CASCADE - Chapter 28
PRESS START
March 19, 2023
PRESS START
Mason stood on the sidewalk outside the Starlite Bar and Grill and punched Clay’s number into the cell phone. “Where are you at?”
“Just a few minutes away. I’ll be there soon,” he reassured.
Clay pulled up in Colvin’s truck. Mason jumped in and demanded, “Where is Colvin?”
“He went to Beckley to get supplies. We need to go to your work site to get explosives and blasting caps.”
“Let’s be quick about it. There hasn’t been much activity there in the past two days, so we shouldn’t run into too many people.”
When they arrived, they were relieved that the parking lot was relatively empty. Clay pulls up beside the security booth. Mason greeted the guard through the open window.
“Hey, Junior, how are you doing?”
“Can’t complain, Mason. What brings you here on your day off?”
“I have to pick up a few things I forgot, the last day I worked.”
“Who is this here?”
“This here is my buddy, Clay.”
The guard handed Mason the clipboard and directed, “Just your signature and the time.”
Junior stepped back a couple of feet, and his eyes scanned the truck, front to back. He commented, “This is a nice ride you got here, Clay.
“Thanks.”
They pulled forward, and because there was so much dust from blasting, it looked like smoke was coming from the back of the vehicle.
Mason pointed to the buildings on the left and directed, “Pull in behind these buildings.”
Clay drove to the back of the building, and Mason got out. So far, they had seen only the guard. Mason directed, “When I open that door, pull the truck in.”
The door opened, and Clay pulled forward. Mason set a box in the truck bed. He returned to the shelves and took down a roll of wire and a box of blasting caps. It took less than five minutes to load up and return to the security guard station, where Mason opened the window and waved, “Bye, Junior, see you soon.”
They arrived at the location in the woods where they were hiding the car. Colvin had already placed branches around the car, keeping it hidden. He jumped in the truck, and they drove to the cabin. Once they arrived, Colvin looked at Clay and Mason in the back. “Are you all ready?”
They both answered, “Yes.”
Colvin encouraged, “Once we start, there is no stopping.” Colvin got out, grabbed his backpack, swung it over his shoulder, and walked to the Cabin. He reminded, “Once we finish here, make sure you grab all your stuff because we aren’t coming back. Mason, make sure you grab the map to the impoundment dam location. It’s time; let’s do this.”
Clay had his computer opened on the table. He had already set up his BOTNET and had his malware inserted into each major regional utility in the Eastern Interconnected Grid. Now, it was just a matter of activating each. He had written a simple command and tied each to his computer’s “START” button. When started, the energy demand requested by the BOTs would overload the power flow, and a redistribution of flow will cause a cascade failure, which would result in a blackout. The malware at the utilities would prevent operator access to the substations. He turned to Colvin and reminded him, “Remember, the demand on the grid will begin to cascade slowly. It may even take hours for the utility operators to discover. When they try to recover the malware inserted into the utility’s computer systems will prevent operator access to the substations.”
Colvin responded, “I understand. We have to hope the diversion occurs when we need it. Let’s do it.”
Mason removed the charges, detonator, and wire from the truck bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a movement in the distance. He returned to the cabin and shouted, “I saw three men on the hill to the east.”
Colvin grabbed the binoculars, ran outside, and surveyed the hill. He did not see anything. He returned to the cabin and announced, “It would not be unlikely that the FBI found our location. We’ll still follow our plans. This doesn’t change anything.” Colvin grabbed his backpack and delegated, “Clay, finish activating the malware at the hydroelectric dam. When you’re finished, you and Mason grab the supplies and head to the coal sludge impoundment dam. Once you arrive, start setting the charges. I am going to circle and see who is out there.” Colvin started to go out the door but turned, walked up to Clay, and hugged him, saying, “I love you, brother.”
Clay pressed start and then opened the NMC Hydroelectric Dam system. He had inserted malware that would cause the level 2 gauge to malfunction, allowing water to pump from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. Like the electrical cascade, the upper reservoir would take hours to fill and overflow. He activated the malware and closed his computer. Mason and Clay grabbed the supplies. Turning in the opposite direction from Colvin, they walked into the woods.