Keys

“Really?” Nerda happily tried to reassure herself in that.

The major was already completely angered by such a frank flirtation between the interrogated and his subordinate. He looked condemningly at Nerda and barked at Antony like a Rottweiler:

“So, with video is clear! What about regular text messages? Do you write them on paper with your hand and just hold it up to the video camera of the communicator?”

“Yes, this is a frequently practiced method. But a keyboard and a mouse may also be connected to the helmet. The communicator also has a built-in very simple graphic editor, through which you can write text or sketch a diagram on the visor. Outside, after encryption, on the external display of the helmet, it will be displayed in the form of a surreal absurd-picture; which will be captured by a computer video camera and sent to the addressee in any way, to helmet or even by e-mail.

“And if you need to send an already existing complex and large graphic file?”

“Albeit not advisable, but it is still possible to load graphics of one of the standard formats from a removable flash drive into the communicator.”

“And if there is a virus on it?” the major brightened up.

“Not a problem. The communicator does not have an operating system in the usual sense, such as Windows, Linux, Android and alike. Most of its technical solutions inside are not software, but hardware. The reading of graphic formats also occurs almost completely at the hardware level, automatically rather than programmatically. Non-standard graphic format or a virus will simply not be read at all. The virus will neither be able live in the communicator, nor even get into it. You have a better chance of jumping to Mars and surviving there.”

“Why do I have more?” the major was surprised like a child.

Nerda giggled silently. Antony, with an impassive face, replied:

“Because on Mars you can be saved by a Martian, whereas in communicator there is no even dead Trojan to give the virus a hand.”

This time Nerda could not restrain herself and burst out loudly with laughter into her hands. The major’s face turned stone and he muttered through his teeth, addressing his speech to both of them:

“What, call back those two from the CIA to finish the interrogation?”

Antony corrected himself:

“Sorry. Because you already know at least something about Mars, but virus writers know nothing about the internal structure of the communicator without conventional operating system.”

“That is, private keys can be obtained only through the physical capture of the communicators themselves?” the major concluded.

“Serious clients usually don’t take communicators to pubs…”

Nerda could hardly restrain herself from laughing again. Antony ran the tip of his shoe along the calf of her leg under the table. Nerda was not up to laughter anymore – she was frightened, blushing and numb with embarrassment.

“Well, and if we still snatch?” the major pressed.

“Almost useless idea.”

“Because there is an additional protection which destroys the key when the helmet is being broken?

“Yes, but not only because of that. You won’t be able to read any past messages, since communicators do not store them within themselves. In is made on purpose.”

“But we still will be able to receive the info, to ask for info and to misinform!”

“Yes. Until our client discovers the loss of communicator. Then, he will erase the key in the communicator with a remote signal. Or he will simply inform his partners on a regular phone that his communicator has been compromised.”

“But if we neutralize the owner of the communicator for a while, so that he will not neutralize the communicator?” the major did not give up.

“Are you prepared to take the risk of capturing a person from the top management of the corporation or high level of government hierarchy? Firstly your operation is likely to fail, as such persons and their communicators are guarded heavily. Secondly, you thereby disclose your presence and your intentions in business and politics. And, thirdly, you criminal actions will certainly fall into the jurisdiction of the Interpol. Moreover, at the end you still have to guess the password with three attempts, otherwise all your dubious endeavors are useless, as the keys will be erased. Is it worth the risk?”

“Usual password? Why couldn’t you use biometrics – iris drawing or fingerprints, for example?” the major snorted contemptuously.

“In departments like yours, huge biometric databases have already been gathered not only on criminals, but also on many respected famous figures. Who better then you know that modern technologies allow, even without the knowledge of a person, to read a drawing of his or her iris through a surveillance video camera, and fingerprints from a sheet of document or any object that the person held in his hands. Biometrics security could be hacked too easily.”

The major has finally been fed up with technicalities and put his head face down over hands on the table. Nerda stood still for a minute and then suddenly blurted out:

“Do you understand what you face in Russia for disclosing such secret information to us?”

Antony looked straight to her eyes. She did not turn them away. They glistened with moisture of fear for him. They displayed the agony of imminent parting. Antony realized that Nerda wanted to be by his side, to save him from death and prison at any cost, even by recruiting him to become the American citizen. Antony was impressed by her sincere impulse. But he had a different plan:

“Nothing threatens me. I work not for the special services, like you, but for a private company. More importantly, I did not give out any technical ‘know-how’ or trade secrets, but only a general description of the product, which the day before my arrest was made publicly available on the Internet site of the ‘Traceless Hero’. A tiny little link ‘additional information’ placed under the main advertisement of our communicator. It was done in order to convince even technically meticulous clients of the absolute reliability of our communications.”

Major and Nerda glanced at each other nervously, turned to the computer and opened the website. Indeed, all the info was in the public domain! The major leaned back in his chair:

“Well, what do you reckon?” the puzzled major asked Nerda.

“I think that the technology of the past century in this case has beaten the modern one. There is no electronic digital contact with computers and telephones. No access to keys. No leads. There is no points of failure,” Nerda replied with mixed feelings.

The major realized that an unforgivable professional blunder has been made. That Antony was useless to them. That even if they torture him to powder, they still will not see the keys as their ears. That they had carried out an extremely risky and illegal operation to arrest him in third country in vain. That his own career prospects are now at stake. That they urgently needed to somehow get themselves out of this vile situation and at the same time save the face of the United States in general and the face of their department in particular. Nerda was also utterly perplexed though with quite different issue.

Antony’s exchange for some minor American spy took place in Thailand in the same hotel room where Antony was captured. His belongings were returned to him. As a matter of fact, this inept and long-disclosed spy was arrested only for this sole purpose. The exchange took place in the presence of the representatives of the special services of both sides and the Thai police. In haste, silently and with no emotions; even boring.

Antony drank from a glass of red wine offered to him by a flight attendant, looked at the clouds overboard and plunged his mind into thoughts about Nerd. How does she envisage Russia? According to the stories of her great-great-grandmother? Fabulous and promising, where all girls are with rosy cheeks like nesting dolls, and the harsh Cossacks drink vodka with bears? Will they see each other someday? He could hardly ever find her. He doesn’t even know her real name. Only she can restore their connection, if she wants – through the site of ‘Traceless Hero’. Antony drank some more wine and suddenly realized that their website in the United States most likely would have already been blocked by now. Even that tiny hope slowly and painfully died out in his head. Apart from that, Nerda, like any employee of the special services, is bound by contractual obligations that limit her freedom. It is hardly possible that she will be able to come to Russia on her own while in the service and for several years after that… It’s a pity. Antony was already well over forty, but still no family, no children …Happiness smiled to him with many colors, but melted like a rainbow-arc. Okay, sometime in the next life.

“Dear passengers, we ask everyone to sit down and fasten their seat belts. Our liner starts landing at the Sheremetyevo airport.”

Several hours later, Antony, surrounded by Russian intelligence officers, entered the office of the head of the FSB’s Cyber Intelligence Department in Moscow. Already not young, but still dashing campaigner shook his hand, patted him on the shoulder and offered him a chair. Antony sat down.

“Well, Antony, tell us where are the keys?”

Antony disappointed home-grown intelligence agents just as he had previously done with overseas ones. A day later, he finally got rid of them and went to the office of ‘Traceless Hero’. He opened the door of his cabinet – it was jam-packed with funny colleagues! There was cake and champagne on his table! But no one spoke a word. Antony rushed to Daniel to hug, but Victor stopped him with a gesture, put his finger to his lips and pointed to a dense group of employees aside. The group scattered apart and Nerda appeared in front of him in an embroidered Russian sundress.

“Bitter! Bitter!” the crowd chanted inexorably and endlessly.

notes

Примечания

1

Islamic State, also known as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) is recognized as a terrorist international organization by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on December 29, 2014 and is banned in Russia in all its activities.

2

Taliban in The Russian Federation is recognized as a terrorist organization by The Supreme Court of Russia on February 14, 2003