Boiling Steam

"So, what is your problem here?" the kid asked as if asking the teacher on what paper to use for the quiz when in fact the teacher had just announced it out loud in class.

The rest of the people inside the darkened room stared at him, dumbfounded. Heavy sighs and shaking heads doubt and scorn at the teenage kid.

"Why are you so confident on this kid, Mr. Louige? It seems like you are doubting your own skills for saying he can do things you can't. I mean, you are the President's aide and the Head engineer of Orion, top of the Mason, so why are you degrading yourself in front of this kid?! Is he really that great of a programmer? Not to mention---" the bank owner exclaimed. His bald head shined in the dim light of the room. His glare towards the kid can even cut a flying pineapple. "--He's just a kid." he frowned.

"He's not just a kid for no reason. He's not just great... he's the BEST." Louige replied with brimming confidence in his voice. He stepped his foot forward, trying to make himself clear.

Oi, don't sell me that high. He kinda wants to puke. He slipped away from the big guys and the black-suited guys and got hooked looking up the big screens hanging around the room.

Louige Rosenwald is the Head Engineer of Orion, the right-hand man of the president who owns all of the facility. He's a not-so-old friend of mine for some reason and that brought me into this situation. He's exhausted from work that his brown eyes carry a big dark load under them. His hair is messy as if he just got out of bed. He pushed his eyeglasses back to his face and turned to me saying, "See for yourself, Markus. I can hardly understand it myself either."

He grabbed my hand and pushed me down the chair fronting the array of keyboards on a fiberglass table. I can easily conclude that it is the Master computer since it's in the center. He smirked. Or was it just me?

The computer has the biggest screen among the 7 big monitors inside the room, it has more controls and wider keyboards with functions you can never see on the normal ones, and the CPUs blink with different colors like Christmas lights.

Markus turned on it and immediately caught by the flooding codes of numbers and letters in front of him. He wiped his sweat on his face with his Spongebob-printed handkerchief from his breast pocket and sighed. He hit keys and tried to read the codes as it runs through the screen. After a few minutes, he stopped hitting the keys and stared at the widescreen with a blank expression. Codes still running on the screen.

His eyes went blank as if it had lost all its life and said, "This can't be happening, right?" his expression turned wary as he faces Louige "If this continues, everything... everything will be brought down into ruins! Not to mention every system will go down to nothingness, Oji-nii. Not just Orion, the other sites will go down with it as well."

"Just as I thought, this is a big problem," Louige said in a reply in a big sigh. He fell on the chair behind him and sat in despair.

"You know that and yet you haven't done anything to stop it? How come?! It has spread through some parts of the world wide web!" Marks exclaimed, facing the haggard young man.

Louige didn't say a word. He waved his hand as if telegraphing his thoughts to the kid saying "As if I don't know that, brat!"

Markus turned back to the monitor and did some calculations by navigating the system. "If I were to say, it has damaged around 0.00013% of the whole internet information access. It is ruining data, databases, firewalls... EVERYTHING." he continued.

Everyone stared at him mumbling.

"So, can you identify the Virus?" Louige asked. He leaned forward and placed his hands on top of his knees. "We've been tracking it for 2 days now and what we have on us is all the damage it's left."

"How'd you know it's a virus?" Markus stared at the haggard-looking guy and took back what he said. "Yeah, it's a Virus...I will try to see if this came from your system or maybe somewhere you have some info about it."

Oi, oi. Even the Masons can't do a thing about this and they want me to do something about it?! That's kinda impossible!

He took the keyboard and started searching and hitting codes on their database. "ORION has the greatest system there is. If this stronghold fell on some hacking attack, it's a slap you can't get back up from. The whole world will go down with it."

Louige cannot argue with what the kid said. It's true that if they let the hacker ruin the Orion, everything they've built since the first generation will crumble back to ruins.

Please don't put high hopes in me. He prayed but continued the search.

Markus opened folders and bins with files names unimaginable. Files are named as numbers, letters, words, even long file names. He entered various codes and surfed to files unimaginable but,

"It is not a known virus of this time, Oji-nii..." he said bluntly and Louige just stood out cold. "It has the same activity as the old Trojan virus which is still lurking in the current system, but it affects more files and can even multiply on its own as it moves forward and destroy everything it passes through. It was injected by someone through a social media site or perhaps a phishing site, that's what I guess...at least that was my theory for now. That's the most reasonable and non-suspicious way to disperse it. People did not know it was already a virus and they have shared it with millions of people on social media. It might have taken the form of a picture, an article, or a video, no not a video I guess. But, I think that is how it had spread."

"We know that already... that virus is Trojan-like and is doing the same activity. But the thing we want you to do is to make it stop, Markus." Louige raised his voice that everyone inside looked at him with shock.

"MAKE IT STOP?!" Marks replied with a louder voice. "Like seriously?! You're asking for an impossible thing Louige. It has damaged a lot of system access already and is spreading rapidly like wildfire. Your firewalls have been breached to the 3rd level and NOW you're asking me to stop it? You're seriously saying that to me, Oji-nii? I'm just a kid, that's what you've been arguing a while ago and now, you're asking me to make a miracle?"

"Yes, because I know you can." Louige bluntly replied standing in front of the exasperated kid, crossing his arms.

"Didn't you just heard what I've said? It is an unknown virus. I don't have anything to counter it." Markus argued. He stepped closer to Louige, defending his point.

"Then make something!" one of the big bosses said with anger. He slapped the table and stood to make his point. "We're here to pay you what price you name so don't go looking down on us, kid. It's Orion's business!"

"I don't need money! And I'm not looking down to anybody here. Why are you so desperate on defeating this virus anyway, huh? I guess it will be for the good of many if we start the world from scratch, you know." he crossed his arms and turned his seat away from the mad adults. "Like going back to snail mails or something."

"You already know why...I don't have to say anything more, Markus." Louige said in a whispered voice. He reached his hand on the kid's shoulder. "And I will give you a skin."

"But...but..." Markus muttered. He looked up and stared at Louige's eyes. He realized he can't argue with him in this state now. He looked down, bit his lip, and contained his anger.

I don't like this.

A deep silence engulfed the room and the cold air is immediately felt. The dim light of the screen reflects on his face as he thought of what he can do about this situation.

"It won't be easy..." the kid mumbled.

"We will help you out," Louige said. "That's why we brought you here. The Masons can be of great help."

He threw his arms in the air and screamed "I lost." He faced the worn-out guy and said, "I guess I'll have to do what I can."

Louige smiled a little.

"And the skin?" the kid asked.

"Just leave that one to me." After saying those words, Louige's face brightened with hope.

"First, I have to gather more info about this virus." Markus sat down, turned to the computer, and started encoding an algorithm. "connect me to your System, Louige-ni."

"Do what he said." the young head commanded and the rest of his men complied.

Markus surfed the internet through various sites in a matter of seconds. He cracked firewalls, passwords, and other important and inaccessible information as time pass on his hand.

"Give me all the access, especially on your companies, everyone," he said to the big bosses without even turning his attention from the screen.

"Give you access to our company's data?! What are you planning to do, kid?"

"I want to know why that person would want your destruction." Markus turned with a knitted forehead.

"Of course, because we are powerful, we have money, we control the world and they want us to go down." One of the big bosses said with confidence.

"You're wrong. It is not just that. There is something deeper reason behind." He replied, knitting his brows.

"Try not to mess with that info, kid." the boss-eyed Markus and handed him a flash drive.

Markus looked at him in the eye and said, "Your data is already messed up, Sir. I don't have to make it worse to ruin it because the virus is already onto messing it."

The adult glared back in fury but Louige grabbed his arm, asking him to calm down and to take his seat.

Markus continued the search for the whole 5 hours. He hasn't taken a rest since then.

"I shouldn't have come with them from school." He thought out loud.

Louige looked away as if he neglected what he heard and went back to his own computer.

Markus is up for the whole night searching for information about the virus that destroys the vast resources of the internet. It is an unknown virus with no profound origin and an unidentified author. What was his purpose in making this virus? Why would he create something that would destroy all the info access? Isn't he making a double-edged sword? He thought.

The dawn breaks and everything went silent except from one unit where the keys are still clicking.

"So, what have you found out?" Louige asked. He handed him a cup of coffee and a piece of butter-scotch cookie. His eyes looked heavier and cozier after the whole nighter.

Markus grabbed the cookie and said, "Nothing in particular, but..."

"But what?"

"There is one thing that repeats after every the millionth number" he continued chewing the cookie. "...and I don't really like butterscotch" he showed the unfinished cookie to Louige but he didn't bother dwelling on that matter.

"I'm sorry, I'll consider that. Then, what is it? What's repeating?"

"It is something like..." he wrote it on a tissue paper from 3rd the iced coffee he was given,

00001200340016006700230000

00004500340096001500670000

00003800340081008700560000

00004500340075001600890000

00001900340010000900710000

"What could that mean? It's not just a bunch of numbers, right? " Louige read the code on the tissue paper and said something to himself not loud enough for Markus to hear.

"I still don't know what it is, but I guess it is some kind of a key to something, I don't know." He took a sip of his coffee.

"A key, huh. I hope you're right. Well, for now, let's just take it easy. You should rest a bit. Your brain won't work on its own when your body can't do a single thing anymore." Louige said.

"Thanks... I guess I will grab and appreciate that offer, but in the meantime, I want you to lend me a hand." He handed a flash drive to Louige

"What's in here?" the guy asked.

"...there is something in there that might help. I've barely made it last night, but I guess it will work perfectly fine. No. It must work. Tell your team to save the program to the operating system and run it while typing the code I have sent in your email. Never copy-paste the code, it must be typewritten."

" What does it do? " Louige asked.

" Apparently, it will stall the virus while I sleep. And hopefully, it will cancel some of its aftereffects. " Markus yawned and walked to the nearest couch.

"Then we don't have another choice but to do it, you can count on us..."

"Ahh, please do... then, this is where I will say good night..." he dropped himself and curled to sleep.

"Then good night...but, this time is not night anymore, it's already morning, you see," Louige replied in a whispering voice and left the kid to rest.

Meanwhile, Louige's men did what they were told to do. They have entered the code and started to see some progress.

0.000000219%.

After a few minutes of sleep, when saying a few, it is only about 20 minutes. After they manage to pin the damage into 0.000000219%, Louige woke Markus up and told him about what they are engaging in.

"This is not good, I never thought that it will defy my program that much. From what I calculated, it will decrease up to 0.0000012%" Markus said.

"We're also hoping the same thing, but this is out of our league. I haven't seen this kind of program even before."

"What's the big deal, 0.00000219% is not big damage, right? It's not nearing 1% yet, right?" The bank owner entered the room holding a bucket of fried chicken and said as he munched his 4th piece of chicken.

"You don't know a single thing, dumb ass!" He yelled at the man who said that "...didn't you know, it has already damaged a country size of data?! So, you better not spit useless things because you don't know a thing. All you know is to munch that food you have, tsk." the kid snapped.

"How dare you talk back to me like that, damn kid!" the bank owner got mad and eyed Markus. He stepped forward and tried to attack the kid.

"Oh yeah?" Markus didn't run and stood back to face the bank owner. "Then solve your own damn mess here, idiot! I'm out of here!" he threw his hands up and went to the nearest exit. He opened the door but Louige stopped him from stepping outside.

"Hey wait a minute, Markus. Can't you just let it pass for now?" Louige said as he held the kid's wrist. "You are the only one who can do something about this thing, please, if you won't do it for them just do it for me." He continued.

He knows that Markus is on his limit, he is becoming irritable after the whole night of manipulating the computer and only a few minutes of sleep. He's become erratic.

"Then take them outside, Louige. I don't need people who do not know what I'm doing." he looked away and his hands were trembling in anger.

Then and there, the men who fetched him from school escorted the adults to the other room next to the Serius.

"I don't like the attitude of that damn kid!" the bank owner muttered as he entered the room.

"Yeah right, who does he think he is?" One of them replied. "But somehow he has a point. He's just a kid, a middle-high schooler. He's been up for a day trying to pin down our problem, he's on his limit perhaps."

"I agree. He is just the one who is doing this whole stuff for the rest of us. Let us just not meddle with his affairs, besides, Mr. Jacques said something awful a while ago."

"ME?, huh, all I just said is that it is not much of a damage. We can spend data as much as that, right?" Mr. Jacques, the bank owner exclaimed.

"Are you kidding me? Of course, we can't do that. As he said, it is already the size of a country's data. It is so hard to bring back those lost data and most of it will be gone for good if it comes to no revival. This is getting bad." The lady boss exclaimed.

"I agree with Ms. Wells, but, who do you think that kid is? Louige is so confident about him even if he is just a middle-high schooler."

"Yeah, I also wonder about that. But, as long as he is doing progress, it doesn't matter who he is. Maybe he one of those geniuses we know nothing about. Besides, hackers always tend to conceal themselves." Ms. Wells replied.

"But, the more important question is, where is the president at this moment? Do you know anything, Mr. Reeds?" Mr. Jacques asked.

"I heard he's out of town for a big deal." Mr. Reeds replied with a sigh.

...

Meanwhile, in the other room,

"I'm sorry about that..." Markus muttered.

"I understand. They're the ones at fault this time. Sorry." Louige replied.

"I had one more request Oji-nii..." he sat back to his seat with a deep sigh.

"What is it?" Louige asked.

"Can you bring me a cup of Mocha and chocolate cookies, preferably black moist cookies?" he kept his expressions to show that he does not have a sweet tooth.

"You seem to really like sweets this time, huh?" Louige said in a teasing manner. "You could have said that you don't want those iced coffee and butter scotches that I've brought."

"Ahh, I always do. It is the only thing that will keep me awake, chocolates and coffee in one." He turned to the computer. "Besides, sweets can make the brain work faster...It's filled with glucose. "

"Then, I'll bring them right away, not butter scotches, right? Do you have anything else to ask?"

"Well then, when you're at it, kindly check if my mom knows that I am here." the kid's fingers stopped on top of the keyboard.

"Rest assured, she doesn't know you are here." Louige raised an OK sign with his fingers.

"Then, that's fine by me..." Markus replied and continued what he was doing. "Oh, I remember, how about him?"

Louige turned back to the kid and said, "I've emailed him that we'll bring you here for the job. He said it's fine. He'll be here after the deal abroad."

"Oh, I see.."

Louige sent his men to get him his cup of mocha and chocolate cookies and brought it to him right away. He didn't stop hitting keys on the keyboard.