Project inferno, p.6
Project Inferno, page 6
Chapter Twelve
Colonel X lived in a small apartment on the second floor above a local sundries market in an older part of Guangzhou near Lychee Bay. Located about eight miles northeast of downtown, Lychee Bay was a popular place for tourists with its beautiful and colorful riverside promenade. He liked living in a neighborhood that was less modern with a variety of small businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and coffee shops. The constant background of traffic, barely audible conversations, and pleasant aromas that wafted up to his apartment comforted and relaxed him. He especially enjoyed gazing out his window onto the street below to watch the crowds.
Colonel X was a single man with spartan tastes and that was reflected in how his apartment was furnished. To one side of the living room, he had a small couch with a lamp on a table at each end. The center of the room was occupied by a small plain coffee table made from rosewood with a glass insert on top. Across from the couch was a wooden hutch with a flat-panel TV and shelves that were topped with some collectible souvenirs, a couple of family photographs, and several books. On several walls he had the obligatory traditional Chinese prints depicting forested mountain landscapes. Colonel X would never win any accolades as an interior decorator, but personally he was satisfied with his simple choices and tastes.
Sitting quietly on the couch and nursing a cold Tsingtao beer, Colonel X tried to organize his thoughts. America was constantly under attack from a number of enemies, both state-sponsored and those carried out by splinter groups like Al Qaeda. In fact, he thought that Islamist terrorists could provide some interesting ideas. But, apart from their spectacular success on 9/11, terrorist attacks since then had been unremarkable. It didn’t take much imagination to steal a van and run down people on a sidewalk, or to walk into a public place with an automatic weapon, or to plant a bomb such as the attack on the Boston Marathon. Of course, these attacks were brutal if you happened to be a victim, and they resulted in a lot of public outrage. But they were definitely not clever, and, for the most part, they were one-off events. The General had said he wanted a plan that was clever, covert, untraceable, widespread, and devastating.
Perhaps he would draft a “needs analysis.” In other words, he’d determine what he required for the project, and then how to fulfill these requirements. That would lead him to the “how,” or what specifically he should implement to make the plan work.
So, what did he need in general terms?
First, a weapon—a stealthy one that would not draw unnecessary attention. It might be useful if it appeared to be a normal item in the target environment. It was very important not to draw uninvited attention.
Second, a way to get it into the country without suspicion. Ideally, it should be something that could be imported through legal channels rather than a contraband item that would attract attention from the authorities. Anything smuggled into the country would greatly increase the risk of discovery.
Third, the weapon needed to be accessible, so that its destructive activity could be triggered. He would need a way to remotely switch the weapon from a harmless state to a dangerous state. A related requirement was that the weapon should be locatable, probably by incorporating a GPS feature.
Fourth, the weapon needed to be 100% effective, foolproof, and totally reliable.
Fifth, the weapon would need to self-destruct to hide evidence of its existence. Ideally, it would completely destroy itself so that nothing was left to provide evidence leading back to the perpetrators—meaning that nothing would point back to Colonel X.
This generic list seemed like a great start, but what could possibly fit the bill? He could create a new weapon from scratch, but that would probably take too long. The General was notoriously impatient. It would need to be something that already existed, so he could just modify it to meet his requirements. And what better place to find an existing product than right in his hometown of Guangzhou, a major manufacturing center in China?
Historically, Guangzhou was the home of the famous Thirteen Factories, also known as the Canton Factories. These warehouses and stores were the principal and sole legal sites of most Western trade with China from 1757 to 1842.
With its rich history of manufacturing and trade, Guangzhou would be fertile ground for Colonel X to meet his needs for a lab, factories, or supplies. He started researching the lists of manufacturing firms in Guangzhou looking for candidates with products he might be able to use.
He also decided that he would need to set up a shell company that could be used to make purchases. He would need the shell company to purchase a laboratory facility, perhaps a manufacturing facility, and equipment and components for the project. He would also need to establish himself as the principal for that company, which of course would require him to have an alias.
For the shell company, he selected an innocuous name: East West Import and Export Corporation. He would have the MSS register it, so he could use it to conduct business in the open. For his alias, he selected the common Chinese name Wang Yong.
Chapter Thirteen
With his list of general requirements in mind, Colonel X pondered solutions. He ruled out crude ideas, such as small bombs. They would be too difficult to smuggle into America. After detonation, it would be too easy to trace their source and assign culpability.
He also ruled out chemical or biological weapons. Not out of any moral qualms, but because they were too difficult to manufacture, deliver, or provide targeted attacks, except on a widespread area. Also, the Colonel needed his weapon to fly under the radar for as long as possible.
What about a small appliance? Guangzhou was a manufacturing hub for appliances, from toasters and microwave ovens to hair dryers and curlers—a great variety to pick from. These products shared the same benefits. That is, they were shipped through normal channels and passed easily through customs at the entry ports. As everyday items, they were unlikely to attract special attention and were established in the American market. But on the other hand, most of these products were primitive and passive, so they wouldn’t meet his needs. For his weapon, he had something in mind that could act autonomously, be in contact with his central control operation, initiate some new action when directed to remotely, as well as other requirements that demanded more sophisticated features, perhaps even Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Colonel X was perplexed. But knowing that the General expected a full proposal soon, he had to stay on point and come up with a viable solution.
Taking a walk in his neighborhood often helped him clear his mind. In spite of the sights, smells, sounds, and commotion of the neighborhood streets, a walk enabled him to focus. The weather forecast called for intermittent showers, so he grabbed a light jacket and an umbrella and exited his small apartment to Xingpo Street, which ran in front of his apartment.
Xingpo Street was fairly typical for most older sections of Guangzhou. The street was narrow and tree-lined on both sides with stone tile sidewalks which meant you had to watch your step. Along both sides there was a continuous row of small shops and restaurants, all of them colorfully decorated on the outside and with inviting interiors. Here and there, peddlers sold a variety of items, including food, so the street was infused with pleasant odors. Of course, the air carried a cacophony of sounds, mostly from the street traffic. And everywhere pedestrians crowded the sidewalks, some strolling casually and others plodding with purpose.
A strong scent of brewed coffee wafted from several sources, and Colonel X decided to grab a cup. These coffee aromas emanated from the Starbucks at the end of his block, and from the recently opened Luckin Coffee shop across the street. These two companies had been locked in a competitive struggle since Luckin first opened coffeeshops in 2017. Both were expanding rapidly within China, so it sometimes seemed that one or both had a shop on every block in Guangzhou. He entered the Starbucks, purchased a mocha latte, and strolled back out to the street to resume his search for a solution.
He ambled along the busy streets for over an hour and still had no firm idea. The variety of products he noticed in the storefronts was bewildering. He was beginning to despair that he would be unable to solve his problem. Given his requirements and restrictions, what could possibly be the basis for the weapon he was trying to visualize?
Colonel X ducked into a small restaurant named Wo Fat’s where he had a satisfying dinner of dim sum and oolong tea. After a relaxing hour enjoying his meal, he strolled back out to the street to continue his search. During his short stay in the restaurant, it had started to rain so he opened up his umbrella and looked up and down the street to decide where to go next. Noticing that the shops on the opposite side were sheltered by awnings, he crossed the street to use them to escape the rain. He stopped in front of a shop, bent over to fold up his umbrella, and as he looked up, he noticed that he had stopped in front of a toy store with a large display window packed with toys—educational toys in particular. He could see a wide variety of intriguing toys. One entire set of shelves was labeled “Educational Robots,” and it displayed sophisticated and colorful toys in various sizes and shapes. The robots on display ranged in size from simulated cockroaches about four inches long, to more traditional upright robots about a foot tall. These tall upright robots looked like they came out of a science fiction movie. One of them was actually a miniature version of R2-D2 from Star Wars. Some of the robots resembled animals, like lizards or dogs, so they walked on legs. Others had rubber tracks or wheels so they could move by rolling along. And many had “heads” with simulated eyes, ears, and mouths, all intended to make them appear more attractive to children. In other words, the designers had gone to great lengths to make them appear to have friendly shapes and personalities—to become a child’s companion, perhaps.
He had an epiphany. Of course, he thought, how much more obvious could his solution be? One of these toys would undoubtedly fit his requirements. A simple modification could turn it from an innocent toy to a subtle and nefarious weapon. For example, some of these toys were capable of autonomous mobility. They used rechargeable batteries. They incorporated sensors for vision, sound, and touch—often all three. Most had Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capability, so the user could communicate with them or they could contact the toy manufacturer over the Internet for registration or to download software updates. Some were programmable, such that their behavior and characteristics could be modified. They were controlled by internal circuit boards and incorporated some level of AI. He didn’t know much about AI, but he assumed it would be useful for his purposes.
In addition to these technical benefits, the toys also fulfilled several other key requirements. They were consumer products that were already shipping to his target, America. They shipped through normal and legal import/export channels via standard ports of entry. They would be viewed as harmless by inspectors and easily pass through security checks without suspicion. In fact, that was part of their perverse appeal—nobody would suspect that a harmless toy could actually be a dangerous weapon.
Colonel X entered the toy store to give the toys a closer look and perhaps select some candidates. He approached the clerk to seek information to help him narrow down his choice. “I need to buy a gift for my nephew,” he said, “and I think one of these toys would be appropriate for him. Can you tell me which ones are the most sophisticated? Ideally it should be priced in the mid-range, since I’m on a limited budget. I’m thinking between 600 to 1200 Yuan would be reasonable.”
There were no other customers in the store, so the sales clerk perked up at the prospect of a paying customer. “As you can see, we have a very wide variety of toys here which we are quite proud of.” He pointed at the robots in the display window and waited for a response.
Colonel X smiled broadly and turned his face slightly to hide his scar. This was not an occasion to intimidate anyone; he was merely the doting uncle. “You should be. I don’t follow this market. I don’t have any children of my own. This is all new to me.”
The sales clerk often had customers who were not knowledgeable about the rapidly changing toy market. Particularly older customers. Colonel X was only in his late thirties, but to this young clerk that made him a dinosaur. So he asked a few probing questions. “Is your nephew computer literate? Does he like to tinker with mechanical devices or computers? Is he curious about how things work? Does he get discouraged when a problem might take a significant amount of time to solve?”
Colonel X thought briefly about these questions then smiled sheepishly. “He’s twelve, very bright and inquisitive, and as far as I know, he’s computer literate. Certainly he is much more so than me. I know he learns computer languages in school, as well as web design with HTML. I can’t specifically tell you how computer literate he is because frankly I don’t interact with him often. But I’m certain he would be comfortable with your toys.”
He hadn’t revealed to the clerk that he was very technically competent himself. Colonel X found it useful in many situations to act ignorant. He found that it sometimes disarmed people and made them more likely to reveal information. Silent periods during questioning also helped, because people sometimes became uncomfortable and blurted out information voluntarily.
The clerk replied with a soft laugh. “Yes, today all of these youngsters are way ahead of adults, so I’m not surprised. They grow up surrounded by computers and smartphones, and certainly aren’t intimidated by these devices.”
Colonel X nodded. “Can you recommend a specific toy for me?”
The clerk looked up. “I think your nephew would probably be happy with this one. It’s called an AI Robot Pal. It is manufactured by the Bright Angel Toy Company that is located right here in Guangzhou. It has recently been redesigned and is quite sophisticated and feature rich.”
Colonel X felt the need to press for more details. “Can you give me a few examples of its features?
“Certainly. It is a mobile toy that can be programmed either to move around and accompany you like a pet, or to explore its environment. It can navigate mazes, detect and avoid obstacles, and seek out programmed destinations. As it is used over time, it gradually develops a sort of personality, mimicking rudimentary emotions and gestures. This smart robot uses artificial intelligence to gather information from its surroundings with infrared, tactile, proximity, visual, and sound sensors. It has a rechargeable battery and comes with a convenient USB charger.”
Colonel X continued to feign ignorance and paused for a few minutes before replying, “That’s amazing. All of those features in this small toy? Of course I shouldn’t be surprised. My Apple Watch has an incredible array of capabilities, most of which I still don’t know how to use. Product miniaturization has advanced at an amazing pace.”
“It certainly has. So, are you interested in purchasing one today?”
Colonel X paused, trying to appear to be in deep thought. He also wanted to hide his eagerness since he had already made up his mind. “Yes, I think so.”
The clerk was eager to close the deal. “I’m pretty sure we have one, but let me check the storeroom and I’ll be right back.”
When the clerk returned with the colorful box with the label “AI Robot Pal” and a detailed picture on the front, Colonel X studied it closely. “I also have a cousin in America who might want to buy one of these for his son. Are these sold in America or only available in China?”
The clerk did not react with any suspicion at this question as Colonel X had feared. Perhaps he had heard it before. At any rate he responded positively. “Yes these are sold around the world including America. In fact, I’ve heard that America is one of the most popular markets.”
Colonel X was feeling optimistic about his project. This toy could be the perfect delivery mechanism for the plot that was taking shape in his mind. The next step would be to take this one home and get familiar with its capabilities. He paid with cash and left the store.
Chapter Fourteen
Back in his apartment, Colonel X opened the package, removed the Robot Pal, set it on the coffee table, and plugged it into an outlet. Charging would take a while, so while he waited, he relaxed with a Tsingtao beer and looked thoughtfully at the robot in front of him.
It was about a foot tall and primarily white with some red stripes on the sides. Its eyes and arms were blue. The two eyes were on a small head sticking up from the top, and the front of the head was painted with a smiling mouth. The head could swivel from side to side, and the eyes and mouth, which were designed to make it appear friendly to children, made it eerily lifelike. On each side of the body was an articulated arm that could rotate up and down, with a grasping “hand” to grab small objects. Two treads were located on either side on the bottom of the main chassis to give it the capability to crawl around.
He quickly scanned the owner’s manual. Once the charging cycle was complete, he had the robot demonstrate its mobility by moving around his apartment on its treads, and he intentionally placed small obstacles in its path to test its navigation skills. He wanted to find out more about the built-in sensors—details concerning their sensitivity and range. He exercised the voice commands to test the microphone and had the toy robot talk to him using its built-in speaker. He didn’t connect it to his Wi-Fi router or use the Bluetooth feature. It was sufficient for him to know that these capabilities were described in the manual.
So, he figured it might just be able to meet his needs. But how could he turn it into a weapon? Right now it was totally harmless, as a toy should be. That characteristic could be turned on its end by redesigning it with a hidden weapon capability.
Clearly, it would be unacceptable to just put a small bomb inside—too risky and too obvious. In any case, he assumed bomb-sniffing dogs would detect the danger right away in customs.
