按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Oh； he was in for a little while this morning； then he said he had a meeting。 Said he'd probably be gone the rest of the day。〃
Jake paused near the woman's desk。 〃Did he say where the meeting was？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃Was he here when you arrived tins morning？〃
She tried to remember。 〃Yessir； I think so。 Oh； by the way； the puter wizard stopped by this afternoon to give you your brief on the office system。 He said he was going to be working late； so if you're going to be around a while。 I'll call him now and see if he can e over and do the brief。〃
〃Sure。 Call him。〃
Jake greeted the other officers and walked across the room to his office door。 Two of his new subordinates stuck their heads in for a few pleasantries； then shoved off。
A pile of documents flat in the in basket Jake flipped through the stuff listlessly。 There was enough work here to keep him chained to this desk for a week； or maybe a month since he didn't know anything about most of the matters the letters and memos referred to。 He would have to use the staff heavily。
The secretary appeared in his door。 〃The puter man will be here in a little while。 His name is Kleinberg。 Good night； Captain。〃
〃Did you lock up everything？〃
〃No； sir。 I thought you might want to took through some files。〃
〃Sure。 Good night〃
Jake waited for the door to click shut； then went out into the room。 He found Judy's desk and sat down。 He stirred through a small pile of phone messages。 Just names and numbers。 A thin appointment book with a black cover。 He flipped through it slowly。
The days up until now were heavily annotated。 Today's page was blank。 He held the book at arm's length over the desk and dropped it。 It fell with a splat。
Damn！ He felt so frustrated…
Well； at least he knew most of Henry's once…upon…a…time story was true； though where that got him he had no idea。 And he knew that Judy made a trip to West Virginia today。 Why？ To see Trooper Keadle or the prosecutor？ To search Strong's cabin？ Well； Judy was certainly going to be surprised to hear that Jake knew he was there。 Or was he？ Maybe he would tell Jake himself in the morning。
Jake turned on the office copy machine and while it was warming up stood and read the entries in Judy's calendar again carefully。 Smoke seemed to have made a lot of notes about Karen。 Karen who？ Karen 472…3656； that's who。 Why did he write her phone number down so often？ Aha； because she had different phone numbers…at least four of them。 And this guy Bob…lunch； tennis on Saturday； reminders that he called； to call Bob。 Call DE。 Call from RM。 Drop car at garage。 mode broke。 Smoke Judy seemed to jot down everything out of the ordinary。 He was a detail man in a detail business。
When he had his copies Jake put the appointment book back on Judy's desk and went back to his little office。 In a few moments he heard a knock on the door； so he heaved himself up and walked across the room to admit the visitor…
The man in civilian clothes who came in was slightly below medium height； built like a fireplug and just as bald。 〃Hi。 Name's Kleinberg。 From NSA。 puters。〃 His voice boomed。 Here was a man who could never whisper。 In his left hand he carried a leather valise。
〃I'm Grafton。〃
〃Beg pardon；〃 the man said as he reached out and tilted the bottom of Jake's security tag。 He stared at it a few seconds； then glanced again at Jake's face。 〃Yep； you're Grafton； all right。 Can't be too careful； y'know。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃Let's look at the patient。〃
Jake led the way to his desk。 〃I don't know much about puters。〃
〃No sweat。 I know enough for both of us。 When we're through； you're going to be able to make this thing sing and dance。〃 Kleinberg turned on the puter。 〃See this prompt here？ That's the sign…on prompt and you have to type in your secret password。 This is a code that identifies you to the machine； which allows you access to certain files and only certain files。 Security； y'know。 Here's your password。〃 He used a pencil on a sheet of paper and wrote； 〃Reverberation。〃
〃How e I can't pick my own word？〃
〃We tried that on the second go…around。 Everyone wanted to e up with something cute； except for the aviators； who all wanted to use their nicknames。 You'd have thought they were ordering vanity license plates。 So。。。 Now type in your password。〃
Jake did so。 The puter prompt moved from left to right； but the letters failed to appear。
〃Now hit 'enter。' Uh…oh； the puter won't take it。 So type it again and spell it right。〃 This time the puter blinked to the next screen。 〃You only get two tries；〃 Kleinberg advised。 〃If you are wrong both times； the puter will lock you out and you'll have to see me about getting back in。〃
〃How can it lock me out if I haven't told it exactly who I am？〃
〃It locks out everyone who has access from the bank of monitors in this office。〃 Kleinberg wrote another password on the paper：
〃Fallacy。〃
〃This is the password that allows you access to files relating to the ATA； which is what I understand you are working on here in this shop。 Type it in and hit 'enter。'〃 Jake obeyed。 〃Now； to call up the directory of the files you have access to due to your security clearance and job title； you have to type one more password。〃 He wrote it down。 〃Matriarch。〃
After Jake entered this code； a long list of documents appeared on the screen。 〃Of course； if you already have the document number； you can type it right in and not bother calling up the directory with the matriarch code word。 Got it？〃
〃'Reverberation'； 'fallacy' and 'matriarch'。 What was the first go…around on the code words？〃
Kleinberg laughed。 〃Well； we used puter…generated random series of letters。 They weren't words； just a series of letters。 But people couldn't remember them and took to writing them down in notebooks； checkbooks and so forth。 So we tried plan two。 This is plan three。〃
Kleinberg took a lighter from his pocket and held the flame under the piece of paper on which he had written the code words。
It flared。 Just before the fire reached his fingers； he dropped the paper on the plastic carpet protector under the chair and watched the remnant turn to ash； which he crushed with his shoe。 Kleinberg rubbed his hands and smiled。 〃Now we begin。〃 He spent the next hour showing Jake how to create； edit and access documents on this list。 When he had finished answering Jake's questions； he flipped the machine off and gave Jake one of his cards。 〃Call me when you have questions； or ask one of the guys here who's been around a while。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃Wele to Washington。〃 Kleinberg shook hands； hoisted his leather bag and left。
Jake began to lock away the papers on his desk。 While he was here he might as well look again at that two…year…old book of Harold Strong's。
He opened the upper left drawer。 The matchbooks and rubber bands and other stuff were still there； but the book wasn't。 He looked in every drawer in the desk。 Nope。 It was gone。
Henry Jenks dropped Toad at the BOQ at 11 P。M。 After he filled out the paperwork at the desk。 Toad went up to his room and crashed。
The following day was a copy of the previous afternoon： an hour in the simulator； an hour at the blackboard； then back to the simulator。 By noon he was navigating from one large radar…reflective target to another。 In the afternoon he ran his first attack。
During all his hours in the simulator the canopy remained open and Jenks stood there beside him talking continuously； prompting him； pointing out errors。 Running the system in the simulator wasn't too difficult with Jenks right there。
Toad wasn't fooled。
At five hundred feet above hostile terrain on a stormy night with the tracers streaking over the canopy and the missile warning lights flashing； this bombardier…navigator business was going to be a whole different ball game。 The pilot would be slamming the plane around； pulling on that stick like it was the lever to open heaven's gate。 And the BN had to sit here delicately tweaking the radar and infrared and nursing the puter and laser while trying not to vomit into his oxygen mask。 Toad knew。 He had been there in the backseat of an F…14。 The best way to team this stuff was by repetition。 Every task； every adjustment； the correction for every failure…it all had to be automatic。 If you had to think about it； you didn't know it and you sure as hell wouldn't remember it when you were riding this bucking pig up the devil's asshole。
At five in the evening Jenks drove him back to the BOQ。 〃Tonight you study the NATOPS。〃 NATOPS…Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures…was the Book on the airplane； the navy equivalent to the air force Dash One manual。 〃Learn the emergency procedures。 Tomorrow you and Moravia will be in the simulator together。 We'll run some attacks and pop some emergencies and failures。 The next day you fly the real airplane。 Study hard。〃
〃Thanks； sadist。〃
〃You're all right； Tarkington； even if you are a fighter puke。〃
Toad slammed the car door and stomped into the BOQ。 He was whipped； drained。 Maybe he ought to go jogging to clean the pipes。
In his room he changed into his sweat togs。 The wind ing in off Puget Sound had a pronounced bite and the sun was already settling； so he added a second heavy sweatshi