This is Rom from the Packrat Sprawl making waves and coming to you live and direct from an abandoned warehouse in the Echelons near the Shizuoko ghetto. Luckily Anj let me out to hold this rally. I think it was because Faid was going to get to speak today. We are still gathering and the crowd is pretty big so far. I have been putting up Packrat Underground flyers all over Haven 15 for the last few hours. I think we are going to have a good turnout. Faid hasn’t told me what he is going to say today so I am really eager to hear about our next action against the government tonight. There is a meeting of the Zone Police and the Parliament in the Echelons this evening. If I have my logistics right, we will be out in force protesting for the rights of those in the Echelons who are oppressed. The government is still rounding up psychics for experimentation. People are being disappeared. I will not stand for that. Here comes Faid, lets see what he has to say today.
The first floor of the abandoned building was filled with people waiting to hear Faid speak. The people were seated on the floor with some in the corners against the walls. Rom walked in from the side of the room and brought his arms up ready to address the crowd. As he stepped up the crowd cheered him on. He brought his hands down and tried to quell the excitement.
“Everyone calm down. I know you are not here to see me. I am just the messenger. This is a gathering of the Packrat Underground hacktivists. We need to have these meetings in secret because the government will shut us down. Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy day to come join us this evening. Some logistics and then I will turn it over to Faid who will address you about the action. The Op is called ‘Mastermind’ and will be taking place at the Elite Military installation a block from here. There is a meeting of the Zone Police and the war counsel at that location. We are to protest outside and at the same time infiltrate the Elite Military Installation and cripple their systems. We will need three people onsite. Do I have any volunteers?” asked Rom.
There was silence from the crowd then Acolyte stepped from the wall in the back and motioned to two other people who were seated as he approached. The two stood up and followed him up to the front.
“I volunteer myself and these two Acolytes to go onsite for you,” said Acolyte.
“Good, you will get the logistics after the meeting,” said Rom and motioned them to the side. “We will be using the Mole system for this infiltration and I will need the help of every hacker here in this room today to bring down those servers. The onsite resources will get us in to the server room. We have an insider who supports our cause against the government who will be helping us. Enough of me. I know you came to see Faid. Without further delay, I bring you the leader of the Packrats, Faid Callen…” called out Rom and moved to the side holding out his hand. Faid walked in to the center of the room as the crowd cheered for him.
Faid spoke for twenty minutes and then Rom motioned to the crowd. There were rows of computer terminals in the back of the room. The hackers in attendance sat down in the back and started their preparations. Mips and Anya motioned to others and the took up signs and walked en mass down the street ready to protest. Rom took up the lead with the protesters as they walked the few blocks to the location and Acolyte followed with his two people. When they got out front of the Elite Military installation, Rom touched Acolyte on the shoulder and he vanished with the two as Rom pulled the bullhorn and got the protestors in line in front of the building. Faid walked up and whispered to Rom.
“The protestors will follow your lead. Make it loud. We need to create enough of a distraction so that the Zone Police do not tip off the Elite Military inside and catch Acolyte and his crew,” said Faid.
“You got Zeto at Zone Police headquarters?” asked Rom.
“There and back before you know it. I got my finger on him. He will see that he cannot mess with us for long. We have the upperhand,” said Faid and vanished.
Acolyte appeared in the server room with his two members. They pulled handhelds out of their pockets and went wandering down the rows looking for the systems administration terminal for the room. Acolyte found the box and started in on his infiltration. Another of his followers went to the server room door and started to reprogram the door lock. Within minutes he had jumbled the code on the door sensor so that the door could not be opened.
Another of his followers hooked his handheld into one of the boxes and started the run of the Mole system as Acolyte continued on with the hack.
Faid arrived at Zone Police headquarters and found the locker room. There was no one inside when he arrived. A minute later the door to the locker room opened and Faid saw the insider who would assist him with this part of the mission. The insider came up to Faid and started unbuttoning his shirt.
“Take my uniform. I have another in my locker. This will get you through the building unnoticed. This badge will get you into Zeto’s office so that you can confront him. I have a gun in my locker you can use. Now remember we don’t want to kill him. Just spook him that we can get this close,” said the guard as he pulled off his shirt and handed it to Faid.
The guard took off his pants and boots as Faid put on the clothes. Opening the locker, the guard handed Faid a gun once he was dressed.
“Zeto’s office is down the left hallway at the end. He is there now. I have to get back to my shift,” said the guard as he put on another shirt from the locker and pulled on pants. By the time Faid was dressed and had his hair up inside an officer’s cap, he looked just like any other guard on duty in the building.
“Take this handheld. It is synched to the mission. You have exactly 10 minutes with Zeto before someone checks in on him. I have scrambled the door entry system with this badge on my exit. It will allow you to enter and then will reset the door. You have ten minutes before the system catches that someone has tampered with the door before it resets. Make it good. I will be in shortly after ten minutes. I will make it seem like a routine check in.”
“Let me get going,” said Faid and put the gun in the holster after putting it on and walked down the hall with the badge in his hand.
Faid looked down the hall which was empty and quickly darted forward going to the end of the way. He swiped the badge at the door and went into Zeto’s office who was seated at the desk with his back to the door. Faid pulled the gun and leveled it at the side of Zeto’s head and stepped around him.
“Get up!” Faid ordered.
Zeto slowly removed his hands from the computer and raised them. He stood up and took a few steps back not saying anything for a moment.
“How did you get in here?”
Faid motioned to him to back up towards the wall. He put the gun up and then cuffed Zeto’s hands to the railing on the wall.
“What do you want from me?”
Faid sat down at the computer. Zeto had logged into the machine which would grant Faid access to anything on the system. He navigated to the hacker database files for arrest warrants and went about erasing the sentances on three key hackers including himself, Acolyte and Rom.
“Don’t talk.”
“You will not get away with this. You are on my turf. There is no way you will get out of here…”
“I am one step ahead of you,” said Faid and continued on as he finished up with the files.
He stood up and leveled the gun on Zeto again. “Nice seeing you,” said Faid and then vanished leaving Zeto cuffed to the wall.
Zeto yelled. The guard who had changed clothes with Faid called through the door but the code was scrambled. The door would not open.
“Sir are you alright?”
“Open this door. Get in here!” yelled Zeto.
The guard attempted to open the door. The code reset after a moment and the door opened. He uncuffed Zeto from the railing. Zeto immediately went to the computer and started looking at the files. He barked orders at the guard.
Rom was out front of the Elite Military installation with the bullhorn barking orders. The protest was in full swing. The Zone Police had put up a line of men in front of the entrance when the protest had pushed forward down the block. The march had gone all the way from the warehouse to the front of the Elite Military installation. The crowd was rowdy. They had signs and were shouting. The Zone Police tightened their line as cars started to drive up and the ministers arrived for the meeting. Rom ordered the crowd forward.
The Zone Police pulled out heir riot shields and took steps forward trying to push the protest back. Rom would not let them give any ground he shouted to the group. “Don’t let them push you back. Stand up for your rights!”
Mr. Stuart arrived, the lead minister of Parliament. The bodyguards got out of the car in front and surrounded his vehicle as it came to a stop in front of the doorway to the Elite Military installation. Rom watched on as the security opened the car door and surrounded Mr. Stuart blocking him from view. One of the protestors threw a rock which hit the security in the head. The security raced Mr. Stuart forward and up the staircase.
The Zone Police got more aggressive with the crowd pushing them back with their riot shields. A police vehicle drove forward. Rom yelled out and the crowd pushed forward forcing the Zone Police back. The crowd pushed on and moved the Zone Police back a few meters blocking the cars. Rom’s group surrounded the vehicle and started shaking it and pushing it with all their force. About 10 people assaulted the vehicle and tried to push it back.
The Zone Police captain called out and the line parted for a moment as an officer let loose a gas canister and set it off towards the crowd.
Rom pulled his mask up from around his neck and covered his mouth. He cried out into the bullhorn as his eyes burned from the gas.
The protestors finally took control of the vehicle and pushed it back. They took bats and pounded out the windows. They dragged the officer out of the car and forced him down onto the ground. The Zone Police were losing control of the protest.
The hacker coordinator at the abandoned warehouse got the message that Acolyte had successfully infiltrated. He called out to the group that were manning the hardline terminals. “We are all set. Use your best viruses. It is time to take down the Elite Military installation. Light up that board. Use the backdoor. Hit them with everything you got!”
The twenty hackers in the room went at it.
Faid arrived back at the warehouse just as Acolyte teleported in with his people. There was a laptop with the Newsfeed lit up on a back desk. Faid went over and engaged the terminal. Acolyte’s people sat down and joined the other hackers who were infiltrating the Elite Military installation.
“Did you put the fear of the goddess into Zeto?” asked Acolyte as he came up to Faid.
“No, Zeto is too powerful. All we did was state that we are here and can get close to him. He is a member of the Triumverate. I don’t think he thought he was that vulnerable.”
“Did you erase the files?”
“Yes, I got mine, yours and Rom’s. I doubt we can keep those files free and clear. Zeto will just make up some more things to arrest us for no doubt.”
“You are right about that. Is Rom out there all night?”
“The protest goes on for as long as the meeting. They have another hour. I was just about to go down there and check it out,” said Faid.
Rom and the protest kept up for the next hour. Rom watched the Zone Police carefully as the ministers started leaving the building. The Zone Police started to get more aggressive. Rom raised the bullhorn once he saw Mr. Stuart come outside the building. He called for one last push. The protesters rushed the lead minister.
The security surrounded Mr. Stuart and tried to push him back inside the building but Rom and his group were too fast. The swarmed the security and Rom grabbed Mr. Stuart’s arm as Faid appeared and whisked Mr. Stuart around the side of the building. The protestors kept at it giving Rom and Faid just enough time to confront the minister.
“What is the meaning of this?” cried Mr. Stuart as Rom released his arm having dragged him to the side of the building. Faid confronted him as a group of Packrats hid him in the center.
“You are the lead minister of Parliament. I am Faid Callen, the leader of the Packrats.”
“You are a terrorist. Why have you kidnapped me?”
“I have words that you need to hear. We cannot have homeless teenagers rounded up and taken to the kedek mines or psychics rounded up for experimentation by the SenseNet. I need you to stop that,” said Faid.
“That would take new legislation. I will never get the ministers to go along with that,” said Mr. Stuart.
“We will step up our attacks unless you take action!”
“I cannot stop you. I can appeal to the Emperor.”
“You will have all out riot on your hands and you will lose control. The Packrats control the Echelons. If we wanted to we could destroy your control completely.”
“I will do everything in my power to address your concerns,” confirmed Mr. Stuart.
“Your Parliament is infiltrated by Atlantea Federation spies. The file on this drive I am about to give you reveals the names of those ministers who have been spying for the Atlantea Federation. These ministers are subverting the war council,” said Faid and motioned to Rom who went into his pocket. His mouth and nose were covered by the mask and his hood was up over his hair. He made sure not to look Mr. Stuart in the eye and handed off the pin drive. Mr. Stuart stared at Rom trying to place him but Faid intercepted.
“How did you find out that the ministers were compromised?”
“We have insight into your systems. I won’t say any more,” said Faid.
“Just know that we are looking out for the Echelons,” called out Rom and then peeked around the side of the building. He turned back. “Hurry, the Zone Police are coming this way.”
“I know you?” called out Mr. Stuart hearing Rom’s voice. Rom pulled the hood down farther over his head.
Faid quickly handed off the file. “We are your eyes. We are the voice of the streets. If we rise up you will lose control. Be warned.” Faid grabbed Mr. Stuart by the shoulders and shoved him around the corner. Two Zone Police officers rushed forward and grabbed onto Mr. Stuart and directed him into a car which drove away quickly.
Faid called out to Rom, “get your people out of here. The Zone Police will start arresting protestors now that the meeting is over!”
Rom raised the bullhorn and called out ordering everyone to scatter as the Zone Police rushed the remaining groups. Rom came around the corner then backed up following after Mips as he hid behind the building. Protestors quickly started to vanish using their psychic power to teleport away. A Zone Police officer caught Rom lingering and ran over to intercept him. Mips pulled at Rom’s arm.
“Come on, we need to go!”
“Right behind you.”
Mr. Stuart’s heart raced as he sat in the back of the luxury car as it made its way to the City. His security guard was in the back seat with him. Mr. Stuart pulled the pin drive out of his pocket and looked at it. He thought back to the voice he had heard of the kid with the face mask and the hood.
“It couldn’t be. There is no way that could be my son…” he whispered.
He took his handheld out of his jacket pocket and engaged the pin drive into the port on the device. The drive downloaded the data. Mr. Stuart pulled the pin drive out and put it back in his pocket and scrolled the screen. There were a list of 40 names of ministers and notes about their affiliation with the Atlantea Federation. There was even detail about the Inlan Islands and the occupation. The ministers on the list were all colluding with minister Kitazawa who had gotten the homeless teenager bill passed. Mr. Stuart frowned and continued to review the file.
There was an additional attachment in the file. He clicked on the link. It was a video message. Mr. Stuart sat back as the video started to play. The same person who had given over the file was on the screen with the radiation mask covering his mouth and nose hiding his face partially with the hood on. Mr. Stuart listened to the video.
“We are Packrat Underground. We are the voice of the Echelons. The Elite government is oppressing the people. We will rise up and destroy the Elite. We are everywhere. We are nowhere. Open source for all. Net neutrality. Keep the grydscaen free. Information is everywhere. Data is ours. We are all around you. Hackers Unite! Hack Till You’re Dead!” called the video message and then went to static.
Mr. Stuart closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment.
“That is you, isn’t it Eleric Stuart or should I call you Rom?” he whispered.
The security spoke up having heard him. “Are you alright Mr. Stuart? Having those hackers grab you like that must have been jarring. I hope you are not hurt?”
“I am fine. Just now, more curious. Tell the driver to hurry. We must get back to the palace. I have news for the Emperor.”
