Digital Fortress Chapter 127-128

Chapter 127 on that point was a sudden and reverent silence among the group on the podium. It was as if they were watch an e magazine publisherse or volcanic eruption-an incredible chain of events oer which they had no control. Time seemed to slacken to a crawl.Were losing it a technician cried. Tie-ins All linesOn the far-left screen, David and Agents Smith and Coliander stared blankly into their camera. On the VR, the final fire circumvent was lonesome(prenominal) a sliver. A mass of blackness surrounded it, hundreds of lines waiting to connection in. To the right of that was Tankado. The stilted clips of his final moments ran by in an endless loop. The get a line of desperation-fingers stretched forthward, the parry glistening in the solarize.Susan watched the clip as it went in and out of focus. She stared at Tankados eyes-they seemed filled with regret. He never wanted it to go this far, she told herself. He wanted to save us. And yet, everywhere and everywhere, Tanka do held his fingers outward, forcing the ring in front of peoples eyes. He was trying to speak but could non. He just kept lick his fingers forward.In Seville, Beckers mind still turned it over and over. He mumbled to himself, What did they vocalize those two isotopes were? U238 and U? He sighed heavily-it didnt matter. He was a language teacher, not a physicist.Incoming lines preparing to au consequentlyticateJesus Jabba bellowed in frustration. How do the cursed isotopes differ? Nobody knows how the hell theyre different? on that point was no response. The way of life full of technicians stood helplessly watching the VR. Jabba spun back to the monitor and threw up his arms. Wheres a nuclear fucking physicist when you need oneSusan stared up at the QuickTime clip on the wall screen and knew it was over. In slow motion, she watched Tankado dying over and over. He was trying to speak, choking on his words, holding out his distorted hand trying to communicate something. He was trying to save the informationbank, Susan told herself. only well never know how.Company at the doorJabba stared at the screen. hither we go Sweat poured down his spunk.On the center screen, the final wisp of the put up firewall had all but disappeared. The black mass of lines surrounding the vegetable marrow was milky and pul sit downing. Midge turned away. Fontaine stood rigid, eyes front. Brinkerhoff looked like he was about to get sick. disco biscuit secondsSusans eyes never left Tankados image. The desperation. The regret. His hand reached out, over and over, ring glistening, perverted fingers arched crookedly in strangers faces. Hes telling them something. What is it?On the screen over full stop, David looked robust in thought. Difference, he kept muttering to himself. Difference between U238 and U235. Its got to be something simple.A technician began the countdown. Five Four trinityThe word made it to Spain in just under a tenth of a second. Three three.It was as if David Becker had been hit by the stun gun all over again. His valet slowed to stop. Three three three. 238 minus 235 The discrepancy is three In slow motion, he reached for the microphoneAt that very instant, Susan was staring at Tankados extended hand. Suddenly, she saw past the ring past the engraved gold to the human body beneath to his fingers. Three fingers. It was not the ring at all. It was the flesh. Tankado was not telling them, he was showing them. He was telling his secret, revealing the kill- enrol-begging someone to apprehend praying his secret would find its way to the NSA in time.Three, Susan whispered, stunned.Three Becker yelled from Spain. scarcely in the chaos, no one seemed to hear.Were down a technician yelled.The VR began flashing wildly as the core succumbed to a deluge. Sirens erupted overhead.Outbound dataHigh-speed tie-ins in all sectorsSusan moved as if through a dream. She spun toward Jabbas keyboard. As she turned, her paying attention fixed on he r fiance, David Becker. Again his voice exploded overhead.Three The difference between 235 and 238 is threeEveryone in the room looked up.Three Susan shouted over the deafening cacophony of sirens and technicians. She pointed to the screen. All eyes followed, to Tankados hand, outstretched, three fingers waving desperately in the Sevillian sun.Jabba went rigid. Oh my God He suddenly realized the crippled one had been giving them the answer all the time.Threes prime Soshi blurted. Threes a prime minuteFontaine looked dazed. Can it be that simple?Outbound data a technician cried. Its freeing fastEveryone on the podium dove for the terminal at the similar instant-a mass of outstretched hands. But through the crowd, Susan, like a shortstop stabbing a line drive, connected with her target. She typed the number 3. Everyone wheeled to the wall screen. Above the chaos, it simply read.ENTER PASS-KEY? 3Yes Fontaine commanded. Do it nowSusan held her schnorkel and lowered her finger on the ENTER key. The computer beeped once.Nobody moved.Three agonizing seconds later, nothing had happened.The sirens kept going. Five seconds. Six seconds.Outbound dataNo changeSuddenly Midge began pointing wildly to the screen above. LookOn it, a message had materialized.KILL CODE CONFIRMED.Upload the firewalls Jabba ordered.But Soshi was a step ahead of him. She had already sent the command.Outbound interrupt a technician yelled.Tie-ins severedOn the VR overhead, the first of the five firewalls began reappearing. The black lines attacking the core were instantly severed.Reinstating Jabba cried. The damn things reinstatingThere was a moment of tentative disbelief, as if at any instant, everything would fall apart. But consequently the second firewall began reappearing and then the third. Moments later the entire series of filters reappeared. The databank was secure.The room erupted. Pandemonium. Technicians hugged, tossing computer printouts in the carry in celebration. Sirens wou nd down. Brinkerhoff grabbed Midge and held on. Soshi burst into tears.Jabba, Fontaine demanded. How much did they get?Very little, Jabba said, canvas his monitor. Very little. And nothing complete.Fontaine nodded slowly, a wry smile forming in the respite of his mouth. He looked around for Susan Fletcher, but she was already walking toward the front of the room. On the wall before her, David Beckers face filled the screen.David?Hey, gorgeous. He smiled. keep an eye on home, she said. Come home, right now.Meet you at Stone Manor? he asked.She nodded, the tears welling. Deal.Agent Smith? Fontaine called.Smith appeared onscreen behind Becker. Yes, sir?It appears Mr. Becker has a date. Could you see that he gets home immediately?Smith nodded. Our jets in Malaga. He patted Becker on the back. Youre in for a treat, Professor. Ever flown in a Learjet 60?Becker chuckled. Not since yesterday.Chapter 128When Susan awoke, the sun was shining. the soft rays sifted through the curtains and f iltered across her goosedown feather bed. She reached for David. Am I dreaming? Her body remained motionless, spent, still dizzy from the night before.David? She moaned.There was no reply. She exposed her eyes, her skin still tingling. The mattress on the other side of the bed was cold. David was at rest(p).Im dreaming, Susan thought. She sat up. The room was Victorian, all lace and antiques-Stone Manors finest suite. Her overnight bag was in the shopping mall of the hardwood floor her lingerie on a Queen Anne chair beside the bed.Had David heartfeltly arrived? She had memories-his body against hers, his waking her with soft kisses. Had she dreamed it all? She turned to the bedside table. There was an empty bottle of champagne, two glasses and a note.Rubbing the residue from her eyes, Susan drew the comforter around her naked body and read the message. dear Susan,I love you.Without lift, David.She beamed and pulled the note to her chest. It was David, all right. Without wax it was the one code she had yet to break.Something stirred in the corner, and Susan looked up. On a plush divan, basking in the morning sun, wrapped in thick bathrobe, David Becker sat quietly watching her. She reached out, beckoning him to come to her.Without wax? she cooed, taking him in her arms.Without wax. He smiled.She kissed him deeply. grade me what it means.No chance. He laughed. A couple needs secrets-it keeps things kindle.Susan smiled coyly. Any more interesting than last night and Ill never walk again.David took her in his arms. He entangle weightless. He had almost died yesterday, and yet here he was, as quick as he had ever felt in his life.Susan lay with her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. She couldnt believe that she had thought he was gone forever.David. She sighed, eyeing the note beside the table. Tell me about without wax. You know I hate codes I cant break.David was silent.Tell me. Susan pouted. Or youll never do me again.Liar.Susan hit him with a pillow. Tell me NowBut David knew he would never tell. The secret behind without wax was too sweet. Its origins were ancient. During the Renaissance, Spanish sculptors who made mistakes while carving expensive marble often patched their flaws with cera-wax. A statue that had no flaws and required no piece was hailed as a sculpture sincera or a sculpture without wax. The excogitate eventually came to mean anything honest or true. The English word sincere evolved from the Spanish sincera-without wax. Davids secret code was no great mystery-he was simply write his letters Sincerely. Somehow he suspected Susan would not be amused.Youll be pleased to know, David said, attempting to change the subject, that during the flight home, I called the president of the university.Susan looked up, hopeful. Tell me you resigned as department chair.David nodded. Ill be back in the classroom next semester.She sighed in relief. Right where you belonged in the first place.David smiled softly. Yeah, I guess Spain reminded me whats important.Back to jailbreak coeds hearts? Susan kissed his cheek. Well, at least youll have time to help me make out my manuscript.Manuscript?Yes. Ive decided to publish.Publish? David looked doubtful. Publish what?Some ideas I have on variant filter protocols and quadratic residues.He groaned. Sounds like a real best-seller.She laughed. Youd be surprised.David fished inside the pocket of his bathrobe and pulled out a teeny object. Close your eyes. I have something for you.Susan closed her eyes. Let me guess-a gaudy gold ring with Latin all over it?No. David chuckled. I had Fontaine conk that to Ensei Tankados estate. He took Susans hand and slipped something onto her finger.Liar. Susan laughed, opening her eyes. I knew-But Susan stopped short. The ring on her finger was not Tankados at all. It was a platinum mountain that held a glittering diamond solitaire.Susan gasped.David looked her in the eye. Will you marry me?Susans inkling caught in her throat. She looked at him and then back to the ring. Her eyes suddenly welled up. Oh, David I dont know what to say.Say yes.Susan turned away and didnt say a word.David waited. Susan Fletcher, I love you. Marry me.Susan lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with tears. Im sorry, David, she whispered. I I cant.David stared in shock. He searched her eyes for the playful glimmer hed come to stay from her. It wasnt there. S-Susan, he stammered. I-I dont understand.I cant, she repeated. I cant marry you. She turned away. Her shoulders started trembling. She covered her face with her hands.David was bewildered. But, Susan I thought He held her trembling shoulders and turned her body toward him. It was then that he understood. Susan Fletcher was not crying at all she was in hysterics.I wont marry you She laughed, attacking again with the pillow. Not until you explain without wax Youre driving me waste