Malik turned on the computer and entered Callie’s password. Once the computer was ready, Malik plugged the pen into the USB port.
“It looks like there’s just one large file on here,” Malik said as he double-clicked the icon. The laptop’s monitor briefly flickered black. Then a small pop-up window appeared.
Run the Global Breadth Program? Confirm or Cancel.
“This can’t be,” Malik said as his pulse quickened. He raised his finger and gently pressed the Confirm button on the screen.
Running System Diagnostics… Installing Program… Installation in Progress… Installation Complete.
Initiating Two-Factor Authentication.
The screen turned black again, and five small ovals in an arc pattern appeared on the screen.
“What do you think that is?” Magaly asked.
“I think it’s for your fingerprints,” Malik said. “The question is, whose fingerprints?”
“This was given to your grandmother, right?” Magaly said.
“Mm-hmm,” Malik said.
“Try your hand,” she said.
“My fingerprints are not a match.”
“Maybe it’s not just asking for fingerprints.” Tony picked up the laptop and examined the bottom. “Is this screen one of those vision screens by the Singularity Group?”
“Yeah, it is,” Malik replied, remembering when he and Callie upgraded and felt so fancy at the time.
“I read that some of the security programs for those screens can also tap into trace amounts of DNA from the skin on your fingers.”
“Do you think this could have been set for my grandma’s DNA?”
“Why not?” Magaly said.
Malik carefully placed his fingers and thumb in the ovals on the screen.
Scanning in Progress…
Scanning Complete… Approved.
The black screen vanished and was replaced with a map. There were various numbers and symbols at the bottom of the screen.
Malik felt a nudge on his shoulder. “What’d I tell ya, huh?” Tony said.
“Don’t get too excited,” Malik said, trying to figure out what he was looking at.
“Is that the entire globe?” Magaly leaned in to get a better view. “What do those numbers mean?”
The map of the globe took up the top three-quarters of the screen. The bottom quartile had multiple columns of numbers. The numbers ranged from zero to one hundred.
“I have no clue,” Malik said, as a rectangular window popped up.
Enter Password.
Malik was so excited that something was happening he forgot about the second part of the two-factor authentication. Malik’s palms were sweaty. He was so close to having access to one of the biggest technological mysteries of all time. The only thing that stood between him and it was a password.
“Can you guess?” Tony asked.
“Ha, I wish.” Malik sat there, deflated.
“What about your grandma? Where is she?” Tony said.
“She’s at home, but she has severe dementia and hasn’t even spoken in a long time.” Malik rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of his options. “Maybe if I just try, I could find a way to communicate with her. God, we’re so close.”