Mind Trace (9 page)

Alice thought about denying that she had created those
drawings, but she knew that her fingerprints were all over them. No doubt, they
had also seen the makeshift workshop she made in the dining room at the cabin.

One thing I know for sure... there's no way he realizes
the truth of the situation. But, this line of conversation is dangerous; I need
to redirect his focus.

Eric had been studying her reaction as she thought through her
circumstances. Her face had clouded after he showed her the drawings and she
seemed to be deeply considering what to tell him next. Behind her, the monitors
were buzzing with activity.

She looked up at him again and tried to manage her most
incredulous expression. "So, let me get this straight. You're telling me
you think I somehow downloaded
all
of the information from your server
onto a computer I don't have, with a connection that ceased to exist before it
could have completed the download, and am now using the information to make
super advanced conclusions in sciences that no one even understands? I have to
know...where do you think I am storing your data in the meantime?"

"Well, Alice, it might be in your head," he
coolly replied.

What? He can't be serious.

Look at him; he's just fishing for information... he
doesn't actually know anything. Don't panic.

 She fought every instinct to stare back at him with her
mouth gaped open. Instead, she managed a weak smile and a high-pitched, nervous
giggle.

"That's
definitely
the most logical conclusion."
She paused. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Eric stared at her for what seemed like ages. Then he
finally replied, "I think that's enough for now. We will discuss the
matter more at a later time."

He moved out of her view and she heard the sound of the
door activating again, then footsteps.

Eric spoke briskly, "We are finished for now. Unhook
her from the monitors."

In another direction, he said, "When he is done, take
her back to her quarters."

Alice nervously watched the doctor as he came over and
removed the various probes. Before he moved away, he did a quick check on her
vitals. He seemed satisfied and moved over to the monitors to review the data
from her session.

 After that, the two guards approached her and undid her
restraints to move her to the mobile chair.  They seemed much more alert this
time, holding her fast and making sure she couldn't attempt any kind of trickery. 

Grant remained behind as Alice was wheeled from the room,
the metal door shutting behind them as they left.

***

Eric considered what Alice had said. The analysts had not
yet been able to get past the security on her laptop, so there was no way to
verify whether she received any such email or not.  However, if someone was
sending solicitations for people to hack their servers, it certainly warranted
an investigation.

An unwelcome voice broke into his thoughts.

"Sir, you need to look at this!"

Eric reluctantly walked over to the monitor where the
doctor had been looking over the results.

The doctor gestured to the charts. "The level of
activity here…it is unheard of! I would not have believed it, had I not been
here to see it with my own eyes. It shouldn't even be possible. This would indicate
that girl has access to, and is actively using, almost the full capacity of her
brain at all times!"

Eric studied the charts. Instead of the normal areas
colored on the brain scan, practically the entire area was lit up with
activity.  His eyes narrowed.

"Have these machines been calibrated lately? The last
prototype showed inaccurate readings because it would not hold the calibration
values."

"I checked them twice myself only this morning,"
Dr. Eichmann replied.

"There is definitely more going on here than meets the
eye. Have this entire machine sent to engineering to be re-evaluated."

"Yes, sir. I will take it myself."

The doctor unhooked the machine and wheeled it from the
room, shutting the door behind him as he left.

"What do you think of all of this, Grant?"

Eric inquired to the man that stayed behind, lingering in
the shadows.  He trusted Grant with his life and would occasionally seek his
invaluable insights.

"I won't pretend to understand what is going on here, sir.
But, I do agree with you. There is more to her than she is letting on. She has
a keen eye, and is not as innocent as she claims," Grant gruffly replied.

"Yes, but what could she be hiding? We need more
information. How are the analysts coming with her laptop?"

Grant looked back at him, eyebrows furrowing. "It's
virtually impossible to hack, sir. She has levels of security on there that no
one has ever seen before. The engineers themselves are baffled.
We
don't
even have anything that advanced."

 "How did she manage to do that? And where did those
drawings come from?" Eric wondered out loud.

"Well, I think it's unlikely that she was responsible.
She's just a girl, barely out of college. She's not even old enough to drink
yet!"

Grant sighed, running his hands through his peppered hair. "But,
we should not underestimate that one, sir."

Eric paused for a moment, considering.  "Well, she won't
be able to cause any trouble from here," he finally answered. "Keep
an eye on her, Grant."

With that, Eric turned and left him. He needed to ensure
that his teams were aware of the critical nature of their task. The sooner they
could access her files, the quicker they would have some answers. 

Time to put some pressure on the engineers.

***

Alice was unwillingly brought back to her room. One guard
unstrapped her restraints, while the other stood in the doorway, hand resting
on what appeared to be a tranquilizer gun. 

Now's not the time to try anything. These guards are far
too alert. Maybe after the shift change?

She moved back near her bed and the two men exited, steel
door swiftly clicking back into place. Alice sighed, feeling as if she could
almost taste the freedom that lingered somewhere on the other side, just out of
reach.

The computer side of her brain offered her model numbers
and specifications for the door and hardware, but that knowledge would not help
her break through the massive steel barricade.  It just reaffirmed her
suspicion that she would never be able to get escape with any of the means
currently at her disposal.

I might as well see if there's anything useful around
here.

Her earlier assumptions about the room were correct. A
small bathroom was behind one of the doors. In it was a set of cabinets,
toilet, small shower, and an even smaller vanity. The vanity also had a cabinet
underneath which, of course, was empty. 

Nothing.

The other door housed a small closet. Inside, all the
clothing she had packed was hung neatly on coat hangers. Upon closer
inspection, she saw that they were built-in hangers, permanently attached to
the rod they hung on.

Figures. I don't know what's more alarming…the fact that
I'm being held prisoner by EngineerCorp, or that they took the time to so
neatly unpack my clothes.

She turned back to the rest of her room. She knew by
looking at it that it was approximately 300 square feet, including bathroom and
closet. Accessing the wiring diagrams, she also knew that there were no
security feeds in her quarters.

That's a relief. Good to know no one will be spying on
me while I'm in the bathroom…

On the other hand, there were cameras posted all throughout
the hallway beyond, covering almost every square inch of space. They fed back
into the security station for that level, as well as to the central security
station on the top floor. 

There was a small access panel next to the door, requiring
both a palm scan and code entry to activate.  Even if she knew the code, she
had no way of reproducing someone's handprint.

Sometime soon, someone would have to bring her food…she had
not eaten in at least a day and a half. Alice knew she had to get out of there
as soon as possible, or risk her "talents" being discovered.

Time to make a plan.
 

She sat back on her bed and let her mind begin to work. It
took her a little under ten minutes to make her preparations.

There's a small employee terminal at the end of the
hallway outside. If I can make it there, I can gain access to the main network.
Then, I could create a diversion somewhere else in the complex and make a break
for it while everyone is cleaning up the mess.

Hmm... Project Alchernon seems to be a vulnerable point.

According to the information in her mind, EngineerCorp had
been channeling most of their energies into Project Alchernon. It was basically
a computer that could be operated by brainwaves. The user could place a
wireless band around their head, allowing them to operate the computer merely
by thought. They had been developing the interface and were nearing the final
stages of completion. The projected release date was only a month away. 
Needless to say, it was supposed to be the next "big thing" for
EngineerCorp. It was not something that Eric would risk jeopardizing.

Perfect.

I'll start by setting off the alarms for the cooling
system surrounding the project servers. I need to stay away from proximity or
security alarms or they will put the complex on lockdown…then, I'd never get
out.

After the temperature alarms go off, I'll just create a
few malfunctions here and there in the area. Maybe a terminal, a camera or two,
some locking mechanisms…

Alice smiled, pleased with her plan.

It won't damage any of their information, but it will
create enough distraction for me to escape. No harm done and I have my freedom.
It's a win-win.

Now, she just had to wait around for the opportunity to
exit her cell.

Chapter 7

The opportunity came sooner than she could have imagined.
Only thirty minutes had passed since coming back to her cell.

Alice hoped to escape when the man came to deliver her
food. She had not thought much about how she would disarm him, only that she
hoped her mind would fill in those details when she needed them.

Hmm...I need a way to disarm him.

I think my best bet is to feign incompetence and play up
the "innocent little girl" card.  

She heard the telltale click of the lock and she stood up.
As the door opened, a man entered with a tray. Alice did her best to act
shocked, as if she were so completely caught off-guard by his entrance that she
tripped and fell, trying to scramble to the opposite side of the room. She
added an extra flair by pretending to hit her head on the foot of the bed,
perhaps too convincingly. She lay still on the floor, resisting the urge to rub
her knee where she hit it on the bedpost.

Maybe if I look like I'm unconscious, he'll come over to
investigate.

The man hesitated, then swore and approached her, setting
the tray on her desk. The door clicked shut behind him. Her act seemed to be
working as the guard knelt down on the floor next to her, checking for
injuries. Alice watched him cautiously, peeking through tiny slits in her
eyelids. As he was trying to find her pulse, she noticed a metal glint coming
from a holster on his belt.

Perfect! He's carrying a taser! (Did I really just think
that?)

Alice acted before she had time to doubt her resolve,
ripping the taser from his belt and activating it on the guard's leg. He swore
again and fell on top of her, convulsing. She awkwardly pushed the man off and
got to her feet.

Sorry, mister, but I'm going to need those clothes if I
want to get out of here without getting caught.

She had just started to remove his uniform when he began to
stir. Without thinking, she planted a karate-style punch to the side of his
neck, making contact with a pressure point.  He fell completely unconscious under
the blow, and Alice felt a sense of awe and disbelief that it actually worked.

I hope he'll be alright. He definitely won't be very
happy when he wakes up. Hopefully, I'll be far enough away from here that it
won't matter.  

  She hurried with the rest of his uniform, not wanting to
wait around to see how effective her blow had been.

When Alice had completely removed his outfit, leaving only
his underclothes, she went ahead and handcuffed him to prevent any more issues.

She pulled the uniform on over her clothes and tucked her
hair inside the patrol cap. Alice had a difficult time with the boots; they
were too large, but she found she could still walk convincingly in them. Not
wanting to leave her own shoes behind, she slipped one in each of the huge
cargo pockets on either leg.

She stepped in the bathroom to survey her appearance,
making sure there were no obvious signs that would betray her identity. As long
as no one looked closely, her disguise was more than passable.

She quickly went back into the room and added all of the
guard's accessories to her belt. She noticed happily that one of them was a
tranquilizer gun.

Can't get enough of these lately. You never know when
someone needs to get knocked out!

Alice removed the ear bud from the guard's ear, and placed
it in her own.  As she suspected, it was transmitting the radio communications
used by security. Her ear filled with the typical radio chatter: check-ins,
requests, and other similar conversations.

As she was about to tackle opening the door, the smell of
the food reached her nose and her stomach rumbled uncomfortably.