CaldwellemergedfromthestairwellonthegroundfloorandfoundhimselfintheNEXTTowerlobby.Thepristinewhitemarblewallsweredottedwithmassiveplasmascreens,erectedforthesolepurposeofreassuringcustomersthattheirdatawassafeiftheystoreditatNEXTdatacenters.TherewerescreensshowingthedataflowsoftheNEXTnetworksinplexbutbeautifulcolor-codedgraphs.Thereweremonitorsdisplayingpulsingtraffic-lighticonsindicatingthatsystemswerehealthywithagreenlight,abouttohaveproblemswithamberorindeeptroublewitharedlight.AllofNEXT’ssystemsseemedtohavethegreenlights.Itwasallsystemsgo.
Ahugehorizontalscreen,agridofmultiplemonitors,displayedmultiplecameraviewsofthemainNEXTdatacentercontrolroom.TechniciansinshinysilverandpurplewindbreakerswiththeNEXTlogoemblazonedonthemgawkedatterminals,studiedthegraphsandgenerallytriedtolookliketheyweregivingthecustomertheirmoney’sworth.
Itwaslunchtime.ThesecurityguardinthelobbywasstuffinghisfacewiththecontentsofaStyrofoamlunchbox.Inthebrightglowofwhitelightfiringdownfromagiantmodernchandelierinthehighceiling,designedtolooklikestalactiteshangingfromtheroofofsomeicecave,theberetedsecurityguardlookedwoefullyoutofplace.FourHaierrobotsroamedaroundthemarblefloors.TheirsensorstoldthemtostayawayfromCaldwell.Hewalkeduptotheelectronicdirectoryboardandstudieditlikeavisitorlookingfortherightfloor.Thecontrolroomwasonthetwenty-eighthfloor,sandwichedinthemiddleofthebuilding.
TherewasaterminalinonecornerofthelobbythatspewedmarketingbullshitaboutthebenefitsoflettingNEXThandleallyourNewChinaRegiondataneeds.VideomontageswaxedlyricalaboutthesizeofNEXT’sbackbones,bandwidth-on-demand,amazing24/7customersupport,raisedfloors,temperaturecontrolandautomaticservermaintenanceandtrafficmonitoringservices.TheterminalwentonabouthowninetypercentoftheHangSengNewChina100usedNEXTtoservealltheirdatacenterneeds.Logosofsaidpanieslinkedtomorecyberspacemarketinghypefromsaidcustomersweredisplayedreadytobeclickedbythepotentialcustomer.Caldwellhadseenenough.Itwasallonebigsmokescreen.Hehadremotelybrokenintoenoughdatacenterstoknow.
Caldwellwalkeduptothesecurityguardwhowaschewingonsomekindofgreenvegetable.Halfofit,theleafybit,washangingontheoutsideofhismouthbecausetheotherhalfontheinsidewasrefusingtobechewed.Swallowingwasnotonthecardsforthisguyasheseemedtohavemanagedtogetahugestalkofsomeveggielodgedhalfwaydownhisthroat.Caldwellmadehismove.
“ChungKingRealEstatetechnician,”hesaidinCantonese.“Washereearlier,Ijustwentouttograbsomelunch.Seeyouarestillenjoyingyours.Wheredidyoubuythat?Itlooksreallygood.”
Allthesecurityguardcoulddowasmotionwithhisheadinthedirectionofthelifts.Hisexpressionsaid:“Don’tbothermewhileIameating,gweilohalf-breed.”Caldwellwinkedathimandenteredanemptyelevator.Hepressedthebuttonforthetwenty-eighthfloor.TheliftsinHongKongwerewaytoofast.Ittookallofeightsecondsforthebelltosoundandtheputerizedvoicetosay“Twenty-eighthfloor”.
Caldwellwalkedoutintoahugehalllitwithpurplehalogenlikeanightclub.Therewasametallicdesignerreceptiondesktoonesideatwhichamosquito-thinChinesegirlwithacutefacewasalsoenjoyingthecontentsofaStyrofoamricebox.Shedidn’tpayhimtheleastbitofattention,focusingallherenergiesonlunch.
Therewasasunkenareainthemiddleofthehallwithaglassfloor.Expensive-lookingblackandgoldgoldfishswamlazilyinalitpoolbelowtheglass.Justbeyondtheundergroundaquariumwasareinforcedsteeldoorandalargewindowshowingessentiallythesameviewasthemonitordownstairsinthelobby.Thiswasthecontrolroom.ThecamerasmusthavebeeninsidethecontrolroombecauseCaldwellcouldonlyspotonecameraoutsideinthehallanditwaspointingatthereceptiondesk,makingsuretheskinnyreceptionistdidn’tfallasleeponthejob.CaldwellspottedalitGentsandLadiessignandwalkedcasuallytowardsthewashrooms.Thelackofsecuritywasfrightening.Inthehackingage,electronicsecuritywasdeemedordersofmagnitudemoreimportant.Criminalstheworldoverhadrealizedthatvaluabledatawaslockedupinsideputersandnetworksnotinthephysicalpremises.
Caldwellenteredthemen’stoilet.Itwasemptyexceptforasolitaryclosedcubicle.Theoccupantwasmakingenoughnoise,frombothends,tosuggestthathehadmadethewrongchoiceforlunch.Caldwellenteredthenextcubiclealongandwaited.HestillhadnotheardfromMeiLin.TheARUnitwasnowtellinghimthatNEXTTowerwasbuiltjusttwoyearsagoandwasanothermagnificentcontributionbythepowerfulLeefamilytoHongKong’svibrantworld-classeconomy.Itwasevengoingintohowmanytonsofconcrete,steelandglasswereusedandhowmanyconstructionworkershadworkedonthesite.“Talkaboutuselessinformation,”Caldwellmutteredquietlytohimself.Theentirebuildingwaspre-wiredforcyberspace.TheARwentontoexplainthatitwasinfactanodeincyberspace.ThelastpieceofinformationgrabbedCaldwell’sattention.IfNEXTTowerwasanodeoncyberspace,thentheentirebuildingcouldbehackedbutonlyifhecouldgainhigh-levelaccessintothenetworkthatmanagedit.Asithappened,thatwasexactlywhatCaldwellwastryingtodo.
ThetoiletnextdoorflushedandCaldwellheardthecubicledooropen.Hewalkedoutofhiscubicle.Abaldingmiddle-agedChinesemanwearingtheshinypurpleandsilverNEXTwindbreakerwaswashinghishandsatthesink.Themanneededthewindbreakerbecausethetemperatureonthetwenty-eighthfloorofNEXTTowerwasclosetofreezing.Thiswastopreventtheputingequipmentfromoverheating.Athousandputerscangeneratealotofheat.NEXTTowerhadtohavetentimesmorethanthatjudgingfromtherowsandrowsofserverconsolesvisiblebehindthecontrolroomandtherewereseveralmorefloorsfullofserversaccordingtothemarketingblurbdownstairs.
“Dodgylunch,eh?Can’tbetoocareful,”CaldwellsaidinwhathefiguredwasMandarinashestoodatthesinknexttotheNEXTemployee.Thebaldingmanturnedroundslowly.
“Whothefuck”
Caldwelldidn’tgivethemantimetofinish.Thebackofhisrightarm,themuscledbitjustaboveelbow,madecontactwiththebridgeofthetechnician’snose.Theman’sheadsnappedbackandheslumpedtothefloor.Caldwellallowedhisbreathingtoslow.Hewasnervousbuttheadrenalinwaspumping.
“You’renothavingagooddayareyou,”Caldwellsaidashedraggedthetechnicianintothesamecubiclehehadbeenusingearlier.Thecubiclesmelledofsomethingrotten.Caldwellstrippedhimofhisfancywindbreakerandputiton.Underneaththewindbreaker,theNEXTtechnicianwaswearingablackt-shirtwithf.c.u.k.printedonitinwhite.Caldwelllockedthedoorfromtheinsideandstartedclimbingoverthepartition.Therewasasoundofsomebodyenteringthetoilets.Heslidbackdownandcrouchedonthetoiletbowl.Theatosetechnicianwasmumblingsomethingunintelligible.Hewasstilloutinmumbojumboland.
“AhWah,youhaveaphonecall.Whatthehellareyoudoinginthere?Havingababy?”adeepbaritonevoiceinquiredingutturalCantonese.Thedoorclosedshut.Caldwellfiguredwhoeverownedthevoicehadgone.Heclimbedoverthepartitionintotheadjoiningcubicle.
Theonlywayhewasgoingtogainaccesstothesystemwastotakeagamble.Caldwellwasbettingthatifhewalkedupbehindoneofthetechniciansinthewindbreakersjustastheyweregoingthroughthedoorintothecontrolroom,theywouldlethiminwithoutanotherthought.Theywouldbesocaughtupintheirpost-lunchschedulethattheywouldn’tevenbothertoputewhetherhewasoneofthem.AndhewaswearingtheARglasses.Thevisualcueoftheatosetechnician’swindbreakerwouldbeenough.
CaldwellstoodinthecorridorleadingtothewashroomhopingthatthetechniciancalledAhWahwouldnotsuddenlybeereacquaintedwithhissurroundings.Theelevatorschimedandacoupleofsimilarly-dressedtechniciansstrolledacrossthehallchatteringaboutsomethingunintelligible.Hewaiteduntiltheyreachedthesunkenaquariumthenmadeabeelineforthem.Thetechnicianinfrontwashavingthepalmofhishandscannedandlaughingatsomethingtheothertechnicianhadsaid.Hethenpeeredintoanirisscanner.Caldwellcouldseethebeamfromthescannermakingpassesoverhislefteye.Hewassoclosetotheothertechnicianthathecouldsmellhishairgel.
Thentheworstthingthatcouldhappendid.
“AhFai,youhaveapackage,”theskinnyreceptionistshoutedacrossthehall.Hervoicewassoshrillthatbothtechniciansturnroundinsurprise.SodidCaldwellbehindthem,whoalsowhippedroundtolookinthedirectionofthereceptionistandavoidhisfacebeingscrutinizedbythetwotechnicians.Thegirlwastoofarawaytonoticethathewasnotoneofthem.Hecouldfeelthetwotechnicianslookingatthereceptionistpastthebackofhishead.Caldwellhopedhecouldpassforanorientalforthebrieffewsecondsthattheywerelookingathim.ManyHongKongyoungstersdyedtheirhairbrownorblondeaspartoftheprevailingfashionable.CaldwellwasmoreworriedthattheheadphonepluggedinhisearandtheARglasseswouldn’tgivehimaway.
AhFaislidpastCaldwellwithoutevenasidewaysglanceandheadedtowardsthereceptiondesk.Theothertechniciankeyedinhiscode.Themassivedoorslidopenandheentered.Thedoorclosedshut.Caldwellwasinsidethecontrolroom.Hewasrelievedtonoticethatingoutoftheroomwasmucheasierthaningin.Youjustpushedabuttoninasquarerecessbesidethedoor.Thetechnicianwalkedtohisterminalwithoutpayinghimanyattention.TheARdisplayshudderedandanimageappearedsuperimposedovertheviewofthecontrolroom.MeiLinhadhitpaydirt.ItwasastackofblueprintsforNEXTTowerstackedoneontopofanother.Thereadoutsaidtherewerefifty-sixintotal.Howthehellwashegoingtofindtherightone?
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