Stan Mason - Stopping World War Three

‘If you’re so good how come you spent three years in jail?’ The words were fired at him like an arrow from a crossbow.

He stopped playing the video to look at me. ‘That’s the reason why I’m the best, man. You see I’m the only person in the world who broke through the scrambler telephone system. No one else could do it. In case you don’t know what it is, a scrambler system is one where people can talk secretly over the telephone and no one else can listen in. It’s unbreakable… security efficient. But I found a way to break in.’

My mind sought an answer to his boast. Who could it have been… a government department, MI5, a military establishment… perhaps the Bank of England? It had to be someone elevated for him to be sent to prison for three years. ‘And who’s telephone conversation did you unscramble?’ I attacked fiercely, trying to make him out to be a fool.

He paused for a moment while he eradicated a number of invaders falling out of the sky on the video. ‘It was stupid,’ he explained briefly. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have done it but it did wonders for my ego. I tapped into a conversation between the President of the United States and the President of Iraq.’

‘Did the conversation have anything to do with the Gulf War?’

‘Don’t ask me, man. I’m not interested in politics. Only computers. But they were talkin’ together like real buddies.’

My mind was reeling when we left him. He had opened the window to world politics I never knew existed. People often believed that treachery occurred at high levels. Even the media was kept in the dark. Now I understood why governments placed limitation on the release of information claiming to reveal that it was against the public interest for anyone to know. Eventually, the details came to light some fifty years on, after which it is too late to do anything about them and most of the perpetrators had probably gone to their maker. Of one thing I was certain… the quicker I obtained the information from the data banks of the computer in Dandy Advanced Electronics, the faster I would be free from danger. In addition, I would never have to face that awful person, Chris Devon, again!

Penny and I arrived at the offices of Dandy Advanced Electronics at nine o’clock the next morning. I had no fear of the threat presented by Primar that a letter had been sent to the Chairman concerned the false fact that I had stolen money from the company’s funds. I had no intention of starting work but wasted no time in putting a call in to John Packman, the director of the weaponry division. He wasn’t there at the time so I left a message for him to return the call. It was almost an hour when he came back to me.

‘Sorry, Jason,’ he apologised. ‘I had a meeting with the Chief Executive. We had a few problems over the weekend. Someone tried to break into the complex. Every time that happens we have to have a review on security and tighten it up. What can I do for you?’

Tighten the security! I could have cheerfully throttled the fool who tried to break in. He hadn’t helped my cause one little bit! ‘Someone’s come up with an idea for laser welding to improve domestic computer production,’ I lied. ‘I’m pretty naïve about lasers and I thought you might be able to fill in the gaps if I came to look at the equipment in your division.’

‘We have lasers,’ he replied reluctantly, ‘but our research relates to military capability.’

‘I’ve never seen one at work so it might be useful for me to get a worm’s eye view. Anyway, it’s about time I visited your division to find out what’s going on there.’

He hesitated for a few moments weighing up the pros and cons. ‘Very well,’ he said eventually. ‘If you want to come over you’d better do it right away. I’ll have to get Personnel Division to transmit your photograph and curriculum vitae to our computer terminal in the security block otherwise you won’t be able to gain access to the complex. We have one of the best security systems in the country, you know.’

I felt my knees go weak at his revelation as I replaced the receiver into its cradle. As far as it went, so far so good! Within a short while I would be inside the weaponry division familiarising myself with the layout and the kind of security in operation.

‘Well don!’ commended Penny when I told her the news. ‘Stage One is now operational.’

‘Operational,’ I grunted solemnly. ‘I don’t think that’s the right word. I can’t seem to get the spectre of your computer expert out of my mind. I’m sure he’s bad news.’

‘Then you’ll be surprised to find out how good he is when the time for action arrives,’ she countered with a confident smile.

I left the building and drove out of the city. Before long the car was cruising across a derelict suburban area. The establishment of the weaponry division was easily recognised, surrounded by stout concrete posts with strong wire netting in between, safeguarded by miles of ominous-looking barbed wire. Large signs alerted visitors to the fact that the fencing was electrified. It was further protected by two groups of uniformed guards, some carrying rifles while others handled savage Alsatian dogs on short leashes. I approached the cubicle at the front gate pressing a red button below the window which slid downwards to show the face of yet another security guard.

‘Your identification, sir,’ he requested politely.

I showed him my company card bearing my photograph which he scanned for information. Then he tapped in the information into a computer to check that the details were correct. Shortly, he handed the card back to me.

‘Mr. Packman has granted you authorisation for this visit,’ he told me, ‘but before I allow you inside I must ask you to open all the doors of your vehicle as well as the boot and the bonnet. We need to inspect it thoroughly.’

I held my breath for a moment. Security in this complex was the highest I had ever seen. It would be easier to get into the Pentagon or Fort Knox than into Dandy Advanced Electronics weaponry division.

In due course, he raised the barrier and I cruised into the complex stopping in front of a dismal building with a sign that stated ‘Reception’. Outside was an armed guard and I walked past him uneasily until I reached the Reception Area. An elderly officer, dressed in army uniform bearing the badges of the rank of Brigadier, sat behind a large desk. As I arrived, he put down his pen and looked up at me with a bland expression on his face. ‘I presume you’re Mr. Jason Scott.’ he greeted.

‘That’s right.’ I responded. ‘I must admit I’m impressed with your security here.’

‘There’s a triple check on everyone who visits, Mr. Scott. Mr. Packman sent a message directly to our computer terminal alerting us that you were coming. The front gate confirmed your arrival via a computer message and I’ve just checked that you are the same person. We have to be on the alert for intruders twenty-four hours of the day and night.’

‘Do you keep the same number of guards both day and night?’ I asked, keeping my voice at a casual level with vested interest as to the answer.

‘Not as many. The alarm equipment assists at night time. We tend to rely on electronic sensors. But they can’t be used during the day or we’d be tripping over them all the time setting off the alarms.’ He stood up, picking up a baton and a peaked cap, starting out of the building. ‘Follow me!’ he ordered sharply.

I charged after him and we climbed into a waiting jeep. He drove to a building about a mile south passing a number of tanks spaced at regular intervals to represent a conventional theatre of war. I presumed that the tests on the laser gun took place here where no visitors were allowed to come. We entered the porch way of the building and stopped at a computer terminal.