"That was quick." Basil was impressed. "So now there's no possibility of someone stumbling across the exit function and leaving the game before we're ready?"
"Not anymore, no. I'm free to work on something else. What can I do to help you with your work?"
"You could search the cloud for personal information on our Turkish targets." He smiled at her raised eyebrows. "I haven't found an unsecured access on any of their NIFs, so it's down to guessing at their security passwords."
The brows stayed up, but all she said was, "So what sort of personal information do you need?"
"Everything from their children's birthdays to the name of their favorite cat. Vids they watched recently, actors they admire, that kind of thing."
"So you'll just try one password after the other?" She frowned. "Won't the security apps lock themselves down if you do that?"
"They would, if I used the normal user interface for my attempts." He pointed his chin towards his computer screen. "That's what the apps on this ancient darling are for. One of the things I've found when I searched the cloud last week was the encryption key the Turkish security apps use to store passwords. My programs encrypt the passwords I want to try, using that key, and compare the result directly with the password file the security app has stored in the cloud."
"It's as easy as that? Why doesn't everybody break into other people's NIFs all the time, then?"
"Because the software to access data at the file level is buried so deeply in the cloud that almost nobody can access them anymore." He couldn't quite suppress his smug grin. "That's why I'm one of only three or four people in the world who can break into a NIF. I've spent the last ten years writing apps which access the software that can identify and read individual files in the cloud."
She studied him for a moment. Then she nodded and without another word leaned back and closed her eyes. The movement of her eyeballs behind closed lids showed her already hard at work.
Basil watched her for a moment, feeling his heart lift despite himself. She was so lost in concentration, she didn't notice his intense stare. She was beautiful, intent on her task as she was. She had the same capacity of losing herself in her work that he had. She laughed at the nerdy jokes he loved. She was warm-hearted and caring. And for some unfathomable reason she seemed to like him.
If only they had a future together, if only they weren't throwing away their freedom, maybe their lives, on this quest of hers. But that, too, was part of the attraction. She had a strong sense of responsibility, and she acted on it. A very unusual person, his Daphne.
He smiled to himself and turned back to his own work.
Finally, all those hours they'd spent researching their Turkish targets bore fruit. Second Secretary of Internal Affairs Mehmed Ozcan had a ten-year-old daughter called Meltem. And, in violation of every security standard ever written, his password was Meltem10.
Basil launched his virus, shut off his computer and indulged in a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Then he got back to work, analyzing the data his virus sent him, and trying to worm his way into the other Turkish NIFs.
". . and so, the Turkish aggressors leave the nations of Greece and Cyprus no choice but to defend ourselves. My heart bleeds at having to do this, but for the good of our Motherland, I must." Prime Minister Anastassopoulos' right hand found the red button-and pressed down. External cameras showed hundreds of mid-range missiles taking off, each one carrying a nuclear warhead. In nine and a half minutes, they would reach their targets in Turkey, killing millions of people.
Turkish satellites reported the launch, and a hurried conference was held. It took four minutes for the Turkish government to reach a consensus. Another red button was pressed, and several hundred nuclear missiles sped off towards Greece. Maybe by accident, maybe by design, the missiles aimed for Kurdistan and Russia were also launched.
Panicked conferences ensued all over the world. More bombs were launched, each country hoping to destroy their enemies before they in turn could attack. It took less than a day for every major city around the world to be destroyed.
"No. No! I don't believe this. Things wouldn't really have turned out this way, would they?"
Basil's stomach churned as he watched the recording Daphne had made of the war game. They had activated the game just in time to save the world from total destruction, it seemed.
"How the rest of the world would have reacted is anyone's guess," Daphne said. "The app only simulated the most likely response, based on the psychological profiles we have on the world's leading government officials. But the Greek and Turkish reactions were genuine, including the launches on Kurdistan and Russia." She looked just as sick as he felt. "So yes, I think this is exactly how things would have turned out."
They stared at each other, unable to do anything but sit and control the gorge that was trying to rise. Then they both swallowed convulsively, and set to recording their broadcast. Not that they needed to do more than tell the world what they had done. The game recordings said everything that needed to be said-and then some.
The soldiers were coming for them.
After their broadcast it had only been a matter of time before they were caught, so Daphne and Basil were ready. Daphne activated the hidden interrupt switch in the game and freed their victims on both sides. Now the matter lay in the hands of the UN officials who had been sent to Greece and Turkey. Basil prayed that they would be able to keep the opponents from starting the war all over again-for real this time.
Two military trucks came to a stop in front of the house, disgorging soldiers. A few more seconds, and they'd come storming through the door, which Daphne had opened so the soldiers wouldn't have an excuse to come in shooting. Basil stared through the door and reached blindly for Daphne's hand. She grabbed it with crushing force.
"Did we do the right thing?"
He turned his head, met her eyes. Eyes full of all the insecurity and doubts she had so bravely hidden over the last week.
"Yes, love," he said. "We did the right thing. I'm sure of it."
An army officer walked in through the open door. Four armed soldiers followed him in and took position flanking him, two on each side. Many more soldiers stood in the hallway, just outside the door.
The officer had a scowl on his face."Are you Basil Papadakis and Daphne Nikopolidou?"
"Yes," Daphne said.
Basil nodded, not trusting his voice.
The officer smiled.
In unison, the officer and his squad saluted.