She should have done more. But what could she have done? Lonni sucked her teeth, then realized she was doing it. If Campbell was the source of the breach, Guerrero would take the blame, not her. She was smart enough to take care of herself, and she had followed protocols meticulously for just this reason. Ultimately she prized an intelligence job with the NSA. No black eye from an expansion football team would get in the way of her dreams.
The door behind her slid open without her authorization. That meant Guerrero had arrived. She activated the visualizer for the artificial neural network that actuated the Aztec’s virtual reality matrix. “Sir, if you’d just give me a little freedom to explain my process.”
“Proceed, Miss Fasano,” Guerrero said.
“Tim, could you give us a minute?”
Lonni’s chief assistant palmed the door and left without complaint. He didn’t want to be connected to this mess any more than Lonni did.
The holographic visualizer birthed a bright green globe between Lonni and her boss. “This data stream is from 6:00am this morning—every spectrum green. No signal of any kind, dangerous or unexpected, coming in or going out. This is what we want to see 24/7. Green means no unexplained or undesired electromagnetic waves of any kind. Where human technology stands currently, there is no known means of transferring information beyond this spectrum without a wire or physical conductor.”
“Green is good. Please continue, Miss Fasano.”
“Right. I just wanted to establish the base line.” She tapped a timeline on her interface. “Progress 100x realtime until 7:04am,” she waited until the playback reached exactly 7:04:52am, “and this happens.” The green globe flickered. A yellow spark emerged in several locations at once. The flares raced around linear tracks within the globe for several minutes realtime until flashing red and disappearing. The globe returned to a steady shade of green. Lonni stopped the playback.
“I assume that was the breach.” Guerrero remained nonplussed, as if he’d just witnessed a amateur fireworks exhibition and not the end of his current position and reputation.
“Well, yes. But this visualization tells us much more than that. Over the last half hour, I’ve entered enough data streams to—”
“You’re a genius, Miss Fasano. I do not want to take away from that. But please.”
“Of course.” Lonni scowled. She hated how Mr. Guerrero never allowed her to develop a head of steam or work her way into the more complicated reveals. Always to the point. Sometimes the point, devoid of the details, looked tawdry.
“This visualization reveals three specific things about this breach. First, it wasn’t accidental. Second, it was technologically advanced. Third, it originated internally. Fourth—” Lonni sighed. She had really hoped to find out more before reporting this last bit. “Fourth, it’s going to take more time to determine what information was broadcast. It could have been gibberish, or it could have been everything.”
She forced herself to stop talking and wait for her boss to choose which information she should tease out further.
“Are you of the impression that a mole is endeavoring to subvert this organization?” Guerrero asked.
Lonni marveled at how tersely her boss parsed the situation. Was he really putting so much trust in her opinion that he didn’t require further information? “Short answer, yes.”
“Dare I ask for your long answer?”
“I’ll try to remain relevant.”
Mr. Guerrero nodded politely.
“The data reveals that the breach originated internally and intentionally. The fact that the yellow flares appeared in multiple, simultaneous locations across the integrated communication systems of the practice facility and even the stadium complex—”
“The visualization included the stadium?”
“Yes. Does that alter your initial assessment?”
“No. I just wanted clarification.”
Lonni nodded. “Right. Where was I? The yellow flares. Within the visualizer, yellow indicates unexplained EM radiation. Amorphous blobs and random blips occur on a daily basis. Typically, the computer is able to analyze and catalogue these within a few seconds. These flares appeared precisely in a manner to disguise the actual transmission coordinates, or even the method of the transmission. For all I know, the actual breach could have occurred over one of the decommissioned landlines. Or it could have been a preprogramed spybot.”
“A spybot?”
“Anything from an old school bug to a new-gen, habitat activated mini-drone.”
“I see. So the mole may not be human.”
“Exactly, or even if an employee or player were involved, it’s possible they could be oblivious to their involvement.”
Guerrero narrowed his eyes. “Players are employees, Miss Fasano. Is there a reason you feel obliged to single them out?”
Lonnie huffed. “I’m getting there. Like I was saying earlier, the nature of the attack obfuscates its origin point spatially. But it pinpoints its origins chronologically.”
Guerrero nodded. “At 7:04 this morning. Is there any thing significant about that time?”
After watching this visualization, I immediately scanned the entire facility for all human activity at 7:04am. Sixty-two individuals where present. I eliminated you and the coaching staff first. The majority of the remaining people were either in the cafeteria or the player’s weight room.”
“Of course.” Guerrero fidgeted for the first time since entering the command room.
“Only one person could not be explained.” Lonni closed the artificial neural network visualizer and opened a low-tech security feed. “This is the main thing I wanted you to see.” She tapped her console and a 2D projection of the southern equipment locker appeared. CK Campbell could clearly be seen at a playback console.
Guerrero watched the minute of tape. “This indeed explains your earlier question.”
Lonni gloated internally.
“The belated answer is, yes. 24/7 access to Campbell’s KIP has been written into his contract.”
“What? And the league approved this?”
“Of course not. They know nothing of the matter.” Guerrero turned on Lonni. “And I expect it to stay that way.”
Lonni floundered momentarily. “Even if he’s the source of the breach?”
Guerrero laughed as if he were remembering a long forgotten punch line.
“Since when has espionage within the most profitable nonprofit in the world been laughable?”
Guerrero collected himself. “Oh it most certainly is not. I’m just happy to know Campbell isn’t dead.”
“Dead?”
“You didn’t watch the footage immediately before this?”
Lonni frowned. “Why would I? The breach originated at 7:04.”
“Miss Fasano, I’m disappointed in you. Of all people, I expected you to search for the larger context.” Guerrero gestured toward her console.
Grudgingly, yet curious, Lonni watched the security feed in rapid reverse. She gasped as Campbell lowered himself to the floor and smacked his head on a bench. She gasped again as he rose, nearly an hour earlier. In a state of total shock, she paused the tape at 6:11:38am. “But that was just a few minutes after I left him.”
Guerrero’s eyes opened wide.
Lonni realized what she’d said too late. “What?” She stuttered. “I confronted what I believed to be unauthorized access to a restricted area.”
“You mean the players’ locker room?”
“I assure you, this morning wasn’t our first encounter.”
“Miss Fasano?”
Lonni flushed, heat rippling up the sides of her neck and flaring in her cheeks. “Mr. Guerrero, your continually annoying backup quarterback has pestered me about the condition of his KIP on multiple occasions. I am nothing but a consummate professional.”
“It appears he had a point. Maybe you should have listened to him.”
Lonni didn’t track. “A point about what?”
Guerrero pointed at the security feed.
The picture was still paused. Lonni played it back in realtime. The digital ink across Campbell’s thighs, chest and shoulders danced as he executed whatever physical feats the game simulation required. Then came the anomaly. Campbell’s body contorted horribly. His digital ink extinguished instantly across most of his body. Only his neck and shoulder glimmered for a second longer. Then the entire KIP terminated. The buffer dropped Campbell and he fell like a sack of potatoes to the rubberized floor. There he lay sprawled out and motionless for the next 49 minutes. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“I think that was Campbell’s point.”
“Oh, I see.” Lonni sucked her teeth while tapping her foot. “This isn’t good, definitely not good.”
“I agree, Miss Fasano. When I went looking for him earlier, my computer indicated Mr. Campbell had suffered a heart attack.”
“What?”
“My apologies. I believe it said he suffered a cardiac arrest. I’m always oversimplifying.”
“No, no, not that. This!” She pointed at the security feed playback. “Campbell’s KIP could have been the ultimate source of the breach. And of course it was tethered directly to the neural network and operating outside of my authorization!”
Guerrero straightened his suit coat. It was the second one Lonni had seen him in so far that day. All traces of humor disappeared from his face. “Thank you for the briefing, Miss Fasano. I recommend dedicating your considerable mental capacities toward figuring out just what information was transmitted.”
“I’m on it.” Lonni sat and rolled up to her console. She was already lost in thought by the time the door slid shut behind Mr. Guerrero.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
