Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder Page A

head. “I guess we really don’t know for sure.”
    I had lots of work to do here.
    “Archie,” I said, “at first blush, it seems you have a system that works when all the players are honest and trustworthy. Like the way the Internet worked in the early days.”
    He frowned. “What does the Internet have to do with Soul Identity?”
    “As it connected more people and organizations, the value of its data increased, and the trustworthiness of that data decreased. The result? Lots of security problems. Lots of theft. Lots of anonymous bad people wreaking havoc on an innocent system.”
    “Then they should shut the Internet down.”
    “That’s one solution, I guess,” I said. “It’s pretty drastic, though. That same Internet enables great advances, saves money, and enriches lives. What happens is that the Internet evolves over time. It keeps up with its changing environment.”
    Archie shook his head. “We do not evolve. We use the same overseer rules that Darius established in Babylon . Other than updates in the way we perform readings, little has changed in the way we provide oversight.”
    Hadn’t these guys heard the expression “evolve or die?”
    “I definitely have my work cut out for me,” I said.
    “You do. Remember your real goal is to find and stop the bad people before they break us. Security improvements are good, but they are not the priority.”
    I thought about the best place for me to start. “You brought me in to audit your security policies around your new Internet launch,” I said. “Why don’t I start by examining the new system? Chances are the bad guys are all over it.”
    “Good idea,” He picked up his yellow telephone. “Brian, please ask Val to come to my office.” He hung up the phone. “Val runs the new system development. She is visiting us this week to make sure we have the right equipment in place. She can tell you all about it and answer any questions you may have.”
    “Great,” I said. “It’s five o’clock now. How late do you guys work?”
    “Val works until the wee hours of the morning.”
    They were paying me around the clock, so who was I to complain?
    I needed to know how much he wanted me to share with his staff. “Archie, how open can I be about what I’m doing here?”
    He clasped his hands together. “I have informed my staff that you are here to audit the Internet programs. I also told them that you will be looking for potential security breaches.”
    “Should I be open about your fears of the organization being attacked?”
    He frowned. “If they bring it up, by all means please discuss it. But they probably all think I am a paranoid, out-of-touch old man.”
    I could see how they’d get that impression.
    “Is there anybody I should avoid in my questionings?” I asked.
    He thought for a minute, then shook his head.
    Brian knocked on the door and cracked it open. “Val said she’s too busy to come up here,” he said. “Should I escort Mr. Waverly to the dungeon?”
    “Yes, thank you, Brian.” Archie looked at me. “Let us meet tomorrow morning at nine.”

eight
     

    “The dungeon sounds ominous,” I said as Brian and I headed for the elevator. “You’re not going to torture me, are you?”
    “No, Mr. Waverly, we only torture on Fridays.” Brian flashed a thin smile. “It’s a windowless computer lab in the basement of a musty old building. What else would you call it?”
    We reached the elevator and he pushed the button. “You don’t need me to go down there with you,” he said. “Tell the attendant to take you to the basement. The dungeon’s on your left.” He turned and walked up the hall.
    The elevator door opened. James sat on his stool, and I smiled as I got in. “Does your train make a stop in the basement?” I asked.
    “Of course it does,” he said. “All aboard!” James threw a switch and the elevator dropped.
     
    Where the third floor was marble and chandeliers, the basement was vinyl and fluorescents.