The Enigma Stolen

“As he understands it, if they do as they are told they get to have their digital inventory and lives back after the vote next week. The way he put it, an improved standard of living with flushing toilets and western made goods such as fruit phones will have to wait for a few more generations. Sir, there is no point in going over there since they are being ground under as well.”

After a few seconds of silence, the Candidate looked at the technician with a puzzled expression and suggested, “I know that everyone cleared when we learned that everyone’s bank accounts were being raided or frozen, but why are you still here? I mean, we have been crushed with no hope of recovery for this all important vote that would take us into the EU. Your six months of work is gone to hell, and everyone has run off scared. Why are you even here? I’ve told you this was all my money. Aren’t you worried about your own personal wealth being in jeopardy as well?”

The technician shifted his eyes away from the Candidate’s stare and after more shifting in his chair answered, “Uh, actually, I don’t have anything left either. I could see we were running out of funds, and I started using my own money to help keep stuff running or boosting the computer resources. I believed in what we were doing here, and I thought that with maybe just a little bit more here and there we could have delivered the winning mandate. All of my personal resources are over there in the data center that no longer has any power.”

The Candidate was astonished as he questioned, “What? You bet everything on our efforts and I didn’t know? I’m….I don’t know what to say. I guess it’s true what they say, no matter how bad things get there is always something else to bring you down even more. I have to tell you, my boy, you have restored some of my resolve and that has spawned a new idea.”

The Candidate pulled out his cell phone, studied it a moment, and tried to make an outbound call, but the phone failed.

The technician chuckled slightly and pitched his cell phone to the Candidate as he clarified, “They didn’t take any chances of allowing you to communicate with anyone, so I took the liberty of securing a couple of burner phones in case we had need for anonymous calling.”

The Candidate, now somewhat invigorated, punched in some numbers and said to the voice who answered, “Remember the name of that computer security group that has those Polish ex-nationals running it? I need a favor, and I want you to broker a conversation for me with them. And don’t give me that nonsense that your media group is at risk. Just put me in touch with them and we never spoke.