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} Somewhere in the North Atlantic. Aboard the USS Dallas
} -------------------------------------------------------
}
} "Skipper, I've got something on passive!"
} "What is it Jonesey?" the skipper scowled. He was a good man, and he
} regarded this particular stretch of ocean as his own. If there was a
} ship out there, his job was to destroy it. Or die trying.
} "I'm not sure. It was a real strange noise. I don't think I've
} heard anything like it. Not since Cal Tech at least. It was almost
} like someone," Jonesey paused, "well, like someone picked up the line on
} an active modem, sir." Jones had a thought what the strange noise might
} really be, but he knew that nobody would ever believe him. At least
} not without proof.
} "Well, keep an ear out for it. Let me know the instant it returns."
}
} Langley Virginia, Central Intelligence Headquarters
} ---------------------------------------------------
}
} "I know it's quitting time Jack, but I've got something I want you to
} see."
} Jack Ryan sighed. He desperately wanted to get home and see Cathy,
} his wife, but he also knew that if Admiral Greer wanted to keep him
} after work, that something pretty important was in the works.
} "I'll be right there Admiral." Jack hung up the phone, and grabbed
} his briefcase. In ten minutes, he was in his boss' office.
}
} "All right Jack, listen to this, and tell me what you think." The
} Admiral played a fragment of tape. All that Jack could hear were two
} drawn out pulses of noise.
} "Where did this come from?"
} "Come on, Jack, you know better than to ask me that."
} Jack frowned. That meant that this was important, and that the Admiral
} was probably risking his commission just by playing the tape for him.
} "It wouldn't by any chance be from the North Atlantic, would it?"
} "What makes you think that?"
} "Just that we know that the Russians have been trying to establish a
} secret Internet feed somewhere near Greenland, and that sequence you
} just played for me happens to be the tonal equivalent of the null
} message generated by a buggy newsreader, using the new news protocol
} for signature files. But if that's true, then it means they are still
} using acoustic lines, and not fiber optics. Why?"
} "That's what we want you to find out."
} "When do I leave?"
} "Right now."
}
} Moscow, K.G.B. Headquarters
} ---------------------------
}
} "Dostoy, you are a fool." The Major was angry, and the pathetic worm
} before him had made yet another blunder. Major Korsikov would have
} loved to have had Dostoy sent to a camp somewhere, but unfortunately
} the fool's brother served on the Politburo, and as such, he was
} untouchable.
} "Please Vladimir, you know that it wasn not my fault. And besides,
} no damage was done."
} "No damage indeed. You very nearly single handedly destroyed months
} of work. If we do not establish this Internet feed, we will be unable
} to corrupt the west through Usenet news, and destroy the west's
} industrial backbone. You are quite fortunate that nobody discovered
} your little blunder."
}
} Somewhere in the North Atlantic. Aboard the USS Dallas
} -------------------------------------------------------
}
} "Skipper, you're gonna hate this."
} "What is it?"
} "You remember that ex-Marine who decided he wanted to get on board
} when we were out to sea a few months back?"
} "Ryan, the one that almost got himself and a couple of my men
} killed?"
} "Yeah him. Well, he's back."
} "Shit."
}
} Aboard the Navy helicoptor, Spirit of Duluth, Jack Ryan was
} remembering everything he hated about flying. At least there were no
} storms this time. This time, the transfer to the Dallas was much
} smoother. Soon, he was talking to the submarine's CO.
}
} "So what you're telling me is that the Ruskies are building a secret
} Internet feed, right in our own backyard?"
} "That's what it's starting to look like, yes. And somehow, you
} managed to stumble right on it. Where did you discover the noise?"
} The captain was dubious, at best. But still, Ryan had been right
} before, about the defecting Russian submarine. For the time being at
} least, he probably deserved the benifit out the doubt. He pointed to
} the map.
} "Right here."
} "Take me there."
}
} Three Days Later, aboard the Dallas
} -----------------------------------
}
} "Well I'll be damned, there it is." The Dallas had surfaced, and
} there floating on the water was an old PC with a phone and acoustic
} modem attached. "Break out a raft."
} Ryan, the captain, and Jones rowed out to the floating computer.
} Suddenly Jonesey grinned like a cheshire cat. "That was what was so
} familiar!" he exclaimed.
} "What it is?"
} "The tones, it wasn't ASCII sir?"
} "So, we know that, I don't understand?" Ryan was a little confused.
} "No, that's just the point, it wasn't binary either. The reason the
} Russians weren't able to compromise our system is that they were using
} EBDIC." Jones smiled again, "I remember back at Cal Tech one time we
} tried to get the scheduling computer to output everthing in Latin.
} Well we couldn't do it until we..."
} Fortunately for the bored occupants of the raft, they had reached the
} makeshift workstation. Ryan picked up the phone and was greeted by
} horrendous static.
} "Nasty," Jonesey muttered, "1200 baud."
} Reaching around the back of the machine, Jack Ryan found the power
} switch and turned it off. Finally, he thought, I can rest.
}
} Home of Dr and Dr Jack Ryan, Alexandria, Virginia
} -------------------------------------------------
}
} Jack slipped into bed next to his wife.
} "Mmm, back so soon," she muttered.
} "This time for good," he replied, slipping his hand down her
} nightgown. Then the phone rang.
} "Awww f*ck," whined Cathy as her husband answered.
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