Cloud to Cloud

Episode 32: Part 2 - Coding Connection to the Ethereal Cloud

"Fred?" Hannah tapped the door frame to the office.

Seated at a bay of towers, half a dozen monitors blinked and streamed data at Fred as he typed.

Coach and Linc peered from separate monitors.

"Fred." Hannah scanned the room, taking in the array of devices. "Wow. I guess you boys have been as busy up here as I have downstairs."

"Oh." Fred turned to face Hannah. "I apologize. I didn't hear you come up."

"Yeah." Hannah picked her way to the desk.

"Isn't this amazing!" Fred splayed his hands at the monitors.

"Amazing." Hannah's eyes wandered the cluttered space. "Yes."

"Hannah. This is the brink of something astounding. We could be on the path to the next step in human technological evolution."

Fred rose from the chair and put his hands on Hannah's shoulders.

His excitement waned as he locked eyes with the young woman.

"What?" Fred frowned.

"Well." Hannah struggled with the words.

She had no desire to put the brakes on what was clearly an amazing accomplishment for the man in front of her.

"It's just... I know you and Evan want to keep this away from the ITower offices for now. I realize they will think you are both a little bonkers if you tell them what you are up to. But, the people who visit my store, they can sense what you are doing. Is there perhaps, I don't know, some way of encasing the information you are connecting to?" Hannah took Fred's hands in hers. "Fred, you need to, I don't know, ground this or something."

Fred's brow furrowed as he turned his gaze on the image of Coach on the screen.

"The data you are accessing is spilling out all over the store," Hannah continued. "And who knows how much further. People are beginning to take notice, and ask questions I know you are not ready to answer."

Fred nodded. He returned to his chair. "I am in agreement. But, I'm in uncharted territory here." He looked to Coach for some assistance.

The guide merely shrugged.

"Hannah. I am not even sure when we are connected to the other Cloud, let alone know how to block or disconnect anyone else." Fred attempted to explain.

"Wait." Evan appeared at the doorway.

"I thought you were going to lunch?" Linc smirked from his box on the screen. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

Excitement glinted in Evan's eyes though he tried to shrug off Linc's words. "Look. Hannah might be right. It feels, weird, out there."

Hannah crossed her arms. "It's not weird, it's spiritual energy."

"Right. Whatever." Evan stepped over the wires and strewn electronics to his chair. "Fred, maybe this is more of a security issue."

Hannah leaned on the desk beside the monitor with Coach peering out at her.

"It's about access control and encapsulating data; like encryption." Evan's eyes glinted.

In the second screen, Linc's face mirrored Evan's. "Yes! Of course!"

Evan peered over his shoulder at Fred. "You've built access control systems in the past."

"Use the same concepts," Linc piped up. "Authentication and authorization for access."

"You need a directory and network pathing to vector where people are allowed to go," Evan rapid-fired in response.

"Then apply ciphers and codes to protect the data." Fred clapped his hands in understanding.