The game master, p.18
The Game Master, page 18
“What about Kim? Isn’t he the president?”
Blake tilted his head to one side. “Technically, his title is supreme leader.”
“Supreme leader.” He paused. “I like the sound of that. You think I could get Congress to change my title to supreme leader?”
“No sir. Technically, by Constitutional amendment, the former President Il-sung, the current ruler’s granddaddy, was named “Eternal President” by Constitutional amendment after he died.”
“They made a dead man the president?”
“That is correct.”
“A zombie president.”
“Well, he hasn’t risen from the grave. But these titles don’t matter. The man who controls the army is the man in charge.”
“And that’s Chun?”
“Apparently so. He used some kind of unconventional weapon to take out Yoon’s private guard. Something we don’t have. We can’t even figure out how it was deployed.”
“What else do we know about Chun?”
“He’s been involved in an ongoing altercation with Emerson Ogilve for many years.”
“The computer geek? The one you’re using to create military simulation programs?”
“Yes.”
“Bring Ogilve in. Let’s talk to him.”
“Haven’t been able to track him down. We’re not the only ones looking, either.”
“He’s the head of Gen32. In Vegas. Right?”
“Exactly.”
“The project that suffered the disappearances.”
“And the murder.”
“Do we have someone looking into that?”
“In a way. We have an agent in Paris trailing another man who is somehow involved in the crimes. Steven Thomas.”
“The Game Master.”
“Yes.”
“Watched him win the North American chess tournament. Quite the flamboyant player. But why are we following him? Do we think he might lead us to Ogilve?”
“We hope so. They worked together, so years ago. Our agent has spotted other potentially dangerous foreign operatives in the area. Everyone seems to be converging in Egypt. Like every dangerous power in the world got invitations to a big nasty party.”
“Everyone but us.”
No response was necessary.
Fernandez turned to Cartwright. “So Chun is running North Korea. What are the ramifications to our national security?”
“North Korea has the bomb, sir. Don’t kid yourself that they disabled them all. And now this madman has the codes. He could launch a strike against the US without blinking. He’s already hinting he considers us an enemy and plans some kind of aggressive action.”
“And our retaliation would turn his little country into a rock quarry.”
“Maybe. Depends on who else he has lined up on his side.”
“China wouldn’t help him. Not if we took a forceful stance.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Why would they?”
“Because of India.”
“They feel threatened by India?”
Secretary Knox cut in. “Sir, do you know the doctrine of Fear of Encirclement?” She did not pause long enough for him to answer. He knew her goal was to enlighten him, not embarrass him. “India feels threatened by China, which is constantly tightening its grip in the region. The Chinese government has invested in and traded with most of India’s neighbors—Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burma, other South Asian nations. Bangladesh is entirely dependent upon China for trade. China has provided nuclear technology to Pakistan, India’s archrival. And China has by far the strongest maritime force in the region.”
“So that’s why India might feel threatened. Why would China—”
“Because India has friends. The so-called Arc of Democracies’—Japan, Australia, and the United States.”
“So we have mutual détente. No war.”
“Historically, sir, the fear of encirclement by a coalition of hostile powers is exactly what leads to war. Think of Germany in 1914. Or Japan in 1941. Nations become worried. Determined to break out.”
“Okay, so everyone in the region is running scared. What’s the upshot?”
“I don’t know. There are too many variables. Too many questions we can’t answer.”
“Such as?”
“For years, the prevailing view has been that China uses North Korea as their angry little sock monkey. A pawn employed to take aggressive positions so they don’t have to. But if we threatened North Korea, or they threatened us, would China be their ally?”
“If they let North Korea destroy us, they’d have to forgive a lot of debt.”
“Which they could do without losing a night’s sleep. They’d do it in a heartbeat, if it gave them control of their region. Or perhaps even the globe.”
“So if it comes to war—who wins?”
“Impossible to predict. It all depends on who does what and when they do it. The right nation making the right move at the right time could end up ruling the world.”
He pushed away from the table. “I think you’re being a bit dramatic.”
“And I think you’re being naïve, with respect, sir. North Korea is at the tipping point. If they launch a nuke, and I believe this psychopath just might, all the dominos will start to fall.”
“But if we can’t predict the result of a world war, then Chun can’t either.”
“He may not care. But to be fair, his actions of late have demonstrated an astonishing prescience. What if he gets lucky again?”
He fiddled with his coffee cup. He had no answer for that one.
Blake jumped in. “Do we have any reason to think Chun might launch immediately?”
“More likely he’ll wait until our election is over,” Knox replied.
“So we have until the polling places close?” Fernandez asked.
“Iran didn’t feel threatened by Carter, but they released the hostages as soon as Reagan was elected. North Vietnam didn’t invade Saigon until Nixon resigned. Chun may think”—Blake coughed into his hand—“may think your successor will take a tougher stance on the international scene than you have. Sorry, sir, but you’re a lame duck. All future decisions will be decided by your successor.”
“He won’t be inaugurated until—”
“But we both know that you are effectively powerless. In the eyes of the world, the president-elect is the president.”
He let that sink in. “So the future of this planet may depend on the decisions made by my successor?”
“In my opinion, yes.”
He blew air through his cheeks. “Thank God. At least it won’t be on my watch. Let the fate of the world be decided by the next guy.”
“But the polls suggest that it will be Senator Vogel.”
“I’m sure Vogel’s capable of making a sound independent decision.” He chuckled. “The senator may be a member of the other party. But it’s not as if he’s working for the enemy. Right?”
62
BB loved the hustle and bustle of Egypt. No other place on earth offered such a wide array of cultural opportunities. Street markets populated almost every corner, complete with aggressive street urchins who looked like they stepped out of a Kipling story. Museums filled with treasures dotted almost every corner. The deep chambers of the great pyramids held mysteries unsolved to this very day. And the ancient Egyptians loved games. Passing though Giza without stopping to admire the work of Imhotep and the other architectural geniuses of the fourth dynasty had been absolutely painful.
But they were on a mission. And Kadey’s time was counting down fast.
Eventually the bus dropped him and Linden in Alexandria. Osiris Avenue took them downtown, close to the original site of the greatest repository of learning in the ancient world. He felt smarter just being in the general vicinity.
“I think the street we want is north of here,” he said.
“I notice you’re not holding a map,” Linden replied. “Have you been here before?”
“No. But there was a long Alexandria mission in Tomb Raider: Apocalypse.”
Linden pressed her hand against her forehead. “So you’re navigating by video game?”
He squirmed. “Kinda.”
“I’m walking in the shoes of Lara Croft?”
“And filling them quite nicely, I might add. As to the bosom, however—”
“Could you please pull you head out of the game world and tell me what your plan might be? I know the coordinates directed us to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. But it’s a big place. What are we going to do when we get there?”
“I’ve got an old friend who works here. We’ll start there.”
“And who is this friend? The world champion of pachisi?”
They walked up the stone steps leading to the Bibliotheca. “I’m talking about Douglas Moore. The greatest research scientist alive today.”
#
BB gasped as he stepped into Moore’s office. It was barely a closet. A desk and two chairs, no wiggle room. Papers and books stacked to the ceiling. This man was thought to be in line for a Nobel Prize. And this is what the powers-that-be gave him.
“BB! How the hell are you?” Moore stretched his hand across his desk, reaching over the clutter. He wore a white lab coat. His glasses perched on the top of his head. “I see you in the news all the time.”
They shook hands. “That tells me you read only the best periodicals. Games World of Puzzles and such.” He introduced Linden.
“Delighted. Always wanted to meet the woman who tamed the wild beast.”
She smiled. “Only temporarily, as it turned out.”
They chatted amiably for less than a minute before he brought the conversation to a point. He explained that Kadey was missing, and in broad quick strokes painted the scenario that brought them to Alexandria.
“I am so sorry,” Moore said. “I cannot imagine what I’d do if my own daughter were in danger. Do you think your girl is somewhere in Egypt?”
“I hope so. She has fewer than ten hours left. If she isn’t here—she’s dead.”
“Can’t the authorities—”
“Useless.”
“I’m sorry, BB. I’ve heard nothing about your daughter or anyone else who might’ve been kidnapped.”
“Do you know why anyone would want to lead us here?”
“No idea. But Dinky seems to be involved. He’s funding my research, too, you know.”
“Do you know anything about his Vegas project?”
“Some kind of three-dimensional immersive training program for the military, right?”
“Apparently. Kadey was working on it when she disappeared. And she’s not the only one who’s disappeared. And one guy was murdered.”
“You suspect some kind of . . . scientific espionage?”
“I don’t know what to suspect. We’ve been led all around the world. But so far, it hasn’t led us to Kadey.” He paused. “Back in the day, you were the leading authority on the creation of virtual worlds. Which is basically what Dinky is trying to do in Vegas. Is there someone who might not want his project to succeed? A rival government, perhaps?”
Moore contemplated a moment. “I suppose it’s possible. But any interference is far more likely to come from the private sector.”
“Such as?”
“Game companies.”
Linden peered at him. “Video game industry sabotage?”
“The gaming industry is huge. Bigger than the film industry now, worldwide. Games have become more complex, more immersive. If someone could create a truly four-dimensional immersive experience, something a player could enter without the interference of a screen, it would be worth billions.”
“You think it’s possible?” she asked.
“I know it is. Just a matter of time. And the person who creates it is going to be the next gaming billionaire.”
“So there’s actually a lot at stake in Ogilve’s project.”
“He’s letting the government finance his R and D. But if he gets it to work, he’ll take it into the private sector and make a fortune. In addition to the fortune he already has. I’m sure any number of companies would lie, cheat, kidnap, and murder to get that technology first.”
“Any likely suspects?”
Moore removed his glasses and polished them with his lab coat. “I wouldn’t want to accuse anyone without actual knowledge.”
“What firms would benefit most from the tech you’re describing?”
“Well, Linden, you’ve worked on closed sets before, right? Applying game theory principles to economic phenomena.”
“Indeed I have.”
“So you know what happens when there’s money to be made, but not enough for everyone.”
“Ethical behavior goes out the window. The successful strategy is the one that takes into account the strategies of others, foresees it, and thwarts it. The actions of the victor will follow a predictable mathematical pattern.”
“Wait a minute,” BB said. “We’re talking about real people. I refuse to believe their actions can be predicted by some mathematical theorem.”
Linden looked at him dismissively. “That’s because you spend all your time memorizing chess gambits instead of keeping up with the latest academic literature. Game theory is probably the most important field of pure research being pursued today. Game theory has been used to analyze an extensive range of human and animal behavior. It can be amazingly accurate, so long as the variables don’t overwhelm the analyst.”
“But they do, in real life. So it’s worthless.”
“That’s not fair.” She addressed Moore. “Is physics worthless because the laws of physics may not always apply on the subatomic scale? Or the macrospatial scale?”
“That’s totally different.”
“Is it? They’re both about predicting behavior. And they’re both making huge strides. Initially, game theorists assumed players would always behave in a manner that maximizes their success. That’s called the homo economicus model. But in reality, humans are not always so logical. There are reasons for these deviations from self-interest—emotion, altruism, irrationality, and so forth. Many scholars believe they can eventually predict how actual human populations will behave when faced with anticipatable situations. In other words, these games could give us the predictive power to foresee the future.”
“Wouldn’t that make life boring?”
“Assuming you need surprise to float your boat. Most scientists are more enchanted with results.”
“What possible results—”
“Don’t you see? If you can analyze sufficient factors to predict the future, it would be a simple matter of reverse engineering—inductive reasoning—to determine what action must be taken to produce a desired result. You could create the future of your choice.”
Moore wiped his brow. “And people are scared by genetic engineering. What would you call this? Future engineering?”
“In the right hands, it could be wonderful. Society by design rather than by accident.”
“I suppose that’s possible,” Moore said. “But calculations on this level, with so many variables, are far beyond current capabilities.”
“This is a fascinating debate,” BB said, checking his cell, “but we’re on a timetable. A life-or-death one. The only kind of predicting that interests me is predicting where someone took my daughter. You said you’re working on one of Dinky’s projects. Can you tell us what the project is?”
Moore hesitated. “The research is absolutely confidential.”
“My daughter’s life is in danger.”
“Very well.” The scientist led them out the door and into the corridor. At the end of the hall, he slipped an access card through a wall scanner. The door clicked open. “Come into my mad scientist lair.”
Moore’s laboratory struck him as a scaled-down version of what he’d seen in Vegas. All the usual suspects were there, the Pyrex and beakers and Bunsen burners. Not to mention a lot of electronic machinery he couldn’t identify.
Then he spotted something familiar. Two boxes, each bearing pointed metallic cones made of concentric circles. “Are these what I think they are?”
Moore’s grin was irrepressible. “I certainly hope so.”
“Particle beam generators?”
“You got it.”
“How does this relate to video games?”
“It doesn’t. Ogilve seems far more interested in archeology than computer games these days.”
“He does?”
“Whenever he’s in town, he spends his spare time out at that tomb they discovered about three miles north of here. A minor discovery, they say, but that gives him more freedom to interfere than the Egyptian government would probably permit otherwise. Since the revolution, that government has been so poor they have a hard time saying no to anyone with major money. I think Dinky is trying to do something a little more serious with his work. So am I.”
“And your work is . . .”
“Adventures in transportation.”
“High speed rail? Hot air balloons? Zeppelins?”
Moore shook his head. “Teleportation.”
63
Senator Vogel’s former pollster, now campaign manager, showed him the most wonderful chart he had ever seen.
“Polls show you winning tomorrow, sir.”
“Let’s hope they’re right.”
“They are.”
“How long until the press conference?”
“Two minutes.” The kid held an iPad. “You need to see this before you go in.”
He took the iPad and held it at arm’s length. Vanity precluded him from wearing reading glasses when he was on the campaign trail. “Trouble?”
“Chaos in Korea. New general in town.”
“Could only be an improvement.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
He played the video feed. The former chief adjutant to General Yoon had staged a military coup. The political leadership was unchanged, but Chun’s absolute control of the military, coupled with the refusal of any foreign nation to intervene, appeared to concretize his control of the nation’s military might. Chun’s press conference was obviously intended to threaten the Western world.
