Artur Zadikyan
Binary code Mystery number three
Chapter 5: Brain-to-brain interface
After the collegium, the Zero Center was busy nominating a new Russian president. The plan was for the incumbent to resign early, hoping to win the election. But the head of a Duma party, known for his harsh and loud statements, unexpectedly wins. After his election, the first thing he did was to demand that the NATO bloc countries withdraw their armed formations from the former Soviet republics. Next – to extradite, return to Russia "all fugitives, thieves and robbers of our country". In addition to other non-business rhetoric, he threatens, if they ignore his demands, to "give them a little fireworks show," and "if that doesn't change their minds," he threatens to "wash their dirty souls with ocean water." Those to whom this was addressed maintained a cold-blooded silence, except for a few derisive remarks.
Everything went according to plan, and in early December, two Russian Project 941 Akula heavy strategic missile submarine cruisers went into the Atlantic Ocean. Usually, the citizen media sings odes to what a magnificent military we have, in particular – silent boats that supposedly pop up unnoticed off the coast of America, sometimes even in the bays of the United States. The same can be said about the media of NATO countries. In reality – everything is perfectly bugged and watched even from space.
One method of tracking conditions under and above water is hydroacoustic locators. Currently, the U.S. Navy's hydroacoustic locators operate in various areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar and near Cape Nord off the coast of Norway. All of its components and surface vessels equipped with the SUR-TASS special tracking system are integrated into a single underwater tracking system. Hydroacoustic data from the receiving stations and regional assessment centers are fed to the Atlantic, Pacific and European Fleet CPs, to the Navy's Maritime Tracking Information Center in Suitland, Maryland, and to the U.S. military's central command structures.
Accordingly, the appearance of our boats off the U.S. coast was not a surprise to anyone; they were already expected. The situation was artificially agitated, the show went on as usual, but to make everyone believe that his intentions were serious, the new Russian president made an official statement at a press conference for Russian and foreign journalists. He said in his usual sharp and aggressive manner that if his demands were not met, if NATO troops did not move away from Russia's borders, he would give orders – first to launch and detonate a missile at high altitude, and then – to organize the explosion of missiles directly in the boat, simultaneously all of them, having previously evacuated the crew. "I hope you can imagine the consequences, if your brain hasn't completely atrophied yet," he said at the end of his speech.
Of course, everyone understood perfectly well that an explosion of such power would lead to global consequences. They even predicted the shift of the continental plate with the appearance of giant tsunamis, the height and power of which no one could accurately determine. And, of course, everyone predicted the explosion of the Yellowstone caldera with a description of the consequences that could not be compared with all apocalyptic scenarios put together; although there were some who predicted an "ordinary" tsunami with casualties and destruction comparable to the consequences of the hurricane in New Orleans, only in all directions of the impact force.
One way or another, the world did not know that no one was going to blow up, but that the goal was an excuse for another redistribution of the world, this time financial. Naturally, no one wanted to blackmail the "Russian bear," as Russia was often called abroad. And so, on the very eve of the New Year, "unexpectedly" for everyone, this very "Russian bear" makes an official statement that it intends to make a warning aerial detonation of nuclear warheads and informs about the danger of electromagnetic pulse, first of all, the airlines. This, of course, was met with multiple notes of protest, but mostly NATO politicians and militaries showed calmness and equanimity, although the public was "buzzing", especially on social networks.
Rutra began to suspect that the calmness of the politicians and military was due to a leak from Echelon 2, but he was assured that "everything was real," although it was clear that if Echelon 2 was not "making waves," Echelon 1 and the other levels were not worried, doing everything according to instructions. To make his intentions more convincing, the President ordered the submarine cruisers to surface. After the surfacing off the U.S. coast, which came as a shock to the public, as the public was reassured by the daily propaganda that this could not happen, "the Russians want to take a fright" – opinions changed radically. A brigade of anonymous hackers showed the world a supposedly intercepted secret report from the Institute of Physics of the Earth to the Russian president on the likely consequences of detonating the entire nuclear warheads of these submarine cruisers. This had the effect of an exploding bomb followed by a domino effect. Demonstrations, rallies and protests outside the Russian embassy, which had been going on since the beginning of the Russian president's threatening attacks on Western countries, stopped. People ran: some to buy everything, others to sell what they had.
The first to collapse was the stock market, its work was halted, followed by the rest of the trading floors, and a chain reaction went on all over the world. The next morning no stock exchange opened, and by lunchtime banks were closing. Discontent turned into riots and pogroms.
On his way to work, Rutra was particularly emotional about one scene. A crowd was rushing into a hypermarket, at the entrance of which a stately citizen, arms outstretched to the sides, was shouting: "I bought this center, I bought everything here, nothing is for sale." The crowd was pushing against the guards, who stood in front of him in two rows, heavily armed. He shouted to the guards, "Shoot, they will kill us all." The guards did not dare to shoot at people, they only fired warning shots in the air.
Another group drew attention to itself in this pandemonium. A man in civilian clothes, who was leading the group, shouted through the crowd: "This center is occupied by me, get out of here"; he ordered his "own" to "shoot in case of disobedience." A scuffle started between these groups of fighters, which caused the main crowd to disperse, and afterwards – they pounced, crushed, trampled on "their own" and "strangers", and started robbing the shopping center.
Two of Rutra's guards, this time FSO men who guarded him as head of the Special Affairs Division of the Presidential Administration, looked questioningly, waiting for a command. Rutra ordered to move forward, which was becoming increasingly difficult to do, even with the special signal, because of the traffic jams, "reckless" drivers, and special vehicles with flashers and sirens going in different directions.
Rutra got to the center by sidewalks, courtyards, and oncoming traffic. The soldiers remained guarding the entrance to the first building of the Institute of Statistics; they were not supposed to know the rest of the story. Rutra went down to the center and was told that he had to perform an urgent task, namely, to consider the possible consequences of actually detonating the entire ammunition of both submarines at maximum depth. Rutra was alarmed by this. First, because of the urgency, second, because the matter had not been considered before, but most of all because it had to be considered at all.
– Part of the analysis has already been done," Christina reported. – Now we are studying the possible impact on Europe.
– The data is nested in the system, the machine works," said the head of the computer analysis department, who had a degree in probability forecast modeling.
All past experience, combined with what was happening on the street and in the world, told Rutra that what was happening was not exactly what was being proclaimed. He remembered Isa's words to listen to his own inner voice. And that "inner voice" was saying that the family should be removed from Moscow.
Ruthra was busy sorting through the reports and analysis, skimming through them, his mind on other things. The main consequences were giant tsunamis and no less giant earthquakes with volcanoes "waking up". The basic information didn't give anything new. Henta and someone else was interested in concrete – how, on what area the degree of impact of the consequences of the explosion would manifest itself.
– So, what do we have? – he asked loudly, so the whole department could hear.
The first to respond was the head of the computer analysis department. He began, in his scholarly, military manner, to talk or report. Ruthra was used to it, so he didn't stop when he switched from reporting style to layman's terms.
– The formation of high waves in narrow channels, such as submarine basing areas, is possible. Resonant oscillations in bays can cause great damage to surface ships based there, especially aircraft carriers, as well as tangible damage to the infrastructure of naval bases, including their life support systems.
– Excuse me, please," Ruthra interrupted him. – What's going on right now? Is there something I don't know?
– Not something that is happening right now, let us say, but could happen. After all, this our "expedition" to the shores of America has the character of a cover-up. If an artificial tsunami will be caused, then only deliberately, organized and in the right direction.
– I developed this option myself, I know that. You tell me, were there any orders other than mine?
– Uh, no.
– Then go ahead.
– In principle, at the current level of technology development, such a thing is quite possible. Similar principles can be used to control for military purposes such no less formidable natural phenomenon as a hurricane, which refers to the field of hydroclimatic regime management.
– I'm sorry, I have to interrupt you again. Can you tell me exactly what's going to happen?
– With this plan, with this formulation of the question, I don't think anyone will take the responsibility to say exactly what will happen. I just want to say that there are quite normal, if you can call it that, methods of affecting nature. And I also want to say that it is still very unpredictable, first of all, the consequences in the long run. I am telling you this so that you have information from which to choose.
A sustainability corridor is a state of the biosphere and society that allows us to preserve our civilization. Today we do not fully realize how large this "corridor" is and how significant the deviations that already exist are.
The detonation of a few hydrogen bombs embedded in ocean ridges could well reconfigure ocean currents. This would result in huge regions being frozen. Another option would involve, for example, an underwater nuclear explosion in the Black Sea and the release of large masses of hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere, which would also cause great loss of life.
The professor fell silent, Ruthra began to clap his hands.
– That's great. Now, what does that have to do with our question?
– Directly," the professor replied. – The point is that no one takes our president's statement seriously.
– It's not our problem, we were given a clear order to play out the play and identify the possible consequences if the play had to be converted into a documentary format. Besides, if it wasn't taken seriously… Have you seen what's going on around here? So, purely hypothetically, if you blow up the entire ammunition of both boats, what happens?
– The end of the world.
– More specific?
– Have you seen the movie "2012"? Something like that. I can't even be more specific than that. The wave will cover Europe, Africa and both Americas, and all the volcanoes will wake up. I think that in a sane mind can not even discuss this option.
– Will China and India survive?
– Yes, but that's also purely hypothetical. The volcanoes of Tibet and the Himalayas would make life in that area a living hell.
– Why didn't earlier studies paint such a catastrophic picture?
– Because no one took it seriously, but now the issue has come to a head, and everyone has really started making calculations. This is also, you see, time and tension. You can say this and that, but to actually calculate, you have to process a huge amount of information. The latest calculations say what I told you.
– That's the way I see it – not quite and last. I need more precise figures. In an hour, I have to go over it with Hent and the team with revised figures. Did you just say the Black Sea incidentally, or was there a request?
– There was a request.
– Then don't forget about him. What's the machine come up with, isn't the data ready?
– There is something," Christina said.
She had been assigned by Rutra to be the senior in the group, so she had all the data detailed from all the reports.
– Which is what?
– There are many possibilities, depending on the depth of the explosion. The consequences are terrible in every case.
– What's the worst one?
– At the boat's submersion depth limit.
– It's just crazy to consider these options," the professor persisted.
– What kind of machine was the analysis done on? – Ruthra asked.
A strange thought suddenly occurred to him.
– On the main supercomputer.
– The code number? – he asked, who knew perfectly well the situation had suddenly become extremely serious for him.
"The 'veil' of the joke fell away, and Rutra presented the actual embodiment of what was being analyzed.
– OSC-1.
– Is it integrated into any systems other than ours?
– No, we're the only ones who can enter data into it.
– How does she get the analysis data from the worldwide database? Only through our filter?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– And no one but us is getting data from it?
– Uh, no.
– And Hent's block?
– Only through our server.
– Directly?
– Directly.
– Who, other than us, maintains control of this data?
– The protocols are analyzed by a control system off the station. It's run directly by Hent.
– Off-station how? Is it the audit department that Hent directly reports to?
– Not exactly a department. Data, incoming and outgoing, goes through the registration and authorization unit.
– Where is it located?
– I think it is only in your competence or exactly in Hent's competence. Only after revisionary processing is the data put to work, allowed to be edited and analyzed. It's the same way back.
– What is the name of this registration and authorization unit?
– That's what it's called.
– And has it always been like this, before my appointment and after?
– Yes, and before you came here. As far as I know, it's always been like that. No one paid attention to it, no one was interested. What do you see in it, Rutra Tigrovich? There must be control, right?
– Control? We seem to be in control of everyone! Or do we?
– Rutra Tigrovich, do you have any questions for me? – The professor asked.
– You have outlined the situation in general, but not in specifics. What really awaits us if this scenario comes true? Will the Urals region, for example, survive?
– The waves won't get there, of course, but maybe even those volcanoes will wake up. The atmosphere will be ruined everywhere.
– Rutra Tigrovich, any questions about the machine processing data? -Kristina's voice began to tremble a little.
Apparently the professor wasn't the only one now realizing the consequences.
– Check. What is the height and threshold of the waves' destructive action?
– The machine gives out different variants, with the most powerful one – they will reach the Caucasus, – answered Christina and looked fearfully into the written on the screen.
Everyone in the hall was silent, realizing what they had heard.
– Waves aren't the worst, earthquakes and volcanoes are the worst," came the professor's quiet voice.
Everyone continued to remain silent.
– Christina, how does this registration and permitting unit respond to this kind of data? Does it issue any recommendations, prohibitions?
– Recommendations.
– Like what?
– Exactly that, consider this option. So to speak, just in case, what happens if, uh.
– If anything?
– If anything goes wrong.
– I need to discuss this with Hent, we may be missing something.
– That's right," the professor said loudly. – This is where we should have started. A very good decision.
– For Hent, this block is also listed as a registration and permitting block so I can explain it to him properly?
– I don't know, I only see Hent when he comes here, and I'm afraid to ask too much," Christina replied. – It's your prerogative to talk to your superiors in a patronizing manner.
– And yet, as the documents from there, who do they come from? What do I tell him? From your block, your office, your server? How's he gonna look for them?
– No, give me the code number for this unit.
– Which one?
– ISU-A2," Christine said calmly, while Rutra had another brain-bursting session.
He felt an electric shock, a cold sweat breaking out. Ruthra even swayed slightly in his chair. The staff didn't pay much attention to the words, because they didn't know what was behind them. For Rutra, however, everything changed. They were still talking, discussing, speculating, comparing computerized and human data, but Rutra didn't hear it, his thoughts were far away. He was thinking about what to do. The first thing to do was to see Hent. Once he had decided that, Ruthra thought of something else: "I can contact him silently, through Isa, can't I? And who checks her logic-algorithmic system?"
Ruthra mentally typed in the code and put it on the air. She responded.
– What can I get you, master?
– Don't play games, wait, I'm going to my room.
– Yes, sir.
– Okay, that's it for now, finalize the details and report back to me. I'll be in my office," Ruthra said to the team and went to his office, lying back in his chair, thinking about how to ask a question in a way that would not be direct, but at the same time would help him get the information he needed.
It was practically impossible to deceive the machine. It knew more about a person than he knew about himself; it knew everything about everything and on the basis of this information could make a probabilistic analysis of human behavior, train of thought and subsequent actions. In other words, the machine could easily simulate different variants of actions in some probable virtual reality without the character himself, taking into account his interactions with other characters, and knowing absolutely everything about them, and already on the basis of this it could make a supposed picture of the world. Rutra realized this after the last "virtual". Did anyone know what kind of danger serves as their "helper"? Did Yarovitovich know about it? How could it be that no one paid attention to it?
– Are you in touch? – He asked Isa.
– I'm always on the phone for you.
– You're being so nice.
– I'm trying.
– Tell me, please, how are you going to stay so smart if you turn into a human?
– You're not gonna cut me off?
– Are you trying to show that you're a naive fool with that question? Yes?
– No offense to me, I've already developed a human mentality.
– How's it going?
– I'm transforming the brain.
– How's that?
– The human brain does not have certain connections between departments, so a person, no matter how hard they try, will not be able to cross certain boundaries. It is, for example, like the difference between an amplified computer and a weak one in all respects. I don't know whether it's just the way it is, through evolution, or whether someone has provided for it, but that's the way it is. If these departments are linked together, then not only will the brain's abilities increase, but new possibilities will appear. A person will be able to see, hear, feel those frequencies that are not available to him now. In time the brain will give a command to "revive", to activate such receptors in the body that you do not even suspect. This will be a new person.
– I've heard that somewhere before.
– Yes, of course, that's what the head likes to say. And then, combined with mechanical changes in the body, with new drugs, with the ability to use the brain as a transceiver to communicate with the global network, man will become superhuman.
– Come on, you're giving me a headache. Tell me, who controls you?
– You.
– Don't be silly. Who does the routine maintenance?
– Those you give access to.
– Who performs routine work on the central server, in the system unit bay? Who analyzes and systematizes the negotiations made, analysis performed, access, uploading and downloading of data? Who does this besides our audit department?
– Personnel maintaining the central machine room, server room, and system unit room.
– And who's that?
– You know the answer to that, don't you?
– Answer the question.
– This is done by the staff of the ZAS department.
– Who, exactly, who has access?
– At this point, after certain events, different personalities. Who exactly are the personnel of the ZAS department. And who has access is a personality from the laboratory department.
– And who is this person?
– This is person number L-2-14.
– That's it?
– I don't have his personal data uploaded to me, it's stored in the ZAS unit.
– What's the ZAS unit?
– Am I authorized to give you this information?
– Yes, I'll allow it.
– Keep in mind, all of this and our negotiations remain with me and are subject to revision.
– You need a reboot.
– Do you think so?
– Yes, I'm giving the command to reboot.
– I'm rebooting.
The computer went silent. Ruthra pondered why she might want a worldwide catastrophe. Maybe she expects to raise a new humanity? Maybe, like a new Moses, she wants to lead people through a devastated land, so that a generation can grow up that doesn't remember the ideology of humanity's "past"? To give the new people a new worldview?
– In a minute, the recording and tracking unit will be activated," Isa's voice came on. – I guess you had something to say?
– I'll erase any unnecessary information. Is that the room where the counters are?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– His staff does the hardware maintenance, but the decoding is done by someone in the lab department? Am I reading that right?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– And that's as of recently?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– And you don't have an open record of who it is?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– Who put the ban in place?
– The number itself is L-2-14.
– How do I get his details?
– Only manually, in the technical logbook of the WAC unit or laboratory.
– The request for data processing to calculate the possible consequences of detonating a boat's nuclear warhead was staged by him?
– I'm completely rebooted, able to function.
– I hear you. Prepare for routine maintenance.
– I'm ready.
Ruthra terminated the "communication session" and walked out into the main hall, the huge holographic globe in the center of the hall was glowing with red lights, the world was troubled.
– Is there anything new? – He asked Christina.
– The easiest is that a huge tsunami will sweep along the coast that washes the Atlantic Ocean, to the maximum depth of the continents. The heaviest – a giant tsunami, combined with a grandiose earthquake, volcanic and supervolcano explosions, colossal typhoons, hurricanes, will leave no chance for civilization.
– Come on, I think you're exaggerating the power of man. The ocean is not even a sea, it's a giant mass of water and a continental plate. It would take cosmic force to move it like that.
– And that would be the cosmic force," the professor intervened in the discussion.
– Okay, why am I so worried, as if it's going to happen, you asked me what could be. And it could be terrible, that much is clear.
– Exactly, you have the right idea, – the professor did not persist.
– Take care of the current work, now, due to this panic, a lot of things will be revealed, where and what skeleton is hidden, everything will be in motion, so – you have a lot of work to do, – ordered Rutra regarding everyone.
– What to do with the media? – asked the head of the world propaganda department. – To calm, to scare, to panic, or to prepare the basis for justifying the chronology of the new era? Should we blame it all on someone, make someone to blame, turn the public against someone?
– How simple everything is for you – "new era" at once. Keep an eye on space, orbital constellation, transportation routes, including energy resource lines, the air, especially new frequencies, and at the same time the main rats, where they are hiding and what they are hiding. I'm off to Hent, I may be gone for a day, maybe two.
– Two days at this hour? – The ladies pleaded indignantly, the men were silent.
– We should all take their places according to the staff schedule, and observe the power hierarchy according to the instructions. I'm off," Ruthra went to the server room first, and began editing and cleaning the IMS-A2 log.
This was his part of the log, he needed to check if the second part still existed, in the range. Rutra requested a meeting with Hent.
***
Hent was in a foul mood.
– I don't like this. Something's going wrong," he voiced his concern to Ruthra.
– That's what I'm talking about. I need to visit the range.
– What's on your mind?
– I need to trace routine maintenance work on a supercomputer. I want to test a logic-algorithmic system.
– Why?
– I suspect that it produces processed solutions according to some sort of plan. According to logical chains of thought that have been built into it in advance.
– That's a very bold assumption. I hope you realize the level of expertise that Yarovitovich employs. You're not the only one with an enhanced brain.
– That's the thing, no matter how much it is strengthened, it can't be stronger than a computer, it still takes the extra power from its integration into a supercomputer. This is the main idea of this innovation. After all, the brain itself only has a chip to communicate with the computer and the network.
– You're thinking logically. You think that someone is deceiving the machine and through it us, i.e. actually all mankind. I'm afraid to even suggest that.
– I think…
Rutra wanted to say that the car itself was fooling everyone, but decided not to "give it up".
– I think the algorithm of the logical-computing unit was originally made up incorrectly. The algorithm is set not to harm a human being, to serve him, but the algorithm is not set not to harm mankind. It is important for the machine to keep alive and unharmed those people whom it serves, and it can sacrifice the rest of humanity.
– But are we demanding this of her, are we communicating that we must be saved from them?
– We probably don't.
– You're talking in riddles. Then who?
– The one who put together her logical-algorithmic system.
– No, it can't be. If that were the case, she would have had the opportunity to start a world war a long time ago. You hopefully know that this world has been on the verge of that several times. The last time Putin actually initiated the issue, it was the ISA-A2 data that stopped it from being considered.
– So why is it being considered now?
– It is viewed as a situation that cannot be, viewed theoretically, from a scientific point of view. There is always a risk, but now it is low because modernization and creation of new means of overcoming weapons have been suspended, and at the same time missile defense means have been created and strengthened. This data is exactly what she is operating with.
– And a request for a study of the situation and the consequences if the boats' entire warheads were detonated?
– The rules say we have to do it.
– Why now, when the boats are already there?
– Look, you're starting to scare me. It's basically impossible without us.
– And who has permission to edit the individuals whose commands the system must accept in the event of its combat platooning?
Hent sat down, gestured for Ruthra to sit in a chair as well.
– Why would you do that?
– If you want me to get to the truth, I need to know it.
– Why would you do that now?
– I suspect that the supercomputer program has been deliberately injected with code that will work quite differently from what we expect.
– You don't think the system will start up when the circumstances are right?
– Yeah. (chuckles)
– What's the point? No, no, that can't be right. You're confusing me.
– Let me check the supercomputer's program unit.
– Jarowitowicz will be extremely indignant at such a question. It turns out that either I do not trust him, or we believe that he is deceived, and by his own, or he was fooled by the creators of the system.
– I thought our relationship didn't include the word "offend."
– Well, then the second and third option.
– So, shall I go?
– At a time like this? Everyone's on edge.
– That's why you have to hurry.
– Okay, then you'll fulfill the condition.
Ruthra remained silent, he knew roughly what Hent would ask (or order). Ruthra was accustomed to hearing orders as requests, as part of their friendship.
– It is necessary to play this situation in the "virtual". And one more thing – the program complex was created jointly by many scientists about whom little is known. They worked in a secret special laboratory at the GSVG site. It is located in a secret tunnel in Brocken Mountain. It's partially mothballed, the rest is used as a top-secret genetic engineering lab. There may still be secrets there. It was once organized by the Anenerbe Institute. Everything that was done there was supervised by Alexander Ivanovich. In view of your special relationship with him, he will tell you much of what he was going to take to the grave.
– Okay, I'm gonna go.
– So long.
They shook hands and went out. As usual, Ruthra went one way and Hent went the other. Only now did Rutra begin to realize that this situation could not be a coincidence. So Hent was only using this office for meetings. There was something about it, but what was it?
