The statement took Mina aback. Common sense and her chip quickly informed her that it was highly irregular to put an agent on a case involving someone they were close to. Much as Scott had been on her mind, she hadn't remotely made a connection, partly because this was against proper procedure, partly because she simply hadn't considered that this was the sort of thing the AIA would handle. Of course, now that she was here, it made sense that they would, but not that she'd be called in on it.
The Director led her through two security doors, pushing in a code before both she, then Mina, had to pass fingerprint, eye recognition and voice recognition tests at each station. As they went, the Director talked, sounding like she was not pleased in the least to have Mina there. “This installation was largely protected by anonymity. The programming center was moved here thirty years ago. Black marketeer infiltration into both military ranks and a handful of private security services complicated security for programming and data loading onto highly sensitive chips. Reactionary terrorists also hit the Houston facility around that time, using a targeted EMP pulse to shut down everything, and destroyed a lot of the chips in development. Since then, the data on chips is better protected, though a strong enough pulse will still cause reboot and recovery periods. Everything needed for high level testing was here, but since production continued in Redmond, most people assumed the programming was also done there.”
Mina kept quiet, pretty certain that telling the Director that Scott may have mentioned that detail wouldn't help any at this point.
“Despite that, no one trusted a bit of misdirection to hold up, however much appearances were maintained,” the Director continued. “This place has state-of-the-art security. This sub-basement doesn't exist on any maps or blueprints. The elevator system shouldn't be obvious to most. Then there's the codes, plus three-step identity verification. If every person in a group doesn't pass each station, the doors won't open, to prevent people from taking a single worker hostage and forcing them to lead through security. Significant security resources are available should a single alarm be triggered. Additionally, every inch of this place is monitored by security cameras at all times.”
The second set of doors opened when Mina finished her verification. Just inside the door, they were met by a middle aged man. Only a few inches taller than Mina herself, he was heavyset and looked even thicker due to a full, slightly unkempt beard and thick glasses. He wore rumpled clothing and smelled like he'd been in that same set of clothing for a couple days. Over it all, he wore a taupe gray jacket with ivory lettering on the arms and back reading 'SECURITY', though he didn't look much like any security guard Mina had ever seen. Given the cramped quarters and stale air of the place, she decided she wouldn't mind not seeing him again any time soon.
“Miss Cortez, this is Fulton Hawkins, director of security. Fulton was the one who first reported multiple programmers missing and found the floor supervisor's body.”
Mina was certain that Fulton Hawkins had some kind of title he was used to going by, or at least would typically be Mr. Hawkins, Chief Hawkins or Director Hawkins, to those outside the facility. Based on Director Richter's subtle body language, the director didn't think much of Hawkins, and insisting on forgoing any hint of formality was an intimidation technique. She was also sure it was working, given the way the basement troll shied away from her boss. Mina still didn't like her much, but suddenly felt a certain tiny amount of perverse pride at the reaction.
After a couple of moments of uncomfortable staring, Fulton seemed to realize it was his turn to talk. “Normally, all the stations are monitored from the electronic security room. Accessing it requires going through an additional layer of security, with different codes. My security chip syncs with the algorithm it uses to generate the codes,” he explained, drawing a quirked brow from Director Richter and an impatient glance from Mina. “That means that I could open the door, but no one else. I can see the whole facility from in there. The cameras shut down, and the doors locked me in. The University is on its own power grid, and we have our own backup down here. That shouldn't have been possible. And had there been any serious interruption, it should have set off an alarm to at least get someone checking things out. We're too far underground for me to call out using my subdermal comm, so I had to wait ‘til systems came back up to get out. I couldn't have been stuck in there for more than ten minutes, max. When I got out, the supervisor was dead. Someone had shot him in the head. He was just ...” Fulton gestured. “... just lying over there, face down. No signs of a struggle or anything. All of the programmers who had been on duty were gone. Again, no struggle, no nothing. The cameras caught nothing. No alarms went off, but all records of entries and exits were wiped for a half hour period. Any of the programmers could have pulled off that kind of hack, but not many others. This is high-level stuff. Even they should have set something off if they'd tried to hack it.”
He led them around the facility, cramped, kept cool, full of some of the highest-end computers Mina had ever heard of. Basement troll heaven. She could see Scott being very happy in here ... though probably even happier if a couple of the lights had been a bit higher. She was almost positive he'd hit his head a couple times while getting acclimated. As soon as the brief tour, which included the security room, ended, Director Richter thanked him with a distinctly 'you are dismissed now, Fulton,' tone to the politeness. Despite the few options in places to go, he found somewhere to disappear.
“Miss Cortez, you'll be given full access to all of the crime scene photos. Both of the other city agents have been down here and surveyed the scene. There are painfully few people to be interviewed. You just talked to the primary one,” she began. “Obviously, Fulton Hawkins remains a suspect, but he's under almost constant monitoring. He's also been here for several years with no hint of any incident. Whatever else he is, Fulton is, historically, honest and good at his job of watching screens and programming security codes. If he had anything to do with this, he's made no contact whatsoever with the hostages.”
Mina was already trying to envision the scene, and running through the reactions she could imagine from Scott, and a handful of other people like him, to being kidnapped. Following the directions and locations Hawkins had given them, Mina moved to examine Scott's work station while Director Richter continued.
“All of the computers have been swept for any signs of a clue as to what happened. No one seemed to have left any kind of warning messages or hints. Everything was undamaged and in full working order. The only hint of violence was, obviously, the supervisor's death via a single shot to the back of his head. Going by his expression and posture, he did not appear unduly alarmed. We're fairly certain that he was taken by surprise near the start of the kidnapping. We're also quite certain that this was, at least in part, an inside job. Someone with extensive knowledge of this facility and its systems had to be involved. Even then, we have numerous inconsistencies.”
Mina continued to search the workstation, looking for signs her friend had been working here, or what he was working on at the time. While most of the stations had small signs of the personalities and interests of the users, Scott's station was mostly clear aside from a coffee cup and a modified ocular implant interface. Given his home computer station, she was pretty sure he just hadn't had much chance to move any of his toys in yet.
“Additionally, while the University grounds are quiet, a group that size would draw attention. In any direction, a group would have had to pass any number of buildings, and eventually, traffic monitoring cameras to get in and out of the university. No one on campus at the time saw any groups in the area. Authorized security has swept through every building on campus, out to the streets on all sides. We're monitoring every black market contact we're currently aware of for signs of additional chips becoming available, as numerous chips and programs were taken, but not wiped off of the existing computers. Everything was done within a narrow time frame, since the gap in the cameras, as Fulton indicated, is not long.”
Mina approached the Director again, talking more quietly now, with one big question remaining on her mind, above and beyond the mysteries presented by this case. She could absolutely see the value both in the programs, and especially the people capable of creating those complex programs. The motivation was simple. The ways to pull off the disappearing act weren't, but obviously those had been under analysis for a while by the AIA
“So ... why me? You could call other agents and specialists in. You have two other agents, and you obviously know the case. I mean, sure, I appreciate knowing what's going on here ... but isn't this kind of a breach of protocol? Scott is my friend. I'd do anything to find his kidnappers, but this is ...”
Director Richter cut her off, narrowing her eyes. “We are pursuing every angle. This is a matter of security on the highest level, and I trust you to act professionally. If I didn't, you wouldn't have gotten that chip, Miss Cortez. However, you misunderstand. Every other programmer here had a significant work record and history with the facility. Mr. Szach was a borderline case. He had a history of system hacking, but his profile indicated that this tendency was benign. Nonetheless, he almost didn't get the assignment. He was the newcomer, and in his first day, received a black mark for a near altercation with his supervisor. When this happened, he was under review and at risk of losing the job right after getting it. At this time, we brought you in on the case due to your familiarity with Scott Szach's habits, because evidence suggests that he is currently our primary suspect.”