Nigel examined the phone Blanka had given him. A message telling him no SIM card was present mocked him.
I need to get out of here! Let’s see what’s on this phone, anyway.
The phone was unlocked, and there were only a few apps on the phone. It ran a mobile version of HTOS. He checked the apps inventory, and two authenticator apps were installed on the phone, but nothing else seemed to work.
Time to root this phone.
As Nigel hooked the phone to the computer to start the process known as rooting, his thoughts drifted toward Blanka.
Was she playing games with me, or was that real?
He stared at the boot screen as he loaded the hijacked operating system. Instead of the usual happy robot, the phone showed several lines of text as it booted. It looked like a computer screen, except on a much smaller scale. He typed some commands, and then after a brief moment, the display changed from the text display to an enormous icon of a cable. From his computer Nigel loaded a transfer program that allowed him to manually copy programs. He transferred a text messaging app designed by Pretzelverse to let players communicate with others when not logged into the game. Nigel had found a way to exploit the program to let him talk to his friends without a game channel. He connected the phone to the hotel Wi-Fi. During his reconnaissance of the Bromwick’s Wi-Fi network, he realized the hotel’s Wi-Fi blocked most communications ports at a firewall level. But he had modified the Pretzelverse chat app to use nonstandard ports last year when he was in fear for his life from a hacker group known as the Collective.
Time to see if Milo still has the app on his phone.
He dialed, and after a few rings, Milo picked up.
“Hello? Nige?”
“Hey, Milo. I wasn’t sure if you still had this app on your phone.”
“Well, I sort of forgot about it. If it wasn’t linked to the contact I had for you, I probably would not have picked up. How is Jet?”
Nigel’s mouth went dry. He tried to speak, but his lips wouldn’t obey.
“She’s—we’re in trouble,” Nigel croaked.
“Okay, Nige, slow down, let’s talk this through. Maybe I can help or call the police for you.”
“No—no police, not yet.”
“Okay, just let me know how I can help then.”
Nigel filled Milo in on most of the events since they’d spoken a few days ago. Milo was silent. He let his friend finish.
“What can I do to help?” Milo asked.
“I don’t know what Chen has planned, but it’s something big. He has some kid leading a cyberattack. But based on what I’ve seen, he couldn’t hack his way out of a paper sack. If that kid messes things up, there’s a chance it could disrupt cellular and other phone services. Do you still have your ham radio equipment?”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“You bet! I would never give that stuff away.”
“Get it ready, we might need—”
The door to Nigel’s room opened, and Nigel disconnected the line. It was Blanka.
Why did she barge in like that?
She made sure the hallway was clear, then closed the door. She stood there for a long moment with her back to him. Nigel hid the phone in his pants pocket. Blanka turned, then looked toward the ceiling. She jumped on the bed, then yanked something out of the wall just above the bed. She tossed it aside, then looked around the room. Nigel picked up the device she’d discarded; it was a small spy camera.
My room is bugged?
Nigel shot Blanka a glance. She put a finger over her lips to show silence. Nigel took her lead and waited for her to finish ransacking the room. She wedged a chair under the door handle.
“What’s wrong?” Nigel asked.
“I’ve disabled this room’s eyes and ears for now. Mr. Chen wanted me to convince you to work with these Dark Angels. I don’t know who they are, but I have a bad feeling about this.”
That’s the group Milo wanted me to look into.
“I’ve heard of them,” Nigel replied.
“Mr. Chen seems like the type of man who plans for the unexpected. I just wanted to warn you before you get forced into something,” she said.
Nigel was about to respond when a banging at the door interrupted his train of thought.
Blanka unzipped the top of her leather outfit, revealing even more cleavage.
“What are you doing?” Nigel asked in a low voice.
“Giving them a reason to not be suspicious. Now get on the bed and remove your shirt.”
No sooner than Nigel had finished positioning himself, Blanka opened the door. Mr. Chen entered.
“Forgive the interruption, my dear. May I speak with Mr. Watson, alone?” Mr. Chen said.
Blanka winked at Nigel before leaving. Nigel put on his shirt.
“She is quite the looker, and I know you’re young, but don’t you wish to see your beloved?” Mr. Chen asked.
The question took Nigel off guard. He spoke, but he stumbled on his words.
“Of course I do,” Nigel blurted.
“I have a favor to ask, and then we will reunite you with her.”
“What do you want?”
Mr. Chen smiled. “Thank you for the courtesy of being direct. I shall return the favor. In short, I need your skills.”
Moment of truth, Nige. It’s better to see if he is truly a man of his word.
“To be clear, after I help you, I’ll be set free?” Nigel asked.
“You have my word, and I always keep it,” Mr. Chen replied with a smile.
“What do you need me to do?”
Mr. Chen smiled as he made himself comfortable in Nigel’s desk chair.
“How good are you at hacking the physical security of a data fortress?”
“I’ve been known to get into tight places.”
“If you are as good at breaking in as you are at fixing code, then you shall be reunited with your girlfriend soon.”
“What am I breaking into, and what do you hope to achieve?”
“The details are on this,” Mr. Chen said, handing Nigel a flash drive.
“Hey, as much as I want Jet back, I’m not breaking into some building until I know why,” Nigel said defiantly.
Chen gave Nigel a wary look.
“I don’t have to tell you that data is the lifeblood of our society. We no longer manufacture items—not in any meaningful way. Instead, we manufacture data and allow corporations like the phone companies to resell it to the highest bidder. We have become the product. Jeremiah knew this and wanted to use the data to dox millions, then profit from the ensuing bounties.”
“That makes no sense. Based on the malware I fixed, you are planning something bigger than a data heist.”
“Yes, you are a smart boy. This was to be the latter of a two-pronged attack, but due to changes beyond our control, the plan needed to be altered.”
Nigel pondered this for a long moment. Despite the chaos Chen’s attack would cause, he had to admire its simplicity. The man had gone to great lengths to make this happen, but if it was the only way to get Jet back, he could do it a thousand times over.
“How long do I have to prepare?”
“You have until tomorrow afternoon to review the data and plan of attack.”
Mr. Chen left Nigel to his thoughts.