Page 9 of Hollow Code
"Whoever’s doing this knows the network," she said.
"But then why is this person skipping nodes?" Scout pointed to two different blinking dots between two that had gone dark.
"I’m not a fan of guessing, but if I had to, I’d say it has to do with avoiding a cascade alert while blinding the system." Zadie twisted her fingers throughs the edges of her braid.
"What does that mean, exactly?" Coulter asked.
"Finch would see a node that’s down, but only if it’s one that isn’t bounced around," Zadie said. "Some are touch points. It’s easier to go through them because there’s nothing else there. Others are found when the device that’s looking for them are set to certain coordinates."
"Zadie, English please," Neve said.
"This person is crippling and pulling data at the same time without being seen until it’s too late," Zadie said. "They must know the original architecture."
"Or they’re the one who designed it," Darwin said quietly.
Zadie jerked, nearly toppling her drink over. She snagged it with one hand. "You think Gideon Rhodes is destroying his own system?"
Gideon Rhodes was a legend in her field. And he was the gold standard. He was what she was supposed to strive to be in the military. Even though he left nine years in, people still considered him the best.
"I can’t think of anyone else who’d want to destroy it," Darwin said. "He was angry when he left Hyperion. And for a full month, I waited for his retaliation. I knew it wouldn’t come right away because he’s not only patient, he’s methodical. He might not have been cut out to be military, but he knows how to plan a mission better than most."
"I’m offended," Coulter said.
"Don’t be." Darwin glanced over his shoulder. "I should’ve listened to him when he was fired. I didn’t, and that’s on me. But we can’t let him destroy ETHER. And we need him. He can help us get into ORACLE."
"The server can’t be the only way to have eyes on the inside," Scout said.
"It’s not," Darwin agreed. "But it is the only way to see how Finch monitors enhanced humans. Where they are. Who they are. What he’s actually using. More importantly, how to save them."
"What happened to clearing your name?” Wynn tentatively reached out and touched his wrist.
"I’m sure if we get in and prove what Finch is doing, that happens. But no matter what, we need to protect ORACLE until we can get inside it. We need to stop Gideon and bring him to our side."
"So, we need to predict where he’s going to hit next," Neve said. "Okay, we send Zadie. She can follow the system. And Scout can go with her."
"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Darwin said.
"Sending her out alone isn’t smart." Coulter shifted, pressing his hip against the table. "Explain to me why you think it’s a good idea to send someone out there alone?"
"I know Gideon. He wouldn’t hurt anyone." Darwin held up his hand. "I believe he has the same end goal we have. He’s just going about it differently. We need to send in someone who can speak his language. Someone he’ll understand, and that’s Zadie."
"I don’t like it," Neve said.
"I’ll start by observing. If it’s him, I’ll approach carefully. If it's not, or if I need back up, I’ll call. This location isn’t that far away." Zadie took the tablet and stared at the map. Four dark points scattered across the terrain like a trail leading somewhere she couldn't see yet.
"You better," Wynn added.
"I’ll find him. I’ll figure out what he’s got planned. Hopefully, he’ll be on our side of things."
"He will be," Darwin said.
"I hope so, because we need the architect to get into ORACLE." And she’d hate to think about what she might have to do if Gideon turned out to be on the wrong side.
Chapter Two
The outside of the diner had no name on any sign that Gideon could find, which he appreciated. The menu listed the diner as Moose & Munch, which didn’t sound very appetizing. But a place that didn't bother advertising itself was a place that wasn't trying to be found, and he understood that impulse completely.
He'd been coming here for three mornings in a row, which was two mornings too long. But the coffee was real, the eggs were hot, and the corner booth gave him a clear sightline to both the door and the parking lot, and those were the kinds of things that mattered to him now in a way they hadn't in the last seven years.
