Conbellia

Chapter 13

A heavily armed guard leads me down a labyrinth of empty hallways. We come to a stop in front of huge wooden double doors. Two more guards are standing at either side of it. They nod respectfully opening the doors for me. Every single pair of eyes in the room falls on me as I enter. The room in front of me is huge. There isn't much furniture in it though, just a giant table with comfortable office chairs all around it. There are about 50 people in the room, each having a double computer screen, a tablet and a smartphone in front of them. There's a large screen on one wall of the room currently projecting a sort of map. It looks like the map of a city but it is marked with red, green and yellow spots of various size.
As soon as I enter the guards close the doors again.
"Jeanine Alison, welcome." A 40-year-old man stands up and greets me. I recognize him immediately. Steven Joyson. The leader of our country. He motions to an empty seat between Jeremiah and a woman of about his own age a few seats next to him. "Please, take a seat."
I walk over to the chair, still painfully aware of all the eyes trained on me.
"Jeanine, I believe you have been filled in on everything going on. The situation isn't critical at the moment but it might get just that very soon. Therefore it is most important to prepare everything for a real emergency. We can't afford being caught by surprise."
Suddenly a thought crosses my mind. Ines once mentioned she knew a lot of things about computers. I swipe the screen of the tablet in front of me. I set up a password immediately. Then I do the same with the smartphone.
I can't be more grateful for remembering Ines' number right now. I send her a quick text. She replies just a few minutes later. Seems like my whole day today is already planned out.
During the rest of the meeting I listen carefully while taking notes. The hack was made with a special program that transfers information to the host of the program. Someone from inside the city had to help installing the program. The only problem is that even though all suspects were taken into custody and interviewed there was no result. They were then released after proving their innocence.
I listen to all of the talk and suggestions of the officials and continue taking notes. I pray they'll answer my last question during their discussion but apparently they don't.
I know the meeting is coming to an end.
I have to know. I just have to.
I raise my hand hesitantly. Steven turns around to me. "Jeanine, a question?"
I nod. "This program they installed, how is it build up? Does it spread like a virus or does it stay on the device it was installed on?"
A younger woman with short brown hair turns to me. "The second. But the program was installed on many computers. We have five main servers in town and two backup servers. Each of them is now "infected". And there doesn't seem to be a way for us to uninstall it."
"Thank you." I say giving her a gentle smile.
Steven turns to face the whole room. "I am now declaring this meeting as ended."
Everyone applauds. Jeremiah leans over to me.
"Any plans for the afternoon?" He whispers into my ear.
"Going over to a friend and then jogging until dinner."
"Technically, it's not time for you to learn it yet but would you come down to the basement after dinner?"
I raise my eyebrows at him. He gives me that sweet pleading smile and I couldn't resist.
"Fine" I say "see ya later."
I get up.
"By the way" he says as I'm about to leave "the tablet and smartphone are yours to keep and the computer is only for you to use for now."
I laugh "until they kick me out?"
"Sure bout that?" He shoots back. We share a grin.
I grab the tablet and phone and rush out. I debate whether to go by foot or to take a bus when one of the men from the meeting approaches me.
"That car over there is at your exposal Miss Jeanine."
"Oh, I was just debating to walk."
"It's not wise to do that from this location. There are a lot of people very jealous of leaders around here. As sorry as I am to say it but that's the truth."
"I guess I'll take the car then. Thank you Sir -"
"Paydon" he says.
"Sir Paydon" I reply smiling.

The car ride to Ines' home takes about fifteen minutes. I send the car away at the beginning of the street and walk up to her home. She opens the door.
"Jeanine!"
"Psst." I hiss. "Are your parents home?"
The entertainers only live in their dorm for two weeks. The first week they spend on music theory. The second week or sometimes the second and third weeks they prepare a performance. That's what we did with Taylor. After that they are free to work and live where they want. Ines went back to her parents and is planning to stay there for two more months.
"My mother is. But she's asleep. Why?"
"I need your help Ines."