Why Did You Wait So Long?
I must beg to differ with Phaser with a question.
IT’S YOUR DIME. <<PHASER>>
Believe me, I understand that you guys have a point, about hack- ing and the free flow of information. But who’s in control now? From my viewpoint, it’s not you and it’s not the government. It’s Homosoto.
SO? <<PHASER>>
So, if freedom is the issue as you say, I assume that you want to keep your electronic freedom at all costs.
RIGHT! <<PHASER>>
THAT’S THE POINT <<POLTERGEIST>>
Therefore, regardless of your opinions, you must realize that the government will do everything it thinks it needs to do to protect the country.
MAKE YOUR POINT. <<PHASER>>
It seems to me that the best way for you to keep the electronic freedom you crave, might be to help fight Homosoto and the vi-ruses and all. Minimize the damage, help defend the Global Network.
HE MAKES A POINT. I’VE HELPED. <<KIRK>>
THEN WE FALL INTO THEIR TRAP. SAVE IT ALL AND THEN THEY CLOSE DOWN THE NETWORK. I CAN’T PLAY INTO THEIR DECEIT AND TREACHERY. <<POLTERGEIST>>
DO YOU THINK THE FREEDOM LEAGUE IS DOING GOOD? <<KIRK>>
OF COURSE NOT. <<PHASER>>
That’s Homosoto. Thousands of viruses. NEMO already helped.
ONLY THOSE THAT AGREE. WE ARE NOT A DEMOCRACY. <<POLTERGEIST>>
SO YOU DON’T WANT TO FIGHT THE VIRUSES? <<RAMBO>>
NOT YOU, TOO? <<PHASER>>
IT’S A MATTER OF RIGHT AND WRONG. ELECTRONIC FREEDOM, ANARCHY IS
ONE THING. BUT WE DO NOT ABUSE. WE LIVE BY THE CODE AND WANT TO
KEEP THE NETWORK OPEN. HOMOSOTO WANTS TO CLOSE THE NETWORK DOWN.
BY SCARE TACTICS. <<RAMBO>>
THAT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THE FASCIST GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY. <<PHASER>>
Only if they have to. Wouldn’t you rather help and keep that from happening?
IF I TRUSTED THE GOVERNMENT. <<PHASER>>
Can I introduce you to someone? His handle is FBI.
KIRK, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, GIVING US AWAY? <<POLTERGEIST>>
THEY’RE TIED IN ON MIRAGE. THEY CAN PLAY BUT THERE’S NO REDIAL. <<KIRK>>
Gentlemen, this is the FBI. Let me tell you something. I don’t agree with hacking, theft of service and the like. But I also am pragmatic. I recognize the difference between the lesser of two evils. And as of today, based upon what I know, you guys are a pain the ass, but not a threat to national security. That is why Washington has taken little interest in your activities. But at the same time, you are part of an underground that has access to the electronic jungle in which we find ourselves. We would like your help.
OFFICIALLY? <<PHASER>>
No, unofficially. I am law enforcement, associated with ECCO, if you’ve ever heard of them.
ECCO. YOU GUYS FIGHT THE REAL COMPUTER JERKS, DON’T YOU? LIKE
ROBERT MORRIS AND PUNJAB. DID YOU EVER CATCH THE GUY WHO STOPPED
THE SHUTTLE FLIGHT? <<POLTERGEIST>>
Sadly, no. I am talking to you as a friend of Scott’s. And I will tell you, that anything I learn I will use to fight Homoso-to’s attack. But frankly, you are little fish. I don’t know who you are, nor do I really care. In all honesty, neither does Washington, the NSA or anyone else. You’re merely an underground protest group. If anything, you help keep us honest. But even protestors should have their limits.
MINE HAS BEEN REACHED. <<KIRK>>
AND MINE. <<RAMBO>>
There is a big difference between freedom of speech and insurrec-tion and invasion.
WHAT ABOUT PRIVACY? <<PHASER>>
THERE IS NONE, AND YOU KNOW IT. <<KIRK>>
THAT’S THE POINT. WE HAVE TO STOP THE MILITARISTIC WAR MONGERS
FROM PRYING INTO OUR LIVES. THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT US, AND
MORE. I WANT TO SEE THAT STOPPED. NOW. <<PHASER>>
This is Mason. At the expense of true freedom? Freedom of choice? By your logic, you may end up with no Compuserve. No electronic mail boxes. No networks. Or, they’ll be so restricted that you’ll never get on them.
IT’LL HAPPEN ANYWAY. <<PHASER>>
And you’ll just speed up the process. What do you have to lose by helping out?
I WANT TO CONTINUE HELPING. MY FREEDOM TO HACK RESPONSIBLY IS IN DANGER BY ONE MAN, AND I AIM ON KEEPING MY FREEDOM. <<KIRK>>
It may be the only way to keep the digital highways open, I’m sorry to say.
IS THAT A THREAT? <<PHASER>>
Merely an observation.
I NEED TO THINK. <<PHASER>>
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW? <<RAMBO>>
A lot. We need a complete list of phone numbers for every Free-dom BBS. They provide wide distribution of infected software.
WE KNOW. BFD. <<PHASER>>
This is FBI. We want to shut them down.
HOW? <<KIRK>>
We have our means.
SEE WHAT I MEAN! THEY’RE ALL PIGS. THEY TAKE, TAKE, TAKE. BUT IF YOU ASK SOMETHING THEY CLAM UP. <<PHASER>>
All right. If it works you’ll find out anyway. There are a number of underused laws, and we want to keep this on a Federal level. USC 1029, 1030, 2134 - they’re a bunch of them including racketeering. Then there are a number of Federal laws against doing anything injurious to the United States.
WHICH GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO PROSECUTE ANYONE YOU DAMN WELL PLEASE WHENEVER YOU DAMN WELL WANT. <<POLTERGEIST>>
As a lawyer, I could make that case.
I AM A LAWYER, TOO. I PHREAK FOR PHREEDOM. <<POLTERGEIST>>
Then you also know, that you have to really be on someone’s shit list to get the FBI after you. Right now, Homosoto and his gang are on our shit list big time.
THEN WHEN YOU’RE THROUGH WITH THEM, IT’S US NEXT. THEN WHO’S LEFT? <<PHASER>>
RIGHT. <<POLTERGEIST>>
We can argue forever. All I’m saying is we could use whatever help you can give us. And I honestly don’t care who you are. Unless of course you’re on my shit list.
FBI HUMOR. <<KIRK>>
WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED? <<RAMBO>>
As many signatures as possible. We figure that there are thou-sands of you out there, and you can probably do a better job than any government security group punching in at nine and out at five. You have more people, no bureaucracy and a bigger sample of the software population.
SIGNATURES? NO QUESTIONS ASKED? <<PHASER>>
None. Also, rumors.
WHAT KIND OF RUMORS? <<KIRK>>
Like who might want to disrupt the Air Reservations System.
YOU’RE KIDDING? <<POLTERGEIST>>
I wish I was. You see, we are up against the wall.
THAT COULD REALLY FUCK THINGS UP. <<POLTERGEIST>>
REALLY! <<KIRK>>
IS IT REALLY THAT BAD? <<POLTERGEIST>>
Worse.
MAYBE I’LL THINK ABOUT IT. <<POLTERGEIST>>
ME TOO. <<PHASER>>
MASON. I’M GOING TO CUT YOU OFF. <<KIRK>>
It won’t be the first time.
<<<<<<CONNECTION TERMINATED>>>>>>
Tyrone stretched his limbs searching for a bare place to sit down. Leaning over Scott’s shoulders for the slow paced computer conversation stiffened his muscles. Scott motioned to slide whatever was in the way, out of the way, to which Tyrone com-plied.
“Dedicated mother fuckers. Misguided, but dedicated.” Ty sat back in thought. “What do you think they’ll do?”
“I don’t think, I know,” said Scott confidently. “Most of them will help, but they won’t admit it. They openly distrust you, Washington and me. But they value their freedom, and instinc-tively they will protect that. Kirk will be the conduit. I’m not worried.”
“And what will they do?”
“Once they get around to it, they’ll commandeer every hacker in the country and at least stop the viruses. Or some of them. I think that we need to elicit their trust, and I can do that by giving them more than they give me.”
“Can you do that?”
“Just watch. If they play their cards right, they can be heroes.”
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