Binary code: Mystery number one

– And who is this "someone"?

– You will learn a lot more. You'll realize what kind of world we live in," Vasilyevich answered, shaking his head. – Now tell me, whose family are you going to be?

– From who?

– The information about your appointment came a long time ago, but your background is vague. I can't check it, there's no authorization. If I did it myself, it would raise suspicion. Here you have access to the deepest secrets – even the control codes of enemy satellites, or the trust accounts of the secret services, or the DNA of the president's children. But if you pry unnecessarily, the system will flag you as "suspicious. If you don't justify yourself, you're dead. No one's gonna take any chances. The latest technology, with which you will become very familiar, will make it clear that it is impossible to hide anything. Besides, everything here is mixed up. Those you thought were enemies are comrades and friends, well, or partners. Fighting, feuding, it's a contract, a performance. If everything you find out, tell anyone, they won't believe you, and if they do, the world will turn upside down. We have to live as a family here, to trust each other, otherwise – you can go crazy. The family that's out there becomes something mundane…

Vasilievich jabbed his index finger upward.

– You can't and have no right to even stutter about what you do. Forget everything you know. It's a world of its own, its own culture, its own concepts. Although your spouse has a clearance level, she's being considered for administrator. In that, you may be lucky.

Ruthra was silent, listening.

– You and your wife must have met in the system?

– Why would you say that?

– Here, as in many intelligence agencies, most marry by decree, to a "local". I got married that way the first time too, and my current wife has no idea where I go. Your spouse has been served papers on you too, which is why I'm wondering whose you're from. It's rare for that to happen.

– Whose? I don't know, I got her involved somehow. The system approved it, even though she still only has administrative clearance.

– Our service is a service of control over everything and anything, as well as planning and forecasting. That's why you don't get here by blat, by acquaintance, or for the merits of your parents.

– What are you talking about?

– I'm trying to figure out which mafia.

– Mafia?

Ruthra even smiled.

– Just kidding.

Vasilyevich's face became serious. Rutra became serious, too. He realized that this wasn't entirely a joke. The two burning gazes locked into each other, trying to siphon off all the information they could.

– What kind of mafia is there? – Ruthra asked with a smile.

– Some with a bayonet, some with a pencil.

– Who are these people?

– With bayonet – military or ex-military, the ranks here are nominal. This organization is special, the ranks here are of a special level.

– And "with a pencil"?

– These are men of science, scientists.

– Why, could they be dangerous?

Vasilievich hummed

– As for the military, you may know what they want and, more importantly, can do, but with scientists, it's always a mystery. What do they have in mind, what have they come up with? And most importantly, they can come up with something with which they can seize power over the human brain. Suddenly they have figured out how to control a person imperceptibly and make sure that the person thinks that he is free in his choice? What then?

He looked intently at Ruthra and added quietly:

– The most powerful mafia is the mafia of scientists.

Ruthra didn't know what to answer.

– I don't even know what to say to you. Consider me neutral.

– Neutrals can only be those who know the field of warfare intimately and have a high degree in the exact sciences. Do you have one of those?

Vasilievich said the last one sarcastically.

– I don't know, I mean, it's kind of a secret around here.

– All right, let's go. I'll introduce you to the center's departments, but don't forget my words. If we don't trust each other, we won't look for enemies elsewhere, we'll look for them here. We must be one family, one mafia. The basis of our work is the collection, analysis and systematization of information. Our difference from similar structures is that we are part of a special international structure, which is a supranational organization of controlling organizations. Therefore, what for others is spy-intelligence activity, for us is cooperation within the same structure. It's hard for you to understand this yet, but soon you'll understand everything. Think of us as a special service of the world government control organization.

– Just like that?

– I'll tell you what structure we integrated from when we realized that it was foolish to aim for mutual destruction. It's better to unite to control the opposing forces without them knowing. Divide and conquer, as they say. So, our center appeared after the merger of SOUD and Echelon structures.

– Are these the ones?

– Yeah. Electronic intelligence. You were part of the system of outdoor, visual surveillance and analysis of what the electronic intelligence found. And now you'll get most of your information from her, but in the open. I need to see what you know about her.

– Should I?

– Imagine, we've been waiting for you. So start your "report."

Rutra had the kind of excellent memory required of a man of his caliber, and he memorized it by heart:

– Radio-electronic reconnaissance is a discipline of intelligence gathering based on the reception and analysis of electromagnetic radiation. Radioelectronic reconnaissance uses both intercepted signals from communication channels between people and technical means, as well as signals from operating radars, REB stations and similar devices. The most important part of this system is the JIRS. SOUD, or the System of Joint Data Recording on the enemy – a classified system of information interception, created back in the days of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries to conduct global electronic intelligence. It was controlled by the 16th KGB Directorate and the 6th GRU Directorate. SOUD united all means of electronic and space reconnaissance of the USSR, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, GDR, Vietnam, Mongolia and Cuba. The collected information was sent for analysis and processing to two main computer centers. The first is still located in Moscow and the second was located in the GDR. After the reunification of Germany in 1990, the Stasi computer center was taken over by the West German intelligence agency BND, depriving JICD of half of its data processing capabilities.

Ruthra fell silent, going over the technical data in his head. He had a question he couldn't help but ask.

– The Warsaw Pact apparatus, as far as I know, has been removed. Isn't that right?

– How about that. Control of the center hasn't really been lost. It's a bit of a wild-goose chase, but more on that later. I understand you have general information, within your clearance. Listen to me, then you tell me what you know, and then you ask questions. If there are any… In the 1990s, the remaining part of JIC was reorganized into a new Russian intelligence system, which at first united all the electronic intelligence complexes in Russia and some CIS countries, the Russian electronic center in Lourdes in Cuba, the radio interception base near the Cam Ranh airfield in Vietnam and special radio equipment in Russian consulates and embassies around the world. It was and is countered by the Echelon system, also known as UKUSA. "Echelon" is the common name for a global electronic intelligence system operating under the UK-USA Radio Technical and Intelligence Security Agreement. "Echelon" has the capability to intercept and analyze telephone conversations, faxes, emails and other information flows around the world by connecting to communication channels such as satellite communications, Internet networks and the like, the public telephone network, and microwave connections. Configuration and installation of the software in the US and UK was carried out by Lockheed Martin. At the time, the computer network itself was code-named "Echelon". Lockheed Martin referred to it as P415. The software was called SILKWORTH and SIRE. Not only radio surveillance stations and satellites served as means of interception. Special equipment was installed in embassies, placed on cables, including submarine cables, and many other technical means from the arsenal of intelligence services were used. Such actions are engaged in many government organizations in many countries, but the distinctive feature of "Echelon" was the global scale of the system: its action was spread over the entire globe. World War II left a legacy to the British government communications agency, which operates in parallel with the well-known services MI5 and MI6, a vast network of radio interception stations located throughout the British Empire, and powerful decoding technology. Added to these were thousands of surveillance posts set up by the US and its allies. The largest of the stations was in Eritrea, where the most sophisticated surveillance techniques were used, including the analysis of radio signals reflected from the surface of the moon. Pay special attention to this… The Echelon system, like the thermonuclear bomb, nuclear submarines and other projects of its time, was designed to gain a strategic advantage over a potential adversary. One of Echelon's greatest successes was finding codes to radio telephones in the limousines of the Soviet elite. The NSA listened to the conversations of Politburo members for several years until the KGB changed the equipment. Another NSA operation known today was the installation by submarine divers of listening devices on a military special communications cable laid on the bottom of the Sea of Okhotsk. It was discovered by accident. A fishing trawler snagged the cable and damaged it. Specialists arrived to repair the faults and discovered a wiretap on the cable, which was considered so reliable that the command of the Soviet Northern Fleet often received instructions from Moscow in unencrypted form. According to European experts, in roughly the same way the NSA tapped into the undersea cable between Europe and Africa in the Mediterranean Sea in the mid-1980s. The Echelon system is capable of reading data transmitted via satellite, radio relay, cellular and fiber-optic channels. One of the methods of intercepting information can be the installation of equipment in close proximity to routers of large fiber-optic highways, since most of the Internet traffic passes through them, and their number is relatively small. The system not only searches for and identifies terrorist bases, drug trafficking routes and political and diplomatic intelligence, which would be natural, but is also used for large-scale commercial theft, international commercial espionage and invasion of privacy using wind turbine technology developed by the German firm Enercon and speech recognition technology owned by the Belgian company Lernout & Hauspie. In 1994, Airbus lost a $6 billion contract with Saudi Arabia after the U.S. National Security Agency announced that Airbus executives had bribed Saudi officials to successfully support the contract.

Yuri Vasilyevich told the story without stopping, by heart. It was clear that it was not the first time. Rutra did not dare to interrupt, but there were many questions, and he raised his hand as if signaling that he wanted to ask a question. The chief was silent.

– I don't understand. You said it was opposed by the Echelon system," Ruthra said without a questioning tone, simply indicating his area of interest.

The lecturer thought for a moment, then answered:

– In the system of functioning of special services there is the first level, it is common knowledge, and the second level is us. The first level as it worked, so it still works, in the same spirit, for the development and control of the data received. For competition, so to speak, it is very important. The second level is unknown to the first. Unknown in the sense that they must not know that there is a secret cooperation agreement. Therefore, the second tier consists of employees of the first tier, but hides their association into a separate group. By habit they are called "Echelon 1" and "Echelon 2". Do you know how the NSA works to conceal its activities inside the country?