The Playmaker Project by Daniel Peterson

Author:Daniel Peterson [Peterson, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Intelligens Press
Published: 2020-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

28

As Dmitry continued through the park, he felt his secure phone vibrate in his pocket. He removed it and checked the caller ID, paused with his eyes shifting away from the screen, then managed a faint smile before answering.

“Yes?”

"We're in.”

"Good. Let's start with the data. Then, once we have a plan, we'll alter the code," said Dmitry.

"Can they track us?"

"No, it's just a beta version. But Yuri, you need to move quickly."

Known to the world as a cognitive scientist, Yuri Rovsky's true talent lived in his manipulation of systems, both digital and biological. He understood the strengths and weaknesses of human relationships and their communications. As Dmitry would say, humans become weak when faced with adversity, leaving crucial steps uncompleted. Years ago, before Poland, the two of them had spent hours debating world affairs while skipping university classes. Despite their spotty attendance, they both graduated with honors; Dmitry earned a double major in Russian literature and physics and Yuri in neuroscience. While Yuri continued on to his doctorate in cognitive science, Dmitry slipped away to assist his country, officially as a bureaucrat in the Kremlin's foreign service division. But unofficially as a doer of tasks that required a rare combination of specialized skills and sparse conscience.

Back in the eighties, as Poland wrestled itself away from the Soviet grip, Dmitry identified and eliminated the traitors to the Party by arranging uncanny coincidences that made them disappear. For his service, he received, according to rumor, large swaths of Polish real estate stolen during the Second World War from their rightful owners in the name of the People's Republic of Poland. Before the post-war restitution process could sort out the confusion, he sold the properties to a network of western banks and real estate syndicates pocketing, in one estimate, fifteen billion euros. Despite his newfound wealth, Dmitry was ashamed of his countrymen's capitulation to Western ideals and political pressure. Just as he and Yuri had predicted back in school, human frailty had caused the teachings of Lenin to fail. Now, with a fortune to invest, Dmitry dreamed of building a new breed of warrior which, Yuri always reminded him, started and ended with the brain. Winning at sports provided a microcosm test bed to try out the technology before advancing to more global contests. Finding a wealthy but trusting team owner in Victor Niemi only accelerated the plan.

"What about new commands?" asked Yuri.

"Very subtle ones to begin," said Dmitry. "We need Borg to show the same staunch and vigorous loyalty, but now in defense of our team. His emotions will drive his decisions, and thus, his actions.”

"And how will we know?" asked Yuri.

"The data will confirm. We'll get the rest from Ruchkin. He's familiar with Borg's non-compliant side. Can you establish access without the login?"

"Of course. As long as the system stays online, I'll create a backdoor."

"No fingerprints. I want to tell Niemi that we no longer need access and that he can change his password," said Dmitry.

"Like a ghost in the machine," said Yuri.

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