MindWar (Nick Hall Book 3) Read online

  The general nodded. “I will do my best to make it so.”

  “Thank you, my friend. I didn’t want to tip off the purpose of my visit until we were face-to-face. But as I told you, you are the only person in China I have contacted. This has to do with a technology developed in America called BrainWeb.”

  The general’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting. A possibility I considered, but still unexpected. Everyone knows of a man named Nick Hall and of this technology. But rumors persist that while you were once involved,” he added pointedly, “this is no longer true.”

  “Rumors?” said Victor, raising his eyebrows.

  “Well,” replied Li with a smile, “rumors and a thorough investigation and analysis by Chinese intelligence.”

  “And their findings?”

  “That you managed to acquire all BrainWeb implants ever produced. But that your custody was fleeting. The Americans learned where they were and came after them. Your defenses were strong enough to keep the attack at bay until you could escape.” He shook his head solemnly. “But at the cost of the technology, which the Americans decided to destroy to make certain it did not stay in your hands.”

  “This is largely true,” said Victor, “but things are not always what they seem, General Li,” he added, the corners of his mouth turning up into the slightest of smiles. “Perhaps we should start at the beginning. What do you know about Nick Hall and BrainWeb?”

  “What everyone knows. A year ago, a company named Theia Labs developed breakthrough computer architecture, which they incorporated into small brain implants. My understanding is that each implant possessed the computing power of hundreds of desktop computers. Their goal was to fine-tune software that would allow the implants to be able to seamlessly decipher pure thought. They could then present Internet content to a user directly through the visual and auditory centers of their brains. In this way, users could access the Internet with their thoughts alone. They could choose to focus on sights and sounds coming through their eyes and ears, or on BrainWeb content that could be seen and heard with perfect clarity. As if it were suspended in front of them.”

  Victor nodded, impressed with the general’s concise yet accurate description. “Nicely summarized,” he said, taking another sip of tea and nodding in approval. “Please go on.”

  “Despite a brilliant team and impressive advances, perfecting this capability was expected to take many years, or might never be possible. Given regulations on human testing and the safeguards required, experimentation would move forward as slowly as a glacier. So the CEO of the company took a shortcut. Dozens of men and women were kidnapped and experimented upon for months. All but one died from the brain damage these experiments caused. The CEO was finally able to get the system to work with the last subject, a man named Nick Hall, using a set of four precisely placed implants. But Hall managed to escape. And although he didn’t survive long, he was able to bring these crimes to light along with the technology.”

  Li paused for a moment to decide what to add from here. “Since only the CEO was involved,” he finished, “Theia Labs made reparations to the victims’ families and made plans to commercialize the technology, which they named BrainWeb.”

  Victor smiled. “You have an impressive grasp of this history, General,” he said. “I assume that once this became public your government made the ah . . . acquisition of a BrainWeb prototype a top priority,” he said.

  “As did the governments and militaries of every country in the world,” said the general defensively, unable to conceal his irritation.

  “Apologies, General. I meant no disrespect. I obtain technology—unlawfully—for a living. Something I have done a number of times at the request of your government. Believe me, General Li, I am not here to judge. I was just curious.”

  Li’s features softened. “China was working on a plan to acquire prototypes for study, yes. But we both know what happened before we had the chance to set this in motion.”

  “And what is that?” said Victor.

  The general calmly took another sip of tea while he studied his visitor, trying to decide what his angle could possibly be.

  “Okay,” he said finally. “I’ll play along. What happened was that the secret factory Theia built to manufacture the first of the commercial BrainWeb implants was destroyed. But not before all ten thousand sets of implants that the factory had produced had been stolen. None of this was ever made public. The fact that there had even been a factory, or that it was destroyed, or that implants were lost.”

  He stared intently at the man before him. “And you were the man behind this.” Li raised his eyebrows. “Or are you here to tell me otherwise?”

  “No, you are quite correct, my friend. I’d be interested to know if your intelligence community has any theories on how I might have managed it?”

  “Yes. You had the help of an American general named Justin Girdler, who headed up all American Black Operations. He was on the outs with his government and about to go down. This much is very clear. The speculation is that he offered to help you acquire the implants in exchange for enough money to stay hidden in style.”

  Victor was impressed. High marks for Chinese intelligence. And if they knew this, he expected most of the better intelligence groups in the world did also. “Any idea why the general was on the outs?”

  Li paused for a long moment in thought. “I’m willing to share from here on out, but only if you are.”

  “Absolutely,” said Victor without hesitation. “My intent was always to make this a two-way street. And to give even more than I receive. And you are correct, I did forge such an agreement with General Girdler.”

  Li now wore a more satisfied expression, suddenly more optimistic that this conversation would yield useful information. “As I’m sure you know,” he said, “there may well have been more to Nick Hall than just BrainWeb. Rumor has it that he had developed the ability to read minds. Perfectly.”

  “Yes, I’m aware,” said Victor.

  “We are convinced this is more than just a rumor. When he was an unwilling test subject, the implants were moved about randomly in his brain. This was done in the hope of finding the precise coordinates needed for thought-controlled Web surfing. We believe that these movements somehow triggered a latent ESP ability, but one that requires the implants on board to function.”

  “So do you think Nick Hall is special?” asked Victor. “Or just lucky? What if someone managed to find the exact path that was taken during the hit-and-miss experimentation? Do you believe this mind reading latency could be triggered in anyone with implants on board?”

  “We can’t be sure, of course, but our scientists believe it is quite likely.”

  Victor nodded. “I agree with everything you’ve said so far. Please continue.”

  “We are also convinced this Nick Hall did not die as advertised,” said Li. “We believe he was instrumental in stopping the terrorist attack on the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The terrorists’ strategy was flawless. Perfect mind reading is the only way this could have been stopped. Even then it is unclear how he managed it.”

  As Li spoke he watched Victor carefully for any reaction. “Which brings me to your original question,” continued the general, “why General Girdler was about to take a fall. We believe that the general was aware that Hall was still alive and could read minds, but kept this from his own people. He only came clean to stop what would have been the worst attack on American soil since 9/11.”

  “Very good,” said Victor. “This is, indeed, the reason the political winds turned against the general. By hiding such a potentially important asset from his superiors, he violated their trust, and he violated the law.”

  “It’s been widely publicized that Nick Hall is dead,” said General Li, “yet again. But we do not believe this to be true. As the Americans say, the man seems to have more lives than a cat. Do you know where he is?” he asked with great interest.

  “I’m afraid I don’t,” replied Vic
tor.

  “And Justin Girdler?” pressed Li. “Do you know where he ended up?”

  “I don’t know that either,” admitted Victor.

  “What do you know?” snapped Li, losing his patience and proving he could be blunt after all. “Surely you must have something useful to add. You promised a mutual information exchange, but it’s been all one-way traffic so far. This needs to change, significantly, or your audience with me is nearing its end.”

  “Thank you for your patience, General. I was just getting a few needed preliminaries out of the way. But I am now ready to begin holding up my end of the bargain. More than my end. And I bring not just information, but opportunity. If you’ll bear with me a little longer, I’m confident you will one day look back on this meeting as the most important that you ever had.”

  “That is very hard for me to believe,” said Li bluntly.

  “I don’t doubt that, General Li. But I intend to convince you of the truth of this very soon now.”

  4

  The general leaned forward intently and stared at his guest. “I suspect you’ve greatly overestimated the importance of what you have to offer. But since you have a reputation of being a man of your word, and are not known for playing games, I will humor you a little longer.”

  “Thank you, General,” said Victor. “I will get right to it, then. I can tell you that while your intelligence on the Americans’ attack on my compound is accurate,” he began, glad that Li couldn’t read his mind to know that this was a lie, “you did miss one critical point.”

  Victor was a man of honor, yes, but only once he reached an agreement. The truth was that the Americans had never found him, never attacked. He had staged the raid on one of his own bases of operation at great cost and effort, using US equipment and tactics, selling it as real by unleashing enough shock and awe for three attacks. He had painstakingly orchestrated clues and leaks as to what happened to make sure that the version Li had recited became gospel in the international community.

  He had done this to correct a mistake. He had advertised his possession of the implant sets to a few key customers, but hadn’t taken the proper steps to ensure this information was kept contained, and its rapid spread had created unforeseen problems. With a lure as irresistible as BrainWeb, the demand was far higher than the supply, making him the potential target of every government who wanted a monopoly, along with many thousands of powerful people around the globe who would not take his refusal or inability to sell to them lying down.

  After learning details of Hall’s history, he had decided to hold back a significant number of sets to pursue mind reading, and had also realized that his initial thinking had been flawed. He would be far better served to severely limit the number of BrainWeb customers, to be much more strategic in their selection. Placing many thousands of implant sets would be unwieldy and dangerous, and he already had more money than he could ever spend.

  But if he could get himself back off the radar, there was much more than just wealth to be gained.

  “The attack happened just as you’ve said,” continued Victor, repeating his lie, “but the Americans didn’t destroy all ten thousand sets. I lost the vast majority, but I had previously moved a meaningful number of my eggs to a separate basket. Giving me a monopoly on the technology for years—possibly decades.”

  Victor paused. “As I’m sure you know, General,” he continued, “the secrets to BrainWeb were lost with the destruction of the factory and the disappearance of the software and data. American scientists are frantically trying to recreate the technology. But without a willingness to sacrifice lives to get the necessary data, they are not making progress.”

  “But you possess implants that can be reverse engineered,” said Li, unable to hide his enthusiasm at the prospect. “Is that what you’re here to offer?”

  “No. Reverse engineering is impossible. The Americans still have a number of prototypes produced before the factory was even established. Fifty to a hundred sets is my best guess. But this has done them no good. They’ve thrown everything at the implants to uncover their secrets, but have gotten nowhere.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they were designed and safeguarded by Alex Altschuler, and his genius is unmatched. Even with the raw data, it’s unlikely anyone could have reproduced the software and algorithms he created. Extracting precise thoughts from a sea of chemical and electrical signals in the brain turns out to be even more complex than it seems. But without the raw data, it is absolutely impossible. And experts have told me that the anti-reverse-engineering safeguards Altschuler incorporated are as foolproof as it gets.”

  “And you’re certain the Americans have failed?”

  “Yes. My sources are impeccable.”

  Li blew out a long breath. “Scores of companies and most militaries around the world are trying to recreate BrainWeb—including us—without success.”

  “I assume you’ve been willing to sacrifice some of your prison population to get raw data.”

  “Let’s just say that raw data isn’t the problem. Everything else is. The hardware itself is much more of a challenge than we ever expected. And as you’ve noted, the software is next to impossible. We have yet to find Alex Altschuler’s equal.”

  “So if I could get a number of implant sets in your hands, you would be interested? Even knowing reverse engineering won’t work?”

  The general rolled his eyes, deciding that such a stupid question didn’t deserve an answer. “What is your price?” he asked instead.

  “And if you had them,” said Victor, ignoring Li’s query, “would your Politburo install them in their own brains and use them for their intended purpose?”

  “Of course,” said Li, but he had paused before answering for just a moment too long, a telltale sign.

  “I can help you in ways I’m sure you can’t imagine right now,” said Victor. “But if I am to deal with you, I need absolute honesty. How would you really use the implants?”

  General Li looked into Victor’s eyes and rubbed his chin. “Okay, since you seem to know the answer already, I’ll tell you. While the implants have great value, we wouldn’t use them to surf the Web. We would use them to go after bigger game.”

  “Mind reading,” said Victor. It was not a question.

  “Yes, we would try to replicate the path these implants took through Nick Hall’s brain when he was a test subject. Our people are trying to solve ESP right now, throwing huge resources at the problem. But without the implants, which we know triggered this ability, this effort is also doomed to failure.”

  “Thank you for your honesty, General.”

  “As long as we’re both being honest,” said Li. “Tell me the real reason you are here. If you wanted to sell implants, you would have contacted those in my government you’ve worked with in the past. Or the head of the army’s Science and Technology Commission. Also, you said you could help me in ways I can’t imagine. Not China. Me personally. So what is this all about?”

  Victor smiled. “I’m glad you asked,” he replied. “I am here because I’ve chosen you to become the next General Secretary and President of The Peoples Republic of China.”

  He paused for effect, leaning forward intently. “Is this something that might interest you, General?”

  5

  General Li’s eyes narrowed and an air of alarm replaced his previously calm demeanor. Victor’s audacious claim that he could make him the most powerful man in China hung in the air and he made no attempt to respond. Instead, he removed his gun from its holster and held it on his lap, at the ready.

  Victor knew his words would be met with skepticism, but Li was eyeing him as if he were an inmate in a psychiatric ward. Perhaps this was a reaction he should have predicted.

  As he thought it through, it was little wonder the general had drawn his gun. Being alone in a room with an unarmed man who was rational, who had built a reputation for being trustworthy and self-interested, was one thing. Being in a room with a
crazy person, on the other hand, was unpredictable and highly dangerous. A rational man wouldn’t attempt to lunge at an armed man to kill him, but a paranoid schizophrenic might try anything.

  “So I’ve managed to convince you I’ve gone crazy, is that it?” said Victor, forcing a smile.

  “Actually, I don’t find it likely,” replied Li. “But like you, I’m a cautious man. And your statement is preposterous.”

  “Then allow me to continue,” said Victor. “I’m confident I can convince you otherwise.”

  “Go ahead,” replied Li, not releasing his hold on the gun.

  “While ESP would be a big prize,” began Victor, “you are underestimating the value of the implants themselves. The true potential of this technology is difficult to appreciate at first, but I know that you’ll come around. I chose you for many reasons, but one of them is that my studies and sources tell me you are ambitious and very talented.”

  “Flattery won’t help you make your case.”

  “Not flattery. The truth. You are in charge of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. My understanding is that this group has grown ever more prominent lately, and ever more powerful.”

  “Not in charge,” corrected Li. “The number two man. Behind Sun Qishan. A long way behind.”

  “We both know that your boss is more of a figurehead, and that you run the department on a day-to-day basis.”

  “With ample input from the Politburo,” said Li, his face souring for just a moment before he caught himself and regained a passive expression.

  “As I understand it,” said Victor, “the charter of your Commission is to investigate high-ranking members of the communist party for corruption. When Chen Han assumed power in 2020,” he added, speaking of the man who was still China’s paramount leader, “he elevated your group to help him consolidate his position. Using it as a vehicle for . . . purging. Since this time you’ve had the ability to seize evidence and detain any party member for months without a warrant. And you are empowered to adjudicate your own cases, making you judge, jury, and executioner.”