Inside
"Kat, I need you, can you come over now?" Teli asked quickly into the phone. Kat could hear the strain in Teli's voice.
"Yeah, I'll be over in ten." She replied.
"Thanks." Teli hung up quickly. Rummaging around in her dad's workshop, she finally found a splitter and the extra Internet cable she needed. Running back up to her room, Teli checking in on Brian, who was fast asleep, and on her parents, who were about to turn their TV off to fall asleep as well.
"Hey, is it okay if Kat stays over?" Teli asked quietly from her place by the door.
"Sure, Teli. Just don't stay up too late." Came the groggy reply.
"Thanks Mom." Teli shut their bedroom door quietly and hurried down the hall to her own room. Once there, she unplugged her computer's cable hookup and plugged the splitter into the wall. The original cable and the extra she had found were then plugged in. Teli heard Molly's low bark, and then excited prancing when she realized it was Kat. Teli took a deep breath and sat down at the computer.
"Hey Teli." Kat said as she entered Teli's room, a little breathless from her quick run over.
"Hey." Teli answered, tension in her voice.
"So, what's up?" Kat asked, noticing the new cable arrangement.
"We're hacking into Manticore's computer network to find some real answers. Only, we're doing it my way. This is the last of my little tricks, at least, that I know of, and it's time to pull it off." Teli said with conviction.
"Have you done this before?" Kat asked.
"A couple times, just to experiment. But we're pretty much going to be making it up as we go." Teli replied, turning to the computer. Kat reached over instinctively and shut the door.
"Okay, so I figure all the Manticore computers are connected through a network, but of course they wouldn't have an actual web site. So, we need to find the door into that network another way." Teli explained as she finished setting up the area.
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Kat asked, curious but unconvinced.
"Well, from what Zane has said, Manticore is government-funded, and since they were making soldiers it would probably be a part of the Department of Defense, which would make sense when you add that to what we learned from the old Eyes Only hacks."
"You expect us to just hack into the DOD?" Kat asked, shocked.
"Well, not 'just'. I'm not exactly your conventional hacker. My method makes it a lot easier for me to hack into places than a regular person. We have to find the connection to the Manticore network through the DOD, which, *does* have a web site." Teli explained, trying to make it sound simpler then it she knew it would be, for both herself and Kat.
"Okay…" Kat trailed off, still not totally following.
"If you can find the DOD's site, I can take the rest of it from there." Teli asked.
"Okay, I can do that." Still not sure what Teli had in mind, Kat took Teli's place in front of the computer. After just a few moments, in which Teli paced and tried to relax, she completed the search and found the Department of Defense public home page. It was basically nothing but a bunch of post-depression propaganda.
"Okay, so, from there, there should be a way into their network, and then into the Manticore network," Teli stated, scanning the site.
"You really know how to do this?" Kat asked.
"I was trained to at an early age, I'm hoping it will come to me as I go along. I don't remember doing anything with this tight security, though," she answered. Kat just nodded. Teli sat in her spot in front of the computer, took a deep breath, and removed the silver bracelet. She didn't see Kat's eyes get huge at what she saw underneath. Teli quickly reached over, grabbed the extra cable and plugged it into the outlet that was implanted in her wrist. Teli looked at Kat, the slightest hint of nervousness in her eyes.
"Here we go." Teli said quietly. Kat nodded and watched Teli close her eyes.
Once Teli shut her eyes, she was in effect inside her computer. Her mind reached out to 'see' the DOD page. Once there, all Teli really had to do was step through it. The whole 'public information' site was really just a front, a cover to distract hackers from where the real information was. Similar to a real door, Teli could simply walk through, and enter the place that had the path to where she needed to go. The trick to getting around the DOD site was not to actually enter it, just to find where she needed to go and pass through that.
Once through, Teli found herself in a circular room, with many different doors. Even though she'd been inside the Internet before, the feeling of being in a 3D place still surprised her. She knew, from Kat's view, it was still 2D, and nothing like what Teli was seeing in her mind. Some doors led off to the other parts of the site, but Teli chose the door she knew would lead her back to the DOD's real network, the place where she could find the way to Manticore.
Kat placed herself between Teli and the door, just in case someone tried to come in, and watched in amazement as the computer screen changed. The original image disappeared into a page of code that meant nothing to her, with more commands flitting across the screen by the second.
The screen in front of Kat froze. Everything was still in code, but a little caution box popped up that read "Access Blocked." Kat tried reaching over Teli's shoulder to move the mouse or type something in, but the computer didn't seem to be responding to anything she did. Teli continued to sit there, eyes closed, back as stiff as a board.
Teli's mind had been programmed to interpret firewalls as images, like everything else she encountered in the computer. And in the case of firewalls, those images had every implied quality of the name. Teli passed from the orderly room in the DOD site to meet a blazing wall just the other side of the door. In her mind, Teli could even feel the heat blocking her from the sensitive information she was after. She paused for a split second to think of how to proceed. It looked like fire, not anything solid, which meant she could pass through. She had a little bit of space to run. Looking at the firewall, Teli could feel how the flames formed their resistance. Her mind was sending commands, decoding pieces of information just ahead of where she was to keep her path through the wall clear. When she felt the timing dome just right, she sped straight at the wall, throwing herself down at the last second as she used her momentum to roll quickly through the blaze. The heat suddenly disappeared and the blinding light went with it. Teli stood. There were several doors in front of her labeled as the different directories of the supposedly secure DOD network she had just broken into. Teli reached out, opening a door labeled 'Black Ops.'
Through that link, Teli's corporeal form was faced with another series of doors. Again, Teli went on instinct and crossed through 'Research.' Finally, after passing various other passages, Teli found the connection to the Manticore network. It was a little door, tucked away around a corner. Teli entered.
Kat started as the screen flashed off the now-standard page of coding to a site of dark blue, gray and black. The huge feline symbol seemed to jump out at Kat. The screen changed again, just as quickly as before. All the colors and the emblem dissolved back into the codes, and Kat resigned herself to more waiting.
Teli stepped into the dark blue mist that shrouded the Manticore site to her mind's eye. Her first instinct was to duck, and duck she did. A huge gray paw swung at her, barely missing. The gleaming red eyes of an enormous feline creature glared at her. After the one swipe caused Teli to back away, it took up residence across her path, never taking its eyes off her. Teli recognized this as a variation on the normal password program, and knew that this lion-creature wanted identification. She tried to just walk by, since that sometimes worked for her. It didn't here. Just as the paw raised again, Teli suddenly found the words she needed surfacing from somewhere in her mind. She grabbed at the memory, something she'd overheard as a young soldier.
'Madam X, password 331450074656.' Teli stated with authority. The paw came down and the dark blue mist lifted. Teli once again found herself in a circular room with many doors.
Teli looked around, trying to decide which one to go through next. One read "X Series," and another "Personnel." There were a lot more choices than she expected. A door marked "Specialized Series" caught Teli's eye. Something told her to go there. Teli's mind reached out and opened the door. Another password was asked for, but this time Teli was able to simply walk through it, as it lacked the lion-like guardian. Once inside, she glanced around quickly, noting that now there were pictures accompanying the labels on the doors.
Teli turned slowly around the room, searching for some feeling that would show her the right door. Finally, when she had turned almost 360 degrees, she saw a room with "X-9" written on it, and a picture of two little kids, which she entered.
The coded screen changed to a regular data file page. Kat immediately realized that this was the directory Teli had been looking for. She slipped in the blank CD she had ready and started downloading the information. Her fingers raced over the again-responsive keys and she hoped Teli would come back out of there soon.
Teli could feel Kat downloading the information, but she continued to look around a little. She opened a 'history' file.
"After much debate, it was decided that the X-9 series would be placed under the "Specialized Soldiers" classification instead of the usual "X Series." While their genes are from the X5 line, they have been further enhanced and technologically modified."
Somebody else was downloading the same files. Kat didn't know who or where, but that's what the screen was telling her. She needed to get Teli out of there. She shook her. Nothing. She talked to her. Again nothing. Teli was too deeply immersed inside the site to hear Kat.
Teli backed out of the "Specialized Soldiers" file to investigate this X5 lead she'd just read. When Teli opened the "X Series" door she had the strangest feeling that someone else was in there too, like she was. It was both familiar and scary, like something pressing on her mind. But after a quick investigation, Teli could find nothing out of the ordinary, so she continued.
Once through the X5 door Teli realized that there were two categories: AWOL and Active. Teli wondered how she could let Kat know to download these files too. Teli pushed her mind through the computer, trying to find the download command herself. Kat must've seen something on the screen change because after a moment Teli could feel the files going onto the disk. It was time for her to leave. She retraced her steps back through the doors she had come through as quickly as possible; the process of getting out was much faster than going in. Once back to the original DOD page, Teli pulled her mind away from the connection. Just before she pulled all the way out, Teli felt again, for the briefest moment, a familiar presence, but she was already disconnected and coming back into her real mind. It took a moment to adjust, but she slowly opened her eyes.
Kat's worried face peered into Teli's.
"You okay?" Kat asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Did you get all the stuff downloaded?" Teli asked as she disconnected herself from the cable and snapped her bracelet back on.
"All there." Kat answered.
"Thanks." Teli smiled in appreciation, rubbing her temples.
"Teli, someone else was in there, downloading the same files as you." Kat said in a rush, not sure how else to break it to her. A flash of alarm went through Teli, but then she remembered the familiarity of the presence.
"Yeah, I felt something, but it was familiar, in a…friendly way, if that makes any sense." Teli said, still wondering. Kat wrinkled her brow.
"I guess it does, but you scared me – I couldn't get you to come back so I could tell you someone else was there." Kat looked genuinely scared.
"I'm so sorry, Kat, I still don't have much control over this aspect of me quite yet. I should have warned you better." Teli tried to explain and reassure at that same time. Kat nodded, calming a bit. She took over the computer once again to get her mind off the weirdness of it all. She disconnected totally from the Internet and opened the CD files. Teli was surprised at how much different it looked from this viewpoint. Kat got out of the computer chair and plopped down on the bed, exhausted by the strenuous pacing she'd done. Teli dove right into reading the files.
A few hours later, Kat was sleeping quietly and Teli was just finishing up a paragraph on her genealogy. She glanced at the clock. 2:37 AM. 'One more paragraph' Teli thought. That paragraph contained a little surprise. After staring in shock for a while, Teli unfocused on the page and to no one in particular whispered into the air.
"I have a brother."
****
Tye glanced away from his computer for a moment. Aliana had curled up on the big plush chair in his room and was now fast sleep. Tye smiled in her direction, noticing the cute little expression she had on her face while she slept. He was going to have to wake her up so she could sneak back home in a while, since she technically wasn't allowed to be here. Still, the rules had never applied to Aliana, and she had wanted to help him however she could. Tye knew that the events of the night had probably been a lot for her to take in. Not that she couldn't handle it, but really, how often does one see another person mentally enter the Internet? He had learned a lot though. It had been one hell of a trip, bypassing passwords and getting through the damn firewall. But it had been worth it. He had all the information he needed- well, all he hoped he needed. There had only been one minor point of distress; someone else had been in that site too. Someone else had downloaded the same files. The odd part about it was how familiar that other presence had been, even if he had only felt it for a few brief moments.
Tye called up his retinal clock. 2:37 AM. 'One more paragraph.' He thought to himself. He had been poring over the files he and Aliana had downloaded for the past few hours. After a moment, once his eyes had scanned the paragraph several times, disbelievingly, he lifted his eyes off the screen and whispered to himself, in disbelief,
"I have a sister."
"Kat, I need you, can you come over now?" Teli asked quickly into the phone. Kat could hear the strain in Teli's voice.
"Yeah, I'll be over in ten." She replied.
"Thanks." Teli hung up quickly. Rummaging around in her dad's workshop, she finally found a splitter and the extra Internet cable she needed. Running back up to her room, Teli checking in on Brian, who was fast asleep, and on her parents, who were about to turn their TV off to fall asleep as well.
"Hey, is it okay if Kat stays over?" Teli asked quietly from her place by the door.
"Sure, Teli. Just don't stay up too late." Came the groggy reply.
"Thanks Mom." Teli shut their bedroom door quietly and hurried down the hall to her own room. Once there, she unplugged her computer's cable hookup and plugged the splitter into the wall. The original cable and the extra she had found were then plugged in. Teli heard Molly's low bark, and then excited prancing when she realized it was Kat. Teli took a deep breath and sat down at the computer.
"Hey Teli." Kat said as she entered Teli's room, a little breathless from her quick run over.
"Hey." Teli answered, tension in her voice.
"So, what's up?" Kat asked, noticing the new cable arrangement.
"We're hacking into Manticore's computer network to find some real answers. Only, we're doing it my way. This is the last of my little tricks, at least, that I know of, and it's time to pull it off." Teli said with conviction.
"Have you done this before?" Kat asked.
"A couple times, just to experiment. But we're pretty much going to be making it up as we go." Teli replied, turning to the computer. Kat reached over instinctively and shut the door.
"Okay, so I figure all the Manticore computers are connected through a network, but of course they wouldn't have an actual web site. So, we need to find the door into that network another way." Teli explained as she finished setting up the area.
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Kat asked, curious but unconvinced.
"Well, from what Zane has said, Manticore is government-funded, and since they were making soldiers it would probably be a part of the Department of Defense, which would make sense when you add that to what we learned from the old Eyes Only hacks."
"You expect us to just hack into the DOD?" Kat asked, shocked.
"Well, not 'just'. I'm not exactly your conventional hacker. My method makes it a lot easier for me to hack into places than a regular person. We have to find the connection to the Manticore network through the DOD, which, *does* have a web site." Teli explained, trying to make it sound simpler then it she knew it would be, for both herself and Kat.
"Okay…" Kat trailed off, still not totally following.
"If you can find the DOD's site, I can take the rest of it from there." Teli asked.
"Okay, I can do that." Still not sure what Teli had in mind, Kat took Teli's place in front of the computer. After just a few moments, in which Teli paced and tried to relax, she completed the search and found the Department of Defense public home page. It was basically nothing but a bunch of post-depression propaganda.
"Okay, so, from there, there should be a way into their network, and then into the Manticore network," Teli stated, scanning the site.
"You really know how to do this?" Kat asked.
"I was trained to at an early age, I'm hoping it will come to me as I go along. I don't remember doing anything with this tight security, though," she answered. Kat just nodded. Teli sat in her spot in front of the computer, took a deep breath, and removed the silver bracelet. She didn't see Kat's eyes get huge at what she saw underneath. Teli quickly reached over, grabbed the extra cable and plugged it into the outlet that was implanted in her wrist. Teli looked at Kat, the slightest hint of nervousness in her eyes.
"Here we go." Teli said quietly. Kat nodded and watched Teli close her eyes.
Once Teli shut her eyes, she was in effect inside her computer. Her mind reached out to 'see' the DOD page. Once there, all Teli really had to do was step through it. The whole 'public information' site was really just a front, a cover to distract hackers from where the real information was. Similar to a real door, Teli could simply walk through, and enter the place that had the path to where she needed to go. The trick to getting around the DOD site was not to actually enter it, just to find where she needed to go and pass through that.
Once through, Teli found herself in a circular room, with many different doors. Even though she'd been inside the Internet before, the feeling of being in a 3D place still surprised her. She knew, from Kat's view, it was still 2D, and nothing like what Teli was seeing in her mind. Some doors led off to the other parts of the site, but Teli chose the door she knew would lead her back to the DOD's real network, the place where she could find the way to Manticore.
Kat placed herself between Teli and the door, just in case someone tried to come in, and watched in amazement as the computer screen changed. The original image disappeared into a page of code that meant nothing to her, with more commands flitting across the screen by the second.
The screen in front of Kat froze. Everything was still in code, but a little caution box popped up that read "Access Blocked." Kat tried reaching over Teli's shoulder to move the mouse or type something in, but the computer didn't seem to be responding to anything she did. Teli continued to sit there, eyes closed, back as stiff as a board.
Teli's mind had been programmed to interpret firewalls as images, like everything else she encountered in the computer. And in the case of firewalls, those images had every implied quality of the name. Teli passed from the orderly room in the DOD site to meet a blazing wall just the other side of the door. In her mind, Teli could even feel the heat blocking her from the sensitive information she was after. She paused for a split second to think of how to proceed. It looked like fire, not anything solid, which meant she could pass through. She had a little bit of space to run. Looking at the firewall, Teli could feel how the flames formed their resistance. Her mind was sending commands, decoding pieces of information just ahead of where she was to keep her path through the wall clear. When she felt the timing dome just right, she sped straight at the wall, throwing herself down at the last second as she used her momentum to roll quickly through the blaze. The heat suddenly disappeared and the blinding light went with it. Teli stood. There were several doors in front of her labeled as the different directories of the supposedly secure DOD network she had just broken into. Teli reached out, opening a door labeled 'Black Ops.'
Through that link, Teli's corporeal form was faced with another series of doors. Again, Teli went on instinct and crossed through 'Research.' Finally, after passing various other passages, Teli found the connection to the Manticore network. It was a little door, tucked away around a corner. Teli entered.
Kat started as the screen flashed off the now-standard page of coding to a site of dark blue, gray and black. The huge feline symbol seemed to jump out at Kat. The screen changed again, just as quickly as before. All the colors and the emblem dissolved back into the codes, and Kat resigned herself to more waiting.
Teli stepped into the dark blue mist that shrouded the Manticore site to her mind's eye. Her first instinct was to duck, and duck she did. A huge gray paw swung at her, barely missing. The gleaming red eyes of an enormous feline creature glared at her. After the one swipe caused Teli to back away, it took up residence across her path, never taking its eyes off her. Teli recognized this as a variation on the normal password program, and knew that this lion-creature wanted identification. She tried to just walk by, since that sometimes worked for her. It didn't here. Just as the paw raised again, Teli suddenly found the words she needed surfacing from somewhere in her mind. She grabbed at the memory, something she'd overheard as a young soldier.
'Madam X, password 331450074656.' Teli stated with authority. The paw came down and the dark blue mist lifted. Teli once again found herself in a circular room with many doors.
Teli looked around, trying to decide which one to go through next. One read "X Series," and another "Personnel." There were a lot more choices than she expected. A door marked "Specialized Series" caught Teli's eye. Something told her to go there. Teli's mind reached out and opened the door. Another password was asked for, but this time Teli was able to simply walk through it, as it lacked the lion-like guardian. Once inside, she glanced around quickly, noting that now there were pictures accompanying the labels on the doors.
Teli turned slowly around the room, searching for some feeling that would show her the right door. Finally, when she had turned almost 360 degrees, she saw a room with "X-9" written on it, and a picture of two little kids, which she entered.
The coded screen changed to a regular data file page. Kat immediately realized that this was the directory Teli had been looking for. She slipped in the blank CD she had ready and started downloading the information. Her fingers raced over the again-responsive keys and she hoped Teli would come back out of there soon.
Teli could feel Kat downloading the information, but she continued to look around a little. She opened a 'history' file.
"After much debate, it was decided that the X-9 series would be placed under the "Specialized Soldiers" classification instead of the usual "X Series." While their genes are from the X5 line, they have been further enhanced and technologically modified."
Somebody else was downloading the same files. Kat didn't know who or where, but that's what the screen was telling her. She needed to get Teli out of there. She shook her. Nothing. She talked to her. Again nothing. Teli was too deeply immersed inside the site to hear Kat.
Teli backed out of the "Specialized Soldiers" file to investigate this X5 lead she'd just read. When Teli opened the "X Series" door she had the strangest feeling that someone else was in there too, like she was. It was both familiar and scary, like something pressing on her mind. But after a quick investigation, Teli could find nothing out of the ordinary, so she continued.
Once through the X5 door Teli realized that there were two categories: AWOL and Active. Teli wondered how she could let Kat know to download these files too. Teli pushed her mind through the computer, trying to find the download command herself. Kat must've seen something on the screen change because after a moment Teli could feel the files going onto the disk. It was time for her to leave. She retraced her steps back through the doors she had come through as quickly as possible; the process of getting out was much faster than going in. Once back to the original DOD page, Teli pulled her mind away from the connection. Just before she pulled all the way out, Teli felt again, for the briefest moment, a familiar presence, but she was already disconnected and coming back into her real mind. It took a moment to adjust, but she slowly opened her eyes.
Kat's worried face peered into Teli's.
"You okay?" Kat asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Did you get all the stuff downloaded?" Teli asked as she disconnected herself from the cable and snapped her bracelet back on.
"All there." Kat answered.
"Thanks." Teli smiled in appreciation, rubbing her temples.
"Teli, someone else was in there, downloading the same files as you." Kat said in a rush, not sure how else to break it to her. A flash of alarm went through Teli, but then she remembered the familiarity of the presence.
"Yeah, I felt something, but it was familiar, in a…friendly way, if that makes any sense." Teli said, still wondering. Kat wrinkled her brow.
"I guess it does, but you scared me – I couldn't get you to come back so I could tell you someone else was there." Kat looked genuinely scared.
"I'm so sorry, Kat, I still don't have much control over this aspect of me quite yet. I should have warned you better." Teli tried to explain and reassure at that same time. Kat nodded, calming a bit. She took over the computer once again to get her mind off the weirdness of it all. She disconnected totally from the Internet and opened the CD files. Teli was surprised at how much different it looked from this viewpoint. Kat got out of the computer chair and plopped down on the bed, exhausted by the strenuous pacing she'd done. Teli dove right into reading the files.
A few hours later, Kat was sleeping quietly and Teli was just finishing up a paragraph on her genealogy. She glanced at the clock. 2:37 AM. 'One more paragraph' Teli thought. That paragraph contained a little surprise. After staring in shock for a while, Teli unfocused on the page and to no one in particular whispered into the air.
"I have a brother."
****
Tye glanced away from his computer for a moment. Aliana had curled up on the big plush chair in his room and was now fast sleep. Tye smiled in her direction, noticing the cute little expression she had on her face while she slept. He was going to have to wake her up so she could sneak back home in a while, since she technically wasn't allowed to be here. Still, the rules had never applied to Aliana, and she had wanted to help him however she could. Tye knew that the events of the night had probably been a lot for her to take in. Not that she couldn't handle it, but really, how often does one see another person mentally enter the Internet? He had learned a lot though. It had been one hell of a trip, bypassing passwords and getting through the damn firewall. But it had been worth it. He had all the information he needed- well, all he hoped he needed. There had only been one minor point of distress; someone else had been in that site too. Someone else had downloaded the same files. The odd part about it was how familiar that other presence had been, even if he had only felt it for a few brief moments.
Tye called up his retinal clock. 2:37 AM. 'One more paragraph.' He thought to himself. He had been poring over the files he and Aliana had downloaded for the past few hours. After a moment, once his eyes had scanned the paragraph several times, disbelievingly, he lifted his eyes off the screen and whispered to himself, in disbelief,
"I have a sister."