Distant Memory (39 page)

“For years,” Lisa continued, “those satellites have intercepted messages, tracked electronics, and photographed military installations. Moyer Communications has advanced the science of digital optics by a decade, and their satellites are now sophisticated enough to read a sales flyer left on the windshield of a car.”

“They have provided a great service to our country and spared the lives of many of our young soldiers.”

“Yes sir, that is true, but things have changed.”

“How so?” the senator asked.

Lisa shifted in her seat again. “In 1949 George Orwell wrote
1984
, a book about totalitarian control. Ever since, it has been assumed that the greatest danger to individual privacy was from the government. He called it Big Brother, but we now know that we have less to fear from the government than we do from private industry, from Little Brother—except Little Brother isn’t so little.”

“And this leads us where?”

“Panopticon.”

“Panopticon? I’m not familiar with the term.”

“It’s from two Greek words that mean to see all. Gregory Moyer and his company have designed a spy satellite that can track individuals or groups.”

“Individuals or groups? You mean a single individual?”

“Yes,” Lisa said. “The idea was sold to the military, which funded the research and development through its black-ops budgets. With this device and others like it, an individual could be tracked wherever he went in the world.”

“That’s unbelievable,” the senator countered. “How could such a device work?”

“The electronics is beyond me, sir, but this much I know. In phase one of the project, a satellite was placed into orbit over the United States. This was the test vehicle. The optics are superior to anything that has preceded it. In principle, subsequent satellites would be placed in strategic orbit around the globe, forming a network of surveillance. Ideally it was to be used to track leaders of unfriendly nations, activity at foreign military bases, supply movements, and even to find downed airmen.”

“All noble goals.”

“Left at that, yes. But Moyer had other plans. With such a device, information could be gathered on Americans without their knowledge. Already several states have used photographs from spy satellites to hunt for property improvements that may have been made without county permits. Other government agencies have used such photographs to catch farmers who water their fields without irrigation permits or to monitor tree cutting by lumber companies. On the surface, these are not necessarily bad, and society as a whole benefits, but what could happen if a private corporation begins gathering information on individuals that might be an invasion of personal privacy?

“What if,” Lisa added, “a corporation paid Moyer Communications
to spy on its competition, giving it an unfair advantage? The possibilities are enormous and frightening.”

“Those were the reasons that caused NSA to send in an undercover agent?”

“Only partly, Senator. We began to suspect that Moyer might sell some of his information beyond the borders of the United States. While there are laws on the books that control the sale of technology to foreign countries, it would be difficult to stop the selling of information. Not long ago, such information had to be passed by hand or through encrypted messages. Today all someone like Moyer has to do is place a receiver in the hands of a client and let him or her receive whatever information is available. Satellite receivers are relatively easy to build. Some can be purchased over the Internet. All that needs to be changed is the frequency it receives. A high school student could do that. Frankly, that part of the chain is old technology. Moyer would need to provide the codes to unscramble the satellite’s signal. That could be done with a phone call or over a sheltered site on the Internet.”

“And your investigation found all this to be true?”

“And much more. It was Gregory Moyer’s plan to sell, not information about our military bases and research, but his services to other countries. Not all countries in the world experience the freedom we do. We are blessed; some nations seem to be cursed. With Moyer’s devices one could track undesirable groups. Imagine a country bent on ethnic cleansing, such as Rwanda or Yugoslavia or even China. How much more powerful and effective would a despot be if he knew where his enemies gathered, when they moved, and what their resources were? That is just the beginning of the nightmare. For me, the most chilling revelation was an agreement I discovered between Moyer and several Third World countries. It was an agreement for which he was receiving a great deal of advance money.”

“And just what did they want from Moyer Communications?”

Lisa paused. The thought chilled her more than anything that had
ever entered her mind. After swallowing hard she said: “Senator, I am a person of faith. By that, I mean I am a Christian. My faith is central to my life. As a Christian in the United States, I live in a society that allows me to worship whenever I want and without interference. Such is not the case for Christians in many countries. Countries like the Sudan, China, Burma, Pakistan, North Korea, Egypt, and many others have made it a goal to drive Christianity from their land. Many horrible acts often sanctioned by the government have taken place. What I discovered was this: Greg Moyer had made deals to locate the meeting places and hiding places of Christians in some of these countries. His new MC2-SDS satellite would make it impossible for these people to evade detection by those who wish to seek them out and slaughter them.”

“Do you really believe that Moyer is that evil?”

“I do. He is not the first; he will not be the last. His kind has a lineage that extends back through the centuries. He cared nothing for how the information was gathered or would be used, just as long as it was lucrative.”

“Do you know where Greg Moyer is now?” the senator asked.

“No,” Lisa said sadly. “The news media carried the events that culminated in the shooting at the hospital in Ojai. We assume that Moyer saw a report and realized that his empire was about to be brought down. We think he fled the country, but we can’t be sure.”

“Is there any hope of finding him?”

“He is a clever man with tremendous resources. I’m sure the search will go on, but he could be anywhere in the world.”

“At least his plot was foiled.”

“Maybe,” Lisa said softly.

“Maybe?”

Lisa took a moment to look each of the seven senators in the eye. “The satellite is still up there, gentlemen, and who knows what contingency plans Moyer had at the ready. It’s not over. I’m afraid it’s not close to being over.”

T
he summer sun shone through a crystal blue sky and radiated off the black pavement. The sound of people chatting filled the air. A crowd of 150 had gathered to share in the dedication ceremonies on the grounds of the soon to be Fillmore Community Church. No one was allowed in the building that had so captured Lisa’s attention nearly a month earlier, but that would soon change. Renovation would begin tomorrow.

“It was a nice service,” Nick said. He held a small paper plate piled high with finger foods. “It was a great idea to have an outdoor worship service.”

“Thanks for coming,” Lisa said. “The contractor told me it would take about two months to bring the building up to code and make it safe. We plan to have services in it as soon as possible.”

“We?” Nick asked. He and Lisa were sitting at a folding table that had been situated in the middle of the lot. Seated with them were Bill Hobbs and Jay Tanner.

“I plan to come back for the first service. This place is important to me.”

“That’s a long trip from Washington, D.C.,” Nick said.

“Well, I made it here today.”

“I’m glad you did,” Nick said. “I miss you.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” she said with a broad smile. “I’ve asked for a transfer, and I think they’re going to give it to me. I may be working out of the same office as you. Then you’ll see more of me than you can stand.”

“Wonderful,” Nick exclaimed. “If you need help moving, just call. I know where I can get a truck.”

“Very funny,” Lisa said. “Last time I rode in that truck I had a really bad day.”

“You and me both.”

“If you don’t mind my asking,” Hobbs said, “where is the money coming from for the renovations?”

“Various contributions and supporters,” Lisa said. “I’ve made some calls and asked for some help. There were several senators and congressmen who were glad to contribute.”

“Did you raise enough money?” Tanner asked. “I might like to contribute.”

“All contributions are cheerfully accepted,” Lisa said. “There’s enough for the renovation, so we’re now collecting money to bring a pastor to the church. We hope to have enough money to pay for two years’ salary. By that time the church should be self-supporting.”

Hobbs nodded in approval. “You’ve done a wonderful thing, Lisa. I think we all have a lot to be thankful for. I’m the only one who got away uninjured.”

“I’m glad you were there,” Lisa said. “Things might have been a lot different if you hadn’t been.”

“I’m still in the dark about what started all this, and Nick there won’t tell me anything. I assume that there are still secrets to maintain.”

“Yes,” Lisa said sadly. “Nick is a mystery man, but that’s the nature of the work. I can tell you, however, that you did your country a service.”

“She trusts me now,” Nick said with a broad smile.

“Not entirely,” Lisa responded quickly. “I’m still a little put out with you because you kept me in the dark so long.”

“It was for your own good,” Nick said. “I did what I thought was right.”

“How is your memory?” Tanner asked.

“Back and operating as well as it ever has. Of course, there are a few things I would like to forget, but I guess our brains don’t work that way.”

“So what now?” Hobbs asked.

“It’s back to work,” Lisa replied. “It’s still a scary world.”

“That’s true,” Hobbs said, and then he raised his glass of iced tea. “Enough of the past. To the future.”

The others joined him. “To the future.”

After sipping his tea, Nick turned to Lisa. “When they hold the first service here, let me know. I think I’d like to attend.”

“I will,” Lisa said, warmed by the comment. “Then you can buy me lunch.”

“I know a great place across the street,” Nick said.

“Oh no you don’t,” Lisa retorted. “This time I want to go to a restaurant with menus you can hold.”

High above the earth the MC2-SDS received a signal and slowly turned its optical eye a few degrees to the east. In response to its electronic orders, it began to focus on a small town in California, pulling the image tighter and tighter until a small gathering of people at an outdoor luncheon could be seen.

It transmitted the image back to earth.