Games of State - Tom Clancy [130]
"What do you mean?" Hood asked.
"Sophisticated break-ins like this are usually done through a series of computers."
"So can't you just follow the trail backwards?" Hood asked.
Stoll shook his head. "You're right that these boobs use their computer to break into another, then use that one to break into another, and so on. But it's not like connect-the-dots where each stop is a single point. Each computer represents thousands of potential routes. Like a train terminal but with hundreds of tracks leading to different destinations."
The screen cleared and a second scroll appeared.
"Did you know that the unemployment rate among black men and women is more than double that of white men and women? Did you know that an average of nine out of the ten top records of the country this year were performed by blacks, and that your white daughters and girlfriends are purchasing over sixty percent of this so-called music? Did you know that only five percent of the books in this country are purchased by blacks? Watch for us in eighty-two minutes."
Hood asked, "Is this appearing anywhere else?"
Stoll's fingers were already speeding over the keyboard. "Checking," he said as he typed "listserv@cfrvm.sfc.ufs.stn." "This is a group that discusses Hong Kong action films. It's the most obscure E-mail address I know."
After a moment, the screen changed.
"I happen to think that Jackie Chan's potrayal of Wong Fei Hong is the definitive interpretation. Even though Jackie's off-screen persona is visible in the characterization, he makes it work."
Stoll said, "It's safe to say the interlopers only went after the gamers."
"Which makes sense," Nancy said, "if they're going to be offering hate games to that market."
"But they wouldn't be offering them aboveboard," Hood said. "I mean, one wouldn't find their ads in the Internet Yellow Pages."
"No," Stoll agreed. "But word spreads quickly. Anyone who wants to play would know where to find them."
"And with the Enjoystick providing an extra kick," Hood said, "kids who didn't know any better would certainly want to play."
"What about laws?" Nancy said. "I thought there were restrictions on what you could send through the Internet."
"There are," Stoll said. He returned to the scrolls on Mufti-User Dungeon and sat back. For the moment, his fears were clearly forgotten. "They're the same laws which govern other markets. Child pornographers are chased and caught. Advertising for hit men is illegal. But rattling off facts like these, facts you can find in any good almanac, is not illegal. Even when the intent is clearly racist. The only crime these people have committed is breaking into other people's rooms. And I guarantee this message will be gone in a few hours, before network officials can get close to locating them."
Nancy looked at Hood. "You obviously think this is Dominique's doing."
"He has the capability, doesn't he?"
"That doesn't make him a criminal."
"No," Hood agreed. "Killing and stealing do."
Her eyes held his for a moment, then dropped.
Apparently oblivious to the others, Stoll said, "There are touches on this scroll which remind me of the game in Hausen's office." He leaned forward and touched the screen. "The shading under the curl at the bottom of the scroll is blue, not black. Someone with a background in publishing might have done that out of habit. During color separations, deep blue shadows reproduce richer than blacks. And the molded colors of the vellum, giving it a solid look here"-- he touched the still-scrolled section at the top-- "is similar to the texture of the deer skin in the forests of the other game."
Nancy sat back. "You're reaching."
Stoll shook his head. "Of all people, you should know the kinds of flourishes designers put in their games. You probably remember the early days of video games," Stoll said. "The days when you could tell an Activision game from an Imagic game from an Atari game because of the designers's touches. Hell, you could even tell a David Crane game from