POV: Aritra NaskarDate: September 28, 2012Location: Jadavpur Villa – Underground Council Chamber & Nova Tech Headquarters, Salt Lake Sector-V, KolkataTime: 6:00 AM IST
The first inkling of dawn crept through a narrow slit of sky above Jadavpur Villa, illuminating the twisted vines climbing its colonial façade. Inside, torches cast wavering light along stone walls bedecked with faded maps of South Asia. I descended the spiral staircase—my footsteps echoing against ancient marble—toward the underground council chamber, where the air smelled faintly of sandalwood incense and adrenaline.
At a long obsidian table sat Katherine and Ambassador Elena Vasquez, their faces drawn from the late-night Tribunal sessions. Between them, a console glowed softly, displaying the tally from Mumbai's Eastern Command: "Operation Sandstorm — Verified Neutralization: 23 militants. Civilian after‐action casualties: zero. Relief supplies delivered: 2800 rations, 1200 medical kits." The ledger beside it reflected immediate, encrypted uploads from Karachi's field units.
"Morning," I whispered, easing into the chair beside Elena. Priya, Arnav, and Ishita formed a semicircle opposite us. The low hum of hidden servers resonated through the chamber—our makeshift nerve center. Katherine met my gaze, offering a curt nod. She tapped a button on a slim tablet. "Let's begin."
Location: Jadavpur Villa – Underground Council ChamberTime: 6:05 AM IST
Katherine cleared her throat. "The Tribunal's censure of Blackwood was finalized yesterday. Their board has accepted sanctions, but we've received intel that Viktor may operate through a formal guise of compliance. Elena, can you summarize?"
Elena exhaled. "As per our independent audit, Blackwood Holdings agreed to fund an external consortium to monitor all Nova Tech–Blackwood co‐ventures. Nevertheless, we discovered that Viktor has quietly redirected $200 million into 'Global Horizons LLC'—a shell that supplies proprietary sensors to Pakistan's Karachi redevelopment fund. Our concern: these sensors contain code similar to the backdoor found in Vietnam firmware."
I frowned. "We blocked one path, but he's found another. We need to isolate that from our ledger entirely. Priya, can we flag any incoming procurement orders from Global Horizons as automatically unauthorized?"
Priya tapped her console. "Yes. The procurement ledger can be trained to Blacklist Vendor IDs—those tied to Global Horizons—and automatically reject POs. I'll implement now."
Arnav leaned forward. "We should inform Vietnam's Ministry of ICT. Let them know any hardware tagged from that vendor must be destroyed."
Katherine nodded. "I already sent an encrypted communiqué. They've scheduled a drone audit for 9 AM local."
I checked my watch: 6:09 AM. So Vietnam's local time was 8:39 AM—just minutes before their meeting. There'd be no room for Viktor's worm to slither in.
I rose. "General Sen's team is en route to Karachi for debris cataloging. We should expect a full forensic report by tonight. If Global Horizons' logo appears on salvageable composite parts, we'll have definitive proof of Viktor's continued sabotage."
Ishita spoke up, urgency in her voice. "We also intercepted a coded dispatch from Falcon Syndicate: 'Phase Two initiates at 1200 local—coordinate with Element Zulu.' We don't yet know what Element Zulu is, but it likely refers to another strike vector—perhaps against our Singapore node."
My stomach tightened. "So our world may see daylight, but Viktor's shadows remain in the wings. Let's assume Zulu is a code for an assault on Singapore's node—perhaps an AI packet that mimics normal ledger traffic but introduces a subtle, destructive algorithm."
Priya nodded gravely. "We can deploy a honeypot—an AI sandbox configured like LuciDai's US node but isolated. If the malicious packets strike there first, we won't corrupt the live Singapore node."
Katherine's eyes gleamed with resolve. "Then let's set it up immediately. Policy: any data arriving from unverified sources must be quarantined in the honeypot."
I leaned back, letting each course of action take shape: Blackwood's shell companies exposed; procurement ledger hardened; honeypot in place; Vietnam firmware cleansed; Karachi's strike verified; and Viktor's next moves anticipated.
I looked at the faces around me—Priya's steadfast confidence, Arnav's quick vigilance, Ishita's analytical precision, and Elena's measured determination. Above all, Katherine's unwavering faith that transparency could outlast any shadow.
"We proceed at 0600 hours," I said decisively. "Priya, initiate the honeypot configuration. Arnav and Ishita: reroute all Indonesian and Vietnamese procurement traffic through the honeypot first. Elena, monitor Trade Surveillance Channels for any further Falcon Syndicate chatter."
They rose, urgency in their movements. I returned to my seat, inhaling deeply. The first crack of sunlight reached the chamber—an array of golden beams through a narrow staircase crevice, illuminating the obsidian table like a promise.
Location: Nova Tech – Security Operations CenterTime: 6:30 AM IST
In the SOC, a dozen screens displayed blinking nodes from Jakarta to Vancouver. On one terminal, Priya's console glowed as she executed the honeypot script. A simulated ledger, labelled "LuciDai–Honeypot Node 9B," appeared on the main monitor. Underneath, live input from Singapore's Node 4 streamed in, but all external packets were mirrored here first.
"Initialization complete," Priya announced. She tapped a second console. "Vietnam's Node 9 confirmed sanitized. New firmware deployed. Crimson backdoor removed. Node 9 is now 100% emerald."
I nodded. "Excellent. Now we redirect all Vietnam‐bound packets to the honeypot."
Arnav replaced routing tables on his keyboard, while Ishita monitored the logs in real time. The screen showed a line of synthetic data, labeled "Falcon Syndicate Probe Candidate—Entry #0012." The honeypot generated a red error flag.
Priya raised an eyebrow. "We've already trapped three salted packets—each containing micro‐payloads that would have rewritten LuciDai's predictive biases." She clicked "Quarantine," and the packets diverted to a secure vault.
I exhaled. "Keep them there for forensic analysis. We can't let Viktor's proxies corrupt a single byte of our AI."
On a neighboring monitor, the Karachi strike dossier cycled through diagrams: missile trajectories, thermal overlays, Nano-Swarm containment algorithms. I punched a key: "Send to Eastern Command—classified."
Location: Nova Tech – Executive SuiteTime: 8:00 AM IST
By mid‐morning, the press room in Salt Lake Sector-V prepared for a follow-up briefing: "Node Security Updates & Investment Advisory." I stepped onto the dais to a muted hum of anticipation. The LED banner read:
"Nova Tech Press Briefing: Securing Global Nodes"
Dozens of cameras, phones, and notepads recorded the scene as I approached the podium. I inhaled, then began with measured calm.
"Thank you for coming. After our recent operation in Karachi, and subsequent actions in Vietnam, Singapore, and the United States, we've identified a coordinated network of sabotage linking Blackwood proxies and the Falcon Syndicate. Today, I am announcing two critical measures to safeguard our global infrastructure."
I clicked a remote, and the screen behind me split into four panels: "Node 2 – Kashmir," "Node 4 – Singapore," "Node 8 – US," "Node 9 – Vietnam." Each panel glowed emerald, with a smaller red sub‐panel labeled "Honeypot – Active."
"First," I continued, "we have established an isolated honeypot—LuciDai Node 9B—through which all inbound packets from unverified sources will be routed. Any anomalous data will be quarantined, preventing corruption of our live AI. Second, our procurement ledger now rejects any purchase orders originating from unauthorized shell entities—such as Global Horizons LLC. Effective immediately, any identified collusion between Blackwood‐linked corporations and Nova Tech co‐ventures will trigger a full Tribunal review and potential contract suspension."
Journalists scribbled furiously. A hand shot up near the center: Sonal Das from The Economic Chronicle. "Mr. Naskar, how do these measures affect global operations? Will Nova Tech suspend cooperation with Blackwood entirely?"
I didn't flinch. "Blackwood Holdings has accepted our censure and is funding an independent audit consortium. We are not suspending all cooperation, but we are enforcing stricter oversight. Any equipment or software package not vetted through our secure channels is considered unauthorized, and contracts will be voided."
Another reporter, Lalit Bhatia from The Financial Express, asked, "Is this retaliation—for lack of a better word—against Blackwood's stock manipulation? Won't it affect Nova Tech's share prices?"
I held his gaze. "We understand the market concerns, but integrity comes before profit. We believe that by eliminating hidden agendas, Nova Tech will emerge stronger. Our long-term growth depends on unshakeable trust."
Amid the flashbulbs, Katherine joined me onstage, offering a supportive smile. She added, "We continue to prioritize innovation and collaboration—yet we cannot compromise security. Our global partners—Vietnam, Malaysia, Ghana, and the United States—have been briefed on these measures and fully support them."
Ambassador Vasquez, projected on a side screen, nodded. "The Tribunal will meet next week to verify compliance. Blackwood has pledged to cooperate. We stand united."
The murmurs shifted to supportive applause. Papers rustled; cameras flashed again. I exhaled quietly, letting the momentum settle.
Location: Nova Tech – Security Operations CenterTime: 9:30 AM IST
Back in the SOC, I surveyed the screens: honeypot's red flags nestled alongside emerald nodes; ledger lines yellowed with new procurement restrictions; a live feed from the Tribunal's secure channel showing Elena and Commissioner Adesanya reviewing a digital censure form.
Priya approached, tapping her tablet. "Gentlemen, we've trapped four additional packets marked "FalConCluster#," each containing directives for new sabotage vectors—possibly environmental control commands to Pakistan's Indus dams."
I frowned. "That would cripple northern irrigation, create famine, and destabilize millions. We need to alert the Indian Army Corps of Engineers at once."
I tapped my watch: 9:32 AM—still early, but time was ticking. I moved to my desk, pulling up the Indian Army secure line. The encrypted "CorpsNet – HQ Delhi" screen flickered on.
"Major General Mehra, this is Aritra," I said. "Nova Tech's honeypot has caught malicious packages aimed at Pakistan's water infrastructure. These commands could trigger remote dam sluice gate manipulations. We request immediate alerts to your engineers and cyber units."
His gruff voice crackled through. "Understood. We'll notify the Central Engineering Command and deploy defensive measures on satellites controlling dam gates. Have Nova Tech's location coordinates for the incoming packets?"
I transmitted the packet signatures immediately. "These are the hashes. We suspect origin via Falcon Syndicate's missile command subroutine—likely routed through Istanbul before hitting the Indus control network."
He exhaled. "We'll block those flows. Your intervention may prevent regional catastrophe."
I ended the call and looked to Priya, who had been watching. "Make sure LuciDai's honeypot updates with these new signatures. Any traffic resembling them gets quarantined instantly."
Priya nodded. "Already on it."
Location: Nova Tech – Executive SuiteTime: 11:00 AM IST
I returned to my suite to find Katherine waiting, phone in hand. Her sari shimmered, cobalt and black stripes like a sentinel's crest. She looked both concerned and determined.
"What now?" she asked quietly.
I handed her my tablet. "Falcon Syndicate is attempting environmental terror via dam controls. The Indian Army is responding. We just updated the honeypot with those new packet signatures. But our ledger and drones won't stop them if they discover an alternate vector—perhaps via Blackwood's shell companies in Central Asia."
She studied the data. "We need to expand our honeypot's scope—cover all water‐control nodes in South Asia. I'll call Dr. Hassan at the UN—request coordination with the Water Security Commission. We should set up a tri‐national alert system."
I nodded. "And I'll push the VMware nodes at LuciDai labs to replicate dam control protocols in sandbox mode—any malicious attempt triggers a simulated alarm. That way, the real gates stay locked."
She exhaled. "We're turning our technology into a shield around entire regions. It's ambitious."
I met her gaze. "It's necessary. Viktor's proxies attack at every emanation of progress—AI, drones, humanitarian relief. We answer only with more vigilance, more transparency."
Her lips curled in a weary but resolute smile. "Then let's get to work."