Scott"s article detailed all 54 dGraph Viruses. Every wire service and news service in the country picked up the story and reprinted it in their papers and magazines. Within 24 hours, everyone who owned or used a computer had some weapons with which available to him. If they chose to believe in the danger.

Wednesday, January 20 The White House

"So what about this Mason character?" Secretary of State Quinton Chambers asked challengingly. The President"s inner circle was again meeting to discuss the government"s reaction to the impend- ing chaos that Mr. h.o.m.osoto posthumously promised. The pre-dawn hours were viewed as an ideal time to have upper level meetings without the front door scrutiny of the press.

Phil Musgrave pulled a folder from the stack in his lap and opened it. "Born 1953, he had an Archie Bunker for a father but he came out a brain - IQ of 170. Against Nam, who wasn"t; he protested some, but not a leader. No real trouble with the law; couple of demonstration arrests. City College, fared all right, and then set up his own company, worked in the defense industry writing manuals until he hit it big and sold out. Divorced, no kids. Wife is kinda wacky. The news business is new to him, but he"s getting noticed fast."

"Is he a risk?"

"The FBI hasn"t completed their investigation," said Phil. "If he is a risk, it"s buried deep. Surface wise, he"s clean. Only one problem."

"What"s that?"

"He"s an independent thinker."

"How"s he done so far?"

"So far so good."

"So we let him continue?"

"Yesterday he said he was willing to help, but I have a sneaky suspicion he"ll do better on his own without our interference.

Besides, he prints every d.a.m.n thing he does."

"What about their ident.i.ty?"

"No way. He will maintain source protection, and I don"t think it matters right now. Maybe later."

"What about the FBI friend?"

"The FBI is aware of it, and views it favorably. Duncan"s rela- tionship has been exclusively personal until recently. It seems to serve both sides well."

"So you"re saying he"s working for us and not knowing it?"

"He probably knows it, and probably, like most of the media, doesn"t care. His job is to report the news. It just so happens that we read the same newspapers. Let"s leave him alone."

The President held up his hand to signal an end to the debate between State policy and the White House Chief of Staff. "Unless anyone can give me a good G.o.ddammed reason to fix something that seems to be working," he said, "let Mason do his job and let us do ours." He looked around the Oval Office for comments or dissent. It was a minor point and n.o.body thought it significant enough to pursue. Yet. "Next?" The President commanded.

Refills of coffee were distributed and the pile of Danishes was shrinking as the men casually dined during their 6:00 A.M. meet- ing.

"OSO Industries appears, by all first impressions, to have noth- ing to do with the threats." Henry Kennedy was expected to know more than anyone else at this point. "Investigations are contin- uing, but we have no reason to suspect a smoking gun."

"One man did all of this?" asked the President skeptically.

"We have no doubt that he accomplished at least the dGraph vi- ruses with accomplices and a great deal of money." Henry knew his material. With the combined help of the NSA, CIA, FBI and international contacts, the National Security Advisor was privy to an incredible range of information. He was never told direct- ly that U.S. agents regularly penetrated target computers as part of any investigation, or that they listened in on computers and communications to gather information. But Henry Kennedy preferred it this way; not to officially know where he got his data.

Professional deniability.

"We also have every reason to believe that he used technical talent outside of OSO," Kennedy continued. "Perhaps as many as thirty or forty people involved."

The inner circle whistled. "Thirty or forty? That"s a conspira- cy," commented Quinton.

"I agree with Quinton. What I think we need to do here," said Phil Musgrave to the others in the room and the President, "is expand our previous definition of terrorism. Doesn"t a threat to international stability and the economic well being of this country const.i.tute terrorism?" He gazed into each of the listen- er"s eyes then said, "In my mind it clearly does." He referred to the work at the Department of State which, since the Iraqi War, had clearly expanded the operational definition of terror- ism.

"There"s more," Henry said soberly. "Four months ago the FBI was inundated with reports of blackmail. None materialized but still take up a great deal of manpower and resources. Cla.s.sified defense technology is used to shut down the Stock Exchange and other major businesses. Two months ago an Irani foreign national was killed in New York. He was driving a vehicle which contained sophisticated computer monitoring equipment."

"Has anything developed on that front?" the President asked. "I remember reading about that. It was a tragedy."

"It was," agreed Phil Musgrave.

"We had the FBI, the CI division take apart what was left of the van and we began a cross trace," Henry pulled out yet another file from his stack. "It seems that during a two month period in 1988, a disproportionate number of identical Ford Econoline vans were paid for in cash. As far as the dealer is concerned, the customer disappeared. Unless they"re using stolen plates, they- "re part of the DMV system. The New York van was registered to a non-existent address. Roadblocked."

"And don"t forget the First State incident, INTERNET, the FAA radar systems," Quinton Chambers said to the President. He listed a long series of computer malfunctions over the prior 60 days. "It appears at this point that we have been experiencing a prelude, the foreplay if you will, of something worse. The h.o.m.osoto letter makes him as good a candidate as anyone right now."

Even Andrew Coletree felt in concert with the others on this point. "If what has happened to computers, the traffic systems, airplanes, to the IRS, the Stock Exchange, Fed Ex, and G.o.d knows what else is all from one man, h.o.m.osoto, then yes, it"s a army, an attack."

"What if we declare war?" Secretary of State Quinton Chambers said, fully expecting immediate agreement with his idea.

"On who? The Computers?" jibed Defense Secretary Coletree. "The d.a.m.ned Computer Liberation Organization will be the next endan- gered minority."

"Declaring war is a joke, excuse me Mr. President," said Phil Musgrave. "It"s a joke and the American people won"t buy it.

They"re getting hit where it hurts them the most. In their pock- ets. We have major business shut downs, and they want an answer.

A fix, not a bunch of hype. We"ve had the war on crime, the war on drugs, the war on poverty and they"ve all been disasters.

Things are worse now than before. They"ve had it with bulls.h.i.t and they"re scared right now."

The President bowed and rotated his head to work out a kink.

"The position of think," Musgrave would say. Then the refreshing snap in the President"s neck would bring a smile of relief to the corners of Chief Executive"s mouth.

"What if we did it and meant it?" asked the President with a devilish grin. No one responded. "What if we declared war, with the approval of Congress, and actually did something about it."

"A unique concept," quipped Musgrave. "Government accomplishing something." Penetrating glares from Coletree and Kennedy only furthered the President"s amus.e.m.e.nt. He enjoyed the banter.

"No, let me run this by you, and see what you think," the Presi- dent thought out loud. "We are facing a crisis of epic propor- tions, we all agree on that. Potential economic chaos. Why don"t we deal with it that way. Why don"t we really go out and fix it?" Still no reactions. "What is wrong with you guys?

Don"t you get it? Mediocrity is pa.s.s . It can"t be sold to the this country again. For the first time in almost two centuries, the American people may have to defend themselves, in their homes and businesses on their home land. If that"s the case, then I think that leadership should come from the White House."

The President rose and leaned on the back of his chair. There was quiet muttering among his top aides. "Aren"t you stretching the point a little, sir?" asked the Chambers, the silver haired statesman. "After all, it was just one man . . ."

"That"s the point!" shouted the President. "That"s the whole d.a.m.ned point." He strode around to the old white fireplace with a photo of George Washington above it. If permitted, this spot would be labeled "Photo Opportunity" by the White House tours.

"Look what one man can do. I never claimed to know anything about computers, but what if this was a warning?"

"Don"t get maudlin on us . . ."

"I am not getting anything except angry," the President said raising his voice. "I remember what they said about Bush. They said if he was Moses, he would have brought down the ten sugges- tions. That will not happen to me."

The inner circle stole questioning glances from each other.