The Breach

8. We're All Just On Our Way Home

VIDEO EVIDENCE NO 22/9786/4A

LOCATION: BASE OF OPERATIONS, NEW YORK

VIDEO TAG: UNKNOWN

SUBJECT: ANNA CLARKE, STATUS: UNKNOWN

„So you're saying that ISAC's computing power is based on the amount of functional nodes?"

Anna Clarke and Paul Rhodes were standing in front of a huge screen, both using their watches to synchronize the most recent ISAC updates for testing. Paul was visibly uneasy to be holding the watch though; he always worried that even though he had one just for the sake of testing, it could still somehow fall into the wrong hands. So he only took it out of his safe when it was absolutely necessary.

„Yes and no," Paul answered, using his watch to change the screen. „It can be amplified by portable access points. Unfortunately the node coverage is the base, so it can be limited."

„I understand. How does manipulating the nodes influence the system itself?"

„Depends on the node. There's just one functionality I'm worried about. You see, if you know what to do it's easy to mark anyone as rogue. People you don't like, people you don't agree with. Of course ISAC has a built-in system based on directives, but considering that I can override it there are definitely others who can do it too."

Anna nodded and looked at something on the screen, using her watch to switch between different details.

„I see," she said after a while. „So basically ISAC is not just a network. It's also a system that can determine one's allegiance based on directives that have an eighty percent success rate. In other words, anything that falls under the other twenty percent can be considered a mistake or deliberate manipulation."

„It can. It's our job to make sure that it doesn't. That's why we review those cases individually."

„Who makes the final decision?"

„SHD officials. We just make recommendations."

„Is it just me or is it completely unfair?"

„It's not just you, kid. I told you multiple times. SHD doesn't deserve ISAC."

Anna nodded and proceeded to make some notes on a notepad she was holding.

„So basically ISAC can not only be compromised, but also used to shift power in accordance with whatever whim its level 5 user currently has," she said after a while, biting down on the pen she was holding.

„Unlikely, but yes."

„Isn't it too much power to be entrusted to a single individual?"

„ISAC doesn't have just one level 5 user, you see. There used to be one and it was a government official assigned to SHD, but it's currently divided into fifteen segments."

„Interesting. I can't access anything past level 3 so I couldn't have known."

„Each segment is overseen by a separate level 5 user precisely to avoid this kind of scenario."

„Can we be sure though?"

„What do you mean?"

„Do we know exactly who those people are? Can we run a check to see if those people even exist? I don't know, Paul, it all seems very suspicious to me."

„It's the government we're talking about," Paul sighed and turned around to reach for a tablet. „There's no way we get to know these things, kid."