Merlin's Curse

CHAPTER 19: Excalibur!!

Either way...I fall on my butt. Again.

I'm not sure my bony bum has ever healed from my first day here at the academy. But I don't care because my head doesn't hurt. And despite the nagging mystery between G and Randall, I'm still laughing. Laughing at Isa's insults. High-fiving Zahir who's a total natural. And wishing for little G to be here. Happy G.

G without a secret.

By the end of the class, I'm one of several PCs Niko calls out for extra mandatory sessions. And I smile. The socially awkward skeleton-in-training is smiling because of extra dance lessons. Because I'm on a team that stomps their feet for fun. Because Randall will be teaching them. And because our squad's plan for one of the premier events of the CodeX Games is nothing short of magical.

* * *

"Merlin, so good to see you," Professor Atlas says with a wave of the hand. "Come in!" He's wearing another one of his pinstripe collar shirts—this time, green and blue.

After sitting down at a desk in the front of the room, I reply, "Thanks for the extra help." Even though I know the odds of me being pulled onto Gauntlet's hack team is next to zero. They're already a week into the event. Outside of classes, the hack teams are holed up in their war rooms—even for meals. Under lock and key. The worst part is hardly ever seeing Zahir. Especially now that G isn't talking to me.

"Let's get started," Professor Atlas says, rubbing his hands together.

"Right," I reply. And I'm excited to dig in because classes are done for the day and my social options aren't great. Even Isa is busy. She's hanging out with her new boyfriend. So dumb.

After spending a solid thirty minutes analyzing BrainTech's technical footprint, I'm amazed by how much data Professor Atlas has already collected from his passive attack on their network. Most of the data isn't meaningful, at least not for gaining access, but that's normal.

After a long yawn, Professor Atlas says, "Odds are none of the squads will find a vulnerability point through the front door. So what vector do you suggest hitting next?" His swivel chair creaks as he leans back. "Mobile devices? Cloud accounts? Walk me through your thought process."

"I like phishing attacks," I say. My brain stirs with excitement. "Most people are too lazy to read details in an email, especially when it looks legit. So I'd probably start on social media with a recruiter profile to target BrainTech employees. After gathering a number of corporate emails, I'd use them to send an internal BrainTech memo asking employees to login to a fake referral bonus program to capture their username and password."

"That's impressive," he says after a long whistle. "And how old are you?"

"I'm 11."

He laughs. "I know, Merlin. But it's also a lot of work. And the event is only a month long. Doesn't leave a lot of time to get lucky on a phishing expedition. Are you familiar with IOT or Internet of Things?"

"Yes," I reply, tapping my fingers on the desk. "Things like thermostats and smart lightbulbs, products connected to the internet."

"Well..." he says. "If you want to help your squad, you may want to have them check out BrainTech's IOT providers.

"Why—have you?" I ask.

"Let's just say I've done some reconnaissance."

I shift in my seat and lean forward, hands clasped together. "Isn't that cheating?"

He laughs. "Always the first years—so naive." And then he gets serious and rolls his chair over to my desk, just in front of me. "Merlin without magic...hacking is cheating!"

* * *

When I get back to my room for the night G is in bed and asleep. He has another week or so in the splint before his arm can be put in a cast. So he's propped up against several pillows, his arm still in the sling for protection. A dribble of drool glistens on his chin. Normally he pulls the blankets over his head or complains about the light, but tonight he doesn't move—probably due to a visit with Pharmacist Hayes before calling it a night.

My head is still wired from the day, and sleep is the furthest thing from my mind. Because my package arrived—the one I ordered from the hospital. 

I place the box down on my desk and grab the scissors to cut through the tape. My hands are almost shaking when I pull out the NextGen Brainware Headset. I remove the plastic bag and hold the black device with crab-like arms up in the air.

"I dub thee Excalibur!"

I know the comparison—brain headset vs magical sword—is laughable. But the energy frizzling my brain and the mist fogging my eyes tells me I'm on the right path. Without wasting any time, I unwrap Excalibur and insert a lithium battery into the side compartment of the unit that will rest just above my ear. There are five extensions from the sleek headset—like long crab legs with sensors in place of claws. After finishing the assembly and wetting each node, I place the headset over my skull. One sensor wraps over the top of my head, another curves around the back, two reach across my forehead, and one extends down just behind my ear.

A surge of energy ripples through my brain when I power on Excalibur.

"Freak'n Merlin's beard!"

My brain feels like an amped up bull waiting to be let loose. Shivers cascade down my spine, pushing my fingers to type faster as they fly over the keyboard. I log into my virtual private network and connect the headset to Wi-Fi and then my computer. I can't type fast enough. Excalibur's five EEG channels are enough for whole brain sensing. And as soon as the connection is made—a string of Spanish curse words fly out of my mouth.

"Yes! Yes! Yeeeees!" I yell, both fists rising into the air. "Long live Excalibur!!!"

Because I'm wireless. And my brain is still buzzing from the electrical current of zeros and ones. I can see what's displayed on my monitor without having to look. And most of all, because I'm no longer Merlin without magic. 

I'm...Merlin the Wizard!!!!!!!!