Ephialtes (Ephialtes Trilogy Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

standard
communications if necessary.  If it felt unable to communicate directly it
could attempt to do so covertly, via an overlay on some mundane communication.
    Kostovich
scanned the report.
    Nothing.
    In the last
twenty-four hours the government and military had publicly released over
thirty-two thousand communications, ranging from county administration
notices to full governmental reports.  They were all clean; no coded
communications.
    Kostovich was
tired.  He had had a long day and the game, despite being fun, had been
somewhat draining.  He usually checked for a call from his AI at least
twice a day.  Every time it failed to call home was a
disappointment.  This time was no exception.  He decided to call it a
night.
    “Continue
scanning,” said Kostovich.  “Make a report every eight hours.  And,
of course, ears remain open for a standard call.”
    “Yes, Dr
Kostovich,” the terminal replied.  “Will there be anything else?”
    “Can you
order some more Pop-Tarts?”
    “Of course,
next delivery will be tomorrow at 08:30.”
    “That’s
great.”
     
     
    Kostovich
awoke at 08:20 next morning.  He swung his feet out of bed and sat there
for a moment, not quite awake, before rising and shuffling into his living
room, slumping onto the sofa.  “Anything overnight?” he said through a
yawn.
    “Yes,” the AI
said.  “AI 2257 reports: ‘ Success ’”
    Kostovich
jumped up.  “What?  Success?  Gimme the details.  I want them on the wall.”
    Kostovich’s
living room wall came alive with the display from his terminal.  He could
see it right there, in letters twenty centimetres high: ‘ 04.39   Level 6 security owned .’  Kostovich silently
punched the air.  “Pull me some Level 6 data,” he said.  “Anything regarding .  . .”  He thought. 
“Anything regarding domestic disturbances on USAN military bases in the last
two weeks.”
    “Yes, Dr
Kostovich.”
    Kostovich had
to wait only a few seconds before text began scrolling up his screen. 
Emails, court documents and all kinds of communications were there for him to
see.  Level 6 was the lowest level on the USAN’s security scale.  Nothing
here would be of the slightest importance or interest.  But he was
in.  The AI was alive and was chewing its way through the security
levels.  All he needed to do now was wait, and a treasure trove of
information would open up to him.
    He wanted to
tell someone about the staggering achievement he had just made, but what he had
done was illegal and, as it currently stood, rather pointless.  All the
good stuff was still to come.  He thought about what he should do. 
“Get me an appointment with Venkdt,” he said.
    “Christina
Venkdt?” the AI replied.
    “I
wish.  No, fix me up a meeting with Charles Venkdt.”
    “Mr Venkdt
doesn’t have any openings until next week.  Would you like to proceed with
booking the appointment?”
    “Sure. 
It’s not important.”
    Kostovich
once again scanned through the lists of uninteresting low-level
government communications.
    “Your Pop-Tarts
have arrived,” said his terminal.
    “ Oh, yes
they have ,” said Kostovich, grinning broadly.  “Pop some in, would
you?”

 
 
 
 
C H A P T E
R   3
 
Welcome
Home
 
    Sliding his
hand down the rail as he went, he moved in descending circles down the helical
staircase.  He reached the bottom and strode across to the bar.  It
was nearly empty now, as he liked it.  By Artificial Earth Time it was
past 2:00am.  He pulled a seat up at the bar and punched a command into
his coms device.  A robot arm mounted on rails in the ceiling behind the
bar glided smoothly past him, its speaker emitting, “Coming right up, sir,” as
it went.  The arm quickly and without error grabbed a shot glass and
placed it on the bar, then turned to grab a bottle.  It whisked the bottle
to the glass at great speed then instantly slowed for the pour.  As soon
as the drink was poured the speed increased