Mind Trace

by McCaghren, Holly

  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.

  I know I don't have much time, but when am I going to eat again? Better to be safe, than sorry.

  She lifted the lid on the tray, quickly devoured the sandwich that was there, gulped down some water, and then moved to the security panel.

  Alice did not know the code off the top of her head, but she knew the algorithm used to change the code and how often it was changed. It was only a matter of seconds before she was able to derive it. The door would not open, however, unless the correct code was entered after a palm scan. She glanced over at the guard lying on the floor.

  Great.

  Frustrated, she hurried over to the almost naked man, and began to drag him awkwardly across the room to the keypad. Luckily, she had cuffed his hands in front of him, so she was able to place his palm uncomfortably on the scanner. After a brief moment of hesitation, the scanner glowed green. She eased the guard back onto the floor and hastily entered the six-digit code into the keypad. A few seconds later, the door whirred open.

  Here we go!

  She sucked in her breath and started forward. Alice forgot to take into account the position of the guard, and clumsily tripped over him. She caught herself at the last minute and stepped breathlessly into the hall. There was no one, patrolling or otherwise, that she could see.

  That was close.

  The door to her cell closed, and she hesitantly made her way to the employee terminal. It was in a small room off the main hallway, accessed only by a key code. She kept her head lowered so she would not be recognized on the security cameras, with the hat hiding most of her face.

  She stopped at the door, taking a moment for her mind to generate the correct code, and then swiftly entered the room. There was not much security there, as this terminal was designed for the guards to put in requests, close work orders, and manage timesheets. To the average user, there was nothing else that could be done.

  Just enter a few commands here and there…Voila! Access to the mainframe. This "computer brain" sure does come in handy.

  She typed furiously at the terminal, and after a few moments, everything was in place. Alice made sure to add time delays, giving her a chance to get to the maintenance elevator before the chaos ensued.

  She also enabled an override code for the keypad on the entrance to the maintenance area, so she would not need a palm scan to enter. She removed all traces of her activity, making it seem as though she had done nothing to their system.

  From there, Alice walked as nonchalantly as possible down the hall, heading to the maintenance entrance. It was in a corridor off the main hallway, a good distance from the security station.

  I hope this works!

  When she got to the door, she entered in her makeshift override code and slipped inside the corridor. The elevator waited at the end of the hall, beckoning her to freedom.

  Alice counted down in her head as she approached the steel doors.

  Five…four…three…two…one!

  If all went according to plan, her scripts had now begun executing. As if to confirm her thoughts, chatter erupted from her earpiece.

  "Code green in sector three, Level Seven. Notify Martin."

  "What happened down there?"

  "Cooling systems are going haywire. We need to get someone down here immediately."

  Then, a few seconds later. "Update status to code blue. There are intermittent electrical failures."

  "I'll update Martin. Bring maintenance from that level over to look at the issues."

  She was almost to the elevator when she heard a frantic yelling in her ear.

  "Code Red! I repeat, Code Red! The Project Alchernon server has completely shut down!"

  After a tense moment, the man replied frantically, "Martin is heading your way now. He's coming straight down from Engineering."

  She had reached the elevator and pressed the button, waiting to go up.

  Almost there.

  As the door dinged open and she looked up, she realized a fatal error in her timing.

  Eric had been in Engineering, most likely discussing the progress in cracking her computer. Engineering was on Level Three, and right in the middle of that was the maintenance corridor. If, for instance, he heard that something devastating was happening to Project Alchernon on Level Seven, he would use the closest route to get there… the maintenance elevator.

  She looked up directl
y into Eric's steely blue eyes.

  You have to be kidding.

  She really had a streak of bad luck lately.

  Eric stared at her, and probably the closest thing he had felt to surprise in years was now written all over his face.

  For a moment, they both stared at each other, neither one moving. Then, Eric jumped forward out of the elevator to grab her. Unaccustomed to the overly large boots she was wearing, she tripped over her own feet and fell backward onto the floor.

  Eric fell on top of her, and she struggled fiercely as he sought to restrain her. Within a few moments, he had her arms firmly pinned to the floor. His arms felt like iron bands, and she knew she could not break free of his hold.

  If I had waited just a few minutes, I would have missed him entirely. I'd be on my way to freedom instead of trapped on the ground beneath Eric Martin.

  He finally spoke, slightly out of breath.

  "What have you managed to do now, Alice? I guess it was too much to hope that you would behave yourself."

  He added with a hint of malice, more to himself than her, "Someone will pay dearly for their lack of attention."

  That guard is going to really hate me.

  He drew his attention back to her and continued, "Alice, I don't know how you've managed to escape your cell and find your way here, but I can only surmise that if you were able to do that, you are most likely behind whatever chaos is ensuing on Level Seven."

  He studied her face, taking in every detail as if to find an explanation there.

  Alice decided to appeal to his sense of humanity. She returned his gaze, pleading.

  "Eric, you don't have to do this. Just let me go. I don't have anything that you want. I just want to get out of here and never think about any of this again."

  His gaze softened, and she could see a shred of sympathy in his eyes even though he had no intention of changing his mind.

  "It's far too late for that, my dear."

  It was worth a shot. Time for Plan B.

  He maneuvered her wrists together and held them down with one arm as he reached back to grab his radio to call in backup. Alice took that moment to calculate the best way to break from his one-handed hold.