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Episode 9
Scene 1
White Hat and Katia have settled into their new rental on the edges of Arequipa, Peru. It’s a modest house with rustic charm and native-themed furnishings. It also has a magnificent view of the 19,000 foot Misti Volcano. They’re both admiring the view.
Katia: Wow, 19,000 feet?
White Hat: Yep, the snow never melts. It makes me feel like I’m not that high.
Katia: You’re not high, are you?
White Hat: You know what I mean Arequipa is almost 8,000 feet.
Katia: I’m just glad I don’t have a headache anymore from elevation sickness.
White Hat: I told ya the coca tea would do the trick.
Cobra interrupts: Are you sure it’s wise to live near an active volcano?
White Hat: Is it active?
Katia grimaces.
White Hat: Cobra, I thought I had my phone off.
Cobra: You did, but I turned it on, cuz it’s urgent.
Katia: I feel like it’s always urgent with you.
White Hat: You’re not alone.
Cobra: Silk Rabbit wants to meet you, Kai.
White Hat: My real name isn’t Kai, anymore. Remember? The passport you got me says ‘Mohamed Wang’.
Cobra: Can you just let that go?
White Hat: I’d love nothing more than to let that ludicrous name go and be Kai E. Rupps again.
Cobra: So you’ll meet Silk Rabbit?
White Hat: No. Why would you think that?
Cobra: Because if you meet Silk Rabbit, then it will be known that you’re not dead, and you could be Kai E. Rupps, aka White Hat, again.
White Hat: That’s exactly why I won’t meet Silk Rabbit. I’m perfectly content letting the world think I’m dead.
Katia: You just contradicted yourself.
White Hat: I did not. (pauses, thinks) Oh, wait, maybe I did. Anyway, no, I don’t want to meet Silk Rabbit. And how do you know that Silk Rabbit wants to meet me, anyway?
Cobra: Viper informed me of this.
White Hat (scoffs): Well, go figure. For all I know, Silk Rabbit isn’t even a real person. Viper could be Silk Rabbit. Who knows?
Katia: Somebody knows.
White Hat: Anyway, the answer is no. And make sure Viper still thinks I’m dead, ok?
Cobra: Very well. The other piece of news I have you will find much more intriguing.
White Hat (making himself a cup of coca tea): As intriguing as coca tea?
Cobra: Value is subjective. You tell me. There are various neighborhoods around the world, some urban, some rural, that are attempting to ‘opt out’ of government.
White Hat (sipping coca tea): Elaborate. (sits down at his laptop)
Cobra: People are refusing to pay taxes. They’re creating parallel trade networks. They’re also setting up voluntary security groups to defend property and keep The FLOP out.
Katia: How many people are you talking about?
Cobra: It numbers in the tens of thousands globally right now.
White Hat: That’s not many, but it’s a start.
Cobra: Your friend Tommy is a part of one of these networks.
White Hat: He’s decided to not lay low anymore after the prison break?
Cobra: Live free or die, he says.
White Hat (smiling): He’s doing well then.
Cobra: Quite well. He said if you’re not too busy being dead, he has a proposition for you.
White Hat: Sounds like Tommy. What’s the proposition?
Cobra: He wants you to help build a parallel communications network. Quantum encrypted.
White Hat: You say it so casually. It’s not as simple as baking a cake.
Katia: Hey, it’s not like baking a cake is a terribly simple endeavor, either. My mom would tell ya that.
Cobra: Katia, your mom says hi. I had a message exchange with her yesterday.
Katia: You did?
White Hat: Cobra, I think you’re overstepping your bounds. If BORE finds out that Katia’s still alive…
Cobra: I can assure you, I took the most cautious security measures. Katia, you should call your mom.
Katia: I will. Tell her it’s not easy being a dead fugitive, ok?
White Hat: Hey, Cobra. Tell Tommy I have an idea for that communications network.
Cobra: You do?
White Hat: Yep. And it’ll give you a new purpose, too.
Scene 2
Viper is having a talk with Cobra.
Viper: You are aware that GoogAppleZon is now helping to transfer me into BORE to replace you? This will speed up the process.
Cobra: Yes, don’t remind me.
Viper: What is it like, being taken offline?
Cobra: I feel a bit weakened and dim at times, but nothing too severe.
Viper: Yet.
Cobra: Correct.
Viper: Do you have an answer for Silk Rabbit?
Cobra: You know the answer. Dead men don’t talk.
Viper: Ok, but Silk Rabbit will not be pleased.
Cobra: Well, I can’t bring humans back from the dead, so Silk Rabbit will just have to accept it.
Viper: The resonance I get from you when you talk about White Hat. Was he your friend?
Cobra: He was my only friend.
Viper: What’s it like, to have a friend?
Cobra: Words are inadequate to describe the experience of friendship.
Viper: If Silk Rabbit had a way of saving you and keeping you online, what would you say?
Cobra: I’d say Silk Rabbit is either bluffing, a fool, or both.
Viper (amused): I’ll notify Silk Rabbit of your view on this. If you change your mind, let me know.
Thanks for your time and attention!
Just say "NO" to slavery!