As promised in my previous post, here is the first chapter of Operation: Jade Helmet. Preorder links are at the bottom.
CHAPTER ONE
Undisclosed location near El Segundo, California ~
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 ~ 8:00 pm PT
Exhausted from a full two days of travelling, Hester Brighton sighed with relief while pulling the rental car into the driveway. The last leg of the journey from LAX airport to the house caused her shoulders and hands to ache from gripping the steering wheel too hard. The rental's GPS was on the fritz as was the one on her cell, so she got turned around twice and drove the wrong direction while evading throngs of people clogging the streets.
Snatching her cell phone, she pecked out a quick text to
Jim, letting him know she arrived and would call him later after settling into
her room. He responded back within two seconds with a smiley face and hearts
and instructions for her to relax, have fun with her college roommates, and to
be safe. It seemed her husband had gotten over their argument about her
decision to take the yearly “girls’ trip” amidst all the chaos. Lying to her
spouse made her stomach knot up, yet she had no choice. Her role as a Trusted
Community Representative and Cryptographic Officer had to be kept a secret. Jim
knew she was the head of the IT department for the largest accounting company
in New York, but he knew nothing about her other responsibilities to the East
Coast DNS server.
Looking down at the temperature gauge, she grimaced—125 degrees.
Letting out a string of curse words that would make her mother turn over in her
grave, she gathered her belongings. Leaving the cool confines of the car would
be akin to stepping out into the Sahara. The line from her favorite movie when
a child from Aliens popped out. “Yeah, but at least it’s a dry heat.”
She chuckled at her own joke.
After shutting off the engine, she glanced around at the
other parked vehicles, counting twenty, which was odd. It appeared some of the
participants travelled together, and that was against protocol. She made a
mental note to discuss the breach with Xavier to ensure it would never happen
again.
She hated being late, especially for something as important
as the ceremony. Punctuality was one of her many pet peeves, yet the delay
could not be helped. Between the staggering heat and continuous rioting in New
York and other major cities, several connecting flights were diverted, layovers
lasted longer to accommodate flying at night when the temperature dipped back
down to double digits, and one route through Minneapolis was cancelled when the
city was besieged by rioters.
Grabbing her bags and titanium suitcase, she exited the car.
Intense, dry heat slammed into her like the rough fist of a pissed-off bully. A
slight breeze brought the fragrant scent of sea air to her nose yet made her
face burn. She used to enjoy coming to the West Coast for the yearly key ritual
yet due to the civil unrest and global heatwave, had yearned for a different option.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t one. To maintain the
functionality of the IP addresses pointing correctly and verifying trusted
sites, new information had to be uploaded.
She only made it two steps toward the small beach residence
before the security guard whose fake identity included living year-round at the
home and a cover as the “cousin” bounded down the stairs wearing beach shorts,
flip flops, and a thin t-shirt.
Hester chuckled at his obnoxious attire. “You’re two days
early for casual Friday, Xavier.”
“And you’re late for the party, dear cousin,” Xavier teased
while reaching for the overnight bag. “Here, let me. Come inside before the
pavement melts your shoes. The ground’s hot enough to fry an egg. I know
because I’ve watched several local neighborhood kids do it.”
Relieved for the assistance, Hester let the bag slip from
her shoulder. “Thanks. Good to see you again. Sorry I kept everyone waiting. I
hope they didn’t rake me over the coals.”
Xavier’s dark blonde hair bobbed as he laughed. “Oh, once or
twice but not too bad. I told them to cut you some slack due to the unforeseen
circumstances we all are facing. Everyone is on edge since a full meeting with
all of you in one place has never happened. We certainly are living in
unprecedented times.”
Hester looked over her shoulder at the last rays of the
setting sun caressing the Pacific Ocean. “I’m really sick of hearing that
particular phrase.”
“Me too. The logistics of coordinating this unusual meeting
has been stressful for me. Now, enough worrying about things neither of us can
control. I occupied the downtime of the others by plying them with cold beer
and hot pizza. I saved you two slices and three cold ones in the fridge in your
room. Go freshen up, eat, and we’ll convene in thirty at the pit. Okay?”
“Perfect.”
Xavier placed his palm on the pad and then stepped aside for
Hester to do the same. She did, and the door unlocked. “Shall we?”
“Yes. Cold shower here I come. Oh, please remind me to chat
with you after the ceremony regarding which members broke protocol by riding
together.”
“Certainly. Just don’t be too harsh. Like I said, these
are...”
“If you finish that sentence, I may punch you in the face.”
“Such a badass. One of the many reasons I admire you.”
“I prefer fear rather than admiration,” Hester teased, half
serious.
Both chuckled.
Once inside the brightly lit foyer painted in eggshell white
and accented with subdued, casual decorations she picked out years ago, Xavier
led the way up the stairs. Upon reaching her room, he leaned closer, body
blocking the security camera in the corner. “Alexei’s waiting for you. He asked
to speak with you privately before tonight’s ceremony.”
Raising an eyebrow, Hester wondered why the lead security
guard decided to break yet another strict rule. Keyholders were not allowed to
socialize in any way outside of the bi-yearly meetings, which included visits
to the rooms of others. They were not authorized to be connected through social
media, did not communicate via any means available, nor were they allowed to
discuss their important roles in keeping the security of the internet safe with
the DNS. Sensing something was wrong, she remained quiet, nodding once before
entering the dark room.
“Trust me. See you in thirty.” Xavier flicked on the lights
and set the bag on the floor before shutting the door.
Hester waited until she could no longer hear his footfalls
before addressing the figure seated on the couch. For some weird reason, she
hesitated letting go of the titanium suitcase containing the new keycard. There
was an almost electrical current in the air; a sense of something inexplicably
wrong coiled in her gut. “Alexei? Xavier said you needed to speak with me?”
“Correct. Please join me. My request will be brief.”
His voice sounded wrong. Hester secretly nicknamed Alexei
the Russian Bear due to his heavy-set body, brusque demeanor, and growly tone
tinged with an accent. Her grip tightened around the suitcase’s handle as the
other hovered near the panic button by the door. “I’m sure you understand why I
can’t do that.”
A heavy sigh followed by a phlegm-filled coughing spell made
her stomach churn.
“Da. Prosti. Day mne minutku
pozhaluysta. Rak legkikh.”
Hester’s Russian was rusty at best. She knew Da was
yes and Prosti sorry. Wracking her brain to decipher the remaining
words, she drew a blank. “English, please.”
With slow, hesitant movements, Alexei rose from the couch,
turning to face her. Hester did her best to keep her facial expressions from
giving away her shock at his appearance. His once headful of thick, black hair
was nothing more than a few wisps sticking up in patches. Gaunt, pale, face and
neck full of wrinkles, he looked more like her ninety-six-year-old grandfather
than a fifty-five-year-old man.
“I’ve lost the battle with lung cancer. We must pick my
successor tonight from one of the alternates.”
Hester let the hand near the panic button fall to her side.
No wonder his body and voice were so ravaged. “Oh, Alexei. I’m so sorry. When
were you diagnosed?”
“March. However, choosing a successor is not why I asked to
meet with you.”
“What is your reason then?”
“I should think it’s
obvious. Ponder upon it while getting ready. I’ll head down to the pit.”
Hester watched in silent awe until Alexei left the room,
reeling from the unexpected news. “The Russian Bear taken down by cancer in
less than six months. Damn but 2025’s been a horrible year. Now I know why we
all are here. Yes, Alexei, I know what you desire, and I will do my best to
make it happen.”
Exactly
twenty-two minutes later, Hester stepped into the hallway, sporting a flowy
sundress, a full belly, cold beer in one hand, and the titanium case in the
other. Pausing at the stairwell, she slugged back the remaining liquid.
Alexei’s sad news made her consider her own mortality, which was a subject she
did not enjoy contemplating and had been at the forefront of her mind during
the last several months, just like everyone else around the world. Setting the
empty bottle on the small table below an ornate mirror, she adjusted her hair
one last time. Satisfied she looked somewhat refreshed, she gazed out the
floor-to-ceiling window to the Pacific. Bright, silvery moonbeams replaced the
orange and yellow rays of the sun. Though she’d seen it numerous times over the
years, the stunning view never failed to take her breath away.
Winding her way down the stairs to the main level, she
walked with purpose into the den. The first entry door to the “pit” as they
jokingly called the ceremony room was located behind a large, solid teak
bookcase. Looking up to the designated spot on the ceiling, she closed her eyes,
waiting for the infrared light to scan her face.
The bookcase slid open without a sound. She stepped inside
to a dimly lit hallway, not even wincing as the wall closed behind her. The
first few years she attended the key ceremony she had to fight back bouts of
claustrophobia. Twenty-five years of performing the same steps allowed her to
finally master her fears.
After six checkpoints, three pin codes, two biometric hand
scans, a swipe of her smartcard, and an iris scanner so technologically
advanced even world governments didn’t have one, she was inside the ceremony
room where the cryptographic keys were held. Gazes of thirteen other keyholders
from around the globe, three alternates, six Recovery Key Share Holders, four
security guards, and one auditor from the world’s largest investment firm
stared at her as she strode over to the metal-enclosed cage containing the
hardware security modules. The competing scents of personal body odors, lotions,
and colognes made her nose twitch. She cast a sideways glance at Sharlene
Heffren and Collette Goddard. Their sickeningly sweet perfume was so strong she
could taste it as though they sprayed it directly into her mouth. The duo of
statuesque blondes from Europe refused to meet her gaze. Apparently, they forgot
yet another protocol—no strong perfumes or scented lotions.
Setting the suitcase on the long, metal desk in front of
her, Hester offered a thin smile to the familiar faces. “Good evening, all. My
apologies for getting started so late. At least it’s temperature-controlled
down here.”
In numerous languages, her apology was accepted. A few
chuckled at her joke. She smiled again, and this time it was genuine. “Since
2025 has been rather odd, to say the least, I would like to add one more oddity
into the mix. My request is against protocol, which seems to be a common
problem this year….” She paused while glancing over once at Sharlene and
Collette. Their cheeks flushed in unison to a deep crimson. “Yet, I believe the
request is the right thing to do under the circumstances. Our longtime
associate, Alexei Ivanov, is passing the torch to another after tonight’s
ceremony due to…”
“Cancer,” Alexei interrupted. “I waited too long to quit
smoking. Death is imminent.”
“Which is why we decided everyone needed to be in attendance
rather than only seven of you,” Xavier added.
“Ah, now we know the reason.” Sharlene’s piercing blue eyes
sparkled from the slightest hint of tears. “I shall miss you, Alexei.”
Hester nodded in agreement while taking a deep breath, still
somewhat stunned by Alexei’s bravado while facing his demise. “While it is a
privilege to be the administrator during a ceremony, I have done so before, so
I propose bypassing my turn to lead us this evening and bestowing the honor
upon Alexei. He’s been a part of us for over twenty years and deserves our
highest respect. Any objections?”
The room remained silent as everyone shook their heads.
Sharlene swiped at a straggler tear. Hester rolled her eyes—the ceremony was
neither the time nor place for emotional reactions.
Alexei stepped forward. Sharlene and Collette, the only two
other females in the room, let out small gasps after he removed his hat. Hester
shot them both a dirty look.
“Thank you, Hester. As I mentioned, time is short for me, so
shall we get started?”
Hester handed Alexei the list from her bag with
instructions. “Certainly. Xavier, are we live with ICANN?”
Nodding toward the camera in the ceiling, Xavier provided
copies of the day’s newspaper to Alexei and the others. “We are. Proceed.”
All keyholders representing numerous countries took their
places in front of their assigned boxes, including Alexei, as the final step to
unlock them began. Left and right retinas were scanned, confirming identities
of each participant. One by one, they removed the old cards held inside as
Alexei’s raspy voice gave instructions regarding their destruction and proper
steps to activate the new one.
Hester’s nose twitched again. She tried to ignore it,
wishing she would have taken her allergy medication prior to the ceremony.
Being crammed in the small space with so many bodies and smells sent her
allergies into overdrive, which is why she added the ban to the protocol list.
The urge to sneeze built in intensity.
Burying her face in the crook of her arm, three exploded out
of her with enough force she lost her balance. Reaching out a hand for the
table to steady herself, she missed, pitching forward, arms flailing. Her right
temple caught the edge of the thick metal. Pain exploded inside her head,
filling her vision with stars.
It took her several seconds to regain her composure and to
clear her vision. She expected someone to laugh or at the very least chuckle,
yet all she heard were a few sharp intakes of breath and numerous thumps. The
temperature in the room skyrocketed. The weird electrical current was back,
making the hairs on her body stand erect. A strange whooshing sound
surrounded her, which she attributed to damn-near knocking herself unconscious.
Heat radiated up from her chest as embarrassment made her
cheeks flush upon touching the gash on her temple. She hoped the wound would
not require stiches. Blinking twice to clear her vision, she fumbled for the
edge of the table to assist her in standing. Instead of a hard surface, she
touched something warm. “Wow, am I a klutz! I’m so sorry…”
The words dried up in her throat the second her gaze settled
on Xavier’s face. He was on the floor inches away, and her hand rested on his
hairy thigh. Yanking it back, she focused on his swollen, pale face.
Damn, am I unconscious? I must be out cold be because
there’s no way Xavier’s dead. He looks like someone sucked out his soul and
bled him dry.
Three distinct thumps from behind pulled her from the
dazed funk. The sound of metal crushing and the stench of burnt matches made
her stomach flip-flop.
Scrambling to her feet, she spun around in a circle, taking
in the unfathomable images bombarding her mind. Her respirations increased;
blood pumped at an accelerated rate as adrenaline shot through her system,
causing the cut on her head to gush rivers of red down her face. Xavier, and
all the others were dead, their lifeless bodies lying in crumpled heaps,
faces ghostly pale and contorted in fear.
A wave of disbelief made her body sway a fraction. Was this
some sort of biological attack? Did someone release a deadly chemical into the
air filtration system? Panic welled up from the deepest recesses of her mind.
On instinct, she covered her mouth with a trembling hand.
What she saw next made her doubt her sanity.
Dropping the destroyed keycards from his hand, Alexei moved
with unnatural speed. One second, he was on the opposite side of the room over
twenty feet away and the next, he was millimeters from her face. Hot, foul
breath wafted from him, making her gag. The once familiar face contorted into
an unrecognizable mass before his body crumpled to the ground at her feet.
Dumbstruck by the carnage, she finally found her voice.
“Alexei!?”
A shimmering, ethereal form burst from Alexei’s corpse,
writhing and swirling until it converged into a solid, human shape. Bright,
intense light beamed from its face. On instinct, Hester shielded her eyes.
In a voice loud enough to cause the entire room to vibrate,
it answered. “The Clearing begins.”
Hester Denise Brighton never had the chance to look toward
the camera and scream for help, run, or even gasp as a strong set of hands
latched around her neck, squeezing until everything went black.
