Netcast: Zero by Ryk Brown

FALL OF THE CORE
NETCAST: ZERO
    Pay attention! The text message flashed in Hanna’s personal visual space, ironically across the face of the very man that was boring her to death.
    Reply: I am , Hanna thought. Her reply was instantly converted into a digital signal by her neuro-digital implant at the base of her skull, and transmitted to her producer.
    From; Arielle: No, you’re not , her producer messaged back. I can see it in your eyes, and so can he… and so can the viewers.
    Hanna squinted slightly and cocked her head a bit, trying to look interested as she stared at the man sitting across the desk from her.
    “The same type of virus has been used for centuries now,” the man continued, “since nearly the dawn of the internet.” The man paused, looking at Hanna for her next question.
    Message: Oh crap, I’m lost, Hanna thought.
    Her friend was one step ahead of her, as usual, her reply floating in the air in front of Hanna as it filled her visual space.
    From; Arielle: If this particular virus has been around for so long, then surely there must be a way to protect our systems from it? Hanna immediately repeated the question out loud.
    “The problem is that this particular variant is quite adept at disguising itself. It changes its structure with almost every instance, making it particularly difficult to detect. In nearly every confirmed case of the virus thus far, it was not discovered until after it had already begun to affect the target system. Hence the name, ‘Twister’, as it constantly twists itself into new, unrecognizable forms.”
    “Unrecognizable?” Hanna asked. “But it’s computer code, right? Lines of characters on a screen that tell the computer what to do.”
    “When you look at as much computer code as we do, day in and day out, you begin to see patterns. It’s much like learning a foreign language. Once you become fluent, you no longer translate it in your head, you simply … understand.”
    “Even with computer code?”
    From; Arielle: You’re straying , her producer warned in another visual text message.
    “So, if the Twister virus is impossible to recognize, how are you going to neutralize it?” Hanna asked.
    “Not impossible,” the man corrected, “just difficult. Extremely difficult. However, just because it’s difficult to recognize doesn’t mean we can’t protect ourselves,” he explained. “The question we should be asking, though, is why?”
    “Why?” Hanna seemed confused. She looked to her visual space for another cue from her producer, Arielle, but saw nothing.
    “Yes. Why are they doing this? What is their end goal?” he explained. “We believe the authors of this code are still in the testing and verification phase. That’s why they’ve been so random and widespread in their attacks. They’re not only testing their virus, but they’re testing our response to it. Eventually, they’ll start targeting bigger, more critical systems. If we are not more aggressive in our defense, Twister could create a lot more trouble than it already has… A lot more.”
    From; Arielle: Coming up on ten minutes, the next text message informed Hanna. Let’s wrap it up.
    “Professor Dantmore, is there any chance that your organization will eventually find a way to identify the Twister virus before it strikes, and therefore neutralize it before any damage is done?”
    “Eventually, yes. When is the real question. We have more than one hundred of the Earth’s best security programmers working on the Twister project. We will find a way to stop it. We always do. It’s just a matter of time.”
    Hanna sensed one of Barry’s imaging orbs hovering past her left side, her good side, signaling that it was time for her to sign off. She smiled politely at the professor. “Thank you, Professor Dantmore.” Hanna turned to her left, facing the floating imaging orb taking position a meter away and at her eye level. She dipped her chin slightly, positioning her head to the