"Guys, we need to talk about everything - Coach Pennington, Mr. Niemi, Dr. Lehtinen, all of it. Can I meet you near the academy in the next hour?"
While he waited for a reply, he searched his phone for a place to stay. Two results displayed within two miles. With the credit card details that Karen had provided, he booked a room at a two-star property, which he assumed would have fewer tourists and less traffic. Swinging his backpack across his shoulders, he set off in that direction when a reply from Benny pinged his phone.
"Coach, I can meet you, but Pete is gone. I have no idea where he is. He and Aleks left yesterday for downtown, but we haven’t heard from them."
A rush of adrenaline shot through Eddie's brain. The scenarios flashed in front of his eyes as he walked. Did Peter leave voluntarily? Was he cooperating with them? Had Kognitio overtaken his judgment? Was he alive? He stopped before his imagination overwhelmed him. He paused along the road and replied to Benny.
"OK, thanks. Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. Does he have his phone?"
"I think so, along with all his stuff. His room is empty," replied Benny.
Needing to concentrate, Eddie moved away from the road and into a small stand of pines.
"Have you asked Franz?" asked Eddie with his next text.
"Haven't seen him either. Or Jack. It's like everyone left. That lady from Mr. Niemi's office has been down here a couple times, but otherwise, we've just been sitting in our rooms. We heard something about a new coach but haven't seen him yet."
"That lady's name is Helen. If you need something, find her. I've been talking to Dr. Anna, too. Just stay there. I'll stop by later."
As a thumbs-up emoji from Benny ended one conversation, another started with an incoming call. Eddie looked at the caller-id, sighed, and pressed the green button.
"Hello, Karen."
"Hi, Eddie. Hey, I saw a charge come through for a different hotel there. Just calling to see if everything's OK?"
"Yes, everything's fine. Just trying to save you some money. The Ansalahti was just more than I needed, so I found a spot not far away for a lot less," said Eddie trying to sound cheery.
"Oh, Eddie, I appreciate that, but it's really unnecessary. How are the boys?"
Eddie walked further into the pine stand, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"They're doing well. I was just texting with Benny. What's new in Minnesota?"
"Nothing new here. So, how's Peter been doing?"
Relieved that news of Stuart's death had not reached back home, Eddie knew it would only be a matter of hours. Now was not the time to reveal it all, so he feigned ignorance.
"You know, I haven't spoken to him in a few days, but Benny says they're doing fine," he said.
"And I sent him a text last night but didn't hear back, which is unusual for Peter," said Karen.
"Well, I'm sure they're busy. Listen, Karen, I'm about to check-in at this new hotel, so I need to run. I'll update you on any news."
"OK, thank you, Eddie."
Eddie quickly ended the call. He had bought some time, maybe a day. Karen was a smart woman who would soon piece together the timeline of events and come back to him with questions. Until he sorted out who he could trust, everyone was on a need to know basis. With his brain beginning to ache, he knew he needed two things, caffeine and a plan to find Peter. Before he could do either, his phone buzzed again with a number he did not recognize, so he let it go to voice mail until he had a minute. One thing at a time, he repeated to himself.
He pulled out a second phone he had bought at the gas station near the academy and dialed the number that Anna had given him.
"Can you meet?" asked Eddie when she answered.
"Of course, where?"
"Same spot as two days ago. I'll be there in ten."
41
The primary training facility at FC Leningrad was a cavernous stone building built in the last decade of the previous century as an armory for the Russian army. A steel infrastructure, designed to withstand mortar fire and well-placed explosives, fortified with massive gray, block walls. Because of its three-story height and grand proportions, it could contain a full-size football field along with two smaller training pitches. Statues outside the main entrances honored the heroes of the Soviet revolution through the years, some on horseback and others in an oratorical pose.
While Kotka's shining campus impressed Peter, this fortified monolith oozed a sense of awe and reverence, not so much for its current occupant but for its historical presence. Its ethos set the tone for rebuilding a football club that had once instilled fear but had lain dormant for decades.
Entering through an arched steel gate and a thick oak door carved with the club's traditional crest of two warbirds, Peter encountered his first taste of the technical renovation waiting inside. Following Aleks' lead, he placed his right hand palm down on the scanner screen ringed with a neon red light. In an instant, the ring illuminated green, causing a transparent partition to slide to the side. Peter wondered how the system already had his print, but didn’t ask. They proceeded to through a long, arching walkway lit with halogen strips attached to the original, rough-hewn stones. Oil on canvas portraits of past Leningrad greats hung between modern glass-paneled offices. The air was a mix of ventilated, pure oxygen with a slight musty scent emanating from the antique walls. Personalized, holographic screens welcomed the duo, moving with them so they could view their daily schedules. Their first agenda item was to check in at the biometric station for scanning.
"What is the matter?" said Aleks, looking back at his new teammate.
"Uh, nothing. This place is incredible," said Peter, not taking his eyes off the screen floating within arm's reach as he walked.
"You can understand why Kotka bored me," said Aleks.
"So, you've been here before?"
"I grew up here. I watched Dmitry and my father build all of this. Unfortunately, my grandfather did not live to see what his boys created. There he is on the wall," said Aleks pointing to a painting of a regal young man holding a football at his side while staring into the sunlight.
Peter paused a moment.
"His boys? You mean Dmitry is your uncle?"
Aleks smiled and continued walking.
"What about Pavel? Is he related?" asked Peter.
"No, but he will join us here soon," said Aleks.
They entered through a frosted glass door then headed towards a device that, to Peter, appeared to be an airport security scanner.
"Let me go first to show you," said Aleks.
He stepped inside the tubular enclosure and placed his right hand on the sensor. A timer in front of him counted down from three, followed by a red light. After five seconds, the light turned green, and Aleks stepped out.
"That's it?" asked Peter.
"That is it," said Aleks. “Your turn.”
Peter entered, mimicking Aleks' movements. The red light flashed then turned green.
"What does it do?" asked Peter.
"A full biometric scan. Height, weight, body fat, muscle tone, heart rate, blood pressure, everything," said Aleks. "They upload the data to the scientists for analysis."
"What do they do with it?"
"They tell the coaches if you ate too many pastries," said Aleks with his half-smile.
Without seeing another person, the two proceeded to the next room where a holographic football field hung in the air, much like the version in the players' lounge at Kotka.
"OK, now we're talking. I've seen this before," said Peter.
"You saw the first version available to the public," said Aleks. "This is an updated prototype from the game developers. No one has seen this."
"But I thought Niemi said he had an exclusive."
"Niemi says a lot of things that are not true."
Peter let the comment pass. He stepped up to the game board.
"So, what's different about this version?"
"First, put your hand on the scanner. It customizes the play to you and your
areas of focus."
Peter placed his right hand on the scanner, and the game welcomed him. Aleks did the same and asked for their preferred sides and options.
"Instead of playing each other, we are always teammates," said Aleks. "The AI has already analyzed our game film from Kotka and will present situations where we can improve together. First, Real Madrid."
The two recruits, Russian and American, dominated the virtual likenesses of Los Blancos with pinpoint passes and exquisite finishing shots. As in Kotka, they used hand gestures rather than controllers to make their players dance across the field. As the whistle blew on their make-believe game, the doors to the performance suite slid open.
"Gentlemen, so good to see you here early!" said Josef as he shuffled into the room, followed by a second man, taller with a gaunt, pallid face.
"Hello, sir," said Aleks with his hand out and a slight nod of his head.
"Aleks, how is your newest teammate performing?" said Josef looking at Peter.
"Very well. You may have heard we defeated Madrid by three goals," said Aleks.
"Yes, I heard. Only three?” said Josef with eyebrows raised.
Aleks' eyes dropped to the floor.
"Forgive me, I have not introduced my guest," said Josef. "Gentlemen, this is Dr. Yuri Rovsky. He is a preeminent neuroscientist who will work with us. He designed this game system that you see in front of you, and the AI that supports it."
"Very nice to meet you, Dr. Rovsky," said Peter.
"Likewise, Peter. I have admired your play from afar. Now I can see it firsthand here at Leningrad," said Yuri. "In fact, let us try a new feature of this game."
With a few taps and swipes of a tablet computer, Yuri enabled a newer version that loaded onto the floating field in front of them.
"I have not even seen this," said Josef, stepping closer to the floating field.
"My goal has always been to create a teaching tool that mimics real football at the highest cognitive level. First, we disposed of those dreadful controllers, replacing them with simple hand gestures. Now, we have taken a leap forward in the technology by dismissing even those."
Peter wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion and looked across at Aleks, who shrugged.
"Peter, you see the ball at the feet of your virtual player. Pass the ball to Aleks without moving your hands," said Yuri.
Peter stood still looking at Aleks.
"I'm sorry, Doctor, I don't understand," said Peter.
"Before you make a move on the field, what happens?" asked Yuri.
"I decide what to do," said Peter.
"So, do that."
As instructed, Peter generated a thought to pass the ball to Aleks. His virtual player executed his wish. Peter's eyes grew wide as he glanced at Aleks, whose mouth had fallen open.
"This is what I call synthetic telepathy. You are communicating without words. Aleks, shoot the ball at the goal," said Yuri. "But don't move."
Aleks looked back down at his virtual player, squinted, and his digital resemblance fired a shot at the goalkeeper.
"Excellent. Now, this time, think about passing the ball to Peter. But first, create an idea of where you would like Peter to run to receive the pass," said Yuri. 'Peter, I want you to think about making a move to a specific location."
Following Yuri's request, Peter mentally sent his player on a diagonal run to the near post just as Aleks directed a through pass to the same spot on the field. The player and ball intersected with Peter, who then instinctively shot. The ball flew past the keeper at the far post.
"Well done. Peter, where did you aim that shot?" asked Yuri.
"Far post, upper corner, right where it went," said Peter slowly not quite believing the last sequence.
"Yuri, you have outdone yourself," said Josef, with an evil smile. "This is pure magic."
"There is no magic here, Josef, my friend. Only imagination," said Yuri tapping his temple with his finger.
Aleks and Peter continued to play the game, thinking and deciding the virtual player's movements.
"So, I'm able to anticipate where Aleks will go?" asked Peter.
"No, your brain is listening for instructions from Aleks. This is beyond anticipation. It is as if Aleks pointed his finger to show you the way. But now you can communicate silently."
"Will this work in an actual game?" asked Aleks.
"We have some work to do, but yes, that is the aim," said Yuri.
Josef grinned, showing his yellowed, crooked teeth. He put his arms around both players and playfully pushed their heads together.
"Two heads, one brain!" he said.
Peter stood dumbfounded, trying to make sense of it. He had heard of mind reading and ESP, but this was beyond his imagination.
"So, how is this even possible? My thoughts aren't just floating in the air," he said, looking at Yuri.
"How this is possible is not your concern," said Yuri, with a wink but no smile. "All you need to do is use it. And it remains confidential. No one outside of this room shall know."
Peter was getting used to this secrecy and chose to just accept it.
"So, Dr. Rovsky, we are the only two?" asked Aleks.
"For now, yes," said Yuri.
"Gentlemen, this is a breakthrough for the game and a clear competitive advantage for Leningrad," said Josef. "Mr. Bogdanov will be very pleased."
Aleks asked the system to present its toughest opponent. One by one, they conquered a gauntlet of the greatest teams in history, Real Madrid of the late fifties, Milan of the late eighties, even the 1970 World Cup champion Brazil squad featuring the greatest of all-time, Pelé. They both knew that video game dominance was not why they were there. Using this new connectivity on natural grass was the only thing that mattered.
"I don't understand. Why didn't we have this at Kotka?" said Peter.
"Peter, it does not matter," said Josef. "We are here now. You play for Leningrad. Kotka is in the past. Minnesota is in the past. You will now be a superstar. That is all that matters."
Peter agreed with Josef. His life, to this point, was only preparation. But this felt like destiny. His dream was now real. These were the people who would make it so. He turned and smiled at Aleks.
"Who's next?"
"Ajax with Johan Cruyff."
"Bring 'em on!"
Standing back from the boys, Josef leaned towards Yuri. "Indeed,” said Josef. “Bring them on."
42
Eddie waited on the sand near Anna's cottage. Sitting on a rock, he scanned the occasional passerby looking for any nefarious sign, even though he didn't know what to look for. With every passing hour, the coach from Minnesota was winging it, deciding based on hunches and commonsense logic. It was all he knew. The circumstances changed with the tide, so his tactics needed to remain fluid. But the goal was the same, to get Peter and Benny back home safely.
After fifteen minutes, he saw a graceful figure wandering the beach, stopping every few steps to pick up and examine a recently displaced shell. The guise was necessary, but the time it took was excruciating. Eddie stood and wiped the sand off of his jeans, then strolled towards the water to intersect the shell hunter. Together, they turned parallel to the ocean, just two barefoot beachcombers out for a stroll.
“Hello again,” said Eddie, this time with a gentle nod and smile.
“Hi Eddie,” said Anna with a long, welcoming look.
“Maybe we should pretend to be madly in love, you know, for any onlookers?” he said with a smirk.
“Typical over-confident, American male,” she said with a sigh, while she reached for his hand.
As they sauntered down the beach, high tide had arrived, pushing them near the long grasses that lined the edge of the coast. The agitated sea sent rolling, crashing waves onshore, providing sufficient background noise to muffle their conversation.
Anna told Eddie she planned to announce another sleep study, this time claiming Victor had approved it before the events of the last twenty-four hours. Sh
e and Jami could extract the chips in less than an hour.
"Your plan works if we knew where they were," said Eddie.
Anna slowed, glancing at Eddie.
"Peter and Aleks are missing. Benny said they disappeared yesterday," said Eddie, pulling her hand gently to continue walking.
"Disappeared?"
"They went for a walk into town and never returned. And someone emptied Peter's room."
Anna sidestepped an aggressive wave.
"Stuart's gone. Victor's in jail. We haven't seen Jack or Franz. Who's watching the boys?" she asked.
"Helen has been down to the dorm to check on them, but they have heard nothing more since Franz broke the news to them."
Anna looked towards the small bluff rising above them.
"Who's that?" she said, pointing with her eyes to a solitary figure standing next to a pine tree with a phone to his ear.
Eddie glanced over without turning his head. It was a tall man with dark pants, a light blue t-shirt and sunglasses about thirty meters away. As they crossed in front of him, he put his phone in his pocket and began his descent towards the beach.
"Keep walking, but faster," said Eddie with eyes forward.
Anna couldn't help but look back at the man who was now taking a diagonal path through the grasses directly at them.
"He's following us," said Anna.
"Yes, I know. Please don't look at him," said Eddie. "Let's get to that house up there with the lights on."
They quickened their pace, but the man closed the gap. Eddie considered breaking into a full sprint but didn't know if Anna could stay with him.
"Run towards the house. I'll turn around and see what he wants," said Eddie.
"I think we know what he wants, so I'm not leaving you here," said Anna, reaching in her pocket for her phone. "Let's call the police with our location."
"He hasn't done anything."
"Well, I'll give them a description and say he's suspicious."
Before she could dial, the man was upon them. Eddie turned, ushering Anna behind him.
"Hello, I'm Special Agent Markus Ara with SUPO. Are you Eddie Alonso?"
Eddie squinted at the badge and ID hanging on a lanyard around the man's neck, which Markus held closer for inspection.
The Playmaker Project Page 21
