Big Data: A Startup Thriller Novel

Chapter 16

Taye was brought directly to the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. The driver of the van escorted him onto a private jet, which would take him across the country.

This was so far outside of Taye's original plan that he had no clue how he was ever going to get back on track. Once, when the van had stopped for gas, he'd thought about making a run for it. But what could he say? How would he ever explain? He realized just how bad it looked to have broken out of prison. Even if he hadn't meant to.

At this point, he knew strategically what his next step was. But it felt so wrong. So counterintuitive.

Taye had been the best chess player at his high school for three years straight. The first year, though, he was among the worst in the club. But it wasn't for lack of studying. Taye knew all the common openings and was well versed in the middle and end games. The trouble came whenever he wasn't sure what move to play next. He would burst headfirst into some fancy, half-baked maneuver that would inevitably end up falling apart and costing him the game.

Taye became the school champion because of a simple remark from his chess coach. She said, "When you aren't sure what move to play next, just go along with your opponent. Let them feel comfortable. Wait patiently for them to make the fancy half-baked move. Then tear them apart."

So Taye boarded the jet without a struggle. At least, without an outward struggle. He wanted to kick and shout. He wanted to do anything. But he knew he had to let things play out and wait for his opportunity to get the upper hand.

How much worse could thing get for him anyway? He went into one of the country's most well-known landmarks with a fake gun in his hand and a fake bomb strapped to his chest. Getting into more trouble would be difficult. In for a penny, in for a million, it seemed.

He thought about all the times he'd tried to get people's attention. Once, he'd waited in the District Attorney's office for ten hours. They wouldn't even give him an appointment. Eventually, they called in security to drag him away.

After all, who was going to take a young black man seriously? Up until he staged a terrorist attack, nobody believed him. He had to conform to the stereotypes America expected to even get noticed. A computer genius who discovered one of the most disturbing conspiracy theories in history? Too far from the norm to be plausible. A terrorist? That they could buy.

So after failing to get the attention of the press, authorities, or anyone else who could help, he did what he knew would get their attention. He grabbed a fake gun, strapped on a fake bomb, and snuck into the New York Stock Exchange. It was risky, but he was desperate. His big gamble was hoping that the police and guards would take the duct-taped toilet paper roll for a dead man's switch and wouldn't kill him.

As the jet took off, Taye watched the cars and buildings below getting smaller. Then it came to him. How this new turn of events could fit into his master plan. This didn't need to be a setback—this could be a blessing. As soon as he was out of New York, his crime would be expanded from the state level to the federal. His case would now get significantly more attention—if not in the press, then at least in the caliber of cops and agents who'd be trying to talk to him.

He could explain how Thor had discovered him writing apps for Ancien. That he'd been hired to solve one of machine learning's most interesting unsolved mysteries. Originally he'd been told it was a secret research project, and that was why he wasn't allowed to interact with the rest of the company. Which worked fine for Taye—he preferred to keep to himself. But when someone else started making changes to his project—seemingly to use it in ways he hadn't intended—he'd gone down the rabbit hole. Taye needed to make sure the police knew just how deep this whole thing went.

Assuming he could survive long enough to explain at all.

Six hours into the flight, Taye spotted the Golden Gate Bridge, and shortly after that, they landed in San José. A driver picked him up at the airport and took him directly to Ancien headquarters. Taye had hoped they would have to stop for gas like in New York. This time, he would have made a run for it. But no such luck.

Thor was waiting for him in the Ancien parking lot.

"You're a very brilliant young man," said Thor.

"I guess that's why you paid me the big bucks," said Taye.

They quietly walked into Ancien and up to Thor's office.

"You know, I have to hand it to you. You've got more guts than I thought you did. I didn't give you enough credit before."

Taye said nothing.

"I won't make that mistake again."

Now Taye laughed. Thor sat down and indicated that Taye should do so as well.

"We need you to finish what you started."

"Why would I do that?" Taye asked. "You might as well kill me now."

"We already tried that once," said Thor. "We'd prefer not to have to finish the job, but at least now you know we're more than capable."

Reflexively, Taye put his hand on his bandaged leg. The pain was mostly gone. He'd almost forgotten he'd been shot less than forty-eight hours ago.

"Gaia's broken. You're going to help our team fix it."

"What you're doing with Gaia is wrong. It's not what I ever intended when I started. You know that." cried Taye.

"You never could see the forest for the trees, Taye. Fix Gaia, or it won't be just you we kill. We'll use Gaia to kill everybody you've ever cared about in your life. They'll all die seemingly natural deaths. A car crash. A heart attack. Nothing suspicious at all. And not just your family, either. All your friends, all your teachers."

"You son of a bitch."

"After you escaped, our team was able to teach Gaia about DNA. At this point, we could find and kill everyone who even resembles you."

Taye stared down at the floor.

Thor continued, "I'll take that as a yes, then. You'll fix Gaia."