Chapter 5 Chapter 5

The twin-engine Learjet Type 66 landed on the scorching runway.Outside the window, the barren landscape of Spain's lower Extremadura region, initially blurry, slowly cleared as the plane landed. "Mr. Baker?" A crisp voice called out, "We're here." Baker stood up and stretched, reached out to open the luggage compartment above his head, and only then remembered that he didn't bring any luggage.fundamental There was no time to pack, and it didn't matter anyway—they had promised him that the trip would be short and they would be back soon. The plane's engine turned slower and slower, and the plane slowly drove out of the scorching sun into the hangar on the opposite side of the main apron.The pilot slammed open the hatch.Baker raised his neck and drank the last sip of cranberry juice, put the bottle on the bar, and picked up his jacket casually.

The pilot pulled a thick manila envelope from his flight suit and said, "I was ordered to deliver this to you." He handed the envelope to Baker.The following words were written in blue pen on the envelope: Take the money. Baker flipped through the thick stack of light red notes in a hurry, and asked puzzledly, "This is...?" "It's the local currency." The pilot stepped forward and said briskly. "I know it's currency." Baker didn't know what to say. "But... it's too much. I only need the taxi fare." Baker calculated in his mind, "These money is worth tens of thousands of dollars!"

"I'm just following orders, sir." The pilot turned around, stepped on the landing gear and returned to the cockpit.The door then closed slowly. Baker stared at the plane with wide eyes, then lowered his head to look at the money in his hand. After standing blankly in the hangar for a while, he put the money in his breast pocket, put his coat on his shoulders, and went straight off the runway.It was a strange start, and Baker tried not to think about it.If he was lucky, he could go back in time and renew the warmth of Stone Manor with Susan. Go back soon, he said to himself.Going back soon.

He didn't know how to take the road ahead. Phil Chattrukian, a technician from the Systems Security Department, had just walked into the Cryptography Department less than a minute--just in time to get the design materials he had forgotten here last night.But now he can't get it. As soon as he stepped off the floor of the Cryptography Division and into the labs of the Systems Security Division, he felt something was wrong.The computer terminal that had been monitoring TRANSLTR was empty, and the computer monitor was completely turned off. Chartrukian called out, "Is anyone there?"

No one answered.The lab was spotless and it seemed as if no one had been there for hours. Although Chartrukian was only twenty-three years old, he was a relative novice in the system security department, but he was well trained and knew that there would always be a system security officer on duty in the code breaking department-especially Saturdays when the codebreakers are out of the Ministry. Chartrukian immediately activated the monitor, then turned to the duty board on the wall, glanced at the list above, and shouted: "Who is on duty?" According to the arrangement, it should be a novice named Seidenberg One night the shift started.Chartrukian looked at the empty laboratory and frowned: "Where did he go?"

As he watched the monitors boot up, Chartrukian wondered if Strathmore knew that the Systems Security Lab was unmanned?He had noticed when he came in that the curtains in Strathmore's studio were drawn, which meant that the chief was inside--a common thing to do on a Saturday.Strathmore gave the code-breakers only Saturdays off, and he himself seemed to work three hundred and sixty-five days a year. But there was one thing Chartrukian knew all too well—if Strathmore found out that there was no one on duty in the Systems Security Lab, the person on duty would have to leave immediately.Chartrukian glanced at the phone and wondered if he should call the rookie and help him out.However, there are regulations in the Ministry that system security officers are not allowed to talk to each other, and they can only see each other's backs.In the Cryptography Division, the System Security Officers were second-class citizens, always at odds with the head of the department.It's no secret that codebreakers dominate the multi-million-dollar chicken coop.They put up with these system security guys because they keep the equipment running smoothly.

Chartrukian finally made up his mind. He grabbed the phone, but before the receiver reached his ear, he stopped suddenly, staring straight at the monitor that suddenly became clear in front of him.He put down the phone as if in slow motion, opened his mouth wide, and stared in uncharacteristic surprise.As a system security officer, Chartrukian had been working here for more than eight months, but he had never seen a TRANSLTR display show a double-digit deciphering time score. Elapsed time: 15 hours 17 minutes 21 seconds "Fifteen hours and seventeen minutes?" he said in a panic. "Totally impossible!"

He restarted the monitor, hoping that's why it wasn't recovering well.But after the display returned to normal, the displayed content did remain the same. Chartrukian knew that fifteen hours of running meant only one thing—a viral infection.TRANSLTR ran the poisonous file and the program was damaged.It dawned on him that it didn't matter if someone was on duty in the system security lab or if the monitors were on.He asked for a logbook of all the material that had entered TRANSLTR in the past forty-eight hours, and went through it quickly. Is it a virus file mixed in?he thought.Is the antivirus software missing something?

For safety reasons, every file entering TRANSLTR must pass through a protective wall called "gauntlet"-a series of circuit layer gateways, information packet filters, and virus protection programs to scan incoming files for viruses, Subroutines that may pose a threat are also scanned.Files containing "unknown" programs are immediately rejected upon encountering "Gauntlet".These rejected files are manually checked.Occasionally, Gauntlet will reject completely harmless files containing programs it has never seen before.In this case, the system security officer has to manually check carefully, and only after they are sure that there is nothing wrong with the file can they pass through the filter of the "gauntlet" and send it to the TRANSLTR machine for password cracking.

Computer viruses come in all shapes and forms, just like bacterial viruses.Like bacterial viruses, the purpose of computer viruses is to invade the host system and carry out virus infection.In the NSA, the mainframe is TRANSLTR. Chartrukian was surprised that the NSA hadn't had a virus problem before. Gauntlet is a very good sentinel, but the NSA is a poorly run agency at the bottom, digesting an untold amount of data from different systems around the world.Spying on data information is a lot like promiscuity between people. Whether it is prevented or not prevented, something will go wrong sooner or later.

Chartrukian quickly flipped through the list of documents in front of him, but he was even more confused than before.Every file has been carefully checked Yes, Chartrukian found nothing abnormal, which means that the files that have been run in TRANSLTR are completely safe. "So what's taking so long?" he mused to the empty room.Chartrukian felt himself sweating.He wondered whether he should report the matter to Strathmore. "Testing for the virus," said Chartrukian decisively, trying to calm himself down. "I should get tested for the virus." Chattrukian was well aware that, no matter what, virus testing would be the first thing Strathmore asked the system security officers to do.He glanced at the empty code-breaking department and made a decision.He downloaded the virus detection software and started the virus detection, which took about fifteen minutes. "Come and clean it up." He whispered to himself softly. "It's very clean. Tell me there's nothing wrong with it." But Chartrukian knew in his heart that it was by no means "nothing happened".Intuition told him that this deciphering behemoth encountered something absolutely extraordinary. "Ensei Yuka is dead?" Susan felt sick for a while. "You killed him? I think you said--" "We left him alone," Strathmore assured her. "He died of a heart attack. Intelligence called this morning. Their computers show Yuka's name in Seville. It is on police records in Asia and Interpol has been involved." "Heart attack?" Susan looked puzzled. "He's only thirty." "Thirty-two," Strathmore corrected. "He was born with a mitral valve defect." "Never heard of it." "It was discovered during the physical examination when he entered the National Security Bureau, and it's not something he should brag about." Susan was still suspicious. "A defective heart can kill him...it's that simple?" This seems too unreasonable. Strathmore shrugged and said, "Weak heart... plus the hot weather in Spain. This time it's good, I can't threaten the National Security Agency..." Susan was silent for a while.She was still thinking about what happened just now, and she felt sad when she thought of such an outstanding colleague leaving the world.Strathmore's raspy voice interrupted Susan's train of thought. "Fortunately, Yuga went there alone, and his accomplices didn't know he was dead. The Spanish authorities said they would try not to disclose it to the outside world. Only we got a call, because the intelligence service is really good." Strathmore said, staring at Susan closely. "I've got to find that accomplice of his and not let him know that Yuka is dead. That's why I called you." Susan was puzzled.In her opinion, Ensei Yuka died at the right time, and nothing will happen to him after his death. "Chief," she said, "if the Spanish authorities say Yuga died of a heart attack, then we're off the hook, and his associates know it has nothing to do with the NSA." "No relationship?" Strathmore's eyes widened in disbelief. "Someone threatened the NSA, only to find out a few days later that the person was dead - and we had nothing to do with it? I bet Yuka's mysterious friend would never see it that way. No matter what happened , we are all involved. They will easily accuse us of many crimes - poisoning, shooting, murder, etc." Now, what was your first reaction?" Susan frowned and said, "I thought the NSA killed him." "Exactly. If the NSA was able to put five Rhyolite satellites into synchronous orbit over the Middle East, then I think there's every reason to say that the NSA paid off some Spanish policemen. "The director's words have been made very clear. Is Ensei Yuka dead?NSA to be condemned?Susan sighed: "Can we find his accomplice in time?" "I think it can. We came up with a good idea. Yuka has publicly stated countless times that he is fighting with an accomplice. I think he is trying to dissuade software companies who want to harm him or try to steal the master key. He threatened that if anyone dared to take such a despicable action, his associates would publish the master key, so that all software companies would suddenly be plunged into disorderly competition." "Smart move." Susan nodded yes. Strathmore continued: "Several times, in public, Yuka mentioned his accomplice by name, and he called him North Dakota." "North Dakota? Obviously a fake name." "Yeah, just in case, I searched the Internet using North Dakota's name as a clue. I didn't expect to find anything, but I found an email account." Strathmore Err paused and continued, "Of course, I thought this wasn't the North Dakota we were looking for, so I searched the account just to make sure. I got into this e-mail and it was all It was an email from Ensei, and you can imagine how shocked I was." Strathmore opened his eyes wide and continued, "The content of the email is all about 'Digital Castle' and Ensei. Plans to threaten the National Security Agency." Susan looked at Strathmore suspiciously, she was surprised that the director was so easily manipulated by others. "Director," she said, "Tomoka knows very well that the NSA can spy on e-mails on the Internet, and he will never send any secret information on the Internet. This is a trap. Ensei Yuka deliberately revealed it to you North Dakota This name, he knows you will look it up on the Internet. He sent some random messages and asked you to look it up on purpose—this is a scam.” "Your instincts are good," Strathmore argued. "Except for a few things. I couldn't find anything under the name North Dakota, so I tweaked my search a bit—North Dakota." Susan shook her head like a rattle drum and said, "Changing the arrangement of letters is a standard procedure for deciphering codes. How could Youjia not know? Youjia knows that you will change the combination and finally find what you want." Nodak Tower' this combination couldn't be easier." "Maybe." Strathmore said while scribbling a few words on a piece of paper and handing it to Susan. "Look at this before talking." Susan read the handwriting on the paper, and suddenly understood the director's psychology.On the paper was written the email address of Ensei Yuka: [email protected] Susan saw the three letters ARA in the email at a glance. ARA is the abbreviation of "American Remail Anonymous", which is a very famous server. Anonymous servers are popular among Internet users, and for a fee, these companies protect the privacy of senders by intermediating e-mail, much like a numbered mailbox at the Post Office—users can send and receive e-mail, and It is not necessary to reveal their real address and name.Companies receive emails tagged with pseudonyms and forward them to the recipients' real accounts.According to the agreement, Chongyou does not reveal the real identity and address of its users. "It's not proof," Strathmore said, "but it's very questionable." Susan nodded, and suddenly believed the director's words. "So you're saying that Yuga doesn't care if someone searches for North Dakota online because his identity and address are protected by US Remail Anonymous." "That's right." Susan thought for a while and said, "'America Anonymous Remail' mainly serves accounts in the United States. Do you think North Dakota may be somewhere in the United States?" Strathmore shrugged and said, "It's possible. With the help of his American associates, Yuka can hide the two master keys in different regions. This may be a wise move." Susan thought about it.She felt that Yuka would not easily entrust the master key to others, unless it was a very close friend.But as far as Susan knew, Ensei Tomoka didn't have many friends in America. Susan mused, her deciphering mind pondering over the possible meanings of the pseudonym. "North Dakota," she said, "what does his email sound like to Youga?" "I don't know. The intelligence department only found Youga's email address abroad, and the only thing they know about North Dakota is an anonymous address." Susan thought for a while and said, "Could this be a trap?" Strathmore asked in great astonishment: "How could that be?" "Youka could have sent a fake email to an unused account so we could check it online. We thought his email address was protected so he wouldn't have to risk entrusting the master key to someone else. It's entirely possible that he It's fighting alone." Strathmore smiled softly and said, "Great plan, unfortunately one thing doesn't make sense. He doesn't use any home or company Internet accounts, but goes to Doshisha University a lot and uses their mainframe. Obviously There is an account that he can keep secret. This is a very secret account, and I only discovered it by chance." Strathmore took a breath and said, "So... If Youjia intends to let us Peeping his emails, why else would he use a secret account?" Susan thought for a while and said, "Maybe he used a secret account on purpose so that you wouldn't suspect it was a trick. Youjia hid his account just right, making you feel like he discovered it by mistake, and felt that Luckily for me. It gives more confidence in the authenticity of his e-mail." Strathmore smiled: "You should really be an agent of the information team. This kind of reasoning is indeed good, but there is one thing that doesn't make sense. Every letter sent by Youga has a reply, North Darko He also replied to all the letters he wrote to him." Susan was at a loss for words: "It also makes sense. So you're saying that North Dakota is real?" "I'm afraid so. We've got to find him, and keep it quiet. If he gets wind of it, it's all over." Susan only now fully understood why Strathmore had called her. "Let me take a guess," she said. "You want me to peek into the database of American Remail Anonymous and find out who North Dakota really is?" Strathmore smiled at her stiffly and said, "Miss Fletcher also knows me." When it comes to searching the web, Susan Fletcher is a master at it.A year ago, a senior official of the White House was often intimidated by anonymous emails, and the National Security Agency was ordered to find out this nasty guy.Although the NSA could put pressure on American Remailer to reveal the guy's true identity, they still chose the unnoticed method of stalking. Susan once made a beacon that pretended to be an email, and it's still in use.She can send it to the user's fake address, and Anonymous Returns will forward the email to the user's real address according to the agreement.That way, Susan's program could log her Internet address and send it back to the NSA.From that day forward, the anonymous reply box had been nothing more than a minor nuisance to the NSA. "Can you find him?" asked Strathmore. "No problem. How did it take you so long to call me?" "Actually..." He frowned and said, "I didn't intend to call you at all. I don't want others to know about it. I want to send out the beacon you made, but that damn thing, you use What is mixed is manipulating the language, I can't operate it, and I always receive ridiculous messages. Helpless, I had the cheek to call you here." Susan smiled lightly.Strathmore was an excellent cryptographic programmer, but his instruction set language was very limited, mostly confined to algorithmic languages.Bits and pieces of less advanced "cheesy" programming often stumped him.Plus, Susan was writing Beacon in a hybrid programming language called Cold Palace, so it's totally understandable that Strathmore had problems. "Let me meet him," she said with a smile as she turned away. "I'm going to my own terminal." "Approximately how long will it take?" Susan thought for a while and said: "Well...it depends on the function of 'America Anonymous Repost' to forward electronic letters. If he is in the United States, he uses the one called 'Over Leave' or dial-up Internet access through the phone. software, then I can spy on his credit card and get his account address in less than an hour. If he is affiliated with a university or a company, it will take a little longer." After a pause, Susan didn't He smiled naturally: "After you find it, the rest will be yours." Susan knew that "all that's left" is for the NSA's operation team to break through the walls and windows with stun guns, and go straight to the guy's house.The ops team might think they're hunting for a drug lord.There was no doubt that Strathmore would stride through the mess, find the sixty-four-character master key himself, and destroy it. The "digital castle" will linger on the Internet, locked there forever. "Be careful when sending beacons." Strathmore warned: "If North Dakota sees us searching for him, he will panic, so before I bring people to him, He's already gone away with the skeleton key." "Get into trouble and want to slip!" Susan promised, "As soon as the beacon finds his account, it will disappear immediately, and he will never know that we are looking for him." Strathmore nodded wearily and said, "Thank you." Susan smiled faintly at him. Strathmore was always able to deal with emergencies calmly and surprisingly calmly, which Susan had always been surprised by.It was this unflappable ability, she was convinced, that had allowed Strathmore to rise to the top of the job and eventually rise to command. As Susan walked out the door, she took a good look at the TRANSLTR below.My mind is full of that uncrackable program.She prayed they would catch North Dakota in time. "Hold tight," cried Strathmore, "and you'll be back in the Clear Smoke Mountains before sundown." Susan couldn't help being taken aback, how did he know her whereabouts?She was well aware that she had never asked Strathmore to go to the Clear Smoke Mountains, and she turned to Strathmore with a suspicious look.Did the NSA tap my phone? Strathmore smiled apologetically. "David told me about your travel plans this morning. He said you'd be annoyed if you postponed your travel plans." Susan was even more confused: "Did you talk to David this morning?" "Of course," Strathmore seemed puzzled by Susan's reaction. "I have to give him a task." "Give him a task?" She couldn't help asking. "What mission?" "A business trip. I'll send him to Spain."