed the text ‘BUSTED.’
‘Hackers are often portrayed as loners, secluded in dimly lit rooms, their fingers rushing through the keyboards, as they try to crack their way into firewalls,’ Alex began, his words filling the bustling cafeteria of Phoenix.
Grace had instructed Emma to refrain from interrupting Alex's narrative and to save her questions for later. Emma had agreed, and was diligently recording the conversation for her blog.
‘The security systems implemented at Phoenix were quite formidable. If I had tried to penetrate their defenses remotely from my office, it would have taken me months. However, with only a two-week timeframe and no intentions of bending my knee to seek an extension, my best chance was to attack the castle from within.
‘I began by hacking the easier pieces. First, I obtained the blueprints of the building from the architectural firm they had hired. Second, I checked for the CCTV cameras. Interestingly, a few months back, a tech-savvy teenager managed to hack into her school's surveillance system. It turns out Phoenix employed a similar system, and despite the company providing a software upgrade to address the vulnerability, our client hadn't yet implemented the update. Fortunately, I didn't have to strain my own neurons. The girl had already outlined the process on her blog. I followed her footsteps, and within a matter of minutes, I had live access to the entire firm's footage.
‘Third, I obtained information about the sensors used in the automatic doors. This was time-consuming. Luckily, an opportunity presented itself. One of the sensors went off, and they called a technician to repair it. I saw the company's name on his uniform and checked for their most elite products. And just like that, I had everything I needed.’
Alex's voice was firm, and his expression unwavering. For Grace, it seemed like he was reciting lines from a script. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had prepared this monologue and memorized it, a possibility that wouldn’t have surprised her in the least.
‘Over the next few days, I observed the CCTV footage,’ Alex continued. ‘That helped me crack the social hierarchy of the firm. Janitors tended to be on friendly terms with the cafeteria staff, who, in turn, maintained connections with the administrative personnel. However, the janitors rarely interacted with the administration staff and so forth.’
Emma was having a hard time following him, and noticing it, Alex added, ‘I'll dumb it down for you. Essentially, if I were disguised as a janitor, I would avoid the cafeteria staff, but I could be confident while roaming around the other departments.’
Even when Alex was desperately trying to be friendly, he couldn't keep his arrogance at bay.
‘Meanwhile, I memorized the names of every employee, their roles, and who would be absent on the day I planned to enter the building.’
‘How could you memorize the names of all the employees? There must be hundreds of them,’ Emma said and immediately bit her tongue realizing the mistake.
Alex cringed at the interruption and ignored her. He continued, ‘I was still worried about the entrance. There were two gates.’
He sketched a building map on tissue paper.
Entering through the first gate was challenging, but the back gate provided an easy access point if I disguised myself as a janitor. I still needed to show a badge to enter the main building. I had made one, but it wasn't convincing enough. The security guard rarely checked for badges, which meant he recognized all the janitors by their faces and thus he was bound to check the badge of anyone unfamiliar. This was my next obstacle. Observing the footage long enough, I found a janitor who happened to be a pickpocket and frequently tried to steal wallets from other janitors. He was not particularly good at it and had earned a notorious reputation among the lower-ranking employees.
‘When I arrived at the back gate, I carefully synchronized my entry timing with his exit. He exchanged a wave with the security guard and started walking toward me. As we passed each other, I patiently waited for him to move past. You see, when you call someone from behind, their alertness is lower compared to when you address them from the front,’ Alex explained.
“Excuse me,’ I said, catching the man's attention. He turned back, ‘Yes, kiddo?’ With strategic placement, I made sure my wallet bulged out from my uniform. ‘Could you please tell me where I'm supposed to show my badge?’ I asked innocently.
“Over there,’ the man replied, pointing to the guard's cabin next to the entrance. ‘Thank you, uh, what's your name?’ I inquired. ‘Michael,’ the man answered, ‘Pals call me Mickey. First day?’ he asked. ‘Yes,’ I replied, playing the part. Mickey approached me, ‘All the best, kiddo,’ he said and gave me a hug. When we separated, I realized that my wallet was no longer in my pocket. The fish has taken the bait. I then proceeded straight to the guard's cabin, hoping that the guard had witnessed our little interaction.
“That was weird,’ I said to the guard, pretending to search for my wallet. ‘Damn, I forgot my wallet. How could I do it?’ I added a little drama, ‘on the first day itself? Mr. Stann told me I wouldn't be allowed on the premises without the ID. I still messed up. Damn me!’ Mr. Stann was the supervisor of the janitors.
The guard hesitated for a moment, then said, ‘Look, I'm not supposed to do this, but I'll let you pass this one time. But nobody should know about it.’ ‘Can you do that? Thank you so much. I owe you,’ I said and dashed inside the building. The guard shouted after me, ‘And don't hug strangers!’’
‘That was clever!’ Emma exclaimed, impressed by Alex's tactics. Alex clenched his fist momentarily, but let the interruption slide.
‘Once inside,’ Alex resumed after taking a deep breath, ‘I avoided any contact with lower-ranking employees and made my way directly to the men's washroom on the first floor. I removed the janitor's uniform and I had an expensive and elegant suit concealed underneath, my superhero costume for the day.
‘Next, I barged into the security office and pointed at one of the screens, speaking in a serious tone, I commanded, ‘Camera 07, the girl in the red skirt.’ The elegant suit assured that my authority remained unquestioned. All eyes shifted to the screen displaying the footage from camera 07. Using this opportunity, I discreetly retrieved a USB flash drive from my pocket and connected it to one of the CPUs. My mission there was complete. ‘Keep an eye on her and report any suspicious activity to Susan,’ I instructed. Susan was the head of security. I left the room confidently. The USB drive contained a program synced with my watch, which would erase any videos featuring me and replace them with footage from the previous day, rendering me invisible to their CCTV surveillance.’
Alex paused momentarily to take a sip of water, then continued.
‘The next challenge was killing three hours before Stephen left his office. I needed a secure hideout, and what could be safer than the office of the head of security?’ Alex said matter-of-factly. ‘I walked on the second floor and reached her office, she was on leave. Her assistant was working in her cubicle, outside the office. ‘You must be Jeniffer! Hi, I've heard a lot about you. Mostly good things,' I said and winked.’’
“I'm sorry, but I don't believe we have met,’ she said.
‘’I know we haven’t. But I'm sure you've heard about me. I'm Jack, Susan's fiancé. I assume she talks about me to you as much as she talks to me about you. And that's quite a lot,’ I said. Now, Susan didn't have a fiancé, but Jennifer wouldn't know that.
‘‘Yeah, she does mention you from time to time,’ Jennifer said. ‘But I'm sorry to say that she's not here today.’
‘‘Of course, I know that,’ I said. ‘She bought me a gift and left it in her office. I'm here to collect that.’ She was hesitant. I had to come up with something before she insisted on calling Susan. ‘Look, Jennifer,’ I went closer to her desk, ‘I know you're in a hurry. I don't want to keep you waiting. But I'm not here to collect my gift. I'm here to decorate her office. It's our anniversary tomorrow, and she has to work because of some stupid security inspection going on here, which I'm not supposed to know about. So, this is off the record. You can leave now. I won't tell her. I'll get inside, and within an hour, I'll be out. No one needs to know about it.’
‘Although Jennifer wasn't convinced, she didn't want to ruin her boss's surprise and be in her fiancé's bad books. So, she allowed me to enter and left the office. Bingo,’ Alex snapped his fingers.
‘Two days before this event,’ he continued, ‘I sent Stephen and Susan an official declaration of the penetration test. For them it was a formal document, an unsuspicious word file, for me, it was an opportunity to discreetly install a keylogger in their systems.’
Alex paused and looked down. He sighed and spoke slowly, looking straight into Emma's eyes.
‘A keylogger is a program that, when installed, saves every keystroke made on the keyboard.’
Peter leaned towards Grace and whispered, ‘Look at him trying so hard not to offend her.’
Hearing Peter's voice, Alex eyed him. Peter gestured to zip up his lips.
‘So, I had all their passwords,’ Alex continued his fast narration. ‘I switched her system on. I didn't know the login password, obviously, as keyloggers start working after one logs in. So, I used my USB flash drive to boot another operating system and gain access to her computer.
‘The first thing I realized was that Susan, like most people, was alarmingly stupid. They had installed an elite security software, but she didn't bother to change her default credentials, ‘admin' for both username and password. Now, you can imagine the kind of havoc I was capable of inflicting sitting in the head of security's office with her username and password. The desire was irresistible but I couldn’t meddle with the task at hand. So I took a nap till I had to play the next round.
‘The next and final round was entering Stephen's cabin. Given that he is the CEO of the firm, one would expect tight security to trespass into his cabin. And indeed it was. To enter the office, I needed his fingerprint and a four-digit password. I had none of them. But here's the fun part: You don't need to pass any security barrier to exit from the office.’
Alex took another sip of water from his glass. He had been talking without interruption for quite some time. He remained silent, dramatically silent, waiting for them to ask the obvious question. Emma did the job.
‘How do you exit the office without entering it?’
‘How indeed!’ Alex said and took another theatrical pause. ‘When I logged in from Susan's system, I pretended to be her, and their security network gave me insider's privilege. The same principle applies when someone pretends they are inside the secured office. I had to pretend. I had a balloon and a small pipe to my aid. But before we delve into that, let me explain how the sensors functioned.’
Alex finally managed to talk without sounding patronizing.
‘At the bottom, on one side, there's an infrared LASER that directs its beam towards the photoelectric sensor on the opposite side. When someone approaches, their presence interrupts the LASER light, triggering the door to open. To bypass this mechanism, I inserted the pipe with a balloon attached under the door. I inflated the balloon, effectively obstructing the LASER contact. The door magically flung open.
‘And once I was inside, I had nothing to do. I had already set up everything; I had to authorize the changes I made, which hardly took any time, given I knew his password. I snooped around his system too, which turned out to be clean. I guess he cleared everything before the test. So, I installed a data recovery program, and just like that, his whole personal life was in front of me. I won't creep you out with the details,’ he clicked his tongue. ‘And as a final touch, I retrieved his passport from the drawer.’
_____
The narration impressed Emma, but she seemed skeptical. ‘Can I ask my questions now?’ she said.
‘I have to take care of something,’ Alex said. ‘But I am sure Grace would help you with all your queries.’
He stood up. ‘It was nice meeting you, Emma. Hope to see you again soon.’
Grace had never seen Alex behaving generously towards anyone. She wondered what was going on with him, and she also noticed that Peter was quiet.
‘Do you believe everything he said was true?’ Emma said after Alex left.
‘Well, there's some fabrication here and there, but the essence of the story is true. That's how he works,’ Peter said.
‘Yeah,’ Emma said. ‘I mean, how can he remember so many names and their details in such a short span?’
‘I first met him when he was thirteen,’ Peter leaned forward and rested his hands on the table. ‘He was sitting alone in a room and making some lists. I asked him what it was, to which he replied that he was writing the names of all the countries in the world. The first list was sorted alphabetically, the second by population, the third by areas, and so on. He had fourteen such lists. And he was doing all these based on his memory. Alex is akin to Halley's comet; you only encounter someone like him once in a lifetime.’
‘Did you know all that?’ Emma asked Grace.
‘Yeah, I am studying his cases. He is a natural. I have never seen him not knowing anything.’
‘That is interesting. Would you mind if I asked you guys a couple of questions before we leave?’ Emma said. They nodded. She took out her recorder again and pressed the record button.
‘What exactly is it that you guys do?’
‘Well,’ Peter was the one to answer, ‘I am a professor at the Turing Institute of Advanced Sciences. Alex is a research fellow, and Grace here has recently joined our team as a Ph.D. student.’
‘What are you guys working on? Your work seems more like a business than an academic affair.’
‘Can we go off the record for a while?’ Peter said.
‘Sure,’ Emma turned off the device.
Peter seemed to be finding the right words before he answered. ‘Brains like Alex's need engagement. Since his teenage years, I couldn't provide him with enough academic challenges,’ Peter said. ‘It was I who introduced him to the world of computers, and within a very short span of time, he had mastered it. Then came the hacking phase.’
Peter shook his head. ‘He hacked into every system he heard of. Fortunately for him, he never ran into any trouble. One reason was that he never exploited anything. He had the power to do damage, but he wasn't interested. He was happy knowing that he was smarter than the people who developed the systems. The problem arose when he started sneaking into places where he wasn't supposed to. CIA's database, NASA's computers—you get the general idea. So I did what I had to do. I started finding work for him that was challenging but would never land him behind bars. Great minds need greater problems. Or they end up making one.’
‘How are you related to him?’ Emma asked. Grace wanted to know the answer to this too but she was afraid of asking.
‘You can say that I looked after him for a few years. I cannot tell you more about it. It's his private life.’ Peter said. Grace was disappointed but she kept it to herself.
‘I get it,’ Emma said.
‘Also, write only about today's incident,’ Peter said. ‘There's a lot to write about him, but you need to be patient. Alex has something in his mind and will reveal everything to you when he deems it fit. And from what I think, there's something big going on. If you don't want to miss that, follow what I say.’
‘And I think you should listen to Dr. Baggins,’ Grace said. ‘I'll provide you with the documentation work I have been doing. You can write about a few more events. The Silicon Valley readers would love them.’
‘Thank you, Grace,’ Emma said. She stood up, taking her recorder and her purse. ‘And by the way, are you in touch with Anthony or Daniel?’
‘Don’t, Emma, just don’t,’ Grace said, fighting the urge to rip her head apart.
Read the complete book at: link
Comments