by Jack Bowie
Slattery knew his boss better than almost anyone at the Agency. After the past ten minutes of soul-wrenching confessions, he was much too calm. Something was about to happen.
Markovsky turned to Stroller. “Claude, I think it’s time for your update.”
The NSA Deputy Director took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “The NSA has ongoing programs to protect American citizens from surveillance by our enemies. State Department consulates and embassies present a unique challenge because in many cases they are located in preexisting structures that weren’t designed for maximum protection from electronic eavesdropping. Or from acoustic eavesdropping, as we have learned from laser-based monitoring of glass windows. One of our recent programs was showing significant potential for masking internal communications from external detection. Unfortunately, further study showed the technology had some negative side-effects.”
Stroller paused, and Slattery tried to decrypt the spook’s bureaucratese. What was the point of telling him about a failed project? Then it hit him.
Shit!
“Your technology is causing the embassy neural damage?”
“Absolutely not.” Stroller slammed his hands on the tabletop and nearly leaped from his chair. “The NSA would never put American citizens in danger. There is simply a strange coincidence between our research and the events you are investigating.”
Slattery now understood what was going on. And he wasn’t going to let Stroller get away this easy. “Okay, but tell me what you found.”
Stroller turned to Markovsky who grimaced and shook his head as if to say “I told you he’d ask”. Then the NSA spook continued. “You understand the concept of ‘beat’ frequencies?”
Slattery wasn’t about to interrupt this odd confession with another question, so he nodded.
“When you mix two frequencies of acoustic radiation, like two sound waves, the human ear perceives a new sound whose frequency is the difference between the two original frequencies. This is called the beat frequency. So while the original frequencies could be essentially inaudible, their beat frequency could be in the audible range. Or even sub-audible.
“Now the signals that we were using for masking were inaudible, but there were multiple frequencies and the frequencies changed, or shifted, rapidly to avoid detection or counter-masking. We came to understand that some of the beat frequencies we were generating interfered with the internal alpha and beta waves generated in the brain. And prolonged exposure even created structural changes in the anatomy. We terminated further testing, of course.”
Came to understand? There’s no way the nerds at the Puzzle Palace would have figured this out. They had help. From someone.
And Stroller just realized the technology could be similar? He must have finally figured out he needed to cover his ass, so he came to Markovsky.
“Why are we just learning about this now?” Slattery was about to blow.
Stroller sat back silently. Markovsky finally spoke up.
“Claude came to me when he realized the symptoms were similar. Since we don’t know who, or what, has been causing the attacks, or even if there were attacks, there is no way to show a connection between them and the NSA’s project. This information is not to become part of your investigation, Roger. It is deep background for you. Personally. I trust that is understood?”
Slattery tried to control his anger. There was no question in his mind what had happened.
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
“Good,” Markovsky replied. “Now in case there is some relationship, however, Claude has initiated an internal investigation. If there is any evidence of a leak of this information, he will provide us the details.” Markovsky turned to Stroller who eventually nodded. This whole performance had obviously been the result of a previous negotiation between the two Deputy Directors.
“Thank you, Roger. If there isn’t anything else, Claude and I have a few more things to discuss.”
Slattery took the dismissal in stride. He nodded politely and headed toward the door. Before leaving the office, he looked back and saw the two men in animated discussion, each smiling broadly. It was a vivid reminder of why he never felt comfortable on the seventh floor.
Still, he had learned something that deserved further investigation.
Acknowledgements
The Langley Profile is a work of fiction, but the relentless advancement of genetic knowledge and technology is a hard fact. Has a laboratory somewhere already achieved what I have described? Would we be allowed to know? I doubt even the most prescient of us can see where this next technological revolution will lead mankind.
The story draws on the memories and experiences of many more individuals than I am able to name. My thanks to you all. Some names, facts and times have been changed to fit the storyline. All errors are mine.
First, thanks to Jesse Efron for his insights into the geography and politics of the Middle East.
Thanks to the Lockheed Martin Communications Team in Marietta, Georgia, for educating me on the C-130 and L-100J aircraft.
Thanks to my advance reader group for their invaluable comments and suggestions on early drafts.
A very special thanks to my brother-in-law, Prof. George F. Smoot, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2006, for inviting our family to the truly amazing Nobel Week in Stockholm.
And finally, thanks, as always, to my wife Sharon, and daughters Lisa and Jennifer, for your patience and understanding under a seemingly never-ending barrage of odd questions, usually without any obvious context. You always had the answers I needed.
About the Author
Jack Bowie was born and raised outside of Cleveland, Ohio, then headed to Cambridge, Massachusetts to attend MIT. After graduating, he held technical management positions in public and private sector organizations in Massachusetts, Virginia and Connecticut.
A lifelong reader of classic science fiction and espionage thrillers, Jack's writing began as a break from professional duties and grew into a passion for storytelling.
Drawing on his career as a researcher, engineer and high-tech executive, Jack’s novels describe the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, interplay of technology with personal passions and egos.
For more information on Jack, check out www.JackBowie.com, or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jackbowieauthor.
