Warning: Rated for language, violence and references to adult behavior.
The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
A somewhat uneasy truce was formed that night. Taylor and Ann would help Jeremie and his friends as long as doing so didn't violate their oaths as soldiers. Jeremie's dad didn't agree to anything, but wouldn't take any kind of action on what he did know. All of the adults agreed that they would provide, within limits, any information they could to help the gang when XANA next attacked.
Jeremie, in return, agreed to supply as much information on XANA as he could, so the intelligence agencies of the world would be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
"Where should I send it?" he asked Taylor after he put the data together.
"Give it to me and I'll turn it over to Navy Intelligence," was the reply.
"Oh, then how 'bout this?" Jeremie said as he was typing.
Suddenly a window popped up, 'NAVINT login:'. Seconds later, a command prompt came up. Taylor Thompson took a step back and drew his sidearm.
"Don't so much as twitch, Jeremie!" he said.
"What? What's wrong, Master Guns?" Jeremie asked as he complied.
"You just broke into Naval Intelligence's main system," was the reply, "it's not even on MILNET and you just waltzed in and logged on."
"So?"
"So! For one thing, it's illegal! For another thing, it should have been impossible! How long have you been accessing this site?"
"This is my first time."
"Don't bullshit me, kid, how long?"
"I swear, this is the first time. I just typed in, 'US Navy Intelligence' and this is what I got."
Taylor Thompson was silent for a moment, then lowered his pistol. "Try something for me, Jeremie," he said, "try accessing Chinese Intelligence."
"Okay." Jeremie typed something on the keyboard, then another window opened up, with Chinese ideographs on the display. A second later, a pop up window displayed the translation of the characters in French.
"Holy Mother of..." Ann said, "is that what I think it is? Tay, years ago, I heard about a project at NSA, some kind of system to intercept and disrupt communications networks. Now, when I heard it, it was more along the lines of an 'urban legend' in the spook community, but I heard it could break any crypto, compromise any communications technology we could think of. Then, poof! It disappeared. Story goes the installation it was housed in got blown up, and nobody ever found out how. And here's the best part; supposedly, we lifted the tech from France."
While Ann had been talking, Jeremie had been typing. He could see where this conversation was quickly going to lead, and he had to do something. He needed their help, he knew it in his heart, but he couldn't afford to lose the supercomputer.
"If that's the case, Ann," Taylor had just said, "then that platoon might just be called for."
"Please don't," Jeremie said. The two Americans gave him a yeah right look. He continued, "if you help me, I'll see to it that you have unlimited access to whatever information the supercomputer can find, no matter what the subject."
"Jeremie, if we yank this equipment out of here, we can get that," Taylor said, pulling out his cell phone.
"Yes, you could. But if anything happens to the supercomputer, the last thing it will do is disrupt all military and intelligence communications all over the world. Franz Hopper built this thing to destroy something called Carthage, which was a system to disrupt enemy communications, and that may have been the tech the US stole. Carthage was destroyed, and so was your system. Very likely, it was done right here. You saw how easy it was for me to access your systems, and I didn't know what I was doing. I just input instructions into the computer to do exactly what I just said if it is ever powered down. You may think you can shut it off before it can carry out its instructions, but do you want to take the chance?"
After a moment, Taylor said, "Jeremie, are you sure you need our help? You seem to be doing fine all by yourself."
"Yes, I do," was the reply, "look, I don't mean the United States any harm. As a matter of fact, what I'm trying to do will only help the US. I just offered you what any spy on earth truly wants, complete and total access to their opponent's computer and communications systems, and all I'm asking for your help and your silence. Is that too much to ask?"
"Alright," MGySgt. Taylor Thompson said after a moment, "on behalf of the United States of America, which means absolutely nothing coming from me, I accept your offer. And, come to think of it, I think I can help you in another way..."
That evening, the night of the US Embassy Ball in Paris, France, a new Organization was born. Jeremie, under the guidance of both Taylor Thompson and Ann Grace, navigated the mazes of the US Intelligence bureaucracy to create a new operation. When asked for a code word for it, Jeremie entered 'Kadic'.
Operation Kadic was a code-word level, eyes-only intelligence and direct action operation, tasked with gathering intelligence on terrorists known only as 'followers of XANA' and conducting operations to disrupt and destroy these cells when found.
Jeremie then went further, and entered the same operation in the intelligence systems of France, every member of the European Union, NATO, and almost every civilized country in the world, even those the US considered enemies.
All communications would be handled by an organization called 'The Kadic Group.' All budgets for the operations were hidden in rivers of very black ink, so far off the books you couldn't even see the library.
When he had finished, the group returned to the Embassy for the Ball.
The Ball was much more enjoyable the second time around. With no terrorists to worry about, the kids were able to relax and truly have fun.
Afterwards, Aelita spent the night and the rest of the weekend with her aunt and uncle, Jeremie with his parents. That way, they wouldn't add any logistical difficulties to their friends assignations.
Sunday afternoon, the Belpois family visited the Hopper family. While the women sat in the kitchen and gossiped about the evening, the men sat in the living room and discussed what happened at the factory.
"So, Michael, it seems your son has grown up to become a spymaster," Desmond said.
"I think what my son has done was to get himself entangled in something way over his head," Jeremie's father replied.
"Dad, that happened the day I first met Aelita," Jeremie piped in. Both adults laughed.
"Seriously, what are you going to do?" Desmond then said, "very soon now, information is going to start coming to this 'Kadic Group.' And some of that information may be more of a 'what am I supposed to do' than a 'this is what's happening.'"
"I don't know," the genius replied, "the ramifications of last night are just now settling in. I was hoping you could help."
"Jeremie, there is not a lot I can do for you right now," Desmond replied, "I certainly can't sit around all day waiting for the phone to ring or an email to appear for this 'Kadic Group,' I have clients that depend on my services, and I will not forsake them."
"Dad, can you help?" Jeremie asked.
"Not in that way. Remember, I think that computer should be destroyed."
"Well, I know one thing I need help with is setting up The Kadic Group. Things like bank accounts, offices, that sort of thing," the boy said.
"Jeremie, to do that, you will need money, and a lot of it," Desmond said.
"And, I'm not raising your allowance to cover it," his dad said with a smile.
"That's the funny part," Jeremie said, "money is not a problem. I got an email this morning stating that twenty-five million dollars US was available and where should they send it."
Both men stared dumbfounded at the boy.
"You didn't reply to that, did you?" his father asked.
"No, of course not," his son replied, "I don't know what to tell them yet."
"This could be very serious," Desmond said, "you could be tried and convicted of theft or misuse of government funds if you're not careful."
"That's what I was talking about," Jeremie said, "I'm not wanting to go out and buy a James Bond car, or vacations to the Riviera or anything like that. I didn't even know money was going to be involved. All I wanted to do was make sure that information about XANA and its followers to get out to people who could do something about it."
"Gentlemen, would you please come with me," Desmond finally said after thinking a moment. Jeremie and his father got up and accompanied the attorney to his study. When they all were there, Desmond shut the door.
"Jeremie, I am now officially on the clock. When money becomes involved in anything, especially this much money, you need an attorney," Desmond said, "also, given that we are talking about espionage, you will need a way to deflect any inquiries from you, your family and friends. That will be much harder, but not impossible. It's a good thing that you haven't responded to the email you received; we have the time to either call the whole thing off somehow or make preparations."
"As far as I know," Jeremie said, "we don't need that much money. It's just a matter of making sure information gets from one place to another."
"And who will do that, you? Will you quit school to do this?" Desmond asked.
"No, he will not," replied his father.
"Of course not. You need someone else to do this. Getting that someone will mean paying them. Not only paying them, but meeting all of the laws an employer must meet to remain in business," Desmond said.
"I will begin drawing up papers," he said after a moment, "the first thing I want to do is set up a trust, for you and whoever else you think needs to be included. You are not yet of legal age to do the things that must be done, but a trustee can. We can use the trust to set up this Kadic Group you need, and get the people necessary to make it work. I will also contact a friend of mine who is an accountant. He will assist in setting the necessary bank accounts and record books that this organization will need. I will be billing the trust and the Kadic Group at my normal rate, plus I expect a retainer. My accountant friend will more than likely want the same thing. I recommend you accept both our offers; both he and I are the best in our fields in Paris. I will explain everything I am doing at each step in the process, as will my friend. Jeremie, you are about to get a crash course on how the world really works."
The boy's eyes were almost glazed over by what was just said. Jeremie thought that if he ever died young, it would be because of XANA. Now, it looked like he would drown in red tape.
He looked at his father. Michael Belpois was returning his gaze, a small smile on his face. "You said you wanted help with things in the world you didn't understand," he said, "well, here it is, the things you don't understand and the help. Are you ready?"
His father's last remark wasn't a question, but a challenge. The last time Jeremie heard such a challenge was when MGySgt. Taylor Nathan Thompson asked him all those months ago, what I want to know is, Jeremie, do you want to change that?
Jeremie Belpois looked at the two men, his two new teachers, his new partners in his fight.
"Yes, I am."
But wait, there's a little more...