CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/1

LittleBrother
CoryDoctorow
doctorow@craphound.com
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alwaysdreamedofhavingabookjustmaterialize,fullyformed,
andcomepouringoutofmyfingertips,nosweatandfussbutit
wasn'tnearlyasmuchfunasI'dthoughtitwouldbe.Therewere
dayswhenIwrote10,000words,hunchingovermykeyboardin
airports,onsubways,intaxisanywhereIcouldtype.Thebook
wastryingtogetoutofmyhead,nomatterwhat,andImissedso
muchsleepandsomanymealsthatfriendsstartedtoaskifIwas
unwell.
Whenmydadwasayounguniversitystudentinthe1960s,he
wasoneofthefew"counterculture"peoplewhothought
computerswereagoodthing.Formostyoungpeople,computers
representedthedehumanizationofsociety.Universitystudents
werereducedtonumbersonapunchcard,eachbearingthelegend
"DONOTBEND,SPINDLE,FOLDORMUTILATE,"
promptingsomeofthestudentstowearpinsthatsaid,"IAMA
STUDENT:DONOTBEND,SPINDLE,FOLDORMUTILATE
ME."Computerswereseenasameanstoincreasetheabilityof
theauthoritiestoregimentpeopleandbendthemtotheirwill.
WhenIwas17,theworldseemedlikeitwasjustgoingtoget
morefree.TheBerlinWallwasabouttocomedown.Computers
whichhadbeengeekyandweirdafewyearsbeforewere
everywhere,andthemodemI'dusedtoconnecttolocalbulletin
boardsystemswasnowconnectingmetotheentireworld
throughtheInternetandcommercialonlineserviceslikeGEnie.
Mylifelongfascinationwithactivistcauseswentintooverdrive
asIsawhowthemaindifficultyinactivismorganizingwas
gettingeasierbyleapsandbounds(Istillrememberthefirsttime
Iswitchedfrommailingoutanewsletterwithhandwritten
addressestousingadatabasewithmailmerge).IntheSoviet
Union,communicationstoolswerebeingusedtobring
informationandrevolutiontothefarthestflungcornersof
thelargestauthoritarianstatetheEarthhadeverseen.

Foranyreuseordistribution,youmustmakecleartoothers
But17yearslater,thingsareverydifferent.ThecomputersI
thelicensetermsofthiswork.Thebestwaytodothisis
lovearebeingcoopted,usedtospyonus,controlus,snitchon
withalinkhttp://craphound.com/littlebrother
us.TheNationalSecurityAgencyhasillegallywiretappedthe
entireUSAandgottenawaywithit.Carrentalcompaniesand
Anyoftheaboveconditionscanbewaivedifyougetmy
masstransitandtrafficauthoritiesarewatchingwherewego,
permission
sendingusautomatedtickets,finkingusouttobusybodies,cops
andbadguyswhogainillicitaccesstotheirdatabases.The
TransportSecurityAdministrationmaintainsa"nofly"listof
Moreinfohere:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncsa/3.0/ peoplewho'dneverbeenconvictedofanycrime,butwhoare
neverthelessconsideredtoodangeroustofly.Thelist'scontents
aresecret.Therulethatmakesitenforceableissecret.The
Seetheendofthisfileforthecompletelegalese.
criteriaforbeingaddedtothelistaresecret.Ithasfouryearolds
onit.AndUSsenators.Anddecoratedveteransactualwar
heroes.
INTRODUCTION
The17yearoldsIknowunderstandtoanicetyjusthow
IwroteLittleBrotherinawhitehotfurybetweenMay7,2007
dangerousacomputercanbe.Theauthoritariannightmareofthe
andJuly2,2007:exactlyeightweeksfromthedayIthoughtitup 1960shascomehomeforthem.Theseductivelittleboxeson
tothedayIfinishedit(Alice,towhomthisbookisdedicated,had theirdesksandintheirpocketswatchtheireverymove,corral
toputupwithmeclackingoutthefinalchapterat5AMinour
themin,systematicallydeprivingthemofthosenewfreedomsI
hotelinRome,wherewewerecelebratingouranniversary).I'd
hadenjoyedandmadesuchgooduseofinmyyoungadulthood.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/2

What'smore,kidswereclearlybeingusedasguineapigsfora
newkindoftechnologicalstatethatallofuswereonourwayto,
aworldwheretakingapicturewaseitherpiracy(inamovie
theaterormuseumorevenaStarbucks),orterrorism(inapublic
place),butwherewecouldbephotographed,trackedandlogged
hundredsoftimesadaybyeverytinpotdictator,cop,bureaucrat
andshopkeeper.Aworldwhereanymeasure,includingtorture,
couldbejustifiedjustbywavingyourhandsandshouting
"Terrorism!9/11!Terrorism!"untilalldissentfellsilent.
Wedon'thavetogodownthatroad.
Ifyoulovefreedom,ifyouthinkthehumanconditionis
dignifiedbyprivacy,bytherighttobeleftalone,bytherightto
exploreyourweirdideasprovidedyoudon'thurtothers,thenyou
havecommoncausewiththekidswhosewebbrowsersandcell
phonesarebeingusedtolockthemupandfollowthemaround.
Ifyoubelievethattheanswertobadspeechismorespeech
notcensorshipthenyouhaveadoginthefight.
Ifyoubelieveinasocietyoflaws,alandwhereourrulershave
totellustherules,andhavetofollowthemtoo,thenyou'repart
ofthesamestrugglethatkidsfightwhentheyarguefortheright
toliveunderthesameBillofRightsthatadultshave.

Defeatcensorship:Theafterwordforthisbookhaslotsof
resourcesforincreasingyouronlinefreedom,blockingthesnoops
andevadingthecensorwareblocks.Themorepeoplewhoknow
aboutthisstuff,thebetter.
Yourstories:I'mcollectingstoriesofpeoplewho'veused
technologytogettheupperhandwhenconfrontedwithabusive
authority.I'mgoingtobeincludingthebestoftheseinaspecial
afterwordtotheUKedition(seebelow)ofthebook,andI'llbe
puttingthemonlineaswell.Sendmeyourstoriesat
doctorow@craphound.com,withthesubjectline"Abusesof
Authority".
GREATBRITAIN
I'maCanadian,andI'velivedinlotsofplaces(includingSan
Francisco,thesettingforLittleBrother),andnowIlivein
London,England,withmywifeAliceandourlittledaughter,
Poesy.I'velivedhere(offandon)forfiveyearsnow,andthough
Iloveittotinypieces,there'sonethingthat'salwaysbuggedme:
mybooksaren'tavailablehere.Somestorescarriedthemas
specialitems,importedfromtheUSA,butitwasn'tpublishedby
aBritishpublisher.

That'schanged!HarperCollinsUKhasboughttheBritishrights
tothisbook(alongwithmynextyoungadultnovel,FORTHE
Thisbookismeanttobepartoftheconversationaboutwhatan WIN),andthey'republishingitjustafewmonthsaftertheUS
informationsocietymeans:doesitmeantotalcontrol,or
edition,onNovember17,2008(thedayafterIgetbackfrommy
unheardofliberty?It'snotjustanoun,it'saverb,it'ssomething
honeymoon!).
youdo.
Update,November27,2008:Andit'sonshelvesnow!The
HarperCollinsedition'saknockout,too!
DOSOMETHING

I'msogladaboutthis,Icouldbust,honestly.Notjustbecause
they'refinallysellingmybooksinmyadoptedhomeland,but
Thisbookismeanttobesomethingyoudo,notjustsomething
becauseI'mraisingadaughterhere,dammit,andthesurveillance
youread.Thetechnologyinthisbookiseitherrealornearlyreal. andcontrolmaniainthiscountryisstartingtoscaremebloodless.
Youcanbuildalotofit.Youcanshareitandremixit(seeTHE
ItseemsliketheentirepoliceandgovernancesysteminBritain
COPYRIGHTTHING,below).Youcanusetheideastospark
hasfalleninlovewithDNAswabbing,fingerprintingand
importantdiscussionswithyourfriendsandfamily.Youcanuse videorecordingeveryone,ontheoffchancethatsomedayyou
thoseideastodefeatcensorshipandgetontothefreeInternet,
mightdosomethingwrong.Inearly2008,theheadofScotland
evenifyourgovernment,employerorschooldoesn'twantyouto. YardseriouslyproposedtakingDNAfromfiveyearoldswho
display"offendingtraits"becausethey'llprobablygrowuptobe
Makingstuff:ThefolksatInstructableshaveputupsomekiller criminals.Thenextweek,theLondonpoliceputupposters
HOWTOsforbuildingthetechnologyinthisbook.It'seasyand
askingusalltoturninpeoplewhoseemtobetakingpicturesof
incrediblyfun.There'snothingsorewardinginthisworldas
theubiquitousCCTVspycamerasbecauseanyonewhopaystoo
makingstuff,especiallystuffthatmakesyoumorefree:
muchattentiontothesurveillancemachineisprobablyaterrorist.
http://www.instructables.com/member/w1n5t0n/
Americaisn'ttheonlycountrythatlostitsmindthisdecade.
Discussions:There'saneducator'smanualforthisbookthatmy Britain'srightthereinthenuthousewithit,dribblingdownits
publisher,Tor,hasputtogetherthathastonsofideasfor
shirtfrontandpointingitsfingerattheinvisiblebogeymenand
classroom,readinggroupandhomediscussionsoftheideasinit: screaminguntilitgetsitsmeds.
http://www.torforge.com/static/Little_Brother_Readers_Guide.p
df
Weneedtobehavingthisconversationallovertheplanet.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/3
WanttogetacopyintheUK?Surething!
http://craphound.com/littlebrother/buy/#uk

OTHEREDITIONS
Myagent,RussellGalen(andhissubagentDannyBaror)didan
amazingjobofpresellingrightstoLittleBrotherinmany
languagesandformats.Here'sthelistasoftoday(May4,2008).
I'llbeupdatingitasmoreeditionsaresold,sofeelfreetograb
anothercopyofthisfile
(http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download)ifthere'san
editionyou'rehopingtosee,orsee
http://craphound.com/littlebrother/buy/forlinkstobuyallthe
currentlyshippingeditions.

viewsaboutcopyright.Here'swhatIthinkofit,inanutshell:a
littlegoesalongway,andmorethanthatistoomuch.
Ilikethefactthatcopyrightletsmesellrightstomypublishers
andfilmstudiosandsoon.It'snicethattheycan'tjusttakemy
stuffwithoutpermissionandgetrichonitwithoutcuttingmein
forapieceoftheaction.I'minaprettygoodpositionwhenit
comestonegotiatingwiththesecompanies:I'vegotagreatagent
andadecade'sexperiencewithcopyrightlawandlicensing
(includingastintasadelegateatWIPO,theUNagencythat
makestheworld'scopyrighttreaties).What'smore,there'sjust
notthatmanyofthesenegotiationsevenifIsellfiftyora
hundreddifferenteditionsofLittleBrother(whichwouldputitin
topmillionthofapercentileforfiction),that'sstillonlyahundred
negotiations,whichIcouldjustaboutmanage.

Ihatethefactthatfanswhowanttodowhatreadershave
alwaysdoneareexpectedtoplayinthesamesystemasallthese
AudiobookfromRandomHouse:
http://www.randomhouse.com/audio/littlebrotheraudiobo hotshotagentsandlawyers.It'sjuststupidtosaythatan
elementaryschoolclassroomshouldhavetotalktoalawyerata
ok
giantglobalpublisherbeforetheyputonaplaybasedononeof
mybooks.It'sridiculoustosaythatpeoplewhowantto"loan"
AconditionofmydealwithRandomHouseisthat
theirelectroniccopyofmybooktoafriendneedtogetalicense
they'renotallowedtoreleasethisonservicesthatuse
"DRM"(DigitalRightsManagement)systemsintended todoso.Loaningbookshasbeenaroundlongerthanany
publisheronEarth,andit'safinething.
tocontroluseandcopying.Thatmeansthatyouwon't
findthisbookonAudibleoriTunes,becauseAudible
IrecentlysawNeilGaimangiveatalkatwhichsomeoneasked
refusestosellbookswithoutDRM(eveniftheauthor
himhowhefeltaboutpiracyofhisbooks.Hesaid,"Handsupin
andpublisherdon'twantDRM),andiTunesonlycarries
theaudienceifyoudiscoveredyourfavoritewriterforfree
Audibleaudiobooks.However,youcanbuytheMP3
becausesomeoneloanedyouacopy,orbecausesomeonegaveit
filedirectfromRandomHouseormanyotherfine
toyou?Now,handsupifyoufoundyourfavoritewriterby
etailers,orthroughthiswidget:
walkingintoastoreandplunkingdowncash."Overwhelmingly,
http://www.zipidee.com/zipidAudioPreview.aspx?
theaudiencesaidthatthey'ddiscoveredtheirfavoritewritersfor
aid=c5a8e946fd2c4b9ea748f297bba17de8
free,onaloanorasagift.Whenitcomestomyfavoritewriters,
there'snoboundaries:I'llbuyeverybooktheypublish,justto
Myforeignrightsagent,DannyBaror,haspresoldanumberof
ownit(sometimesIbuytwoorthree,togiveawaytofriendswho
foreigneditions:
mustreadthosebooks).Ipaytoseethemlive.Ibuytshirtswith
theirbookcoversonthem.I'macustomerforlife.
Greece:Pataki

Russia:ASTPublishing

France:UniversePoche

Norway:DetNorskeSamlaget

Nopublicationdatesyetforthese,butI'llkeepupdatingthisfile
asmoreinformationisavailable.Youcanalsosubscribetomy
mailinglistformoreinfo.

THECOPYRIGHTTHING
TheCreativeCommonslicenseatthetopofthisfileprobably
tippedyouofftothefactthatI'vegotsomeprettyunorthodox

Neilwentontosaythathewaspartofthetribeofreaders,the
tinyminorityofpeopleintheworldwhoreadforpleasure,
buyingbooksbecausetheylovethem.Onethingheknowsabout
everyonewhodownloadshisbooksontheInternetwithout
permissionisthatthey'rereaders,they'repeoplewholovebooks.
Peoplewhostudythehabitsofmusicbuyershavediscovered
somethingcurious:thebiggestpiratesarealsothebiggest
spenders.Ifyoupiratemusicallnightlong,chancesareyou're
oneofthefewpeopleleftwhoalsogoestotherecordstore
(rememberthose?)duringtheday.Youprobablygotoconcerts
ontheweekend,andyouprobablycheckmusicoutofthelibrary
too.Ifyou'reamemberoftheredhotmusicfantribe,youdolots
ofeverythingthathastodowithmusic,fromsinginginthe
showertopayingforblackmarketvinylbootlegsofrareEastern
Europeancoversofyourfavoritedeathmetalband.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/4
Samewithbooks.I'veworkedinnewbookstores,used
bookstoresandlibraries.I'vehungoutinpirateebook
("bookwarez")placesonline.I'mastoneusedbookstorejunkie,
andIgotobookfairsforfun.Andyouknowwhat?It'sthesame
peopleatallthoseplaces:bookfanswhodolotsofeverything
thathastodowithbooks.Ibuyweird,fuglypirateeditionsofmy
favoritebooksinChinabecausethey'reweirdandfuglyandlook
greatnexttotheeightornineothereditionsthatIpaidfullfreight
forofthesamebooks.Icheckbooksoutofthelibrary,google
themwhenIneedaquote,carrydozensaroundonmyphoneand
hundredsonmylaptop,andhave(atthiswriting)morethan
10,000oftheminstoragelockersinLondon,LosAngelesand
Toronto.
IfIcouldloanoutmyphysicalbookswithoutgivingup
possessionofthem,Iwould.ThefactthatIcandosowithdigital
filesisnotabug,it'safeature,andadamnedfineone.It's
embarrassingtoseeallthesewritersandmusiciansandartists
bemoaningthefactthatartjustgotthiswickednewfeature:the
abilitytobesharedwithoutlosingaccesstoitinthefirstplace.
It'slikewatchingrestaurantownerscryingdowntheirshirtsabout
thenewfreelunchmachinethat'sfeedingtheworld'sstarving
peoplebecauseit'llforcethemtoreconsidertheir
businessmodels.Yes,that'sgonnabetricky,butlet'snotlose
sightofthemainattraction:freelunches!
Universalaccesstohumanknowledgeisinourgrasp,forthe
firsttimeinthehistoryoftheworld.Thisisnotabadthing.
Incasethat'snotenoughforyou,here'smypitchonwhygiving
awayebooksmakessenseatthistimeandplace:
Givingawayebooksgivesmeartistic,moralandcommercial
satisfaction.Thecommercialquestionistheonethatcomesup
mostoften:howcanyougiveawayfreeebooksandstillmake
money?
Formeforprettymucheverywriterthebigproblemisn't
piracy,it'sobscurity(thankstoTimO'Reillyforthisgreat
aphorism).Ofallthepeoplewhofailedtobuythisbooktoday,
themajoritydidsobecausetheyneverheardofit,notbecause
someonegavethemafreecopy.Megahitbestsellersinscience
fictionsellhalfamillioncopiesinaworldwhere175,000
attendtheSanDiegoComicConalone,you'vegottofigurethat
mostofthepeoplewho"likesciencefiction"(andrelatedgeeky
stufflikecomics,games,Linux,andsoon)justdon'treallybuy
books.I'mmoreinterestedingettingmoreofthatwideraudience
intothetentthanmakingsurethateveryonewho'sinthetent
boughtatickettobethere.

makingmybooksavailableforfreepassalong,Imakeiteasyfor
peoplewholovethemtohelpotherpeoplelovethem.
What'smore,Idon'tseeebooksasasubstituteforpaperbooks
formostpeople.It'snotthatthescreensaren'tgoodenough,
either:ifyou'reanythinglikeme,youalreadyspendeveryhour
youcangetinfrontofthescreen,readingtext.Butthemore
computerliterateyouare,thelesslikelyyouaretobereading
longformworksonthosescreensthat'sbecause
computerliteratepeopledomorethingswiththeircomputers.We
runIMandemailandweusethebrowserinamilliondiverse
ways.Wehavegamesrunninginthebackground,andendless
opportunitiestotinkerwithourmusiclibraries.Themoreyoudo
withyourcomputer,themorelikelyitisthatyou'llbeinterrupted
afterfivetosevenminutestodosomethingelse.Thatmakesthe
computerextremelypoorlysuitedtoreadinglongformworksoff
of,unlessyouhavetheironselfdisciplineofamonk.
Thegoodnews(forwriters)isthatthismeansthatebookson
computersaremorelikelytobeanenticementtobuytheprinted
book(whichis,afterall,cheap,easilyhad,andeasytouse)thana
substituteforit.Youcanprobablyreadjustenoughofthebook
offthescreentorealizeyouwanttobereadingitonpaper.
Soebookssellprintbooks.EverywriterI'veheardofwho's
triedgivingawayebookstopromotepaperbookshascomeback
todoitagain.That'sthecommercialcasefordoingfreeebooks.

Now,ontotheartisticcase.It'sthetwentyfirstcentury.
Copyingstuffisnever,evergoingtogetanyharderthanitis
today(orifitdoes,it'llbebecausecivilizationhascollapsed,at
whichpointwe'llhaveotherproblems).Harddrivesaren'tgoing
togetbulkier,moreexpensive,orlesscapacious.Networkswon't
getslowerorhardertoaccess.Ifyou'renotmakingartwiththe
intentionofhavingitcopied,you'renotreallymakingartforthe
twentyfirstcentury.There'ssomethingcharmingaboutmaking
workyoudon'twanttobecopied,inthesamewaythatit'sniceto
gotoaPioneerVillageandseetheoldetimeyblacksmithshoeing
ahorseathistraditionalforge.Butit'shardly,youknow,
contemporary.I'masciencefictionwriter.It'smyjobtowrite
aboutthefuture(onagoodday)oratleastthepresent.Artthat's
notsupposedtobecopiedisfromthepast.

Finally,let'slookatthemoralcase.Copyingstuffisnatural.It's
howwelearn(copyingourparentsandthepeoplearoundus).My
firststory,writtenwhenIwassix,wasanexcitedretellingof
StarWars,whichI'djustseeninthetheater.NowthattheInternet
theworld'smostefficientcopyingmachineisprettymuch
Ebooksareverbs,notnouns.Youcopythem,it'sintheirnature. everywhere,ourcopyinginstinctisjustgoingtoplayoutmore
Andmanyofthosecopieshaveadestination,apersonthey're
andmore.There'snowayIcanstopmyreaders,andifItried,I'd
intendedfor,ahandwroughttransferfromonepersontoanother, beahypocrite:whenIwas17,Iwasmakingmixtapes,
embodyingapersonalrecommendationbetweentwopeoplewho photocopyingstories,andgenerallycopyingineverywayIcould
trusteachotherenoughtosharebits.That'sthekindofthingthat imagine.IftheInternethadbeenaroundthen,I'dhavebeenusing
authors(should)dreamof,theproverbialsealingofthedeal.By
ittocopyasmuchasIpossiblycould.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/5

There'snowaytostopit,andthepeoplewhotryendupdoing
moreharmthanpiracyeverdid.Therecordindustry'sridiculous
holywaragainstfilesharers(morethan20,000musicfanssued
andcounting!)exemplifiestheabsurdityoftryingtogetthe
foodcoloringoutoftheswimmingpool.Ifthechoiceisbetween
allowingcopyingorbeingafrothingbullylashingoutatanything
hecanreach,Ichoosetheformer.

Ihavenoideaifthiswillendupwithhundreds,dozensorjusta
fewcopiesgoingoutbutIhavehighhopes!

DONATIONSANDAWORDTOTEACHERSAND
LIBRARIANS

QUOTES

EverytimeIputabookonlineforfree,Igetemailsfromreaders
whowanttosendmedonationsforthebook.Iappreciatetheir
generousspirit,butI'mnotinterestedincashdonations,because
mypublishersarereallyimportanttome.Theycontribute
immeasurablytothebook,improvingit,introducingittoan
audienceIcouldneverreach,helpingmedomorewithmywork.
Ihavenodesiretocutthemoutoftheloop.
Buttherehastobesomegoodwaytoturnthatgenerosityto
gooduse,andIthinkI'vefoundit.
Here'sthedeal:therearelotsofteachersandlibrarianswho'd
lovetogethardcopiesofthisbookintotheirkids'hands,but
don'thavethebudgetforit(teachersintheUSspendaround
$1,200outofpocketeachonclassroomsuppliesthattheir
budgetswon'tstretchtocover,whichiswhyIsponsora
classroomatIvanhoeElementaryinmyoldneighborhoodinLos
Angeles;youcanadoptaclassyourselfhere:
http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/).

DEDICATION
ForAlice,whomakesmewhole

Arousingtaleoftechnogeekrebellion,asnecessaryand
dangerousasfilesharing,freespeech,andbottledwaterona
plane.
ScottWesterfeld,authorofUGLIESandEXTRAS
IcantalkaboutLittleBrotherintermsofitsbravurapolitical
speculationoritsbrilliantusesoftechnologyeachofwhich
makethisbookamustreadbut,attheendofitall,I'mhaunted
bytheuniversalityofMarcus'sriteofpassageandstruggle,an
experienceanyteentodayisgoingtograsp:themomentwhen
youchoosewhatyourlifewillmeanandhowtoachieveit.
StevenCGould,authorofJUMPERandREFLEX

I'drecommendLittleBrotheroverprettymuchanybookI'veread
thisyear,andI'dwanttogetitintothehandsofasmanysmart
13yearolds,maleandfemale,asIcan.

Therearegenerouspeoplewhowanttosendsomecashmyway
BecauseIthinkit'llchangelives.Becausesomekids,maybe
tothankmeforthefreeebooks.
justafew,won'tbethesameafterthey'vereadit.Maybethey'll
changepolitically,maybetechnologically.Maybeit'lljustbethe
I'mproposingthatweputthemtogether.
firstbooktheylovedorthatspoketotheirinnergeek.Maybe
they'llwanttoargueaboutitanddisagreewithit.Maybethey'll
Ifyou'reateacherorlibrarianandyouwantafreecopyof
wanttoopentheircomputerandseewhat'sinthere.Idon't
LittleBrother,emailfreelittlebrother@gmail.comwithyourname know.Itmademewanttobe13againrightnowandreadingit
forthefirsttime,andthengooutandmaketheworldbetteror
andthenameandaddressofyourschool.It'llbepostedto
http://craphound.com/littlebrother/donate/bymyfantastichelper, strangerorodder.It'sawonderful,importantbook,inawaythat
rendersitsflawsprettymuchmeaningless.
OlgaNunes,sothatpotentialdonorscanseeit.
IfyouenjoyedtheelectroniceditionofLittleBrotherandyou
wanttodonatesomethingtosaythanks,goto
http://craphound.com/littlebrother/donate/andfindateacheror
librarianyouwanttosupport.ThengotoAmazon,BN.com,or
yourfavoriteelectronicbooksellerandorderacopytothe
classroom,thenemailacopyofthereceipt(feelfreetodelete
youraddressandotherpersonalinfofirst!)to
freelittlebrother@gmail.comsothatOlgacanmarkthatcopyas
sent.Ifyoudon'twanttobepubliclyacknowledgedforyour
generosity,letusknowandwe'llkeepyouanonymous,otherwise
we'llthankyouonthedonatepage.

NeilGaiman,authorofANANSIBOYS
LittleBrotherisascarilyrealisticadventureabouthow
homelandsecuritytechnologycouldbeabusedtowrongfully
imprisoninnocentAmericans.Ateenagehackerturnedheropits
himselfagainstthegovernmenttofightforhisbasicfreedoms.
Thisbookisactionpackedwithtalesofcourage,technology,and
demonstrationsofdigitaldisobedienceasthetechnophile'scivil
protest."
BunnieHuang,authorofHACKINGTHEXBOX

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/6
fewplacesyoucanpickitup!
CoryDoctorowisafastandfuriousstorytellerwhogetsallthe
detailsofalternaterealitygamingright,whileofferinga
startling,newvisionofhowthesegamesmightplayoutinthe
highstakescontextofaterroristattack.LittleBrotherisa
brilliantnovelwithaboldargument:hackersandgamersmight
justbeourcountry'sbesthopeforthefuture.

Chapter1

ThischapterisdedicatedtoBakkaPhoenixBooksinToronto,
Canada.Bakkaistheoldestsciencefictionbookstoreinthe
world,anditmademethemutantIamtoday.Iwanderedinfor
thefirsttimearoundtheageof10andaskedforsome
JaneMcGonical,Designer,ILoveBees recommendations.TanyaHuff(yes,theTanyaHuff,butshe
wasn'tafamouswriterbackthen!)tookmebackintotheused
sectionandpressedacopyofH.BeamPiper's"LittleFuzzy"into
Therightbookattherighttimefromtherightauthorand,not myhands,andchangedmylifeforever.BythetimeIwas18,I
entirelycoincidentally,CoryDoctorow'sbestnovelyet.
wasworkingatBakkaItookoverfromTanyawhensheretired
towritefulltimeandIlearnedlifelonglessonsabouthowand
JohnScalzi,authorofOLDMAN'SWAR whypeoplebuybooks.Ithinkeverywritershouldworkata
bookstore(andplentyofwritershaveworkedatBakkaoverthe
years!Forthe30thanniversaryofthestore,theyputtogetheran
It'saboutgrowingupinthenearfuturewherethingshavekept
anthologyofstoriesbyBakkawritersthatincludedworkby
goingonthewaythey'vebeengoing,andit'sabouthackingasa MichelleSagara(AKAMichelleWest),TanyaHuff,Nalo
habitofmind,butmostlyit'saboutgrowingupandchangingand Hopkinson,TaraTallanandme!)
lookingattheworldandaskingwhatyoucandoaboutthat.The
teenagevoiceispitchperfect.Icouldn'tputitdown,andIloved BakkaPhoenixBooks:http://www.bakkaphoenixbooks.com/697
it.
QueenStreetWest,TorontoONCanadaM6J1E6,+1416963
9993
JoWalton,authorofFARTHING
I'masenioratCesarChavezhighinSanFrancisco'ssunny
Missiondistrict,andthatmakesmeoneofthemostsurveilled
peopleintheworld.MynameisMarcusYallow,butbackwhen
AworthyyoungersiblingtoOrwell's1984,CoryDoctorow's
thisstorystarts,Iwasgoingbyw1n5t0n.Pronounced"Winston."
LITTLEBROTHERislively,precocious,andmostimportantly,a
littlescary.
Notpronounced"Doubleyouoneennfiveteezeroenn"
unlessyou'reacluelessdisciplinaryofficerwho'sfarenough
BrianKVaughn,authorofY:THELASTMAN behindthecurvethatyoustillcalltheInternet"theinformation
superhighway."
"LittleBrother"soundsanoptimisticwarning.Itextrapolates
fromcurrenteventstoremindusoftheevergrowingthreatsto
liberty.Butitalsonotesthatlibertyultimatelyresidesinour
individualattitudesandactions.Inourincreasingly
authoritarianworld,Iespeciallyhopethatteenagersandyoung
adultswillreaditandthenpersuadetheirpeers,parentsand
teacherstofollowsuit.

Iknowjustsuchacluelessperson,andhisnameisFred
Benson,oneofthreeviceprincipalsatCesarChavez.He'sa
suckingchestwoundofahumanbeing.Butifyou'regoingto
haveajailer,betteracluelessonethanonewho'sreallyonthe
ball.

"MarcusYallow,"hesaidoverthePAoneFridaymorning.The
PAisn'tverygoodtobeginwith,andwhenyoucombinethat
DanGillmor,authorofWE,THEMEDIA withBenson'shabitualmumble,yougetsomethingthatsounds
morelikesomeonestrugglingtodigestabadburritothanaschool
announcement.Buthumanbeingsaregoodatpickingtheirnames
ABOUTTHEBOOKSTOREDEDICATIONS
outofaudioconfusionit'sasurvivaltrait.
Everychapterofthisfilehasbeendedicatedtoadifferent
IgrabbedmybagandfoldedmylaptopthreequartersshutI
bookstore,andineachcase,it'sastorethatIlove,astorethat's
didn'twanttoblowmydownloadsandgotreadyforthe
helpedmediscoverbooksthatopenedmymind,astorethat's
inevitable.
helpedmycareeralong.Thestoresdidn'tpaymeanythingforthis
Ihaven'teventoldthemaboutitbutitseemsliketheright
"Reporttotheadministrationofficeimmediately."
thingtodo.Afterall,I'mhopingthatyou'llreadthisebookand
decidetobuythepaperbook,soitonlymakessensetosuggesta
Mysocialstudiesteacher,MsGalvez,rolledhereyesatmeand

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/7
Irolledmyeyesbackather.TheManwasalwayscomingdown
onme,justbecauseIgothroughschoolfirewallslikewet
kleenex,spoofthegaitrecognitionsoftware,andnukethesnitch
chipstheytrackuswith.Galvezisagoodtype,anyway,never
holdsthatagainstme(especiallywhenI'mhelpinggetwithher
webmailsoshecantalktoherbrotherwho'sstationedinIraq).
MyboyDarrylgavemeasmackontheassasIwalkedpast.
I'veknownDarrylsincewewerestillindiapersandescaping
fromplayschool,andI'vebeengettinghimintoandoutof
troublethewholetime.Iraisedmyarmsovermyheadlikea
prizefighterandmademyexitfromSocialStudiesandbeganthe
perpwalktotheoffice.
Iwashalfwaytherewhenmyphonewent.Thatwasanother
nonophonesaremuyprohibidoatChavezHighbutwhy
shouldthatstopme?Iduckedintothetoiletandshutmyselfin
themiddlestall(thefurtheststallisalwaysgrossestbecauseso
manypeopleheadstraightforit,hopingtoescapethesmelland
thesquickthesmartmoneyandgoodhygieneisdownthe
middle).IcheckedthephonemyhomePChadsentitanemail
totellitthattherewassomethingnewuponHarajukuFun
Madness,whichhappenstobethebestgameeverinvented.
Igrinned.SpendingFridaysatschoolwastehsuckanyway,and
Iwasgladoftheexcusetomakemyescape.
IambledtherestofthewaytoBenson'sofficeandtossedhima
waveasIsailedthroughthedoor.

identities,I'dbeintrouble.Nooneatschoolevercalledme
w1n5t0norevenWinston.Notevenmypals.ItwasMarcusor
nothing.
Bensonsettleddownbehindhisdeskandtappedhisclassring
nervouslyonhisblotter.Hedidthiswheneverthingsstartedtogo
badforhim.Pokerplayerscallstufflikethisa"tell"something
thatletyouknowwhatwasgoingonintheotherguy'shead.I
knewBenson'stellsbackwardsandforwards.
"Marcus,Ihopeyourealizehowseriousthisis."
"Iwilljustassoonasyouexplainwhatthisis,sir."Ialwayssay
"sir"toauthorityfigureswhenI'mmessingwiththem.It'smy
owntell.
Heshookhisheadatmeandlookeddown,anothertell.Any
secondnow,hewasgoingtostartshoutingatme."Listen,kiddo!
It'stimeyoucametogripswiththefactthatweknowaboutwhat
you'vebeendoing,andthatwe'renotgoingtobelenientaboutit.
You'regoingtobeluckyifyou'renotexpelledbeforethis
meetingisthrough.Doyouwanttograduate?"
"MrBenson,youstillhaven'texplainedwhattheproblemis"
Heslammedhishanddownonthedeskandthenpointedhis
fingeratme."Theproblem,MrYallow,isthatyou'vebeen
engagedincriminalconspiracytosubvertthisschool'ssecurity
system,andyouhavesuppliedsecuritycountermeasurestoyour
fellowstudents.YouknowthatweexpelledGraciellaUriartelast
weekforusingoneofyourdevices."Uriartehadgottenabadrap.
She'dboughtaradiojammerfromaheadshopnearthe16th
StreetBARTstationandithadsetoffthecountermeasuresinthe
schoolhallway.Notmydoing,butIfeltforher.

"Ifitisn'tDoubleyouoneennfiveteezeroenn,"hesaid.
FredrickBensonSocialSecuritynumber545032343,dateof
birthAugust151962,mother'smaidennameDiBona,hometown
Petalumaisalottallerthanme.I'marunty5'8",whilehe
stands6'7",andhiscollegebasketballdaysarefarenoughbehind
himthathischestmuscleshaveturnedintosaggymanboobsthat
"AndyouthinkI'minvolvedinthat?"
werepainfullyobviousthroughhisfreebiedotcompoloshirts.
Healwayslookslikehe'sabouttoslamdunkyourass,andhe's
"Wehavereliableintelligenceindicatingthatyouarew1n5t0n"
reallyintoraisinghisvoicefordramaticeffect.Boththesestartto again,hespelleditout,andIbegantowonderifhehadn't
losetheirefficacywithrepeatedapplication.
figuredoutthatthe1wasanIandthe5wasanS."Weknowthat
thisw1n5t0ncharacterisresponsibleforthetheftoflastyear's
"Sorry,nope,"Isaid."IneverheardofthisR2D2characterof
standardizedtests."Thatactuallyhadn'tbeenme,butitwasa
yours."
sweethack,anditwaskindofflatteringtohearitattributedto
me."Andthereforeliableforseveralyearsinprisonunlessyou
"W1n5t0n,"hesaid,spellingitoutagain.Hegavemeahairy
cooperatewithme."
eyeballandwaitedformetowilt.Ofcourseitwasmyhandle,
andhadbeenforyears.ItwastheidentityIusedwhenIwas
"Youhave'reliableintelligence'?I'dliketoseeit."
postingonmessageboardswhereIwasmakingmycontributions
tothefieldofappliedsecurityresearch.Youknow,likesneaking
Hegloweredatme."Yourattitudeisn'tgoingtohelpyou."
outofschoolanddisablingthemindertraceronmyphone.But
hedidn'tknowthatthiswasmyhandle.Onlyasmallnumberof
"Ifthere'sevidence,sir,Ithinkyoushouldcallthepoliceand
peopledid,andItrustedthemalltotheendoftheearth.
turnitovertothem.Itsoundslikethisisaveryseriousmatter,
andIwouldn'twanttostandinthewayofaproperinvestigation
"Um,notringinganybells,"Isaid.I'ddonesomeprettycool
bythedulyconstitutedauthorities."
stuffaroundschoolusingthathandleIwasveryproudofmy
workonsnitchtagkillersandifhecouldlinkthetwo
"Youwantmetocallthepolice."

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/8

"Andmyparents,Ithink.Thatwouldbeforthebest."

year,anditonlytookacouplemonthsfortheshininesstowear
off.Oncepeoplefiguredoutthatthese"free"laptopsworkedfor
themanandshowedaneverendingparadeofobnoxiousadsto
boottheysuddenlystartedtofeelveryheavyandburdensome.

Westaredateachotheracrossthedesk.He'dclearlyexpected
metofoldthesecondhedroppedthebombonme.Idon'tfold.I
haveatrickforstaringdownpeoplelikeBenson.Ilookslightly
CrackingmySchoolBookhadbeeneasy.Thecrackwasonline
totheleftoftheirheads,andthinkaboutthelyricstooldIrish
withinamonthofthemachineshowingup,andtherewasnothing
folksongs,thekindswiththreehundredverses.Itmakesmelook toitjustdownloadaDVDimage,burnit,stickitinthe
perfectlycomposedandunworried.
SchoolBook,andbootitwhileholdingdownabunchofdifferent
keysatthesametime.TheDVDdidtherest,installingawhole
bunchofhiddenprogramsonthemachine,programsthatwould
Andthewingwasonthebirdandthebirdwasontheeggand
theeggwasinthenestandthenestwasontheleafandtheleaf
stayhiddenevenwhentheBoardofEddiditsdailyremote
wasonthetwigandthetwigwasonthebranchandthebranch
integritychecksofthemachines.EverynowandagainIhadto
wasonthelimbandthelimbwasinthetreeandthetreewasin
getanupdateforthesoftwaretogetaroundtheBoard'slatest
thebogthebogdowninthevalleyoh!Highhotherattlin'bog, tests,butitwasasmallpricetopaytogetalittlecontroloverthe
thebogdowninthevalleyoh
box.
"Youcanreturntoclassnow,"hesaid."I'llcallonyouoncethe
policearereadytospeaktoyou."
"Areyougoingtocallthemnow?"
"Theprocedureforcallinginthepoliceiscomplicated.I'd
hopedthatwecouldsettlethisfairlyandquickly,butsinceyou
insist"
"Icanwaitwhileyoucallthemisall,"Isaid."Idon'tmind."
HetappedhisringagainandIbracedfortheblast.
"Go!"heyelled."Getthehelloutofmyoffice,youmiserable
little"

IfiredupIMParanoid,thesecretinstantmessengerthatIused
whenIwantedtohaveanofftherecorddiscussionrightinthe
middleofclass.Darrylwasalreadyloggedin.
> The game's afoot! Something big is
going down with Harajuku Fun Madness,
dude. You in?
> No. Freaking. Way. If I get caught
ditching a third time, I'm expelled.
Man, you know that. We'll go after
school.
> You've got lunch and then study-hall,
right? That's two hours. Plenty of time
to run down this clue and get back
before anyone misses us. I'll get the
whole team out.

Igotout,keepingmyexpressionneutral.Hewasn'tgoingto
callthecops.Ifhe'dhadenoughevidencetogotothepolicewith,
hewouldhavecalledtheminthefirstplace.Hehatedmyguts.I
HarajukuFunMadnessisthebestgameevermade.IknowI
figuredhe'dheardsomeunverifiedgossipandhopedtospookme
alreadysaidthat,butitbearsrepeating.It'sanARG,anAlternate
intoconfirmingit.
RealityGame,andthestorygoesthatagangofJapanese
fashionteensdiscoveredamiraculoushealinggematthetemple
Imoveddownthecorridorlightlyandsprightly,keepingmy
inHarajuku,whichisbasicallywherecoolJapaneseteenagers
gaitevenandmeasuredforthegaitrecognitioncameras.These
inventedeverymajorsubcultureforthepasttenyears.They're
hadbeeninstalledonlyayearbefore,andIlovedthemfortheir
beinghuntedbyevilmonks,theYakuza(AKAtheJapanese
sheeridiocy.Beforehand,we'dhadfacerecognitioncameras
mafia),aliens,taxinspectors,parents,andarogueartificial
coveringnearlyeverypublicspaceinschool,butacourtruled
intelligence.Theysliptheplayerscodedmessagesthatwehave
thatwasunconstitutional.SoBensonandalotofotherparanoid
todecodeandusetotrackdowncluesthatleadtomorecoded
schooladministratorshadspentourtextbookdollarsonthese
messagesandmoreclues.
idiotcamerasthatweresupposedtobeabletotelloneperson's
walkfromanother.Yeah,right.
Imaginethebestafternoonyou'veeverspentprowlingthe
streetsofacity,checkingoutalltheweirdpeople,funny
Igotbacktoclassandsatdownagain,MsGalvezwarmly
handbills,streetmaniacs,andfunkyshops.Nowaddascavenger
welcomingmeback.Iunpackedtheschool'sstandardissue
hunttothat,onethatrequiresyoutoresearchcrazyoldfilmsand
machineandgotbackintoclassroommode.TheSchoolBooks
songsandteenculturefromaroundtheworldandacrosstimeand
werethesnitchiesttechnologyofthemall,loggingevery
space.Andit'sacompetition,withthewinningteamoffour
keystroke,watchingallthenetworktrafficforsuspicious
takingagrandprizeoftendaysinTokyo,chillingonHarajuku
keywords,countingeveryclick,keepingtrackofeveryfleeting
bridge,geekingoutinAkihabara,andtakinghomealltheAstro
thoughtyouputoutoverthenet.We'dgottentheminmyjunior

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/9
Boymerchandiseyoucaneat.Exceptthathe'scalled"AtomBoy"
inJapan.
That'sHarajukuFunMadness,andonceyou'vesolvedapuzzle
ortwo,you'llneverlookback.
> No man, just no. NO. Don't even ask.
> I need you D. You're the best I've got.
I swear I'll get us in and out without
anyone knowing it. You know I can do
that, right?
> I know you can do it
> So you're in?
> Hell no
> Come on, Darryl. You're not going to
your deathbed wishing you'd spent more
study periods sitting in school
> I'm not going to go to my deathbed
wishing I'd spent more time playing
ARGs either
> Yeah but don't you think you might go
to your death-bed wishing you'd spent
more time with Vanessa Pak?
Van was part of my team. She went to a private girl's school in
the East Bay, but I knew she'd ditch to come out and run the
mission with me. Darryl has had a crush on her literally for years
-- even before puberty endowed her with many lavish gifts.
Darryl had fallen in love with her mind. Sad, really.
> You suck
> You're coming?

whatyourelfplannedondoingasyousataroundatableloaded
withDietCokecansandpaintedminiatures,andmorephysically
activethangoingintoamousecomainfrontofamassively
multiplayergameathome.
Thethingthatgotmeintotroubleweretheminigamesinthe
hotels.Wheneverasciencefictionconventioncametotown,
someLARPerwouldconvincethemtoletusrunacoupleof
sixhourminigamesatthecon,piggybackingontheirrentalof
thespace.Havingabunchofenthusiastickidsrunningaroundin
costumelentcolortotheevent,andwegottohaveaballamong
peopleevenmoresociallydeviantthanus.
Theproblemwithhotelsisthattheyhavealotofnongamersin
them,tooandnotjustscifipeople.Normalpeople.Fromstates
thatbeginandendwithvowels.Onholidays.
Andsometimesthosepeoplemisunderstandthenatureofa
game.
Let'sjustleaveitatthat,OK?
#
Classendedintenminutes,andthatdidn'tleavemewithmuch
timetoprepare.Thefirstorderofbusinesswerethosepesky
gaitrecognitioncameras.LikeIsaid,they'dstartedoutas
facerecognitioncameras,butthosehadbeenruled
unconstitutional.AsfarasIknow,nocourthasyetdetermined
whetherthesegaitcamsareanymorelegal,butuntiltheydo,
we'restuckwiththem.
"Gait"isafancywordforthewayyouwalk.Peoplearepretty
goodatspottinggaitsnexttimeyou'reonacampingtrip,check
outthebobbingoftheflashlightasadistantfriendapproaches
you.Chancesareyoucanidentifyhimjustfromthemovementof
thelight,thecharacteristicwayitbobsupanddownthattellsour
monkeybrainsthatthisisapersonapproachingus.

Gaitrecognitionsoftwaretakespicturesofyourmotion,triesto
Helookedatmeandshookhishead.Thenhenodded.Iwinked isolateyouinthepicsasasilhouette,andthentriestomatchthe
silhouettetoadatabasetoseeifitknowswhoyouare.It'sa
athimandsettoworkgettingintouchwiththerestofmyteam.
biometricidentifier,likefingerprintsorretinascans,butit'sgota
lotmore"collisions"thaneitherofthose.Abiometric"collision"
#
iswhenameasurementmatchesmorethanoneperson.Onlyyou
Iwasn'talwaysintoARGing.Ihaveadarksecret:Iusedtobe haveyourfingerprint,butyoushareyourgaitwithplentyother
people.
aLARPer.LARPingisLiveActionRolePlaying,andit'sjust
aboutwhatitsoundslike:runningaroundincostume,talkingina
Notexactly,ofcourse.Yourpersonal,inchbyinchwalkis
funnyaccent,pretendingtobeasuperspyoravampireora
yoursandyoursalone.Theproblemisyourinchbyinchwalk
medievalknight.It'slikeCapturetheFlaginmonsterdrag,witha
changesbasedonhowtiredyouare,whatthefloorismadeof,
bitofDramaClubthrownin,andthebestgamesweretheones
weplayedinScoutCampsoutoftowninSonomaordownonthe whetheryoupulledyourankleplayingbasketball,andwhether
you'vechangedyourshoeslately.Sothesystemkindof
Peninsula.Thosethreedayepicscouldgetprettyhairy,with
alldayhikes,epicbattleswithfoamandbambooswords,casting fuzzesoutyourprofile,lookingforpeoplewhowalkkindoflike
you.
spellsbythrowingbeanbagsandshouting"Fireball!"andsoon.
Goodfun,ifalittlegoofy.Notnearlyasgeekyastalkingabout

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/10
Therearealotofpeoplewhowalkkindoflikeyou.What's
more,it'seasynottowalkkindoflikeyoujusttakeoneshoe
off.Ofcourse,you'llalwayswalklikeyouwithoneshoeoffin
thatcase,sothecameraswilleventuallyfigureoutthatit'sstill
you.WhichiswhyIprefertoinjectalittlerandomnessintomy
attacksongaitrecognition:Iputahandfulofgravelintoeach
shoe.Cheapandeffective,andnotwostepsarethesame.Plus
yougetagreatreflexologyfootmassageintheprocess(Ikid.
Reflexologyisaboutasscientificallyusefulasgaitrecognition).
Thecamerasusedtosetoffanalerteverytimesomeonethey
didn'trecognizesteppedontocampus.
Thisdidnotwork.
Thealarmwentoffeverytenminutes.Whenthemailmancame
by.Whenaparentdroppedin.Whenthegroundspeoplewentto
workfixingupthebasketballcourt.Whenastudentshowedup
wearingnewshoes.
Sonowitjusttriestokeeptrackofwho'swhereandwhen.If
someoneleavesbytheschoolgatesduringclasses,theirgaitis
checkedtoseeifitkindasortamatchesanystudentgaitandifit
does,whoopwhoopwhoop,ringthealarm!
ChavezHighisringedwithgravelwalkways.Iliketokeepa
couplehandsfulofrocksinmyshoulderbag,justincase.I
silentlypassedDarryltenorfifteenpointylittlebastardsandwe
bothloadedourshoes.
ClasswasabouttofinishupandIrealizedthatIstillhadn't
checkedtheHarajukuFunMadnesssitetoseewherethenext
cluewas!I'dbeenalittlehyperfocusedontheescape,andhadn't
botheredtofigureoutwherewewereescapingto.
IturnedtomySchoolBookandhitthekeyboard.The
webbrowserweusedwassuppliedwiththemachine.Itwasa
lockeddownspywareversionofInternetExplorer,Microsoft's
crashwareturdthatnooneundertheageof40usedvoluntarily.
IhadacopyofFirefoxontheUSBdrivebuiltintomywatch,
butthatwasn'tenoughtheSchoolBookranWindows
Vista4Schools,anantiqueoperatingsystemdesignedtogive
schooladministratorstheillusionthattheycontrolledthe
programstheirstudentscouldrun.
ButVista4Schoolsisitsownworstenemy.Therearealotof
programsthatVista4Schoolsdoesn'twantyoutobeabletoshut
downkeyloggers,censorwareandtheseprogramsrunina
specialmodethatmakestheminvisibletothesystem.Youcan't
quitthembecauseyoucan'tevenseethey'rethere.
Anyprogramwhosenamestartswith$SYS$isinvisibletothe
operatingsystem.Itdoesn'tshowuponlistingsoftheharddrive,
norintheprocessmonitor.SomycopyofFirefoxwascalled
$SYS$FirefoxandasIlaunchedit,itbecameinvisibleto

Windows,andsoinvisibletothenetwork'ssnoopware.
NowIhadanindiebrowserrunning,Ineededanindienetwork
connection.Theschool'snetworkloggedeveryclickinandoutof
thesystem,whichwasbadnewsifyouwereplanningonsurfing
overtotheHarajukuFunMadnesssiteforsomeextracurricular
fun.
TheanswerissomethingingeniouscalledTORTheOnion
Router.AnonionrouterisanInternetsitethattakesrequestsfor
webpagesandpassesthemontootheronionrouters,andonto
otheronionrouters,untiloneofthemfinallydecidestofetchthe
pageandpassitbackthroughthelayersoftheonionuntilit
reachesyou.Thetraffictotheonionroutersisencrypted,which
meansthattheschoolcan'tseewhatyou'reaskingfor,andthe
layersoftheoniondon'tknowwhothey'reworkingfor.Thereare
millionsofnodestheprogramwassetupbytheUSOfficeof
NavalResearchtohelptheirpeoplegetaroundthecensorwarein
countrieslikeSyriaandChina,whichmeansthatit'sperfectly
designedforoperatingintheconfinesofanaverageAmerican
highschool.
TORworksbecausetheschoolhasafiniteblacklistofnaughty
addresseswearen'tallowedtovisit,andtheaddressesofthe
nodeschangeallthetimenowaycouldtheschoolkeeptrack
ofthemall.FirefoxandTORtogethermademeintotheinvisible
man,impervioustoBoardofEdsnooping,freetocheckoutthe
HarajukuFMsiteandseewhatwasup.
Thereitwas,anewclue.LikeallHarajukuFunMadnessclues,
ithadaphysical,onlineandmentalcomponent.Theonline
componentwasapuzzleyouhadtosolve,onethatrequiredyou
toresearchtheanswerstoabunchofobscurequestions.This
batchincludedabunchofquestionsontheplotsindojinshi
thosearecomicbooksdrawnbyfansofmanga,Japanesecomics.
Theycanbeasbigastheofficialcomicsthatinspirethem,but
they'realotweirder,withcrossoverstorylinesandsometimes
reallysillysongsandaction.Lotsoflovestories,ofcourse.
Everyonelovestoseetheirfavoritetoonshookup.
I'dhavetosolvethoseriddleslater,whenIgothome.They
wereeasiesttosolvewiththewholeteam,downloadingtonsof
dojinshifilesandscouringthemforanswerstothepuzzles.
I'djustfinishedscrapbookingalltheclueswhenthebellrang
andwebeganourescape.Isurreptitiouslyslidthegraveldown
thesideofmyshortbootsanklehighBlundstonesfrom
Australia,greatforrunningandclimbing,andtheeasy
slipon/slipofflacelessdesignmakesthemconvenientatthe
neverendingmetaldetectorsthatareeverywherenow.
Wealsohadtoevadephysicalsurveillance,ofcourse,butthat
getseasiereverytimetheyaddanewlayerofphysicalsnoopery
allthebellsandwhistleslullourbelovedfacultyintoatotally
falsesenseofsecurity.Wesurfedthecrowddownthehallways,
headingformyfavoritesideexit.Wewerehalfwayalongwhen

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/11
Darrylhissed,"Crap!Iforgot,I'vegotalibrarybookinmybag."

committinganycrimestoday."

"You'rekiddingme,"Isaid,andhauledhimintothenext
bathroomwepassed.Librarybooksarebadnews.Everyoneof
themhasanarphidRadioFrequencyIDtaggluedintoits
binding,whichmakesitpossibleforthelibrarianstocheckout
thebooksbywavingthemoverareader,andletsalibraryshelf
tellyouifanyofthebooksonitareoutofplace.

"Skippingschoolisn'tacrime.It'saninfraction.They'retotally
different."

Butitalsoletstheschooltrackwhereyouareatalltimes.It
wasanotherofthoselegalloopholes:thecourtswouldn'tletthe
schoolstrackuswitharphids,buttheycouldtracklibrarybooks,
andusetheschoolrecordstotellthemwhowaslikelytobe
carryingwhichlibrarybook.
IhadalittleFaradaypouchinmybagthesearelittlewallets
linedwithameshofcopperwiresthateffectivelyblockradio
energy,silencingarphids.Butthepouchesweremadefor
neutralizingIDcardsandtollboothtransponders,notbookslike

"IntroductiontoPhysics?"Igroaned.Thebookwasthesizeof
adictionary.
Chapter2
ThischapterisdedicatedtoAmazon.com,thelargestInternet
booksellerintheworld.Amazonisamazinga"store"where
youcangetpracticallyanybookeverpublished(alongwith
practicallyeverythingelse,fromlaptopstocheesegraters),
wherethey'veelevatedrecommendationstoahighart,where
theyallowcustomerstodirectlycommunicatewitheachother,
wheretheyareconstantlyinventingnewandbetterwaysof
connectingbookswithreaders.Amazonhasalwaystreatedme
likegoldthefounder,JeffBezos,evenpostedareaderreview
formyfirstnovel!andIshoptherelikecrazy(lookingatmy
spreadsheets,itappearsthatIbuysomethingfromAmazon
approximatelyeverysixdays).Amazon'sintheprocessof
reinventingwhatitmeanstobeabookstoreinthetwentyfirst
centuryandIcan'tthinkofabettergroupofpeopletobefacing
downthatthornysetofproblems.
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0765319853/downand
outint20
"I'mthinkingofmajoringinphysicswhenIgotoBerkeley,"
Darrylsaid.HisdadtaughtattheUniversityofCaliforniaat
Berkeley,whichmeanthe'dgetfreetuitionwhenhewent.And
there'dneverbeenanyquestioninDarryl'shouseholdabout
whetherhe'dgo.
"Fine,butcouldn'tyouresearchitonline?"
"MydadsaidIshouldreadit.Besides,Ididn'tplanon

"Whatarewegoingtodo,Marcus?"
"Well,Ican'thideit,soI'mgoingtohavetonukeit."Killing
arphidsisadarkart.Nomerchantwantsmaliciouscustomers
goingforawalkaroundtheshopfloorandleavingbehinda
bunchoflobotomizedmerchandisethatismissingitsinvisible
barcode,sothemanufacturershaverefusedtoimplementa"kill
signal"thatyoucanradiotoanarphidtogetittoswitchoff.You
canreprogramarphidswiththerightbox,butIhatedoingthatto
librarybooks.It'snotexactlytearingpagesoutofabook,butit's
stillbad,sinceabookwithareprogrammedarphidcan'tbe
shelvedandcan'tbefound.Itjustbecomesaneedleinahaystack.
Thatleftmewithonlyoneoption:nukingthething.Literally.
30secondsinamicrowavewilldoinprettymucheveryarphidon
themarket.Andbecausethearphidwouldn'tansweratallwhen
Dcheckeditbackinatthelibrary,they'djustprintafreshonefor
itandrecodeitwiththebook'scataloginfo,anditwouldendup
cleanandneatbackonitsshelf.
Allweneededwasamicrowave.
"Giveitanothertwominutesandtheteacher'sloungewillbe
empty,"Isaid.
Darrylgrabbedhisbookatheadedforthedoor."Forgetit,no
way.I'mgoingtoclass."
Isnaggedhiselbowanddraggedhimback."Comeon,D,easy
now.It'llbefine."
"Theteacher'slounge?Maybeyouweren'tlistening,Marcus.If
Igetbustedjustoncemore,Iamexpelled.Youhearthat?
Expelled."
"Youwon'tgetcaught,"Isaid.Theoneplaceateacherwouldn't
beafterthisperiodwasthelounge."We'llgointhebackway."
Theloungehadalittlekitchenetteofftooneside,withitsown
entranceforteacherswhojustwantedtopopinandgetacupof
joe.Themicrowavewhichalwaysreekedofpopcornand
spilledsoupwasrightinthere,ontopoftheminiaturefridge.
Darrylgroaned.Ithoughtfast."Look,thebell'salreadyrung.if
yougotostudyhallnow,you'llgetalateslip.Betternottoshow
atallatthispoint.Icaninfiltrateandexfiltrateanyroomonthis
campus,D.You'veseenmedoit.I'llkeepyousafe,bro."
Hegroanedagain.ThatwasoneofDarryl'stells:oncehestarts
groaning,he'sreadytogivein.
"Let'sroll,"Isaid,andwetookoff.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/12

Itwasflawless.Weskirtedtheclassrooms,tookthebackstairs
intothebasement,andcameupthefrontstairsrightinfrontof
theteachers'lounge.Notasoundcamefromthedoor,andI
quietlyturnedtheknobanddraggedDarrylinbeforesilently
closingthedoor.
Thebookjustbarelyfitinthemicrowave,whichwaslooking
evenlesssanitarythanithadthelasttimeI'dpoppedinhereto
useit.IconscientiouslywrappeditinpapertowelsbeforeIsetit
down."Man,teachersarepigs,"Ihissed.Darryl,whitefacedand
tense,saidnothing.
Thearphiddiedinashowerofsparks,whichwasreallyquite
lovely(thoughnotnearlyasprettyastheeffectyougetwhenyou
nukeafrozengrape,whichhastobeseentobebelieved).
Now,toexfiltratethecampusinperfectanonymityandmake
ourescape.
Darrylopenedthedoorandbegantomoveout,meonhisheels.
Asecondlater,hewasstandingonmytoes,elbowsjammedinto
mychest,ashetriedtobackpedalintotheclosetsizedkitchen
we'djustleft.
"Getback,"hewhisperedurgently."Quickit'sCharles!"
CharlesWalkerandIdon'tgetalong.We'reinthesamegrade,
andwe'veknowneachotheraslongasI'veknownDarryl,but
that'swheretheresemblanceends.Charleshasalwaysbeenbig
forhisage,andnowthathe'splayingfootballandonthejuice,
he'sevenbigger.He'sgotangermanagementproblemsIlosta
milktoothtohiminthethirdgradeandhe'smanagedtokeep
fromgettingintroubleoverthembybecomingthemostactive
snitchinschool.
It'sabadcombination,abullywhoalsosnitches,takinggreat
pleasureingoingtotheteacherswithwhateverinfractionshe's
found.BensonlovedCharles.Charleslikedtoletonthathehad
somekindofunspecifiedbladderproblem,whichgavehima
readymadeexcusetoprowlthehallwaysatChavez,lookingfor
peopletofinkon.
ThelasttimeCharleshadcaughtsomedirtonme,ithadended
withmegivingupLARPing.Ihadnointentionofbeingcaught
byhimagain.
"What'shedoing?"
"He'scomingthiswayiswhathe'sdoing,"Darrylsaid.Hewas
shaking.
"OK,"Isaid."OK,timeforemergencycountermeasures."Igot
myphoneout.I'dplannedthiswellinadvance.Charleswould
nevergetmeagain.Iemailedmyserverathome,anditgotinto
motion.

Afewsecondslater,Charles'sphonespazzedoutspectacularly.
I'dhadtensofthousandsofsimultaneousrandomcallsandtext
messagessenttoit,causingeverychirpandringithadtogooff
andkeepongoingoff.Theattackwasaccomplishedbymeansof
abotnet,andforthatIfeltbad,butitwasintheserviceofagood
cause.
Botnetsarewhereinfectedcomputersspendtheirafterlives.
Whenyougetawormoravirus,yourcomputersendsamessage
toachatchannelonIRCtheInternetRelayChat.Thatmessage
tellsthebotmastertheguywhodeployedthewormthatthe
computersaretherereadytodohisbidding.Botnetsare
supremelypowerful,sincetheycancomprisethousands,even
hundredsofthousandsofcomputers,scatteredalloverthe
Internet,connectedtojuicyhighspeedconnectionsandrunning
onfasthomePCs.ThosePCsnormallyfunctiononbehalfoftheir
owners,butwhenthebotmastercallsthem,theyriselikezombies
todohisbidding.
TherearesomanyinfectedPCsontheInternetthatthepriceof
hiringanhourortwoonabotnethascrashed.Mostlythesethings
workforspammersascheap,distributedspambots,fillingyour
mailboxwithcomeonsforbonerpillsorwithnewvirusesthat
caninfectyouandrecruityourmachinetojointhebotnet.
I'djustrented10seconds'timeonthreethousandPCsandhad
eachofthemsendatextmessageorvoiceoverIPcallto
Charles'sphone,whosenumberI'dextractedfromastickynote
onBenson'sdeskduringonefatefulofficevisit.
Needlesstosay,Charles'sphonewasnotequippedtohandle
this.FirsttheSMSesfilledthememoryonhisphone,causingitto
startchokingontheroutineoperationsitneededtodothingslike
managetheringerandlogallthoseincomingcalls'bogusreturn
numbers(didyouknowthatit'sreallyeasytofakethereturn
numberonacallerID?Thereareaboutfiftywaysofdoingit
justgoogle"spoofcallerid").
Charlesstaredatitdumbfounded,andjabbedatitfuriously,his
thickeyebrowsknottingandwigglingashestruggledwiththe
demonsthathadpossessedhismostpersonalofdevices.Theplan
wasworkingsofar,buthewasn'tdoingwhathewassupposedto
bedoingnexthewassupposedtogofindsomeplacetosit
downandtrytofigureouthowtogethisphoneback.
Darrylshookmebytheshoulder,andIpulledmyeyeaway
fromthecrackinthedoor.
"What'shedoing?"Darrylwhispered.
"Itotaledhisphone,buthe'sjuststaringatitnowinsteadof
movingon."Itwasn'tgoingtobeeasytorebootthatthing.Once
thememorywastotallyfilled,itwouldhaveahardtimeloading
thecodeitneededtodeletethebogusmessagesandtherewas
nobulkerasefortextsonhisphone,sohe'dhavetomanually

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/13
deleteallofthethousandsofmessages.

bad,badperson.Darrylnearlyfainted.

Darrylshovedmebackandstuckhiseyeuptothedoor.A
momentlater,hisshouldersstartedtoshake.Igotscared,
thinkinghewaspanicking,butwhenhepulledback,Isawthathe
waslaughingsohardthattearswerestreamingdownhischeeks.

Jolusavedhimfromsocialdisgracebyshowingupjustthen,in
anoversizeleatherbaseballjacket,sharpsneakers,anda
meshbackcapadvertisingourfavoriteMexicanmaskedwrestler,
ElSantoJunior.JoluisJoseLuisTorrez,thecompletingmember
ofourfoursome.HewenttoasuperstrictCatholicschoolinthe
OuterRichmond,soitwasn'teasyforhimtogetout.Buthe
alwaysdid:nooneexfiltratedlikeourJolu.Helikedhisjacket
becauseithungdownlowwhichwasprettystylishinpartsof
thecityandcoveredupallhisCatholicschoolcrap,whichwas
likeabullseyefornosyjerkswiththetruancymoblog
bookmarkedontheirphones.

"Galvezjusttotallybustedhimforbeinginthehallsduring
classandforhavinghisphoneoutyoushouldhaveseenher
tearintohim.Shewasreallyenjoyingit."
Weshookhandssolemnlyandsnuckbackoutofthecorridor,
downthestairs,aroundtheback,outthedoor,pastthefenceand
outintotheglorioussunlightofafternoonintheMission.
ValenciaStreethadneverlookedsogood.Icheckedmywatch
andyelped.
"Let'smove!Therestofthegangismeetingusatthecablecars
intwentyminutes!"
#
Vanspottedusfirst.Shewasblendinginwithagroupof
Koreantourists,whichisoneofherfavoritewaysof
camouflagingherselfwhenshe'sditchingschool.Eversincethe
truancymoblogwentlive,ourworldisfullofnosyshopkeepers
andpecksniffswhotakeituponthemselvestosnapourpiccies
andputthemonthenetwheretheycanbeperusedbyschool
administrators.
Shecameoutofthecrowdandboundedtowardus.Darrylhas
hadathingforVansinceforever,andshe'ssweetenoughto
pretendshedoesn'tknowit.Shegavemeahugandthenmoved
ontoDarryl,givinghimaquicksisterlykissonthecheekthat
madehimgoredtothetopsofhisears.
Thetwoofthemmadeafunnypair:Darrylisalittleonthe
heavyside,thoughhewearsitwell,andhe'sgotakindofpink
complexionthatgoesredinthecheekswheneverherunsorgets
excited.He'sbeenabletogrowabeardsincewewere14,but
thankfullyhestartedshavingafterabriefperiodknowntoour
gangas"theLincolnyears."Andhe'stall.Very,verytall.Like
basketballplayertall.
Meanwhile,Vanishalfaheadshorterthanme,andskinny,
withstraightblackhairthatshewearsincrazy,elaboratebraids
thatsheresearchesonthenet.She'sgotprettycopperyskinand
darkeyes,andshelovesbigglassringsthesizeofradishes,
whichclickandclacktogetherwhenshedances.
"Where'sJolu?"shesaid.
"Howareyou,Van?"Darrylaskedinachokedvoice.He
alwaysranastepbehindtheconversationwhenitcametoVan.
"I'mgreat,D.How'syoureverylittlething?"Oh,shewasa

"Who'sreadytogo?"Iasked,oncewe'dallsaidhello.Ipulled
outmyphoneandshowedthemthemapI'ddownloadedtoiton
theBART."NearasIcanworkout,wewannagouptotheNikko
again,thenoneblockpastittoO'Farrell,thenleftuptowardVan
Ness.Somewhereinthereweshouldfindthewirelesssignal."
Vanmadeaface."That'sanastypartoftheTenderloin."I
couldn'targuewithher.ThatpartofSanFranciscoisoneofthe
weirdbitsyougointhroughtheHilton'sfrontentranceandit's
alltouristystufflikethecablecarturnaroundandfamily
restaurants.Gothroughtotheothersideandyou'reinthe'Loin,
whereeverytrackedouttransvestitehooker,hardcasepimp,
hissingdrugdealerandcrackeduphomelesspersonintownwas
concentrated.Whattheyboughtandsold,noneofuswereold
enoughtobeapartof(thoughtherewereplentyofhookersour
ageplyingtheirtradeinthe'Loin.)
"Lookonthebrightside,"Isaid."Theonlytimeyouwanttogo
uparoundthereisbroaddaylight.Noneoftheotherplayersare
goingtogonearituntiltomorrowattheearliest.Thisiswhatwe
intheARGbusinesscallamonsterheadstart."
Jolugrinnedatme."Youmakeitsoundlikeagoodthing,"he
said.
"Beatseatinguni,"Isaid.
"Wegoingtotalkorwegoingtowin?"Vansaid.Afterme,she
washandsdownthemosthardcoreplayerinourgroup.Shetook
winningvery,veryseriously.
Westruckout,fourgoodfriends,onourwaytodecodeaclue,
winthegameandloseeverythingwecaredabout,forever.
#
Thephysicalcomponentoftoday'scluewasasetofGPS
coordinatestherewerecoordinatesforallthemajorcities
whereHarajukuFunMadnesswasplayedwherewe'dfinda
WiFiaccesspoint'ssignal.Thatsignalwasbeingdeliberately
jammedbyanother,nearbyWiFipointthatwashiddensothatit
couldn'tbespottedbyconventionalwifinders,littlekeyfobsthat

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/14
toldyouwhenyouwerewithinrangeofsomeone'sopen
accesspoint,whichyoucoulduseforfree.
We'dhavetotrackdownthelocationofthe"hidden"access
pointbymeasuringthestrengthofthe"visible"one,findingthe
spotwhereitwasmostmysteriouslyweakest.Therewe'dfind
anothercluelasttimeithadbeeninthespecialofthedayat
Anzu,theswankysushirestaurantintheNikkohotelinthe
Tenderloin.TheNikkowasownedbyJapanAirlines,oneof
HarajukuFunMadness'ssponsors,andthestaffhadallmadea
bigfussoveruswhenwefinallytrackeddowntheclue.They'd
givenusbowlsofmisosoupandmadeustryuni,whichissushi
madefromseaurchin,withthetextureofveryrunnycheeseanda
smelllikeveryrunnydogdroppings.Butittastedreallygood.Or
soDarryltoldme.Iwasn'tgoingtoeatthatstuff.
IpickeduptheWiFisignalwithmyphone'swifinderabout
threeblocksupO'Farrell,justbeforeHydeStreet,infrontofa
dodgy"AsianMassageParlor"witharedblinkingCLOSEDsign
inthewindow.Thenetwork'snamewasHarajukuFM,sowe
knewwehadtherightspot.
"Ifit'sinthere,I'mnotgoing,"Darrylsaid.
"Youallgotyourwifinders?"Isaid.
DarrylandVanhadphoneswithbuiltinwifinders,whileJolu,
beingtoocooltocarryaphonebiggerthanhispinkyfinger,hada
separatelittledirectionalfob.
"OK,fanoutandseewhatwesee.You'relookingforasharp
dropoffinthesignalthatgetsworsethemoreyoumovealong
it."
Itookastepbackwardandendedupstandingonsomeone's
toes.Afemalevoicesaid"oof"andIspunaround,worriedthat
somecrackhowasgoingtostabmeforbreakingherheels.
Instead,Ifoundmyselffacetofacewithanotherkidmyage.
Shehadashockofbrightpinkhairandasharp,rodentlikeface,
withbigsunglassesthatwerepracticallyairforcegoggles.She
wasdressedinstripedtightsbeneathablackgrannydress,with
lotsoflittleJapanesedecorertoyssafetypinnedtoitanime
characters,oldworldleaders,emblemsfromforeignsodapop.
Sheheldupacameraandsnappedapictureofmeandmy
crew.
"Cheese,"shesaid."You'reoncandidsnitchcam."
"Noway,"Isaid."Youwouldn't"

Ilookedbehindherandnoticedthreeothergirlsinsimilargarb
onewithbluehair,onewithgreen,andonewithpurple."Who
areyousupposedtobe,thePopsicleSquad?"
"We'retheteamthat'sgoingtokickyourteam'sassatHarajuku
FunMadness,"shesaid."AndI'mtheonewho'srightthissecond
abouttouploadyourphotoandgetyouinsomuchtrouble"
BehindmeIfeltVanstartforward.Herallgirlsschoolwas
notoriousforitsbrawls,andIwasprettysureshewasreadyto
knockthischick'sblockoff.
Thentheworldchangedforever.
Wefeltitfirst,thatsickeninglurchofthecementunderyour
feetthateveryCalifornianknowsinstinctivelyearthquake.My
firstinclination,asalways,wastogetaway:"whenintroubleor
indoubt,runincircles,screamandshout."Butthefactwas,we
werealreadyinthesafestplacewecouldbe,notinabuildingthat
couldfallinonus,notouttowardthemiddleoftheroadwhere
bitsoffallingcornicecouldbrainus.
Earthquakesareeerilyquietatfirst,anywaybutthiswasn't
quiet.Thiswasloud,anincredibleroaringsoundthatwaslouder
thananythingI'deverheardbefore.Thesoundwassopunishing
itdrovemetomyknees,andIwasn'ttheonlyone.Darrylshook
myarmandpointedoverthebuildingsandwesawitthen:ahuge
blackcloudrisingfromthenortheast,fromthedirectionofthe
Bay.
Therewasanotherrumble,andthecloudofsmokespreadout,
thatspreadingblackshapewe'dallgrownupseeinginmovies.
Someonehadjustblownupsomething,inabigway.
Thereweremorerumblesandmoretremors.Headsappearedat
windowsupanddownthestreet.Wealllookedatthemushroom
cloudinsilence.
Thenthesirensstarted.
I'dheardsirenslikethesebeforetheytestthecivildefense
sirensatnoononTuesdays.ButI'donlyheardthemgooff
unscheduledinoldwarmoviesandvideogames,thekindwhere
someoneisbombingsomeoneelsefromabove.Airraidsirens.
Thewooooooosoundmadeitalllessreal.
"Reporttosheltersimmediately."ItwaslikethevoiceofGod,
comingfromallplacesatonce.Therewerespeakersonsomeof
theelectricpoles,somethingI'dnevernoticedbefore,andthey'd
allswitchedonatonce.

"Iwill,"shesaid."Iwillsendthisphotototruantwatchinthirty
"Reporttosheltersimmediately."Shelters?Welookedateach
secondsunlessyoufourbackofffromthisclueandletmeand
otherinconfusion.Whatshelters?Thecloudwasrisingsteadily,
myfriendshererunitdown.Youcancomebackinonehourand spreadingout.Wasitnuclear?Werewebreathinginourlast
it'llbeallyours.Ithinkthat'smorethanfair."
breaths?

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/15
people.
Thegirlwiththepinkhairgrabbedherfriendsandtheytoreass
downhill,backtowardtheBARTstationandthefootofthehills.

"Screwyou!"IheardVanyellbehindme."Pervert!Getyour
handsoffofme!"

"REPORTTOSHELTERSIMMEDIATELY."Therewas
screamingnow,andalotofrunningaround.Touristsyoucan
IstrainedaroundagainstthecrowdandsawVanlookingwith
alwaysspotthetourists,they'retheoneswhothink
disgustatanolderguyinanicesuitwhowaskindofsmirkingat
CALIFORNIA=WARMandspendtheirSanFranciscoholidays her.ShewasdigginginherpurseandIknewwhatshewas
freezinginshortsandtshirtsscatteredineverydirection.
diggingfor.
"Weshouldgo!"Darrylholleredinmyear,justbarelyaudible
"Don'tmacehim!"Ishoutedoverthedin."You'llgetusall
overtheshriekingofthesirens,whichhadbeenjoinedby
too."
traditionalpolicesirens.AdozenSFPDcruisersscreamedpastus.
Atthementionofthewordmace,theguylookedscaredand
"REPORTTOSHELTERSIMMEDIATELY."
kindofmeltedback,thoughthecrowdkepthimmovingforward.
Upahead,Isawsomeone,amiddleagedladyinahippiedress,
"DowntotheBARTstation,"Ihollered.Myfriendsnodded.
falterandfall.Shescreamedasshewentdown,andIsawher
Weclosedranksandbegantomovequicklydownhill.
thrashingtogetup,butshecouldn't,thecrowd'spressurewastoo
strong.AsInearedher,Ibenttohelpherup,andwasnearly
knockedoverher.Iendedupsteppingonherstomachasthe
crowdpushedmepasther,butbythenIdon'tthinkshewas
Chapter3
feelinganything.
ThischapterisdedicatedtoBorderlandsBooks,SanFrancisco's
IwasasscaredasI'deverbeen.Therewasscreaming
magnificentindependentsciencefictionbookstore.Borderlands
everywherenow,andmorebodiesonthefloor,andthepress
isbasicallylocatedacrossthestreetfromthefictionalCesar
ChavezHighdepictedinLittleBrother,andit'snotjustnotorious frombehindwasasrelentlessasabulldozer.ItwasallIcoulddo
foritsbrilliantevents,signings,bookclubsandsuch,butalsofor tokeeponmyfeet.
itsamazinghairlessEgyptiancat,Ripley,wholikestoperchlike
Wewereintheopenconcoursewheretheturnstileswere.It
abuzzinggargoyleonthecomputeratthefrontofthestore.
washardlyanybetterheretheenclosedspacesentthevoices
Borderlandsisaboutthefriendliestbookstoreyoucouldaskfor,
filledwithcomfyplacestositandread,andstaffedbyincredibly aroundusechoingbackinaroarthatmademyheadring,andthe
smellandfeelingofallthosebodiesmademefeela
knowledgeableclerkswhoknoweverythingthereistoknow
aboutsciencefiction.Evenbetter,they'vealwaysbeenwillingto claustrophobiaI'dneverknownIwasproneto.
takeordersformybook(bynetorphone)andholdthemforme
Peoplewerestillcrammingdownthestairs,andmorewere
tosignwhenIdropintothestore,thentheyshipthemwithinthe
squeezingpasttheturnstilesanddowntheescalatorsontothe
USforfree!
platforms,butitwascleartomethatthiswasn'tgoingtohavea
happyending.
BorderlandsBooks:http://www.borderlandsbooks.com/866
ValenciaAve,SanFranciscoCAUSA94110+18888934008
"Wanttotakeourchancesuptop?"IsaidtoDarryl.
WepassedalotofpeopleintheroadonthewaytothePowell
"Yes,hellyes,"hesaid."Thisisvicious."
StreetBART.Theywererunningorwalking,whitefacedand
silentorshoutingandpanicked.Homelesspeoplecoweredin
IlookedtoVanessatherewasnowayshe'dhearme.I
doorwaysandwatcheditall,whileatallblacktranshooker
managedtogetmyphoneoutandItextedher.
shoutedattwomustachedyoungmenaboutsomething.
ThecloserwegottotheBART,theworsethepressofbodies
became.Bythetimewereachedthestairwaydownintothe
station,itwasamobscene,ahugebrawlofpeopletryingto
crowdtheirwaydownanarrowstaircase.Ihadmyfacecrushed
upagainstsomeone'sback,andsomeoneelsewaspressedinto
myback.
Darrylwasstillbesidemehewasbigenoughthathewas
hardtoshove,andJoluwasrightbehindhim,kindofhangingon
tohiswaist.IspiedVanessaafewyardsaway,trappedbymore

>We'regettingoutofhere
Isawherfeelthevibefromherphone,thenlookdownatitand
thenbackatmeandnodvigorously.Darryl,meanwhile,had
cluedJoluin.
"What'stheplan?"Darrylshoutedinmyear.
"We'regoingtohavetogoback!"Ishoutedback,pointingat
theremorselesscrushofbodies.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/16
kickedhisass.
"It'simpossible!"hesaid.

"Whataboutcalling911?"Jolusaid.

"It'sjustgoingtogetmoreimpossiblethelongerwewait!"

Ifeltlikeanidiot.Iwhippedmyphoneoutandpunched911.
Heshrugged.Vanworkedherwayovertomeandgrabbedhold ThesoundIgotwasn'tevenabusysignalitwaslikeawhimper
ofmywrist.ItookDarrylandDarryltookJolubytheotherhand ofpainfromthephonesystem.Youdon'tgetsoundslikethat
andwepushedout.
unlessthere'sthreemillionpeoplealldialingthesamenumberat
once.Whoneedsbotnetswhenyou'vegotterrorists?
Itwasn'teasy.Wemovedaboutthreeinchesaminuteatfirst,
thensloweddownevenmorewhenwereachedthestairway.The
"WhataboutWikipedia?"Jolusaid.
peoplewepassedwerenonetoohappyaboutusshovingthemout
oftheway,either.Acouplepeoplesworeatusandtherewasa
"Nophone,nodata,"Isaid.
guywholookedlikehe'dhavepunchedmeifhe'dbeenableto
gethisarmsloose.Wepassedthreemorecrushedpeoplebeneath
"Whataboutthem?"Darrylsaid,andpointedatthestreet.I
us,buttherewasnowayIcouldhavehelpedthem.Bythatpoint, lookedwherehewaspointing,thinkingI'dseeacoporan
Iwasn'teventhinkingofhelpinganyone.AllIcouldthinkofwas paramedic,buttherewasnoonethere.
findingthespacesinfrontofustomoveinto,ofDarryl'smighty
strainingonmywrist,ofmydeathgriponVanbehindme.
"It'sOKbuddy,youjustrest,"Isaid.
WepoppedfreelikeChampagnecorksaneternitylater,
blinkinginthegreysmokylight.Theairraidsirenswerestill
blaring,andthesoundofemergencyvehicles'sirensastheytore
downMarketStreetwasevenlouder.Therewasalmostnooneon
thestreetsanymorejustthepeopletryinghopelesslytoget
underground.Alotofthemwerecrying.Ispottedabunchof
emptybenchesusuallystakedoutbyskankywinosand
pointedtowardthem.
Wemovedforthem,thesirensandthesmokemakingusduck
andhunchourshoulders.Wegotasfarasthebenchesbefore
Darrylfellforward.
WeallyelledandVanessagrabbedhimandturnedhimover.
Thesideofhisshirtwasstainedred,andthestainwasspreading.
Shetuggedhisshirtupandrevealedalong,deepcutinhispudgy
side.
"Someonefreakingstabbedhiminthecrowd,"Jolusaid,his
handsclenchingintofists."Christ,that'svicious."
Darrylgroanedandlookedatus,thendownathisside,thenhe
groanedandhisheadwentbackagain.
Vanessatookoffherjeanjacketandthenpulledoffthecotton
hoodieshewaswearingunderneathit.Shewaddeditupand
pressedittoDarryl'sside."Takehishead,"shesaidtome."Keep
itelevated."ToJolushesaid,"Gethisfeetuprollupyourcoat
orsomething."Jolumovedquickly.Vanessa'smotherisanurse
andshe'dhadfirstaidtrainingeverysummeratcamp.Sheloved
towatchpeopleinmoviesgettheirfirstaidwrongandmakefun
ofthem.Iwassogladtohaveherwithus.
Wesatthereforalongtime,holdingthehoodietoDarryl's
side.Hekeptinsistingthathewasfineandthatweshouldlethim
up,andVankepttellinghimtoshutupandliestillbeforeshe

"No,youidiot,whataboutthem,thecopsinthecars?There!"
Hewasright.Everyfiveseconds,acopcar,anambulanceora
firetruckzoomedpast.Theycouldgetussomehelp.Iwassuch
anidiot.
"Comeon,then,"Isaid,"let'sgetyouwheretheycanseeyou
andflagonedown."
Vanessadidn'tlikeit,butIfiguredacopwasn'tgoingtostop
forakidwavinghishatinthestreet,notthatday.Theyjustmight
stopiftheysawDarrylbleedingthere,though.Iarguedbriefly
withherandDarrylsettleditbylurchingtohisfeetanddragging
himselfdowntowardMarketStreet.
Thefirstvehiclethatscreamedpastanambulancedidn't
evenslowdown.Neitherdidthecopcarthatwentpast,northe
firetruck,northenextthreecopcars.Darrylwasn'tingoodshape
hewaswhitefacedandpanting.Van'ssweaterwassoakedin
blood.
Iwassickofcarsdrivingrightpastme.Thenexttimeacar
appeareddownMarketStreet,Isteppedrightoutintotheroad,
wavingmyarmsovermyhead,shouting"STOP."Thecarslewed
toastopandonlythendidInoticethatitwasn'tacopcar,
ambulanceorfireengine.
ItwasamilitarylookingJeep,likeanarmoredHummer,onlyit
didn'thaveanymilitaryinsigniaonit.Thecarskiddedtoastop
justinfrontofme,andIjumpedbackandlostmybalanceand
endedupontheroad.Ifeltthedoorsopennearme,andthensaw
aconfusionofbootedfeetmovingcloseby.Ilookedupandsaw
abunchofmilitarylookingguysincoveralls,holdingbig,bulky
riflesandwearinghoodedgasmaskswithtintedfaceplates.
Ibarelyhadtimetoregisterthembeforethoserifleswere

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/17
pointedatme.I'dneverlookeddownthebarrelofagunbefore,
buteverythingyou'veheardabouttheexperienceistrue.You
freezewhereyouare,timestops,andyourheartthundersinyour
ears.Iopenedmymouth,thenshutit,then,veryslowly,Iheld
myhandsupinfrontofme.
Thefaceless,eyelessarmedmanabovemekepthisgunvery
level.Ididn'tevenbreathe.Vanwasscreamingsomethingand
JoluwasshoutingandIlookedatthemforasecondandthatwas
whensomeoneputacoarsesackovermyheadandcinchedit
tightaroundmywindpipe,soquickandsofiercelyIbarelyhad
timetogaspbeforeitwaslockedonme.Iwaspushedroughly
butdispassionatelyontomystomachandsomethingwenttwice
aroundmywristsandthentightenedupaswell,feelinglike
balingwireandbitingcruelly.Icriedoutandmyownvoicewas
muffledbythehood.

handslashedbehindmyback,lurchingbackandforthwhilethe
bruisesswelleduponmyhead,terrorismsuddenlyfeltalot
riskier.
Thecarrockedbackandforthandtippeduphill.Igatheredwe
wereheadedoverNobHill,andfromtheangle,itseemedwe
weretakingoneofthesteeperroutesIguessedPowellStreet.
Nowweweredescendingjustassteeply.Ifmymentalmapwas
right,wewereheadingdowntoFisherman'sWharf.Youcould
getonaboatthere,getaway.Thatfitwiththeterrorism
hypothesis.Whythehellwouldterroristskidnapabunchofhigh
schoolstudents?

Werockedtoastopstillonadownslope.Theenginediedand
thenthedoorsswungopen.Someonedraggedmebymyarmsout
ontotheroad,thenshovedme,stumbling,downapavedroad.A
IwasintotaldarknessnowandIstrainedmyearstohearwhat fewsecondslater,Itrippedoverasteelstaircase,bashingmy
wasgoingonwithmyfriends.Iheardthemshoutingthroughthe shins.Thehandsbehindmegavemeanothershove.Iwentupthe
mufflingcanvasofthebag,andthenIwasbeingimpersonally
stairscautiously,notabletousemyhands.Igotupthethirdstep
hauledtomyfeetbymywrists,myarmswrenchedupbehindmy andreachedforthefourth,butitwasn'tthere.Inearlyfellagain,
back,myshouldersscreaming.
butnewhandsgrabbedmefrominfrontanddraggedmedowna
steelfloorandthenforcedmetomykneesandlockedmyhands
Istumbledsome,thenahandpushedmyheaddownandIwas tosomethingbehindme.
insidetheHummer.Morebodieswereroughlyshovedinbeside
me.
Moremovement,andthesenseofbodiesbeingshackledin
alongsideofme.Groansandmuffledsounds.Laughter.Thena
"Guys?"Ishouted,andearnedahardthumponmyheadformy long,timelesseternityinthemuffledgloom,breathingmyown
trouble.IheardJolurespond,thenfeltthethumphewasdealt,
breath,hearingmyownbreathinmyears.
too.Myheadranglikeagong.
#
"Hey,"Isaidtothesoldiers."Hey,listen!We'rejusthigh
schoolstudents.Iwantedtoflagyoudownbecausemyfriend
Iactuallymanagedakindofsleepthere,kneelingwiththe
wasbleeding.Someonestabbedhim."Ihadnoideahowmuchof circulationcutofftomylegs,myheadincanvastwilight.My
thiswasmakingitthroughthemufflingbag.Ikepttalking.
bodyhadsquirtedayear'ssupplyofadrenalinintomy
"Listenthisissomekindofmisunderstanding.We'vegottoget bloodstreaminthespaceof30minutes,andwhilethatstuffcan
myfriendtoahospital"
giveyouthestrengthtoliftcarsoffyourlovedonesandleapover
tallbuildings,thepayback'salwaysabitch.
Someonewentupsidemyheadagain.Itfeltliketheyuseda
batonorsomethingitwasharderthananyonehadeverhitme
Iwokeuptosomeonepullingthehoodoffmyhead.Theywere
intheheadbefore.MyeyesswamandwateredandIliterally
neitherroughnorcarefuljust...impersonal.Likesomeoneat
couldn'tbreathethroughthepain.Amomentlater,Icaughtmy
McDonald'sputtingtogetherburgers.
breath,butIdidn'tsayanything.I'dlearnedmylesson.
ThelightintheroomwassobrightIhadtosqueezemyeyes
Whoweretheseclowns?Theyweren'twearinginsignia.Maybe shut,butslowlyIwasabletoopenthemtoslits,thencracks,then
theywereterrorists!I'dneverreallybelievedinterroristsbefore allthewayandlookaround.
Imean,Iknewthatintheabstracttherewereterrorists
somewhereintheworld,buttheydidn'treallyrepresentanyrisk
Wewereallinthebackofatruck,abig18wheeler.Icouldsee
tome.Thereweremillionsofwaysthattheworldcouldkillme thewheelwellsatregularintervalsdownthelength.Buttheback
startingwithgettingrundownbyadrunkburninghiswaydown ofthistruckhadbeenturnedintosomekindofmobile
Valenciathatwereinfinitelymorelikelyandimmediatethan
commandpost/jail.Steeldeskslinedthewallswithbanksofslick
terrorists.Terroristskilledalotfewerpeoplethanbathroomfalls flatpaneldisplaysclimbingabovethemonarticulatedarmsthat
andaccidentalelectrocutions.Worryingaboutthemalwaysstruck letthemberepositionedinahaloaroundtheoperators.Eachdesk
measaboutasusefulasworryingaboutgettinghitbylightning.
hadagorgeousofficechairinfrontofit,festoonedwith
userinterfaceknobsforadjustingeverymillimeterofthesitting
SittinginthebackofthatHummer,myheadinahood,my
surface,aswellasheight,pitchandyaw.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/18
you'lleachgetapisscall."
Thentherewasthejailpartatthefrontofthetruck,furthest
awayfromthedoors,thereweresteelrailsboltedintothesidesof
thevehicle,andattachedtothesesteelrailsweretheprisoners.

"Idon'tthinkI'vegotanothertenminutesinme,"Isaid,letting
alittlemoreurgencythanIwasreallyfeelingcreepintomy
voice."Seriously,lady,it'snowornever."

IspottedVanandJolurightaway.Darrylmighthavebeenin
theremainingdozenshackledupbackhere,butitwasimpossible
SheshookherheadandlookedatmelikeIwassomekindof
tosaymanyofthemwereslumpedoverandblockingmyview. patheticloser.Sheandherfriendsconferredsomemore,then
Itstankofsweatandfearbackthere.
anotheronecameforward.Hewasolder,inhisearlythirties,and
prettybigacrosstheshoulders,likeheworkedout.Helooked
Vanessalookedatmeandbitherlip.Shewasscared.SowasI. likehewasChineseorKoreanevenVancan'ttellthe
SowasJolu,hiseyesrollingcrazilyintheirsockets,thewhites
differencesometimesbutwiththatbearingthatsaidAmerican
showing.Iwasscared.What'smore,Ihadtopisslikea
inawayIcouldn'tputmyfingeron.
racehorse.
Hepulledhissportscoatasidetoletmeseethehardware
Ilookedaroundforourcaptors.I'davoidedlookingatthemup strappedthere:Irecognizedapistol,atazerandacanofeither
untilnow,thesamewayyoudon'tlookintothedarkofacloset
maceorpepperspraybeforeheletitfallagain.
whereyourmindhasconjuredupaboogeyman.Youdon'twant
toknowifyou'reright.
"Notrouble,"hesaid.
ButIhadtogetabetterlookatthesejerkswho'dkidnappedus.
"None,"Iagreed.
Iftheywereterrorists,Iwantedtoknow.Ididn'tknowwhata
terroristlookedlike,thoughTVshowshaddonetheirbestto
Hetouchedsomethingathisbeltandtheshacklesbehindmelet
convincemethattheywerebrownArabswithbigbeardsandknit go,myarmsdroppingsuddenlybehindme.Itwaslikehewas
capsandloosecottondressesthathungdowntotheirankles.
wearingBatman'sutilitybeltwirelessremotesforshackles!I
guesseditmadesense,though:youwouldn'twanttoleanover
Notsoourcaptors.Theycouldhavebeenhalftimeshow
yourprisonerswithallthatdeadlyhardwareattheireyelevel
cheerleadersontheSuperBowl.TheylookedAmericaninaway theymightgrabyourgunwiththeirteethandpullthetriggerwith
Icouldn'texactlydefine.Goodjawlines,short,neathaircutsthat theirtonguesorsomething.
weren'tquitemilitary.Theycameinwhiteandbrown,maleand
female,andsmiledfreelyatoneanotherastheysatdownatthe
Myhandswerestilllashedtogetherbehindmebytheplastic
otherendofthetruck,jokinganddrinkingcoffeesoutofgocups. strapping,andnowthatIwasn'tsupportedbytheshackles,I
Theseweren'tAyrabsfromAfghanistan:theylookedliketourists foundthatmylegshadturnedintolumpsofcorkwhileIwas
stuckinoneposition.Longstoryshort,Ibasicallyfellontomy
fromNebraska.
faceandkickedmylegsweaklyastheywentpinsandneedles,
tryingtogetthemundermesoIcouldrockuptomyfeet.
Istaredatone,ayoungwhitewomanwithbrownhairwho
barelylookedolderthanme,kindofcuteinascary
TheguyjerkedmetomyfeetandIclownwalkedtothevery
officepowersuitway.Ifyoustareatsomeonelongenough,
they'lleventuallylookbackatyou.Shedid,andherface
backofthetruck,toalittleboxedinportajohnthere.Itriedto
slammedintoatotallydifferentconfiguration,dispassionate,even spotDarrylonthewayback,buthecouldhavebeenanyofthe
robotic.Thesmilevanishedinaninstant.
fiveorsixslumpedpeople.Ornoneofthem.
"Hey,"Isaid."Look,Idon'tunderstandwhat'sgoingonhere,
butIreallyneedtotakealeak,youknow?"
Shelookedrightthroughmeasifshehadn'theard.
"I'mserious,ifIdon'tgettoacansoon,I'mgoingtohavean
uglyaccident.It'sgoingtogetprettysmellybackhere,you
know?"
Sheturnedtohercolleagues,alittlehuddleofthreeofthem,
andtheyheldalowconversationIcouldn'thearoverthefans
fromthecomputers.
Sheturnedbacktome."Holditforanothertenminutes,then

"Inyougo,"theguysaid.
Ijerkedmywrists."Taketheseoff,please?"Myfingersfelt
likepurplesausagesfromthehoursofbondageintheplastic
cuffs.
Theguydidn'tmove.
"Look,"Isaid,tryingnottosoundsarcasticorangry(itwasn't
easy)."Look.Youeithercutmywristsfreeoryou'regoingto
havetoaimforme.Atoiletvisitisnotahandsfreeexperience."
Someoneinthetrucksniggered.Theguydidn'tlikeme,Icould
tellfromthewayhisjawmusclesgroundaround.Man,these
peoplewerewiredtight.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/19

Hereacheddowntohisbeltandcameupwithaverynicesetof
multipliers.Heflickedoutawickedlookingknifeandsliced
throughtheplasticcuffsandmyhandsweremyownagain.
"Thanks,"Isaid.
Heshovedmeintothebathroom.Myhandswereuseless,like
lumpsofclayontheendsofmywrists.AsIwiggledmyfingers
limply,theytingled,thenthetinglingturnedtoaburningfeeling
thatalmostmademecryout.Iputtheseatdown,droppedmy
pantsandsatdown.Ididn'ttrustmyselftostayonmyfeet.
Asmybladdercutloose,sodidmyeyes.Iwept,cryingsilently
androckingbackandforthwhilethetearsandsnotrandownmy
face.ItwasallIcoulddotokeepfromsobbingIcoveredmy
mouthandheldthesoundsin.Ididn'twanttogivethemthe
satisfaction.
Finally,Iwaspeedoutandcriedoutandtheguywaspounding
onthedoor.IcleanedmyfaceasbestasIcouldwithwadsof
toiletpaper,stuckitalldownthejohnandflushed,thenlooked
aroundforasinkbutonlyfoundapumpbottleofheavyduty
handsanitizercoveredinsmallprintlistsofthebioagentsit
workedon.Irubbedsomeintomyhandsandsteppedoutofthe
john.
"Whatwereyoudoinginthere?"theguysaid.
"Usingthefacilities,"Isaid.Heturnedmearoundandgrabbed
myhandsandIfeltanewpairofplasticcuffsgoaroundthem.
Mywristshadswollensincethelastpairhadcomeoffandthe
newonesbitcruellyintomytenderskin,butIrefusedtogivehim
thesatisfactionofcryingout.
Heshackledmebacktomyspotandgrabbedthenextperson
down,who,Isawnow,wasJolu,hisfacepuffyandanugly
bruiseonhischeek.
"AreyouOK?"Iaskedhim,andmyfriendwiththeutilitybelt
abruptlyputhishandonmyforeheadandshovedhard,bouncing
thebackofmyheadoffthetruck'smetalwallwithasoundlikea
clockstrikingone."Notalking,"hesaidasIstruggledtorefocus
myeyes.
Ididn'tlikethesepeople.Idecidedrightthenthattheywould
payapriceforallthis.
Onebyone,alltheprisonerswenttothecan,andcameback,
andwhentheyweredone,myguardwentbacktohisfriendsand
hadanothercupofcoffeetheyweredrinkingoutofabig
cardboardurnofStarbucks,Isawandtheyhadanindistinct
conversationthatinvolvedafairbitoflaughter.
Thenthedooratthebackofthetruckopenedandtherewas
freshair,notsmokythewayithadbeenbefore,buttingedwith

ozone.InthesliceofoutdoorsIsawbeforethedoorclosed,I
caughtthatitwasdarkout,andraining,withoneofthoseSan
Franciscodrizzlesthat'spartmist.
Themanwhocameinwaswearingamilitaryuniform.AUS
militaryuniform.Hesalutedthepeopleinthetruckandthey
salutedhimbackandthat'swhenIknewthatIwasn'taprisoner
ofsometerroristsIwasaprisoneroftheUnitedStatesof
America.
#
Theysetupalittlescreenattheendofthetruckandthencame
forusoneatatime,unshacklingusandleadingustothebackof
thetruck.AscloseasIcouldworkitcountingsecondsoffin
myhead,onehippopotami,twohippopotamitheinterviews
lastedaboutsevenminuteseach.Myheadthrobbedwith
dehydrationandcaffeinewithdrawal.
Iwasthird,broughtbackbythewomanwiththeseverehaircut.
Upclose,shelookedtired,withbagsunderhereyesandgrim
linesatthecornersofhermouth.
"Thanks,"Isaid,automatically,assheunlockedmewitha
remoteandthendraggedmetomyfeet.Ihatedmyselfforthe
automaticpoliteness,butithadbeendrilledintome.
Shedidn'ttwitchamuscle.Iwentaheadofhertothebackof
thetruckandbehindthescreen.Therewasasinglefoldingchair
andIsatinit.TwoofthemSevereHaircutwomanandutility
beltmanlookedatmefromtheirergonomicsuperchairs.
Theyhadalittletablebetweenthemwiththecontentsofmy
walletandbackpackspreadoutonit.
"Hello,Marcus,"SevereHaircutwomansaid."Wehavesome
questionsforyou."
"AmIunderarrest?"Iasked.Thiswasn'tanidlequestion.If
you'renotunderarrest,therearelimitsonwhatthecopscanand
can'tdotoyou.Forstarters,theycan'tholdyouforeverwithout
arrestingyou,givingyouaphonecall,andlettingyoutalktoa
lawyer.Andhooboy,wasIevergoingtotalktoalawyer.
"What'sthisfor?"shesaid,holdingupmyphone.Thescreen
wasshowingtheerrormessageyougotifyoukepttryingtoget
intoitsdatawithoutgivingtherightpassword.Itwasabitofa
rudemessageananimatedhandgivingacertainuniversally
recognizedgesturebecauseIlikedtocustomizemygear.
"AmIunderarrest?"Irepeated.Theycan'tmakeyouanswer
anyquestionsifyou'renotunderarrest,andwhenyouaskif
you'reunderarrest,theyhavetoansweryou.It'stherules.
"You'rebeingdetainedbytheDepartmentofHomeland
Security,"thewomansnapped.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/20

"AmIunderarrest?"
"You'regoingtobemorecooperative,Marcus,startingright
now."Shedidn'tsay,"orelse,"butitwasimplied.
"Iwouldliketocontactanattorney,"Isaid."Iwouldliketo
knowwhatI'vebeenchargedwith.Iwouldliketoseesomeform
ofidentificationfrombothofyou."
Thetwoagentsexchangedlooks.
"Ithinkyoushouldreallyreconsideryourapproachtothis
situation,"SevereHaircutwomansaid."Ithinkyoushoulddo
thatrightnow.Wefoundanumberofsuspiciousdevicesonyour
person.Wefoundyouandyourconfederatesnearthesiteofthe
worstterroristattackthiscountryhaseverseen.Putthosetwo
factstogetherandthingsdon'tlookverygoodforyou,Marcus.
Youcancooperate,oryoucanbevery,verysorry.Now,whatis
thisfor?"
"YouthinkI'materrorist?I'mseventeenyearsold!"
"JusttherightageAlQaedalovesrecruitingimpressionable,
idealistickids.Wegoogledyou,youknow.You'vepostedalotof
veryuglystuffonthepublicInternet."
"Iwouldliketospeaktoanattorney,"Isaid.
SeverehaircutladylookedatmelikeIwasabug."You're
underthemistakenimpressionthatyou'vebeenpickedupbythe
policeforacrime.Youneedtogetpastthat.Youarebeing
detainedasapotentialenemycombatantbythegovernmentof
theUnitedStates.IfIwereyou,I'dbethinkingveryhardabout
howtoconvinceusthatyouarenotanenemycombatant.Very
hard.Becausetherearedarkholesthatenemycombatantscan
disappearinto,verydarkdeepholes,holeswhereyoucanjust
vanish.Forever.Areyoulisteningtomeyoungman?Iwantyou
tounlockthisphoneandthendecryptthefilesinitsmemory.I
wantyoutoaccountforyourself:whywereyououtonthestreet?
Whatdoyouknowabouttheattackonthiscity?"
"I'mnotgoingtounlockmyphoneforyou,"Isaid,indignant.
Myphone'smemoryhadallkindsofprivatestuffonit:photos,
emails,littlehacksandmodsI'dinstalled."That'sprivatestuff."
"Whathaveyougottohide?"
"I'vegottherighttomyprivacy,"Isaid."AndIwanttospeak
toanattorney."
"Thisisyourlastchance,kid.Honestpeopledon'thave
anythingtohide."
"Iwanttospeaktoanattorney."Myparentswouldpayforit.
AlltheFAQsongettingarrestedwereclearonthispoint.Just

keepaskingtoseeanattorney,nomatterwhattheysayordo.
There'snogoodthatcomesoftalkingtothecopswithoutyour
lawyerpresent.Thesetwosaidtheyweren'tcops,butifthis
wasn'tanarrest,whatwasit?
Inhindsight,maybeIshouldhaveunlockedmyphoneforthem.
Chapter4
ThischapterisdedicatedtoBarnesandNoble,aUSnational
chainofbookstores.AsAmerica'smomandpopbookstoreswere
vanishing,BarnesandNoblestartedtobuildthesegigantic
templestoreadingallacrosstheland.Stockingtensofthousands
oftitles(themallbookstoresandgrocerystorespinnerrackshad
stockedasmallfractionofthat)andkeepinglonghoursthatwere
convenienttofamilies,workingpeopleandotherspotential
readers,theB&Nstoreskeptthecareersofmanywritersafloat,
stockingtitlesthatsmallerstorescouldn'tpossiblyaffordtokeep
ontheirlimitedshelves.B&Nhasalwayshadstrongcommunity
outreachprograms,andI'vedonesomeofmybestattended,
bestorganizedsigningsatB&Nstores,includingthegreatevents
atthe(sadlydeparted)B&NinUnionSquare,NewYork,where
themegasigningaftertheNebulaAwardstookplace,andthe
B&NinChicagothathostedtheeventaftertheNebsafewyears
later.BestofallisthatB&N's"geeky"buyersreallyGetItwhen
itcomestosciencefiction,comicsandmanga,gamesandsimilar
titles.They'repassionateandknowledgeableaboutthefieldand
itshowsintheexcellentselectionondisplayatthestores.
BarnesandNoble,nationwide:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/LittleBrother/CoryDoctorow
/e/9780765319852/?itm=6
Theyreshackledandrehoodedmeandleftmethere.Along
timelater,thetruckstartedtomove,rollingdownhill,andthenI
washauledbacktomyfeet.Iimmediatelyfellover.Mylegs
weresoasleeptheyfeltlikeblocksofice,allexceptmyknees,
whichwereswollenandtenderfromallthehoursofkneeling.
HandsgrabbedmyshouldersandfeetandIwaspickeduplike
asackofpotatoes.Therewereindistinctvoicesaroundme.
Someonecrying.Someonecursing.
Iwascarriedashortdistance,thensetdownandreshackledto
anotherrailing.Mykneeswouldn'tsupportmeanymoreandI
pitchedforward,endinguptwistedonthegroundlikeapretzel,
strainingagainstthechainsholdingmywrists.
Thenweweremovingagain,andthistime,itwasn'tlike
drivinginatruck.Thefloorbeneathmerockedgentlyand
vibratedwithheavydieselenginesandIrealizedIwasonaship!
Mystomachturnedtoice.IwasbeingtakenoffAmerica'sshores
tosomewhereelse,andwhothehellknewwherethatwas?I'd
beenscaredbefore,butthisthoughtterrifiedme,leftme
paralyzedandwordlesswithfear.IrealizedthatImightneversee

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/21
myparentsagainandIactuallytastedalittlevomitburnupmy
throat.ThebagovermyheadclosedinonmeandIcouldbarely
breathe,somethingthatwascompoundedbytheweirdpositionI
wastwistedinto.
Butmercifullyweweren'tonthewaterforverylong.Itfeltlike
anhour,butIknownowthatitwasamerefifteenminutes,and
thenIfeltusdocking,feltfootstepsonthedeckingaroundme
andfeltotherprisonersbeingunshackledandcarriedorledaway.
Whentheycameforme,Itriedtostandagain,butcouldn't,and
theycarriedmeagain,impersonally,roughly.
Whentheytookthehoodoffagain,Iwasinacell.

Theinterrogationroomwasmodern,withfluorescentlights,
ergonomicchairsnotforme,though,Igotafoldingplastic
gardenchairandabigwoodenboardroomtable.Amirror
linedonewall,justlikeinthecopshows,andIfiguredsomeone
orothermustbewatchingfrombehindit.Severehaircutladyand
herfriendshelpedthemselvestocoffeesfromanurnona
sidetable(Icouldhavetornherthroatoutwithmyteethand
takenhercoffeejustthen),andthensetastyrofoamcupofwater
downnexttomewithoutunlockingmywristsfrombehindmy
back,soIcouldn'treachit.Hardyharhar.
"Hello,Marcus,"SevereHaircutwomansaid."How'syour
'tudedoingtoday?"

Thecellwasoldandcrumbled,andsmelledofseaair.There
Ididn'tsayanything.
wasonewindowhighup,andrustedbarsguardedit.Itwasstill
darkoutside.Therewasablanketonthefloorandalittlemetal
"Thisisn'tasbadasitgetsyouknow,"shesaid."Thisisas
toiletwithoutaseat,setintothewall.Theguardwhotookoffmy goodasitgetsfromnowon.Evenonceyoutelluswhatwewant
hoodgrinnedatmeandclosedthesolidsteeldoorbehindhim.
toknow,evenifthatconvincesusthatyouwerejustinthewrong
placeatthewrongtime,you'reamarkedmannow.We'llbe
Igentlymassagedmylegs,hissingasthebloodcamebackinto watchingyoueverywhereyougoandeverythingyoudo.You've
themandintomyhands.EventuallyIwasabletostand,andthen actedlikeyou'vegotsomethingtohide,andwedon'tlikethat."
topace.Iheardotherpeopletalking,crying,shouting.Ididsome
shoutingtoo:"Jolu!Darryl!Vanessa!"Othervoicesonthe
It'spathetic,butallmybraincouldthinkaboutwasthatphrase,
cellblocktookupthecry,shoutingoutnames,too,shoutingout "convinceusthatyouwereinthewrongplaceatthewrongtime."
obscenities.Thenearestvoicessoundedlikedrunkslosingtheir
Thiswastheworstthingthathadeverhappenedtome.Ihad
mindsonastreetcorner.MaybeIsoundedlikethattoo.
never,everfeltthisbadorthisscaredbefore.Thosewords,
"wrongplaceatthewrongtime,"thosesixwords,theywerelike
Guardsshoutedatustobequietandthatjustmadeeveryone
alifelinedanglingbeforemeasIthrashedtostayonthesurface.
yelllouder.Eventuallywewereallhowling,screamingourheads
off,screamingourthroatsraw.Whynot?Whatdidwehaveto
"Hello,Marcus?"shesnappedherfingersinfrontofmyface.
lose?
"Overhere,Marcus."TherewasalittlesmileonherfaceandI
hatedmyselfforlettingherseemyfear."Marcus,itcanbealot
#
worsethanthis.Thisisn'ttheworstplacewecanputyou,notby
adamnedsight."Shereacheddownbelowthetableandcameout
Thenexttimetheycametoquestionme,Iwasfilthyandtired, withabriefcase,whichshesnappedopen.Fromit,shewithdrew
thirstyandhungry.Severehaircutladywasinthenew
myphone,myarphidsniper/cloner,mywifinder,andmymemory
questioningparty,aswerethreebigguyswhomovedmearound keys.Shesetthemdownonthetableoneaftertheother.
likeacutofmeat.Onewasblack,theothertwowerewhite,
thoughonemighthavebeenhispanic.Theyallcarriedguns.It
"Here'swhatwewantfromyou.Youunlockthephoneforus
waslikeaBenneton'sadcrossedwithagameofCounterStrike. today.Ifyoudothat,you'llgetoutdoorandbathingprivileges.
You'llgetashowerandyou'llbeallowedtowalkaroundinthe
They'dtakenmefrommycellandchainedmywristsand
exerciseyard.Tomorrow,we'llbringyoubackandaskyouto
anklestogether.Ipaidattentiontomysurroundingsaswewent.I decryptthedataonthesememorysticks.Dothat,andyou'llgetto
heardwateroutsideandthoughtthatmaybewewereonAlcatraz eatinthemesshall.Thedayafter,we'regoingtowantyouremail
itwasaprison,afterall,evenifithadbeenatouristattraction passwords,andthatwillgetyoulibraryprivileges."
forgenerations,theplacewhereyouwenttoseewhereAl
Caponeandhisgangstercontemporariesdidtheirtime.ButI'd
Theword"no"wasonmylips,likeaburptryingtocomeup,
beentoAlcatrazonaschooltrip.Itwasoldandrusted,medieval. butitwouldn'tcome."Why?"iswhatcameoutinstead.
ThisplacefeltlikeitdatedbacktoWorldWarTwo,notcolonial
times.
"Wewanttobesurethatyou'rewhatyouseemtobe.Thisis
aboutyoursecurity,Marcus.Sayyou'reinnocent.Youmightbe,
Therewerebarcodeslaserprintedonstickersandplacedon
thoughwhyaninnocentmanwouldactlikehe'sgotsomuchto
eachofthecelldoors,andnumbers,butotherthanthat,therewas hideisbeyondme.Butsayyouare:youcouldhavebeenonthat
nowaytotellwhoorwhatmightbebehindthem.
bridgewhenitblew.Yourparentscouldhavebeen.Yourfriends.
Don'tyouwantustocatchthepeoplewhoattackedyourhome?"

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/22
akid,afterall.
It'sfunny,butwhenshewastalkingaboutmygetting
"privileges"itscaredmeintosubmission.IfeltlikeI'ddone
somethingtoendupwhereIwas,likemaybeitwaspartiallymy
fault,likeIcoulddosomethingtochangeit.

ThetruthisthatIhadeverythingtohide,andnothing.Between
myphoneandmymemorysticks,youcouldgetaprettygood
ideaofwhomyfriendswere,whatIthoughtofthem,allthe
goofythingswe'ddone.Youcouldreadthetranscriptsofthe
electronicargumentswe'dcarriedoutandtheelectronic
reconciliationswe'darrivedat.

ButassoonassheswitchedtothisBSabout"safety"and
"security,"myspinecameback."Lady,"Isaid,"you'retalking
aboutattackingmyhome,butasfarasIcantell,you'retheonly
onewho'sattackedmelately.IthoughtIlivedinacountrywitha
Yousee,Idon'tdeletestuff.WhywouldI?Storageischeap,
andyouneverknowwhenyou'regoingtowanttogobacktothat
constitution.IthoughtIlivedinacountrywhereIhadrights.
You'retalkingaboutdefendingmyfreedombytearinguptheBill stuff.Especiallythestupidstuff.Youknowthatfeelingyouget
sometimeswhereyou'resittingonthesubwayandthere'snoone
ofRights."
totalktoandyousuddenlyremembersomebitterfightyouhad,
someterriblethingyousaid?Well,it'susuallyneverasbadas
Aflickerofannoyancepassedoverherface,thenwentaway.
youremember.Beingabletogobackandseeitagainisagreat
"Somelodramatic,Marcus.Noone'sattackedyou.You'vebeen
waytoremindyourselfthatyou'renotashorribleapersonasyou
detainedbyyourcountry'sgovernmentwhileweseekdetailson
thinkyouare.DarrylandIhavegottenovermorefightsthatway
theworstterroristattackeverperpetratedonournation'ssoil.
thanIcancount.
Youhaveitwithinyourpowertohelpusfightthiswaronour
nation'senemies.YouwanttopreservetheBillofRights?Help
Andeventhat'snotit.Iknowmyphoneisprivate.Iknowmy
usstopbadpeoplefromblowingupyourcity.Now,youhave
memorysticksareprivate.That'sbecauseofcryptography
exactlythirtysecondstounlockthatphonebeforeIsendyou
messagescrambling.Themathbehindcryptoisgoodandsolid,
backtoyourcell.Wehavelotsofotherpeopletointerview
andyouandmegetaccesstothesamecryptothatbanksandthe
today."
NationalSecurityAgencyuse.There'sonlyonekindofcrypto
thatanyoneuses:cryptothat'spublic,openandcanbedeployed
Shelookedatherwatch.Irattledmywrists,rattledthechains
thatkeptmefromreachingaroundandunlockingthephone.Yes, byanyone.That'showyouknowitworks.
Iwasgoingtodoit.She'dtoldmewhatmypathwastofreedom
There'ssomethingreallyliberatingabouthavingsomecornerof
totheworld,tomyparentsandthathadgivenmehope.Now
yourlifethat'syours,thatnoonegetstoseeexceptyou.It'sa
she'dthreatenedtosendmeaway,totakemeoffthatpath,and
myhopehadcrashedandallIcouldthinkofwashowtogetback littlelikenudityortakingadump.Everyonegetsnakedevery
onceinawhile.Everyonehastosquatonthetoilet.There's
onit.
nothingshameful,deviantorweirdabouteitherofthem.Butwhat
SoIrattledmywrists,wantingtogettomyphoneandunlockit ifIdecreedthatfromnowon,everytimeyouwenttoevacuate
forher,andshejustlookedatmecoldly,checkingherwatch.
somesolidwaste,you'dhavetodoitinaglassroomperchedin
themiddleofTimesSquare,andyou'dbebucknaked?
"Thepassword,"Isaid,finallyunderstandingwhatshewanted
Evenifyou'vegotnothingwrongorweirdwithyourbody
ofme.Shewantedmetosayitoutloud,here,whereshecould
recordit,whereherpalscouldhearit.Shedidn'twantmetojust andhowmanyofuscansaythat?you'dhavetobepretty
unlockthephone.Shewantedmetosubmittoher.Toputherin strangetolikethatidea.Mostofuswouldrunscreaming.Mostof
chargeofme.Togiveupeverysecret,allmyprivacy."The
uswouldholditinuntilweexploded.
password,"Isaidagain,andthenItoldherthepassword.God
helpme,Isubmittedtoherwill.
It'snotaboutdoingsomethingshameful.It'saboutdoing
somethingprivate.It'saboutyourlifebelongingtoyou.
Shesmiledalittleprimsmile,whichhadtobehericequeen
equivalentofatouchdowndance,andtheguardsledmeaway.As
Theyweretakingthatfromme,piecebypiece.AsIwalked
thedoorclosed,Isawherbenddownoverthephoneandkeythe backtomycell,thatfeelingofdeservingitcamebacktome.I'd
passwordin.
brokenalotofrulesallmylifeandI'dgottenawaywithit,byand
large.Maybethiswasjustice.Maybethiswasmypastcoming
IwishIcouldsaythatI'danticipatedthispossibilityinadvance backtome.Afterall,IhadbeenwhereIwasbecauseI'dsnuck
andcreatedafakepasswordthatunlockedacompletely
outofschool.
innocuouspartitiononmyphone,butIwasn'tnearlythat
paranoid/clever.
Igotmyshower.Igottowalkaroundtheyard.Therewasa
patchofskyoverhead,anditsmelledliketheBayArea,but
YoumightbewonderingatthispointwhatdarksecretsIhad
beyondthat,IhadnocluewhereIwasbeingheld.Noother
lockedawayonmyphoneandmemorysticksandemail.I'mjust prisonerswerevisibleduringmyexerciseperiod,andIgotpretty

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/23
boredwithwalkingincircles.Istrainedmyearsforanysound
thatmighthelpmeunderstandwhatthisplacewas,butallIheard
wastheoccasionalvehicle,somedistantconversations,aplane
landingsomewherenearby.

"AreyouOK?"shesaid,holdingmeatarms'length.
"I'mOK,"Isaid."Theytoldmethey'dletmegoifIgavethem
mypasswords."

Theybroughtmebacktomycellandfedme,ahalfapepperoni
piefromGoatHillPizza,whichIknewwell,uponPotreroHill.
"TheykeepaskingmequestionsaboutyouandDarryl."
Thecartonwithitsfamiliargraphicand415phonenumberwasa
reminderthatonlyadaybefore,I'dbeenafreemaninafree
Therewasavoiceblaringovertheloudspeaker,shoutingatus
countryandthatnowIwasaprisoner.Iworriedconstantlyabout tostoptalking,towalk,butweignoredit.
Darrylandfrettedaboutmyotherfriends.Maybethey'dbeen
morecooperativeandhadbeenreleased.Maybethey'dtoldmy
"Answerthem,"Isaid,instantly."Anythingtheyask,answer
parentsandtheywerefranticallycallingaround.
them.Ifit'llgetyouout."
Maybenot.

"HowareDarrylandJolu?"

Thecellwasfantasticallyspare,emptyasmysoul.Ifantasized
thatthewalloppositemybunkwasascreen,thatIcouldbe
hackingrightnow,openingthecelldoor.Ifantasizedaboutmy
workbenchandtheprojectstheretheoldcansIwasturning
intoaghettosurroundsoundrig,theaerialphotographykitecam
Iwasbuilding,myhomebrewlaptop.
Iwantedtogetoutofthere.Iwantedtogohomeandhavemy
friendsandmyschoolandmyparentsandmylifeback.Iwanted
tobeabletogowhereIwantedtogo,notbestuckpacingand
pacingandpacing.
#
TheytookmypasswordsformyUSBkeysnext.Thoseheld
someinterestingmessagesI'ddownloadedfromoneonline
discussiongrouporanother,somechattranscripts,thingswhere
peoplehadhelpedmeoutwithsomeoftheknowledgeIneeded
todothethingsIdid.Therewasnothingonthereyoucouldn't
findwithGoogle,ofcourse,butIdidn'tthinkthatwouldcountin
myfavor.
Igotexerciseagainthatafternoon,andthistimetherewere
othersintheyardwhenIgotthere,fourotherguysandtwo
women,ofallagesandracialbackgrounds.Iguesslotsofpeople
weredoingthingstoearntheir"privileges."
Theygavemehalfanhour,andItriedtomakeconversation
withthemostnormalseemingoftheotherprisoners,ablackguy
aboutmyagewithashortafro.ButwhenIintroducedmyselfand
stuckmyhandout,hecuthiseyestowardthecamerasmounted
ominouslyinthecornersoftheyardandkeptwalkingwithout
everchanginghisfacialexpression.
Butthen,justbeforetheycalledmynameandbroughtmeback
intothebuilding,thedooropenedandoutcameVanessa!I'd
neverbeenmoregladtoseeafriendlyface.Shelookedtiredand
grumpy,butnothurt,andwhenshesawme,sheshoutedmy
nameandrantome.WehuggedeachotherhardandIrealizedI
wasshaking.ThenIrealizedshewasshaking,too.

"Ihaven'tseenthem."
Thedoorbangedopenandfourbigguardsboiledout.Twotook
meandtwotookVanessa.Theyforcedmetothegroundand
turnedmyheadawayfromVanessa,thoughIheardhergetting
thesametreatment.Plasticcuffswentaroundmywristsandthen
Iwasyankedtomyfeetandbroughtbacktomycell.
Nodinnercamethatnight.Nobreakfastcamethenext
morning.Noonecameandbroughtmetotheinterrogationroom
toextractmoreofmysecrets.Theplasticcuffsdidn'tcomeoff,
andmyshouldersburned,thenached,thenwentnumb,then
burnedagain.Ilostallfeelinginmyhands.
Ihadtopee.Icouldn'tundomypants.Ireally,reallyhadto
pee.
Ipissedmyself.
Theycameformeafterthat,oncethehotpisshadcooledand
goneclammy,makingmyalreadyfilthyjeanssticktomylegs.
Theycameformeandwalkedmedownthelonghalllinedwith
doors,eachdoorwithitsownbarcode,eachbarcodeaprisoner
likeme.Theywalkedmedownthecorridorandbroughtmeto
theinterrogationroomanditwaslikeadifferentplanetwhenI
enteredthere,aworldwherethingswerenormal,where
everythingdidn'treekofurine.Ifeltsodirtyandashamed,andall
thosefeelingsofdeservingwhatIgotcamebacktome.
Severehaircutladywasalreadysitting.Shewasperfect:coifed
andwithjustalittlemakeup.Ismelledherhairstuff.She
wrinkledhernoseatme.Ifelttheshameriseinme.
"Well,you'vebeenaverynaughtyboy,haven'tyou?Aren'tyou
afilthything?"
Shame.Ilookeddownatthetable.Icouldn'tbeartolookup.I
wantedtotellhermyemailpasswordandgetgone.
"Whatdidyouandyourfriendtalkaboutintheyard?"

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/24

Ibarkedalaughatthetable."Itoldhertoansweryour
questions.Itoldhertocooperate."
"Sodoyougivetheorders?"

Theytookawaymyjeans,andIspentanotherdayinthecell.
Thewallswerescratchedcementoverasteelgrid.Youcouldtell,
becausethesteelwasrustinginthesaltair,andthegridshone
throughthegreenpaintinredorange.Myparentswereoutthat
window,somewhere.

Ifeltthebloodsinginmyears."Ohcomeon,"Isaid."Weplay
Theycameformeagainthenextday.
agametogether,it'scalledHarajukuFunMadness.I'mtheteam
"We'vebeenreadingyourmailforadaynow.Wechangedthe
captain.We'renotterrorists,we'rehighschoolstudents.Idon't
giveherorders.Itoldherthatweneededtobehonestwithyouso passwordsothatyourhomecomputercouldn'tfetchit."
thatwecouldclearupanysuspicionandgetoutofhere."
Well,ofcoursetheyhad.Iwouldhavedonethesame,nowthat
Ithoughtofit.
Shedidn'tsayanythingforamoment.
"HowisDarryl?"Isaid.
"Who?"
"Darryl.Youpickedusuptogether.Myfriend.Someonehad
stabbedhiminthePowellStreetBART.That'swhywewereup
onthesurface.Togethimhelp."
"I'msurehe'sfine,then,"shesaid.
MystomachknottedandIalmostthrewup."Youdon'tknow?
Youhaven'tgothimhere?"
"Whowehavehereandwhowedon'thavehereisnot
somethingwe'regoingtodiscusswithyou,ever.That'snot
somethingyou'regoingtoknow.Marcus,you'veseenwhat
happenswhenyoudon'tcooperatewithus.You'veseenwhat
happenswhenyoudisobeyourorders.You'vebeenalittle
cooperative,andit'sgottenyoualmosttothepointwhereyou
mightgofreeagain.Ifyouwanttomakethatpossibilityintoa
reality,you'llsticktoansweringmyquestions."
Ididn'tsayanything.
"You'relearning,that'sgood.Now,youremailpasswords,
please."

"Wehaveenoughonyounowtoputyouawayforaverylong
time,Marcus.Yourpossessionofthesearticles"shegesturedat
allmylittlegizmos"andthedatawerecoveredfromyour
phoneandmemorysticks,aswellasthesubversivematerialwe'd
nodoubtfindifweraidedyourhouseandtookyourcomputer.
It'senoughtoputyouawayuntilyou'reanoldman.Doyou
understandthat?"
Ididn'tbelieveitforasecond.There'snowayajudgewould
saythatallthisstuffconstitutedanykindofrealcrime.Itwas
freespeech,itwastechnologicaltinkering.Itwasn'tacrime.
Butwhosaidthatthesepeoplewouldeverputmeinfrontofa
judge.
"Weknowwhereyoulive,weknowwhoyourfriendsare.We
knowhowyouoperateandhowyouthink."
Itdawnedonmethen.Theywereabouttoletmego.Theroom
seemedtobrighten.Iheardmyselfbreathing,shortlittlebreaths.
"Wejustwanttoknowonething:whatwasthedelivery
mechanismforthebombsonthebridge?"
Istoppedbreathing.Theroomdarkenedagain.

"What?"
Iwasreadyforthis.Igavethemeverything:serveraddress,
"Thereweretenchargesonthebridge,allalongitslength.They
login,password.Thisdidn'tmatter.Ididn'tkeepanyemailonmy
weren'tincartrunks.They'dbeenplacedthere.Whoplacedthem
server.Idownloadeditallandkeptitonmylaptopathome,
there,andhowdidtheygetthere?"
whichdownloadedanddeletedmymailfromtheserverevery
sixtyseconds.Theywouldn'tgetanythingoutofmymailitgot
"What?"Isaiditagain.
clearedofftheserverandstoredonmylaptopathome.
Backtothecell,buttheycutloosemyhandsandtheygaveme
ashowerandapairoforangeprisonpantstowear.Theyweretoo
bigformeandhungdownlowonmyhips,likeaMexican
gangkidintheMission.That'swherethe
baggypantsdownyourasslookcomesfrom,youknowthat?
Fromprison.Itellyouwhat,it'slessfunwhenit'snotafashion
statement.

"Thisisyourlastchance,Marcus,"shesaid.Shelookedsad.
"Youweredoingsowelluntilnow.Tellusthisandyoucango
home.Youcangetalawyeranddefendyourselfinacourtoflaw.
Therearedoubtlessextenuatingcircumstancesthatyoucanuseto
explainyouractions.Justtellusthisthing,andyou'regone."
"Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout!"IwascryingandI
didn'tevencare.Sobbing,blubbering."Ihavenoideawhat

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/25
you'retalkingabout!"
Sheshookherhead."Marcus,please.Letushelpyou.Bynow
youknowthatwealwaysgetwhatwe'reafter."

We'llbewaitingforyoutomakeamisstep.Doyouunderstand
thatwecanwatchyouclosely,allthetime?"
"Yes,"Imumbled.

Therewasagibberingsoundinthebackofmymind.They
wereinsane.Ipulledmyselftogether,workinghardtostopthe
tears."Listen,lady,thisisnuts.You'vebeenintomystuff,you've
seenitall.I'maseventeenyearoldhighschoolstudent,nota
terrorist!Youcan'tseriouslythink"

"Good.Youwillneverspeakofwhathappenedheretoanyone,
ever.Thisisamatterofnationalsecurity.Doyouknowthatthe
deathpenaltystillholdsfortreasonintimeofwar?"

"Marcus,haven'tyoufiguredoutthatwe'reseriousyet?"She
shookherhead."Yougetprettygoodgrades.Ithoughtyou'dbe
smarterthanthat."Shemadeaflickinggestureandtheguards
pickedmeupbythearmpits.

"Goodboy,"shepurred."Wehavesomepapershereforyouto
sign."Shepushedthestackofpapersacrossthetabletome.Little
postitswithSIGNHEREprintedonthemhadbeenstuck
throughoutthem.Aguardundidmycuffs.

Backinmycell,ahundredlittlespeechesoccurredtome.The
Frenchcallthis"espritd'escalier"thespiritofthestaircase,the
snappyrebuttalsthatcometoyouafteryouleavetheroomand
slinkdownthestairs.Inmymind,Istoodanddelivered,telling
herthatIwasacitizenwholovedmyfreedom,whichmademe
thepatriotandmadeherthetraitor.Inmymind,Ishamedherfor
turningmycountryintoanarmedcamp.Inmymind,Iwas
eloquentandbrilliantandreducedhertotears.

Ipagedthroughthepapersandmyeyeswateredandmyhead
swam.Icouldn'tmakesenseofthem.Itriedtodecipherthe
legalese.ItseemedthatIwassigningadeclarationthatIhadbeen
voluntarilyheldandsubmittedtovoluntaryquestioning,ofmy
ownfreewill.

"Yes,"Imumbled.

"WhathappensifIdon'tsignthis?"Isaid.

Shesnatchedthepapersbackandmadethatflickinggesture
Butyouknowwhat?Noneofthosefinewordscamebacktome again.Theguardsjerkedmetomyfeet.
whentheypulledmeoutthenextday.AllIcouldthinkofwas
"Wait!"Icried."Please!I'llsignthem!"Theydraggedmetothe
freedom.Myparents.
door.AllIcouldseewasthatdoor,allIcouldthinkofwasit
closingbehindme.
"Hello,Marcus,"shesaid."Howareyoufeeling?"
Ilostit.Iwept.Ibeggedtobeallowedtosignthepapers.Tobe
soclosetofreedomandhaveitsnatchedaway,itmademeready
todoanything.Ican'tcountthenumberoftimesI'veheard
someonesay,"Oh,I'dratherdiethandosomethingorother"
I'vesaiditmyselfnowandagain.ButthatwasthefirsttimeI
understoodwhatitreallymeant.Iwouldhaveratherdiedthango
"We'rethroughinvestigatingyou,fornow."Sheletthathang
there.Maybeitmeantthatshewaslettingmego.Maybeitmeant backtomycell.
thatshewasgoingtothrowmeinapitandforgetthatIexisted.
Ibeggedastheytookmeoutintothecorridor.ItoldthemI'd
signanything.
"And?"Isaidfinally.
Ilookeddownatthetable.Shehadaneatpileofdocumentsin
frontofher,andherubiquitousgocupofStarbucksbesideher.I
founditcomfortingsomehow,areminderthattherewasareal
worldouttheresomewhere,beyondthewalls.

"AndIwantyoutoimpressonyouagainthatwearevery
seriousaboutthis.Ourcountryhasexperiencedtheworstattack
evercommittedonitssoil.Howmany9/11sdoyouwantusto
sufferbeforeyou'rewillingtocooperate?Thedetailsofour
investigationaresecret.Wewon'tstopatanythinginourefforts
tobringtheperpetratorsoftheseheinouscrimestojustice.Do
youunderstandthat?"
"Yes,"Imumbled.
"Wearegoingtosendyouhometoday,butyouareamarked
man.Youhavenotbeenfoundtobeabovesuspicionwe're
onlyreleasingyoubecausewe'redonequestioningyoufornow.
Butfromnowon,youbelongtous.Wewillbewatchingyou.

Shecalledouttotheguardsandtheystopped.Theybroughtme
back.Theysatmedown.Oneofthemputthepeninmyhand.
Ofcourse,Isigned,andsignedandsigned.
#
Myjeansandtshirtwerebackinmycell,launderedand
folded.Theysmelledofdetergent.Iputthemonandwashedmy
faceandsatonmycotandstaredatthewall.They'dtaken
everythingfromme.Firstmyprivacy,thenmydignity.I'dbeen
readytosignanything.Iwouldhavesignedaconfessionthatsaid
I'dassassinatedAbrahamLincoln.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/26
Itriedtocry,butitwaslikemyeyesweredry,outoftears.
Theygotmeagain.Aguardapproachedmewithahood,like
thehoodI'dbeenputinwhentheypickedusup,wheneverthat
was,daysago,weeksago.

Thenstrongarmsthrewthemselvesaroundme.Inearlycried.
Chapter5

ThischapterisdedicatedtoSecretHeadquartersinLosAngeles,
mydropdeadalltimefavoritecomicstoreintheworld.It'ssmall
andselectiveaboutwhatitstocks,andeverytimeIwalkin,I
walkoutwiththreeorfourcollectionsI'dneverheardofunder
myarm.It'sliketheowners,DaveandDavid,havetheuncanny
abilitytopredictexactlywhatI'mlookingfor,andtheylayitout
formesecondsbeforeIwalkintothestore.Idiscoveredabout
threequartersofmyfavoritecomicsbywanderingintoSHQ,
Theshipmoved.Ahintofsaltairmadeitswayintothehood.It grabbingsomethinginteresting,sinkingintooneofthecomfy
wasdrizzlingandmyclotheswereheavywithwater.Iwas
chairs,andfindingmyselftransportedtoanotherworld.When
outside,evenifmyheadwasinabag.Iwasoutside,intheworld, mysecondstorycollection,OVERCLOCKED,cameout,they
momentsfrommyfreedom.
workedwithlocalillustratorMartinCenredatodoafree
minicomicbasedonPrintcrime,thefirststoryinthebook.Ileft
Theycameformeandledmeofftheboatandoveruneven
LAaboutayearago,andofallthethingsImissaboutit,Secret
ground.Upthreemetalstairs.Mywristswereunshackled.My
Headquartersisrightatthetopofthelist.
hoodwasremoved.
SecretHeadquarters:http://www.thesecretheadquarters.com/
Iwasbackinthetruck.Severehaircutwomanwasthere,atthe 3817W.SunsetBoulevard,LosAngeles,CA90026+1323666
littledeskshe'dsatatbefore.Shehadaziplocbagwithher,and
2228
insideitweremyphoneandotherlittledevices,mywalletand
thechangefrommypockets.Shehandedthemtomewordlessly. ButitwasVan,andshewascrying,andhuggingmesohardI
couldn'tbreathe.Ididn'tcare.Ihuggedherback,myfaceburied
Ifilledmypockets.Itfeltsoweirdtohaveeverythingbackin
inherhair.
itsfamiliarplace,tobewearingmyfamiliarclothes.Outsidethe
truck'sbackdoor,Iheardthefamiliarsoundsofmyfamiliarcity.
"You'reOK!"shesaid.
Thehoodwentovermyheadandcinchedtightatmyneck.I
wasintotaldarknessandtheairwasstiflingandstale.Iwas
raisedtomyfeetandwalkeddowncorridors,upstairs,ongravel.
Upagangplank.Onaship'ssteeldeck.Myhandswerechained
behindme,toarailing.Ikneltonthedeckandlistenedtothe
thrumofthedieselengines.

Aguardpassedmemybackpack.Thewomanextendedher
handtome.Ijustlookedatit.Sheputitdownandgavemeawry
smile.Thenshemimedzippingupherlipsandpointedtome,and
openedthedoor.
Itwasdaylightoutside,grayanddrizzling.Iwaslookingdown
analleytowardcarsandtrucksandbikeszippingdowntheroad.I
stoodtransfixedonthetruck'stopstep,staringatfreedom.
Mykneesshook.Iknewnowthattheywereplayingwithme
again.Inamoment,theguardswouldgrabmeanddragmeback
inside,thebagwouldgoovermyheadagain,andIwouldbe
backontheboatandsentofftotheprisonagain,totheendless,
unanswerablequestions.Ibarelyheldmyselfbackfromstuffing
myfistinmymouth.
ThenIforcedmyselftogodownonestair.Anotherstair.The
laststair.Mysneakerscruncheddownonthecraponthealley's
floor,brokenglass,aneedle,gravel.Itookastep.Another.I
reachedthemouthofthealleyandsteppedontothesidewalk.
Noonegrabbedme.
Iwasfree.

"I'mOK,"Imanaged.
Shefinallyletgoofmeandanothersetofarmswrapped
themselvesaroundme.ItwasJolu!Theywereboththere.He
whispered,"You'resafe,bro,"inmyearandhuggedmeeven
tighterthanVanessahad.
Whenheletgo,Ilookedaround."Where'sDarryl?"Iasked.
Theybothlookedateachother."Maybehe'sstillinthetruck,"
Jolusaid.
Weturnedandlookedatthetruckatthealley'send.Itwasa
nondescriptwhite18wheeler.Someonehadalreadybroughtthe
littlefoldingstaircaseinside.Therearlightsglowedred,andthe
truckrolledbackwardstowardsus,emittingasteadyeep,eep,
eep.
"Wait!"Ishoutedasitacceleratedtowardsus."Wait!What
aboutDarryl?"Thetruckdrewcloser.Ikeptshouting."What
aboutDarryl?"
JoluandVanessaeachhadmebyanarmandweredraggingme
away.Istruggledagainstthem,shouting.Thetruckpulledoutof
thealley'smouthandreversedintothestreetandpointeditself

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/27
downhillanddroveaway.Itriedtorunafterit,butVanandJolu
wouldn'tletmego.

Jolushookhishead."Theywerehardonyou,dude,"hesaid.
Hetoldusabouthisstaythere.They'dquestionedhim,mostly
aboutme,andhe'dkeptontellingthemthetruth,stickingtoa
Isatdownonthesidewalkandputmyarmsaroundmyknees
plaintellingofthefactsaboutthatdayandaboutourfriendship.
andcried.Icriedandcriedandcried,loudsobsofthesortIhadn't Theyhadgottenhimtorepeatitoverandoveragain,butthey
donesinceIwasalittlekid.Theywouldn'tstopcoming.I
hadn'tplayedgameswithhisheadthewaytheyhadwithme.
couldn'tstopshaking.
He'deatenhismealsinamesshallwithabunchofotherpeople,
andbeengiventimeinaTVroomwheretheywereshownlast
VanessaandJolugotmetomyfeetandmovedmealittleways year'sblockbustersonvideo.
upthestreet.TherewasaMunibusstopwithabenchandthey
satmeonit.Theywerebothcryingtoo,andweheldeachother
Vanessa'sstorywasonlyslightlydifferent.Aftershe'dgotten
forawhile,andIknewwewerecryingforDarryl,whomnoneof themangrybytalkingtome,they'dtakenawayherclothesand
useverexpectedtoseeagain.
madeherwearasetoforangeprisonoveralls.She'dbeenleftin
hercellfortwodayswithoutcontact,thoughshe'dbeenfed
#
regularly.ButmostlyitwasthesameasJolu:thesamequestions,
repeatedagainandagain.
WewerenorthofChinatown,atthepartwhereitstartsto
becomeNorthBeach,aneighborhoodwithabunchofneonstrip
"Theyreallyhatedyou,"Jolusaid."Reallyhaditinforyou.
clubsandthelegendaryCityLightscounterculturebookstore,
Why?"
wheretheBeatpoetrymovementhadbeenfoundedbackinthe
1950s.
Icouldn'timaginewhy.ThenIremembered.
Iknewthispartoftownwell.Myparents'favoriteItalian
restaurantwashereandtheylikedtotakemehereforbigplates
oflinguineandhugeItalianicecreammountainswithcandied
figsandlethallittleespressosafterward.
Nowitwasadifferentplace,aplacewhereIwastasting
freedomforthefirsttimeinwhatseemedlikeaneternity.
Wecheckedourpocketsandfoundenoughmoneytogetatable
atoneoftheItalianrestaurants,outonthesidewalk,underan
awning.Theprettywaitresslightedagasheaterwithabarbeque
lighter,tookourordersandwentinside.Thesensationofgiving
orders,ofcontrollingmydestiny,wasthemostamazingthingI'd
everfelt.
"Howlongwereweinthere?"Iasked.
"Sixdays,"Vanessasaid.
"Igotfive,"Jolusaid.
"Ididn'tcount."

Youcancooperate,oryoucanbevery,verysorry.
"ItwasbecauseIwouldn'tunlockmyphoneforthem,thatfirst
night.That'swhytheysingledmeout."Icouldn'tbelieveit,but
therewasnootherexplanation.Ithadbeensheervindictiveness.
Mymindreeledatthethought.Theyhaddoneallthatasamere
punishmentfordefyingtheirauthority.
Ihadbeenscared.NowIwasangry."Thosebastards,"Isaid,
softly."Theydidittogetbackatmeformouthingoff."
JolusworeandthenVanessacutlooseinKorean,something
sheonlydidwhenshewasreally,reallyangry.
"I'mgoingtogetthem,"Iwhispered,staringatmysoda."I'm
goingtogetthem."
Jolushookhishead."Youcan't,youknow.Youcan'tfightback
againstthat."
#
Noneofusmuchwantedtotalkaboutrevengethen.Instead,we
talkedaboutwhatwewoulddonext.Wehadtogohome.Our
phones'batteriesweredeadandithadbeenyearssincethis
neighborhoodhadanypayphones.Wejustneededtogohome.I
eventhoughtabouttakingataxi,buttherewasn'tenoughmoney
betweenustomakethatpossible.

"Whatdidtheydotoyou?"Vanessasaid.Ididn'twanttotalk
aboutit,buttheywerebothlookingatme.OnceIstarted,I
couldn'tstop.Itoldthemeverything,evenwhenI'dbeenforced
topissmyself,andtheytookitallinsilently.Ipausedwhenthe
waitressdeliveredoursodasandwaiteduntilshegotoutof
earshot,thenfinished.Inthetelling,itrecededintothedistance.
Sowewalked.Onthecorner,wepumpedsomequartersintoa
Bytheendofit,Icouldn'ttellifIwasembroideringthetruthorif SanFranciscoChroniclenewspaperboxandstoppedtoreadthe
frontsection.Ithadbeenfivedayssincethebombswentoff,but
Iwasmakingitallseemlessbad.Mymemoriesswamlikelittle
itwasstillalloverthefrontcover.
fishthatIsnatchedat,andsometimestheywriggledoutofmy
grasp.
Severehaircutwomanhadtalkedabout"thebridge"blowing

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/28
up,andI'djustassumedthatshewastalkingabouttheGolden
Gatebridge,butIwaswrong.Theterroristshadblownupthe
Baybridge.

Theynoddedslowly.

"Theyprobablygotscaredoffbyallthecamerasandstuff,"
Jolusaid."TheNationalGuard'salwayscheckingcarsatboth
endsandthere'sallthosesuicidefencesandjunkallalongit."
PeoplehavebeenjumpingofftheGoldenGatesinceitopenedin
1937theystoppedcountingafterthethousandthsuicidein
1995.

"Whatdoyoumean?"Vansaid.

"Worsethanuseless,"Isaid,myvoicegoingupandcracking.
"Becausetheyendedupwithusinprison,withDarryl"Ihadn't
"WhythehellwouldtheyblowuptheBaybridge?"Isaid."The thoughtofDarrylsincewesatdownandnowitcamebacktome,
GoldenGateistheoneonallthepostcards."Evenifyou'venever myfriend,missing,disappeared.Istoppedtalkingandgroundmy
jawstogether.
beentoSanFrancisco,chancesareyouknowwhattheGolden
Gatelookslike:it'sthatbigorangesuspensionbridgethatswoops
"Wehavetotellourparents,"Jolusaid.
dramaticallyfromtheoldmilitarybasecalledthePresidioto
Sausalito,whereallthecutesywinecountrytownsarewiththeir
"Weshouldgetalawyer,"Vanessasaid.
scentedcandleshopsandartgalleries.It'spicturesqueashell,and
it'spracticallythesymbolforthestateofCalifornia.Ifyougoto
Ithoughtoftellingmystory.Oftellingtheworldwhathad
theDisneylandCaliforniaAdventurepark,there'sareplicaofit
justpastthegates,withamonorailrunningoverit.
becomeofme.Ofthevideosthatwouldnodoubtcomeout,of
meweeping,reducedtoagrovelinganimal.
SonaturallyIassumedthatifyouweregoingtoblowupa
"Wecan'ttellthemanything,"Isaid,withoutthinking.
bridgeinSanFrancisco,that'stheoneyou'dblow.

"Yeah,"Vanessasaid."PlustheBayBridgeactuallygoes
somewhere."TheBayBridgegoesfromdowntownSanFrancisco
toOaklandandthencetoBerkeley,theEastBaytownshipsthat
arehometomanyofthepeoplewholiveandworkintown.It's
oneoftheonlypartsoftheBayAreawhereanormalpersoncan
affordahousebigenoughtoreallystretchoutin,andthere'salso
theuniversityandabunchoflightindustryoverthere.TheBART
goesundertheBayandconnectsthetwocities,too,butit'sthe
BayBridgethatseesmostofthetraffic.TheGoldenGatewasa
nicebridgeifyouwereatouristorarichretireelivingoutinwine
country,butitwasmostlyornamental.TheBayBridgeiswas
SanFrancisco'sworkhorsebridge.
Ithoughtaboutitforaminute."Youguysareright,"Isaid.
"ButIdon'tthinkthat'sallofit.Wekeepactingliketerrorists
attacklandmarksbecausetheyhatelandmarks.Terroristsdon't
hatelandmarksorbridgesorairplanes.Theyjustwanttoscrew
stuffupandmakepeoplescared.Tomaketerror.Soofcourse
theywentaftertheBayBridgeaftertheGoldenGategotallthose
camerasafterairplanesgotallmetaldetectoredandXrayed."I
thoughtaboutitsomemore,staringblanklyatthecarsrolling
downthestreet,atthepeoplewalkingdownthesidewalks,atthe
cityallaroundme."Terroristsdon'thateairplanesorbridges.
Theyloveterror."ItwassoobviousIcouldn'tbelieveI'dnever
thoughtofitbefore.Iguessthatbeingtreatedlikeaterroristfora
fewdayswasenoughtoclarifymythinking.
Theothertwowerestaringatme."I'mright,aren'tI?Allthis
crap,alltheXraysandIDchecks,they'realluseless,aren't
they?"

"Wecan'ttellthemanything,"Irepeated."Youheardher.Ifwe
talk,they'llcomebackforus.They'lldotouswhattheydidto
Darryl."
"You'rejoking,"Jolusaid."Youwantusto"
"Iwantustofightback,"Isaid."IwanttostayfreesothatI
candothat.Ifwegooutthereandblab,they'lljustsaythatwe're
kids,makingitup.Wedon'tevenknowwherewewereheld!No
onewillbelieveus.Then,oneday,they'llcomeforus.
"I'mtellingmyparentsthatIwasinoneofthosecampsonthe
othersideoftheBay.Icameovertomeetyouguysthereandwe
gotstranded,andjustgotloosetoday.Theysaidinthepapersthat
peoplewerestillwanderinghomefromthem."
"Ican'tdothat,"Vanessasaid."Afterwhattheydidtoyou,how
canyoueventhinkofdoingthat?"
"Ithappenedtome,that'sthepoint.Thisismeandthem,now.
I'llbeatthem,I'llgetDarryl.I'mnotgoingtotakethislying
down.Butonceourparentsareinvolved,that'sitforus.Noone
willbelieveusandnoonewillcare.Ifwedoitmyway,people
willcare."
"What'syourway?"Jolusaid."What'syourplan?"
"Idon'tknowyet,"Iadmitted."Givemeuntiltomorrow
morning,givemethat,atleast."Iknewthatoncethey'dkeptita
secretforaday,itwouldhavetobeasecretforever.Ourparents
wouldbeevenmoreskepticalifwesuddenly"remembered"that
we'dbeenheldinasecretprisoninsteadoftakencareofina
refugeecamp.
VanandJolulookedateachother.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/29
"I'mjustaskingforachance,"Isaid."We'llworkoutthestory
ontheway,getitstraight.Givemeoneday,justoneday."

end.Igotupandgotmoving.Ifelttheeyeswatchingmefromall
directions.

Theothertwonoddedglumlyandwesetoffdownhillagain,
Ihurriedtherestofthewayhome.Ididn'tlookatthepainted
headingbacktowardshome.IlivedonPotreroHill,Vanessa
ladiesorthegardensorthehousecats.Ikeptmyeyesdown.
livedintheNorthMissionandJolulivedinNoeValleythree
wildlydifferentneighborhoodsjustafewminutes'walkfromone
Bothmyparents'carswereinthedriveway,eventhoughitwas
another.
themiddleoftheday.Ofcourse.DadworksintheEastBay,so
he'dbestuckathomewhiletheyworkedonthebridge.Mom
WeturnedontoMarketStreetandstoppeddead.Thestreetwas well,whoknewwhyMomwashome.
barricadedateverycorner,thecrossstreetsreducedtoasingle
lane,andparkeddownthewholelengthofMarketStreetwere
Theywerehomeforme.
big,nondescript18wheelersliketheonethathadcarriedus,
hooded,awayfromtheship'sdocksandtoChinatown.
EvenbeforeI'dfinishedunlockingthedoorithadbeenjerked
outofmyhandandflungwide.Therewerebothofmyparents,
Eachonehadthreesteelstepsleadingdownfromthebackand lookinggrayandhaggard,bugeyedandstaringatme.Westood
theybuzzedwithactivityassoldiers,peopleinsuits,andcops
thereinfrozentableauforamoment,thentheybothrushed
wentinandoutofthem.Thesuitsworelittlebadgesontheir
forwardanddraggedmeintothehouse,nearlytrippingmeup.
lapelsandthesoldiersscannedthemastheywentinandout
TheywerebothtalkingsoloudandfastallIcouldhearwasa
wirelessauthorizationbadges.Aswewalkedpastone,Igota
wordless,roaringgabbleandtheybothhuggedmeandcriedandI
lookatit,andsawthefamiliarlogo:DepartmentofHomeland
criedtooandwejuststoodtherelikethatinthelittlefoyer,crying
Security.Thesoldiersawmestaringandstaredbackhard,glaring andmakingalmostwordsuntilweranoutofsteamandwentinto
atme.
thekitchen.
Igotthemessageandmovedon.Ipeeledawayfromthegang
atVanNess.Weclungtoeachotherandcriedandpromisedto
calleachother.
ThewalkbacktoPotreroHillhasaneasyrouteandahard
route,thelattertakingyouoversomeofthesteepesthillsinthe
city,thekindofthingthatyouseecarchasesoninactionmovies,
withcarscatchingairastheysoaroverthezenith.Ialwaystake
thehardwayhome.It'sallresidentialstreets,andtheold
Victorianhousestheycall"paintedladies"fortheirgaudy,
elaboratepaintjobs,andfrontgardenswithscentedflowersand
tallgrasses.Housecatsstareatyoufromhedges,andthereare
hardlyanyhomeless.
ItwassoquietonthosestreetsthatitmademewishI'dtaken
theotherroute,throughtheMission,whichis...raucousis
probablythebestwordforit.Loudandvibrant.Lotsofrowdy
drunksandangrycrackheadsandunconsciousjunkies,andalso
lotsoffamilieswithstrollers,oldladiesgossipingonstoops,
lowriderswithboomcarsgoingthumpathumpathumpadown
thestreets.Therewerehipstersandmopeyemoartstudentsand
evenacoupleoldschoolpunkrockers,oldguyswithpotbellies
bulgingoutbeneaththeirDeadKennedysshirts.Alsodrag
queens,angrygangkids,graffitiartistsandbewilderedgentrifiers
tryingnottogetkilledwhiletheirrealestateinvestments
matured.
IwentupGoatHillandwalkedpastGoatHillPizza,which
mademethinkofthejailI'dbeenheldin,andIhadtositdown
onthebenchoutfrontoftherestaurantuntilmyshakespassed.
ThenInoticedthetruckupthehillfromme,anondescript
18wheelerwiththreemetalstepscomingdownfromtheback

IdidwhatIalwaysdidwhenIcamehome:gotmyselfaglass
ofwaterfromthefilterinthefridgeanddugacouplecookiesout
ofthe"biscuitbarrel"thatmom'ssisterhadsentusfromEngland.
Thenormalcyofthismademyheartstophammering,myheart
catchingupwithmybrain,andsoonwewereallsittingatthe
table.
"Wherehaveyoubeen?"theybothsaid,moreorlessinunison.
Ihadgiventhissomethoughtonthewayhome."Igottrapped,"
Isaid."InOakland.Iwastherewithsomefriends,doinga
project,andwewereallquarantined."
"Forfivedays?"
"Yeah,"Isaid."Yeah.Itwasreallybad."I'dreadaboutthe
quarantinesintheChronicleandIcribbedshamelesslyfromthe
quotesthey'dpublished."Yeah.Everyonewhogotcaughtinthe
cloud.Theythoughtwehadbeenattackedwithsomekindof
superbugandtheypackedusintoshippingcontainersinthe
docklands,likesardines.Itwasreallyhotandsticky.Notmuch
food,either."
"Christ,"Dadsaid,hisfistsballinguponthetable.Dadteaches
inBerkeleythreedaysaweek,workingwithafewgradstudents
inthelibraryscienceprogram.Therestofthetimeheconsultsfor
clientsinthecityanddownthePeninsula,thirdwavedotcoms
thataredoingvariousthingswitharchives.He'samildmannered
librarianbyprofession,buthe'dbeenarealradicalinthesixties
andwrestledalittleinhighschool.I'dseenhimgetcrazyangry
nowandagainI'devenmadehimthatangrynowandagain
andhecouldseriouslyloseitwhenhewasHulkingout.Heonce

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/30
threwaswingsetfromIkeaacrossmygranddad'swholelawn
whenitfellapartforthefiftiethtimewhilehewasassemblingit.

andpicturesofmissingpeople,mostlygradphotos,wedding
picturesandthatsortofthing.Itwasprettyghoulish.

"Barbarians,"Momsaid.She'sbeenlivinginAmericasinceshe
wasateenager,butshestillcomesoverallBritishwhenshe
encountersAmericancops,healthcare,airportsecurityor
homelessness.Thenthewordis"barbarians,"andheraccent
comesbackstrong.We'dbeentoLondontwicetoseeherfamily
andIcan'tsayasitfeltanymorecivilizedthanSanFrancisco,
justmorecramped.

IfoundmypicandsawthatitwaslinkedtoVan's,Jolu's,and
Darryl's.Therewasalittleformformarkingpeoplefoundand
anotheroneforwritingupnotesaboutothermissingpeople.I
filledinthefieldsformeandJoluandVan,andleftDarrylblank.

"Buttheyletusgo,andferriedusovertoday."Iwas
improvisingnow.
"Areyouhurt?"Momsaid."Hungry?"
"Sleepy?"
"Yeah,alittleofallthat.AlsoDopey,Doc,Sneezyand
Bashful."WehadafamilytraditionofSevenDwarfsjokes.They
bothsmiledalittle,buttheireyeswerestillwet.Ifeltreallybad
forthem.Theymusthavebeenoutoftheirmindswithworry.I
wasgladforachancetochangethesubject."I'dtotallyloveto
eat."
"I'llorderapizzafromGoatHill,"Dadsaid.
"No,notthat,"Isaid.TheybothlookedatmelikeI'dsprouted
antennae.InormallyhaveathingaboutGoatHillPizzaasin,I
cannormallyeatitlikeagoldfisheatshisfood,gobblinguntilit
eitherrunsoutorIpop.Itriedtosmile."Ijustdon'tfeellike
pizza,"Isaid,lamely."Let'sordersomecurry,OK?"Thank
heaventhatSanFranciscoistakeoutcentral.

"YouforgotDarryl,"Dadsaid.Hedidn'tlikeDarrylmuch
oncehe'dfiguredoutthatacoupleinchesweremissingoutofone
ofthebottlesinhisliquorcabinet,andtomyenduringshameI'd
blameditonDarryl.Intruth,ofcourse,ithadbeenbothofus,
justfoolingaround,tryingoutvodkaandCokesduringan
allnightgamingsession.
"Hewasn'twithus,"Isaid.Thelietastedbitterinmymouth.
"OhmyGod,"mymomsaid.Shesqueezedherhandstogether.
"Wejustassumedwhenyoucamehomethatyou'dallbeen
together."
"No,"Isaid,theliegrowing."No,hewassupposedtomeetus
butwenevermetup.He'sprobablyjuststuckoverinBerkeley.
HewasgoingtotaketheBARTover."
Mommadeawhimperingsound.Dadshookhisheadand
closedhiseyes."Don'tyouknowabouttheBART?"hesaid.
Ishookmyhead.Icouldseewherethiswasgoing.Ifeltlike
thegroundwasrushinguptome.
"Theyblewitup,"Dadsaid."Thebastardsblewitupatthe
sametimeasthebridge."

Momwenttothedraweroftakeoutmenus(morenormalcy,
feelinglikeadrinkofwateronadry,sorethroat)andriffled
throughthem.Wespentacoupleofdistractingminutesgoing
throughthemenufromthehalalPakistaniplaceonValencia.I
settledonamixedtandoorigrillandcreamedspinachwith
farmer'scheese,asaltedmangolassi(muchbetterthanitsounds)
andlittlefriedpastriesinsugarsyrup.

Thathadn'tbeenonthefrontpageoftheChronicle,butthen,a
BARTblowoutunderthewaterwouldn'tbenearlyaspicturesque
astheimagesofthebridgehangingintattersandpiecesoverthe
Bay.TheBARTtunnelfromtheEmbarcaderoinSanFranciscoto
theWestOaklandstationwassubmerged.
#
IwentbacktoDad'scomputerandsurfedtheheadlines.Noone
wassure,butthebodycountwasinthethousands.Betweenthe
Oncethefoodwasordered,thequestionsstartedagain.They'd carsthatplummeted191feettotheseaandthepeopledrownedin
heardfromVan's,Jolu'sandDarryl'sfamilies(ofcourse)andhad thetrains,thedeathsweremounting.Onereporterclaimedto
triedtoreportusmissing.Thepoliceweretakingnames,but
haveinterviewedan"identitycounterfeiter"who'dhelped
thereweresomany"displacedpersons"thattheyweren'tgoingto "dozens"ofpeoplewalkawayfromtheiroldlivesbysimply
openfilesonanyoneunlesstheywerestillmissingafterseven
vanishingaftertheattacks,gettingnewIDmadeup,andslipping
days.
awayfrombadmarriages,baddebtsandbadlives.
Meanwhile,millionsofhaveyouseensiteshadpoppedupon
thenet.AcoupleofthesiteswereoldMySpaceclonesthathad
runoutofmoneyandsawanewleaseonlifefromallthe
attention.Afterall,someventurecapitalistshadmissingfamilyin
theBayArea.Maybeiftheywererecovered,thesitewould
attractsomenewinvestment.Igrabbeddad'slaptopandlooked
throughthem.Theywereplasteredwithadvertising,ofcourse,

Dadactuallygottearsinhiseyes,andMomwasopenlycrying.
Theyeachhuggedmeagain,pattingmewiththeirhandsasifto
assurethemselvesthatIwasreallythere.Theykepttellingme
theylovedme.ItoldthemIlovedthemtoo.
WehadaweepydinnerandMomandDadhadeachhada
coupleglassesofwine,whichwasalotforthem.Itoldthemthat

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/31
Iwasgettingsleepy,whichwastrue,andmoocheduptomy
room.Iwasn'tgoingtobed,though.Ineededtogetonlineand
findoutwhatwasgoingon.IneededtotalktoJoluandVanessa.
IneededtogetworkingonfindingDarryl.
Icreptuptomyroomandopenedthedoor.Ihadn'tseenmy
oldbedinwhatfeltlikeathousandyears.Ilaydownonitand
reachedovertomybedstandtograbmylaptop.Imusthavenot
pluggeditinallthewaytheelectricaladapterneededtobe
jiggledjustrightsoithadslowlydischargedwhileIwasaway.
Ipluggeditbackinandgaveitaminuteortwotochargeup
beforetryingtopoweritupagain.Iusedthetimetoget
undressedandthrowmyclothesinthetrashIneverwantedto
seethemagainandputonacleanpairofboxersandafresh
tshirt.Thefreshlaunderedclothes,straightoutofmydrawers,
feltsofamiliarandcomfortable,likegettinghuggedbymy
parents.
Ipoweredupmylaptopandpunchedabunchofpillowsinto
placebehindmeatthetopofthebed.Iscoochedbackand
openedmycomputer'slidandsettleditontomythighs.Itwas
stillbooting,andman,thoseiconscreepingacrossthescreen
lookedgood.Itcameallthewayupandthenitstartedgivingme
morelowpowerwarnings.Icheckedthepowercableagainand
wiggleditandtheywentaway.Thepowerjackwasreallyflaking
out.
Infact,itwassobadthatIcouldn'tactuallygetanythingdone.
EverytimeItookmyhandoffthepowercableitlostcontactand
thecomputerstartedtocomplainaboutitsbattery.Itookacloser
lookatit.
Thewholecaseofmycomputerwasslightlymisaligned,the
seamsplitinanangulargapethatstartednarrowandwidened
towardtheback.
Sometimesyoulookatapieceofequipmentanddiscover
somethinglikethisandyouwonder,"Wasitalwayslikethat?"
Maybeyoujustnevernoticed.
Butwithmylaptop,thatwasn'tpossible.Yousee,Ibuiltit.
AftertheBoardofEdissuedusallwithSchoolBooks,therewas
nowaymyparentsweregoingtobuymeacomputerofmyown,
eventhoughtechnicallytheSchoolBookdidn'tbelongtome,and
Iwasn'tsupposedtoinstallsoftwareonitormodit.

wouldbethebestwaytogetthepowerIwantedatthepriceI
couldafford.
Tobuildyourownlaptop,youstartbyorderinga"barebook"
amachinewithjustalittlehardwareinitandalltherightslots.
Thegoodnewswas,onceIwasdone,Ihadamachinethatwasa
wholepoundlighterthantheDellI'dhadmyeyeon,ranfaster,
andcostathirdofwhatIwouldhavepaidDell.Thebadnews
wasthatassemblingalaptopislikebuildingoneofthoseshipsin
abottle.It'sallfinickyworkwithtweezersandmagnifying
glasses,tryingtogeteverythingtofitinthatlittlecase.Unlikea
fullsizedPCwhichismostlyaireverycubicmillimeterof
spaceinalaptopisspokenfor.EverytimeIthoughtIhadit,I'd
gotoscrewthethingbacktogetherandfindthatsomethingwas
keepingthecasefromclosingalltheway,andit'dbebacktothe
drawingboard.
SoIknewexactlyhowtheseamonmylaptopwassupposedto
lookwhenthethingwasclosed,anditwasnotsupposedtolook
likethis.
Ikeptjigglingthepoweradapter,butitwashopeless.There
wasnowayIwasgoingtogetthethingtobootwithouttakingit
apart.Igroanedandputitbesidethebed.I'ddealwithitinthe
morning.
#
Thatwasthetheory,anyway.Twohourslater,Iwasstill
staringattheceiling,playingbackmoviesinmyheadofwhat
they'ddonetome,whatIshouldhavedone,allregretsandesprit
d'escalier.
Irolledoutofbed.IthadgonemidnightandI'dheardmy
parentshitthesackateleven.Igrabbedthelaptopandcleared
somespaceonmydeskandclippedthelittleLEDlampstothe
templesofmymagnifyingglassesandpulledoutasetoflittle
precisionscrewdrivers.Aminutelater,Ihadthecaseopenand
thekeyboardremovedandIwasstaringatthegutsofmylaptop.
Igotacanofcompressedairandblewoutthedustthatthefan
hadsuckedinandlookedthingsover.

Somethingwasn'tright.Icouldn'tputmyfingeronit,butthen
ithadbeenmonthssinceI'dhadthelidoffthisthing.Luckily,the
thirdtimeI'dhadtoopenitupandstruggletocloseitagain,I'd
gottensmart:I'dtakenaphotoofthegutswitheverythingin
Ihadsomemoneysavedoddjobs,Christmasesand
place.Ihadn'tbeentotallysmart:atfirst,I'djustleftthatpicon
birthdays,alittlebitofjudiciousebaying.PutitalltogetherandI myharddrive,andnaturallyIcouldn'tgettoitwhenIhadthe
hadenoughmoneytobuyatotallycrappy,fiveyearoldmachine. laptopinparts.ButthenI'dprinteditoutandstuckitinmymessy
drawerofpapers,thedeadtreegraveyardwhereIkeptallthe
SoDarrylandIbuiltoneinstead.Youcanbuylaptopcasesjust warrantycardsandpinoutdiagrams.Ishuffledthemthey
likeyoucanbuycasesfordesktopPCs,thoughthey'realittle
seemedmessierthanIrememberedandbroughtoutmyphoto.I
morespecializedthanplainoldPCs.I'dbuiltacouplePCswith
setitdownnexttothecomputerandkindofunfocusedmyeyes,
Darrylovertheyears,scavengingpartsfromCraigslistand
tryingtofindthingsthatlookedoutofplace.
garagesalesandorderingstufffromcheapcheapTaiwanese
vendorswefoundonthenet.Ifiguredthatbuildingalaptop
ThenIspottedit.Theribboncablethatconnectedthekeyboard

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/32
tothelogicboardwasn'tconnectedright.Thatwasaweirdone.
Therewasnotorqueonthatpart,nothingtodislodgeitinthe
courseofnormaloperations.Itriedtopressitbackdownagain
anddiscoveredthattheplugwasn'tjustbadlymountedthere
wassomethingbetweenitandtheboard.Itweezeditoutand
shonemylightonit.
Therewassomethingnewinmykeyboard.Itwasalittlechunk
ofhardware,onlyasixteenthofaninchthick,withnomarkings.
Thekeyboardwaspluggedintoit,anditwaspluggedintothe
board.Itotherwords,itwasperfectlysituatedtocaptureallthe
keystrokesImadewhileItypedonmymachine.
Itwasabug.
Myheartthuddedinmyears.Itwasdarkandquietinthe
house,butitwasn'tacomfortingdark.Therewereeyesoutthere,
eyesandears,andtheywerewatchingme.Surveillingme.The
surveillanceIfacedatschoolhadfollowedmehome,butthis
time,itwasn'tjusttheBoardofEducationlookingovermy
shoulder:theDepartmentofHomelandSecurityhadjoinedthem.
Ialmosttookthebugout.ThenIfiguredthatwhoeverputit
therewouldknowthatitwasgone.Ileftitin.Itmademesickto
doit.
Ilookedaroundformoretampering.Icouldn'tfindany,butdid
thatmeantherehadn'tbeenany?Someonehadbrokenintomy
roomandplantedthisdevicehaddisassembledmylaptopand
reassembledit.Therewerelotsofotherwaystowiretapa
computer.Icouldneverfindthemall.
Iputthemachinetogetherwithnumbfingers.Thistime,the
casewouldn'tsnapshutjustright,butthepowercablestayedin.I
booteditupandsetmyfingersonthekeyboard,thinkingthatI
wouldrunsomediagnosticsandseewhatwaswhat.
ButIcouldn'tdoit.
Hell,maybemyroomwaswiretapped.Maybetherewasa
cameraspyingonmenow.
I'dbeenfeelingparanoidwhenIgothome.NowIwasnearly
outofmyskin.ItfeltlikeIwasbackinjail,backinthe
interrogationroom,stalkedbyentitieswhohadmeutterlyintheir
power.Itmademewanttocry.
Onlyonethingforit.

metalclips.Itwistedthewiresintotheleadsforaninevolt
batteryandconnectedthebattery.NowIhadatuberingedwith
ultrabright,directionalLEDs,andIcouldholdituptomyeye
andlookthroughit.
I'dbuiltoneoftheselastyearasasciencefairprojectandhad
beenthrownoutofthefaironceIshowedthattherewerehidden
camerasinhalftheclassroomsatChavezHigh.Pinhead
videocamerascostlessthanagoodrestaurantdinnerthesedays,
sothey'reshowingupeverywhere.Sneakystoreclerksputthem
inchangingroomsortanningsalonsandgetpervywiththe
hiddenfootagetheygetfromtheircustomerssometimesthey
justputitonthenet.Knowinghowtoturnatoiletpaperrolland
threebucks'worthofpartsintoacameradetectorisjustgood
sense.
Thisisthesimplestwaytocatchaspycam.Theyhavetiny
lenses,buttheyreflectlightlikethedickens.Itworksbestina
dimroom:starethroughthetubeandslowlyscanallthewalls
andotherplacessomeonemighthaveputacamerauntilyousee
theglintofareflection.Ifthereflectionstaysstillasyoumove
around,that'salens.
Therewasn'tacamerainmyroomnotoneIcoulddetect,
anyway.Theremighthavebeenaudiobugs,ofcourse.Orbetter
cameras.Ornothingatall.Canyoublamemeforfeeling
paranoid?
Ilovedthatlaptop.IcalledittheSalmagundi,whichmeans
anythingmadeoutofspareparts.
Onceyougettonamingyourlaptop,youknowthatyou're
reallyhavingadeeprelationshipwithit.Now,though,IfeltlikeI
didn'twanttoevertouchitagain.Iwantedtothrowitoutthe
window.Whoknewwhatthey'ddonetoit?Whoknewhowithad
beentapped?
Iputitinadrawerwiththelidshutandlookedattheceiling.It
waslateandIshouldbeinbed.TherewasnowayIwasgoingto
sleepnow,though.Iwastapped.Everyonemightbetapped.The
worldhadchangedforever.
"I'llfindawaytogetthem,"Isaid.Itwasavow,Iknewit
whenIheardit,thoughI'dnevermadeavowbefore.
Icouldn'tsleepafterthat.Andbesides,Ihadanidea.

Somewhereinmyclosetwasashrinkwrappedboxcontaining
onestillsealed,mintinpackageXboxUniversal.EveryXbox
Iwentintothebathroomandtookoffthetoiletpaperrolland
hasbeensoldwaybelowcostMicrosoftmakesmostofits
replaceditwithafreshone.Luckily,itwasalmostemptyalready. moneycharginggamescompaniesmoneyfortherighttoputout
Iunrolledtherestofthepaperanddugthroughmypartsboxuntil XboxgamesbuttheUniversalwasthefirstXboxthat
IfoundalittleplasticenvelopefullofultrabrightwhiteLEDsI'd Microsoftdecidedtogiveawayentirelyforfree.
scavengedoutofadeadbikelamp.Ipunchedtheirleadsthrough
thecardboardtubecarefully,usingapintomaketheholes,then
LastChristmasseason,there'dbeenpoorlosersoneverycorner
gotoutsomewireandconnectedthemallinserieswithlittle
dressedaswarriorsfromtheHaloseries,handingoutbagsof

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/33
thesegamemachinesasfastastheycould.Iguessitworked
everyonesaystheysoldawholebuttloadofgames.Naturally,
therewerecountermeasurestomakesureyouonlyplayedgames
fromcompaniesthathadboughtlicensesfromMicrosofttomake
them.
Hackersblowthroughthosecountermeasures.TheXboxwas
crackedbyakidfromMITwhowroteabestsellingbookabout
it,andthenthe360wentdown,andthentheshortlivedXbox
Portable(whichweallcalledthe"luggable"itweighedthree
pounds!)succumbed.TheUniversalwassupposedtobetotally
bulletproof.ThehighschoolkidswhobrokeitwereBrazilian
Linuxhackerswholivedinafavelaakindofsquatter'sslum.
Neverunderestimatethedeterminationofakidwhoistimerich
andcashpoor.
OncetheBrazilianspublishedtheircrack,weallwentnutson
it.Soonthereweredozensofalternateoperatingsystemsforthe
XboxUniversal.MyfavoritewasParanoidXbox,aflavorof
ParanoidLinux.ParanoidLinuxisanoperatingsystemthat
assumesthatitsoperatorisunderassaultfromthegovernment(it
wasintendedforusebyChineseandSyriandissidents),andit
doeseverythingitcantokeepyourcommunicationsand
documentsasecret.Iteventhrowsupabunchof"chaff"
communicationsthataresupposedtodisguisethefactthatyou're
doinganythingcovert.Sowhileyou'rereceivingapolitical
messageonecharacteratatime,ParanoidLinuxispretendingto
surftheWebandfillinquestionnairesandflirtinchatrooms.
Meanwhile,oneineveryfivehundredcharactersyoureceiveis
yourrealmessage,aneedleburiedinahugehaystack.
I'dburnedaParanoidXboxDVDwhentheyfirstappeared,but
I'dnevergottenaroundtounpackingtheXboxinmycloset,
findingaTVtohookituptoandsoon.Myroomiscrowded
enoughasitiswithoutlettingMicrosoftcrashwareeatup
valuableworkspace.
Tonight,I'dmakethesacrifice.Ittookabouttwentyminutesto
getupandrunning.NothavingaTVwasthehardestpart,but
eventuallyIrememberedthatIhadalittleoverheadLCD
projectorthathadstandardTVRCAconnectorsontheback.I
connectedittotheXboxandshoneitonthebackofmydoorand
gotParanoidLinuxinstalled.
NowIwasupandrunning,andParanoidLinuxwaslookingfor
otherXboxUniversalstotalkto.EveryXboxUniversalcomes
withbuiltinwirelessformultiplayergaming.Youcanconnectto
yourneighborsonthewirelesslinkandtotheInternet,ifyou
haveawirelessInternetconnection.Ifoundthreedifferentsetsof
neighborsinrange.TwoofthemhadtheirXboxUniversalsalso
connectedtotheInternet.ParanoidXboxlovedthatconfiguration:
itcouldsiphonoffsomeofmyneighbors'Internetconnections
andusethemtogetonlinethroughthegamingnetwork.The
neighborswouldnevermissthepackets:theywerepayingfor
flatrateInternetconnections,andtheyweren'texactlydoingalot

ofsurfingat2AM.
Thebestpartofallthisishowitmademefeel:incontrol.My
technologywasworkingforme,servingme,protectingme.It
wasn'tspyingonme.ThisiswhyIlovedtechnology:ifyouused
itright,itcouldgiveyoupowerandprivacy.
Mybrainwasreallygoingnow,runninglike60.Therewere
lotsofreasonstorunParanoidXboxthebestonewasthat
anyonecouldwritegamesforit.Alreadytherewasaportof
MAME,theMultipleArcadeMachineEmulator,soyoucould
playpracticallyanygamethathadeverbeenwritten,alltheway
backtoPonggamesfortheApple][+andgamesforthe
Colecovision,gamesfortheNESandtheDreamcast,andsoon.
Evenbetterwereallthecoolmultiplayergamesbeingbuilt
specificallyforParanoidXboxtotallyfreehobbyistgamesthat
anyonecouldrun.Whenyoucombineditall,youhadafree
consolefulloffreegamesthatcouldgetyoufreeInternetaccess.
AndthebestpartasfarasIwasconcernedwasthat
ParanoidXboxwasparanoid.Everybitthatwentovertheairwas
scrambledtowithinaninchofitslife.Youcouldwiretapitall
youwanted,butyou'dneverfigureoutwhowastalking,what
theyweretalkingabout,orwhotheyweretalkingto.Anonymous
web,emailandIM.JustwhatIneeded.
AllIhadtodonowwasconvinceeveryoneIknewtouseittoo.
Chapter6
ThischapterisdedicatedtoPowell'sBooks,thelegendary"City
ofBooks"inPortland,Oregon.Powell'sisthelargestbookstore
intheworld,anendless,multistoreyuniverseofpaperysmells
andtoweringshelves.Theystocknewandusedbooksonthe
sameshelvessomethingI'vealwayslovedandeverytimeI've
stoppedin,they'vehadaveritablemountainofmybooks,and
they'vebeenincrediblygraciousaboutaskingmetosignthe
storestock.Theclerksarefriendly,thestockisfabulous,and
there'sevenaPowell'satthePortlandairport,makingitjust
aboutthebestairportbookstoreintheworldformymoney!
Powell'sBooks:http://www.powells.com/cgibin/biblio?
isbn=97807653198521005WBurnside,Portland,OR97209
USA+18008787323
Believeitornot,myparentsmademegotoschoolthenextday.
I'donlyfallenintofeverishsleepatthreeinthemorning,butat
seventhenextday,myDadwasstandingatthefootofmybed,
threateningtodragmeoutbytheankles.Imanagedtogetup
somethinghaddiedinmymouthafterpaintingmyeyelidsshut
andintotheshower.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/34
Iletmymomforceapieceoftoastandabananaintome,
wishingferventlythatmyparentswouldletmedrinkcoffeeat
home.Icouldsneakoneonthewaytoschool,butwatchingthem
sipdowntheirblackgoldwhileIwasdragassingaroundthe
house,gettingdressedandputtingmybooksinmybagitwas
awful.

theyknowwhereyouare,whereyoubeen.WhyyouthinkIleft
Turkey?Whereyouhavegovernmentalwaysspyingonthe
people,isnogood.ImoveheretwentyyearsagoforfreedomI
nohelpthemtakefreedomaway."
"You'regoingtolosesomanysales,"Iblurted.Iwantedtotell
himhewasaheroandshakehishand,butthatwaswhatcame
out."Everyoneusesdebitcards."

I'vewalkedtoschoolathousandtimes,buttodayitwas
different.Iwentupandoverthehillstogetdownintothe
Mission,andeverywherethereweretrucks.Isawnewsensors
"Maybenotsomuchanymore.Maybemycustomerscomehere
andtrafficcamerasinstalledatmanyofthestopsigns.Someone becausetheyknowIlovefreedomtoo.Iammakingsignfor
hadalotofsurveillancegearlyingaround,waitingtobeinstalled window.Maybeotherstoresdothesame.IheartheACLUwill
atthefirstopportunity.TheattackontheBayBridgehadbeen
suethemforthis."
justwhattheyneeded.
"You'vegotallmybusinessfromnowon,"Isaid.Imeantit.I
Itallmadethecityseemmoresubdued,likebeinginsidean
reachedintomypocket."Um,Idon'thaveanycash,though."
elevator,embarrassedbytheclosescrutinyofyourneighborsand
theubiquitouscameras.
Hepursedhislipsandnodded."Manypeoplessaythesame
thing.IsOK.Yougivetoday'smoneytotheACLU."
TheTurkishcoffeeshopon24thStreetfixedmeupgoodwitha
gocupofTurkishcoffee.Basically,Turkishcoffeeismud,
Intwominutes,theTurkandIhadexchangedmorewordsthan
pretendingtobecoffee.It'sthickenoughtostandaspoonupin,
wehadinallthetimeI'dbeencomingtohisshop.Ihadnoidea
andithaswaymorecaffeinethanthekiddeepopslikeRedBull. hehadallthesepassions.Ijustthoughtofhimasmyfriendly
Takeitfromsomeonewho'sreadtheWikipediaentry:thisishow neighborhoodcaffeinedealer.NowIshookhishandandwhenI
theOttomanEmpirewaswon:maddenedhorsemenfueledby
lefthisstore,IfeltlikeheandIhadjoinedateam.Asecretteam.
lethaljetblackcoffeemud.
#
Ipulledoutmydebitcardtopayandhemadeaface."Nomore
debit,"hesaid.
I'dmissedtwodaysofschoolbutitseemedlikeIhadn'tmissed
muchclass.They'dshuttheschoolononeofthosedayswhilethe
"Huh?Whynot?"I'dpaidformycoffeehabitonmycardfor
cityscrambledtorecover.Thenextdayhadbeendevoted,it
yearsattheTurk's.Heusedtohasslemeallthetime,tellingmeI seemed,tomourningthosemissingandpresumeddead.The
wastooyoungtodrinkthestuff,andhestillrefusedtoserveme newspaperspublishedbiographiesofthelost,personal
atallduringschoolhours,convincedthatIwasskippingclass.
memorials.TheWebwasfilledwiththesecapsuleobituaries,
Butovertheyears,theTurkandmehavedevelopedakindof
thousandsofthem.
gruffunderstanding.
Embarrassingly,Iwasoneofthosepeople.Isteppedintothe
Heshookhisheadsadly."Youwouldn'tunderstand.Goto
schoolyard,notknowingthis,andthentherewasashoutanda
school,kid."
momentlatertherewereahundredpeoplearoundme,pounding
meontheback,shakingmyhand.AcouplegirlsIdidn'teven
There'snosurerwaytomakemewanttounderstandthantotell knowkissedme,andtheyweremorethanfriendlykisses.Ifelt
meIwon't.Iwheedledhim,demandingthathetellme.Helooked likearockstar.
likehewasgoingtothrowmeout,butwhenIaskedhimifhe
thoughtIwasn'tgoodenoughtoshopthere,heopenedup.
Myteacherswereonlyalittlemoresubdued.MsGalvezcried
asmuchasmymotherhadandhuggedmethreetimesbeforeshe
"Thesecurity,"hesaid,lookingaroundhislittleshopwithits
letmegotomydeskandsitdown.Therewassomethingnewat
tubsofdriedbeansandseeds,itsshelvesofTurkishgroceries.
thefrontoftheclassroom.Acamera.MsGalvezcaughtme
"Thegovernment.Theymonitoritallnow,itwasinthepapers.
staringatitandhandedmeapermissionsliponsmearyXeroxed
PATRIOTActII,theCongresspassedityesterday.Nowtheycan schoolletterhead.
monitoreverytimeyouuseyourcard.Isayno.Isaymyshop
willnothelpthemspyonmycustomers."
TheBoardoftheSanFranciscoUnifiedSchoolDistricthad
heldanemergencysessionovertheweekendandunanimously
Myjawdropped.
votedtoasktheparentsofeverykidinthecityforpermissionto
putclosedcircuittelevisioncamerasineveryclassroomand
"Youthinkit'snobigdealmaybe?Whatistheproblemwith
corridor.Thelawsaidtheycouldn'tforceustogotoschoolwith
governmentknowingwhenyoubuycoffee?Becauseit'soneway camerasallovertheplace,butitdidn'tsayanythingaboutus

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/35
volunteeringtogiveupourConstitutionalrights.Thelettersaid
thattheBoardweresurethattheywouldgetcompletecompliance
fromtheCity'sparents,butthattheywouldmakearrangementsto
teachthosekids'whoseparentsobjectedinaseparatesetof
"unprotected"classrooms.
Whydidwehavecamerasinourclassroomsnow?Terrorists.
Ofcourse.Becausebyblowingupabridge,terroristshad
indicatedthatschoolswerenext.Somehowthatwasthe
conclusionthattheBoardhadreachedanyway.
IreadthisnotethreetimesandthenIstuckmyhandup.
"Yes,Marcus?"
"MsGalvez,aboutthisnote?"
"Yes,Marcus."

intoeverycongresscritter'sofficetoleanonhimandlethim
knowwhatitwouldmeanforhispoliticalfutureifhekepton
denyingwomenthevote.ItwasnormallythekindofthingI
reallylikedlittleguysmakingthebigandpowerfulbehonest.
ButtodayIcouldn'tconcentrate.ItmusthavebeenDarryl's
absence.WebothlikedSocialStudiesandwewouldhavehad
ourSchoolBooksoutandanIMsessionupsecondsaftersitting
down,abackchannelfortalkingaboutthelesson.
I'dburnedtwentyParanoidXboxdiscsthenightbeforeandI
hadthemallinmybag.IhandedthemouttopeopleIknewwere
really,reallyintogaming.They'dallgottenanXboxUniversalor
twotheyearbefore,butmostofthemhadstoppedusingthem.
Thegameswerereallyexpensiveandnotalotoffun.Itookthem
asidebetweenperiods,atlunchandstudyhall,andsangthe
praisesoftheParanoidXboxgamestothesky.Freeandfun
addictivesocialgameswithlotsofcoolpeopleplayingthemfrom
allovertheworld.

"Isn'tthepointofterrorismtomakeusafraid?That'swhyit's
calledterrorism,right?"

Givingawayonethingtosellanotheriswhattheycalla"razor
bladebusiness"companieslikeGillettegiveyoufree
razorbladehandlesandthenstiffyoubychargingyouasmall
fortunefortheblades.Printercartridgesaretheworstforthat
"Isupposeso."Theclasswasstaringatme.Iwasn'tthebest
studentinschool,butIdidlikeagoodinclassdebate.Theywere themostexpensiveChampagneintheworldischeapwhen
comparedwithinkjetink,whichcostsallofapennyagallonto
waitingtohearwhatI'dsaynext.
makewholesale.
"Soaren'twedoingwhattheterroristswantfromus?Don'tthey
Razorbladebusinessesdependonyounotbeingabletogetthe
winifweactallafraidandputcamerasintheclassroomsandall
"blades"fromsomeoneelse.Afterall,ifGillettecanmakenine
ofthat?"
bucksonatendollarreplacementblade,whynotstarta
competitorthatmakesonlyfourbuckssellinganidenticalblade:
Therewassomenervoustittering.Oneoftheothersputhis
an80percentprofitmarginisthekindofthingthatmakesyour
handup.ItwasCharles.MsGalvezcalledonhim.
averagebusinessguygoalldroolyandroundeyed.
"Puttingcamerasinmakesussafe,whichmakesuslessafraid."
SorazorbladecompanieslikeMicrosoftpouralotofeffort
intomakingithardand/orillegaltocompetewiththemonthe
"Safefromwhat?"Isaid,withoutwaitingtobecalledon.
blades.InMicrosoft'scase,everyXboxhashadcountermeasures
"Terrorism,"Charlessaid.Theotherswerenoddingtheirheads. tokeepyoufromrunningsoftwarethatwasreleasedbypeople
whodidn'tpaytheMicrosoftbloodmoneyfortherighttosell
Xboxprograms.
"Howdotheydothat?Ifasuicidebomberrushedinhereand
blewusallup"
ThepeopleImetdidn'tthinkmuchaboutthisstuff.They
perkedupwhenItoldthemthatthegameswereunmonitored.
"MsGalvez,Marcusisviolatingschoolpolicy.We'renot
Thesedays,anyonlinegameyouplayisfilledwithallkindsof
supposedtomakejokesaboutterroristattacks"
unsavorysorts.Firsttherearethepervswhotrytogetyouto
comeouttosomeremotelocationsotheycangoallweirdand
"Who'smakingjokes?"
SilenceoftheLambsonyou.Thentherearethecops,whoare
pretendingtobegulliblekidssotheycanbustthepervs.Worstof
"Thankyou,bothofyou,"MsGalvezsaid.Shelookedreally
all,though,arethemonitorswhospendalltheirtimespyingon
unhappy.Ifeltkindofbadforhijackingherclass."Ithinkthat
ourdiscussionsandsnitchingonusforviolatingtheirTermsof
thisisareallyinterestingdiscussion,butI'dliketoholditover
Service,whichsay,noflirting,nocussing,andno"clearor
forafutureclass.Ithinkthattheseissuesmaybetooemotional
forustohaveadiscussionaboutthemtoday.Now,let'sgetback maskedlanguagewhichinsultinglyreferstoanyaspectofsexual
orientationorsexuality."
tothesuffragists,shallwe?"
I'mno24/7horndog,butI'maseventeenyearoldboy.Sex
Sowespenttherestofthehourtalkingaboutsuffragistsand
thenewlobbyingstrategiesthey'ddevisedforgettingfourwomen doescomeupinconversationeverynowandagain.ButGodhelp

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/36
youifitcameupinchatwhileyouweregaming.Itwasareal
buzzkill.NoonemonitoredtheParanoidXboxgames,because
theyweren'trunbyacompany:theywerejustgamesthathackers
hadwrittenforthehellofit.
Sothesegamekidslovedthestory.Theytookthediscs
greedily,andpromisedtoburncopiesforalloftheirfriends
afterall,gamesaremostfunwhenyou'replayingthemwithyour
buddies.

Ikeptonusingmylaptop,thoughIgotaskincrawlyfeeling
whenIusedit.WhoeverhadwiretappeditwouldwonderwhyI
didn'tuseit.IfiguredI'djustdosomerandomsurfingwithit
everyday,alittlelesseachday,sothatanyonewatchingwould
seemeslowlychangingmyhabits,notdoingasuddenreversal.
MostlyIreadthosecreepyobitsallthosethousandsofmy
friendsandneighborsdeadatthebottomoftheBay.

Truthbetold,Iwasdoinglessandlesshomeworkeveryday.I
hadbusinesselsewhere.IburnednewstacksofParanoidXbox
WhenIgothome,Ireadthatagroupofparentsweresuingthe everyday,fiftyorsixty,andtookthemaroundthecitytopeople
schoolboardoverthesurveillancecamerasintheclassrooms,but I'dheardwerewillingtoburnsixtyoftheirownandhandthem
thatthey'dalreadylosttheirbidtogetapreliminaryinjunction
outtotheirfriends.
againstthem.
Iwasn'ttooworriedaboutgettingcaughtdoingthis,becauseI
#
hadgoodcryptoonmyside.Cryptoiscryptography,or"secret
writing,"andit'sbeenaroundsinceRomantimes(literally:
Idon'tknowwhocameupwiththenameXnet,butitstuck.
AugustusCaesarwasabigfanandlikedtoinventhisowncodes,
You'dhearpeopletalkingaboutitontheMuni.Vancalledmeup someofwhichweusetodayforscramblingjokepunchlinesin
toaskmeifI'dheardofitandInearlychokedonceIfiguredout email).
whatshewastalkingabout:thediscsI'dstarteddistributinglast
weekhadbeensneakernettedandcopiedallthewaytoOakland
Cryptoismath.Hardmath.I'mnotgoingtotrytoexplainitin
inthespaceoftwoweeks.Itmademelookovermyshoulder
detailbecauseIdon'thavethemathtoreallygetmyheadaround
likeI'dbrokenaruleandnowtheDHSwouldcomeandtakeme it,eitherlookituponWikipediaifyoureallywant.
awayforever.
Buthere'stheCliff'sNotesversion:Somekindsof
They'dbeenhardweeks.TheBARThadcompletelyabandoned mathematicalfunctionsarereallyeasytodoinonedirectionand
cashfaresnow,switchingthemforarphid"contactless"cardsthat reallyhardtodointheotherdirection.It'seasytomultiplytwo
youwavedattheturnstilestogothrough.Theywerecooland
bigprimenumberstogetherandmakeagiantnumber.It'sreally,
convenient,buteverytimeIusedone,IthoughtabouthowIwas reallyhardtotakeanygivengiantnumberandfigureoutwhich
beingtracked.SomeoneonXnetpostedalinktoanElectronic
primesmultiplytogethertogiveyouthatnumber.
FrontierFoundationwhitepaperonthewaysthatthesethings
couldbeusedtotrackpeople,andthepaperhadtinystoriesabout
Thatmeansthatifyoucancomeupwithawayofscrambling
littlegroupsofpeoplethathadprotestedattheBARTstations.
somethingbasedonmultiplyinglargeprimes,unscramblingit
withoutknowingthoseprimeswillbehard.Wickedhard.Like,a
IusedtheXnetforalmosteverythingnow.I'dsetupafake
trillionyearsofallthecomputerseverinventedworking24/7
emailaddressthroughthePirateParty,aSwedishpoliticalparty
won'tbeabletodoit.
thathatedInternetsurveillanceandpromisedtokeeptheirmail
accountsasecretfromeveryone,eventhecops.Iaccessedit
Therearefourpartstoanycryptomessage:theoriginal
strictlyviaXnet,hoppingfromoneneighbor'sInternetconnection message,calledthe"cleartext."Thescrambledmessage,called
tothenext,stayinganonymousIhopedallthewayto
the"ciphertext."Thescramblingsystem,calledthe"cipher."And
Sweden.Iwasn'tusingw1n5tonanymore.IfBensoncouldfigure finallythere'sthekey:secretstuffyoufeedintothecipheralong
itout,anyonecould.Mynewhandle,comeupwithonthespurof withthecleartexttomakeciphertext.
themoment,wasM1k3y,andIgotalotofemailfrompeople
whoheardinchatroomsandmessageboardsthatIcouldhelp
Itusedtobethatcryptopeopletriedtokeepallofthisasecret.
themtroubleshoottheirXnetconfigurationsandconnections.
Everyagencyandgovernmenthaditsownciphersanditsown
keys.TheNazisandtheAlliesdidn'twanttheotherguystoknow
ImissedHarajukuFunMadness.Thecompanyhadsuspended howtheyscrambledtheirmessages,letalonethekeysthatthey
thegameindefinitely.Theysaidthatfor"securityreasons"they
couldusetodescramblethem.Thatsoundslikeagoodidea,
didn'tthinkitwouldbeagoodideatohidethingsandthensend
right?
peopleofftofindthem.Whatifsomeonethoughtitwasabomb?
Whatifsomeoneputabombinthesamespot?
Wrong.
WhatifIgothitbylightningwhilewalkingwithanumbrella?
Banumbrellas!Fightthemenaceoflightning!

Thefirsttimeanyonetoldmeaboutallthisprimefactoring
stuff,Iimmediatelysaid,"Noway,that'sBS.Imean,sureit's
hardtodothisprimefactorizationstuff,whateveryousayitis.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/37
Butitusedtobeimpossibletoflyorgotothemoonorgeta
harddrivewithmorethanafewkilobytesofstorage.Someone
musthaveinventedawayofdescramblingthemessages."Ihad
visionsofahollowmountainfullofNationalSecurityAgency
mathematiciansreadingeveryemailintheworldandsnickering.
Infact,that'sprettymuchwhathappenedduringWorldWarII.
That'sthereasonthatlifeisn'tmorelikeCastleWolfenstein,
whereI'vespentmanydayshuntingNazis.

mightdo.
Youhavetopublishaciphertoknowthatitworks.Youhaveto
tellasmanypeopleaspossiblehowitworks,sothattheycan
thwackonitwitheverythingtheyhave,testingitssecurity.The
longeryougowithoutanyonefindingaflaw,themoresecureyou
are.

Whichishowitstandstoday.Ifyouwanttobesafe,youdon't
usecryptothatsomegeniusthoughtoflastweek.Youusethe
Thethingis,ciphersarehardtokeepsecret.There'salotof
stuffthatpeoplehavebeenusingforaslongaspossiblewithout
maththatgoesintoone,andifthey'rewidelyused,theneveryone anyonefiguringouthowtobreakthem.Whetheryou'reabank,a
whousesthemhastokeepthemasecrettoo,andifsomeone
terrorist,agovernmentorateenager,youusethesameciphers.
changessides,youhavetofindanewcipher.
Ifyoutriedtouseyourowncipher,there'dbethechancethat
TheNazicipherwascalledEnigma,andtheyusedalittle
someoneouttherehadfoundaflawyoumissedandwasdoinga
mechanicalcomputercalledanEnigmaMachinetoscrambleand Turingonyourbutt,decipheringallyour"secret"messagesand
unscramblethemessagestheygot.Everysubandboatandstation chucklingatyourdumbgossip,financialtransactionsandmilitary
neededoneofthese,soitwasinevitablethateventuallytheAllies secrets.
wouldgettheirhandsonone.
SoIknewthatcryptowouldkeepmesafefromeavesdroppers,
Whentheydid,theycrackedit.Thatworkwasledbymy
butIwasn'treadytodealwithhistograms.
personalalltimehero,aguynamedAlanTuring,whopretty
muchinventedcomputersasweknowthemtoday.Unfortunately
#
forhim,hewasgay,soafterthewarended,thestupidBritish
governmentforcedhimtogetshotupwithhormonesto"cure"his
IgotofftheBARTandwavedmycardovertheturnstileasI
homosexualityandhekilledhimself.Darrylgavemeabiography headeduptothe24thStreetstation.Asusual,therewerelotsof
ofTuringformy14thbirthdaywrappedintwentylayersof
weirdoshangingoutinthestation,drunksandJesusfreaksand
paperandinarecycledBatmobiletoy,hewaslikethatwith
intenseMexicanmenstaringatthegroundandafewgangkids.I
presentsandI'vebeenaTuringjunkieeversince.
lookedstraightpastthemasIhitthestairsandjoggeduptothe
surface.Mybagwasemptynow,nolongerbulgingwiththe
NowtheAllieshadtheEnigmaMachine,andtheycould
ParanoidXboxdiscsI'dbeendistributing,anditmademy
interceptlotsofNaziradiomessages,whichshouldn'thavebeen shouldersfeellightandputaspringinmystepasIcameupthe
thatbigadeal,sinceeverycaptainhadhisownsecretkey.Since street.Thepreacherswereatworkstill,exhortinginSpanishand
theAlliesdidn'thavethekeys,havingthemachineshouldn'thave EnglishaboutJesusandsoon.
helped.
Thecounterfeitsunglasssellersweregone,butthey'dbeen
Here'swheresecrecyhurtscrypto.TheEnigmacipherwas
replacedbyguyssellingrobotdogsthatbarkedthenational
flawed.OnceTuringlookedhardatit,hefiguredoutthatthe
anthemandwouldlifttheirlegsifyoushowedthemapictureof
Nazicryptographershadmadeamathematicalmistake.By
OsamabinLaden.Therewasprobablysomecoolstuffgoingon
gettinghishandsonanEnigmaMachine,Turingcouldfigureout intheirlittlebrainsandImadeamentalnotetopickacoupleof
themupandtakethemapartlater.Facerecognitionwaspretty
howtocrackanyNazimessage,nomatterwhatkeyitused.
newintoys,havingonlyrecentlymadetheleapfromthemilitary
ThatcosttheNazisthewar.Imean,don'tgetmewrong.That's tocasinostryingtofindcheats,tolawenforcement.
goodnews.TakeitfromaCastleWolfensteinveteran.You
Istarteddown24thStreettowardPotreroHillandhome,rolling
wouldn'twanttheNazisrunningthecountry.
myshouldersandsmellingtheburritosmellswaftingoutofthe
Afterthewar,cryptographersspentalotoftimethinkingabout restaurantsandthinkingaboutdinner.
this.TheproblemhadbeenthatTuringwassmarterthantheguy
Idon'tknowwhyIhappenedtoglancebackovermyshoulder,
whothoughtupEnigma.Anytimeyouhadacipher,youwere
vulnerabletosomeonesmarterthanyoucomingupwithawayof butIdid.Maybeitwasalittlebitofsubconscioussixthsense
stuff.IknewIwasbeingfollowed.
breakingit.
Theyweretwobeefywhiteguyswithlittlemustachesthat
Andthemoretheythoughtaboutit,themoretheyrealizedthat
mademethinkofeithercopsorthegaybikerswhorodeupand
anyonecancomeupwithasecuritysystemthathecan'tfigure
outhowtobreak.Butnoonecanfigureoutwhatasmarterperson downtheCastro,butgayguysusuallyhadbetterhaircuts.They

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/38
hadonwindbreakersthecolorofoldcementandbluejeans,with
theirwaistbandsconcealed.Ithoughtofallthethingsacopmight
wearonhiswaistband,oftheutilitybeltthatDHSguyinthe
truckhadworn.BothguyswerewearingBluetoothheadsets.
Ikeptwalking,myheartthumpinginmychest.I'dbeen
expectingthissinceIstarted.I'dbeenexpectingtheDHSto
figureoutwhatIwasdoing.Itookeveryprecaution,but
SevereHaircutwomanhadtoldmethatshe'dbewatchingme.
She'dtoldmeIwasamarkedman.IrealizedthatI'dbeenwaiting
togetpickedupandtakenbacktojail.Whynot?Whyshould
Darrylbeinjailandnotme?WhatdidIhavegoingforme?I
hadn'tevenhadthegutstotellmyparentsorhiswhathad
reallyhappenedtous.
Iquickenedmystepsandtookamentalinventory.Ididn'thave
anythingincriminatinginmybag.Nottooincriminating,anyway.
MySchoolBookwasrunningthecrackthatletmeIMandstuff,
buthalfthepeopleinschoolhadthat.I'dchangedthewayI
encryptedthestuffonmyphonenowIdidhaveafakepartition
thatIcouldturnbackintocleartextwithonepassword,butallthe
goodstuffwashidden,andneededanotherpasswordtoopenup.
Thathiddensectionlookedjustlikerandomjunkwhenyou
encryptdata,itbecomesindistinguishablefromrandomnoise
andthey'dneverevenknowitwasthere.
Therewerenodiscsinmybag.Mylaptopwasfreeof
incriminatingevidence.Ofcourse,iftheythoughttolookhardat
myXbox,itwasgameover.Sotospeak.
IstoppedwhereIwasstanding.I'ddoneasgoodajobasI
couldofcoveringmyself.Itwastimetofacemyfate.Istepped
intothenearestburritojointandorderedonewithcarnitas
shreddedporkandextrasalsa.Mightaswellgodownwitha
fullstomach.Igotabucketofhorchata,too,anicecoldrice
drinkthat'slikewatery,semisweetricepudding(betterthanit
sounds).
Isatdowntoeat,andaprofoundcalmfelloverme.Iwasabout
togotojailformy"crimes,"orIwasn't.Myfreedomsincethey'd
takenmeinhadbeenjustatemporaryholiday.Mycountrywas
notmyfriendanymore:wewerenowondifferentsidesandI'd
knownIcouldneverwin.
ThetwoguyscameintotherestaurantasIwasfinishingthe
burritoandgoinguptoordersomechurrosdeepfrieddough
withcinnamonsugarfordessert.Iguessthey'dbeenwaiting
outsideandgottiredofmydawdling.
Theystoodbehindmeatthecounter,boxingmein.Itookmy
churrofromtheprettygrannyandpaidher,takingacoupleof
quickbitesofthedoughbeforeIturnedaround.Iwantedtoeatat
leastalittleofmydessert.ItmightbethelastdessertIgotfora
long,longtime.
ThenIturnedaround.TheywerebothsocloseIcouldseethe

zitonthecheekoftheoneontheleft,thelittleboogerupthenose
oftheother.
"'Scuseme,"Isaid,tryingtopushpastthem.Theonewiththe
boogermovedtoblockme.
"Sir,"hesaid,"canyoustepoverherewithus?"Hegestured
towardtherestaurant'sdoor.
"Sorry,I'meating,"Isaidandmovedagain.Thistimeheput
hishandonmychest.Hewasbreathingfastthroughhisnose,
makingtheboogerwiggle.IthinkIwasbreathinghardtoo,butit
washardtotelloverthehammeringofmyheart.
Theotheroneflippeddownaflaponthefrontofhis
windbreakertorevealaSFPDinsignia."Police,"hesaid."Please
comewithus."
"Letmejustgetmystuff,"Isaid.
"We'lltakecareofthat,"hesaid.Theboogeronesteppedright
upclosetome,hisfootontheinsideofmine.Youdothatin
somemartialarts,too.Itletsyoufeeliftheotherguyisshifting
hisweight,gettingreadytomove.
Iwasn'tgoingtorun,though.IknewIcouldn'toutrunfate.
Chapter7
ThischapterisdedicatedtoNewYorkCity'sBooksofWonder,
theoldestandlargestkids'bookstoreinManhattan.They're
locatedjustafewblocksawayfromTorBooks'officesinthe
FlatironBuildingandeverytimeIdropintomeetwiththeTor
people,IalwayssneakawaytoBooksofWondertoperusetheir
stockofnew,usedandrarekids'books.I'maheavycollectorof
rareeditionsofAliceinWonderland,andBooksofWondernever
failstoexcitemewithsomebeautiful,limitededitionAlice.They
havetonsofeventsforkidsandoneofthemostinviting
atmospheresI'veeverexperiencedatabookstore.
BooksofWonderhttp://www.booksofwonder.com/18West18th
St,NewYork,NY10011USA+12129893270
Theytookmeoutsideandaroundthecorner,toawaiting
unmarkedpolicecar.Itwasn'tlikeanyoneinthatneighborhood
wouldhavehadahardtimefiguringoutthatitwasacopcar,
though.OnlypolicedrivebigCrownVictoriasnowthatgashad
hitsevenbucksagallon.What'smore,onlycopscould
doubleparkinthemiddleofVanNessstreetwithoutgetting
towedbytheschoolsofpredatorytowoperatorsthatcircled
endlessly,readytoenforceSanFrancisco'sincomprehensible
parkingregulationsandcollectabountyforkidnappingyourcar.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/39
Boogerblewhisnose.Iwassittinginthebackseat,andsowas
he.Hispartnerwassittinginthefront,typingwithonefingeron
anancient,ruggedizedlaptopthatlookedlikeFredFlintstonehad
beenitsoriginalowner.
BoogerlookedcloselyatmyIDagain."Wejustwanttoask
youafewroutinequestions."
"CanIseeyourbadges?"Isaid.Theseguyswereclearlycops,
butitcouldn'thurttoletthemknowIknewmyrights.
Boogerflashedhisbadgeatmetoofastformetogetagood
lookatit,butZitinthefrontseatgavemealonglookathis.Igot
theirdivisionnumberandmemorizedthefourdigitbadge
number.Itwaseasy:1337isalsothewayhackerswrite"leet,"or
"elite."
Theywerebothbeingverypoliteandneitherofthemwas
tryingtointimidatemethewaythattheDHShaddonewhenI
wasintheircustody.
"AmIunderarrest?"
"You'vebeenmomentarilydetainedsothatwecanensureyour
safetyandthegeneralpublicsafety,"Boogersaid.

stationwithafunnyridehistory?Youmustbebusy."
"Noteveryone,Marcus.Wegetanalertwhenanyonewithan
uncommonrideprofilecomesoutandthathelpsusassess
whetherwewanttoinvestigate.Inyourcase,wecamealong
becausewewantedtoknowwhyasmartlookingkidlikeyouhad
suchafunnyrideprofile?"
NowthatIknewIwasn'tabouttogotojail,Iwasgetting
pissed.TheseguyshadnobusinessspyingonmeChrist,the
BARThadnobusinesshelpingthemtospyonme.Wherethe
helldidmysubwaypassgetoffonfinkingmeoutforhavinga
"nonstandardridepattern?"
"IthinkI'dliketobearrestednow,"Isaid.
Boogersatbackandraisedhiseyebrowatme.
"Really?Onwhatcharge?"
"Oh,youmeanridingpublictransitinanonstandardwayisn'ta
crime?"
Zitclosedhiseyesandscrubbedthemwithhisthumbs.

Hepassedmydriver'slicenseuptoZit,whopeckeditslowly
intohiscomputer.Isawhimmakeatypoandalmostcorrected
him,butfigureditwasbettertojustkeepmymouthshut.

Boogersighedaputuponsigh."Look,Marcus,we'reonyour
sidehere.Weusethissystemtocatchbadguys.Tocatch
terroristsanddrugdealers.Maybeyou'readrugdealeryourself.
Prettygoodwaytogetaroundthecity,aFastPass.Anonymous."

"Isthereanythingyouwanttotellme,Marcus?Dotheycall
youMarc?"

"What'swrongwithanonymous?Itwasgoodenoughfor
ThomasJefferson.Andbytheway,amIunderarrest?"

"Marcusisfine,"Isaid.Boogerlookedlikehemightbeanice
guy.Exceptforthepartaboutkidnappingmeintohiscar,of
course.
"Marcus.Anythingyouwanttotellme?"
"Likewhat?AmIunderarrest?"
"You'renotunderarrestrightnow,"Boogersaid."Wouldyou
liketobe?"
"No,"Isaid.
"Good.We'vebeenwatchingyousinceyoulefttheBART.
YourFastPasssaysthatyou'vebeenridingtoalotofstrange
placesatalotoffunnyhours."
Ifeltsomethingletgoinsidemychest.Thiswasn'taboutthe
Xnetatall,then,notreally.They'dbeenwatchingmysubwayuse
andwantedtoknowwhyithadbeensofreakylately.Howtotally
stupid.
"SoyouguysfolloweveryonewhocomesoutoftheBART

"Let'stakehimhome,"Zitsaid."Wecantalktohisparents."
"Ithinkthat'sagreatidea,"Isaid."I'msuremyparentswillbe
anxioustohearhowtheirtaxdollarsarebeingspent"
I'dpushedittoofar.Boogerhadbeenreachingforthedoor
handlebutnowhewhirledonme,allHulkedoutandthrobbing
veins."Whydon'tyoushutuprightnow,whileit'sstillanoption?
Aftereverythingthat'shappenedinthepasttwoweeks,it
wouldn'tkillyoutocooperatewithus.Youknowwhat,maybe
weshouldarrestyou.Youcanspendadayortwoinjailwhile
yourlawyerlooksforyou.Alotcanhappeninthattime.Alot.
How'dyoulikethat?"
Ididn'tsayanything.I'dbeengiddyandangry.NowIwas
scaredwitless.
"I'msorry,"Imanaged,hatingmyselfagainforsayingit.
BoogergotinthefrontseatandZitputthecaringear,cruising
up24thStreetandoverPotreroHill.Theyhadmyaddressfrom
myID.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/40
Momansweredthedooraftertheyrangthebell,leavingthe
chainon.Shepeekedaroundit,sawmeandsaid,"Marcus?Who
arethesemen?"
"Police,"Boogersaid.Heshowedherhisbadge,lettingherget
agoodlookatitnotwhippingitawaythewayhehadwithme.
"Canwecomein?"
Momclosedthedoorandtookthechainoffandletthemin.
TheybroughtmeinandMomgavethethreeofusoneofher
looks.
"What'sthisabout?"
Boogerpointedatme."Wewantedtoaskyoursonsome
routinequestionsabouthismovements,buthedeclinedtoanswer
them.Wefeltitmightbebesttobringhimhere."
"Isheunderarrest?"Mom'saccentwascomingonstrong.
GoodoldMom.
"AreyouaUnitedStatescitizen,ma'am?"Zitsaid.
Shegavehimalookthatcouldhavestrippedpaint."Ishoream,
hyuck,"shesaid,inabroadsouthernaccent."AmIunderarrest?"
Thetwocopsexchangedalook.
Zittookthefore."Weseemtohavegottenofftoabadstart.
Weidentifiedyoursonassomeonewithanonstandardpublic
transitusagepattern,aspartofanewproactiveenforcement
program.Whenwespotpeoplewhosetravelsareunusual,orthat
matchasuspiciousprofile,weinvestigatefurther."
"Wait,"Momsaid."Howdoyouknowhowmysonusesthe
Muni?"
"TheFastPass,"hesaid."Ittracksvoyages."
"Isee,"Momsaid,foldingherarms.Foldingherarmswasa
badsign.Itwasbadenoughshehadn'tofferedthemacupoftea
inMomland,thatwaspracticallylikemakingthemshout
throughthemailslotbutonceshefoldedherarms,itwasnot
goingtoendwellforthem.Atthatmoment,Iwantedtogoand
buyherabigbunchofflowers.
"Marcusheredeclinedtotelluswhyhismovementshadbeen
whattheywere."
"Areyousayingyouthinkmysonisaterroristbecauseofhow
heridesthebus?"
"Terroristsaren'ttheonlybadguyswecatchthisway,"Zitsaid.
"Drugdealers.Gangkids.Evenshoplifterssmartenoughtohita
differentneighborhoodwitheveryrun."

"Youthinkmysonisadrugdealer?"
"We'renotsayingthat"Zitbegan.Momclappedherhandsat
himtoshuthimup.
"Marcus,pleasepassmeyourbackpack."
Idid.
Momunzippeditandlookedthroughit,turningherbacktous
first.
"Officers,Icannowaffirmthattherearenonarcotics,
explosives,orshopliftedgewgawsinmyson'sbag.Ithinkwe're
donehere.Iwouldlikeyourbadgenumbersbeforeyougo,
please."
Boogersneeredather."Lady,theACLUissuingthreehundred
copsontheSFPD,you'regoingtohavetogetinline."
#
Mommademeacupofteaandthenchewedmeoutforeating
dinnerwhenIknewthatshe'dbeenmakingfalafel.Dadcame
homewhilewewerestillatthetableandMomandItookturns
tellinghimthestory.Heshookhishead.
"Lillian,theywerejustdoingtheirjobs."Hewasstillwearing
theblueblazerandkhakisheworeonthedaysthathewas
consultinginSiliconValley."Theworldisn'tthesameplaceit
waslastweek."
Momsetdownherteacup."Drew,you'rebeingridiculous.
Yoursonisnotaterrorist.Hisuseofthepublictransitsystemis
notcauseforapoliceinvestigation."
Dadtookoffhisblazer."Wedothisallthetimeatmywork.It's
howcomputerscanbeusedtofindallkindsoferrors,anomalies
andoutcomes.Youaskthecomputertocreateaprofileofan
averagerecordinadatabaseandthenaskittofindoutwhich
recordsinthedatabasearefurthestawayfromaverage.It'spartof
somethingcalledBayesiananalysisandit'sbeenaroundfor
centuriesnow.Withoutit,wecouldn'tdospamfiltering"
"Soyou'resayingthatyouthinkthepoliceshouldsuckashard
asmyspamfilter?"Isaid.
Dadnevergotangryatmeforarguingwithhim,buttonightI
couldseethestrainwasrunninghighinhim.Still,Icouldn't
resist.Myownfather,takingthepolice'sside!
"I'msayingthatit'sperfectlyreasonableforthepoliceto
conducttheirinvestigationsbystartingwithdatamining,and
thenfollowingitupwithlegworkwhereahumanbeingactually
intervenestoseewhytheabnormalityexists.Idon'tthinkthata
computershouldbetellingthepolicewhomtoarrest,justhelping

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/41
themsortthroughthehaystacktofindaneedle."
"Butbytakinginallthatdatafromthetransitsystem,they're
creatingthehaystack,"Isaid."That'sagiganticmountainofdata
andthere'salmostnothingworthlookingatthere,fromthe
police'spointofview.It'satotalwaste."
"Iunderstandthatyoudon'tlikethatthissystemcausedyou
someinconvenience,Marcus.Butyouofallpeopleshould
appreciatethegravityofthesituation.Therewasnoharmdone,
wasthere?Theyevengaveyouaridehome."
Theythreatenedtosendmetojail,Ithought,butIcouldsee
therewasnopointinsayingit.
"Besides,youstillhaven'ttolduswheretheblazinghellsyou've
beentocreatesuchanunusualtrafficpattern."
Thatbroughtmeupshort.
"Ithoughtyoureliedonmyjudgment,thatyoudidn'twantto
spyonme."He'dsaidthisoftenenough."Doyoureallywantme
toaccountforeverytripI'veevertaken?"
#
IhookedupmyXboxassoonasIgottomyroom.I'dbolted
theprojectortotheceilingsothatitcouldshineonthewallover
mybed(I'dhadtotakedownmyawesomemuralofpunkrock
handbillsI'dtakendownofftelephonepolesandgluedtobig
sheetsofwhitepaper).
IpowereduptheXboxandwatchedasitcameontothescreen.
IwasgoingtoemailVanandJolutotellthemaboutthehassles
withthecops,butasIputmyfingerstothekeyboard,Istopped
again.
Afeelingcreptoverme,onenotunlikethefeelingI'dhadwhen
Irealizedthatthey'dturnedpooroldSalmagundiintoatraitor.
Thistime,itwasthefeelingthatmybelovedXnetmightbe
broadcastingthelocationofeveryoneofitsuserstotheDHS.
ItwaswhatDadhadsaid:Youaskthecomputertocreatea
profileofanaveragerecordinadatabaseandthenaskittofind
outwhichrecordsinthedatabasearefurthestawayfrom
average.
TheXnetwassecurebecauseitsusersweren'tdirectly
connectedtotheInternet.TheyhoppedfromXboxtoXboxuntil
theyfoundonethatwasconnectedtotheInternet,thenthey
injectedtheirmaterialasundecipherable,encrypteddata.Noone
couldtellwhichoftheInternet'spacketswereXnetandwhich
oneswerejustplainoldbankingandecommerceandother
encryptedcommunication.Youcouldn'tfindoutwhowastying
theXnet,letalonewhowasusingtheXnet.

ButwhataboutDad's"Bayesianstatistics?"I'dplayedwith
Bayesianmathbefore.DarrylandIoncetriedtowriteourown
betterspamfilterandwhenyoufilterspam,youneedBayesian
math.ThomasBayeswasan18thcenturyBritishmathematician
thatnoonecaredaboutuntilacouplehundredyearsafterhedied,
whencomputerscientistsrealizedthathistechniquefor
statisticallyanalyzingmountainsofdatawouldbesuperuseful
forthemodernworld'sinfoHimalayas.
Here'ssomeofhowBayesianstatswork.Sayyou'vegota
bunchofspam.Youtakeeverywordthat'sinthespamandcount
howmanytimesitappears.Thisiscalleda"wordfrequency
histogram"andittellsyouwhattheprobabilityisthatanybagof
wordsislikelytobespam.Now,takeatonofemailthat'snot
spaminthebiz,theycallthat"ham"anddothesame.
Waituntilanewemailarrivesandcountthewordsthatappear
init.Thenusethewordfrequencyhistograminthecandidate
messagetocalculatetheprobabilitythatitbelongsinthe"spam"
pileorthe"ham"pile.Ifitturnsouttobespam,youadjustthe
"spam"histogramaccordingly.Therearelotsofwaystorefine
thetechniquelookingatwordsinpairs,throwingawayolddata
butthisishowitworksatcore.It'soneofthosegreat,simple
ideasthatseemsobviousafteryouhearaboutit.
It'sgotlotsofapplicationsyoucanaskacomputertocount
thelinesinapictureandseeifit'smorelikea"dog"
linefrequencyhistogramora"cat"linefrequencyhistogram.It
canfindporn,bankfraud,andflamewars.Usefulstuff.
AnditwasbadnewsfortheXnet.Sayyouhadthewhole
Internetwiretappedwhich,ofcourse,theDHShas.Youcan't
tellwho'spassingXnetpacketsbylookingatthecontentsof
thosepackets,thankstocrypto.
Whatyoucandoisfindoutwhoissendingway,waymore
encryptedtrafficoutthaneveryoneelse.ForanormalInternet
surfer,asessiononlineisprobablyabout95percentcleartext,
fivepercentciphertext.Ifsomeoneissendingout95percent
ciphertext,maybeyoucoulddispatchthecomputersavvy
equivalentsofBoogerandZittoaskthemifthey'reterrorist
drugdealerXnetusers.
ThishappensallthetimeinChina.Somesmartdissidentwill
gettheideaofgettingaroundtheGreatFirewallofChina,which
isusedtocensorthewholecountry'sInternetconnection,by
usinganencryptedconnectiontoacomputerinsomeother
country.Now,thePartytherecan'ttellwhatthedissidentis
surfing:maybeit'sporn,orbombmakinginstructions,ordirty
lettersfromhisgirlfriendinthePhilippines,orpoliticalmaterial,
orgoodnewsaboutScientology.Theydon'thavetoknow.All
theyhavetoknowisthatthisguygetswaymoreencryptedtraffic
thanhisneighbors.Atthatpoint,theysendhimtoaforcedlabor
campjusttosetanexamplesothateveryonecanseewhat
happenstosmartasses.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/42
Sofar,IwaswillingtobetthattheXnetwasundertheDHS's
radar,butitwouldn'tbethecaseforever.Andaftertonight,I
"I'mdoingthisforDarryl!"Artstudentsswiveledtolookatus
wasn'tsurethatIwasinanybettershapethanaChinese
andIloweredmyvoice."I'mdoingthisbecausethealternativeis
dissident.IwasputtingallthepeoplewhosignedontotheXnetin toletthemgetawaywithitall."
jeopardy.Thelawdidn'tcareifyouwereactuallydoinganything
bad;theywerewillingtoputyouunderthemicroscopejustfor
"Youthinkyou'regoingtostopthem?You'reoutofyourmind.
beingstatisticallyabnormal.AndIcouldn'tevenstopitnow
They'rethegovernment."
thattheXnetwasrunning,ithadalifeofitsown.
"It'sstillourcountry,"Isaid."Westillhavetherighttodo
Iwasgoingtohavetofixitsomeotherway.
this."
IwishedIcouldtalktoJoluaboutthis.Heworkedatan
InternetServiceProvidercalledPigspleenNetthathadhiredhim
whenhewastwelve,andheknewwaymoreaboutthenetthanI
did.Ifanyoneknewhowtokeepourbuttsoutofjail,itwouldbe
him.

Vanlookedlikeshewasgoingtocry.Shetookacoupleof
deepbreathsandstoodup."Ican'tdoit,I'msorry.Ican'twatch
youdothis.It'slikewatchingacarwreckinslowmotion.You're
goingtodestroyyourself,andIloveyoutoomuchtowatchit
happen."

Luckily,VanandJoluandIwereplanningtomeetforcoffee
thenextnightatourfavoriteplaceintheMissionafterschool.
Officially,itwasourweeklyHarajukuFunMadnessteam
meeting,butwiththegamecanceledandDarrylgone,itwas
prettymuchjustaweeklyweepfest,supplementedbyaboutsix
phonecallsandIMsadaythatwent,"AreyouOK?Diditreally
happen?"Itwouldbegoodtohavesomethingelsetotalkabout.

Shebentdownandgavemeafiercehugandahardkissonthe
cheekthatcaughttheedgeofmymouth."Takecareofyourself,
Marcus,"shesaid.Mymouthburnedwhereherlipshadpressed
it.ShegaveJoluthesametreatment,butsquareonthecheek.
Thensheleft.

JoluandIstaredateachotheraftershe'dgone.
Iputmyfaceinmyhands."Dammit,"Isaid,finally.

"You'reoutofyourmind,"Vanessasaid."Areyouactually,
totally,really,forrealcrazyorwhat?"

Jolupattedmeonthebackandorderedmeanotherlatte."It'll
beOK,"hesaid.

Shehadshownupinhergirl'sschooluniformbecauseshe'd
beenstuckgoingthelongwayhome,allthewaydowntotheSan
Mateobridgethenbackupintothecity,onashuttlebusservice
thatherschoolwasoperating.Shehatedbeingseeninpublicin
hergear,whichwastotallySailorMoonapleatedskirtanda
tunicandkneesocks.She'dbeeninabadmoodeversinceshe
turnedupatthecafe,whichwasfullofolder,cooler,mopeyemo
artstudentswhosnickeredintotheirlatteswhensheturnedup.

"You'dthinkVan,ofallpeople,wouldunderstand."Halfof
Van'sfamilylivedinNorthKorea.Herparentsneverforgotthat
theyhadallthosepeoplelivingunderacrazydictator,notableto
escapetoAmerica,thewayherparentshad.

"Whatdoyouwantmetodo,Van?"Isaid.Iwasgetting
exasperatedmyself.Schoolwasunbearablenowthatthegame
wasn'ton,nowthatDarrylwasmissing.Alldaylong,inmy
classes,Iconsoledmyselfwiththethoughtofseeingmyteam,
whatwasleftofit.Nowwewerefighting.
"Iwantyoutostopputtingyourselfatrisk,M1k3y."Thehairs
onthebackofmyneckstoodup.Sure,wealwaysusedourteam
handlesatteammeetings,butnowthatmyhandlewasalso
associatedwithmyXnetuse,itscaredmetohearitsaidaloudin
apublicplace.
"Don'tusethatnameinpublicanymore,"Isnapped.
Vanshookherhead."That'sjustwhatI'mtalkingabout.You
couldendupgoingtojailforthis,Marcus,andnotjustyou.Lots
ofpeople.AfterwhathappenedtoDarryl"

Jolushrugged."Maybethat'swhyshe'ssofreakedout.Because
sheknowshowdangerousitcanget."
Iknewwhathewastalkingabout.TwoofVan'suncleshad
gonetojailandhadneverreappeared.
"Yeah,"Isaid.
"Sohowcomeyouweren'tonXnetlastnight?"
Iwasgratefulforthedistraction.Iexplaineditalltohim,the
Bayesianstuffandmyfearthatwecouldn'tgoonusingXnetthe
waywehadbeenwithoutgettingnabbed.Helistened
thoughtfully.
"Iseewhatyou'resaying.Theproblemisthatifthere'stoo
muchcryptoinsomeone'sInternetconnection,they'llstandoutas
unusual.Butifyoudon'tencrypt,you'llmakeiteasyforthebad
guystowiretapyou."
"Yeah,"Isaid."I'vebeentryingtofigureitoutallday.Maybe

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/43
wecouldslowtheconnectiondown,spreaditoutovermore
peoples'accounts"
"Won'twork,"hesaid."Togetitslowenoughtovanishintothe
noise,you'dhavetobasicallyshutdownthenetwork,whichisn't
anoption."
"You'reright,"Isaid."Butwhatelsecanwedo?"
"Whatifwechangedthedefinitionofnormal?"
AndthatwaswhyJolugothiredtoworkatPigspleenwhenhe
was12.Givehimaproblemwithtwobadsolutionsandhe'd
figureoutathirdtotallydifferentsolutionbasedonthrowing
awayallyourassumptions.Inoddedvigorously."Goon,tellme."

"Anoverhauloftheindienetcodehasbeenonmyplatefor
monthsnow,"Jolusaid."Theoriginalprogramswerewritten
reallyfastanddirtyandtheycouldbemadealotmoreefficient
withalittlework.ButIjusthaven'thadthetime.Oneofthe
highmarkedtodoitemshasbeentoencrypttheconnections,just
becauseTrudylikesitthatway."TrudyDoowasthefounderof
Pigspleen.ShewasanoldtimeSanFranciscopunklegend,the
singer/frontwomanoftheanarchofeministbandSpeedwhores,
andshewascrazyaboutprivacy.Icouldtotallybelievethatshe'd
wanthermusicserviceencryptedongeneralprinciples.
"Willitbehard?Imean,howlongwouldittake?"

"Well,there'stonsofcryptocodeforfreeonline,ofcourse,"
Jolusaid.Hewasdoingthethinghedidwhenhewasdigging
"WhatiftheaverageSanFranciscoInternetuserhadalotmore intoameatycodeproblemgettingthatfarawaylook,drumming
cryptoinhisaveragedayontheInternet?Ifwecouldchangethe hispalmsonthetable,makingthecoffeesloshintothesaucers.I
wantedtolaugheverythingmightbedestroyedandcrapand
splitsoit'smorelikefiftyfiftycleartexttociphertext,thenthe
usersthatsupplytheXnetwouldjustlooklikenormal."
scary,butJoluwouldwritethatcode.
"Buthowdowedothat?Peoplejustdon'tcareenoughabout
theirprivacytosurfthenetthroughanencryptedlink.Theydon't
seewhyitmattersifeavesdroppersknowwhatthey'regoogling
for."
"Yeah,butwebpagesaresmallamountsoftraffic.Ifwegot
peopletoroutinelydownloadafewgiantencryptedfilesevery
day,thatwouldcreateasmuchciphertextasthousandsof
webpages."
"You'retalkingaboutindienet,"Isaid.
"Yougotit,"hesaid.

"CanIhelp?"
Helookedatme."What,youdon'tthinkIcanmanageit?"
"What?"
"Imean,youdidthiswholeXnetthingwithouteventellingme.
Withouttalkingtome.Ikindofthoughtthatyoudidn'tneedmy
helpwiththisstuff."
Iwasbroughtupshort."What?"Isaidagain.Joluwaslooking
reallysteamednow.Itwasclearthatthishadbeeneatinghimfor
alongtime."Jolu"

indienetalllowercase,alwayswasthethingthatmade
PigspleenNetintooneofthemostsuccessfulindependentISPsin
theworld.Backwhenthemajorrecordlabelsstartedsuingtheir
fansfordownloadingtheirmusic,alotoftheindependentlabels
andtheirartistswereaghast.Howcanyoumakemoneybysuing
yourcustomers?

HelookedatmeandIcouldseethathewasfurious.HowhadI
missedthis?God,Iwassuchanidiotsometimes."Lookdude,it's
notabigdeal"bywhichheclearlymeantthatitwasareally
bigdeal"it'sjustthatyouknow,youneverevenasked.Ihate
theDHS.Darrylwasmyfriendtoo.Icouldhavereallyhelped
withit."

Pigspleen'sfounderhadtheanswer:sheopenedupadealfor
anyactthatwantedtoworkwiththeirfansinsteadoffighting
them.GivePigspleenalicensetodistributeyourmusictoits
customersanditwouldgiveyouashareofthesubscriptionfees
basedonhowpopularyourmusicwas.Foranindieartist,thebig
problemisn'tpiracy,it'sobscurity:nooneevencaresenough
aboutyourtunestosteal'em.

Iwantedtostickmyheadbetweenmyknees."ListenJolu,that
wasreallystupidofme.Ididitatliketwointhemorning.Iwas
justcrazywhenitwashappening.I"Icouldn'texplainit.Yeah,
hewasright,andthatwastheproblem.Ithadbeentwointhe
morningbutIcouldhavetalkedtoJoluaboutitthenextdayor
thenext.Ihadn'tbecauseI'dknownwhathe'dsaythatitwasan
uglyhack,thatIneededtothinkitthroughbetter.Joluwas
alwaysfiguringouthowtoturnmy2AMideasintorealcode,
butthestuffthathecameoutwithwasalwaysalittledifferent
fromwhatI'dcomeupwith.I'dwantedtheprojectformyself.I'd
gottentotallyintobeingM1k3y.

Itworked.Hundredsofindependentactsandlabelssignedup
withPigspleen,andthemoremusictherewas,themorefans
switchedtogettingtheirInternetservicefromPigspleen,andthe
moremoneytherewasfortheartists.Insideofayear,theISPhad
ahundredthousandnewcustomersandnowithadamillion
morethanhalfthebroadbandconnectionsinthecity.

"I'msorry,"Isaidatlast."I'mreally,reallysorry.You'retotally
right.Ijustgotfreakedoutanddidsomethingstupid.Ireally

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/44
needyourhelp.Ican'tmakethisworkwithoutyou."
"Youmeanit?"
"OfcourseImeanit,"Isaid."You'rethebestcoderIknow.
You'reagoddamnedgenius,Jolu.Iwouldbehonoredifyou'd
helpmewiththis."
Hedrummedhisfingerssomemore."It'sjustYouknow.
You'retheleader.Van'sthesmartone.Darrylwas...Hewasyour
secondincommand,theguywhohaditallorganized,who
watchedthedetails.Beingtheprogrammer,thatwasmything.It
feltlikeyouweresayingyoudidn'tneedme."
"Ohman,Iamsuchanidiot.Jolu,you'rethebestqualified
personIknowtodothis.I'mreally,really,really"
"Allright,already.Stop.Fine.Ibelieveyou.We'reallreally
screweduprightnow.Soyeah,ofcourseyoucanhelp.Wecan
probablyevenpayyouI'vegotalittlebudgetforcontract
programmers."
"Really?"Noonehadeverpaidmeforwritingcode.

Youcanlearntowritesimplecodeinanafternoon.Startwitha
languagelikePython,whichwaswrittentogive
nonprogrammersaneasierwaytomakethemachinedanceto
theirtune.Evenifyouonlywritecodeforoneday,oneafternoon,
youhavetodoit.Computerscancontrolyouortheycanlighten
yourworkifyouwanttobeinchargeofyourmachines,you
havetolearntowritecode.
Wewrotealotofcodethatnight.
Chapter8
ThischapterisdedicatedtoBorders,theglobalbooksellinggiant
thatyoucanfindincitiesallovertheworldI'llneverforget
walkingintothegiganticBordersonOrchardRoadinSingapore
anddiscoveringashelfloadedwithmynovels!Formanyyears,
theBordersinOxfordStreetinLondonhostedPatCadigan's
monthlysciencefictionevenings,wherelocalandvisitingauthors
wouldreadtheirwork,speakaboutsciencefictionandmeettheir
fans.WhenI'minastrangecity(whichhappensalot)andIneed
agreatbookformynextflight,therealwaysseemstobea
BordersbrimmingwithgreatchoicesI'mespeciallypartialto
theBordersonUnionSquareinSanFrancisco.

"Sure.You'reprobablygoodenoughtobeworthit."Hegrinned
andsluggedmeintheshoulder.Jolu'sreallyeasygoingmostof
thetime,whichiswhyhe'dfreakedmeoutsomuch.
Bordersworldwide
http://www.bordersstores.com/locator/locator.jsp
Ipaidforthecoffeesandwewentout.Icalledmyparentsand
letthemknowwhatIwasdoing.Jolu'smominsistedonmaking
ussandwiches.Welockedourselvesinhisroomwithhis
Iwasn'ttheonlyonewhogotscrewedupbythehistograms.
computerandthecodeforindienetandweembarkedononeof
Therearelotsofpeoplewhohaveabnormaltrafficpatterns,
thegreatalltimemarathonprogrammingsessions.OnceJolu's
abnormalusagepatterns.Abnormalissocommon,it'spractically
familywenttobedaround11:30,wewereabletokidnapthe
normal.
coffeemachineuptohisroomandgoIVwithourmagiccoffee
beansupply.
TheXnetwasfullofthesestories,andsowerethenewspapers
andtheTVnews.Husbandswerecaughtcheatingontheirwives;
Ifyou'veneverprogrammedacomputer,youshould.There's
wiveswerecaughtcheatingontheirhusbands,kidswerecaught
nothinglikeitinthewholeworld.Whenyouprograma
sneakingoutwithillicitgirlfriendsandboyfriends.Akidwho
computer,itdoesexactlywhatyoutellittodo.It'slikedesigning hadn'ttoldhisparentshehadAIDSgotcaughtgoingtotheclinic
amachineanymachine,likeacar,likeafaucet,likea
forhisdrugs.
gashingeforadoorusingmathandinstructions.It'sawesome
inthetruestsense:itcanfillyouwithawe.
Thosewerethepeoplewithsomethingtohidenotguilty
people,butpeoplewithsecrets.Therewereevenmorepeople
Acomputeristhemostcomplicatedmachineyou'lleveruse.
withnothingtohideatall,butwhoneverthelessresentedbeing
It'smadeofbillionsofmicrominiaturizedtransistorsthatcanbe pickedup,andquestioned.Imagineifsomeonelockedyouinthe
configuredtorunanyprogramyoucanimagine.Butwhenyousit backofapolicecaranddemandedthatyouprovethatyou'renot
downatthekeyboardandwritealineofcode,thosetransistorsdo aterrorist.
whatyoutellthemto.
Itwasn'tjustpublictransit.MostdriversintheBayAreahavea
Mostofuswillneverbuildacar.Prettymuchnoneofuswill
FasTrakpassclippedtotheirsunvisors.Thisisalittle
evercreateanaviationsystem.Designabuilding.Layoutacity.
radiobased"wallet"thatpaysyourtollsforyouwhenyoucross
thebridges,savingyouthehassleofsittinginalineforhoursat
Thosearecomplicatedmachines,thosethings,andthey're
thetollplazas.They'dtripledthecostofusingcashtogetacross
offlimitstothelikesofyouandme.Butacomputerislike,ten
thebridge(thoughtheyalwaysfudgedthis,sayingthatFasTrak
timesmorecomplicated,anditwilldancetoanytuneyouplay.
wascheaper,notthatanonymouscashwasmoreexpensive).

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/45
Whateverholdoutswereleftafterwarddisappearedafterthe
numberofcashlaneswasreducedtojustoneperbridgehead,so
thatthecashlineswereevenlonger.
Soifyou'realocal,orifyou'redrivingarentalcarfromalocal
agency,you'vegotaFasTrak.Itturnsoutthattollplazasaren't
theonlyplacethatyourFasTrakgetsread,though.TheDHShad
putFasTrakreadersallovertownwhenyoudrovepastthem,
theyloggedthetimeandyourIDnumber,buildinganevermore
perfectpictureofwhowentwhere,when,inadatabasethatwas
augmentedby"speedingcameras,""redlightcameras"andallthe
otherlicenseplatecamerasthathadpoppeduplikemushrooms.
Noonehadgivenitmuchthought.Andnowthatpeoplewere
payingattention,wewereallstartingtonoticelittlethings,like
thefactthattheFasTrakdoesn'thaveanoffswitch.
Soifyoudroveacar,youwerejustaslikelytobepulledover
byanSFPDcruiserthatwantedtoknowwhyyouweretakingso
manytripstotheHomeDepotlately,andwhatwasthatmidnight
driveuptoSonomalastweekabout?

smelledbadtoldmehehadagun,theotheroneaskedmeformy
wallet.TheyevenletmekeepmyID,thoughtheygotmydebit
cardandFastPass.Ithadstillscaredmewitlessandleftme
paranoidandcheckingmyshoulderforweeks.
"Butmostofthepeopletheyholduparen'tdoinganything
wrong,Dad,"Isaid.Thiswasgettingtome.Myownfather!"It's
crazy.Foreveryguiltypersontheycatch,theyhavetopunish
thousandsofinnocentpeople.That'sjustnotgood."
"Innocent?Guyscheatingontheirwives?Drugdealers?You're
defendingthem,butwhataboutallthepeoplewhodied?Ifyou
don'thaveanythingtohide"
"Soyouwouldn'tmindiftheypulledyouover?"Mydad's
histogramshadproventobedepressinglynormalsofar.
"I'dconsideritmyduty,"hesaid."I'dbeproud.Itwouldmake
mefeelsafer."
Easyforhimtosay.

Thelittledemonstrationsaroundtownontheweekendwere
#
growing.FiftythousandpeoplemarcheddownMarketStreetafter
aweekofthismonitoring.Icouldn'tcareless.Thepeoplewho'd
Vanessadidn'tlikemetalkingaboutthisstuff,butshewastoo
occupiedmycitydidn'tcarewhatthenativeswanted.Theywere smartaboutitformetostayawayfromthesubjectforlong.We'd
aconqueringarmy.Theyknewhowwefeltaboutthat.
gettogetherallthetime,andtalkabouttheweatherandschool
andstuff,andthen,somehow,I'dbebackonthissubject.Vanessa
OnemorningIcamedowntobreakfastjustintimetohearDad wascoolwhenithappenedshedidn'tHulkoutonmeagain
tellMomthatthetwobiggesttaxicompaniesweregoingtogivea butIcouldseeitupsether.
"discount"topeoplewhousedspecialcardstopaytheirfares,
supposedlytomakedriverssaferbyreducingtheamountofcash
Still.
theycarried.Iwonderedwhatwouldhappentotheinformation
aboutwhotookwhichcabswhere.
"Somydadsays,'I'dconsideritmyduty.'Canyoufreaking
believeit?Imean,God!Ialmosttoldhimthenaboutgoingto
IrealizedhowcloseI'dcome.Thenewindienetclienthadbeen jail,askinghimifhethoughtthatwasour'duty'!"
pushedoutasanautomaticupdatejustasthisstuffstartedtoget
bad,andJolutoldmethat80percentofthetraffichesawat
WeweresittinginthegrassinDoloresParkafterschool,
Pigspleenwasnowencrypted.TheXnetjustmighthavebeen
watchingthedogschasefrisbees.
saved.
Vanhadstoppedathomeandchangedintoanoldtshirtfor
Dadwasdrivingmenuts,though.
oneofherfavoriteBraziliantecnobregabands,Carioca
ProibidotheforbiddenguyfromRio.She'dgottentheshirtat
"You'rebeingparanoid,Marcus,"hetoldmeoverbreakfastone aliveshowwe'dallgonetotwoyearsbefore,sneakingoutfora
dayasItoldhimabouttheguysI'dseenthecopsshakingdown
grandadventuredownattheCowPalace,andshe'dsproutedan
onBARTthedaybefore.
inchortwosince,soitwastightandrodeuphertummy,showing
herflatlittlebellybutton.
"Dad,it'sridiculous.They'renotcatchinganyterrorists,are
they?It'sjustmakingpeoplescared."
Shelaybackintheweaksunwithhereyesclosedbehindher
shades,hertoeswigglinginherflipflops.I'dknownVansince
"Theymaynothavecaughtanyterroristsyet,butthey'resure
forever,andwhenIthoughtofher,IusuallysawthelittlekidI'd
gettingalotofscumbagsoffthestreets.Lookatthedrugdealers knownwithhundredsofjanglybraceletsmadeoutofslicedup
itsaysthey'veputdozensofthemawaysincethisallstarted.
sodacans,whoplayedthepianoandcouldn'tdancetosaveher
Rememberwhenthosedruggiesrobbedyou?Ifwedon'tbust
life.SittingoutthereinDoloresPark,Isuddenlysawherasshe
theirdealers,it'llonlygetworse."I'dbeenmuggedtheyear
was.
before.They'dbeenprettycivilizedaboutit.Oneskinnyguywho

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/46
Shewastotallyh4wtthatistosay,hot.Itwaslikelookingat
thatpictureofavaseandnoticingthatitwasalsotwofaces.I
couldseethatVanwasjustVan,butIcouldalsoseethatshewas
hellapretty,somethingI'dnevernoticed.
Ofcourse,Darrylhadknownitallalong,anddon'tthinkthatI
wasn'tbummedoutanewwhenIrealizedthis.
"Youcan'ttellyourdad,youknow,"shesaid."You'dputusall
atrisk."Hereyeswereclosedandherchestwasrisingupand
downwithherbreath,whichwasdistractinginareally
embarrassingway.

Shepickedupspeed,makingmeruntocatchupwithher.
"Van,whatthehell,"Isaid,catchingherarm.Shejerkedit
awaysohardIpunchedmyselfintheface.
"You'repsycho,Marcus.You'regoingtoputallyourlittleXnet
buddiesindangerfortheirlives,andontopofit,you'regoingto
turnthewholecityintoterrorismsuspects.Can'tyoustopbefore
youhurtthesepeople?"
Iopenedandclosedmymouthacoupletimes."Van,I'mnotthe
problem,theyare.I'mnotarrestingpeople,jailingthem,making
themdisappear.TheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityarethe
onesdoingthat.I'mfightingbacktomakethemstop."

"Yeah,"Isaid,glumly."ButtheproblemisthatIknowhe'sjust
totallyfullofit.Ifyoupulledmydadoverandmadehimprove
hewasn'tachildmolesting,drugdealingterrorist,he'dgo
"How,bymakingitworse?"
berserk.Totallyofftherails.Hehatesbeingputonholdwhenhe
callsabouthiscreditcardbill.Beinglockedinthebackofacar
"Maybeithastogetworsetogetbetter,Van.Isn'tthatwhat
andquestionedforanhourwouldgivehimananeurism."
youweresaying?Ifeveryonewasgettingpulledover"
"Theyonlygetawaywithitbecausethenormalsfeelsmug
comparedtotheabnormals.Ifeveryonewasgettingpulledover,
it'dbeadisaster.Noonewouldevergetanywhere,they'dallbe
waitingtogetquestionedbythecops.Totalgridlock."
Woah.
"Van,youareatotalgenius,"Isaid.
"Tellmeaboutit,"shesaid.Shehadalazysmileandshe
lookedatmethroughhalfliddedeyes,almostromantic.
"Seriously.Wecandothis.Wecanmessuptheprofileseasily.
Gettingpeoplepulledoveriseasy."
Shesatupandpushedherhairoffherfaceandlookedatme.I
feltalittleflipinmystomach,thinkingthatshewasreally
impressedwithme.
"It'sthearphidcloners,"Isaid."They'retotallyeasytomake.
JustflashthefirmwareonatendollarRadioShackreader/writer
andyou'redone.Whatwedoisgoaroundandrandomlyswapthe
tagsonpeople,overwritingtheirFastPassesandFasTrakswith
otherpeople'scodes.That'llmakeeveryoneskewallweirdand
screwy,andmakeeveryonelookguilty.Then:totalgridlock."
VanpursedherlipsandloweredhershadesandIrealizedshe
wassoangryshecouldn'tspeak.
"Goodbye,Marcus,"shesaid,andgottoherfeet.BeforeI
knewit,shewaswalkingawaysofastshewaspractically
running.
"Van!"Icalled,gettingtomyfeetandchasingafterher."Van!
Wait!"

"That'snotwhatImeant.Ididn'tmeanyoushouldgeteveryone
arrested.Ifyouwanttoprotest,jointheprotestmovement.Do
somethingpositive.Didn'tyoulearnanythingfromDarryl?
Anything?"
"You'redamnedrightIdid,"Isaid,losingmycool."Ilearned
thattheycan'tbetrusted.Thatifyou'renotfightingthem,you're
helpingthem.Thatthey'llturnthecountryintoaprisonifwelet
them.Whatdidyoulearn,Van?Tobescaredallthetime,tosit
tightandkeepyourheaddownandhopeyoudon'tgetnoticed?
Youthinkit'sgoingtogetbetter?Ifwedon'tdoanything,thisis
asgoodasit'sgoingtoget.Itwillonlygetworseandworsefrom
nowon.YouwanttohelpDarryl?Helpmebringthemdown!"
Thereitwasagain.Myvow.NottogetDarrylfree,buttobring
downtheentireDHS.Thatwascrazy,evenIknewit.Butitwas
whatIplannedtodo.Noquestionaboutit.
Vanshovedmehardwithbothhands.Shewasstrongfrom
schoolathleticsfencing,lacrosse,fieldhockey,allthe
girlsschoolsportsandIendeduponmyassonthedisgusting
SanFranciscosidewalk.ShetookoffandIdidn'tfollow.
#
> The important thing about security
systems isn't how they work, it's how
they fail.
That was the first line of my first blog post on Open Revolt, my
Xnet site. I was writing as M1k3y, and I was ready to go to war.
> Maybe all the automatic screening is
supposed to catch terrorists. Maybe it
will catch a terrorist sooner or later.
The problem is that it catches us too,

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/47
even though we're not doing anything
wrong.
> The more people it catches, the more
brittle it gets. If it catches too many
people, it dies.
> Get the idea?
IpastedinmyHOWTOforbuildinganarphidcloner,and
sometipsforgettingcloseenoughtopeopletoreadandwrite
theirtags.Iputmyownclonerinthepocketofmyvintageblack
leathermotocrossjacketwiththearmoredpocketsandleftfor
school.ImanagedtoclonesixtagsbetweenhomeandChavez
High.
Itwaswartheywanted.Itwaswarthey'dget.
#
Ifyoueverdecidetodosomethingasstupidasbuildan
automaticterrorismdetector,here'samathlessonyouneedto
learnfirst.It'scalled"theparadoxofthefalsepositive,"andit'sa
doozy.
Sayyouhaveanewdisease,calledSuperAIDS.Onlyoneina
millionpeoplegetsSuperAIDS.Youdevelopatestfor
SuperAIDSthat's99percentaccurate.Imean,99percentofthe
time,itgivesthecorrectresulttrueifthesubjectisinfected,
andfalseifthesubjectishealthy.Yougivethetesttoamillion
people.
OneinamillionpeoplehaveSuperAIDS.Oneinahundred
peoplethatyoutestwillgeneratea"falsepositive"thetestwill
sayhehasSuperAIDSeventhoughhedoesn't.That'swhat"99
percentaccurate"means:onepercentwrong.
What'sonepercentofonemillion?
1,000,000/100=10,000
OneinamillionpeoplehasSuperAIDS.Ifyoutestamillion
randompeople,you'llprobablyonlyfindonecaseofreal
SuperAIDS.Butyourtestwon'tidentifyonepersonashaving
SuperAIDS.Itwillidentify10,000peopleashavingit.
Your99percentaccuratetestwillperformwith99.99percent
inaccuracy.
That'stheparadoxofthefalsepositive.Whenyoutrytofind
somethingreallyrare,yourtest'saccuracyhastomatchtherarity
ofthethingyou'relookingfor.Ifyou'retryingtopointatasingle
pixelonyourscreen,asharppencilisagoodpointer:the
penciltipisalotsmaller(moreaccurate)thanthepixels.Buta
penciltipisnogoodatpointingatasingleatominyourscreen.
Forthat,youneedapointeratestthat'soneatomwideorless

atthetip.
Thisistheparadoxofthefalsepositive,andhere'showit
appliestoterrorism:
Terroristsarereallyrare.InacityoftwentymillionlikeNew
York,theremightbeoneortwoterrorists.Maybetenofthemat
theoutside.10/20,000,000=0.00005percent.One
twentythousandthofapercent.
That'sprettyrareallright.Now,sayyou'vegotsomesoftware
thatcansiftthroughallthebankrecords,ortollpassrecords,or
publictransitrecords,orphonecallrecordsinthecityandcatch
terrorists99percentofthetime.
Inapooloftwentymillionpeople,a99percentaccuratetest
willidentifytwohundredthousandpeopleasbeingterrorists.But
onlytenofthemareterrorists.Tocatchtenbadguys,youhaveto
haulinandinvestigatetwohundredthousandinnocentpeople.
Guesswhat?Terrorismtestsaren'tanywherecloseto99percent
accurate.Morelike60percentaccurate.Even40percent
accurate,sometimes.
WhatthisallmeantwasthattheDepartmentofHomeland
Securityhadsetitselfuptofailbadly.Theyweretryingtospot
incrediblyrareeventsapersonisaterroristwithinaccurate
systems.
Isitanywonderwewereabletomakesuchamess?
#
IsteppedoutthefrontdoorwhistlingonaTuesdaymorning
oneweekintotheOperationFalsePositive.Iwasrockin'outto
somenewmusicI'ddownloadedfromtheXnetthenightbefore
lotsofpeoplesentM1k3ylittledigitalgiftstosaythankyoufor
givingthemhope.
Iturnedonto23dStreetandcarefullytookthenarrowstone
stepscutintothesideofthehill.AsIdescended,IpassedMr
WienerDog.Idon'tknowMrWienerDog'srealname,butIsee
himnearlyeveryday,walkinghisthreepantingwienerdogsup
thestaircasetothelittleparkette.Squeezingpastthemallonthe
stairsisprettymuchimpossibleandIalwaysenduptangledina
leash,knockedintosomeone'sfrontgarden,orperchedonthe
bumperofoneofthecarsparkednexttothecurb.
MrWienerDogisclearlySomeoneImportant,becausehehasa
fancywatchandalwayswearsanicesuit.Ihadmentallyassumed
thatheworkeddowninthefinancialdistrict.
TodayasIbrushedupagainsthim,Itriggeredmyarphid
cloner,whichwasalreadyloadedinthepocketofmyleather
jacket.Theclonersuckeddownthenumbersoffhiscreditcards
andhiscarkeys,hispassportandthehundreddollarbillsinhis

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/48
wallet.
Evenasitwasdoingthat,itwasflashingsomeofthemwith
newnumbers,takenfromotherpeopleI'dbrushedagainst.Itwas
likeswitchingthelicenseplatesonabunchofcars,butinvisible
andinstantaneous.IsmiledapologeticallyatMrWienerDogand
continueddownthestairs.Istoppedatthreeofthecarslong
enoughtoswaptheirFasTraktagswithnumberstakenoffallof
thecarsI'dgonepastthedaybefore.
YoumightthinkIwasbeingalittleaggrohere,butIwas
cautiousandconservativecomparedtoalotoftheXnetters.A
couplegirlsintheChemicalEngineeringprogramatUC
Berkeleyhadfiguredouthowtomakeaharmlesssubstanceout
ofkitchenproductsthatwouldtripanexplosivesniffer.They'd
hadamerrytimesprinklingitontheirprofs'briefcasesand
jackets,thenhidingoutandwatchingthesameprofstrytoget
intotheauditoriumsandlibrariesoncampus,onlytoget
flyingtackledbythenewsecuritysquadsthathadsprungup
everywhere.
Otherpeoplewantedtofigureouthowtodustenvelopeswith
substancesthatwouldtestpositiveforanthrax,buteveryoneelse
thoughttheywereoutoftheirminds.Luckily,itdidn'tseemlike
they'dbeabletofigureitout.

ItwasallIcoulddotokeepfromlaughing.Theparadoxofthe
falsepositivestrikesagain!
Sureenough,theyletusoutofclassearlyandIheadedhome
thelongway,circlingthroughtheMissiontoseethehavoc.Long
linesofcars.BARTstationslineduparoundtheblocks.People
swearingatATMsthatwouldn'tdispensetheirmoneybecause
they'dhadtheiraccountsfrozenforsuspiciousactivity(that'sthe
dangerofwiringyourcheckingaccountstraightintoyour
FasTrakandFastPass!).
Igothomeandmademyselfasandwichandloggedintothe
Xnet.Ithadbeenagoodday.Peoplefromallovertownwere
crowingabouttheirsuccesses.We'dbroughtthecityofSan
Franciscotoastandstill.Thenewsreportsconfirmeditthey
werecallingittheDHSgonehaywire,blamingitallonthe
fakeass"security"thatwassupposedtobeprotectingusfrom
terrorism.TheBusinesssectionoftheSanFranciscoChronicle
gaveitswholefrontpagetoanestimateoftheeconomiccostof
theDHSsecurityresultingfrommissedworkhours,meetingsand
soon.AccordingtotheChronicle'seconomist,aweekofthis
crapwouldcostthecitymorethantheBayBridgebombinghad.
Mwahahaha.

Thebestpart:Dadgothomethatnightlate.Verylate.Three
IpassedbySanFranciscoGeneralHospitalandnoddedwith
hourslate.Why?Becausehe'dbeenpulledover,searched,
satisfactionasIsawthehugelinesatthefrontdoors.Theyhada questioned.Thenithappenedagain.Twice.
policecheckpointtoo,ofcourse,andtherewereenoughXnetters
workingasinternsandcafeteriaworkersandwhatnottherethat
Twice!
everyone'sbadgeshadbeensnarledupandswappedaround.I'd
readthesecuritycheckshadtackedanhourontoeveryone'swork
day,andtheunionswerethreateningtowalkoutunlessthe
Chapter9
hospitaldidsomethingaboutit.
ThischapterisdedicatedtoCompassBooks/BooksInc,theoldest
Afewblockslater,IsawanevenlongerlinefortheBART.
independentbookstoreinthewesternUSA.They'vegotstoresup
Copswerewalkingupanddownthelinepointingpeopleoutand anddownCalifornia,inSanFrancisco,Burlingame,Mountain
callingthemasideforquestioning,bagsearchesandpatdowns.
ViewandPaloAlto,butcoolestofallisthattheyrunakiller
Theykeptgettingsuedfordoingthis,butitdidn'tseemtobe
bookstoreinthemiddleofDisneyland'sDowntownDisneyin
slowingthemdown.
Anaheim.I'mastoneDisneyparkfreak(seemyfirstnovel,Down
andOutintheMagicKingdomifyoudon'tbelieveit),andevery
Igottoschoolalittleaheadoftimeanddecidedtowalkdown timeI'velivedinCalifornia,I'veboughtmyselfanannual
to22ndStreettogetacoffeeandIpassedapolicecheckpoint
Disneylandpass,andonpracticallyeveryvisit,Idropby
wheretheywerepullingovercarsforsecondaryinspection.
CompassBooksinDowntownDisney.Theystockabrilliant
selectionofunauthorized(andevencritical)booksaboutDisney,
Schoolwasnolesswildthesecurityguardsonthemetal
aswellasagreatvarietyofkidsbooksandsciencefiction,and
detectorswerealsowandingourschoolIDsandpullingout
thecafenextdoormakesameancappuccino.
studentswithoddmovementsforquestioning.Needlesstosay,
weallhadprettyweirdmovements.Needlesstosay,classeswere
startinganhourormorelater.
CompassBooks/BooksInc:
http://www.booksinc.net/NASApp/store/Product;jsessionid=abcF
Classeswerecrazy.Idon'tthinkanyonewasableto
ch09pbU6m7ZRrLr?s=showproduct&isbn=0765319853
concentrate.Ioverheardtwoteacherstalkingabouthowlongit
hadtakenthemtogethomefromworkthedaybefore,and
planningtosneakoutearlythatday.
HewassoangryIthoughthewasgoingtopop.YouknowIsaid
I'donlyseenhimlosehiscoolrarely?Thatnight,helostitmore

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/49
thanheeverhad.
"Youwouldn'tbelieveit.Thiscop,hewaslikeeighteenyears
oldandhekeptsaying,'Butsir,whywereyouinBerkeley
yesterdayifyourclientisinMountainView?'Ikeptexplainingto
himthatIteachatBerkeleyandthenhe'dsay,'Ithoughtyouwere
aconsultant,'andwe'dstartoveragain.Itwaslikesomekindof
sitcomwherethecopshavebeentakenoverbythestupidityray.
"What'sworsewashekeptinsistingthatI'dbeeninBerkeley
todayaswell,andIkeptsayingno,Ihadn'tbeen,andhesaidI
hadbeen.ThenheshowedmemyFasTrakbillinganditsaidI'd
driventheSanMateobridgethreetimesthatday!
"That'snotall,"hesaid,anddrewinabreaththatletmeknow
hewasreallysteamed."TheyhadinformationaboutwhereI'd
been,placesthatdidn'thaveatollplaza.They'dbeenpollingmy
passjustonthestreet,atrandom.Anditwaswrong!Holycrap,I
mean,they'respyingonusallandthey'renotevencompetent!"
I'ddrifteddownintothekitchenasherailedthere,andnowI
waswatchinghimfromthedoorway.Mommetmyeyeandwe
bothraisedoureyebrowsasiftosay,Who'sgoingtosay'Itold
youso'tohim?Inoddedather.Shecoulduseherspousular
powerstonullifyhisrageinawaythatwasoutofmyreachasa
merefilialunit.
"Drew,"shesaid,andgrabbedhimbythearmtomakehimstop
stalkingbackandforthinthekitchen,wavinghisarmslikea
streetpreacher.
"What?"hesnapped.
"IthinkyouoweMarcusanapology."Shekepthervoiceeven
andlevel.DadandIarethespazzesinthehouseholdMom'sa
totalrock.
Dadlookedatme.Hiseyesnarrowedashethoughtfora
minute."Allright,"hesaidatlast."You'reright.Iwastalking
aboutcompetentsurveillance.Theseguysweretotalamateurs.
I'msorry,son,"hesaid."Youwereright.Thatwasridiculous."
Hestuckhishandoutandshookmyhand,thengavemeafirm,
unexpectedhug.
"God,whatarewedoingtothiscountry,Marcus?Your
generationdeservestoinheritsomethingbetterthanthis."When
heletmego,Icouldseethedeepwrinklesinhisface,linesI'd
nevernoticed.
IwentbackuptomyroomandplayedsomeXnetgames.There
wasagoodmultiplayerthing,aclockworkpirategamewhereyou
hadtoquesteverydayortwotowindupyourwholecrew's
mainspringsbeforeyoucouldgoplunderingandpillagingagain.
ItwasthekindofgameIhatedbutcouldn'tstopplaying:lotsof
repetitivequeststhatweren'tallthatsatisfyingtocomplete,a
littlebitofplayerversusplayercombat(scrappingtoseewho

wouldcaptaintheship)andnotthatmanycoolpuzzlesthatyou
hadtofigureout.Mostly,playingthiskindofgamemademe
homesickforHarajukuFunMadness,whichbalancedoutrunning
aroundintherealworld,figuringoutonlinepuzzles,and
strategizingwithyourteam.
ButtodayitwasjustwhatIneeded.Mindlessentertainment.
Mypoordad.
I'ddonethattohim.He'dbeenhappybefore,confidentthathis
taxdollarswerebeingspenttokeephimsafe.I'ddestroyedthat
confidence.Itwasfalseconfidence,ofcourse,butithadkepthim
going.Seeinghimnow,miserableandbroken,Iwonderedifit
wasbettertobecleareyedandhopelessortoliveinafool's
paradise.ThatshametheshameI'dfeltsinceIgaveupmy
passwords,sincethey'dbrokenmereturned,leavingmelistless
andwantingtojustgetawayfrommyself.
MycharacterwasaswabbieonthepirateshipZombieCharger,
andhe'dwounddownwhileI'dbeenoffline.IhadtoIMallthe
otherplayersonmyshipuntilIfoundonewillingtowindmeup.
Thatkeptmeoccupied.Ilikedit,actually.Therewassomething
magicaboutatotalstrangerdoingyouafavor.Andsinceitwas
theXnet,Iknewthatallthestrangerswerefriends,insome
sense.
> Where u located?
The character who wound me up was called Lizanator, and it
was female, though that didn't mean that it was a girl. Guys had
some weird affinity for playing female characters.
> San Francisco
I said.
> No stupe, where you located in San
Fran?
> Why, you a pervert?
That usually shut down that line of conversation. Of course
every gamespace was full of pedos and pervs, and cops
pretending to be pedo- and perv-bait (though I sure hoped there
weren't any cops on the Xnet!). An accusation like that was
enough to change the subject nine out of ten times.
> Mission? Potrero Hill? Noe? East Bay?
> Just wind me up k thx?
She stoppedwinding.
> You scared?

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/50
> Safe -- why do you care?
> Just curious
Iwasgettingabadvibeoffher.Shewasclearlymorethanjust
curious.Callitparanoia.IloggedoffandshutdownmyXbox.

Ilostit."Dad!Areyoulisteningtoyourself?They'retalking
aboutinvestigatingpracticallyeverypersoninthecityofSan
Francisco!"

"Yeah,"hesaid,"that'sright.They'llcatcheveryalimonycheat,
everydopedealer,everydirtbagandeveryterrorist.Youjust
wait.Thiscouldbethebestthingthateverhappenedtothis
country."

Dadlookedatmeoverthetablethenextmorningandsaid,"It
lookslikeit'sgoingtogetbetter,atleast."Hehandedmeacopy
oftheChronicleopentothethirdpage.

"Tellmeyou'rejoking,"Isaid."Ibegyou.Youthinkthatthat's
whattheyintendedwhentheywrotetheConstitution?What
abouttheBillofRights?"

> A Department of Homeland Security

spokesman has confirmed that the San
Francisco office has requested a 300
percent budget and personnel increase
from DC

"TheBillofRightswaswrittenbeforedatamining,"hesaid.
Hewasawesomelyserene,convincedofhisrightness."Theright
tofreedomofassociationisfine,butwhyshouldn'tthecopsbe
allowedtomineyoursocialnetworktofigureoutifyou're
hangingoutwithgangbangersandterrorists?"

What?
> Major General Graeme Sutherland, the
commanding officer for Northern
California DHS operations, confirmed
the request at a press conference
yesterday, noting that a spike in
suspicious activity in the Bay Area
prompted the request. "We are tracking
a spike in underground chatter and
activity and believe that saboteurs are
deliberately manufacturing false
security alerts to undermine our
efforts."
Myeyescrossed.Nofreakingway.
> "These false alarms are potentially
'radar chaff' intended to disguise real
attacks. The only effective way of
combatting them is to step up staffing
and analyst levels so that we can fully
investigate every lead."
> Sutherland noted the delays experienced
all over the city were "unfortunate"
and committed to eliminating them.
IhadavisionofthecitywithfourorfivetimesasmanyDHS
enforcers,broughtintomakeupformyownstupidideas.Van
wasright.ThemoreIfoughtthem,theworseitwasgoingtoget.
Dadpointedatthepaper."Theseguysmaybefools,butthey're
methodicalfools.They'lljustkeepthrowingresourcesatthis
problemuntiltheysolveit.It'stractable,youknow.Miningall
thedatainthecity,followinguponeverylead.They'llcatchthe
terrorists."

"Becauseit'saninvasionofmyprivacy!"Isaid.
"What'sthebigdeal?Wouldyouratherhaveprivacyor
terrorists?"
Agh.Ihatedarguingwithmydadlikethis.Ineededacoffee.
"Dad,comeon.Takingawayourprivacyisn'tcatchingterrorists:
it'sjustinconveniencingnormalpeople."
"Howdoyouknowit'snotcatchingterrorists?"
"Wherearetheterroriststhey'vecaught?"
"I'msurewe'llseearrestsingoodtime.Youjustwait."
"Dad,whatthehellhashappenedtoyousincelastnight?You
werereadytogonuclearonthecopsforpullingyouover"
"Don'tusethattonewithme,Marcus.What'shappenedsince
lastnightisthatI'vehadthechancetothinkitoverandtoread
this."Herattledhispaper."Thereasontheycaughtmeisthatthe
badguysareactivelyjammingthem.Theyneedtoadjusttheir
techniquestoovercomethejamming.Butthey'llgetthere.
Meanwhiletheoccasionalroadstopisasmallpricetopay.This
isn'tthetimetobeplayinglawyerabouttheBillofRights.Thisis
thetimetomakesomesacrificestokeepourcitysafe."
Icouldn'tfinishmytoast.Iputtheplateinthedishwasherand
leftforschool.Ihadtogetoutofthere.
#
TheXnettersweren'thappyaboutthesteppeduppolice
surveillance,buttheyweren'tgoingtotakeitlyingdown.
SomeonecalledaphoneinshowonKQEDandtoldthemthatthe
policewerewastingtheirtime,thatwecouldmonkeywrenchthe
systemfasterthantheycoulduntangleit.Therecordingwasatop

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/51
Xnetdownloadthatnight.
"ThisisCaliforniaLiveandwe'retalkingtoananonymous
calleratapayphoneinSanFrancisco.Hehashisown
informationabouttheslowdownswe'vebeenfacingaroundtown
thisweek.Caller,you'reontheair."
"Yeah,yo,thisisjustthebeginning,youknow?Imean,like,
we'rejustgettingstarted.Letthemhireabillionpigsandputa
checkpointoneverycorner.We'lljamthemall!Andlike,allthis
crapaboutterrorists?We'renotterrorists!Givemeabreak,I
mean,really!We'rejammingupthesystembecausewehatethe
HomelandSecurity,andbecauseweloveourcity.Terrorists?I
can'tevenspelljihad.Peaceout."
Hesoundedlikeanidiot.Notjusttheincoherentwords,but
alsohisgloatingtone.Hesoundedlikeakidwhowasindecently
proudofhimself.Hewasakidwhowasindecentlyproudof
himself.
TheXnetflamedoutoverthis.Lotsofpeoplethoughthewas
anidiotforcallingin,whileothersthoughthewasahero.I
worriedthattherewasprobablyacameraaimedatthepayphone
he'dused.OranarphidreaderthatmighthavesniffedhisFast
Pass.Ihopedhe'dhadthesmartstowipehisfingerprintsoffthe
quarter,keephishoodup,andleaveallhisarphidsathome.ButI
doubtedit.Iwonderedifhe'dgetaknockonthedoorsometime
soon.
ThewayIknewwhensomethingbighadhappenedonXnet
wasthatI'dsuddenlygetamillionemailsfrompeoplewho
wantedM1k3ytoknowaboutthelatesthaps.ItwasjustasIwas
readingaboutMrCan'tSpellJihadthatmymailboxwentcrazy.
Everyonehadamessageformealinktoalivejournalonthe
Xnetoneofthemanyanonymousblogsthatwerebasedonthe
Freenetdocumentpublishingsystemthatwasalsousedby
Chinesedemocracyadvocates.
> Close call
> We were jamming at the Embarcadero
tonite and goofing around giving
everyone a new car key or door key or
Fast Pass or FasTrak, tossing around a
little fake gunpowder. There were cops
everywhere but we were smarter than
them; we're there pretty much every
night and we never get caught.
> So we got caught tonight. It was a
stupid mistake we got sloppy we got
busted. It was an undercover who caught
my pal and then got the rest of us.
They'd been watching the crowd for a
long time and they had one of those
trucks nearby and they took four of us

in but missed the rest.

> The truck was JAMMED like a can of
sardines with every kind of person, old
young black white rich poor all
suspects, and there were two cops
trying to ask us questions and the
undercovers kept bringing in more of
us. Most people were trying to get to
the front of the line to get through
questioning so we kept on moving back
and it was like hours in there and
really hot and it was getting more
crowded not less.
> At like 8PM they changed shifts and
two new cops came in and bawled out the
two cops who were there all like wtf?
aren't you doing anything here. They
had a real fight and then the two old
cops left and the new cops sat down at
their desks and whispered to each other
for a while.
> Then one cop stood up and started
shouting EVERYONE JUST GO HOME JESUS
CHRIST WE'VE GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO
THAN BOTHER YOU WITH MORE QUESTIONS IF
YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING WRONG JUST DON'T
DO IT AGAIN AND LET THIS BE A WARNING
TO YOU ALL.
> A bunch of the suits got really pissed
which was HILARIOUS because I mean ten
minutes before they were buggin about
being held there and now they were
wicked pissed about being let go, like
make up your minds!
> We split fast though and got out and
came home to write this. There are
undercovers everywhere, believe. If
you're jamming, be open-eyed and get
ready to run when problems happen. If
you get caught try to wait it out
they're so busy they'll maybe just let
you go.
> We made them that busy! All those
people in that truck were there because
we'd jammed them. So jam on!
IfeltlikeIwasgoingtothrowup.ThosefourpeoplekidsI'd
nevermettheynearlywentawayforeverbecauseofsomething
I'dstarted.
BecauseofsomethingI'dtoldthemtodo.Iwasnobetterthana
terrorist.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/52
off."Whenyoudidn'tcomehomeaftertheattacks,hethought"
#
TheDHSgottheirbudgetrequisitionapproved.ThePresident
wentonTVwiththeGovernortotellusthatnopricewastoo
highforsecurity.Wehadtowatchitthenextdayinschoolat
assembly.MyDadcheered.He'dhatedthePresidentsincethe
dayhewaselected,sayinghewasn'tanybetterthanthelastguy
andthelastguyhadbeenacompletedisaster,butnowallhe
coulddowastalkabouthowdecisiveanddynamicthenewguy
was.
"Youhavetotakeiteasyonyourfather,"Momsaidtomeone
nightafterIgothomefromschool.She'dbeenworkingfrom
homeasmuchaspossible.Mom'safreelancerelocationspecialist
whohelpsBritishpeoplegetsettledininSanFrancisco.TheUK
HighCommissionpayshertoansweremailsfrommystified
Britishpeopleacrossthecountrywhoaretotallyconfusedbyhow
freakyweAmericansare.SheexplainsAmericansforaliving,
andshesaidthatthesedaysitwasbettertodothatfromhome,
whereshedidn'thavetoactuallyseeanyAmericansortalkto
them.

Shegotupandmadeherselfacupoftea,somethingshedid
whenevershewasuncomfortableordisconcerted.
"Marcus,"shesaid."Marcus,wethoughtyouweredead.Do
youunderstandthat?Weweremourningyoufordays.Wewere
imaginingyoublowntobits,atthebottomoftheocean.Dead
becausesomebastarddecidedtokillhundredsofstrangersto
makesomepoint."
Thatsankinslowly.Imean,Iunderstoodthatthey'dbeen
worried.Lotsofpeoplediedinthebombingsfourthousand
wasthepresentestimateandpracticallyeveryoneknew
someonewhodidn'tcomehomethatday.Thereweretwopeople
frommyschoolwhohaddisappeared.
"Yourfatherwasreadytokillsomeone.Anyone.Hewasoutof
hismind.You'veneverseenhimlikethis.I'veneverseenhim
likeiteither.Hewasoutofhismind.He'djustsitatthistableand
curseandcurseandcurse.Vilewords,wordsI'dneverheardhim
say.Onedaythethirddaysomeonecalledandhewassureit
wasyou,butitwasawrongnumberandhethrewthephoneso
harditdisintegratedintothousandsofpieces."I'dwonderedabout
thenewkitchenphone.

Idon'thaveanyillusionsaboutBritain.Americamaybe
willingtotrashitsConstitutioneverytimesomeJihadistlooks
crosseyedatus,butasIlearnedinmyninthgradeSocialStudies
"Somethingbrokeinyourfather.Helovesyou.Webothlove
independentproject,theBritsdon'tevenhaveaConstitution.
They'vegotlawstherethatwouldcurlthehaironyourtoes:they you.Youarethemostimportantthinginourlives.Idon'tthink
yourealizethat.Doyourememberwhenyouwereten,whenI
canputyouinjailforanentireyearifthey'rereallysurethat
you'reaterroristbutdon'thaveenoughevidencetoproveit.Now, wenthometoLondonforallthattime?Doyouremember?"
howsurecantheybeiftheydon'thaveenoughevidencetoprove
it?How'dtheygetthatsure?Didtheyseeyoucommitting
Inoddedsilently.
terroristactsinareallyvividdream?
"Wewerereadytogetadivorce,Marcus.Oh,itdoesn'tmatter
whyanymore.Itwasjustabadpatch,thekindofthingthat
AndthesurveillanceinBritainmakesAmericalooklike
amateurhour.TheaverageLondonerisphotographed500timesa happenswhenpeoplewholoveeachotherstoppayingattention
forafewyears.Hecameandgotmeandconvincedmetocome
day,justwalkingaroundthestreets.Everylicenseplateis
photographedateverycornerinthecountry.Everyonefromthe
backforyou.Wecouldn'tbearthethoughtofdoingthattoyou.
bankstothepublictransitcompanyisenthusiasticabouttracking Wefellinloveagainforyou.We'retogethertodaybecauseof
youandsnitchingonyouiftheythinkyou'reremotelysuspicious. you."
ButMomdidn'tseeitthatway.She'dleftBritainhalfway
throughhighschoolandshe'dneverfeltathomehere,nomatter
thatshe'dmarriedaboyfromPetalumaandraisedasonhere.To
her,thiswasalwaysthelandofbarbarians,andBritainwould
alwaysbehome.
"Mom,he'sjustwrong.Youofallpeopleshouldknowthat.
Everythingthatmakesthiscountrygreatisbeingflusheddown
thetoiletandhe'sgoingalongwithit.Haveyounoticedthatthey
haven'tcaughtanyterrorists?Dad'salllike,'Weneedtobesafe,'
butheneedstoknowthatmostofusdon'tfeelsafe.Wefeel
endangeredallthetime."
"Iknowthisall,Marcus.Believeme,I'mnotafanofwhat's
beenhappeningtothiscountry.Butyourfatheris"Shebroke

Ihadalumpinmythroat.I'dneverknownthis.Noonehad
evertoldme.
"Soyourfatherishavingahardtimerightnow.He'snotinhis
rightmind.It'sgoingtotakesometimebeforehecomesbackto
us,beforehe'sthemanIloveagain.Weneedtounderstandhim
untilthen."
Shegavemealonghug,andInoticedhowthinherarmshad
gotten,howsaggytheskinonherneckwas.Ialwaysthoughtof
mymotherasyoung,pale,rosycheekedandcheerful,peering
shrewdlythroughhermetalrimglasses.Nowshelookedalittle
likeanoldwoman.Ihaddonethattoher.Theterroristshaddone
thattoher.TheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityhaddonethat
toher.Inaweirdway,wewereallonthesameside,andMom

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/53
andDadandallthosepeoplewe'dspoofedwereontheotherside.
#

intohisvananddroveaway.
IgotoutmycameraandtookasmanypicturesasIcouldofthe
vananditsantennas.ThenIopenedtheminafreeimageeditor
calledTheGIMPandeditedouteverythingfromthephotoexcept
thevan,erasingmystreetandanythingthatmightidentifyme.

Icouldn'tsleepthatnight.Mom'swordskeptrunningthrough
myhead.Dadhadbeentenseandquietatdinnerandwe'dbarely
spoken,becauseIdidn'ttrustmyselfnottosaythewrongthing
andbecausehewasallwoundupoverthelatestnews,thatAl
IpostedthemtoXnetandwrotedowneverythingIcouldabout
Qaedawasdefinitelyresponsibleforthebombing.Sixdifferent
thevans.TheseguysweredefinitelylookingfortheXnet,Icould
terroristgroupshadclaimedresponsibilityfortheattack,butonly tell.
AlQaeda'sInternetvideodisclosedinformationthattheDHSsaid
theyhadn'tdisclosedtoanyone.
NowIreallycouldn'tsleep.
Ilayinbedandlistenedtoalatenightcallinradioshow.The
topicwassexproblems,withthisgayguywhoInormallyloved
tolistento,hewouldgivepeoplesuchrawadvice,butgood
advice,andhewasreallyfunnyandcampy.
TonightIcouldn'tlaugh.Mostofthecallerswantedtoaskwhat
todoaboutthefactthattheywerehavingahardtimegetting
busywiththeirpartnerseversincetheattack.Evenonsextalk
radio,Icouldn'tgetawayfromthetopic.

Nothingforitbuttoplaywinduppirates.There'dbelotsof
playersevenatthishour.Therealnameforwinduppirateswas
ClockworkPlunder,anditwasahobbyistprojectthathadbeen
createdbyteenageddeathmetalfreaksfromFinland.Itwas
totallyfreetoplay,andofferedjustasmuchfunasanyofthe
$15/monthserviceslikeEnder'sUniverseandMiddleEarthQuest
andDiscworldDungeons.

IloggedbackinandthereIwas,stillonthedeckoftheZombie
Charger,waitingforsomeonetowindmeup.Ihatedthispartof
Iswitchedtheradiooffandheardapurringengineonthestreet thegame.
below.
> Hey you
Mybedroomisinthetopfloorofourhouse,oneofthepainted
Itypedtoapassingpirate.
ladies.Ihaveaslopingatticceilingandwindowsonbothsides
oneoverlooksthewholeMission,theotherlooksoutintothe
> Wind me up?
streetinfrontofourplace.Therewereoftencarscruisingatall
hoursofthenight,buttherewassomethingdifferentaboutthis
Hepausedandlookedatme.
enginenoise.
Iwenttothestreetwindowandpulledupmyblinds.Downon
thestreetbelowmewasawhite,unmarkedvanwhoseroofwas
festoonedwithradioantennas,moreantennasthanI'deverseen
onacar.Itwascruisingveryslowlydownthestreet,alittledish
ontopspinningaroundandaround.
AsIwatched,thevanstoppedandoneofthebackdoors
poppedopen.AguyinaDHSuniformIcouldspotonefroma
hundredyardsnowsteppedoutintothestreet.Hehadsome
kindofhandhelddevice,anditsblueglowlithisface.Hepaced
backandforth,firstscoutingmyneighbors,makingnotesonhis
device,thenheadingforme.Therewassomethingfamiliarinthe
wayhewalked,lookingdown

> y should i?
> We're on the same team. Plus you get
experience points.
Whatajerk.
> Where are you located?
> San Francisco
Thiswasstartingtofeelfamiliar.
> Where in San Francisco?

Hewasusingawifinder!TheDHSwasscoutingforXnet
Iloggedout.Therewassomethingweirdgoingoninthegame.
nodes.Iletgooftheblindsanddoveacrossmyroomformy
Ijumpedontothelivejournalsandbegantocrawlfromblogto
Xbox.I'dleftitupwhileIdownloadedsomecoolanimationsone
blog.IgotthroughhalfadozenbeforeIfoundsomethingthat
oftheXnettershadmadeofthePresident'snopricetoohigh
frozemyblood.
speech.Iyankedtheplugoutofthewall,thenscurriedbackto
thewindowandcrackedtheblindafractionofaninch.
Livejournallerslovequizzes.Whatkindofhobbitareyou?Are
youagreatlover?Whatplanetareyoumostlike?Which
Theguywaslookingdownintohiswifinderagain,walking
characterfromsomemovieareyou?What'syouremotionaltype?
backandforthinfrontofourhouse.Amomentlater,hegotback

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/54
Theyfilltheminandtheirfriendsfilltheminandeveryone
comparestheirresults.Harmlessfun.
ButthequizthathadtakenovertheblogsoftheXnetthatnight
waswhatscaredme,becauseitwasanythingbutharmless:

blogpostontheradiovansandhecamebackaminutelaterall
freakedout.
> You sure they're looking for us?
In response I sent himto the quiz.

What'syoursex

Whatgradeareyouin?

Whatschooldoyougoto?

> No it's not that bad but we need to

figure out who we can trust

Whereinthecitydoyoulive?

> How?

> OMG we're doomed

Thequizzesplottedtheresultsonamapwithcoloredpushpins
forschoolsandneighborhoods,andmadelamerecommendations
forplacestobuypizzaandstuff.
Butlookatthosequestions.Thinkaboutmyanswers:

Male

12

ChavezHigh

PotreroHill

> That's what I wanted to ask you -- how

many people can you totally vouch for
like trust them to the ends of the
earth?
> Um 20 or 30 or so
> I want to get a bunch of really
trustworthy people together and do a
key-exchange web of trust thing

Therewereonlytwopeopleinmywholeschoolwhomatched
thatprofile.Mostschoolsitwouldbethesame.Ifyouwantedto
figureoutwhotheXnetterswere,youcouldusethesequizzesto
findthemall.
Thatwasbadenough,butwhatwasworsewaswhatitimplied:
someonefromtheDHSwasusingtheXnettogetatus.TheXnet
wascompromisedbytheDHS.
Wehadspiesinourmidst.
#
I'dgivenXnetdiscstohundredsofpeople,andthey'ddonethe
same.IknewthepeopleIgavethediscstoprettywell.Someof
themIknewverywell.I'velivedinthesamehouseallmylife
andI'vemadehundredsandhundredsoffriendsovertheyears,
frompeoplewhowenttodaycarewithmetopeopleIplayed
soccerwith,peoplewhoLARPedwithme,peopleImetclubbing,
peopleIknewfromschool.MyARGteamweremyclosest
friends,buttherewereplentyofpeopleIknewandtrusted
enoughtohandanXnetdiscto.
Ineededthemnow.
IwokeJoluupbyringinghiscellphoneandhangingupafter
thefirstring,threetimesinarow.Aminutelater,hewasupon
Xnetandwewereabletohaveasecurechat.Ipointedhimtomy

WeboftrustisoneofthosecoolcryptothingsthatI'dread
aboutbutnevertried.Itwasanearlyfoolproofwaytomakesure
thatyoucouldtalktothepeopleyoutrusted,butthatnooneelse
couldlistenin.Theproblemisthatitrequiresyoutophysically
meetwiththepeopleinthewebatleastonce,justtogetstarted.
> I get it sure. That's not bad. But how
you going to get everyone together for
the key-signing?
> That's what I wanted to ask you about
-- how can we do it without getting
busted?
Jolu typed some words anderased them, typed more and erased
them.
> Darryl would know
I typed.
> God, this was the stuff he was great
at.
Jolu didn't type anything. Then,
> How about a party?
he typed.
> How about if we all get together
somewhere like we're teenagers having a

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/55
party and that way we'll have a
ready-made excuse if anyone shows up
asking us what we're doing there?
> That would totally work! You're a
genius, Jolu.
> I know it. And you're going to love
this: I know just where to do it, too
> Where?
> Sutro baths!
Chapter10

maninthemiddleattack:usecrypto.Withcrypto,itdoesn't
matteriftheenemycanseeyourmessages,becausehecan't
decipherthem,changethem,andresendthem.That'soneofthe
mainreasonstousecrypto.
Butremember:forcryptotowork,youneedtohavekeysfor
thepeopleyouwanttotalkto.Youandyourpartnerneedtoshare
asecretortwo,somekeysthatyoucanusetoencryptanddecrypt
yourmessagessothatmeninthemiddlegetlockedout.
That'swheretheideaofpublickeyscomesin.Thisisalittle
hairy,butit'ssounbelievablyeleganttoo.
Inpublickeycrypto,eachusergetstwokeys.They'relong
stringsofmathematicalgibberish,andtheyhaveanalmostmagic
property.Whateveryouscramblewithonekey,theotherwill
unlock,andviceversa.What'smore,they'retheonlykeysthat
candothisifyoucanunscrambleamessagewithonekey,you
knowitwasscrambledwiththeother(andviceversa).

ThischapterisdedicatedtoAnderson'sBookshops,Chicago's
legendarykids'bookstore.Anderson'sisanold,oldfamilyrun
business,whichstartedoutasanoldtimeydrugstoreselling
somebooksontheside.Today,it'sabooming,multilocation
Soyoutakeeitheroneofthesekeys(itdoesn'tmatterwhich
kids'bookempire,withsomeincrediblyinnovativebookselling
one)andyoujustpublishit.Youmakeitatotalnonsecret.You
practicesthatgetbooksandkidstogetherinreallyexcitingways. wantanyoneintheworldtoknowwhatitis.Forobviousreasons,
Thebestoftheseisthestore'smobilebookfairs,inwhichthey
theycallthisyour"publickey."
shiphuge,rollingbookcases,alreadystockedwithexcellentkids'
books,directtoschoolsontrucksvoila,instantbookfair!
Theotherkey,youhideinthedarkestreachesofyourmind.
Youprotectitwithyourlife.Youneverletanyoneeverknow
whatitis.That'scalledyour"privatekey."(Duh.)
Anderson'sBookshops
http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/search.php?
Nowsayyou'reaspyandyouwanttotalkwithyourbosses.
qkey2=doctorow+little+brother&sid=5156&imageField.x=0&i
Theirpublickeyisknownbyeveryone.Yourpublickeyis
mageField.y=0123WestJefferson,Naperville,IL60540USA+1 knownbyeveryone.Nooneknowsyourprivatekeybutyou.No
6303552665
oneknowstheirprivatekeybutthem.
Whatwouldyoudoifyoufoundoutyouhadaspyinyourmidst?
Youcoulddenouncehim,puthimupagainstthewallandtake
himout.Butthenyoumightendupwithanotherspyinyour
midst,andthenewspywouldbemorecarefulthanthelastone
andmaybenotgetcaughtquitesoreadily.
Here'sabetteridea:startinterceptingthespy'scommunications
andfeedhimandhismastersmisinformation.Sayhismasters
instructhimtogatherinformationonyourmovements.Lethim
followyouaroundandtakeallthenoteshewants,butsteamopen
theenvelopesthathesendsbacktoHQandreplacehisaccountof
yourmovementswithafictitiousone.Ifyouwant,youcanmake
himseemerraticandunreliablesotheygetridofhim.Youcan
manufacturecrisesthatmightmakeonesideortheotherreveal
theidentitiesofotherspies.Inshort,youownthem.
Thisiscalledthemaninthemiddleattackandifyouthink
aboutit,it'sprettyscary.Someonewhomaninthemiddlesyour
communicationscantrickyouinanyofathousandways.
Ofcourse,there'sagreatwaytogetaroundthe

Youwanttosendthemamessage.First,youencryptitwith
yourprivatekey.Youcouldjustsendthatmessagealong,andit
wouldworkprettywell,sincetheywouldknowwhenthe
messagearrivedthatitcamefromyou.How?Becauseiftheycan
decryptitwithyourpublickey,itcanonlyhavebeenencrypted
withyourprivatekey.Thisistheequivalentofputtingyourseal
orsignatureonthebottomofamessage.Itsays,"Iwrotethis,and
nooneelse.Noonecouldhavetamperedwithitorchangedit."
Unfortunately,thiswon'tactuallykeepyourmessageasecret.
That'sbecauseyourpublickeyisreallywellknown(ithastobe,
oryou'llbelimitedtosendingmessagestothosefewpeoplewho
haveyourpublickey).Anyonewhointerceptsthemessagecan
readit.Theycan'tchangeitandmakeitseemlikeitcamefrom
you,butifyoudon'twantpeopletoknowwhatyou'resaying,you
needabettersolution.
Soinsteadofjustencryptingthemessagewithyourprivatekey,
youalsoencryptitwithyourboss'spublickey.Nowit'sbeen
lockedtwice.Thefirstlocktheboss'spublickeyonlycomes
offwhencombinedwithyourboss'sprivatekey.Thesecondlock
yourprivatekeyonlycomesoffwithyourpublickey.When

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/56
yourbossesreceivethemessage,theyunlockitwithbothkeys
andnowtheyknowforsurethat:a)youwroteitandb)onlythey
canreadit.
It'sverycool.ThedayIdiscoveredit,DarrylandIimmediately
exchangedkeysandspentmonthscacklingandrubbingourhands
asweexchangedourmilitarygradesecretmessagesaboutwhere
tomeetafterschoolandwhetherVanwouldevernoticehim.
Butifyouwanttounderstandsecurity,youneedtoconsiderthe
mostparanoidpossibilities.Like,whatifItrickedyouinto
thinkingthatmypublickeywasyourboss'spublickey?You'd
encryptthemessagewithyourprivatekeyandmypublickey.I'd
decryptit,readit,reencryptitwithyourboss'srealpublickey
andsenditon.Asfarasyourbossknows,noonebutyoucould
havewrittenthemessageandnoonebuthimcouldhavereadit.
AndIgettositinthemiddle,likeafatspiderinaweb,andall
yoursecretsbelongtome.
Now,theeasiestwaytofixthisistoreallywidelyadvertise
yourpublickey.Ifit'sreallyeasyforanyonetoknowwhatyour
realkeyis,maninthemiddlegetsharderandharder.Butyou
knowwhat?Makingthingswellknownisjustashardaskeeping
themsecret.Thinkaboutithowmanybillionsofdollarsare
spentonshampooadsandothercrap,justtomakesurethatas
manypeopleknowaboutsomethingthatsomeadvertiserwants
themtoknow?
There'sacheaperwayoffixingmaninthemiddle:thewebof
trust.SaythatbeforeyouleaveHQ,youandyourbossessitdown
overcoffeeandactuallytelleachotheryourkeys.Nomore
maninthemiddle!You'reabsolutelycertainwhosekeysyou
have,becausetheywereputintoyourownhands.
Sofar,sogood.Butthere'sanaturallimittothis:howmany
peoplecanyouphysicallymeetwithandswapkeys?Howmany
hoursinthedaydoyouwanttodevotetotheequivalentof
writingyourownphonebook?Howmanyofthosepeopleare
willingtodevotethatkindoftimetoyou?
Thinkingaboutthislikeaphonebookhelps.Theworldwas
onceaplacewithalotofphonebooks,andwhenyouneededa
number,youcouldlookitupinthebook.Butformanyofthe
numbersthatyouwantedtorefertoonagivenday,youwould
eitherknowitbyheart,oryou'dbeabletoasksomeoneelse.
Eventoday,whenI'moutwithmycellphone,I'llaskJoluor
DarryliftheyhaveanumberI'mlookingfor.It'sfasterandeasier
thanlookingituponlineandthey'remorereliable,too.IfJoluhas
anumber,Itrusthim,soItrustthenumber,too.That'scalled
"transitivetrust"trustthatmovesacrossthewebofour
relationships.
Aweboftrustisabiggerversionofthis.SayImeetJoluand
gethiskey.Icanputitonmy"keyring"alistofkeysthatI've
signedwithmyprivatekey.Thatmeansyoucanunlockitwith

mypublickeyandknowforsurethatmeorsomeonewithmy
key,anywaysaysthat"thiskeybelongstothisguy."
SoIhandyoumykeyringandprovidedthatyoutrustmeto
haveactuallymetandverifiedallthekeysonit,youcantakeit
andaddittoyourkeyring.Now,youmeetsomeoneelseandyou
handthewholeringtohim.Biggerandbiggertheringgrows,and
providedthatyoutrustthenextguyinthechain,andhetruststhe
nextguyinhischainandsoon,you'reprettysecure.
Whichbringsmetokeysigningparties.Theseareexactlywhat
theysoundlike:apartywhereeveryonegetstogetherandsigns
everyoneelse'skeys.DarrylandI,whenwetradedkeys,thatwas
kindofaminikeysigningparty,onewithonlytwosadandgeeky
attendees.Butwithmorepeople,youcreatetheseedoftheweb
oftrust,andthewebcanexpandfromthere.Aseveryoneonyour
keyringgoesoutintotheworldandmeetsmorepeople,theycan
addmoreandmorenamestothering.Youdon'thavetomeetthe
newpeople,justtrustthatthesignedkeyyougetfromthepeople
inyourwebisvalid.
Sothat'swhyweboftrustandpartiesgotogetherlikepeanut
butterandchocolate.
#
"Justtellthemit'sasuperprivateparty,invitationalonly,"I
said."Tellthemnottobringanyonealongortheywon'tbe
admitted."
Jolulookedatmeoverhiscoffee."You'rejoking,right?You
tellpeoplethat,andthey'llbringextrafriends."
"Argh,"Isaid.IspentanightaweekatJolu'sthesedays,
keepingthecodeuptodateonindienet.Pigspleenactuallypaid
meanonzerosumofmoneytodothis,whichwasreallyweird.I
neverthoughtI'dbepaidtowritecode.
"Sowhatdowedo?Weonlywantpeoplewereallytrustthere,
andwedon'twanttomentionwhyuntilwe'vegoteveryone'skeys
andcansendthemmessagesinsecret."
JoludebuggedandIwatchedoverhisshoulder.Thisusedtobe
called"extremeprogramming,"whichwasalittleembarrassing.
Nowwejustcallit"programming."Twopeoplearemuchbetter
atspottingbugsthanone.Astheclichegoes,"Withenough
eyeballs,allbugsareshallow."
Wewereworkingourwaythroughthebugreportsandgetting
readytopushoutthenewrev.Itallautoupdatedinthe
background,soourusersdidn'treallyneedtodoanything,they
justwokeuponceaweekorsowithabetterprogram.Itwas
prettyfreakytoknowthatthecodeIwrotewouldbeusedby
hundredsofthousandsofpeople,tomorrow!
"Whatdowedo?Man,Idon'tknow.Ithinkwejusthavetolive

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/57
withit."
IthoughtbacktoourHarajukuFunMadnessdays.Therewere
lotsofsocialchallengesinvolvinglargegroupsofpeopleaspart
ofthatgame.
"OK,you'reright.Butlet'satleasttrytokeepthissecret.Tell
themthattheycanbringamaximumofoneperson,andithasto
besomeonethey'veknownpersonallyforaminimumoffive
years."
Jolulookedupfromthescreen."Hey,"hesaid."Hey,that
wouldtotallywork.Icanreallyseeit.Imean,ifyoutoldmenot
tobringanyone,I'dbeall,'Whothehelldoeshethinkheis?'But
whenyouputitthatway,itsoundslikesomeawesome007
stuff."

andtheguyshoweduprightontime:8PM,agoodhourafter
sunset,andluggedthesixfoamicechestsoutofhispickuptruck
anddownintotheruinsofthebaths.Heevenbroughtaspare
chestfortheempties.
"Youkidsplaysafenow,"hesaid,tippinghiscowboyhat.He
wasafatSamoanguywithahugesmile,andascarytanktopthat
youcouldseehisarmpitandbellyandshoulderhairescaping
from.Ipeeledtwentiesoffmyrollandhandedthemtohimhis
markupwas150percent.Notabadracket.
Helookedatmyroll."Youknow,Icouldjusttakethatfrom
you,"hesaid,stillsmiling."I'macriminal,afterall."
Iputmyrollinmypocketandlookedhimlevellyintheeye.I'd
beenstupidtoshowhimwhatIwascarrying,butIknewthat
thereweretimeswhenyoushouldjuststandyourground.

Ifoundabug.Wedranksomecoffee.Iwenthomeandplayeda
littleClockworkPlunder,tryingnottothinkaboutkeywinders
"I'mjustmessingwithyou,"hesaid,atlast."Butyoubecareful
withnosyquestions,andsleptlikeababy.
withthatmoney.Don'tgoshowingitaround."
#

"Thanks,"Isaid."HomelandSecurity'llgetmybackthough."

SutrobathsareSanFrancisco'sauthenticfakeRomanruins.
Whenitopenedin1896,itwasthelargestindoorbathinghouse
intheworld,ahugeVictorianglasssolariumfilledwithpoolsand
tubsandevenanearlywaterslide.Itwentdownhillbythefifties,
andtheownerstorcheditfortheinsurancein1966.Allthat'sleft
isalabyrinthofweatheredstonesetintothesereclifffaceat
OceanBeach.ItlooksforalltheworldlikeaRomanruin,
crumbledandmysterious,andjustbeyondthemisasetofcaves
thatletoutintothesea.Inroughtides,thewavesrushthroughthe
cavesandovertheruinsthey'veevenbeenknowntosuckin
anddrowntheoccasionaltourist.

Hissmilegotevenbigger."Ha!They'renotevenrealfiveoh.
Thosepeckerwoodsdon'tknownothin'."

OceanBeachiswayoutpastGoldenGatepark,astarkcliff
linedwithexpensive,doomedhouses,plungingdowntoanarrow
beachstuddedwithjellyfishandbrave(insane)surfers.There'sa
giantwhiterockthatjutsoutoftheshallowsofftheshore.That's
calledSealRock,anditusedtobetheplacewherethesealions
congregateduntiltheywererelocatedtothemoretouristfriendly
environsofFisherman'sWharf.
Afterdark,there'shardlyanyoneoutthere.Itgetsverycold,
withasaltspraythat'llsoakyoutoyourbonesifyouletit.The
rocksaresharpandthere'sbrokenglassandtheoccasionaljunkie
needle.
Itisanawesomeplaceforaparty.
Bringingalongthetarpaulinsandchemicalglovewarmerswas
myidea.Jolufiguredoutwheretogetthebeerhisolder
brother,Javier,hadabuddywhoactuallyoperatedawhole
underagedrinkingservice:payhimenoughandhe'dbackupto
yoursecludedpartyspotwithicechestsandasmanybrewsas
youwanted.Iblewabunchofmyindienetprogrammingmoney,

Ilookedoverathistruck.Prominentlydisplayedinhis
windscreenwasaFasTrak.Iwonderedhowlongitwouldbeuntil
hegotbusted.
"Yougotgirlscomingtonight?Thatwhyyougotallthebeer?"
Ismiledandwavedathimasthoughhewaswalkingbackto
histruck,whichheshouldhavebeendoing.Heeventuallygotthe
hintanddroveaway.Hissmileneverfaltered.
Joluhelpedmehidethecoolersintherubble,workingwith
littlewhiteLEDtorchesonheadbands.Oncethecoolerswerein
place,wethrewlittlewhiteLEDkeychainsintoeachone,soit
wouldglowwhenyoutookthestyrofoamlidsoff,makingit
easiertoseewhatyouweredoing.
Itwasamoonlessnightandovercast,andthedistantstreetlights
barelyilluminatedus.Iknewwe'dstandoutlikeblazesonan
infraredscope,buttherewasnochancethatwe'dbeabletogeta
bunchofpeopletogetherwithoutbeingobserved.I'dsettlefor
beingdismissedasalittledrunkenbeachparty.
Idon'treallydrinkmuch.There'sbeenbeerandpotandecstasy
atthepartiesI'vebeengoingtosinceIwas14,butIhated
smoking(thoughI'mquitepartialtoahashbrownieeverynow
andagain),ecstasytooktoolongwho'sgotawholeweekendto
gethighandcomedownandbeer,well,itwasallright,butI
didn'tseewhatthebigdealwas.Myfavoritewasbig,elaborate
cocktails,thekindofthingservedinaceramicvolcano,withsix
layers,onfire,andaplasticmonkeyontherim,butthatwas

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/58
mostlyforthetheaterofitall.
Iactuallylikebeingdrunk.Ijustdon'tlikebeinghungover,and
boy,doIevergethungover.Thoughagain,thatmighthavetodo
withthekindofdrinksthatcomeinaceramicvolcano.
Butyoucan'tthrowapartywithoutputtingacaseortwoof
beeronice.It'sexpected.Itloosensthingsup.Peopledostupid
thingsaftertoomanybeers,butit'snotlikemyfriendsarethe
kindofpeoplewhohavecars.Andpeopledostupidthingsno
matterwhatbeerorgrassorwhateverareallincidentaltothat
centralfact.
JoluandIeachcrackedbeersAnchorSteamforhim,aBud
Liteformeandclinkedthebottlestogether,sittingdownona
rock.
"Youtoldthem9PM?"
"Yeah,"hesaid.
"Metoo."
Wedrankinsilence.TheBudLitewastheleastalcoholicthing
intheicechest.I'dneedaclearheadlater.
"Youevergetscared?"Isaid,finally.
Heturnedtome."Noman,Idon'tgetscared.I'malways
scared.I'vebeenscaredsincetheminutetheexplosions
happened.I'msoscaredsometimes,Idon'twanttogetoutof
bed."
"Thenwhydoyoudoit?"
Hesmiled."Aboutthat,"hesaid."MaybeIwon't,notformuch
longer.Imean,it'sbeengreathelpingyou.Great.Really
excellent.Idon'tknowwhenI'vedoneanythingsoimportant.But
Marcus,bro,Ihavetosay..."Hetrailedoff.
"What?"Isaid,thoughIknewwhatwascomingnext.
"Ican'tdoitforever,"hesaidatlast."Maybenotevenfor
anothermonth.IthinkI'mthrough.It'stoomuchrisk.TheDHS,
youcan'tgotowaronthem.It'scrazy.Reallyactuallycrazy."
"YousoundlikeVan,"Isaid.Myvoicewasmuchmorebitter
thanI'dintended.
"I'mnotcriticizingyou,man.Ithinkit'sgreatthatyou'vegot
thebraverytodothisallthetime.ButIhaven'tgotit.Ican'tlive
mylifeinperpetualterror."
"Whatareyousaying?"
"I'msayingI'mout.I'mgoingtobeoneofthosepeoplewho

actslikeit'sallOK,likeit'llallgobacktonormalsomeday.I'm
goingtousetheInternetlikeIalwaysdid,andonlyusetheXnet
toplaygames.I'mgoingtogetoutiswhatI'msaying.Iwon'tbe
apartofyourplansanymore."
Ididn'tsayanything.
"Iknowthat'sleavingyouonyourown.Idon'twantthat,
believeme.I'dmuchratheryougiveupwithme.Youcan't
declarewaronthegovernmentoftheUSA.It'snotafightyou're
goingtowin.Watchingyoutryislikewatchingabirdflyintoa
windowagainandagain."
Hewantedmetosaysomething.WhatIwantedtosaywas,
JesusJolu,thankssoverymuchforabandoningme!Doyou
forgetwhatitwaslikewhentheytookusaway?Doyouforget
whatthecountryusedtobelikebeforetheytookitover?But
that'snotwhathewantedmetosay.Whathewantedmetosay
was:
"Iunderstand,Jolu.Irespectyourchoice."
Hedranktherestofhisbottleandpulledoutanotheroneand
twistedoffthecap.
"There'ssomethingelse,"hesaid.
"What?"
"Iwasn'tgoingtomentionit,butIwantyoutounderstandwhy
Ihavetodothis."
"Jesus,Jolu,what?"
"Ihatetosayit,butyou'rewhite.I'mnot.Whitepeopleget
caughtwithcocaineanddoalittlerehabtime.Brownpeopleget
caughtwithcrackandgotoprisonfortwentyyears.Whitepeople
seecopsonthestreetandfeelsafer.Brownpeopleseecopson
thestreetandwonderifthey'reabouttogetsearched.Theway
theDHSistreatingyou?Thelawinthiscountryhasalwaysbeen
likethatforus."
Itwassounfair.Ididn'tasktobewhite.Ididn'tthinkIwas
beingbraverjustbecauseI'mwhite.ButIknewwhatJoluwas
saying.IfthecopsstoppedsomeoneintheMissionandaskedto
seesomeID,chanceswerethatpersonwasn'twhite.Whatever
riskIran,Joluranmore.WhateverpenaltyI'dpay,Joluwould
paymore.
"Idon'tknowwhattosay,"Isaid.
"Youdon'thavetosayanything,"hesaid."Ijustwantedyouto
know,soyoucouldunderstand."
Icouldseepeoplewalkingdownthesidetrailtowardus.They
werefriendsofJolu's,twoMexicanguysandagirlIknewfrom

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/59
around,shortandgeeky,alwayswearingcuteblackBuddyHolly
glassesthatmadeherlookliketheoutcastartstudentinateen
moviewhocomesbackasthebigsuccess.

revealourselvessothattheycanbustus.IftheXnetisgoingto
succeed,weneedtofigureouthowtokeepthemfromspyingon
us.Weneedanetworkwithinthenetwork."

Joluintroducedmeandgavethembeers.Thegirldidn'ttake
one,butinsteadproducedasmallsilverflaskofvodkafromher
purseandofferedmeadrink.Itookaswallowwarmvodka
mustbeanacquiredtasteandcomplimentedherontheflask,
whichwasembossedwitharepeatingmotifofParappathe
Rappercharacters.

Ipausedandletthissinkin.Joluhadsuggestedthatthismight
bealittleheavylearningthatyou'reabouttobebroughtintoa
revolutionarycell.

"It'sJapanese,"shesaidasIplayedanotherLEDkeyringover
it."Theyhaveallthesegreatboozetoysbasedonkids'games.
Totallytwisted."
Iintroducedmyselfandsheintroducedherself."Ange,"she
said,andshookmyhandwithhersdry,warm,withshortnails.
Joluintroducedmetohispals,whomhe'dknownsincecomputer
campinthefourthgrade.Morepeopleshowedupfive,then
ten,thentwenty.Itwasaseriouslybiggroupnow.
We'dtoldpeopletoarriveby9:30sharp,andwegaveituntil
9:45toseewhoallwouldshowup.Aboutthreequarterswere
Jolu'sfriends.I'dinvitedallthepeopleIreallytrusted.EitherI
wasmorediscriminatingthanJoluorlesspopular.Nowthathe'd
toldmehewasquitting,itmademethinkthathewasless
discriminating.Iwasreallypissedathim,buttryingnottoletit
showbyconcentratingonsocializingwithotherpeople.Buthe
wasn'tstupid.Heknewwhatwasgoingon.Icouldseethathe
wasreallybummed.Good.
"OK,"Isaid,climbinguponaruin,"OK,hey,hello?"Afew
peoplenearbypaidattentiontome,buttheonesinthebackkept
onchatting.Iputmyarmsintheairlikeareferee,butitwastoo
dark.EventuallyIhitontheideaofturningmyLEDkeychainon
andpointingitateachofthetalkersinturn,thenatme.
Gradually,thecrowdfellquiet.
Iwelcomedthemandthankedthemallforcoming,thenasked
themtocloseinsoIcouldexplainwhywewerethere.Icouldtell
theywereintothesecrecyofitall,intriguedandalittlewarmed
upbythebeer.
"Sohereitis.YouallusetheXnet.It'snocoincidencethatthe
XnetwascreatedrightaftertheDHStookoverthecity.The
peoplewhodidthatareanorganizationdevotedtopersonal
liberty,whocreatedthenetworktokeepussafefromDHS
spooksandenforcers."JoluandIhadworkedthisoutinadvance.
Weweren'tgoingtocoptobeingbehinditall,nottoanyone.It
waswaytoorisky.Instead,we'dputitoutthatweweremerely
lieutenantsin"M1k3y"'sarmy,actingtoorganizethelocal
resistance.
"TheXnetisn'tpure,"Isaid."Itcanbeusedbytheotherside
justasreadilyasbyus.WeknowthatthereareDHSspieswho
useitnow.Theyusesocialengineeringhackstotrytogetusto

"Now,I'mnotheretoaskyoutodoanythingactive.Youdon't
havetogooutjammingoranything.You'vebeenbroughthere
becauseweknowyou'recool,weknowyou'retrustworthy.It's
thattrustworthinessIwanttogetyoutocontributetonight.Some
ofyouwillalreadybefamiliarwiththeweboftrustand
keysigningparties,butfortherestofyou,I'llrunitdownquickly
"WhichIdid.
"NowwhatIwantfromyoutonightistomeetthepeoplehere
andfigureouthowmuchyoucantrustthem.We'regoingtohelp
yougeneratekeypairsandsharethemwitheachother."
Thispartwastricky.Askingpeopletobringtheirownlaptops
wouldn'thaveworkedout,butwestillneededtodosomething
hellacomplicatedthatwouldn'texactlyworkwithpaperand
pencil.
IheldupalaptopJoluandIhadrebuiltthenightbefore,from
thegroundup."Itrustthismachine.Everycomponentinitwas
laidbyourownhands.It'srunningafreshoutoftheboxversion
ofParanoidLinux,bootedoffoftheDVD.Ifthere'satrustworthy
computerleftanywhereintheworld,thismightwellbeit.
"I'vegotakeygeneratorloadedhere.Youcomeuphereand
giveitsomerandominputmashthekeys,wigglethemouse
anditwillusethatastheseedtocreatearandompublicand
privatekeyforyou,whichitwilldisplayonthescreen.Youcan
takeapictureoftheprivatekeywithyourphone,andhitanykey
tomakeitgoawayforeverit'snotstoredonthediskatall.
Thenitwillshowyouyourpublickey.Atthatpoint,youcall
overallthepeoplehereyoutrustandwhotrustyou,andtheytake
apictureofthescreenwithyoustandingnexttoit,sotheyknow
whosekeyitis.
"Whenyougethome,youhavetoconvertthephotostokeys.
Thisisgoingtobealotofwork,I'mafraid,butyou'llonlyhave
todoitonce.Youhavetobesupercarefulabouttypingthesein
onemistakeandyou'rescrewed.Luckily,we'vegotawayto
tellifyou'vegotitright:beneaththekeywillbeamuchshorter
number,calledthe'fingerprint'.Onceyou'vetypedinthekey,you
cangenerateafingerprintfromitandcompareittothe
fingerprint,andiftheymatch,you'vegotitright."
Theyallboggledatme.OK,soI'daskedthemtodosomething
prettyweird,it'strue,butstill.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/60
Chapter11
ThischapterisdedicatedtotheUniversityBookstoreatthe
UniversityofWashington,whosesciencefictionsectionrivals
manyspecialtystores,thankstothesharpeyed,dedicated
sciencefictionbuyer,DuaneWilkins.Duane'sarealscience
fictionfanIfirstmethimattheWorldScienceFiction
ConventioninTorontoin2003anditshowsintheeclecticand
informedchoicesondisplayatthestore.Onegreatpredictorofa
greatbookstoreisthequalityofthe"shelfreview"thelittlebits
ofcardboardstucktotheshelveswith(generallyhandlettered)
staffreviewsextollingthevirtuesofbooksyoumightotherwise
miss.ThestaffattheUniversityBookstorehaveclearlybenefited
fromDuane'stutelage,astheshelfreviewsattheUniversity
Bookstorearesecondtonone.
TheUniversityBookstore
http://www4.bookstore.washington.edu/_trade/ShowTitleUBS.taf
?ActionArg=Title&ISBN=97807653198524326UniversityWay
NE,Seattle,WA98105USA+1800335READ
Jolustoodup.
"Thisiswhereitstarts,guys.Thisishowweknowwhichside
you'reon.Youmightnotbewillingtotaketothestreetsandget
bustedforyourbeliefs,butifyouhavebeliefs,thiswillletus
knowit.Thiswillcreatetheweboftrustthattellsuswho'sinand
who'sout.Ifwe'reevergoingtogetourcountryback,weneedto
dothis.Weneedtodosomethinglikethis."
SomeoneintheaudienceitwasAngehadahandup,
holdingabeerbottle.

inmychest,somethingpainful."Whenthebombswentoff,there
werefourofuscaughtupbyMarketStreet.Forwhateverreason,
theDHSdecidedthatmadeussuspicious.Theyputbagsoverour
heads,putusonashipandinterrogatedusfordays.They
humiliatedus.Playedgameswithourminds.Thentheyletusgo.
"Allexceptoneperson.Mybestfriend.Hewaswithuswhen
theypickedusup.He'dbeenhurtandheneededmedicalcare.He
nevercameoutagain.Theysaytheyneversawhim.Theysay
thatifweevertellanyoneaboutthis,they'llarrestusandmakeus
disappear.
"Forever."
Iwasshaking.Theshame.Thegoddamnedshame.Joluhadthe
lightonme.
"OhChrist,"Isaid."YoupeoplearethefirstonesI'vetold.If
thisstorygetsaround,youcanbetthey'llknowwholeakedit.
Youcanbetthey'llcomeknockingonmydoor."Itooksome
moredeepbreaths."That'swhyIvolunteeredontheXnet.That's
whymylife,fromnowon,isaboutfightingtheDHS.Withevery
breath.Everyday.Untilwe'refreeagain.Anyoneofyoucould
putmeinjailnow,ifyouwantedto."
Angeputherhandupagain."We'renotgoingtoratonyou,"
shesaid."Noway.IknowprettymucheveryonehereandIcan
promiseyouthat.Idon'tknowhowtoknowwhototrust,butI
knowwhonottotrust:oldpeople.Ourparents.Grownups.When
theythinkofsomeonebeingspiedon,theythinkofsomeoneelse,
abadguy.Whentheythinkofsomeonebeingcaughtandsentto
asecretprison,it'ssomeoneelsesomeonebrown,someone
young,someoneforeign.

"Theyforgetwhatit'sliketobeourage.Tobetheobjectof
"SocallmestupidbutIdon'tunderstandthisatall.Whydoyou suspicionallthetime!Howmanytimeshaveyougottenonthe
busandhadeverypersononitgiveyoualooklikeyou'dbeen
wantustodothis?"
garglingturdsandskinningpuppies?
Jolulookedatme,andIlookedbackathim.Ithadallseemed
"What'sworse,they'returningintoadultsyoungerandyounger
soobviouswhenwewereorganizingit."TheXnetisn'tjustaway
outthere.Backintheday,theyusedtosay'Nevertrustanyone
toplayfreegames.It'sthelastopencommunicationsnetworkin
America.It'sthelastwaytocommunicatewithoutbeingsnooped over30.'Isay,'Don'ttrustanybastardover25!'"
onbytheDHS.Forittoworkweneedtoknowthattheperson
Thatgotalaugh,andshelaughedtoo.Shewaspretty,ina
we'retalkingtoisn'tasnoop.Thatmeansthatweneedtoknow
weird,horseyway,withalongfaceandalongjaw."I'mnot
thatthepeoplewe'resendingmessagestoarethepeoplewethink
reallykidding,youknow?Imean,thinkaboutit.Whoelected
theyare.
theseassclowns?Wholettheminvadeourcity?Whovotedto
putthecamerasinourclassroomsandfollowusaroundwith
"That'swhereyoucomein.You'reallherebecausewetrust
creepyspywarechipsinourtransitpassesandcars?Itwasn'ta
you.Imean,reallytrustyou.Trustyouwithourlives."
16yearold.Wemaybedumb,wemaybeyoung,butwe'renot
scum."
Someofthepeoplegroaned.Itsoundedmelodramaticand
stupid.
"Iwantthatonatshirt,"Isaid.
Igotbacktomyfeet.
"Itwouldbeagoodone,"shesaid.Wesmiledateachother.
"Whenthebombswentoff,"Isaid,thensomethingwelledup

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/61
"WheredoIgotogetmykeys?"shesaid,andpulledouther
phone.
"We'lldoitoverthere,inthesecludedspotbythecaves.I'll
takeyouinthereandsetyouup,thenyoudoyourthingandtake
themachinearoundtoyourfriendstogetphotosofyourpublic
keysotheycansignitwhentheygethome."

thinkwewere?
Soitwent,throughthenexthourorso,everyonetaking
picturesandmakingkeys.Igottomeeteveryonethere.Iknewa
lotofthemsomeweremyinviteesandtheotherswere
friendsofmypalsormypals'pals.Weshouldallbebuddies.We
were,bythetimethenightwasout.Theywereallgoodpeople.

Iraisedmyvoice."Oh!Onemorething!Jesus,Ican'tbelieveI
Onceeveryonewasdone,Joluwenttomakeakey,andthen
forgotthis.Deletethosephotosonceyou'vetypedinthekeys!The turnedaway,givingmeasheepishgrin.Iwaspastmyangerwith
him,though.Hewasdoingwhathehadtodo.Iknewthatno
lastthingwewantisaFlickrstreamfullofpicturesofallofus
conspiringtogether."
matterwhathesaid,he'dalwaysbethereforme.Andwe'dbeen
throughtheDHSjailtogether.Vantoo.Nomatterwhat,that
Therewassomegoodnatured,nervouschuckling,thenJolu
wouldbindustogetherforever.
turnedoutthelightandinthesuddendarknessIcouldsee
nothing.Gradually,myeyesadjustedandIsetoffforthecave.
Ididmykeyanddidtheperpwalkaroundthegang,letting
everyonesnapapic.ThenIclimbeduponthehighspotI'd
Someonewaswalkingbehindme.Ange.Iturnedandsmiledat
her,andshesmiledback,luminousteethinthedark.
spokenfromearlierandcalledforeveryone'sattention.
"Thanksforthat,"Isaid."Youweregreat."
"Youmeanwhatyousaidaboutthebagonyourheadand
everything?"
"Imeantit,"Isaid."Ithappened.Inevertoldanyone,butit
happened."Ithoughtaboutitforamoment."Youknow,withall
thetimethatwentbysince,withoutsayinganything,itstartedto
feellikeabaddream.Itwasrealthough."Istoppedandclimbed
upintothecave."I'mgladIfinallytoldpeople.AnylongerandI
mighthavestartedtodoubtmyownsanity."
Isetupthelaptoponadrybitofrockandbooteditfromthe
DVDwithherwatching."I'mgoingtorebootitforeveryperson.
ThisisastandardParanoidLinuxdisc,thoughIguessyou'dhave
totakemywordforit."
"Hell,"shesaid."Thisisallabouttrust,right?"
"Yeah,"Isaid."Trust."
Iretreatedsomedistanceassheranthekeygenerator,listening
tohertypingandmousingtocreaterandomness,listeningtothe
crashofthesurf,listeningtothepartynoisesfromoverwherethe
beerwas.
Shesteppedoutofthecave,carryingthelaptop.Onit,inhuge
whiteluminousletters,wereherpublickeyandherfingerprint
andemailaddress.Sheheldthescreenupbesideherfaceand
waitedwhileIgotmyphoneout.
"Cheese,"shesaid.Isnappedherpicanddroppedthecamera
backinmypocket.Shewanderedofftotherevelersandletthem
eachgetpicsofherandthescreen.Itwasfestive.Fun.Shereally
hadalotofcharismayoudidn'twanttolaughather,youjust
wantedtolaughwithher.Andhell,itwasfunny!Wewere
declaringasecretwaronthesecretpolice.Whothehelldidwe

"Soalotofyouhavenotedthatthere'savitalflawinthis
procedure:whatifthislaptopcan'tbetrusted?Whatifit'ssecretly
recordingourinstructions?Whatifit'sspyingonus?Whatif
JoseLuisandIcan'tbetrusted?"
Moregoodnaturedchuckles.Alittlewarmerthanbefore,more
beery.
"Imeanit,"Isaid."Ifwewereonthewrongside,thiscouldget
allofusallofyouintoaheapoftrouble.Jail,maybe."
Thechucklesturnedmorenervous.
"Sothat'swhyI'mgoingtodothis,"Isaid,andpickedupa
hammerI'dbroughtfrommyDad'stoolkit.Isetthelaptopdown
besidemeontherockandswungthehammer,Jolufollowingthe
swingwithhiskeychainlight.CrashI'dalwaysdreamtof
killingalaptopwithahammer,andhereIwasdoingit.Itfelt
pornographicallygood.Andbad.
Smash!Thescreenpanelfelloff,shatteredintomillionsof
pieces,exposingthekeyboard.Ikepthittingit,untilthekeyboard
felloff,exposingthemotherboardandtheharddrive.Crash!I
aimedsquarefortheharddrive,hittingitwitheverythingIhad.It
tookthreeblowsbeforethecasesplit,exposingthefragilemedia
inside.Ikepthittingituntiltherewasnothingbiggerthana
cigarettelighter,thenIputitallinagarbagebag.Thecrowdwas
cheeringwildlyloudenoughthatIactuallygotworriedthat
someonefaraboveusmighthearoverthesurfandcallthelaw.
"Allright!"Icalled."Now,ifyou'dliketoaccompanyme,I'm
goingtomarchthisdowntotheseaandsoakitinsaltwaterfor
tenminutes."
Ididn'thaveanytakersatfirst,butthenAngecameforward
andtookmyarminherwarmhandandsaid,"Thatwas
beautiful,"inmyearandwemarcheddowntotheseatogether.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/62

Itwasperfectlydarkbythesea,andtreacherous,evenwithour
keychainlights.Slippery,sharprocksthatweredifficultenough
towalkonevenwithouttryingtobalancesixpoundsofsmashed
electronicsinaplasticbag.IslippedonceandthoughtIwas
goingtocutmyselfup,butshecaughtmewithasurprisingly
stronggripandkeptmeupright.Iwaspulledinrightclosetoher,
closeenoughtosmellherperfume,whichsmelledlikenewcars.I
lovethatsmell.

hilarious.Wegotprettyloudandthedriverusedhisintercomto
tellustokeepitdowntwice,thentoldustoshutuprightnowor
he'dcallthecops.
Thatsetustogigglingagainandwedisembarkedinamass
beforehedidcallthecops.WewereinNorthBeachnow,and
therewerelotsofbuses,taxis,theBARTatMarketStreet,
neonlitclubsandcafestopullapartourgrouping,sowedrifted
away.

"Thanks,"Imanaged,lookingintothebigeyesthatwere
IgothomeandfiredupmyXboxandstartedtypinginkeys
furthermagnifiedbyhermannish,blackrimmedglasses.I
frommyphone'sscreen.Itwasdull,hypnoticwork.Iwasalittle
couldn'ttellwhatcolortheywereinthedark,butIguessed
drunk,anditlulledmeintoahalfsleep.
somethingdark,basedonherdarkhairandolivecomplexion.She
lookedMediterranean,maybeGreekorSpanishorItalian.
IwasaboutreadytonodoffwhenanewIMwindowpopped
up.
Icroucheddownanddippedthebaginthesea,lettingitfill
withsaltwater.Imanagedtoslipalittleandsoakmyshoe,andI
> herro!
sworeandshelaughed.We'dhardlysaidawordsincewelitout
I didn't recognize the handle -- spexgril -- but I had an idea who
fortheocean.Therewassomethingmagicalinourwordless
might be behind it.
silence.
Atthatpoint,Ihadkissedatotalofthreegirlsinmylife,not
countingthatmomentwhenIwentbacktoschoolandgotahero's
welcome.That'snotagiganticnumber,butit'snotaminuscule
one,either.Ihavereasonablegirlradar,andIthinkIcouldhave
kissedher.Shewasn'th4wtinthetraditionalsense,butthere's
somethingaboutagirlandanightandabeach,plusshewas
smartandpassionateandcommitted.
ButIdidn'tkissher,ortakeherhand.Insteadwehadamoment
thatIcanonlydescribeasspiritual.Thesurf,thenight,thesea
andtherocks,andourbreathing.Themomentstretched.Isighed.
Thishadbeenquitearide.Ihadalotoftypingtodotonight,
puttingallthosekeysintomykeychain,signingthemand
publishingthesignedkeys.Startingtheweboftrust.
Shesighedtoo.

> hi
I typed, cautiously.
> it's me, from tonight
Then she paste-bombed a block of crypto. I'd already entered
her public key into my keychain, so I told the IM client to try
decrypting the code with the key.
> it's me, from tonight
It was her!
> Fancy meeting you here
I typed, then encrypted it to my public
key and mailed it off.

"Let'sgo,"Isaid.

> It was great meeting you

"Yeah,"shesaid.
Backwewent.Itwasagoodnight,thatnight.
#
Joluwaitedafterforhisbrother'sfriendtocomebyandpickup
hiscoolers.Iwalkedwitheveryoneelseuptheroadtothenearest
Munistopandgotonboard.Ofcourse,noneofuswasusingan
issuedMunipass.Bythatpoint,Xnettershabituallycloned
someoneelse'sMunipassthreeorfourtimesaday,assuminga
newidentityforeveryride.
Itwashardtostaycoolonthebus.Wewereallalittledrunk,
andlookingatourfacesunderthebrightbuslightswaskindof

I typed.
> You too. I don't meet too many smart
guys who are also cute and also
socially aware. Good god, man, you
don't give a girl much of a chance.
My heart hammered in my chest.
> Hello? Tap tap? This thing on? I wasn't
born here folks, but I'm sure dying
here. Don't forget to tip your
waitresses, they work hard. I'm here
all week.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/63
#

I laughed aloud.
> I'm here, I'm here. Laughing too hard
to type is all
> Well at least my IM comedy-fu is still
mighty
Um.
> It was really great to meet you too
> Yeah, it usually is. Where are you
taking me?
> Taking you?
> On our next adventure?
> I didn't really have anything planned
> Oki -- then I'll take YOU. Saturday.
Dolores Park. Illegal open air concert.
Be there or be a dodecahedron
> Wait what?

ThenextdayIwasazombie.AngeandIhadchattedflirted
until4AM.Luckyforme,itwasaSaturdayandIwasableto
sleepin,butbetweenthehangoverandthesleepdep,Icould
barelyputtwothoughtstogether.
Bylunchtime,Imanagedtogetupandgetmyassoutontothe
streets.IstaggereddowntowardtheTurk'stobuymycoffee
thesedays,ifIwasalone,Ialwaysboughtmycoffeethere,like
theTurkandIwerepartofasecretclub.
Ontheway,Ipassedalotoffreshgraffiti.IlikedMission
graffiti;alotofthetimes,itcameinhuge,lusciousmurals,or
sarcasticartstudentstencils.IlikedthattheMission'staggers
keptrightongoing,underthenoseoftheDHS.Anotherkindof
Xnet,Isupposedtheymusthaveallkindsofwaysofknowing
whatwasgoingon,wheretogetpaint,whatcamerasworked.
Someofthecamerashadbeenspraypaintedover,Inoticed.
MaybetheyusedXnet!
Paintedintenfoothighlettersonthesideofanautoyard's
fencewerethedrippywords:DON'TTRUSTANYONEOVER
25.

Istopped.Hadsomeoneleftmy"party"lastnightandcome
herewithacanofpaint?Alotofthosepeoplelivedinthe
> Don't you even read Xnet? It's all over
neighborhood.
the place. You ever hear of the
Speedwhores?
Igotmycoffeeandhadalittlewanderaroundtown.Ikept
thinkingIshouldbecallingsomeone,seeingiftheywantedtoget
I nearly choked.That was Trudy Doo's band -- as in Trudy
Doo, the woman who had paid me and Jolu to update the indienet amovieorsomething.That'showitusedtobeonalazySaturday
likethis.ButwhowasIgoingtocall?Vanwasn'ttalkingtome,I
code.
didn'tthinkIwasreadytotalktoJolu,andDarryl
> Yeah I've heard of them
Well,Icouldn'tcallDarryl.
> They're putting on a huge show and
they've got like fifty bands signed to
Igotmycoffeeandwenthomeanddidalittlesearchingaround
play the bill, going to set up on the
ontheXnet'sblogs.Theseanonablogswereuntraceabletoany
tennis courts and bring out their own
authorunlessthatauthorwasstupidenoughtoputhernameon
amp trucks and rock out all night
itandtherewerealotofthem.Mostofthemwereapolitical,
butalotofthemweren't.Theytalkedaboutschoolsandthe
IfeltlikeI'dbeenlivingunderarock.HowhadImissedthat?
unfairnessthere.Theytalkedaboutthecops.Tagging.
TherewasananarchistbookstoreonValenciathatIsometimes
passedonthewaytoschoolthathadaposterofanold
Turnedoutthere'dbeenplansfortheconcertintheparkfor
revolutionarynamedEmmaGoldmanwiththecaption"IfIcan't weeks.Ithadhoppedfromblogtoblog,turningintoafullblown
dance,Idon'twanttobeapartofyourrevolution."I'dbeen
movementwithoutmynoticing.AndtheconcertwascalledDon't
spendingallmyenergiesonfiguringouthowtousetheXnetto
TrustAnyoneOver25.
organizededicatedfighterssotheycouldjamtheDHS,butthis
wassomuchcooler.AbigconcertIhadnoideahowtodoone
Well,thatexplainedwhereAngegotit.Itwasagoodslogan.
ofthose,butIwasgladsomeonedid.
#
AndnowthatIthoughtofit,Iwasdamnedproudthatthey
wereusingtheXnettodoit.
Mondaymorning,IdecidedIwantedtocheckoutthatanarchist
bookstoreagain,seeaboutgettingoneofthoseEmmaGoldman

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/64
posters.Ineededthereminder.
Idetoureddownto16thandMissiononmywaytoschool,then
uptoValenciaandacross.Thestorewasshut,butIgotthehours
offthedoorandmadesuretheystillhadthatposterup.
AsIwalkeddownValencia,Iwasamazedtoseehowmuchof
theDON'TTRUSTANYONEOVER25stufftherewas.Halfthe
shopshadDON'TTRUSTmerchinthewindows:lunchboxes,
babydolltees,pencilboxes,truckerhats.Thehipsterstoreshave
beengettingfasterandfaster,ofcourse.Asnewmemessweep
thenetinthecourseofadayortwo,storeshavegottenbetterat
puttingmerchinthewindowstomatch.Somefunnylittle
youtubeofaguylaunchinghimselfwithjetpacksmadeof
carbonatedwaterwouldlandinyourinboxonMondayandby
Tuesdayyou'dbeabletobuytshirtswithstillsfromthevideoon
it.
ButitwasamazingtoseesomethingmaketheleapfromXnet
totheheadshops.Distresseddesignerjeanswiththeslogan
writtenincarefulhighschoolballpointink.Embroidered
patches.
Goodnewstravelsfast.
ItwaswrittenontheblackboardwhenIgottoMsGalvez's
SocialStudiesclass.Weallsatatourdesks,smilingatit.It
seemedtosmileback.Therewassomethingprofoundlycheering
abouttheideathatwecouldalltrusteachother,thattheenemy
couldbeidentified.Iknewitwasn'tentirelytrue,butitwasn't
entirelyfalseeither.
MsGalvezcameinandpattedherhairandsetdownher
SchoolBookonherdeskandpowereditup.Shepickedupher
chalkandturnedaroundtofacetheboard.Wealllaughed.
Goodnaturedly,butwelaughed.
Sheturnedaroundandwaslaughingtoo."Inflationhashitthe
nation'ssloganwriters,itseems.Howmanyofyouknowwhere
thisphrasecomesfrom?"
Welookedateachother."Hippies?"someonesaid,andwe
laughed.HippiesarealloverSanFrancisco,boththeoldstoner
kindswithgiantskankybeardsandtiedyes,andthenewkind,
whoaremoreintodressupandmaybeplayinghackysackthan
protestinganything.
"Well,yes,hippies.Butwhenwethinkofhippiesthesedays,
wejustthinkoftheclothesandthemusic.Clothesandmusic
wereincidentaltothemainpartofwhatmadethatera,thesixties,
important.
"You'veheardaboutthecivilrightsmovementtoend
segregation,whiteandblackkidslikeyouridingbusesintothe
Southtosignupblackvotersandprotestagainstofficialstate
racism.Californiawasoneofthemainplaceswherethecivil

rightsleaderscamefrom.We'vealwaysbeenalittlemore
politicalthantherestofthecountry,andthisisalsoapartofthe
countrywhereblackpeoplehavebeenabletogetthesameunion
factoryjobsaswhitepeople,sotheywerealittlebetteroffthan
theircousinsinthesouthland.
"ThestudentsatBerkeleysentasteadystreamoffreedom
riderssouth,andtheyrecruitedthemfrominformationtableson
campus,atBancroftandTelegraphAvenue.You'veprobably
seenthattherearestilltablestheretothisday.
"Well,thecampustriedtoshutthemdown.Thepresidentofthe
universitybannedpoliticalorganizingoncampus,butthecivil
rightskidswouldn'tstop.Thepolicetriedtoarrestaguywhowas
handingoutliteraturefromoneofthesetables,andtheyputhim
inavan,but3,000studentssurroundedthevanandrefusedtolet
itbudge.Theywouldn'tletthemtakethiskidtojail.Theystood
ontopofthevanandgavespeechesabouttheFirstAmendment
andFreeSpeech.
"ThatgalvanizedtheFreeSpeechMovement.Thatwasthestart
ofthehippies,butitwasalsowheremoreradicalstudent
movementscamefrom.BlackpowergroupsliketheBlack
PanthersandlatergayrightsgroupslikethePinkPanthers,too.
Radicalwomen'sgroups,even'lesbianseparatists'whowantedto
abolishmenaltogether!AndtheYippies.Anyoneeverhearofthe
Yippies?"
"Didn'ttheylevitatethePentagon?"Isaid.I'donceseena
documentaryaboutthis.
Shelaughed."Iforgotaboutthat,butyes,thatwasthem!
Yippieswerelikeverypoliticalhippies,buttheyweren'tserious
thewaywethinkofpoliticsthesedays.Theywereveryplayful.
Pranksters.TheythrewmoneyintotheNewYorkStock
Exchange.TheycircledthePentagonwithhundredsofprotestors
andsaidamagicspellthatwassupposedtolevitateit.They
inventedafictionalkindofLSDthatyoucouldsprayontopeople
withsquirtgunsandshoteachotherwithitandpretendedtobe
stoned.TheywerefunnyandtheymadegreatTVoneYippie,a
clowncalledWavyGravy,usedtogethundredsofprotestorsto
dressuplikeSantaClaussothatthecameraswouldshowpolice
officersarrestinganddraggingawaySantaonthenewsthatnight
andtheymobilizedalotofpeople.
"TheirbigmomentwastheDemocraticNationalConventionin
1968,wheretheycalledfordemonstrationstoprotesttheVietnam
War.ThousandsofdemonstratorspouredintoChicago,sleptin
theparks,andpicketedeveryday.Theyhadlotsofbizarrestunts
thatyear,likerunningapigcalledPigasusforthepresidential
nomination.Thepoliceandthedemonstratorsfoughtinthe
streetsthey'ddonethatmanytimesbefore,buttheChicago
copsdidn'thavethesmartstoleavethereportersalone.Theybeat
upthereporters,andthereportersretaliatedbyfinallyshowing
whatreallywentonatthesedemonstrations,sothewholecountry
watchedtheirkidsbeingreallysavagelybeatendownbythe

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/65
Chicagopolice.Theycalledita'policeriot.'
"TheYippieslovedtosay,'Nevertrustanyoneover30.'They
meantthatpeoplewhowerebornbeforeacertaintime,when
AmericahadbeenfightingenemiesliketheNazis,couldnever
understandwhatitmeanttoloveyourcountryenoughtorefuseto
fighttheVietnamese.Theythoughtthatbythetimeyouhit30,
yourattitudeswouldbefrozenandyoucouldn'teverunderstand
whythekidsofthedayweretakingtothestreets,droppingout,
freakingout.

outhowtohandleCharles,whoreallyseemedlikehewasready
topop."Charlesraisesagoodpoint.TheYippiesweren'tforeign
agents,theywereAmericancitizens.Whenyousay'They
attackedus,'youneedtofigureoutwho'they'and'us'are.When
it'syourfellowcountrymen"
"Crap!"heshouted.Hewasonhisfeetnow."Wewereatwar
then.Theseguysweregivingaidandcomforttotheenemy.It's
easytotellwho'susandwho'sthem:ifyousupportAmerica,
you'reus.Ifyousupportthepeoplewhoareshootingat
Americans,you'rethem."

"SanFranciscowasgroundzeroforthis.Revolutionaryarmies
werefoundedhere.Someofthemblewupbuildingsorrobbed
"Doesanyoneelsewanttocommentonthis?"
banksfortheircause.Alotofthosekidsgrewuptobemoreor
lessnormal,whileothersendedupinjail.Someoftheuniversity
Severalhandsshotup.MsGalvezcalledonthem.Somepeople
dropoutsdidamazingthingsforexample,SteveJobsandSteve pointedoutthatthereasonthattheVietnamesewereshootingat
Wozniak,whofoundedAppleComputersandinventedthePC."
AmericansisthattheAmericanshadflowntoVietnamand
startedrunningaroundthejunglewithguns.Othersthoughtthat
Iwasreallygettingintothis.Iknewalittleofit,butI'dnever
Charleshadapoint,thatpeopleshouldn'tbeallowedtodoillegal
heardittoldlikethis.Ormaybeithadnevermatteredasmuchas things.
itdidnow.Suddenly,thoselame,solemn,grownupstreet
demonstrationsdidn'tseemsolameafterall.Maybetherewas
EveryonehadagooddebateexceptCharles,whojustshouted
roomforthatkindofactionintheXnetmovement.
atpeople,interruptingthemwhentheytriedtogettheirpoints
out.MsGalveztriedtogethimtowaitforhisturnacoupletimes,
Iputmyhandup."Didtheywin?DidtheYippieswin?"
buthewasn'thavinganyofit.
Shegavemealonglook,likeshewasthinkingitover.Noone
saidaword.Weallwantedtoheartheanswer.

IwaslookingsomethinguponmySchoolBook,somethingI
knewI'dread.

"Theydidn'tlose,"shesaid."Theykindofimplodedalittle.
Ifoundit.Istoodup.MsGalvezlookedexpectantlyatme.The
Someofthemwenttojailfordrugsorotherthings.Someofthem otherpeoplefollowedhergazeandwentquiet.EvenCharles
changedtheirtunesandbecameyuppiesandwentonthelecture lookedatmeafterawhile,hisbigweteyesburningwithhatred
circuittellingeveryonehowstupidthey'dbeen,talkingabouthow forme.
goodgreedwasandhowdumbthey'dbeen.
"Iwantedtoreadsomething,"Isaid."It'sshort.'Governments
"Buttheydidchangetheworld.ThewarinVietnamended,and areinstitutedamongmen,derivingtheirjustpowersfromthe
thekindofconformityandunquestioningobediencethatpeople
consentofthegoverned,thatwheneveranyformofgovernment
hadcalledpatriotismwentoutofstyleinabigway.Blackrights, becomesdestructiveoftheseends,itistherightofthepeopleto
women'srightsandgayrightscamealongway.Chicanorights,
alterorabolishit,andtoinstitutenewgovernment,layingits
rightsfordisabledpeople,thewholetraditionofcivilliberties
foundationonsuchprinciples,andorganizingitspowersinsuch
wascreatedorstrengthenedbythesepeople.Today'sprotest
form,astothemshallseemmostlikelytoeffecttheirsafetyand
movementisthedirectdescendantofthosestruggles."
happiness.'"
"Ican'tbelieveyou'retalkingaboutthemlikethis,"Charles
said.Hewasleaningsofarinhisseathewashalfstanding,and
hissharp,skinnyfacehadgonered.Hehadwet,largeeyesand
biglips,andwhenhegotexcitedhelookedalittlelikeafish.
MsGalvezstiffenedalittle,thensaid,"Goon,Charles."
"You'vejustdescribedterrorists.Actualterrorists.Theyblew
upbuildings,yousaid.Theytriedtodestroythestockexchange.
Theybeatupcops,andstoppedcopsfromarrestingpeoplewho
werebreakingthelaw.Theyattackedus!"
MsGalveznoddedslowly.Icouldtellshewastryingtofigure

Chapter12
ThischapterisdedicatedtoForbiddenPlanet,theBritishchain
ofsciencefictionandfantasybook,comic,toyandvideostores.
ForbiddenPlanethasstoresupanddowntheUK,andalso
sportsoutpostsinManhattanandDublin,Ireland.It'sdangerous
tosetfootinaForbiddenPlanetrarelydoIescapewithmy
walletintact.ForbiddenPlanetreallyleadsthepackinbringing
thegiganticaudienceforTVandmoviesciencefictioninto
contactwithsciencefictionbookssomethingthat'sabsolutely
criticaltothefutureofthefield.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/66

ForbiddenPlanet,UK,DublinandNewYorkCity:
http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk
MsGalvez'ssmilewaswide.
"Doesanyoneknowwhatthatcomesfrom?"
Abunchofpeoplechorused,"TheDeclarationof
Independence."
Inodded.
"Whydidyoureadthattous,Marcus?"
"Becauseitseemstomethatthefoundersofthiscountrysaid
thatgovernmentsshouldonlylastforsolongaswebelievethat
they'reworkingforus,andifwestopbelievinginthem,we
shouldoverthrowthem.That'swhatitsays,right?"
Charlesshookhishead."Thatwashundredsofyearsago!"he
said."Thingsaredifferentnow!"

Thebellrangamomentlaterandeveryonefiledoutofthe
class.IhungbackandwaitedforMsGalveztonoticeme.
"Yes,Marcus?"
"Thatwasamazing,"Isaid."Ineverknewallthatstuffabout
thesixties."
"Theseventies,too.Thisplacehasalwaysbeenanexciting
placetoliveinpoliticallychargedtimes.Ireallylikedyour
referencetotheDeclarationthatwasveryclever."
"Thanks,"Isaid."Itjustcametome.Ineverreallyappreciated
whatthosewordsallmeantbeforetoday."
"Well,thosearethewordseveryteacherlovestohear,
Marcus,"shesaid,andshookmyhand."Ican'twaittoreadyour
paper."
#

IboughttheEmmaGoldmanposteronthewayhomeandstuck
itupovermydesk,tackedoveravintageblacklightposter.Ialso
"What'sdifferent?"
boughtaNEVERTRUSTtshirtthathadaphotoshopofGrover
andElmokickingthegrownupsGordonandSusanoffSesame
"Well,foronething,wedon'thaveakinganymore.Theywere Street.Itmademelaugh.Ilaterfoundoutthattherehadalready
talkingaboutagovernmentthatexistedbecausesomeoldjerk's
beenaboutsixphotoshopcontestsforthesloganonlineinplaces
greatgreatgreatgrandfatherbelievedthatGodputhimincharge likeFarkandWorth1000andB3taandtherewerehundredsof
andkilledeveryonewhodisagreedwithhim.Wehavea
readymadepicsfloatingaroundtogoonwhatevermerch
democraticallyelectedgovernment"
someonechurnedout.
"Ididn'tvoteforthem,"Isaid.
"Sothatgivesyoutherighttoblowupabuilding?"
"What?Whosaidanythingaboutblowingupabuilding?The
Yippiesandhippiesandallthosepeoplebelievedthatthe
governmentnolongerlistenedtothemlookatthewaypeople
whotriedtosignupvotersintheSouthweretreated!Theywere
beatenup,arrested"
"Someofthemwerekilled,"MsGalvezsaid.Sheheldupher
handsandwaitedforCharlesandmetositdown."We'realmost
outoftimefortoday,butIwanttocommendyouallononeof
themostinterestingclassesI'veevertaught.Thishasbeenan
excellentdiscussionandI'velearnedmuchfromyouall.Ihope
you'velearnedfromeachother,too.Thankyouallforyour
contributions.
"Ihaveanextracreditassignmentforthoseofyouwhowanta
littlechallenge.I'dlikeyoutowriteupapapercomparingthe
politicalresponsetotheantiwarandcivilrightsmovementsin
theBayAreatothepresentdaycivilrightsresponsestotheWar
onTerror.Threepagesminimum,buttakeaslongasyou'dlike.
I'minterestedtoseewhatyoucomeupwith."

Momraisedaneyebrowattheshirt,andDadshookhishead
andlecturedmeaboutnotlookingfortrouble.Ifeltalittle
vindicatedbyhisreaction.
AngefoundmeonlineagainandweIMflirteduntillateat
nightagain.ThewhitevanwiththeantennascamebackandI
switchedoffmyXboxuntilithadpassed.We'dallgottenusedto
doingthat.
Angewasreallyexcitedbythisparty.Itlookedlikeitwas
goingtobemonster.Thereweresomanybandssignedupthey
weretalkingaboutsettingupaBstageforthesecondaryacts.
> How'd they get a permit to blast sound
all night in that park? There's houses
all around there
> Per-mit? What is "per-mit"? Tell me
more of your hu-man per-mit.
> Woah, it's illegal?
> Um, hello? You're worried about
breaking the law?

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/67
> Fair point
"Isthataquestionorastatementoftheobvious?"

> LOL
Ifeltalittlepremonitionofnervousnessthough.Imean,Iwas
takingthisperfectlyawesomegirloutonadatethatweekend
well,shewastakingme,technicallytoanillegalravebeing
heldinthemiddleofabusyneighborhood.
Itwasboundtobeinterestingatleast.
#
Interesting.
PeoplestartedtodriftintoDoloresParkthroughthelong
Saturdayafternoon,showingupamongtheultimatefrisbee
playersandthedogwalkers.Someofthemplayedfrisbeeor
walkeddogs.Itwasn'treallyclearhowtheconcertwasgoingto
work,buttherewerealotofcopsandundercovershanging
around.Youcouldtelltheundercoversbecause,likeZitand
Booger,theyhadCastrohaircutsandNebraskaphysiques:tubby
guyswithshorthairanduntidymustaches.Theydriftedaround,
lookingawkwardanduncomfortableintheirgiantshortsand
loosefittingshirtsthatnodoubthungdowntocoverthe
chandelierofgearhungaroundtheirmidriffs.
DoloresParkisprettyandsunny,withpalmtrees,tenniscourts,
andlotsofhillsandregulartreestorunaroundon,orhangout
on.Homelesspeoplesleepthereatnight,butthat'strue
everywhereinSanFrancisco.
ImetAngedownthestreet,attheanarchistbookstore.Thathad
beenmysuggestion.Inhindsight,itwasatotallytransparent
movetoseemcoolandedgytothisgirl,butatthetimeIwould
haveswornthatIpickeditbecauseitwasaconvenientplaceto
meetup.ShewasreadingabookcalledUpAgainsttheWall
MotherfuckerwhenIgotthere.
"Nice,"Isaid."Youkissyourmotherwiththatmouth?"
"Yourmamadon'tcomplain,"shesaid."Actually,it'sahistory
ofagroupofpeopleliketheYippies,butfromNewYork.They
allusedthatwordastheirlastnames,like'BenMF.'Theidea
wastohaveagroupoutthere,makingnews,butwithatotally
unprintablename.Justtoscrewaroundwiththenewsmedia.
Prettyfunny,really."Sheputthebookbackontheshelfandnow
IwonderedifIshouldhugher.PeopleinCaliforniahugtosay
helloandgoodbyeallthetime.Exceptwhentheydon't.And
sometimestheykissonthecheek.It'sallveryconfusing.
Shesettleditformebygrabbingmeinahugandtuggingmy
headdowntoher,kissingmehardonthecheek,thenblowinga
fartonmyneck.Ilaughedandpushedheraway.
"Youwantaburrito?"Iasked.

"Neither.It'sanorder."
IboughtsomefunnystickersthatsaidTHISPHONEIS
TAPPEDwhichweretherightsizetoputonthereceiversonthe
payphonesthatstilllinedthestreetsoftheMission,itbeingthe
kindofneighborhoodwhereyougotpeoplewhocouldn't
necessarilyaffordacellphone.
Wewalkedoutintothenightair.ItoldAngeaboutthesceneat
theparkwhenIleft.
"Ibettheyhaveahundredofthosetrucksparkedaroundthe
block,"shesaid."Thebettertobustyouwith."
"Um."Ilookedaround."Isortofhopedthatyouwouldsay
somethinglike,'Aw,there'snochancethey'lldoanythingabout
it.'"
"Idon'tthinkthat'sreallytheidea.Theideaistoputalotof
civiliansinapositionwherethecopshavetodecide,arewe
goingtotreattheseordinarypeopleliketerrorists?It'salittlelike
thejamming,butwithmusicinsteadofgadgets.Youjam,right?"
SometimesIforgetthatallmyfriendsdon'tknowthatMarcus
andM1k3yarethesameperson."Yeah,alittle,"Isaid.
"Thisislikejammingwithabunchofawesomebands."
"Isee."
Missionburritosareaninstitution.Theyarecheap,giantand
delicious.Imagineatubethesizeofabazookashell,filledwith
spicygrilledmeat,guacamole,salsa,tomatoes,refriedbeans,rice,
onionsandcilantro.IthasthesamerelationshiptoTacoBellthat
aLamborghinihastoaHotWheelscar.
ThereareabouttwohundredMissionburritojoints.They'reall
heroicallyugly,withuncomfortableseats,minimaldecorfaded
MexicantouristofficepostersandelectrifiedframedJesusand
Maryhologramsandloudmariachimusic.Thethingthat
distinguishesthem,mostly,iswhatkindofexoticmeattheyfill
theirwareswith.Thereallyauthenticplaceshavebrainsand
tongue,whichIneverorder,butit'snicetoknowit'sthere.
Theplacewewenttohadbothbrainsandtongue,whichwe
didn'torder.Igotcarneasadaandshegotshreddedchickenand
weeachgotabigcupofhorchata.
Assoonaswesatdown,sheunrolledherburritoandtooka
littlebottleoutofherpurse.Itwasalittlestainlesssteelaerosol
canisterthatlookedforalltheworldlikeapepperspray
selfdefenseunit.Sheaimeditatherburrito'sexposedgutsand
mistedthemwithafineredoilyspray.Icaughtawhiffofitand

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/68
mythroatclosedandmyeyeswatered.
"Whatthehellareyoudoingtothatpoor,defenselessburrito?"
Shegavemeawickedsmile."I'maspicyfoodaddict,"she
said."Thisiscapsaicinoilinamister."
"Capsaicin"
"Yeah,thestuffinpepperspray.Thisislikepepperspraybut
slightlymoredilute.Andwaymoredelicious.Thinkofitas
SpicyCajunVisineifithelps."
Myeyesburnedjustthinkingofit.
"You'rekidding,"Isaid."Youaresonotgoingtoeatthat."
Hereyebrowsshotup."Thatsoundslikeachallenge,sonny.
Youjustwatchme."
Sherolledtheburritoupascarefullyasastonerrollingupa
joint,tuckingtheendsin,thenrewrappingitintinfoil.She
peeledoffoneendandbroughtituptohermouth,poisedwithit
justbeforeherlips.
Rightuptothetimeshebitintoit,Icouldn'tbelievethatshe
wasgoingtodoit.Imean,thatwasbasicallyanantipersonnel
weaponshe'djustslatheredonherdinner.
Shebitintoit.Chewed.Swallowed.Gaveeveryimpressionof
havingadeliciousdinner.
"Wantabite?"shesaid,innocently.
"Yeah,"Isaid.Ilikespicyfood.Ialwaysorderthecurrieswith
fourchiliesnexttothemonthemenuatthePakistaniplaces.
Ipeeledbackmorefoilandtookabigbite.
Bigmistake.
Youknowthatfeelingyougetwhenyoutakeabigbiteof
horseradishorwasabiorwhatever,anditfeelslikeyoursinuses
areclosingatthesametimeasyourwindpipe,fillingyourhead
withtrapped,nuclearhotairthattriestobatteritswayout
throughyourwateringeyesandnostrils?Thatfeelinglikesteam
isabouttopouroutofyourearslikeacartooncharacter?
Thiswasalotworse.
Thiswaslikeputtingyourhandonahotstove,onlyit'snot
yourhand,it'stheentireinsideofyourhead,andyouresophagus
allthewaydowntoyourstomach.Myentirebodysprangoutina
sweatandIchokedandchoked.
Wordlessly,shepassedmemyhorchataandImanagedtoget

thestrawintomymouthandsuckhardonit,gulpingdownhalf
ofitinonego.
"Sothere'sascale,theScovillescale,thatwechilifanciersuse
totalkabouthowspicyapepperis.Purecapsaicinisabout15
millionScovilles.Tabascoisabout50,000.Peppersprayisa
healthythreemillion.Thisstuffisapuny200,000,aboutashotas
amildScotchBonnetPepper.Iworkeduptoitinaboutayear.
Someoftherealhardcorecangetuptoamillionorso,twenty
timeshotterthanTabasco.That'sprettyfreakinghot.AtScoville
temperatureslikethat,yourbraingetstotallyawashin
endorphins.It'sabetterbodystonethanhash.Andit'sgoodfor
you."
Iwasgettingmysinusesbacknow,abletobreathewithout
gasping.
"Ofcourse,yougetaferociousringoffirewhenyougotothe
john,"shesaid,winkingatme.
Yowch.
"Youareinsane,"Isaid.
"Finetalkfromamanwhosehobbyisbuildingandsmashing
laptops,"shesaid.
"Touche,"Isaidandtouchedmyforehead.
"Wantsome?"Sheheldouthermister.
"Pass,"Isaid,quicklyenoughthatwebothlaughed.
WhenwelefttherestaurantandheadedforDolorespark,she
putherarmaroundmywaistandIfoundthatshewasjustthe
rightheightformetoputmyarmaroundhershoulders.Thatwas
new.I'dneverbeenatallguy,andthegirlsI'ddatedhadallbeen
myheightteenagedgirlsgrowfasterthanguys,whichisacruel
trickofnature.Itwasnice.Itfeltnice.
Weturnedthecorneron20thStreetandwalkeduptoward
Dolores.Beforewe'dtakenasinglestep,wecouldfeelthebuzz.
Itwaslikethehumofamillionbees.Therewerelotsofpeople
streamingtowardthepark,andwhenIlookedtowardit,Isaw
thatitwasaboutahundredtimesmorecrowdedthanithadbeen
whenIwenttomeetAnge.
Thatsightmademybloodrunhot.Itwasabeautifulcoolnight
andwewereabouttoparty,reallyparty,partyliketherewasno
tomorrow."Eatdrinkandbemerry,fortomorrowwedie."
Withoutsayinganythingwebothbrokeintoatrot.Therewere
lotsofcops,withtensefaces,butwhatthehellweretheygoingto
do?Therewerealotofpeopleinthepark.I'mnotsogoodat
countingcrowds.Thepaperslaterquotedorganizersassaying
therewere20,000people;thecopssaid5,000.Maybethatmeans

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/69
therewere12,500.
Whatever.ItwasmorepeoplethanI'deverstoodamong,as
partofanunscheduled,unsanctioned,illegalevent.
Wewereamongtheminaninstant.Ican'tsweartoit,butI
don'tthinktherewasanyoneover25inthatpressofbodies.
Everyonewassmiling.Someyoungkidswerethere,10or12,
andthatmademefeelbetter.Noonewoulddoanythingtoo
stupidwithkidsthatlittleinthecrowd.Noonewantedtosee
littlekidsgethurt.Thiswasjustgoingtobeagloriousspring
nightofcelebration.

shouldersrocking.Rollingwalks.Jokesandlaughs.Thetoneof
everyvoicetightandexcited,likeafireworkabouttogooff.And
youcan'thelpbutbeapartofit.Becauseyouare.
Bythetimethebandskickedoff,Iwasutterlystonedon
crowdvibe.TheopeningactwassomekindofSerbian
turbofolk,whichIcouldn'tfigureouthowtodanceto.Iknow
howtodancetoexactlytwokindsofmusic:trance(shuffle
aroundandletthemusicmoveyou)andpunk(basharoundand
moshuntilyougethurtorexhaustedorboth).Thenextactwas
Oaklandhiphoppers,backedbyathrashmetalband,whichis
betterthanitsounds.Thensomebubblegumpop.Then
Speedwhorestookthestage,andTrudyDoosteppeduptothe
mic.

Ifiguredthethingtodowaspushintowardsthetenniscourts.
Wethreadedourwaythroughthecrowd,andtostaytogetherwe
tookeachother'shands.Onlystayingtogetherdidn'trequireusto
"MynameisTrudyDooandyou'reanidiotifyoutrustme.I'm
thirtytwoandit'stoolateforme.I'mlost.I'mstuckintheold
intertwinefingers.Thatwasstrictlyforpleasure.Itwasvery
pleasurable.
wayofthinking.Istilltakemyfreedomforgrantedandletother
peopletakeitawayfromme.You'rethefirstgenerationtogrow
Thebandswereallinsidethetenniscourts,withtheirguitars
upinGulagAmerica,andyouknowwhatyourfreedomisworth
andmixersandkeyboardsandevenadrumkit.Later,onXnet,I tothelastgoddamnedcent!"
foundaFlickrstreamofthemsmugglingallthisstuffin,pieceby
Thecrowdroared.Shewasplayingfastlittleskitterynervous
piece,ingymbagsandundertheircoats.Alongwithitallwere
hugespeakers,thekindyouseeinautomotivesupplyplaces,and chordsonherguitarandherbassplayer,ahugefatgirlwitha
dykeyhaircutandevenbiggerbootsandasmileyoucouldopen
amongthem,astackof...carbatteries.Ilaughed.Genius!That
washowtheyweregoingtopowertheirstacks.FromwhereI
beerbottleswithwaslayingitdownfastandhardalready.I
stood,Icouldseethattheywerecellsfromahybridcar,aPrius. wantedtobounce.Ibounced.Angebouncedwithme.Wewere
Someonehadguttedanecomobiletopowerthenight's
sweatingfreelyintheevening,whichreekedofperspirationand
entertainment.Thebatteriescontinuedoutsidethecourts,stacked potsmoke.Warmbodiescrushedinonallsidesofus.They
upagainstthefence,tetheredtothemainstackbywiresthreaded bouncedtoo.
throughthechainlink.Icounted200batteries!Christ!Those
thingsweighedaton,too.
"Don'ttrustanyoneover25!"sheshouted.
There'snowaytheyorganizedthiswithoutemailandwikisand
mailinglists.Andthere'snowaypeoplethissmartwouldhave
donethatonthepublicInternet.Thishadalltakenplaceonthe
Xnet,I'dbetmybootsonit.
Wejustkindofbouncedaroundinthecrowdforawhileasthe
bandstunedupandconferredwithoneanother.IsawTrudyDoo
fromadistance,inthetenniscourts.Shelookedlikeshewasina
cage,likeaprowrestler.Shewaswearingatornwifebeaterand
herhairwasinlong,fluorescentpinkdreadsdowntoherwaist.
Shewaswearingarmycamouflagepantsandgiantgothyboots
withsteelovertoes.AsIwatched,shepickedupaheavy
motorcyclejacket,wornasacatcher'smitt,andputitonlike
armor.Itprobablywasarmor,Irealized.
Itriedtowavetoher,toimpressAngeIguess,butshedidn't
seemeandIkindoflookedlikeaspazzsoIstopped.Theenergy
inthecrowdwasamazing.Youhearpeopletalkabout"vibes"
and"energy"forbiggroupsofpeople,butuntilyou've
experiencedit,youprobablythinkit'sjustafigureofspeech.
It'snot.It'sthesmiles,infectiousandbigaswatermelons,on
everyface.Everyoneboppingalittletoanunheardrhythm,

Weroared.Wewereonebiganimalthroat,roaring.
"Don'ttrustanyoneover25!"
"Don'ttrustanyoneover25!"
"Don'ttrustanyoneover25!"
"Don'ttrustanyoneover25!"
"Don'ttrustanyoneover25!"
"Don'ttrustanyoneover25!"
Shebangedsomehardchordsonherguitarandtheother
guitarist,alittlepixieofagirlwhosefacebristledwithpiercings,
jammedin,goingwheedledeewheedledeedeeuphigh,pastthe
twelfthfret.
"It'sourgoddamnedcity!It'sourgoddamnedcountry.No
terroristcantakeitfromusforsolongaswe'refree.Oncewe're
notfree,theterroristswin!Takeitback!Takeitback!You're
youngenoughandstupidenoughnottoknowthatyoucan't

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/70
possiblywin,soyou'retheonlyoneswhocanleadustovictory!
Takeitback!"
"TAKEITBACK!"weroared.Shejammeddownhardonher
guitar.Weroaredthenotebackandthenitgotreallyreally
LOUD.
#
IdanceduntilIwassotiredIcouldn'tdanceanotherstep.Ange
dancedalongsideofme.Technically,wewererubbingour
sweatybodiesagainsteachotherforseveralhours,butbelieveit
ornot,Itotallywasn'tbeingahorndogaboutit.Wewere
dancing,lostinthegodbeatandthethrashandthescreaming
TAKEITBACK!TAKEITBACK!
WhenIcouldn'tdanceanymore,Igrabbedherhandandshe
squeezedminelikeIwaskeepingherfromfallingoffabuilding.
Shedraggedmetowardtheedgeofthecrowd,whereitgot
thinnerandcooler.Outthere,ontheedgeofDoloresPark,we
wereinthecoolairandthesweatonourbodieswentinstantly
icy.Weshiveredandshethrewherarmsaroundmywaist.
"Warmme,"shecommanded.Ididn'tneedahint.Ihuggedher
back.Herheartwasanechoofthefastbeatsfromthestage
breakbeatsnow,fastandfuriousandwordless.
Shesmelledofsweat,asharptangthatsmelledgreat.IknewI
smelledofsweattoo.Mynosewaspointedintothetopofher
head,andherfacewasrightatmycollarbone.Shemovedher
handstomyneckandtugged.
"Getdownhere,Ididn'tbringastepladder,"iswhatshesaid
andItriedtosmile,butit'shardtosmilewhenyou'rekissing.
LikeIsaid,I'dkissedthreegirlsinmylife.Twoofthemhad
neverkissedanyonebefore.Onehadbeendatingsinceshewas
12.Shehadissues.
NoneofthemkissedlikeAnge.Shemadeherwholemouth
soft,liketheinsideofaripepieceoffruit,andshedidn'tjamher
tongueinmymouth,butsliditinthere,andsuckedmylipsinto
hermouthatthesametime,soitwaslikemymouthandhers
weremerging.IheardmyselfmoanandIgrabbedherand
squeezedherharder.
Slowly,gently,weloweredourselvestothegrass.Welayon
oursidesandclutchedeachother,kissingandkissing.Theworld
disappearedsotherewasonlythekiss.
Myhandsfoundherbutt,herwaist.Theedgeofhertshirt.Her
warmtummy,hersoftnavel.Theyinchedhigher.Shemoaned
too.
"Nothere,"shesaid."Let'smoveoverthere."Shepointed
acrossthestreetatthebigwhitechurchthatgivesMission
DoloresParkandtheMissionitsname.Holdinghands,moving

quickly,wecrossedtothechurch.Ithadbigpillarsinfrontofit.
Sheputmybackupagainstoneofthemandpulledmyfacedown
tohersagain.Myhandswentquicklyandboldlybacktohershirt.
Islippedthemupherfront.
"Itundoesintheback,"shewhisperedintomymouth.Ihada
bonerthatcouldcutglass.Imovedmyhandsaroundtoherback,
whichwasstrongandbroad,andfoundthehookwithmyfingers,
whichweretrembling.Ifumbledforawhile,thinkingofallthose
jokesabouthowbadguysareatundoingbras.Iwasbadatit.
Thenthehooksprangfree.Shegaspedintomymouth.Islipped
myhandsaround,feelingthewetnessofherarmpitswhichwas
sexyandnotatallgrossforsomereasonandthenbrushedthe
sidesofherbreasts.
That'swhenthesirensstarted.
TheywerelouderthananythingI'deverheard.Asoundlikea
physicalsensation,likesomethingblowingyouoffyourfeet.A
soundasloudasyourearscouldprocess,andthenlouder.
"DISPERSEIMMEDIATELY,"avoicesaid,likeGodrattling
inmyskull.
"THISISANILLEGALGATHERING.DISPERSE
IMMEDIATELY."
Thebandhadstoppedplaying.Thenoiseofthecrowdacross
thestreetchanged.Itgotscared.Angry.
IheardaclickasthePAsystemofcarspeakersand
carbatteriesinthetenniscourtspoweredup.
"TAKEITBACK!"
Itwasadefiantyell,likeasoundshoutedintothesurfor
screamedoffacliff.
"TAKEITBACK!"
Thecrowdgrowled,asoundthatmadethehairsonthebackof
myneckstandup.
"TAKEITBACK!"theychanted."TAKEITBACKTAKEIT
BACKTAKEITBACK!"
Thepolicemovedininlines,carryingplasticshields,wearing
DarthVaderhelmetsthatcoveredtheirfaces.Eachonehada
blacktruncheonandinfraredgoggles.Theylookedlikesoldiers
outofsomefuturisticwarmovie.Theytookastepforwardin
unisonandeveryoneofthembangedhistruncheononhisshield,
acrackingnoiseliketheearthsplitting.Anotherstep,another
crack.Theywereallaroundtheparkandclosinginnow.
"DISPERSEIMMEDIATELY,"thevoiceofGodsaidagain.
Therewerehelicoptersoverheadnow.Nofloodlights,though.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/71
Theinfraredgoggles,right.Ofcourse.They'dhaveinfrared
scopesinthesky,too.IpulledAngebackagainstthedoorwayof
thechurch,tuckingusbackfromthecopsandthechoppers.
"TAKEITBACK!"thePAroared.ItwasTrudyDoo'srebel
yellandIheardherguitarthrashoutsomechords,thenher
drummerplaying,thenthatbigdeepbass.
"TAKEITBACK!"thecrowdanswered,andtheyboiledoutof
theparkatthepolicelines.
I'veneverbeeninawar,butnowIthinkIknowwhatitmustbe
like.Whatitmustbelikewhenscaredkidschargeacrossafield
atanopposingforce,knowingwhat'scoming,runninganyway,
screaming,hollering.
"DISPERSEIMMEDIATELY,"thevoiceofGodsaid.Itwas
comingfromtrucksparkedallaroundthepark,trucksthathad
swungintoplaceinthelastfewseconds.

"Youdon'tthinkweshouldtrytorunforit?"
"No,"Isaid."Ifwerun,they'llchaseus.Maybeifwewalk,
they'llfigurewehaven'tdoneanythingandletusalone.They
havealotofarreststomake.They'llbebusyforalongtime."
Theparkwasrollingwithbodies,peopleandadultsclawingat
theirfacesandgasping.Thecopsdraggedthembythearmpits,
thenlashedtheirwristswithplasticcuffsandtossedthemintothe
truckslikeragdolls.
"OK?"Isaid.
"OK,"shesaid.
Andthat'sjustwhatwedid.Walked,holdinghands,quickly
andbusinesslike,liketwopeoplewantingtoavoidwhatever
troublesomeoneelsewasmaking.Thekindofwalkyouadopt
whenyouwanttopretendyoucan'tseeapanhandler,ordon't
wanttogetinvolvedinastreetfight.

That'swhenthemistfell.Itcameoutofthechoppers,andwe
justcaughttheedgeofit.Itmadethetopofmyheadfeellikeit
Itworked.
wasgoingtocomeoff.Itmademysinusesfeelliketheywere
beingpuncturedwithicepicks.Itmademyeyesswellandwater,
Wereachedthecornerandturnedandkeptgoing.Neitherofus
andmythroatclose.
daredtospeakfortwoblocks.ThenIletoutagaspofairIhadn't
knownI'dbeenholdingin.
Pepperspray.Not200thousandScovilles.Amillionandahalf.
They'dgassedthecrowd.
Wecameto16thStreetandturneddowntowardMissionStreet.
Normallythat'saprettyscaryneighborhoodat2AMona
Ididn'tseewhathappenednext,butIheardit,overthesound
Saturdaynight.Thatnightitwasareliefsameolddruggiesand
ofbothmeandAngechokingandholdingeachother.Firstthe
hookersanddealersanddrunks.Nocopswithtruncheons,nogas.
choking,retchingsounds.Theguitaranddrumsandbasscrashed
toahalt.Thencoughing.
"Um,"Isaidaswebreathedinthenightair."Coffee?"
Thenscreaming.

"Home,"shesaid."Ithinkhomefornow.Coffeelater."

Thescreamingwentonforalongtime.WhenIcouldseeagain,
"Yeah,"Iagreed.ShelivedupinHayesValley.Ispottedataxi
thecopshadtheirscopesupontheirforeheadsandthechoppers rollingbyandIhailedit.Thatwasasmallmiraclethereare
werefloodingDoloresParkwithsomuchlightitlookedlike
hardlyanycabswhenyouneedtheminSanFrancisco.
daylight.EveryonewaslookingatthePark,whichwasgood
news,becausewhenthelightswentuplikethat,weweretotally
"Haveyougotcabfarehome?"
visible.
"Yeah,"shesaid.Thecabdriverlookedatusthroughhis
"Whatdowedo?"Angesaid.Hervoicewastight,scared.I
window.Iopenedthebackdoorsohewouldn'ttakeoff.
didn'ttrustmyselftospeakforamoment.Iswallowedafew
times.
"Goodnight,"Isaid.
"Wewalkaway,"Isaid."That'sallwecando.Walkaway.Like
Sheputherhandsbehindmyheadandpulledmyfacetoward
wewerejustpassingby.DowntoDoloresandturnleftandup
her.Shekissedmehardonthemouth,nothingsexualinit,but
towards16thStreet.Likewe'rejustpassingby.Likethisisnone somehowmoreintimateforthat.
ofourbusiness."
"Goodnight,"shewhisperedinmyear,andslippedintothe
"That'llneverwork,"shesaid.
taxi.
"It'sallI'vegot."

Headswimming,eyesrunning,aburningshameforhavingleft
allthoseXnetterstothetendermerciesoftheDHSandtheSFPD,

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/72
Isetoffforhome.
#
Mondaymorning,FredBensonwasstandingbehindMs
Galvez'sdesk.

clerkisworthherweightingold,soIsaidsure,andstartedto
describemytastes,namingauthorsI'denjoyed.Theclerksmiled
andsaid,"I'vegotjustthebookforyou,"andproceededtotake
downacopyofmyfirstnovel,DownandOutintheMagic
Kingdom.Ibustedoutlaughing,introducedmyself,andhadan
absolutelylovelychataboutsciencefictionthatalmostmademe
latetogivemyspeech!

"MsGalvezwillnolongerbeteachingthisclass,"hesaid,once
we'dtakenourseats.HehadaselfsatisfiednotethatIrecognized
immediately.Onahunch,IcheckedoutCharles.Hewassmiling BooksAMillionhttp://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?
likeitwashisbirthdayandhe'dbeengiventhebestpresentinthe &isbn=0765319853
world.
"They'retotalwhores,"Angesaid,spittingthewordout."Infact,
that'saninsulttohardworkingwhoreseverywhere.They're,
they'reprofiteers."

Iputmyhandup.
"Whynot?"
"It'sBoardpolicynottodiscussemployeematterswithanyone
excepttheemployeeandthedisciplinarycommittee,"hesaid,
withoutevenbotheringtohidehowmuchheenjoyedsayingit.
"We'llbebeginninganewunittoday,onnationalsecurity.
YourSchoolBookshavethenewtexts.Pleaseopenthemandturn
tothefirstscreen."
TheopeningscreenwasemblazonedwithaDHSlogoandthe
title:WHATEVERYAMERICANSHOULDKNOWABOUT
HOMELANDSECURITY.
IwantedtothrowmySchoolBookonthefloor.
#
I'dmadearrangementstomeetAngeatacafeinher
neighborhoodafterschool.IjumpedontheBARTandfound
myselfsittingbehindtwoguysinsuits.Theywerelookingatthe
SanFranciscoChronicle,whichfeaturedafullpagepostmortem
onthe"youthriot"inMissionDoloresPark.Theyweretutting
andcluckingoverit.Thenonesaidtotheother,"It'slikethey're
brainwashedorsomething.Christ,wereweeverthatstupid?"
Igotupandmovedtoanotherseat.
Chapter13
ThischapterisdedicatedtoBooksAMillion,achainofgigantic
bookstoresspreadacrosstheUSA.Ifirstencountered
BooksAMillionwhilestayingatahotelinTerreHaute,Indiana
(IwasgivingaspeechattheRoseHulmanInstituteof
Technologylaterthatday).ThestorewasnexttomyhotelandI
reallyneededsomereadingmaterialI'dbeenontheroadfora
solidmonthandI'dreadeverythinginmysuitcase,andIhad
anotherfivecitiestogobeforeIheadedhome.AsIstared
intentlyattheshelves,aclerkaskedmeifIneededanyhelp.
Now,I'veworkedatbookstoresbefore,andaknowledgeable

Wewerelookingatastackofnewspaperswe'dpickedupand
broughttothecafe.Theyallcontained"reporting"onthepartyin
DoloresParkandtoaone,theymadeitsoundlikeadrunken,
druggyorgyofkidswho'dattackedthecops.USAToday
describedthecostofthe"riot"andincludedthecostofwashing
awaythepeppersprayresiduefromthegasbombing,therashof
asthmaattacksthatcloggedthecity'semergencyrooms,andthe
costofprocessingtheeighthundredarrested"rioters."
Noonewastellingourside.
"Well,theXnetgotitright,anyway,"Isaid.I'dsavedabunch
oftheblogsandvideosandphotostreamstomyphoneandI
showedthemtoher.Theywerefirsthandaccountsfrompeople
who'dbeengassed,andbeatenup.Thevideoshowedusall
dancing,havingfun,showedthepeacefulpoliticalspeechesand
thechantof"TakeItBack"andTrudyDootalkingaboutusbeing
theonlygenerationthatcouldbelieveinfightingforour
freedoms.
"Weneedtomakepeopleknowaboutthis,"shesaid.
"Yeah,"Isaid,glumly."That'sanicetheory."
"Well,whydoyouthinkthepressdoesn'teverpublishour
side?"
"Yousaidit,they'rewhores."
"Yeah,butwhoresdoitforthemoney.Theycouldsellmore
papersandcommercialsiftheyhadacontroversy.Alltheyhave
nowisacrimecontroversyismuchbigger."
"OK,pointtaken.Sowhydon'ttheydoit?Well,reporterscan
barelysearchregularblogs,letalonekeeptrackoftheXnet.It's
notasifthat'sarealadultfriendlyplacetobe."
"Yeah,"shesaid."Well,wecanfixthat,right?"

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/73
"Huh?"

blackmailedJolu.AfterthepartyIstalkedyoualittle,tryingto
figureoutifyouweretheniceguyyouseemedtobeorasecret
"Writeitallup.Putitinoneplace,withallthelinks.Asingle
axemurderer.I'veknownJoluforalongtimeandwhenIasked
placewhereyoucangothat'sintendedforthepresstofinditand himaboutyou,hegushedlikeyouweretheSecondComingor
getthewholepicture.LinkittotheHOWTOsforXnet.Internet
something,butIcouldhearthattherewassomethinghewasn't
userscangettotheXnet,providedtheydon'tcareabouttheDHS tellingme.I'veknownJoluforalongtime.Hedatedmyolder
findingoutwhatthey'vebeensurfing."
sisteratcomputercampwhenhewasakid.Ihavesomereally
gooddirtonhim.ItoldhimI'dgopublicwithitifhedidn'ttell
"Youthinkit'llwork?"
me."
"Well,evenifitdoesn't,it'ssomethingpositivetodo."
"Whywouldtheylistentous,anyway?"
"Whowouldn'tlistentoM1k3y?"
Iputdownmycoffee.Ipickedupmyphoneandslippeditinto
mypocket.Istoodup,turnedonmyheel,andwalkedoutofthe
cafe.Ipickedadirectionatrandomandkeptgoing.Myfacefelt
tight,thebloodgoneintomystomach,whichchurned.
Theyknowwhoyouare,Ithought.TheyknowwhoM1k3yis.
Thatwasit.IfAngehadfigureditout,theDHShadtoo.Iwas
doomed.IhadknownthatsincetheyletmegofromtheDHS
truck,thatsomedaythey'dcomeandarrestmeandputmeaway
forever,sendmetowhereverDarrylhadgone.
Itwasallover.
ShenearlytackledmeasIreachedMarketStreet.Shewasout
ofbreathandlookedfurious.
"Whatthehellisyourproblem,mister?"
Ishookheroffandkeptwalking.Itwasallover.
Shegrabbedmeagain."Stopit,Marcus,you'rescaringme.
Comeon,talktome."
Istoppedandlookedather.Sheblurredbeforemyeyes.I
couldn'tfocusonanything.Ihadamaddesiretojumpintothe
pathofaMunitrolleyasittorepastus,downthemiddleofthe
road.Bettertodiethantogoback.
"Marcus!"ShedidsomethingI'donlyseenpeopledointhe
movies.Sheslappedme,ahardcrackacrosstheface."Talkto
me,dammit!"

"Sohetoldyou."
"No,"shesaid."Hetoldmetogotohell.ThenItoldhim
somethingaboutme.SomethingI'dnevertoldanyoneelse."
"What?"
Shelookedatme.Lookedaround.Lookedbackatme."OK.I
won'tswearyoutosecrecybecausewhat'sthepoint?EitherIcan
trustyouorIcan't.
"Lastyear,I"shebrokeoff."Lastyear,Istolethe
standardizedtestsandpublishedthemonthenet.Itwasjusta
lark.Ihappenedtobewalkingpasttheprincipal'sofficeandI
sawtheminhissafe,andthedoorwashangingopen.Iducked
intohisofficethereweresixsetsofcopiesandIjustputone
intomybagandtookoffagain.WhenIgothome,Iscannedthem
allandputthemuponaPiratePartyserverinDenmark."
"Thatwasyou?"Isaid.
Sheblushed."Um.Yeah."
"Holycrap!"Isaid.Ithadbeenhugenews.TheBoardof
EducationsaidthatitsNoChildLeftBehindtestshadcosttensof
millionsofdollarstoproduceandthatthey'dhavetospenditall
overagainnowthatthey'dhadtheleak.Theycalledit
"eduterrorism."Thenewshadspeculatedendlesslyaboutthe
politicalmotivationsoftheleaker,wonderingifitwasateacher's
protest,orastudent,orathief,oradisgruntledgovernment
contractor.
"ThatwasYOU?"
"Itwasme,"shesaid.
"AndyoutoldJoluthis"

Ilookedatherandputmyhandtomyface,whichwasstinging
"BecauseIwantedhimtobesurethatIwouldkeepthesecret.
hard.
Ifheknewmysecret,thenhe'dhavesomethinghecoulduseto
putmeinjailifIopenedmytrap.Givealittle,getalittle.Quid
"NooneissupposedtoknowwhoIam,"Isaid."Ican'tputit
proquo,likeinSilenceoftheLambs."
anymoresimply.Ifyouknow,it'sallover.Onceotherpeople
know,it'sallover."
"Andhetoldyou."
"Ohgod,I'msorry.Look,Ionlyknowbecause,well,becauseI

"No,"shesaid."Hedidn't."

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/74
gotanemailfromanameIrecognizedDrEeevil(three"e"s),
oneoftheprimemaintainersofParanoidLinux.

"But"
"ThenItoldhimhowintoyouIwas.HowIwasplanningto
totallymakeanidiotofmyselfandthrowmyselfatyou.Thenhe
toldme."
Icouldn'tthinkofanythingtosaythen.Ilookeddownatmy
toes.Shegrabbedmyhandsandsqueezedthem.
"I'msorryIsqueezeditoutofhim.Itwasyourdecisiontotell
me,ifyouweregoingtotellmeatall.Ihadnobusiness"
"No,"Isaid.NowthatIknewhowshe'dfoundout,Iwas
startingtocalmdown."No,it'sgoodyouknow.You."
"Me,"shesaid."Li'lol'me."
"OK,Icanlivewiththis.Butthere'soneotherthing."
"What?"
"There'snowaytosaythiswithoutsoundinglikeajerk,soI'll
justsayit.Peoplewhodateeachotherorwhateveritiswe're
doingnowtheysplitup.Whentheysplitup,theygetangryat
eachother.Sometimesevenhateeachother.It'sreallycoldto
thinkaboutthathappeningbetweenus,butyouknow,we'vegot
tothinkaboutit."
"Isolemnlypromisethatthereisnothingyoucouldeverdoto
methatwouldcausemetobetrayyoursecret.Nothing.Screwa
dozencheerleadersinmybedwhilemymotherwatches.Make
melistentoBritneySpears.Ripoffmylaptop,smashitwith
hammersandsoakitinseawater.Ipromise.Nothing.Ever."
Iwhooshedoutsomeair.
"Um,"Isaid.
"Nowwouldbeagoodtimetokissme,"shesaid,andturned
herfaceup.
#
M1k3y'snextbigprojectontheXnetwasputtingtogetherthe
ultimateroundupofreportsoftheDON'TTRUSTpartyat
DoloresPark.Iputtogetherthebiggest,mostbadasssiteIcould,
withsectionsshowingtheactionbylocation,bytime,bycategory
policeviolence,dancing,aftermath,singing.Iuploadedthe
wholeconcert.
ItwasprettymuchallIworkedonfortherestofthenight.And
thenextnight.Andthenext.
Mymailboxoverflowedwithsuggestionsfrompeople.They
sentmedumpsofftheirphonesandtheirpocketcameras.ThenI

> M1k3y
> I have been watching your Xnet
experiment with great interest. Here in
Germany, we have much experience with
what happens with a government that
gets out of control.
> One thing you should know is that every
camera has a unique "noise signature"
that can be used to later connect a
picture with a camera. That means that
the photos you're republishing on your
site could potentially be used to
identify the photographers, should they
later be picked up for something else.
> Luckily, it's not hard to strip out the
signatures, if you care to. There's a
utility on the ParanoidLinux distro
you're using that does this -- it's
called photonomous, and you'll find it
in /usr/bin. Just read the man pages
for documentation. It's simple though.
> Good luck with what you're doing. Don't
get caught. Stay free. Stay paranoid.
> Dr Eeevil
IdefingerprintizedallthephotosI'dpostedandputthemback
up,alongwithanoteexplainingwhatDrEeevilhadtoldme,
warningeveryoneelsetodothesame.Weallhadthesamebasic
ParanoidXboxinstall,sowecouldallanonymizeourpictures.
Therewasn'tanythingIcoulddoaboutthephotosthathad
alreadybeendownloadedandcached,butfromnowonwe'dbe
smarter.
ThatwasallthethoughtIgavethematterthatnight,untilIgot
downtobreakfastthenextmorningandMomhadtheradioon,
playingtheNPRmorningnews.
"ArabicnewsagencyAlJazeeraisrunningpictures,videoand
firsthandaccountsoflastweekend'syouthriotinMission
Dolorespark,"theannouncersaidasIwasdrinkingaglassof
orangejuice.Imanagednottosprayitacrosstheroom,butIdid
chokealittle.
"AlJazeerareportersclaimthattheseaccountswerepublished
onthesocalled'Xnet,'aclandestinenetworkusedbystudents
andAlQuaedasympathizersintheBayArea.Thisnetwork's
existencehaslongbeenrumored,buttodaymarksitsfirst
mainstreammention."

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/75
Momshookherhead."Justwhatweneed,"shesaid."Asifthe
policeweren'tbadenough.Kidsrunningaround,pretendingtobe
ButIwaspreparedtooverlookit.Shewasyoung,pretty,she
guerrillasandgivingthemtheexcusetoreallycrackdown."
soundednice.ShewouldbeOK.
"TheXnetweblogshavecarriedhundredsofreportsand
Shewasn'tOK.
multimediafilesfromyoungpeoplewhoattendedtheriotand
allegethattheyweregatheredpeacefullyuntilthepoliceattacked
"Underwhatcircumstancesshouldthefederalgovernmentbe
them.Hereisoneofthoseaccounts.
preparedtosuspendtheBillofRights?"shesaid,turningtothe
blackboardandwritingdownarowofnumbers,onethroughten.
"'Allweweredoingwasdancing.Ibroughtmylittlebrother.
"Never,"Isaid,notwaitingtobecalledon.Thiswaseasy.
Bandsplayedandwetalkedaboutfreedom,abouthowwewere
losingittothesejerkswhosaytheyhateterroristsbutwhoattack "Constitutionalrightsareabsolute."
usthoughwe'renotterroristswe'reAmericans.Ithinktheyhate
freedom,notus.
"That'snotaverysophisticatedview."Shelookedather
seatingplan."Marcus.Forexample,sayapolicemanconductsan
"Wedancedandthebandsplayedanditwasallfunandgood
impropersearchhegoesbeyondthestuffspecifiedinhis
warrant.Hediscoverscompellingevidencethatabadguykilled
andthenthecopsstartedshoutingatustodisperse.Weall
shoutedtakeitback!MeaningtakeAmericaback.Thecops
yourfather.It'stheonlyevidencethatexists.Shouldthebadguy
gofree?"
gasseduswithpepperspray.Mylittlebrotheristwelve.He
missedthreedaysofschool.Mystupidparentssayitwasmy
Iknewtheanswertothis,butIcouldn'treallyexplainit."Yes,"
fault.Howaboutthepolice?Wepaythemandthey'resupposed
toprotectusbuttheygassedusfornogoodreason,gasseduslike Isaid,finally."Butthepoliceshouldn'tconductimproper
searches"
theygasenemysoldiers.'
"Similaraccounts,includingaudioandvideo,canbefoundon
AlJazeera'swebsiteandontheXnet.Youcanfinddirectionsfor
accessingthisXnetonNPR'shomepage."
Dadcamedown.

"Wrong,"shesaid."Theproperresponsetopolicemisconduct
isdisciplinaryactionagainstthepolice,notpunishingallof
societyforonecop'smistake."Shewrote"Criminalguilt"under
pointoneontheboard.
"OtherwaysinwhichtheBillofRightscanbesuperseded?"

"DoyouusetheXnet?"hesaid.Helookedintenselyatmyface.
Ifeltmyselfsquirm.

Charlesputhishandup."Shoutingfireinacrowdedtheater?"

"It'sforvideogames,"Isaid."That'swhatmostpeopleuseit
for.It'sjustawirelessnetwork.It'swhateveryonedidwiththose
freeXboxestheygaveawaylastyear."

"Verygood"sheconsultedtheseatingplan"Charles.There
aremanyinstancesinwhichtheFirstAmendmentisnotabsolute.
Let'slistsomemoreofthose."

Hegloweredatme."Games?Marcus,youdon'trealizeit,but
you'reprovidingcoverforpeoplewhoplanonattackingand
destroyingthiscountry.Idon'twanttoseeyouusingthisXnet.
Notanymore.DoImakemyselfclear?"

Charlesputhishandupagain."Endangeringalawenforcement
officer."

Iwantedtoargue.Hell,Iwantedtoshakehimbytheshoulders.
ButIdidn't.Ilookedaway.Isaid,"Sure,Dad."Iwenttoschool.
#

"Yes,disclosingtheidentityofanundercoverpolicemanor
intelligenceofficer.Verygood."Shewroteitdown."Others?"
"Nationalsecurity,"Charlessaid,notwaitingforhertocallon
himagain."Libel.Obscenity.Corruptionofminors.Childporn.
Bombmakingrecipes."MrsAndersenwrotethesedownfast,but
stoppedatchildporn."Childpornisjustaformofobscenity."

AtfirstIwasrelievedwhenIdiscoveredthattheyweren'tgoing
Iwasfeelingsick.ThiswasnotwhatI'dlearnedorbelieved
toleaveMrBensoninchargeofmysocialstudiesclass.Butthe
womantheyfoundtoreplacehimwasmyworstnightmare.
aboutmycountry.Iputmyhandup.
Shewasyoung,justabout28or29,andpretty,inawholesome
kindofway.Shewasblondeandspokewithasoftsouthern
accentwhensheintroducedherselftousasMrsAndersen.That
setoffalarmbellsrightaway.Ididn'tknowanywomenunderthe
ageofsixtythatcalledthemselves"Mrs."

"Yes,Marcus?"
"Idon'tgetit.You'remakingitsoundliketheBillofRightsis
optional.It'stheConstitution.We'resupposedtofollowit
absolutely."

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/76

"That'sacommonoversimplification,"shesaid,givingmea
fakesmile."Butthefactofthematteristhattheframersofthe
Constitutionintendedittobealivingdocumentthatwasrevised
overtime.TheyunderstoodthattheRepublicwouldn'tbeableto
lastforeverifthegovernmentofthedaycouldn'tgovern
accordingtotheneedsoftheday.Theyneverintendedthe
Constitutiontobelookedonlikereligiousdoctrine.Afterall,they
cameherefleeingreligiousdoctrine."
Ishookmyhead."What?No.Theyweremerchantsand
artisanswhowereloyaltotheKinguntilheinstitutedpolicies
thatwereagainsttheirinterestsandenforcedthembrutally.The
religiousrefugeeswerewayearlier."
"SomeoftheFramersweredescendedfromreligiousrefugees,"
shesaid.
"AndtheBillofRightsisn'tsupposedtobesomethingyoupick
andchoosefrom.WhattheFramershatedwastyranny.That's
whattheBillofRightsissupposedtoprevent.Theywerea
revolutionaryarmyandtheywantedasetofprinciplesthat
everyonecouldagreeto.Life,libertyandthepursuitof
happiness.Therightofpeopletothrowofftheiroppressors."
"Yes,yes,"shesaid,wavingatme."Theybelievedintheright
ofpeopletogetridoftheirKings,but"Charleswasgrinning
andwhenshesaidthat,hesmiledevenwider.
"TheysetouttheBillofRightsbecausetheythoughtthat
havingabsoluterightswasbetterthantheriskthatsomeone
wouldtakethemaway.LiketheFirstAmendment:it'ssupposed
toprotectusbypreventingthegovernmentfromcreatingtwo
kindsofspeech,allowedspeechandcriminalspeech.Theydidn't
wanttofacetheriskthatsomejerkwoulddecidethatthethings
thathefoundunpleasantwereillegal."
Sheturnedandwrote,"Life,libertyandthepursuitof
happiness"onit.
"We'regettingalittleaheadofthelesson,butyouseemlikean
advancedgroup."Theotherslaughedatthis,nervously.
"Theroleofgovernmentistosecureforcitizenstherightsof
life,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.Inthatorder.It'slikea
filter.Ifthegovernmentwantstodosomethingthatmakesusa
littleunhappy,ortakesawaysomeofourliberty,it'sOK,
providingthey'redoingittosaveourlives.That'swhythecops
canlockyouupiftheythinkyou'readangertoyourselforothers.
Youloseyourlibertyandhappinesstoprotectlife.Ifyou'vegot
life,youmightgetlibertyandhappinesslater."
Someoftheothershadtheirhandsup."Doesn'tthatmeanthat
theycandoanythingtheywant,iftheysayit'stostopsomeone
fromhurtingusinthefuture?"

"Yeah,"anotherkidsaid."Thissoundslikeyou'resayingthat
nationalsecurityismoreimportantthantheConstitution."
Iwassoproudofmyfellowstudentsthen.Isaid,"Howcan
youprotectfreedombysuspendingtheBillofRights?"
Sheshookherheadatuslikewewerebeingverystupid."The
'revolutionary'foundingfathersshottraitorsandspies.They
didn'tbelieveinabsolutefreedom,notwhenitthreatenedthe
Republic.NowyoutaketheseXnetpeople"
Itriedhardnottostiffen.
"thesesocalledjammerswhowereonthenewsthismorning.
Afterthiscitywasattackedbypeoplewho'vedeclaredwaron
thiscountry,theysetaboutsabotagingthesecuritymeasuresset
uptocatchthebadguysandpreventthemfromdoingitagain.
Theydidthisbyendangeringandinconveniencingtheirfellow
citizens"
"Theydidittoshowthatourrightswerebeingtakenawayin
thenameofprotectingthem!"Isaid.OK,Ishouted.God,shehad
mesosteamed."Theydiditbecausethegovernmentwastreating
everyonelikeasuspectedterrorist."
"Sotheywantedtoprovethattheyshouldn'tbetreatedlike
terrorists,"Charlesshoutedback,"sotheyactedliketerrorists?So
theycommittedterrorism?"
Iboiled.
"OhforChrist'ssake.Committedterrorism?Theyshowedthat
universalsurveillancewasmoredangerousthanterrorism.Look
atwhathappenedintheparklastweekend.Thosepeoplewere
dancingandlisteningtomusic.Howisthatterrorism?"
Theteachercrossedtheroomandstoodbeforeme,looming
overmeuntilIshutup."Marcus,youseemtothinkthatnothing
haschangedinthiscountry.Youneedtounderstandthatthe
bombingoftheBayBridgechangedeverything.Thousandsof
ourfriendsandrelativesliedeadatthebottomoftheBay.Thisis
atimefornationalunityinthefaceoftheviolentinsultour
countryhassuffered"
Istoodup.I'dhadenoughofthis"everythinghaschanged"
crapola."Nationalunity?ThewholepointofAmericaisthat
we'rethecountrywheredissentiswelcome.We'reacountryof
dissidentsandfightersanduniversitydropoutsandfreespeech
people."
IthoughtofMsGalvez'slastlessonandthethousandsof
Berkeleystudentswho'dsurroundedthepolicevanwhenthey
triedtoarrestaguyfordistributingcivilrightsliterature.Noone
triedtostopthosetruckswhentheydroveawaywithallthe
peoplewho'dbeendancinginthepark.Ididn'ttry.Iwasrunning
away.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/77

Maybeeverythinghadchanged.

layingitsfoundationonsuchprinciples,andorganizingits
powersinsuchform,astothemshallseemmostlikelytoeffect
theirsafetyandhappiness."Iremembereditwordforword.

"IbelieveyouknowwhereMrBenson'sofficeis,"shesaidto
Heshookhishead."Rememberingthingsisn'tthesameas
me."Youaretopresentyourselftohimimmediately.Iwillnot
havemyclassesdisruptedbydisrespectfulbehavior.Forsomeone understandingthem,sonny."Hebentoverhiscomputerandmade
whoclaimstolovefreedomofspeech,you'recertainlywillingto someclicks.Hisprinterpurred.Hehandedmeasheetofwarm
BoardletterheadthatsaidI'dbeensuspendedfortwoweeks.
shoutdownanyonewhodisagreeswithyou."
IpickedupmySchoolBookandmybagandstormedout.The
doorhadagaslift,soitwasimpossibletoslam,orIwouldhave
slammedit.
IwentfasttoMrBenson'soffice.CamerasfilmedmeasIwent.
Mygaitwasrecorded.ThearphidsinmystudentIDbroadcast
myidentitytosensorsinthehallway.Itwaslikebeinginjail.
"Closethedoor,Marcus,"MrBensonsaid.Heturnedhisscreen
aroundsothatIcouldseethevideofeedfromthesocialstudies
classroom.He'dbeenwatching.
"Whatdoyouhavetosayforyourself?"

"I'llemailyourparentsnow.Ifyouarestillonschoolproperty
inthirtyminutes,you'llbearrestedfortrespassing."
Ilookedathim.
"Youdon'twanttodeclarewaronmeinmyownschool,"he
said."Youcan'twinthatwar.GO!"
Ileft.
Chapter14

ThischapterisdedicatedtotheincomparableMysteriousGalaxy
inSanDiego,California.TheMysteriousGalaxyfolkshavehad
meintosignbookseverytimeI'vebeeninSanDiegofora
conferenceortoteach(theClarionWriters'Workshopisbased
"No,shesaiditwasn'treligiousdoctrine.Andyouattackedher atUCSanDiegoinnearbyLaJolla,CA),andeverytimeIshow
likesomekindoffundamentalist,provingherpoint.Marcus,you up,theypackthehouse.Thisisastorewithaloyalfollowingof
ofallpeopleshouldunderstandthateverythingchangedwhenthe diehardfanswhoknowthatthey'llalwaysbeabletogetgreat
bridgewasbombed.YourfriendDarryl"
recommendationsandgreatideasatthestore.Insummer2007,I
tookmywritingclassfromClariondowntothestoreforthe
"Don'tyousayagoddamnedwordabouthim,"Isaid,theanger midnightlaunchofthefinalHarryPotterbookandI'venever
bubblingover."You'renotfittotalkabouthim.Yeah,I
seensucharollicking,awesomelyfunpartyatastore.
understandthateverything'sdifferentnow.Weusedtobeafree
country.Nowwe'renot."
MysteriousGalaxy
"Marcus,doyouknowwhat'zerotolerance'means?"
http://mysteriousgalaxy.booksense.com/NASApp/store/Product?
s=showproduct&isbn=97807653198527051ClairemontMesa
Ibackeddown.Hecouldexpelmefor"threateningbehavior."
Blvd.,Suite#302SanDiego,CAUSA92111+18582684747
Itwassupposedtobeusedagainstgangkidswhotriedto
intimidatetheirteachers.Butofcoursehewouldn'thaveany
compunctionsaboutusingitonme.
TheXnetwasn'tmuchfuninthemiddleoftheschoolday,when
allthepeoplewhouseditwereinschool.Ihadthepieceofpaper
"Yes,"Isaid."Iknowwhatitmeans."
foldedinthebackpocketofmyjeans,andIthrewitonthe
kitchentablewhenIgothome.Isatdowninthelivingroomand
"Ithinkyouowemeanapology,"hesaid.
switchedontheTV.Ineverwatchedit,butIknewthatmy
parentsdid.TheTVandtheradioandthenewspaperswerewhere
Ilookedathim.Hewasbarelysuppressinghissadisticsmile.A theygotalltheirideasabouttheworld.
partofmewantedtogrovel.Itwantedtobegforhisforgiveness
forallmyshame.ItampedthatpartdownanddecidedthatI
Thenewswasterrible.Thereweresomanyreasonstobe
wouldrathergetkickedoutthanapologize.
scared.Americansoldiersweredyingallovertheworld.Notjust
soldiers,either.Nationalguardsmen,whothoughttheywere
"Governmentsareinstitutedamongmen,derivingtheirjust
signinguptohelprescuepeoplefromhurricanes,stationed
powersfromtheconsentofthegoverned,thatwheneveranyform overseasforyearsandyearsofalongandendlesswar.
ofgovernmentbecomesdestructiveoftheseends,itistherightof
thepeopletoalterorabolishit,andtoinstitutenewgovernment,
Iflippedaroundthe24hournewsnetworks,oneafteranother,
"Thatwasn'tteaching,itwaspropaganda.Shetoldusthatthe
Constitutiondidn'tmatter!"

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/78
aparadeofofficialstellinguswhyweshouldbescared.Aparade
ofphotosofbombsgoingoffaroundtheworld.

you'renotsayingthatthesechildrenwereterroristsympathizers
forattendingapartyinapark?"

Ikeptflippingandfoundmyselflookingatafamiliarface.It
wastheguywhohadcomeintothetruckandspokento
SevereHaircutwomanwhenIwaschainedupintheback.
Wearingamilitaryuniform.ThecaptionidentifiedhimasMajor
GeneralGraemeSutherland,RegionalCommander,DHS.

"Ofcoursenot.Butwhenyoungpeoplearebroughtunderthe
influenceofourcountry'senemies,it'seasyforthemtoendup
overtheirheads.Terroristswouldlovetorecruitafifthcolumnto
fightthewaronthehomefrontforthem.Iftheseweremy
children,I'dbegravelyconcerned."

"Iholdinmyhandsactualliteratureonofferatthesocalled
concertinDoloresParklastweekend."Heheldupastackof
pamphlets.There'dbeenlotsofpamphleteersthere,I
remembered.WhereveryougotagroupofpeopleinSan
Francisco,yougotpamphlets.

Anotherreporterchimedin."Surelythisisjustanopenair
concert,General?Theywerehardlydrillingwithrifles."
TheGeneralproducedastackofphotosandbegantoholdthem
up."Thesearepicturesthatofficerstookwithinfraredcameras
beforemovingin."Heheldthemnexttohisfaceandpaged
throughthemoneatatime.Theyshowedpeopledancingreally
rough,somepeoplegettingcrushedorsteppedon.Thenthey
movedintosexstuffbythetrees,agirlwiththreeguys,twoguys
neckingtogether."Therewerechildrenasyoungastenyearsold
atthisevent.Adeadlycocktailofdrugs,propagandaandmusic
resultedindozensofinjuries.It'sawonderthereweren'tany
deaths."

"Iwantyoutolookattheseforamoment.Letmereadyou
theirtitles.WITHOUTTHECONSENTOFTHEGOVERNED:
ACITIZEN'SGUIDETOOVERTHROWINGTHESTATE.
Here'sone,DIDTHESEPTEMBER11THBOMBINGS
REALLYHAPPEN?Andanother,HOWTOUSETHEIR
SECURITYAGAINSTTHEM.Thisliteratureshowsusthetrue
purposeoftheillegalgatheringonSaturdaynight.Thiswasn't
merelyanunsafegatheringofthousandsofpeoplewithoutproper
precaution,oreventoilets.Itwasarecruitingrallyfortheenemy.
IswitchedtheTVoff.Theymadeitlooklikeithadbeenariot.
Itwasanattempttocorruptchildrenintoembracingtheideathat IfmyparentsthoughtI'dbeenthere,they'dhavestrappedmeto
Americashouldn'tprotectherself.
mybedforamonthandonlyletmeoutafterwardwearinga
trackingcollar.
"Takethisslogan,DON'TTRUSTANYONEOVER25.What
betterwaytoensurethatnoconsidered,balanced,adult
Speakingofwhich,theyweregoingtobepissedwhenthey
discussioniseverinjectedintoyourproterroristmessagethanto foundoutI'dbeensuspended.
excludeadults,limitingyourgrouptoimpressionableyoung
people?
#
"Whenpolicecameonthescene,theyfoundarecruitmentrally
forAmerica'senemiesinprogress.Thegatheringhadalready
disruptedthenightsofhundredsofresidentsinthearea,noneof
whomhadbeenconsultedintheplanningofthisallnightrave
party.
"Theyorderedthesepeopletodispersethatmuchisvisible
onallthevideoandwhentherevelersturnedtoattackthem,
eggedonbythemusiciansonstage,thepolicesubduedthem
usingnonlethalcrowdcontroltechniques.

Theydidn'ttakeitwell.Dadwantedtogroundme,butMom
andItalkedhimoutofit.
"YouknowthatviceprincipalhashaditinforMarcusfor
years,"Momsaid."Thelasttimewemethimyoucursedhimfor
anhourafterward.Ithinktheword'asshole'wasmentioned
repeatedly."
Dadshookhishead."Disruptingaclasstoargueagainstthe
DepartmentofHomelandSecurity"

"Thearresteeswereringleadersandprovocateurswhohadled
"It'sasocialstudiesclass,Dad,"Isaid.Iwasbeyondcaring
thethousandsofimpressionisticyoungpeopletheretochargethe anymore,butIfeltlikeifMomwasgoingtostickupforme,I
policelines.827ofthemweretakenintocustody.Manyofthese shouldhelpherout."WeweretalkingabouttheDHS.Isn'tdebate
peoplehadprioroffenses.Morethan100ofthemhadoutstanding supposedtobehealthy?"
warrants.Theyarestillincustody.
"Look,son,"hesaid.He'dtakentocallingme"son"alot.It
"Ladiesandgentlemen,Americaisfightingawaronmany
mademefeellikehe'dstoppedthinkingofmeasapersonand
fronts,butnowhereissheinmoregravedangerthansheishere, switchedtothinkingofmeasakindofhalfformedlarvathat
athome.Whetherwearebeingattackedbyterroristsorthose
neededtobeguidedoutofadolescence.Ihatedit."You'regoing
whosympathizewiththem."
tohavetolearntolivewiththefactthatweliveinadifferent
worldtoday.Youhaveeveryrighttospeakyourmindofcourse,
Areporterheldupahandandsaid,"GeneralSutherland,surely butyouhavetobepreparedfortheconsequencesofdoingso.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/79
Youhavetofacethefactthattherearepeoplewhoarehurting,
whoaren'tgoingtowanttoarguethefinerpointsof
Constitutionallawwhentheirlivesareatstake.We'reina
lifeboatnow,andonceyou'reinthelifeboat,noonewantstohear
abouthowmeanthecaptainisbeing."
Ibarelyrestrainedmyselffromrollingmyeyes.
"I'vebeenassignedtwoweeksofindependentstudy,writing
onepaperforeachofmysubjects,usingthecityformy
backgroundahistorypaper,asocialstudiespaper,anEnglish
paper,aphysicspaper.Itbeatssittingaroundathomewatching
television."
Dadlookedhardatme,likehesuspectedIwasupto
something,thennodded.Isaidgoodnighttothemandwentupto
myroom.IfiredupmyXboxandopenedawordprocessorand
startedtobrainstormideasformypapers.Whynot?Itreallywas
betterthansittingaroundathome.
#
IendedupIMingwithAngeforquiteawhilethatnight.She
wassympatheticabouteverythingandtoldmeshe'dhelpmewith
mypapersifIwantedtomeetherafterschoolthenextnight.I
knewwhereherschoolwasshewenttothesameschoolasVan
anditwasallthewayoverintheEastBay,whereIhadn't
visitedsincethebombswent.
Iwasreallyexcitedattheprospectofseeingheragain.Every
nightsincetheparty,I'dgonetobedthinkingoftwothings:the
sightofthecrowdchargingthepolicelinesandthefeelingofthe
sideofherbreastunderhershirtasweleanedagainstthepillar.
Shewasamazing.I'dneverbeenwithagirlas...aggressiveasher
before.Ithadalwaysbeenmeputtingthemovesonandthem
pushingmeaway.IgotthefeelingthatAngewasasmuchofa
horndogasIwas.Itwasatantalizingnotion.

theBeatsfirst.CityLightsbookshadagreatlibraryinanupstairs
roomwhereAlanGinsbergandhisbuddieshadcreatedtheir
radicaldruggypoetry.Theonewe'dreadinEnglishclasswas
HowlandIwouldneverforgettheopeninglines,theygaveme
shiversdownmyback:
Isawthebestmindsofmygenerationdestroyedbymadness,
starvinghystericalnaked,
draggingthemselvesthroughthenegrostreetsatdawnlooking
foranangryfix,
angelheadedhipstersburningfortheancientheavenly
connectiontothestarrydynamointhemachineryofnight...
Ilikedthewayheranthosewordsalltogether,"starving
hystericalnaked."Iknewhowthatfelt.And"bestmindsofmy
generation"mademethinkhardtoo.Itmademerememberthe
parkandthepoliceandthegasfalling.TheybustedGinsbergfor
obscenityoverHowlallaboutalineaboutgaysexthatwould
hardlyhavecausedustoblinkaneyetoday.Itmademehappy
somehow,knowingthatwe'dmadesomeprogress.Thatthings
hadbeenevenmorerestrictivethanthisbefore.
Ilostmyselfinthelibrary,readingthesebeautifuloldeditions
ofthebooks.IgotlostinJackKerouac'sOntheRoad,anovelI'd
beenmeaningtoreadforalongtime,andaclerkwhocameupto
checkonmenoddedapprovinglyandfoundmeacheapedition
thathesoldmeforsixbucks.
IwalkedintoChinatownandhaddimsumbunsandnoodles
withhotsaucethatIhadpreviouslyconsideredtobeprettyhot,
butwhichwouldneverseemanythinglikehoteveragain,not
nowthatI'dhadanAngespecial.

Asthedayworeontowardtheafternoon,IgotontheBART
andswitchedtoaSanMateobridgeshuttlebustobringme
aroundtotheEastBay.IreadmycopyofOntheRoadanddug
Isleptsoundlythatnight,withexcitingdreamsofmeandAnge thescenerywhizzingpast.OntheRoadisa
semiautobiographicalnovelaboutJackKerouac,adruggy,
andwhatwemightdoifwefoundourselvesinasecludedspot
harddrinkingwriterwhogoeshitchhikingaroundAmerica,
somewhere.
workingcrummyjobs,howlingthroughthestreetsatnight,
Thenextday,Isetouttoworkonmypapers.SanFranciscoisa meetingpeopleandpartingways.Hipsters,sadfacedhobos,
goodplacetowriteabout.History?Sure,it'sthere,fromtheGold conmen,muggers,scumbagsandangels.There'snotreallyaplot
RushtotheWWIIshipyards,theJapaneseinternmentcamps,the Kerouacsupposedlywroteitinthreeweeksonalongrollof
inventionofthePC.Physics?TheExploratoriumhasthecoolest paper,stonedoutofhismindonlyabunchofamazingthings,
onethinghappeningafteranother.Hemakesfriendswith
exhibitsofanymuseumI'veeverbeento.Itookaperverse
satisfactionintheexhibitsonsoilliquefactionduringbigquakes. selfdestructingpeoplelikeDeanMoriarty,whogethiminvolved
English?JackLondon,BeatPoets,sciencefictionwriterslikePat inweirdschemesthatneverreallyworkout,butstillitworksout,
ifyouknowwhatImean.
MurphyandRudyRucker.Socialstudies?TheFreeSpeech
Movement,CesarChavez,gayrights,feminism,antiwar
Therewasarhythmtothewords,itwasluscious,Icouldhearit
movement...
beingreadaloudinmyhead.Itmademewanttoliedowninthe
I'vealwayslovedjustlearningstuffforitsownsake.Justtobe bedofapickuptruckandwakeupinadustylittletown
somewhereinthecentralvalleyonthewaytoLA,oneofthose
smarterabouttheworldaroundme.Icoulddothatjustby
placeswithagasstationandadiner,andjustwalkoutintothe
walkingaroundthecity.IdecidedI'ddoanEnglishpaperabout

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/80
fieldsandmeetpeopleandseestuffanddostuff.
ItwasalongbusrideandImusthavedozedoffalittle
stayinguplateIMingwithAngewashardonmysleepschedule,
sinceMomstillexpectedmedownforbreakfast.Iwokeupand
changedbusesandbeforelong,IwasatAnge'sschool.
ShecameboundingoutofthegatesinheruniformI'dnever
seenherinitbefore,itwaskindofcuteinaweirdway,and
remindedmeofVaninheruniform.Shegavemealonghugand
ahardkissonthecheek.
"Helloyou!"shesaid.
"Hiya!"
"Whatchareading?"
I'dbeenwaitingforthis.I'dmarkedthepassagewithafinger.
"Listen:'Theydanceddownthestreetslikedingledodies,andI
shambledafterasI'vebeendoingallmylifeafterpeoplewho
interestme,becausetheonlypeopleformearethemadones,the
oneswhoaremadtolive,madtotalk,madtobesaved,desirous
ofeverythingatthesametime,theonesthatneveryawnorsaya
commonplacething,butburn,burn,burnlikefabulousyellow
romancandlesexplodinglikespidersacrossthestarsandinthe
middleyouseethebluecenterlightpopandeverybodygoes
"Awww!"'"
Shetookthebookandreadthepassageagainforherself.
"Wow,dingledodies!Iloveit!Isitalllikethis?"
ItoldheraboutthepartsI'dread,walkingslowlydownthe
sidewalkbacktowardthebusstop.Onceweturnedthecorner,
sheputherarmaroundmywaistandIslungminearoundher
shoulder.Walkingdownthestreetwithagirlmygirlfriend?
Sure,whynot?talkingaboutthiscoolbook.Itwasheaven.
Mademeforgetmytroublesforalittlewhile.
"Marcus?"
Iturnedaround.ItwasVan.InmysubconsciousI'dexpected
this.Iknewbecausemyconsciousmindwasn'tremotely
surprised.Itwasn'tabigschool,andtheyallgotoutatthesame
time.Ihadn'tspokentoVaninweeks,andthoseweeksfeltlike
months.Weusedtotalkeveryday.
"Hey,Van,"Isaid.Isuppressedtheurgetotakemyarmoffof
Ange'sshoulders.Vanseemedsurprised,butnotangry,more
ashen,shaken.Shelookedcloselyatthetwoofus.
"Angela?"
"Hey,Vanessa,"Angesaid.
"Whatareyoudoinghere?"

"IcameouttogetAnge,"Isaid,tryingtokeepmytoneneutral.
Iwassuddenlyembarrassedtobeseenwithanothergirl.
"Oh,"Vansaid."Well,itwasnicetoseeyou."
"Nicetoseeyoutoo,Vanessa,"Angesaid,swingingme
around,marchingmebacktowardthebusstop.
"Youknowher?"Angesaid.
"Yeah,sinceforever."
"Wassheyourgirlfriend?"
"What?No!Noway!Wewerejustfriends."
"Youwerefriends?"
IfeltlikeVanwaswalkingrightbehindus,listeningin,though
atthepacewewerewalking,shewouldhavetobejoggingto
keepup.Iresistedthetemptationtolookovermyshoulderforas
longaspossible,thenIdid.Therewerelotsofgirlsfromthe
schoolbehindus,butnoVan.
"ShewaswithmeandJoseLuisandDarrylwhenwewere
arrested.WeusedtoARGtogether.Thefourofus,wewerekind
ofbestfriends."
"Andwhathappened?"
Idroppedmyvoice."Shedidn'tliketheXnet,"Isaid."She
thoughtwewouldgetintotrouble.ThatI'dgetotherpeopleinto
trouble."
"Andthat'swhyyoustoppedbeingfriends?"
"Wejustdriftedapart."
Wewalkedafewsteps."Youweren't,youknow,
boyfriend/girlfriendfriends?"
"No!"Isaid.Myfacewashot.IfeltlikeIsoundedlikeIwas
lying,eventhoughIwastellingthetruth.
Angejerkedustoahaltandstudiedmyface.
"Wereyou?"
"No!Seriously!Justfriends.Darrylandherwell,notquite,
butDarrylwassointoher.Therewasnoway"
"ButifDarrylhadn'tbeenintoher,youwouldhave,huh?"
"No,Ange,no.Please,justbelievemeandletitgo.Vanessa
wasagoodfriendandwe'renotanymore,andthatupsetsme,but

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/81
Iwasneverintoherthatway,allright?
Sheslumpedalittle."OK,OK.I'msorry.Idon'treallyget
alongwithherisall.We'venevergottenalonginalltheyears
we'veknowneachother."
Ohho,Ithought.ThiswouldbehowitcametobethatJolu
knewherforsolongandInevermether;shehadsomekindof
thingwithVanandhedidn'twanttobringheraround.
Shegavemealonghugandwekissed,andabunchofgirls
passedusgoingwooooandwestraightenedupandheadedforthe
busstop.AheadofuswalkedVan,whomusthavegonepast
whilewewerekissing.Ifeltlikeacompletejerk.
Ofcourse,shewasatthestopandonthebusandwedidn'tsay
awordtoeachother,andItriedtomakeconversationwithAnge
alltheway,butitwasawkward.

peoplewalkedpast,staringatthemandmarvelingathowweirdit
was.
I'dlinkedtothevideoandithadbeendownloadedlikecrazy.
He'dhosteditontheInternetArchive'sAlexandriamirrorin
Egypt,wherethey'dhostanythingforfreesolongasyou'dputit
undertheCreativeCommonslicense,whichletanyoneremixit
andshareit.TheUSarchivewhichwasdowninthePresidio,
onlyafewminutesawayhadbeenforcedtotakedownall
thosevideosinthenameofnationalsecurity,buttheAlexandria
archivehadsplitawayintoitsownorganizationandwashosting
anythingthatembarrassedtheUSA.
ThiskidhishandlewasKameraspiehadsentmeaneven
bettervideothistimearound.ItwasatthedoorwaytoCityHall
inCivicCenter,ahugeweddingcakeofabuildingcoveredwith
statuesinlittlearchwaysandgiltleavesandtrim.TheDHShada
secureperimeteraroundthebuilding,andKameraspie'svideo
showedagreatshotoftheircheckpointasaguyinanofficer's
uniformapproachedandshowedhisIDandputhisbriefcaseon
theXraybelt.

TheplanwastostopforacoffeeandheadtoAnge'splaceto
hangoutand"study,"i.e.taketurnsonherXboxlookingatthe
Xnet.Ange'smomgothomelateonTuesdays,whichwasher
ItwasallOKuntiloneoftheDHSpeoplesawsomethinghe
nightforyogaclassanddinnerwithhergirls,andAnge'ssister
wasgoingoutwithherboyfriend,sowe'dhavetheplaceto
didn'tlikeontheXray.HequestionedtheGeneral,whorolled
ourselves.I'dbeenhavingpervythoughtsaboutiteversincewe'd hiseyesandsaidsomethinginaudible(thevideohadbeenshot
madetheplan.
fromacrossthestreet,apparentlywithahomemadeconcealed
zoomlens,sotheaudiowasmostlyofpeoplewalkingpastand
Wegottoherplaceandwentstraighttoherroomandshutthe trafficnoises).
door.Herroomwaskindofadisaster,coveredwithlayersof
clothesandnotebooksandpartsofPCsthatwoulddigintoyour
TheGeneralandtheDHSguysgotintoanargument,andthe
longertheyargued,themoreDHSguysgatheredaroundthem.
stockingfeetlikecaltrops.Herdeskwasworsethanthefloor,
piledhighwithbooksandcomics,soweendedupsittingonher
Finally,theGeneralshookhisheadangrilyandwavedhisfinger
attheDHSguy'schestandpickeduphisbriefcaseandstartedto
bed,whichwasOKbyme.
walkaway.TheDHSguysshoutedathim,buthedidn'tslow.His
bodylanguagereallysaid,"Iamtotally,utterlypissed."
TheawkwardnessfromseeingVanhadgoneawaysomewhat
andwegotherXboxupandrunning.Itwasinthecenterofanest
Thenithappened.TheDHSguysranafterthegeneral.
ofwires,somegoingtoawirelessantennashe'dhackedintoit
andstucktothewindowsoshecouldtuneintheneighbors'WiFi. Kameraspieslowedthevideodownhere,sowecouldsee,in
framebyframeslomo,thegeneralhalfturning,hisfacealllike,
Somewenttoacoupleofoldlaptopscreensshe'dturnedinto
standalonemonitors,balancedonstandsandbristlingwith
"Nofreakingwayareyouabouttotackleme,"thenchangingto
horrorasthreeofthegiantDHSguardsslammedintohim,
exposedelectronics.Thescreenswereonbothbedsidetables,
whichwasanexcellentsetupforwatchingmoviesorIMingfrom knockinghimsideways,thencatchinghimatthemiddle,likea
careerendingfootballtackle.Thegeneralmiddleaged,steely
bedshecouldturnthemonitorssidewiseandlieonherside
andthey'dberightsideup,nomatterwhichsideshelayon.
greyhair,linedanddignifiedfacewentdownlikeasackof
potatoesandbouncedtwice,hisfaceslammingoffthesidewalk
Webothknewwhatwewerereallytherefor,sittingsideby
andbloodstartingoutofhisnose.
sideproppedagainstthebedsidetable.Iwastremblingalittleand
superconsciousofthewarmthofherlegandshoulderagainst
TheDHShogtiedthegeneral,strappinghimatanklesand
mine,butIneededtogothroughthemotionsofloggingintoXnet wrists.Thegeneralwasshoutingnow,reallyshouting,hisface
andseeingwhatemailI'dgottenandsoon.
purplingunderthebloodstreamingfromhisnose.Legsswished
byinthetightzoom.Passingpedestrianslookedatthisguyinhis
Therewasanemailfromakidwholikedtosendinfunny
uniform,gettingtiedup,andyoucouldseefromhisfacethatthis
wastheworstpart,thiswastheritualhumiliation,theremovalof
phonecamvideosoftheDHSbeingreallycrazythelastone
hadbeenofthemdisassemblingababy'sstrolleraftera
dignity.Theclipended.
bombsniffingdoghadshownaninterestinit,takingitapartwith
screwdriversrightonthestreetintheMarinawhilealltheserich
"OhmydearsweetBuddha,"Isaidlookingatthescreenasit

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/82
fadedtoblack,startingthevideoagain.InudgedAngeand
showedhertheclip.Shewatchedwordless,jawhangingdownto
herchest.
"Postthat,"shesaid."Postthatpostthatpostthatpostthat!"

thatIwasreadingKerouac.Ithadbeenafavoritebookofbothof
theirsanditturnedouttherewasalreadyacopyonthebookcase
inmyparents'room.MydadbroughtitdownandIflipped
throughit.Therewerepassagesmarkedupwithpen,dogeared
pages,notesinthemargin.Mydadhadreallylovedthisbook.

Ipostedit.IcouldbarelytypeasIwroteitup,describingwhat
Itmademerememberabettertime,whenmyDadandIhad
I'dseen,addinganotetoseeifanyonecouldidentifythemilitary beenabletotalkforfiveminuteswithoutshoutingateachother
maninthevideo,ifanyoneknewanythingaboutthis.
aboutterrorism,andwehadagreatbreakfasttalkingaboutthe
waythatthenovelwasplotted,allthecrazyadventures.
Ihitpublish.
Butthenextmorningatbreakfasttheywerebothgluedtothe
Wewatchedthevideo.Wewatcheditagain.
radio.
Myemailpinged.

"AbusesofAuthorityit'sthelatestcrazeonSanFrancisco's
notoriousXnet,andit'scapturedtheworld'sattention.Called
AohA,themovementiscomposedof'LittleBrothers'who
> I totally recognize that dude -- you
can find his bio on Wikipedia. He's
watchbackagainsttheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity's
General Claude Geist. He commanded the
antiterrorismmeasures,documentingthefailuresandexcesses.
joint UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti. TherallyingcryisapopularviralvideoclipofaGeneralClaude
Geist,aretiredthreestargeneral,beingtackledbyDHSofficers
Icheckedthebio.Therewasapictureofthegeneralatapress onthesidewalkinfrontofCityHall.Geisthasn'tmadea
conference,andnotesabouthisroleinthedifficultHaitimission. statementontheincident,butcommentaryfromyoungpeople
Itwasclearlythesameguy.
whoareupsetwiththeirowntreatmenthasbeenfastandfurious.
Iupdatedthepost.
Theoretically,thiswasAnge'sandmychancetomakeout,but
thatwasn'twhatweendedupdoing.WecrawledtheXnetblogs,
lookingformoreaccountsoftheDHSsearchingpeople,tackling
people,invadingthem.Thiswasafamiliartask,thesamething
I'ddonewithallthefootageandaccountsfromtheriotsinthe
park.Istartedanewcategoryonmyblogforthis,
AbusesOfAuthority,andfiledthemaway.Angekeptcomingup
withnewsearchtermsformetotryandbythetimehermomgot
home,mynewcategoryhadseventyposts,headlinedbyGeneral
Geist'sCityHalltakedown.
#
IworkedonmyBeatpaperallthenextdayathome,reading
theKerouacandsurfingtheXnet.Iwasplanningonmeeting
Angeatschool,butItotallywimpedoutatthethoughtofseeing
Vanagain,soItextedheranexcuseaboutworkingonthepaper.
Therewereallkindsofgreatsuggestionsfor
AbusesOfAuthoritycomingin;hundredsoflittleandbigones,
picturesandaudio.Thememewasspreading.
Itspread.Thenextmorningtherewereevenmore.Someone
startedanewblogcalledAbusesOfAuthoritythatcollected
hundredsmore.Thepilegrew.Wecompetedtofindthejuiciest
stories,thecraziestpictures.
ThedealwithmyparentswasthatI'deatbreakfastwiththem
everymorningandtalkabouttheprojectsIwasdoing.Theyliked

"Mostnotablehasbeentheglobalattentionthemovementhas
received.StillsfromtheGeistvideohaveappearedonthefront
pagesofnewspapersinKorea,GreatBritain,Germany,Egypt
andJapan,andbroadcastersaroundtheworldhaveairedtheclip
onprimetimenews.Theissuecametoaheadlastnight,when
theBritishBroadcastingCorporation'sNationalNewsEvening
programranaspecialreportonthefactthatnoAmerican
broadcasterornewsagencyhascoveredthisstory.Commenters
ontheBBC'swebsitenotedthatBBCAmerica'sversionofthe
newsdidnotcarrythereport."
Theybroughtonacoupleofinterviews:Britishmedia
watchdogs,aSwedishPiratePartykidwhomadejeeringremarks
aboutAmerica'scorruptpress,aretiredAmericannewscaster
livinginTokyo,thentheyairedashortclipfromAlJazeera,
comparingtheAmericanpressrecordandtherecordofthe
nationalnewsmediainSyria.
Ifeltlikemyparentswerestaringatme,thattheyknewwhatI
wasdoing.ButwhenIclearedawaymydishes,Isawthatthey
werelookingateachother.
Dadwasholdinghiscoffeecupsohardhishandswereshaking.
Momwaslookingathim.
"They'retryingtodiscreditus,"Dadsaidfinally."They're
tryingtosabotagetheeffortstokeepussafe."
Iopenedmymouth,butmymomcaughtmyeyeandshookher
head.InsteadIwentuptomyroomandworkedonmyKerouac
paper.OnceI'dheardthedoorslamtwice,IfiredupmyXbox

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/83
andgotonline.
> Hello M1k3y. This is Colin Brown. I'm a
producer with the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation's news programme The
National. We're doing a story on Xnet
and have sent a reporter to San
Francisco to cover it from there. Would
you be interested in doing an interview
to discuss your group and its actions?
I stared at the screen. Jesus. They wanted to interview me about
"my group"?
> Um thanks no. I'm all about privacy.
And it's not "my group." But thanks for
doing the story!
A minute later, another email.
> We can mask you and ensure your
anonymity. You know that the Department
of Homeland Security will be happy to
provide their own spokesperson. I'm
interested in getting your side.
Ifiledtheemail.Hewasright,butI'dbecrazytodothis.For
allIknew,hewastheDHS.
IpickedupmoreKerouac.Anotheremailcamein.Same
request,differentnewsagency:KQEDwantedtomeetmeand
recordaradiointerview.AstationinBrazil.TheAustralian
BroadcastingCorporation.DeutscheWelle.Allday,thepress
requestscamein.Allday,Ipolitelyturnedthemdown.
Ididn'tgetmuchKerouacreadthatday.
#
"Holdapressconference,"iswhatAngesaid,aswesatinthe
cafenearherplacethatevening.Iwasn'tkeenongoingouttoher
schoolanymore,gettingstuckonabuswithVanagain.
"What?Areyoucrazy?"
"DoitinClockworkPlunder.Justpickatradingpostwhere
there'snoPvPallowedandnameatime.Youcanloginfrom
here."
PvPisplayerversusplayercombat.PartsofClockwork
Plunderwereneutralground,whichmeantthatwecould
theoreticallybringinatonofnoobreporterswithoutworrying
aboutgamerskillingtheminthemiddleofthepressconference.
"Idon'tknowanythingaboutpressconferences."

"Oh,justgoogleit.I'msuresomeone'swrittenanarticleon
holdingasuccessfulone.Imean,ifthePresidentcanmanageit,
I'msureyoucan.Helookslikehecanbarelytiehisshoeswithout
help."
Weorderedmorecoffee.
"Youareaverysmartwoman,"Isaid.
"AndI'mbeautiful,"shesaid.
"Thattoo,"Isaid.
Chapter15
ThischapterisdedicatedtoChapters/Indigo,thenational
Canadianmegachain.IwasworkingatBakka,theindependent
sciencefictionbookstore,whenChaptersopeneditsfirststorein
TorontoandIknewthatsomethingbigwasgoingonrightaway,
becausetwoofoursmartest,bestinformedcustomersstoppedin
totellmethatthey'dbeenhiredtorunthesciencefictionsection.
Fromthestart,Chaptersraisedthebaronwhatabigcorporate
bookstorecouldbe,extendingitshours,addingafriendlycafe
andlotsofseating,installinginstoreselfserviceterminalsand
stockingthemostamazingvarietyoftitles.
Chapters/Indigo:
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/LittleBrotherCoryDoctor
ow/9780765319852item.html
IbloggedthepressconferenceevenbeforeI'dsentoutthe
invitationstothepress.Icouldtellthatallthesewriterswantedto
makemeintoaleaderorageneralorasupremeguerrilla
commandant,andIfiguredonewayofsolvingthatwouldbeto
haveabunchofXnettersrunningaroundansweringquestions
too.
ThenIemailedthepress.Theresponsesrangedfrompuzzledto
enthusiasticonlytheFoxreporterwas"outraged"thatIhadthe
galltoaskhertoplayagameinordertoappearonherTVshow.
Therestofthemseemedtothinkthatitwouldmakeaprettycool
story,thoughplentyofthemwantedlotsoftechsupportfor
signingontothegame
Ipicked8PM,afterdinner.Momhadbeenbuggingmeabout
alltheeveningsI'dbeenspendingoutofthehouseuntilIfinally
spilledthebeansaboutAnge,whereuponshecameoverallmisty
andkeptlookingatmelike,mylittleboy'sgrowingup.She
wantedtomeetAnge,andIusedthatasleverage,promisingto
bringheroverthenextnightifIcould"gotothemovies"with
Angetonight.
Ange'smomandsisterwereoutagaintheyweren'treal

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/84
stayathomeswhichleftmeandAngealoneinherroomwith
herXboxandmine.Iunpluggedoneofherbedsidescreensand
attachedmyXboxtoitsothatwecouldbothloginatonce.
BothXboxeswereidle,loggedintoClockworkPlunder.Iwas
pacing.
"It'sgoingtobefine,"shesaid.Sheglancedatherscreen.
"PatcheyePete'sMarkethas600playersinitnow!"We'dpicked
PatcheyePete'sbecauseitwasthemarketclosesttothevillage
squarewherenewplayersspawned.Ifthereportersweren't
alreadyClockworkPlunderplayersha!thenthat'swhere
they'dshowup.InmyblogpostI'daskedpeoplegenerallyto
hangoutontheroutebetweenPatcheyePete'sandthespawngate
anddirectanyonewholookedlikeadisorientedreporteroverto
Pete's.
"WhatthehellamIgoingtotellthem?"
"Youjustanswertheirquestionsandifyoudon'tlikea
question,ignoreit.Someoneelsecananswerit.It'llbefine."
"Thisisinsane."

ButIwasn'tscaredthen.Theimpendingpressconference,the
fightswithmyparents,theinternationalattention,thesensethat
therewasamovementthatwascareeningaroundthecitylikea
wildpinballitmademyskintingleandmybloodsing.
Andshewasbeautiful,andsmart,andcleverandfunny,andI
wasfallinginlovewithher.
Hershirtslidoff,herarchingherbacktohelpmegetitoverher
shoulders.Shereachedbehindheranddidsomethingandherbra
fellaway.Istaredgoggleeyed,motionlessandbreathless,and
thenshegrabbedmyshirtandpulleditovermyhead,grabbing
meandpullingmybarechesttohers.
Werolledonthebedandtouchedeachotherandgroundour
bodiestogetherandgroaned.ShekissedallovermychestandI
didthesametoher.Icouldn'tbreathe,Icouldn'tthink,Icould
onlymoveandkissandlickandtouch.
Wedaredeachothertogoforward.Iundidherjeans.Sheundid
mine.Iloweredherzipper,shedidmine,andtuggedmyjeans
off.Ituggedoffhers.Amomentlaterwewerebothnaked,except
formysocks,whichIpeeledoffwithmytoes.

"Thisisperfect,Marcus.IfyouwanttoreallyscrewtheDHS,
youhavetoembarrassthem.It'snotlikeyou'regoingtobeable
ItwasthenthatIcaughtsightofthebedsideclock,whichhad
tooutshootthem.Youronlyweaponisyourabilitytomakethem longagorolledontothefloorandlaythere,glowingupatus.
looklikemorons."
"Crap!"Iyelped."Itstartsintwominutes!"Icouldn'tfreaking
Ifloppedonthebedandshepulledmyheadintoherlapand
believethatIwasabouttostopwhatIwasabouttostopdoing,
strokedmyhair.I'dbeenplayingaroundwithdifferenthaircuts
whenIwasabouttostopdoingit.Imean,ifyou'daskedme,
beforethebombing,dyingitallkindsoffunnycolors,butsince
"Marcus,youareabouttogetlaidforthefirstesttimeEVAR,will
I'dgottenoutofjailIcouldn'tbebothered.Ithadgottenlongand youstopifIletoffthisnuclearbombinthesameroomasyou?"
stupidandshaggyandI'dgoneintothebathroomandgrabbedmy theanswerwouldhavebeenaresoundingandunequivocalNO.
clippersandbuzzeditdowntohalfaninchallaround,whichtook
zeroefforttotakecareofandhelpedmetobeinvisiblewhenI
Andyetwestoppedforthis.
wasoutjammingandcloningarphids.
Shegrabbedmeandpulledmyfacetohersandkissedmeuntil
Iopenedmyeyesandstaredintoherbigbrowneyesbehindher IthoughtIwouldpassout,thenwebothgrabbedourclothesand
glasses.Theywereroundandliquidandexpressive.Shecould
moreorlessdressed,grabbingourkeyboardsandmiceand
makethembugoutwhenshewantedtomakemelaugh,ormake headingforPatcheyePete's.
themsoftandsad,orlazyandsleepyinawaythatmadememelt
intoapuddleofhorniness.
#
That'swhatshewasdoingrightnow.
Isatupslowlyandhuggedher.Shehuggedmeback.We
kissed.Shewasanamazingkisser.IknowI'vealreadysaidthat,
butitbearsrepeating.Wekissedalot,butforonereasonor
anotherwealwaysstoppedbeforeitgottooheavy.
NowIwantedtogofarther.Ifoundthehemofhertshirtand
tugged.Sheputherhandsoverherheadandpulledbackafew
inches.Iknewthatshe'ddothat.I'dknownsincethenightinthe
park.Maybethat'swhywehadn'tgonefartherIknewIcouldn't
relyonhertobackoff,whichscaredmealittle.

Youcouldeasilytellwhothepresswere:theywerethenoobs
whoplayedtheircharacterslikestaggeringdrunks,weavingback
andforthandupanddown,tryingtogetthehangofitall,
occasionallyhittingthewrongkeyandofferingstrangersallor
partoftheirinventory,orgivingthemaccidentalhugsandkicks.
TheXnetterswereeasytospot,too:weallplayedClockwork
Plunderwheneverwehadsomesparetime(ordidn'tfeellike
doingourhomework),andwehadprettytrickedoutcharacters
withcoolweaponsandboobytrapsonthekeysstickingoutof
ourbacksthatwouldcreamanyonewhotriedtosnatchthemand
leaveustowinddown.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/85

WhenIappeared,asystemstatusmessagedisplayedM1K3Y
HASENTEREDPATCHEYEPETE'SWELCOME
SWABBIEWEOFFERFAIRTRADEFORFINEBOOTY.All
theplayersonthescreenfroze,thentheycrowdedaroundme.
Thechatexploded.Ithoughtaboutturningonmyvoicepaging
andgrabbingaheadset,butseeinghowmanypeopleweretrying
totalkatonce,Irealizedhowconfusingthatwouldbe.Textwas
mucheasiertofollowandtheycouldn'tmisquoteme(hehheh).

Gradually, the journalists digested it too. The chat was running

past fast, so fast you could barely read it, lots of Xnetters saying
things like "Right on" and "America, love it or leave it" and
"DHS go home" and "America out of San Francisco," all slogans
that had been big on the Xnet blogosphere.
> M1k3y, this is Priya Rajneesh from the
BBC. You say you're not the leader of
any movement, but do you believe there
is a movement? Is it called the Xnet?

I'dscoutedthelocationbeforewithAngeitwasgreat
campaigningwithher,sincewecouldbothkeepeachother
Lots of answers. Some people said there wasn't a movement,
woundup.Therewasahighspotonapileofboxesofsaltrations
some
said there was and lots of people had ideas about what it
thatIcouldstandonandbeseenfromanywhereinthemarket.
was called:Xnet, Little Brothers, Little Sisters, and my personal
favorite, the United States of America.
> Good evening and thank you all for
coming. My name is M1k3y and I'm not
They were really cooking. I let them go, thinking of what I
the leader of anything. All around you
could say. Once I had it, I typed,
are Xnetters who have as much to say
about why we're here as I do. I use the
Xnet because I believe in freedom and
> I think that kind of answers your
the Constitution of the United States
question, doesn't it? There may be one
of America. I use Xnet because the DHS
or more movements and they may be
has turned my city into a police-state
called Xnet or not.
where we're all suspected terrorists. I
use Xnet because I think you can't
> M1k3y, I'm Doug Christensen from the
defend freedom by tearing up the Bill
Washington Internet Daily. What do you
of Rights. I learned about the
think the DHS should be doing to
Constitution in a California school and
prevent another attack on San
I was raised to love my country for its
Francisco, if what they're doing isn't
freedom. If I have a philosophy, it is
successful.
this:
> Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed, that whenever
any form of government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the
right of the people to alter or abolish
it, and to institute new government,
laying its foundation on such
principles, and organizing its powers
in such form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their safety and
happiness.
> I didn't write that, but I believe it.
The DHS does not govern with my
consent.
> Thank you
I'd written this the day before, bouncing drafts back and forth
with Ange. Pasting it in only took a second, though it took
everyone in the game a moment to read it. A lot of the Xnetters
cheered, big showy pirate "Hurrah"s with raised sabers and pet
parrots squawking and flying overhead.

More chatter. Lots of people said that the terrorists

and the government were the same -- either literally, or
just meaning that they were equallybad. Some said the
government knew how to catch terrorists but preferred
not to because "war presidents" got re-elected.
> I don't know
I typed finally.
> I really don't. I ask myself this
question a lot because I don't want to
get blown up and I don't want my city
to get blown up. Here's what I've
figured out, though: if it's the DHS's
job to keep us safe, they're failing.
All the crap they've done, none of it
would stop the bridge from being blown
up again. Tracing us around the city?
Taking away our freedom? Making us
suspicious of each other, turning us
against each other? Calling dissenters
traitors? The point of terrorism is to
terrify us. The DHS terrifies me.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/86

> I don't have any say in what the

terrorists do to me, but if this is a
free country then I should be able to
at least say what my own cops do to me.
I should be able to keep them from
terrorizing me.
> I know that's not a good answer. Sorry.
> What do you mean when you say that the
DHS wouldn't stop terrorists? How do
you know?
> Who are you?
> I'm with the Sydney Morning Herald.
> I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A
student or anything. Even so, I figured
out how to make an Internet that they
can't wiretap. I figured out how to jam
their person-tracking technology. I can
turn innocent people into suspects and
turn guilty people into innocents in
their eyes. I could get metal onto an
airplane or beat a no-fly list. I
figured this stuff out by looking at
the web and by thinking about it. If I
can do it, terrorists can do it. They
told us they took away our freedom to
make us safe. Do you feel safe?
> In Australia? Why yes I do
Thepiratesalllaughed.
Morejournalistsaskedquestions.Someweresympathetic,
somewerehostile.WhenIgottired,Ihandedmykeyboardto
AngeandletherbeM1k3yforawhile.Itdidn'treallyfeellike
M1k3yandmewerethesamepersonanymoreanyway.M1k3y
wasthekindofkidwhotalkedtointernationaljournalistsand
inspiredamovement.Marcusgotsuspendedfromschooland
foughtwithhisdadandwonderedifhewasgoodenoughforhis
kickassgirlfriend.
By11PMI'dhadenough.Besides,myparentswouldbe
expectingmehomesoon.Iloggedoutofthegameandsodid
Angeandwelaythereforamoment.Itookherhandandshe
squeezedhard.Wehugged.
Shekissedmyneckandmurmuredsomething.
"What?"
"IsaidIloveyou,"shesaid."What,youwantmetosendyoua
telegram?"

"Wow,"Isaid.
"You'rethatsurprised,huh?"
"No.Um.It'sjustIwasgoingtosaythattoyou."
"Sureyouwere,"shesaid,andbitthetipofmynose.
"It'sjustthatI'veneversaiditbefore,"Isaid."SoIwas
workinguptoit."
"Youstillhaven'tsaidit,youknow.Don'tthinkIhaven't
noticed.Wegirlspickuponthesethings."
"Iloveyou,AngeCarvelli,"Isaid.
"Iloveyoutoo,MarcusYallow."
WekissedandnuzzledandIstartedtobreathehardandsodid
she.That'swhenhermomknockedonthedoor.
"Angela,"shesaid,"Ithinkit'stimeyourfriendwenthome,
don'tyou?"
"Yes,mother,"shesaid,andmimedswinginganaxe.AsIput
mysocksandshoeson,shemuttered,"They'llsay,thatAngela,
shewassuchagoodgirl,whowouldhavethoughtit,allthetime
shewasinthebackyard,helpinghermotheroutbysharpening
thathatchet."
Ilaughed."Youdon'tknowhoweasyyouhaveit.Thereisno
waymyfolkswouldleaveusaloneinmybedroomuntil11
o'clock."
"11:45,"shesaid,checkingherclock.
"Crap!"Iyelpedandtiedmyshoes.
"Go,"shesaid,"runandbefree!Lookbothwaysbefore
crossingtheroad!Writeifyougetwork!Don'tevenstopfora
hug!Ifyou'renotoutofherebythecountoften,there'sgoingto
betrouble,mister.One.Two.Three."
Ishutherupbyleapingontothebed,landingonherand
kissingheruntilshestoppedtryingtocount.Satisfiedwithmy
victory,Ipoundeddownthestairs,myXboxundermyarm.
Hermomwasatthefootofthestairs.We'donlymetacouple
times.Shelookedlikeanolder,tallerversionofAngeAnge
saidherfatherwastheshortonewithcontactsinsteadof
glasses.Sheseemedtohavetentativelyclassedmeasagoodguy,
andIappreciatedit.
"Goodnight,MrsCarvelli,"Isaid.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/87
"Goodnight,MrYallow,"shesaid.Itwasoneofourlittle
rituals,eversinceI'dcalledherMrsCarvelliwhenwefirstmet.
Ifoundmyselfstandingawkwardlybythedoor.
"Yes?"shesaid.
"Um,"Isaid."Thanksforhavingmeover."
"You'realwayswelcomeinourhome,youngman,"shesaid.
"AndthanksforAnge,"Isaidfinally,hatinghowlameit
sounded.Butshesmiledbroadlyandgavemeabriefhug.
"You'reverywelcome,"shesaid.
Thewholebusridehome,Ithoughtoverthepressconference,
thoughtaboutAngenakedandwrithingwithmeonherbed,
thoughtabouthermothersmilingandshowingmethedoor.
Mymomwaswaitingupforme.Sheaskedmeaboutthemovie
andIgavehertheresponseI'dworkedoutinadvance,cribbing
fromthereviewithadgottenintheBayGuardian.
AsIfellasleep,thepressconferencecameback.Iwasreally
proudofit.Ithadbeensocool,tohaveallthesebigshotjournos
showupinthegame,tohavethemlistentomeandtohavethem
listentoallthepeoplewhobelievedinthesamethingsasme.I
droppedoffwithasmileonmylips.
#
Ishouldhaveknownbetter.
XNETLEADER:ICOULDGETMETALONTOAN
AIRPLANE
DHSDOESN'THAVEMYCONSENTTOGOVERN
XNETKIDS:USAOUTOFSANFRANCISCO

Leadersoftheantiwarmovementdenouncedusasfringe
elements.OneguywentonTVtosaythathebelievedwehad
beenfabricatedbytheDHStodiscreditthem.
TheDHShadtheirownpressconferenceannouncingthatthey
woulddoublethesecurityinSanFrancisco.Theyheldupan
arphidclonerthey'dfoundsomewhereanddemonstrateditin
action,usingittostageacartheft,andwarnedeveryonetobeon
theiralertforyoungpeoplebehavingsuspiciously,especially
thosewhosehandswereoutofsight.
Theyweren'tkidding.IfinishedmyKerouacpaperandstarted
inonapaperabouttheSummerofLove,thesummerof1967
whentheantiwarmovementandthehippiesconvergedonSan
Francisco.TheguyswhofoundedBenandJerry'soldhippies
themselveshadfoundedahippiemuseumintheHaight,and
therewereotherarchivesandexhibitstoseearoundtown.
Butitwasn'teasygettingaround.Bytheendoftheweek,Iwas
gettingfriskedanaverageoffourtimesaday.Copscheckedmy
IDandquestionedmeaboutwhyIwasoutinthestreet,carefully
eyeballingtheletterfromChavezsayingthatIwassuspended.
Igotlucky.Noonearrestedme.ButtherestoftheXnetweren't
solucky.EverynighttheDHSannouncedmorearrests,
"ringleaders"and"operatives"ofXnet,peopleIdidn'tknowand
hadneverheardof,paradedonTValongwiththearphidsniffers
andotherdevicesthathadbeenintheirpockets.Theyannounced
thatthepeoplewere"namingnames,"compromisingthe"Xnet
network"andthatmorearrestswereexpectedsoon.Thename
"M1k3y"wasoftenheard.
Dadlovedthis.HeandIwatchedthenewstogether,him
gloating,meshrinkingaway,quietlyfreakingout."Youshould
seethestuffthey'regoingtouseonthesekids,"Dadsaid."I've
seenitinaction.They'llgetacoupleofthesekidsandcheckout
theirfriendslistsonIMandthespeeddialsontheirphones,look
fornamesthatcomeupoverandover,lookforpatterns,bringing
inmorekids.They'regoingtounravelthemlikeanoldsweater."

IcanceledAnge'sdinneratourplaceandstartedspendingeven
Thosewerethegoodheadlines.Everyonesentmethearticlesto
moretimethere.Ange'slittlesisterTinastartedtocallme"the
blog,butitwasthelastthingIwantedtodo.
houseguest,"asin"isthehouseguesteatingdinnerwithme
tonight?"IlikedTina.Allshecaredaboutwasgoingoutand
I'dblownit,somehow.Thepresshadcometomy
pressconferenceandconcludedthatwewereterroristsorterrorist partyingandmeetingguys,butshewasfunnyandutterlydevoted
toAnge.Onenightasweweredoingthedishes,shedriedher
dupes.TheworstwasthereporteronFoxNews,whohad
handsandsaid,conversationally,"Youknow,youseemlikea
apparentlyshownupanyway,andwhodevotedatenminute
commentarytous,talkingaboutour"criminaltreason."Herkiller niceguy,Marcus.Mysister'sjustcrazyaboutyouandIlikeyou
too.ButIhavetotellyousomething:ifyoubreakherheart,Iwill
line,repeatedoneverynewsoutletIfound,was:
trackyoudownandpullyourscrotumoveryourhead.It'snota
prettysight."
"Theysaytheydon'thaveaname.I'vegotoneforthem.Let's
callthesespoiledchildrenCalQuaeda.Theydotheterrorists'
IassuredherthatIwouldsoonerpullmyownscrotumovermy
workonthehomefront.Whennotif,butwhenCalifornia
headthanbreakAnge'sheartandshenodded."Solongaswe're
getsattackedagain,thesebratswillbeasmuchtoblameasthe
clearonthat."
HouseofSaud."

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/88
thoughtthathissecretidentitywasout?"
"Yoursisterisanut,"IsaidaswelayonAnge'sbedagain,
lookingatXnetblogs.Thatisprettymuchallwedid:foolaround
andreadXnet.
"Didsheusethescrotumlineonyou?Ihateitwhenshedoes
that.Shejustlovestheword'scrotum,'youknow.It'snothing
personal."
Ikissedher.Wereadsomemore.
"Listentothis,"shesaid."Policeprojectfourtosixhundred
arreststhisweekendinwhattheysaywillbethelargest
coordinatedraidonXnetdissidentstodate."
Ifeltlikethrowingup.
"We'vegottostopthis,"Isaid."Youknowtherearepeople
whoaredoingmorejammingtoshowthatthey'renot
intimidated?Isn'tthatjustcrazy?"

"Thatwasdifferent,"Isaid."Thisisn'taboutme.Youknowit
isn't.Whyareyoubeinglikethis?"
"Whyareyoulikethis?"shesaid."Whyaren'tyouwillingtobe
theguywhowasbraveenoughtogetallthisstarted?"
"Thisisn'tbrave,it'ssuicide."
"Cheapteenagemelodrama,M1k3y."
"Don'tcallmethat!"
"What,'M1k3y'?Whynot,M1k3y?"
Iputmyshoeson.Ipickedupmybag.Iwalkedhome.
#
> Why I'm not jamming

"Ithinkit'sbrave,"shesaid."Wecan'tletthemscareusinto
submission."
"What?No,Ange,no.Wecan'tlethundredsofpeoplegoto
jail.Youhaven'tbeenthere.Ihave.It'sworsethanyouthink.It's
worsethanyoucanimagine."
"Ihaveaprettyfertileimagination,"shesaid.
"Stopit,OK?Beseriousforasecond.Iwon'tdothis.Iwon't
sendthosepeopletojail.IfIdo,I'mtheguythatVanthinksI
am."
"Marcus,I'mbeingserious.Youthinkthatthesepeopledon't
knowtheycouldgotojail?Theybelieveinthecause.You
believeinittoo.Givethemthecredittoknowwhatthey're
gettinginto.It'snotuptoyoutodecidewhatriskstheycanor
can'ttake."
"It'smyresponsibilitybecauseifItellthemtostop,they'll
stop."
"Ithoughtyouweren'ttheleader?"
"I'mnot,ofcourseI'mnot.ButIcan'thelpitiftheylooktome
forguidance.Andsolongastheydo,Ihavearesponsibilityto
helpthemstaysafe.Youseethat,right?"
"AllIseeisyougettingreadytocutandrunatthefirstsignof
trouble.Ithinkyou'reafraidthey'regoingtofigureoutwhoyou
are.Ithinkyou'reafraidforyou."
"That'snotfair,"Isaid,sittingup,pullingawayfromher.
"Really?Who'stheguywhonearlyhadaheartattackwhenhe

> I won't tell anyone else what to do,

because I'm not anyone's leader, no
matter what Fox News thinks.
> But I am going to tell you what I
plan on doing. If you think that's the
right thing to do, maybe you'll do it
too.
> I'm not jamming. Not this week. Maybe
not next. It's not because I'm scared.
It's because I'm smart enough to know
that I'm better free than in prison.
They figured out how to stop our
tactic, so we need to come up with a
new tactic. I don't care what the
tactic is, but I want it to work. It's
stupid to get arrested. It's only
jamming if you get away with it.
> There's another reason not to jam. If
you get caught, they might use you to
catch your friends, and their friends,
and their friends. They might bust
your friends even if they're not on
Xnet, because the DHS is like a
maddened bull and they don't exactly
worry if they've got the right guy.
> I'm not telling you what to do.
> But the DHS is dumb and we're smart.
Jamming proves that they can't fight
terrorism because it proves that they
can't even stop a bunch of kids. If
you get caught, it makes them look

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/89
like they're smarter than us.
> THEY AREN'T SMARTER THAN US! We are
smarter than them. Let's be smart.
Let's figure out how to jam them, no
matter how many goons they put on the
streets of our city.
Ipostedit.Iwenttobed.
ImissedAnge.
#
AngeandIdidn'tspeakforthenextfourdays,includingthe
weekend,andthenitwastimetogobacktoschool.I'dalmost
calledheramilliontimes,writtenathousandunsentemailsand
IMs.
NowIwasbackinSocialStudiesclass,andMrsAndersen
greetedmewithvoluble,sarcasticcourtesy,askingmesweetly
howmy"holiday"hadbeen.Isatdownandmumblednothing.I
couldhearCharlessnicker.
ShetaughtusaclassonManifestDestiny,theideathatthe
Americansweredestinedtotakeoverthewholeworld(oratleast
that'showshemadeitseem)andseemedtobetryingtoprovoke
meintosayingsomethingsoshecouldthrowmeout.
Ifelttheeyesoftheclassonme,anditremindedmeofM1k3y
andthepeoplewholookeduptohim.Iwassickofbeinglooked
upto.ImissedAnge.
Igotthroughtherestofthedaywithoutanythingmakingany
kindofmarkonme.Idon'tthinkIsaideightwords.
FinallyitwasoverandIhitthedoors,headingforthegatesand
thestupidMissionandmypointlesshouse.
Iwasbarelyoutthegatewhensomeonecrashedintome.He
wasayounghomelessguy,maybemyage,maybealittleolder.
Heworealong,greasyovercoat,apairofbaggyjeans,and
rottingsneakersthatlookedlikethey'dbeenthrougha
woodchipper.Hislonghairhungoverhisface,andhehada
pubicbeardthatstraggleddownhisthroatintothecollarofa
nocolorknitsweater.
Itookthisallinaswelaynexttoeachotheronthesidewalk,
peoplepassingusandgivingusweirdlooks.Itseemedthathe'd
crashedintomewhilehurryingdownValencia,bentoverwith
theburdenofasplitbackpackthatlaybesidehimonthe
pavement,coveredintightgeometricdoodlesinmagicmarker.
Hegottohiskneesandrockedbackandforth,likehewas
drunkorhadhithishead.

"Sorrybuddy,"hesaid."Didn'tseeyou.Youhurt?"
Isatuptoo.Nothingfelthurt.
"Um.No,it'sOK."
Hestoodupandsmiled.Histeethwereshockinglywhiteand
straight,likeanadforanorthodonticclinic.Heheldhishandout
tomeandhisgripwasstrongandfirm.
"I'mreallysorry."Hisvoicewasalsoclearandintelligent.I'd
expectedhimtosoundlikethedrunkswhotalkedtothemselves
astheyroamedtheMissionlateatnight,buthesoundedlikea
knowledgeablebookstoreclerk.
"It'snoproblem,"Isaid.
Hestuckouthishandagain.
"Zeb,"hesaid.
"Marcus,"Isaid.
"Apleasure,Marcus,"hesaid."Hopetorunintoyouagain
sometime!"
Laughing,hepickeduphisbackpack,turnedonhisheeland
hurriedaway.
#
Iwalkedtherestofthewayhomeinabemusedfug.Momwas
atthekitchentableandwehadalittlechataboutnothingatall,
thewayweusedtodo,beforeeverythingchanged.
Itookthestairsuptomyroomandfloppeddowninmychair.
Foronce,Ididn'twanttologintotheXnet.I'dcheckedinthat
morningbeforeschooltodiscoverthatmynotehadcreateda
giganticcontroversyamongpeoplewhoagreedwithmeand
peoplewhowererighteouslypissedthatIwastellingthemto
backofffromtheirbelovedsport.
IhadthreethousandprojectsI'dbeeninthemiddleofwhenit
hadallstarted.Iwasbuildingapinholecameraoutoflegos,I'd
beenplayingwithaerialkitephotographyusinganolddigital
camerawithatriggerhackedoutofsillyputtythatwasstretched
outatlaunchandslowlysnappedbacktoitsoriginalshape,
triggeringtheshutteratregularintervals.Ihadavacuumtube
ampI'dbeenbuildingintoanancient,rusted,dentedoliveoiltin
thatlookedlikeanarchaeologicalfindonceitwasdone,I'd
plannedtobuildinadockformyphoneandasetof5.1
surroundsoundspeakersoutoftunafishcans.
Ilookedovermyworkbenchandfinallypickedupthepinhole
camera.Methodicallysnappinglegostogetherwasjustaboutmy
speed.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/90
them asking.
Itookoffmywatchandthechunkysilvertwofingerringthat
showedamonkeyandaninjasquaringofftofightanddropped
themintothelittleboxIusedforallthecrapIloadintomy
pocketsandaroundmyneckbeforesteppingoutfortheday:
phone,wallet,keys,wifinder,change,batteries,retractable
cables...Idumpeditalloutintothebox,andfoundmyself
holdingsomethingIdidn'trememberputtinginthereinthefirst
place.
Itwasapieceofpaper,greyandsoftasflannel,furryatthe
edgeswhereithadbeentornawayfromsomelargerpieceof
paper.Itwascoveredinthetiniest,mostcarefulhandwritingI'd
everseen.Iunfoldeditandhelditup.Thewritingcoveredboth
sides,runningdownfromthetopleftcornerofonesidetoa
crabbedsignatureatthebottomrightcorneroftheotherside.
Thesignatureread,simply:ZEB.
Ipickeditupandstartedtoread.
> Dear Marcus
> You don't know me but I know you. For
the past three months, since the Bay
Bridge was blown up, I have been
imprisoned on Treasure Island. I was
in the yard on the day you talked to
that Asian girl and got tackled. You
were brave. Good on you.
> I had a burst appendix the day
afterward and ended up in the
infirmary. In the next bed was a guy
named Darryl. We were both in recovery
for a long time and by the time we got
well, we were too much of an
embarrassment to them to let go.

> Darryl told me that they brought him

arphid cloners, Xboxes, all kinds of
technology and demanded that he tell
them who used them, where they learned
to mod them. Darryl told me about your
games and the things you learned.
> Especially: The DHS asked us about our
friends. Who did we know? What were
they like? Did they have political
feelings? Had they been in trouble at
school? With the law?
> We call the prison Gitmo-by-the-Bay.
It's been a week since I got out and I
don't think that anyone knows that
their sons and daughters are
imprisoned in the middle of the Bay.
At night we could hear people laughing
and partying on the mainland.
> I got out last week. I won't tell you
how, in case this falls into the wrong
hands. Maybe others will take my
route.
> Darryl told me how to find you and
made me promise to tell you what I
knew when I got back. Now that I've
done that I'm out of here like last
year. One way or another, I'm leaving
this country. Screw America.
> Stay strong. They're scared of you.
Kick them for me. Don't get caught.
> Zeb

> So they decided we must really be

guilty. They questioned us every day.
You've been through their questioning,
I know. Imagine it for months. Darryl
and I ended up cell-mates. We knew we
were bugged, so we only talked about
inconsequentialities. But at night,
when we were in our cots, we would
softly tap out messages to each other
in Morse code (I knew my HAM radio
days would come in useful sometime).

ThereweretearsinmyeyesasIfinishedthenote.Ihada
disposablelightersomewhereonmydeskthatIsometimesused
tomelttheinsulationoffofwires,andIdugitoutandhelditto
thenote.IknewIowedittoZebtodestroyitandmakesureno
oneelseeversawit,incaseitmightleadthembacktohim,
whereverhewasgoing.

> At first, their questions to us were

just the same crap as ever, who did
it, how'd they do it. But after a
little while, they switched to asking
us about the Xnet. Of course, we'd
never heard of it. That didn't stop

WithallthecrapwiththeXnetandAngeandtheDHS,I'd
almostforgottenheexisted.He'dbecomeaghost,likeanold
friendwho'dmovedawayorgoneonanexchangeprogram.All
thattime,they'dbeenquestioninghim,demandingthatheratme
out,explaintheXnet,thejammers.He'dbeenonTreasureIsland,
theabandonedmilitarybasethatwashalfwayalongthe

Iheldtheflameandthenote,butIcouldn'tdoit.
Darryl.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/91
demolishedspanoftheBayBridge.He'dbeensocloseIcould
haveswamtohim.

downallthetimetohearincrediblewritersspeak(William
Gibsonwasunforgettable).Theyalsoproducelittle
baseballcardstyletradingcardsforeachauthorIhavetwo
frommyownappearancesthere.

Iputthelighterdownandrereadthenote.Bythetimeitwas
done,Iwasweeping,sobbing.Itallcamebacktome,thelady
withtheseverehaircutandthequestionsshe'daskedandthereek
Booksmithhttp://thebooksmith.booksense.com1644HaightSt.
ofpissandthestiffnessofmypantsastheurinedriedtheminto
SanFranciscoCA94117USA+14158638688
coarsecanvas.
"Marcus?"
Mydoorwasajarandmymotherwasstandinginit,watching
mewithaworriedlook.Howlonghadshebeenthere?
Iarmedthetearsawayfrommyfaceandsnortedupthesnot.
"Mom,"Isaid."Hi."
Shecameintomyroomandhuggedme."Whatisit?Doyou
needtotalk?"
Thenotelayonthetable.
"Isthatfromyourgirlfriend?Iseverythingallright?"
She'dgivenmeanout.Icouldjustblameitallonproblems
withAngeandshe'dleavemyroomandleavemealone.Iopened
mymouthtodojustthat,andthenthiscameout:
"Iwasinjail.Afterthebridgeblew.Iwasinjailforthatwhole
time."
Thesobsthatcamethendidn'tsoundlikemyvoice.They
soundedlikeananimalnoise,maybeadonkeyorsomekindof
bigcatnoiseinthenight.Isobbedsomythroatburnedandached
withit,somychestheaved.
Momtookmeinherarms,thewaysheusedtowhenIwasa
littleboy,andshestrokedmyhair,andshemurmuredinmyear,
androckedme,andgradually,slowly,thesobsdissipated.
ItookadeepbreathandMomgotmeaglassofwater.Isaton
theedgeofmybedandshesatinmydeskchairandItoldher
everything.
Everything.
Well,mostofit.
Chapter16

AtfirstMomlookedshocked,thenoutraged,andfinallyshegave
upaltogetherandjustletherjawhangopenasItookherthrough
theinterrogation,pissingmyself,thebagovermyhead,Darryl.I
showedherthenote.
"Why?"
Inthatsinglesyllable,everyrecriminationI'ddealtmyselfin
thenight,everymomentthatI'dlackedthebraverytotellthe
worldwhatitwasreallyabout,whyIwasreallyfighting,what
hadreallyinspiredtheXnet.
Isuckedinabreath.
"TheytoldmeI'dgotojailifItalkedaboutit.Notjustfora
fewdays.Forever.IwasIwasscared."
Momsatwithmeforalongtime,notsayinganything.Then,
"WhataboutDarryl'sfather?"
Shemightaswellhavestuckaknittingneedleinmychest.
Darryl'sfather.HemusthaveassumedthatDarrylwasdead,long
dead.
Andwasn'the?AftertheDHShasheldyouillegallyforthree
months,wouldtheyeverletyougo?
ButZebgotout.MaybeDarrylwouldgetout.Maybemeand
theXnetcouldhelpgetDarrylout.
"Ihaven'ttoldhim,"Isaid.
NowMomwascrying.Shedidn'tcryeasily.ItwasaBritish
thing.Itmadeherlittlehiccoughingsobsmuchworsetohear.
"Youwilltellhim,"shemanaged."Youwill."
"Iwill."
"Butfirstwehavetotellyourfather."

#
ThischapterisdedicatedtoSanFrancisco'sBooksmith,
ensconcedinthestoriedHaightAshburyneighborhood,justa
Dadnolongerhadanyregulartimewhenhecamehome.
fewdoorsdownfromtheBenandJerry'sattheexactcornerof
Betweenhisconsultingclientswhohadlotsofworknowthat
HaightandAshbury.TheBooksmithfolksreallyknowhowtorun
theDHSwasshoppingfordataminingstartupsonthepeninsula
anauthoreventwhenIlivedinSanFrancisco,Iusedtogo

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/92
andthelongcommutetoBerkeley,hemightgethomeanytime
between6PMandmidnight.
TonightMomcalledhimandtoldhimhewascominghome
rightnow.Hesaidsomethingandshejustrepeatedit:rightnow.
Whenhegotthere,wehadarrangedourselvesintheliving
roomwiththenotebetweenusonthecoffeetable.
Itwaseasiertotell,thesecondtime.Thesecretwasgetting
lighter.Ididn'tembellish,Ididn'thideanything.Icameclean.
I'dheardofcomingcleanbeforebutI'dneverunderstoodwhat
itmeantuntilIdidit.Holdinginthesecrethaddirtiedme,soiled
myspirit.Ithadmademeafraidandashamed.Ithadmademe
intoallthethingsthatAngesaidIwas.
Dadsatstiffasaramrodthewholetime,hisfacecarvedof
stone.WhenIhandedhimthenote,hereadittwiceandthensetit
downcarefully.
Heshookhisheadandstoodupandheadedforthefrontdoor.
"Whereareyougoing?"Momasked,alarmed.
"Ineedawalk,"wasallhemanagedtogasp,hisvoice
breaking.

"Wherearewegoing?"
"ToseeDarryl'sfather.Thenwe'regoingtoBarbaraStratford's
place."
#
IknewthenameBarbaraStratfordfromsomewhere,butI
couldn'trememberwhere.Ithoughtthatmaybeshewasanold
friendofmyparents,butIcouldn'texactlyplaceher.
Meantime,IwasheadedforDarryl'sfather'splace.I'dnever
reallyfeltcomfortablearoundtheoldman,who'dbeenaNavy
radiooperatorandranhishouseholdlikeatightship.He'dtaught
DarrylMorsecodewhenhewasakid,whichI'dalwaysthought
wascool.ItwasoneofthewaysIknewthatIcouldtrustZeb's
letter.ButforeverycoolthinglikeMorsecode,Darryl'sfather
hadsomecrazymilitarydisciplinethatseemedtobeforitsown
sake,likeinsistingonhospitalcornersonthebedsandshaving
twiceaday.ItdroveDarrylupthewall.
Darryl'smotherhadn'tlikeditmucheither,andhadtakenoff
backtoherfamilyinMinnesotawhenDarrylwastenDarryl
spenthissummersandChristmasesthere.
Iwassittinginthebackofthecar,andIcouldseethebackof
Dad'sheadashedrove.Themusclesinhisneckweretenseand
keptjumpingaroundashegroundhisjaws.

Westaredawkwardlyateachother,Momandme,andwaited
forhimtocomehome.Itriedtoimaginewhatwasgoingonin
Momkeptherhandonhisarm,butnoonewasaroundto
hishead.He'dbeensuchadifferentmanafterthebombingsandI
knewfromMomthatwhathadchangedhimwerethedaysof
comfortme.IfonlyIcouldcallAnge.OrJolu.OrVan.MaybeI
wouldwhenthedaywasdone.
thinkingIwasdead.He'dcometobelievethattheterroristshad
nearlykilledhissonandithadmadehimcrazy.
"Hemusthaveburiedhissoninhismind,"Dadsaid,aswe
CrazyenoughtodowhatevertheDHSasked,tolineuplikea
whippedupthroughthehairpincurvesleadingupTwinPeaksto
thelittlecottagethatDarrylandhisfathershared.Thefogwason
goodlittlesheepandletthemcontrolhim,drivehim.
TwinPeaks,thewayitoftenwasatnightinSanFrancisco,
NowheknewthatitwastheDHSthathadimprisonedme,the makingtheheadlampsreflectbackonus.Eachtimeweswung
DHSthathadtakenSanFrancisco'schildrenhostagein
aroundacorner,Isawthevalleysofthecitylaidoutbelowus,
GitmobytheBay.Itmadeperfectsense,nowthatIthoughtofit. bowlsoftwinklinglightsthatshiftedinthemist.
OfcourseithadbeenTreasureIslandwhereI'dbeenkept.Where
"Isthistheone?"
elsewasatenminuteboatridefromSanFrancisco?
WhenDadcameback,helookedangrierthanheeverhadinhis
life.
"Youshouldhavetoldme!"heroared.
Mominterposedherselfbetweenhimandme."You'reblaming
thewrongperson,"shesaid."Itwasn'tMarcuswhodidthe
kidnappingandtheintimidation."
Heshookhisheadandstamped."I'mnotblamingMarcus.I
knowexactlywho'stoblame.Me.MeandthestupidDHS.Get
yourshoeson,grabyourcoats."

"Yes,"Isaid."Thisisit."Ihadn'tbeentoDarryl'sinmonths,
butI'dspentenoughtimehereovertheyearstorecognizeitright
off.
Thethreeofusstoodaroundthecarforalongmoment,waiting
toseewhowouldgoandringthedoorbell.Tomysurprise,itwas
me.
Irangitandweallwaitedinheldbreathsilenceforaminute.I
rangitagain.Darryl'sfather'scarwasinthedriveway,andwe'd
seenalightburninginthelivingroom.Iwasabouttoringathird
timewhenthedooropened.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/93

"Marcus?"Darryl'sfatherwasn'tanythinglikeIremembered
him.Unshaven,inahousecoatandbarefeet,withlongtoenails
andredeyes.He'dgainedweight,andasoftextrachinwobbled
beneaththefirmmilitaryjaw.Histhinhairwaswispyand
disordered.
"MrGlover,"Isaid.Myparentscrowdedintothedoorbehind
me.
"Hello,Ron,"mymothersaid.
"Ron,"myfathersaid.

"He's"
"Darrylisalive,"Isaid."Darrylisaliveandbeingheldprisoner
onTreasureIsland."
Hestuffedhisfistinhismouthandmadeahorriblegroaning
sound.
"Wehaveafriend,"myfathersaid."ShewritesfortheBay
Guardian.Aninvestigativereporter."
That'swhereIknewthenamefrom.ThefreeweeklyGuardian
oftenlostitsreporterstobiggerdailypapersandtheInternet,but
BarbaraStratfordhadbeenthereforever.Ihadadimmemoryof
havingdinnerwithherwhenIwasakid.

"Youtoo?What'sgoingon?"
"Canwecomein?"
#
Hislivingroomlookedlikeoneofthosenewssegmentsthey
showaboutabandonedkidswhospendamonthlockedinbefore
they'rerescuedbytheneighbors:frozenmealboxes,emptybeer
cansandjuicebottles,moldycerealbowlsandpilesof
newspapers.Therewasareekofcatpissandlittercrunched
underneathourfeet.Evenwithoutthecatpiss,thesmellwas
incredible,likeabusstationtoilet.
Thecouchwasmadeupwithagrimysheetandacoupleof
greasypillowsandthecushionshadadented,muchsleptupon
look.

"We'regoingtherenow,"mymothersaid."Willyoucomewith
us,Ron?WillyoutellherDarryl'sstory?"
Heputhisfaceinhishandsandbreatheddeeply.Dadtriedto
puthishandonhisshoulders,butMrGlovershookitoff
violently.
"Ineedtocleanmyselfup,"hesaid."Givemeaminute."
MrGlovercamebackdownstairsachangedman.He'dshaved
andgelledhishairback,andhadputonacrispmilitarydress
uniformwitharowofcampaignribbonsonthebreast.He
stoppedatthefootofthestairsandkindofgesturedatit.

"Idon'thavemuchcleanstuffthat'spresentableatthemoment.
Weallstoodthereforalongsilentmoment,embarrassment
Andthisseemedappropriate.Youknow,ifshewantedtotake
overwhelmingeveryotheremotion.Darryl'sfatherlookedlikehe pictures."
wantedtodie.
HeandDadrodeupfrontandIgotintheback,behindhim.Up
Slowly,hemovedasidethesheetsfromthesofaandclearedthe close,hesmelledalittleofbeer,likeitwascomingthroughhis
stacked,greasyfoodtraysoffofacoupleofthechairs,carrying
pores.
themintothekitchen,and,fromthesoundofit,tossingthemon
thefloor.
#
Wesatgingerlyintheplaceshe'dcleared,andthenhecame
backandsatdowntoo.
"I'msorry,"hesaidvaguely."Idon'treallyhaveanycoffeeto
offeryou.I'mhavingmoregroceriesdeliveredtomorrowsoI'm
runninglow"
"Ron,"myfathersaid."Listentous.Wehavesomethingtotell
you,andit'snotgoingtobeeasytohear."
HesatlikeastatueasItalked.Heglanceddownatthenote,
readitwithoutseemingtounderstandit,thenreaditagain.He
handeditbacktome.
Hewastrembling.

ItwasmidnightbythetimewerolledintoBarbaraStratford's
driveway.Shelivedoutoftown,downinMountainView,andas
wespeddownthe101,noneofussaidaword.Thehightech
buildingsalongsidethehighwaystreamedpastus.
ThiswasadifferentBayAreatotheoneIlivedin,morelike
thesuburbanAmericaIsometimessawonTV.Lotsoffreeways
andsubdivisionsofidenticalhouses,townswherethereweren't
anyhomelesspeoplepushingshoppingcartsdownthesidewalk
thereweren'tevensidewalks!
MomhadphonedBarbaraStratfordwhilewewerewaitingfor
MrGlovertocomedownstairs.Thejournalisthadbeensleeping,
butMomhadbeensowoundupsheforgottobeallBritishand
embarrassedaboutwakingherup.Instead,shejusttoldher,

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/94
tensely,thatshehadsomethingtotalkaboutandthatithadtobe
inperson.
WhenwerolleduptoBarbaraStratford'shouse,myfirst
thoughtwasoftheBradyBunchplacealowranchhousewitha
brickbaffleinfrontofitandaneat,perfectlysquarelawn.There
wasakindofabstracttilepatternonthebaffle,andan
oldfashionedUHFTVantennarisingfrombehindit.We
wanderedaroundtotheentranceandsawthattherewerelightson
insidealready.

aboutyournewvideogames,whichyoushowedme."
Ididn'trememberitatall,butthatsoundedlikewhatI'dbeen
intoatseven.IguesseditwasmySegaDreamcast.
Sheproducedataperecorderandayellowpadandapen,and
twirledthepen."I'mheretolistentowhateveryoutellme,andI
canpromiseyouthatI'lltakeitallinconfidence.ButIcan't
promisethatI'lldoanythingwithit,orthatit'sgoingtoget
published."ThewayshesaiditmademerealizethatmyMom
hadcalledinaprettybigfavorgettingthisladyoutofbed,friend
ornofriend.Itmustbekindofapainintheasstobeabigshot
investigativereporter.Therewereprobablyamillionpeoplewho
wouldhavelikedhertotakeuptheircause.

Thewriteropenedthedoorbeforewehadachancetoringthe
bell.Shewasaboutmyparents'age,atallthinwomanwitha
hawklikenoseandshrewdeyeswithalotoflaughlines.She
waswearingapairofjeansthatwerehipenoughtobeseenatone
oftheboutiquesonValenciaStreet,andalooseIndiancotton
Momnoddedatme.EventhoughI'dtoldthestorythreetimes
blousethathungdowntoherthighs.Shehadsmallroundglasses thatnight,Ifoundmyselftonguetied.Thiswasdifferentfrom
thatflashedinherhallwaylight.
tellingmyparents.DifferentfromtellingDarryl'sfather.This
thiswouldstartanewmoveinthegame.
Shesmiledatightlittlesmileatus.
Istartedslowly,andwatchedBarbaratakenotes.Idranka
"Youbroughtthewholeclan,Isee,"shesaid.
wholecupofcoffeejustexplainingwhatARGingwasandhowI
gotoutofschooltoplay.MomandDadandMrGloverall
Momnodded."You'llunderstandwhyinaminute,"shesaid.
listenedintentlytothispart.Ipouredmyselfanothercupand
MrGloversteppedfrombehindDad.
drankitonthewaytoexplaininghowweweretakenin.Bythe
timeI'drunthroughthewholestory,I'ddrainedthepotandI
"AndyoucalledintheNavy?"
neededapisslikearacehorse.
"Allingoodtime."
Wewereintroducedoneatatimetoher.Shehadafirm
handshakeandlongfingers.
HerplacewasfurnishedinJapaneseminimaliststyle,justafew
preciselyproportioned,lowpiecesoffurniture,largeclaypotsof
bamboothatbrushedtheceiling,andwhatlookedlikealarge,
rustedpieceofadieselengineperchedontopofapolished
marbleplinth.IdecidedIlikedit.Thefloorswereoldwood,
sandedandstained,butnotfilled,soyoucouldseecracksand
pitsunderneaththevarnish.Ireallylikedthat,especiallyasI
walkedoveritinmystockingfeet.
"Ihavecoffeeon,"shesaid."Whowantssome?"
Weallputupourhands.Iglareddefiantlyatmyparents.
"Right,"shesaid.
Shedisappearedintoanotherroomandcamebackamoment
laterbearingaroughbambootraywithahalfgallonthermosjug
andsixcupsofprecisedesignbutwithrough,sloppydecorations.
Ilikedthosetoo.
"Now,"shesaid,onceshe'dpouredandserved."It'sverygood
toseeyouallagain.Marcus,IthinkthelasttimeIsawyou,you
weremaybesevenyearsold.AsIrecall,youwereveryexcited

Herbathroomwasjustasstarkasthelivingroom,witha
brown,organicsoapthatsmelledlikecleanmud.Icamebackin
andfoundtheadultsquietlywatchingme.
MrGlovertoldhisstorynext.Hedidn'thaveanythingtosay
aboutwhathadhappened,butheexplainedthathewasaveteran
andthathissonwasagoodkid.Hetalkedaboutwhatitfeltlike
tobelievethathissonhaddied,abouthowhisexwifehadhada
collapsewhenshefoundoutandendedupinahospital.Hecried
alittle,unashamed,thetearsstreamingdownhislinedfaceand
darkeningthecollarofhisdressuniform.
Whenitwasalldone,Barbarawentintoadifferentroomand
camebackwithabottleofIrishwhiskey."It'saBushmills15
yearoldrumcaskagedblend,"shesaid,settingdownfoursmall
cups.Noneforme."Ithasn'tbeensoldintenyears.Ithinkthisis
probablyanappropriatetimetobreakitout."
Shepouredthemeachasmallglassoftheliquor,thenraised
hersandsippedatit,draininghalftheglass.Therestoftheadults
followedsuit.Theydrankagain,andfinishedtheglasses.She
pouredthemnewshots.
"Allright,"shesaid."Here'swhatIcantellyourightnow.I
believeyou.NotjustbecauseIknowyou,Lillian.Thestory
soundsright,andittiesinwithotherrumorsI'veheard.ButI'm
notgoingtobeabletojusttakeyourwordforit.I'mgoingto
havetoinvestigateeveryaspectofthis,andeveryelementofyour

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/95
livesandstories.Ineedtoknowifthere'sanythingyou'renot
tellingme,anythingthatcouldbeusedtodiscredityouafterthis
comestolight.Ineedeverything.ItcouldtakeweeksbeforeI'm
readytopublish.

"Yourparentsdon'tknow."
"Nope.AndIdon'tknowifIwantthemto."

"YoualsoneedtothinkaboutyoursafetyandthisDarryl's
safety.Ifhe'sreallyan'unperson'thenbringingpressuretobear
ontheDHScouldcausethemtomovehimsomewheremuch
furtheraway.ThinkSyria.Theycouldalsodosomethingmuch
worse."Sheletthathangintheair.Iknewshemeantthatthey
mightkillhim.

"That'ssomethingyou'regoingtohavetoworkout.Ineedto
thinkaboutthis.Canyoucomebymyoffice?I'dliketotalkto
youaboutwhatthismeans,exactly."

"I'mgoingtotakethisletterandscanitnow.Iwantpicturesof
thetwoofyou,nowandlaterwecansendoutaphotographer,
butIwanttodocumentthisasthoroughlyasIcantonight,too."

"Yes,I'msurethatcanbearranged.Whenyoucomeby,tellthe
receptionistthatyou'reMrBrown,toseeme.Theyknowwhat
thatmeans.Nonotewillbetakenofyoucoming,andallthe
securitycamerafootageforthedaywillbeautomatically
scrubbedandthecamerasdeactivateduntilyouleave."

Iwentwithherintoherofficetodothescan.I'dexpecteda
stylish,lowpoweredcomputerthatfitinwithherdecor,but
instead,hersparebedroom/officewascrammedwith
topofthelinePCs,bigflatpanelmonitors,andascannerbig
enoughtolayawholesheetofnewsprinton.Shewasfastwithit
all,too.Inotedwithsomeapprovalthatshewasrunning
ParanoidLinux.Thisladytookherjobseriously.
Thecomputers'fanssetupaneffectivewhitenoiseshield,but
evenso,Iclosedthedoorandmovedinclosetoher.
"Um,Barbara?"
"Yes?"
"Aboutwhatyousaid,aboutwhatmightbeusedtodiscredit
me?"
"Yes?"
"WhatItellyou,youcan'tbeforcedtotellanyoneelse,right?"
"Intheory.Letmeputitthisway.I'vegonetojailtwicerather
thanratoutasource."
"OK,OK.Good.Wow.Jail.Wow.OK."Itookadeepbreath.
"You'veheardofXnet?OfM1k3y?"
"Yes?"
"I'mM1k3y."
"Oh,"shesaid.Sheworkedthescannerandflippedthenote
overtogetthereverse.Shewasscanningatsomeunbelievable
resolution,10,000dotsperinchorhigher,andonscreenitwas
liketheoutputofanelectrontunnelingmicroscope.
"Well,thatdoesputadifferentcomplexiononthis."
"Yeah,"Isaid."Iguessitdoes."

"DoyouhaveanXboxUniversal?Icouldbringoveran
installer."

"Wow,"Isaid."YouthinklikeIdo."
Shesmiledandsockedmeintheshoulder."Kiddo,I'vebeenat
thisgameforahellofalongtime.Sofar,I'vemanagedtospend
moretimefreethanbehindbars.Paranoiaismyfriend."
#
Iwaslikeazombiethenextdayinschool.I'dtotaledabout
threehoursofsleep,andeventhreecupsoftheTurk'scaffeine
mudfailedtojumpstartmybrain.Theproblemwithcaffeineis
thatit'stooeasytogetacclimatedtoit,soyouhavetotakehigher
andhigherdosesjusttogetabovenormal.
I'dspentthenightthinkingoverwhatIhadtodo.Itwaslike
runningthroughamazeoftwistylittlepassages,allalike,every
oneleadingtothesamedeadend.WhenIwenttoBarbara,it
wouldbeoverforme.Thatwastheoutcome,nomatterhowI
thoughtaboutit.
Bythetimetheschooldaywasover,allIwantedwastogo
homeandcrawlintobed.ButIhadanappointmentattheBay
Guardian,downonthewaterfront.IkeptmyeyesonmyfeetasI
wobbledoutthegate,andasIturnedinto24thStreet,anotherpair
offeetfellintostepwithme.Irecognizedtheshoesandstopped.
"Ange?"
ShelookedlikeIfelt.Sleepdeprivedandraccooneyed,with
sadbracketsinthecornersofhermouth.
"Hithere,"shesaid."Surprise.IgavemyselfFrenchLeave
fromschool.Icouldn'tconcentrateanyway."
"Um,"Isaid.
"Shutupandgivemeahug,youidiot."

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/96
Idid.Itfeltgood.Betterthangood.ItfeltlikeI'damputated
partofmyselfandithadbeenreattached.
"Iloveyou,MarcusYallow."
"Iloveyou,AngelaCarvelli."
"OK,"shesaidbreakingitoff."Ilikedyourpostaboutwhy
you'renotjamming.Icanrespectit.Whathaveyoudoneabout
findingawaytojamthemwithoutgettingcaught?"
"I'monmywaytomeetaninvestigativejournalistwho'sgoing
topublishastoryabouthowIgotsenttojail,howIstartedXnet,
andhowDarrylisbeingillegallyheldbytheDHSatasecret
prisononTreasureIsland."
"Oh."Shelookedaroundforamoment."Couldn'tyouthinkof
anything,youknow,ambitious?"
"Wanttocome?"
"Iamcoming,yes.AndIwouldlikeyoutoexplainthisin
detailifyoudon'tmind."
Afteralltheretellings,thisone,toldaswewalkedtoPotrero
Avenueanddownto15thStreet,wastheeasiest.Sheheldmy
handandsqueezeditoften.
WetookthestairsuptotheBayGuardian'sofficestwoata
time.Myheartwaspounding.Igottothereceptiondeskandtold
theboredgirlbehindit,"I'mheretoseeBarbaraStratford.My
nameisMrGreen."
"IthinkyoumeanMrBrown?"
"Yeah,"Isaid,andblushed."MrBrown."

Sheelbowedmelightly.
"Let'sgothen,"Barbarasaid,andledusbacktoaboardroom
withlongglasswallswiththeirblindsdrawnshut.Shesetdowna
trayofWholeFoodsorganicOreoclones,adigitalrecorder,and
anotheryellowpad.
"Doyouwanttorecordthistoo?"sheasked.
Hadn'tactuallythoughtofthat.Icouldseewhyitwouldbe
usefulifIwantedtodisputewhatBarbaraprinted,though.Still,if
Icouldn'ttrusthertodorightbyme,Iwasdoomedanyway.
"No,that'sOK,"Isaid.
"Right,let'sgo.Younglady,mynameisBarbaraStratfordand
I'maninvestigativereporter.IgatheryouknowwhyI'mhere,and
I'mcurioustoknowwhyyou'rehere."
"IworkwithMarcusontheXnet,"shesaid."Doyouneedto
knowmyname?"
"Notrightnow,Idon't,"Barbarasaid."Youcanbeanonymous
ifyou'dlike.Marcus,IaskedyoutotellmethisstorybecauseI
needtoknowhowitplayswiththestoryyoutoldmeaboutyour
friendDarrylandthenoteyoushowedme.Icanseehowitwould
beagoodadjunct;IcouldpitchthisastheoriginoftheXnet.
'Theymadeanenemythey'llneverforget,'thatsortofthing.But
tobehonest,I'drathernothavetotellthatstoryifIdon'thaveto.
"I'dratherhaveanicecleantaleaboutthesecretprisononour
doorstep,withouthavingtoargueaboutwhethertheprisoners
therearethesortofpeoplelikelytowalkoutthedoorsand
establishanundergroundmovementbentondestabilizingthe
federalgovernment.I'msureyoucanunderstandthat."

Shedidsomethingathercomputer,thensaid,"Haveaseat.
Barbarawillbeoutinaminute.CanIgetyouanything?"

Idid.IftheXnetwaspartofthestory,somepeoplewouldsay,
see,theyneedtoputguyslikethatinjailorthey'llstartariot.

"Coffee,"webothsaidinunison.AnotherreasontoloveAnge:
wewereaddictedtothesamedrug.

"Thisisyourshow,"Isaid."Ithinkyouneedtotelltheworld
aboutDarryl.Whenyoudothat,it'sgoingtotelltheDHSthat
I'vegonepublicandthey'regoingtogoafterme.Maybethey'll
figureoutthenthatI'minvolvedwiththeXnet.Maybethey'll
connectmetoM1k3y.IguesswhatI'msayingis,onceyou
publishaboutDarryl,it'salloverformenomatterwhat.I've
mademypeacewiththat."

Thereceptionistaprettylatinawomanonlyafewyearsolder
thanus,dressedinGapstylessooldtheywereactuallykindof
hipsterretronoddedandsteppedoutandcamebackwitha
coupleofcupsbearingthenewspaper'smasthead.
Wesippedinsilence,watchingvisitorsandreporterscomeand
go.Finally,Barbaracametogetus.Shewaswearingpractically
thesamethingasthenightbefore.Itsuitedher.Shequirkedan
eyebrowatmewhenshesawthatI'dbroughtadate.
"Hello,"Isaid."Um,thisis"
"MsBrown,"Angesaid,extendingahand.Oh,yeah,right,our
identitiesweresupposedtobeasecret."IworkwithMrGreen."

"Asgoodbehangedforasheepasalamb,"shesaid."Right.
Well,that'ssettled.Iwantthetwoofyoutotellmeeverything
youcanaboutthefoundingandoperationoftheXnet,andthenI
wantademonstration.Whatdoyouuseitfor?Whoelseusesit?
Howdiditspread?Whowrotethesoftware?Everything."
"This'lltakeawhile,"Angesaid.
"I'vegotawhile,"Barbarasaid.Shedranksomecoffeeandate

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/97
afakeOreo."ThiscouldbethemostimportantstoryoftheWar
onTerror.Thiscouldbethestorythattopplesthegovernment.
Whenyouhaveastorylikethis,youtakeitverycarefully."
Chapter17

Courtruledthatcodewasaformofexpressionprotectedunder
theFirstAmendment"Congressshallmakenolawabridging
thefreedomofspeech."Ifyou'veeverboughtsomethingonthe
Internet,orsentasecretmessage,orcheckedyourbankbalance,
youusedcryptothatEFFlegalized.Goodthing,too:theNSAjust
isn'tthatsmart.Anythingtheyknowhowtocrack,youcanbe
surethatterroristsandmobsterscangetaroundtoo.

ThischapterisdedicatedtoWaterstone's,thenationalUK
Barbarahadbeenoneofthereporterswho'dmadeher
booksellingchain.Waterstone'sisachainofstores,buteachone
hasthefeelofagreatindependentstore,withtonsofpersonality, reputationfromcoveringtheissue.She'dcutherteethcovering
thetailendofthecivilrightsmovementinSanFrancisco,andshe
greatstock(especiallyaudiobooks!),andknowledgeablestaff.
recognizedthesimilaritybetweenthefightfortheConstitutionin
therealworldandthefightincyberspace.
Waterstoneshttp://www.waterstones.com
Soshegotit.Idon'tthinkIcouldhaveexplainedthisstuffto
myparents,butwithBarbaraitwaseasy.Sheaskedsmart
questionsaboutourcryptographicprotocolsandsecurity
Sowetoldher.Ifounditreallyfun,actually.Teachingpeople
procedures,sometimesaskingstuffIdidn'tknowtheanswerto
howtousetechnologyisalwaysexciting.It'ssocooltowatch
peoplefigureouthowthetechnologyaroundthemcanbeusedto sometimespointingoutpotentialbreaksinourprocedure.
maketheirlivesbetter.Angewasgreattoowemadean
WepluggedintheXboxandgotitonline.Therewerefour
excellentteam.We'dtradeoffexplaininghowitallworked.
openWiFinodesvisiblefromtheboardroomandItolditto
Barbarawasprettygoodatthisstufftobeginwith,ofcourse.
changebetweenthematrandomintervals.Shegotthistooonce
youwereactuallypluggedintotheXnet,itwasjustlikebeingon
Itturnedoutthatshe'dcoveredthecryptowars,theperiodin
theInternet,onlysomestuffwasalittleslower,anditwasall
theearlyninetieswhencivillibertiesgroupsliketheElectronic
anonymousandunsniffable.
FrontierFoundationfoughtfortherightofAmericanstouse
strongcrypto.Idimlyknewaboutthatperiod,butBarbara
"Sonowwhat?"Isaidaswewounddown.I'dtalkedmyselfdry
explaineditinawaythatmademegetgoosepimples.
andIhadaterribleacidfeelingfromthecoffee.Besides,Ange
keptsqueezingmyhandunderthetableinawaythatmademe
It'sunbelievabletoday,buttherewasatimewhenthe
wanttobreakawayandfindsomewhereprivatetofinishmaking
governmentclassedcryptoasamunitionandmadeitillegalfor
anyonetoexportoruseitonnationalsecuritygrounds.Getthat? upforourfirstfight.
Weusedtohaveillegalmathinthiscountry.
"NowIdojournalism.YougoawayandIresearchallthe
thingsyou'vetoldmeandtrytoconfirmthemtotheextentthatI
TheNationalSecurityAgencyweretherealmoversbehindthe
ban.Theyhadacryptostandardthattheysaidwasstrongenough can.I'llletyouseewhatI'mgoingtopublishandI'llletyouknow
whenit'sgoingtogolive.I'dpreferthatyounottalkaboutthis
forbankersandtheircustomerstouse,butnotsostrongthatthe
withanyoneelsenow,becauseIwantthescoopandbecauseI
mafiawouldbeabletokeepitsbookssecretfromthem.The
wanttomakesurethatIgetthestorybeforeitgoesallmuddy
standard,DES56,wassaidtobepracticallyunbreakable.Then
frompressspeculationandDHSspin.
oneofEFF'smillionairecofoundersbuilta$250,000DES56
crackerthatcouldbreakthecipherintwohours.
"IwillhavetocalltheDHSforcommentbeforeIgotopress,
butI'lldothatinawaythatprotectsyoutowhateverextent
StilltheNSAarguedthatitshouldbeabletokeepAmerican
possible.I'llalsobesuretoletyouknowbeforethathappens.
citizensfrompossessingsecretsitcouldn'tpryinto.ThenEFF
dealtitsdeathblow.In1995,theyrepresentedaBerkeley
"OnethingIneedtobeclearon:thisisn'tyourstoryanymore.
mathematicsgradstudentcalledDanBernsteinincourt.
It'smine.YouwereverygeneroustogiveittomeandI'lltryto
Bernsteinhadwrittenacryptotutorialthatcontainedcomputer
repaythegift,butyoudon'tgettherighttoeditanythingout,to
codethatcouldbeusedtomakeacipherstrongerthanDES56.
Millionsoftimesstronger.AsfarastheNSAwasconcerned,that changeit,ortostopme.Thisisnowinmotionanditwon'tstop.
Doyouunderstandthat?"
madehisarticleintoaweapon,andthereforeunpublishable.
Well,itmaybehardtogetajudgetounderstandcryptoand
whatitmeans,butitturnedoutthattheaverageAppealsCourt
judgeisn'trealenthusiasticabouttellinggradstudentswhatkind
ofarticlesthey'reallowedtowrite.Thecryptowarsendedwitha
victoryforthegoodguyswhenthe9thCircuitAppellateDivision

Ihadn'tthoughtaboutitinthosetermsbutonceshesaidit,it
wasobvious.ItmeantthatIhadlaunchedandIwouldn'tbeable
torecalltherocket.Itwasgoingtofallwhereitwasaimed,orit
wouldgooffcourse,butitwasintheairandcouldn'tbechanged
now.Sometimeinthenearfuture,IwouldstopbeingMarcusI

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/98
wouldbeapublicfigure.I'dbetheguywhoblewthewhistleon
theDHS.
I'dbeadeadmanwalking.

Shebrokeawayandreachedforthebedstand.Sheyankedopen
thedrawerandthrewawhitepharmacybagonthebedbeforeme.
Ilookedinside.Condoms.Trojans.Onedozenspermicidal.Still
sealed.IsmiledatherandshesmiledbackandIopenedthebox.

IguessAngewasthinkingalongthesamelines,becauseshe'd
goneacolorbetweenwhiteandgreen.
"Let'sgetoutofhere,"shesaid.
#
Ange'smomandsisterwereoutagain,whichmadeiteasyto
decidewhereweweregoingfortheevening.Itwaspastsupper
time,butmyparentshadknownthatIwasmeetingwithBarbara
andwouldn'tgivemeanygriefifIcamehomelate.
WhenwegottoAnge's,IhadnourgetopluginmyXbox.I
hadhadalltheXnetIcouldhandleforoneday.AllIcouldthink
aboutwasAnge,Ange,Ange.LivingwithoutAnge.Knowing
Angewasangrywithme.Angenevergoingtotalktomeagain.
Angenevergoingtokissmeagain.
She'dbeenthinkingthesame.Icouldseeitinhereyesaswe
shutthedoortoherbedroomandlookedateachother.Iwas
hungryforher,likeyou'dhungerfordinnerafternoteatingfor
days.Likeyou'dthirstforaglassofwaterafterplayingsoccerfor
threehoursstraight.
Likenoneofthat.Itwasmore.ItwassomethingI'dneverfelt
before.Iwantedtoeatherwhole,devourher.
Upuntilnow,she'dbeenthesexualoneinourrelationship.I'd
lethersetandcontrolthepace.Itwasamazinglyerotictohave
hergrabmeandtakeoffmyshirt,dragmyfacetohers.
ButtonightIcouldn'tholdback.Iwouldn'tholdback.
ThedoorclickedshutandIreachedforthehemofhertshirt
andyanked,barelygivinghertimetoliftherarmsasIpulledit
overherhead.Itoremyownshirtovermyhead,listeningtothe
cottoncrackleasthestitchescameloose.
Hereyeswereshining,hermouthopen,herbreathingfastand
shallow.Minewastoo,mybreathandmyheartandmybloodall
roaringinmyears.

#
I'dthoughtaboutwhatitwouldbelikeforyears.Ahundred
timesadayI'dimaginedit.Somedays,I'dthoughtofpractically
nothingelse.
ItwasnothinglikeIexpected.Partsofitwerebetter.Partsofit
werelotsworse.Whileitwasgoingon,itfeltlikeaneternity.
Afterwards,itseemedtobeoverintheblinkofaneye.
Afterwards,Ifeltthesame.ButIalsofeltdifferent.Something
hadchangedbetweenus.
Itwasweird.Wewerebothshyasweputourclothesonand
putteredaroundtheroom,lookingaway,notmeetingeachother's
eyes.Iwrappedthecondominakleenexfromaboxbesidethe
bedandtookitintothebathroomandwounditwithtoiletpaper
andstuckitdeepintothetrashcan.
WhenIcamebackin,Angewassittingupinbedandplaying
withherXbox.Isatdowncarefullybesideherandtookherhand.
Sheturnedtofacemeandsmiled.Wewerebothwornout,
trembly.
"Thanks,"Isaid.
Shedidn'tsayanything.Sheturnedherfacetome.Shewas
grinninghugely,butfattearswererollingdownhercheeks.
Ihuggedherandshegrabbedtightlyontome."You'reagood
man,MarcusYallow,"shewhispered."Thankyou."
Ididn'tknowwhattosay,butIsqueezedherback.Finally,we
parted.Shewasn'tcryinganymore,butshewasstillsmiling.
ShepointedatmyXbox,onthefloorbesidethebed.Itookthe
hint.Ipickeditupandpluggeditinandloggedin.

Sameoldsameold.Lotsofemail.ThenewpostsontheblogsI
readstreamedin.Spam.GoddidIgetalotofspam.MySwedish
mailboxwasrepeatedly"joejobbed"usedasthereturnaddress
forspamssenttohundredsofmillionsofInternetaccounts,so
Itookofftherestofourclotheswithequalzest,throwingthem thatallthebouncesandangrymessagescamebacktome.Ididn't
knowwhowasbehindit.MaybetheDHStryingtooverwhelm
intothepilesofdirtyandcleanlaundryonthefloor.Therewere
booksandpapersalloverthebedandIsweptthemaside.We
mymailbox.Maybeitwasjustpeoplepranking.ThePirateParty
landedontheunmadebedclothesasecondlater,armsaroundone hadprettygoodfilters,though,andtheygaveanyonewhowanted
another,squeezinglikewewouldpullourselvesrightthroughone it500gigabytesofemailstorage,soIwasn'tlikelytobedrowned
another.ShemoanedintomymouthandImadethesoundback, anytimesoon.
andIfelthervoicebuzzinmyvocalchords,afeelingmore
Ifiltereditallout,hammeringonthedeletekey.Ihada
intimatethananythingI'deverfeltbefore.
separatemailboxforstuffthatcameinencryptedtomypublic

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/99
key,sincethatwaslikelytobeXnetrelatedandpossibly
sensitive.Spammershadn'tfiguredoutthatusingpublickeys
wouldmaketheirjunkmailmoreplausibleyet,sofornowthis
workedwell.
Therewereacoupledozenencryptedmessagesfrompeoplein
theweboftrust.Iskimmedthemlinkstovideosandpicsof
newabusesfromtheDHS,horrorstoriesaboutnearescapes,
rantsaboutstuffI'dblogged.Theusual.
ThenIcametoonethatwasonlyencryptedtomypublickey.
Thatmeantthatnooneelsecouldreadit,butIhadnoideawho
hadwrittenit.ItsaiditcamefromMasha,whichcouldeitherbea
handleoranameIcouldn'ttellwhich.
> M1k3y
> You don't know me, but I know you.
> I was arrested the day that the bridge
blew. They questioned me. They decided
I was innocent. They offered me a job:
help them hunt down the terrorists
who'd killed my neighbors.
> It sounded like a good deal at the
time. Little did I realize that my
actual job would turn out to be spying
on kids who resented their city being
turned into a police state.
> I infiltrated Xnet on the day it
launched. I am in your web of trust. If
I wanted to spill my identity, I could
send you email from an address you'd
trust. Three addresses, actually. I'm
totally inside your network as only
another 17-year-old can be. Some of the
email you've gotten has been carefully
chosen misinformation from me and my
handlers.
> They don't know who you are, but
they're coming close. They continue to
turn people, to compromise them. They
mine the social network sites and use
threats to turn kids into informants.
There are hundreds of people working
for the DHS on Xnet right now. I have
their names, handles and keys. Private
and public.
> Within days of the Xnet launch, we went
to work on exploiting ParanoidLinux.
The exploits so far have been small and
insubstantial, but a break is
inevitable. Once we have a zero-day

break, you're dead.

> I think it's safe to say that if my
handlers knew that I was typing this,
my ass would be stuck in
Gitmo-by-the-Bay until I was an old
woman.
> Even if they don't break ParanoidLinux,
there are poisoned ParanoidXbox distros
floating around. They don't match the
checksums, but how many people look at
the checksums? Besides me and you?
Plenty of kids are already dead, though
they don't know it.
> All that remains is for my handlers to
figure out the best time to bust you to
make the biggest impact in the media.
That time will be sooner, not later.
Believe.
> You're probably wondering why I'm
telling you this.
> I am too.
> Here's where I come from. I signed up
to fight terrorists. Instead, I'm
spying on Americans who believe things
that the DHS doesn't like. Not people
who plan on blowing up bridges, but
protestors. I can't do it anymore.
> But neither can you, whether or not you
know it. Like I say, it's only a matter
of time until you're in chains on
Treasure Island. That's not if, that's
when.
> So I'm through here. Down in Los
Angeles, there are some people. They
say they can keep me safe if I want to
get out.
> I want to get out.
> I will take you with me, if you want to
come. Better to be a fighter than a
martyr. If you come with me, we can
figure out how to win together. I'm as
smart as you. Believe.
> What do you say?
> Here's my public key.
> Masha

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/100

#
Whenintroubleorindoubt,runincircles,screamandshout.
Everhearthatrhyme?It'snotgoodadvice,butatleastit'seasy
tofollow.Ileaptoffthebedandpacedbackandforth.Myheart
thuddedandmybloodsanginacruelparodyofthewayI'dfelt
whenwegothome.Thiswasn'tsexualexcitement,itwasraw
terror.
"What?"Angesaid."What?"
Ipointedatthescreenonmysideofthebed.Sherolledover
andgrabbedmykeyboardandscribedonthetouchpadwithher
fingertip.Shereadinsilence.

I can anonymously tunnel video over

DNS. Here are some links to clips you
might want to look at before you
decide I'm full of it. These people
are all recording each other, all the
time, as insurance against a
back-stab. It's pretty easy to snoop
off them as they snoop on each other.
> Masha
Attachedwassourcecodeforalittleprogramthatappearedto
doexactlywhatMashaclaimed:pullvideoovertheDomain
NameServiceprotocol.

Letmebackupamomenthereandexplainsomething.Atthe
endoftheday,everyInternetprotocolisjustasequenceoftext
sentbackandforthinaprescribedorder.It'skindoflikegettinga
Ipaced.
truckandputtingacarinit,thenputtingamotorcycleinthecar's
"Thishastobelies,"shesaid."TheDHSisplayinggameswith trunk,thenattachingabicycletothebackofthemotorcycle,then
hangingapairofRollerbladesonthebackofthebike.Except
yourhead."
thatthen,ifyouwant,youcanattachthetrucktothe
Rollerblades.
Ilookedather.Shewasbitingherlip.Shedidn'tlooklikeshe
believedit.
Forexample,takeSimpleMailTransportProtocol,orSMTP,
whichisusedforsendingemail.
"Youthink?"
"Sure.Theycan'tbeatyou,sothey'recomingafteryouusing
Xnet."

Here'sasampleconversationbetweenmeandmymailserver,
sendingamessagetomyself:

"Yeah."

> HELO littlebrother.com.se

Isatbackdownonthebed.Iwasbreathingfastagain.

250 mail.pirateparty.org.se Hello

mail.pirateparty.org.se, pleased to
meet you

"Chillout,"shesaid."It'sjustheadgames.Here."
Shenevertookmykeyboardfrommebefore,butnowthere
wasanewintimacybetweenus.Shehitreplyandtyped,
> Nice try.
ShewaswritingasM1k3ynow,too.Weweretogetherinaway
thatwasdifferentfrombefore.
"Goaheadandsignit.We'llseewhatshesays."
Ididn'tknowifthatwasthebestidea,butIdidn'thaveany
betterones.Isigneditandencrypteditwithmyprivatekeyand
thepublickeyMashahadprovided.
Thereplywasinstant.

> MAIL FROM:m1k3y@littlebrother.com.se

250 2.1.0 m1k3y@littlebrother.com.se...
Sender ok
> RCPT TO:m1k3y@littlebrother.com.se
250 2.1.5 m1k3y@littlebrother.com.se...
Recipient ok
> DATA
354 Enter mail, end with "." on a line
by itself
> When in trouble or in doubt, run in
circles, scream and shout

> I thought you'd say something like

that.

> .

> Here's a hack you haven't thought of.

250 2.0.0 k5SMW0xQ006174 Message

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/101
accepted for delivery
QUIT
221 2.0.0 mail.pirateparty.org.se
closing connection
Connection closed by foreign host.
Thisconversation'sgrammarwasdefinedin1982byJon
Postel,oneoftheInternet'sheroicforefathers,whousedto
literallyrunthemostimportantserversonthenetunderhisdesk
attheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,backinthepaleolithic
era.
Now,imaginethatyouhookedupamailservertoanIM
session.YoucouldsendanIMtotheserverthatsaid"HELO
littlebrother.com.se"anditwouldreplywith"250
mail.pirateparty.org.seHellomail.pirateparty.org.se,pleasedto
meetyou."Inotherwords,youcouldhavethesameconversation
overIMasyoudooverSMTP.Withtherighttweaks,thewhole
mailserverbusinesscouldtakeplaceinsideofachat.Ora
websession.Oranythingelse.

networkhasaDNSserverlivingonit,andallofthoseserversare
configuredtotalktoeachotherandtorandompeoplealloverthe
Internet.
WhatMashahaddonewasfigureoutawaytotunnela
videostreamingsystemoverDNS.Shewasbreakingupthe
videointobillionsofpiecesandhidingeachoftheminanormal
messagetoaDNSserver.Byrunninghercode,Iwasabletopull
thevideofromallthoseDNSservers,allovertheInternet,at
incrediblespeed.Itmusthavelookedbizarreonthenetwork
histograms,likeIwaslookinguptheaddressofeverycomputer
intheworld.
ButithadtwoadvantagesIappreciatedatonce:Iwasableto
getthevideowithblindingspeedassoonasIclickedthefirst
link,Istartedtoreceivefullscreenpictures,withoutanyjitteror
stutteringandIhadnoideawhereitwashosted.Itwastotally
anonymous.
AtfirstIdidn'tevenclockthecontentofthevideo.Iwastotally
flooredbytheclevernessofthishack.Streamingvideofrom
DNS?Thatwassosmartandweird,itwaspracticallyperverted.

Gradually,whatIwasseeingbegantosinkin.
Thisiscalled"tunneling."YouputtheSMTPinsideachat
"tunnel."YoucouldthenputthechatbackintoanSMTPtunnelif
Itwasaboardroomtableinasmallroomwithamirrordown
youwantedtobereallyweird,tunnelingthetunnelinanother
onewall.Iknewthatroom.I'dsatinthatroom,while
tunnel.
SevereHaircutwomanhadmademespeakmypasswordaloud.
Therewerefivecomfortablechairsaroundthetable,eachwitha
Infact,everyInternetprotocolissusceptibletothisprocess.It's comfortableperson,allinDHSuniform.IrecognizedMajor
cool,becauseitmeansthatifyou'reonanetworkwithonlyWeb GeneralGraemeSutherland,theDHSBayAreacommander,
access,youcantunnelyourmailoverit.Youcantunnelyour
alongwithSevereHaircut.Theotherswerenewtome.Theyall
favoriteP2Poverit.YoucaneventunnelXnetwhichitselfisa watchedavideoscreenattheendofthetable,onwhichtherewas
tunnelfordozensofprotocolsoverit.
aninfinitelymorefamiliarface.
DomainNameServiceisaninterestingandancientInternet
protocol,datingbackto1983.It'sthewaythatyourcomputer
convertsacomputer'snamelikepirateparty.org.setotheIP
numberthatcomputersactuallyusetotalktoeachotheroverthe
net,like204.11.50.136.Itgenerallyworkslikemagic,even
thoughit'sgotmillionsofmovingpartseveryISPrunsaDNS
server,asdomostgovernmentsandlotsofprivateoperators.
TheseDNSboxesalltalktoeachotherallthetime,makingand
fillingrequeststoeachothersonomatterhowobscurethename
isyoufeedtoyourcomputer,itwillbeabletoturnitintoa
number.
BeforeDNS,therewastheHOSTSfile.Believeitornot,this
wasasingledocumentthatlistedthenameandaddressofevery
singlecomputerconnectedtotheInternet.Everycomputerhada
copyofit.Thisfilewaseventuallytoobigtomovearound,so
DNSwasinvented,andranonaserverthatusedtoliveunderJon
Postel'sdesk.Ifthecleanersknockedouttheplug,theentire
Internetlostitsabilitytofinditself.Seriously.
ThethingaboutDNStodayisthatit'severywhere.Every

KurtRooneywasknownnationallyasthePresident'schief
strategist,themanwhoreturnedthepartyforitsthirdterm,and
whowassteamingtowardsafourth.Theycalledhim"Ruthless"
andI'dseenanewsreportonceabouthowtightareinhekepthis
stafferson,callingthem,IMingthem,watchingtheirevery
motion,controllingeverystep.Hewasold,withalinedfaceand
palegrayeyesandaflatnosewithbroad,flarednostrilsandthin
lips,amanwholookedlikehewassmellingsomethingbadall
thetime.
Hewasthemanonthescreen.Hewastalking,andeveryone
elsewasfocusedonhisscreen,everyonetakingnotesasfastas
theycouldtype,tryingtolooksmart.
"saythatthey'reangrywithauthority,butweneedtoshow
thecountrythatit'sterrorists,notthegovernment,thattheyneed
toblame.Doyouunderstandme?Thenationdoesnotlovethat
city.Asfarasthey'reconcerned,itisaSodomandGomorrahof
fagsandatheistswhodeservetorotinhell.Theonlyreasonthe
countrycareswhattheythinkinSanFranciscoisthattheyhad
thegoodfortunetohavebeenblowntohellbysomeIslamic

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/102
terrorists.
"TheseXnetchildrenaregettingtothepointwheretheymight
starttobeusefultous.Themoreradicaltheyget,themorethe
restofthenationunderstandsthattherearethreatseverywhere."
Hisaudiencefinishedtyping.
"Wecancontrolthat,Ithink,"SevereHaircutLadysaid."Our
peopleintheXnethavebuiltupalotofinfluence.The
ManchurianBloggersarerunningasmanyasfiftyblogseach,
floodingthechatchannels,linkingtoeachother,mostlyjust
takingthepartylinesetbythisM1k3y.Butthey'vealready
shownthattheycanprovokeradicalaction,evenwhenM1k3yis
puttingthebrakeson."
MajorGeneralSutherlandnodded."Wehavebeenplanningto
leavethemundergrounduntilaboutamonthbeforethe
midterms."Iguessedthatmeantthemidtermelections,notmy
exams."That'spertheoriginalplan.Butitsoundslike"
"We'vegotanotherplanforthemidterms,"Rooneysaid.
"Needtoknow,ofcourse,butyoushouldallprobablynotplan
ontravelingforthemonthbefore.CuttheXnetloosenow,as
soonasyoucan.Solongasthey'remoderates,they'realiability.
Keepthemradical."
Thevideocutoff.
AngeandIsatontheedgeofthebed,lookingatthescreen.
Angereachedoutandstartedthevideoagain.Wewatchedit.It
wasworsethesecondtime.
Itossedthekeyboardasideandgotup.
"Iamsosickofbeingscared,"Isaid."Let'stakethistoBarbara
andhaveherpublishitall.Putitallonthenet.Letthemtakeme
away.AtleastI'llknowwhat'sgoingtohappenthen.Atleastthen
I'llhavealittlecertaintyinmylife."
Angegrabbedmeandhuggedme,soothedme."Iknowbaby,I
know.It'sallterrible.Butyou'refocusingonthebadstuffand
ignoringthegoodstuff.You'vecreatedamovement.You've
outflankedthejerksintheWhiteHouse,thecrooksinDHS
uniforms.You'veputyourselfinapositionwhereyoucouldbe
responsibleforblowingthelidoffoftheentirerottenDHSthing.
"Surethey'reouttogetyou.Coursetheyare.Haveyouever
doubteditforamoment?Ialwaysfiguredtheywere.ButMarcus,
theydon'tknowwhoyouare.Thinkaboutthat.Allthosepeople,
money,gunsandspies,andyou,aseventeenyearoldhighschool
kidyou'restillbeatingthem.Theydon'tknowaboutBarbara.
Theydon'tknowaboutZeb.You'vejammedtheminthestreetsof
SanFranciscoandhumiliatedthembeforetheworld.Sostop
moping,allright?You'rewinning."

"They'recomingforme,though.Youseethat.They'regoingto
putmeinjailforever.Notevenjail.I'lljustdisappear,like
Darryl.Maybeworse.MaybeSyria.WhyleavemeinSan
Francisco?I'maliabilityaslongasI'mintheUSA."
Shesatdownonthebedwithme.
"Yeah,"shesaid."That."
"That."
"Well,youknowwhatyouhavetodo,right?"
"What?"Shelookedpointedlyatmykeyboard.Icouldseethe
tearsrollingdownhercheeks."No!You'reoutofyourmind.You
thinkI'mgoingtorunoffwithsomenutofftheInternet?Some
spy?"
"Yougotabetteridea?"
Ikickedapileofherlaundryintotheair."Whatever.Fine.I'll
talktohersomemore."
"Youtalktoher,"Angesaid."Youtellheryouandyour
girlfriendaregettingout."
"What?"
"Shutup,dickhead.Youthinkyou'reindanger?I'minjustas
muchdanger,Marcus.It'scalledguiltbyassociation.Whenyou
go,Igo."Shehadherjawthrustoutatamutinousangle."You
andIwe'retogethernow.Youhavetounderstandthat."
Wesatdownonthebedtogether.
"Unlessyoudon'twantme,"shesaid,finally,inasmallvoice.
"You'rekiddingme,right?"
"DoIlooklikeI'mkidding?"
"There'snowayIwouldvoluntarilygowithoutyou,Ange.I
couldneverhaveaskedyoutocome,butI'mecstaticthatyou
offered."
Shesmiledandtossedmemykeyboard.
"EmailthisMashacreature.Let'sseewhatthischickcandofor
us."
Iemailedher,encryptingthemessage,waitingforareply.
AngenuzzledmealittleandIkissedherandwenecked.
Somethingaboutthedangerandthepacttogotogetheritmade
meforgettheawkwardnessofhavingsex,mademefreaking
hornyashell.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/103
WewerehalfnakedagainwhenMasha'semailarrived.
> Two of you? Jesus, like it won't be
hard enough already.
> I don't get to leave except to do field
intelligence after a big Xnet hit. You
get me? The handlers watch my every
move, but I go off the leash when
something big happens with Xnetters. I
get sent into the field then.
> You do something big. I get sent to it.
I get us both out. All three of us, if
you insist.
> Make it fast, though. I can't send you
a lot of email, understand? They watch
me. They're closing in on you. You
don't have a lot of time. Weeks? Maybe
just days.
> I need you to get me out. That's why
I'm doing this, in case you're
wondering. I can't escape on my own. I
need a big Xnet distraction. That's
your department. Don't fail me, M1k3y,
or we're both dead. Your girlie too.
> Masha
Myphonerang,makingusbothjump.Itwasmymomwanting
toknowwhenIwascominghome.ItoldherIwasonmyway.
Shedidn'tmentionBarbara.We'dagreedthatwewouldn'ttalk
aboutanyofthisstuffonthephone.Thatwasmydad'sidea.He
couldbeasparanoidasme.
"Ihavetogo,"Isaid.

toocloselyatthestuffinthecarpeting.That'swhenyourmind
startstoreallychurnandchurn.
Yourockbackandforthandyourmindgoesoverallthethings
you'veoverlooked,playsbackallthemoviesofyourlifewhere
you'renohero,whereyou'reachumporasucker.
Yourbraincomesupwiththeorieslikethisone:
IftheDHSwantedtocatchM1k3y,whatbetterwaythanto
lurehimintotheopen,panichimintoleadingsomekindofbig,
publicXnetevent?Wouldn'tthatbeworththechanceofa
compromisingvideoleaking?
Yourbraincomesupwithstufflikethatevenwhenthetrain
rideonlylaststwoorthreestops.Whenyougetoff,andyoustart
moving,thebloodgetsrunningandsometimesyourbrainhelps
yououtagain.
Sometimesyourbraingivesyousolutionsinadditionto
problems.
Chapter18
ThischapterisdedicatedtoVancouver'smultilingualSophia
Books,adiverseandexcitingstorefilledwiththebestofthe
strangeandexcitingpopcultureworldsofmanylands.Sophia
wasaroundthecornerfrommyhotelwhenIwenttoVantogive
atalkatSimonFraserUniversity,andtheSophiafolksemailed
meinadvancetoaskmetodropinandsigntheirstockwhileI
wasintheneighborhood.WhenIgotthere,Idiscovereda
treasuretroveofneverbeforeseenworksinadizzyingarrayof
languages,fromgraphicnovelstothickacademictreatises,
presidedoverbygoodnatured(evenslapstick)staffwhoso
palpablyenjoyedtheirjobsthatitspreadtoeverycustomerwho
steppedthroughthedoor.

"Ourparentswillbe"
"Iknow,"Isaid."Isawwhathappenedtomyparentswhen
theythoughtIwasdead.KnowingthatI'mafugitiveisn'tgoing
tobemuchbetter.Butthey'dratherIbeafugitivethanaprisoner.
That'swhatIthink.Anyway,oncewedisappear,Barbaracan
publishwithoutworryingaboutgettingusintotrouble."
Wekissedatthedoorofherroom.Notoneofthehot,sloppy
numbersweusuallydidwhenpartingways.Asweetkissthis
time.Aslowkiss.Agoodbyekindofkiss.
#
BARTridesareintrospective.Whenthetrainrocksbackand
forthandyoutrynottomakeeyecontactwiththeotherriders
andyoutrynottoreadtheadsforplasticsurgery,bailbondsmen
andAIDStesting,whenyoutrytoignorethegraffitiandnotlook

SophiaBookshttp://www.sophiabooks.com/450WestHastings
St.,Vancouver,BCCanadaV6B1L1+16046840484
Therewasatimewhenmyfavoritethingintheworldwasputting
onacapeandhangingoutinhotels,pretendingtobeaninvisible
vampirewhomeveryonestaredat.
It'scomplicated,andnotnearlyasweirdasitsounds.TheLive
ActionRolePlayingscenecombinesthebestaspectsofD&D
withdramaclubwithgoingtoscificons.
Iunderstandthatthismightnotmakeitsoundasappealingto
youasitwastomewhenIwas14.
ThebestgamesweretheonesattheScoutCampsoutoftown:
ahundredteenagers,boysandgirls,fightingtheFridaynight

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/104
traffic,swappingstories,playinghandheldgames,showingoff
forhours.Thendebarkingtostandinthegrassbeforeagroupof
oldermenandwomeninbadass,homemadearmor,dentedand
scarred,likearmormusthavebeenintheolddays,notlikeit's
portrayedinthemovies,butlikeasoldier'suniformafteramonth
inthebush.

him.

Thesepeoplewerenominallypaidtorunthegames,butyou
didn'tgetthejobunlessyouwerethekindofpersonwho'ddoit
forfree.They'dhavealreadydividedusintoteamsbasedonthe
questionnaireswe'dfilledinbeforehand,andwe'dgetourteam
assignmentsthen,likebeingcalledupforbaseballsides.

Itwaslikesummercampfordramageeks.Wetalkeduntillate
atnightintents,lookedatthestars,jumpedintheriverwhenwe
gothot,slappedawaymosquitos.Becamebestfriends,orlifelong
enemies.

Thenyou'dgetyourbriefingpackages.Thesewerelikethe
briefingsthespiesgetinthemovies:here'syouridentity,here's
yourmission,here'sthesecretsyouknowaboutthegroup.
Fromthere,itwastimefordinner:roaringfires,meatpopping
onspits,tofusizzlingonskillets(it'snorthernCalifornia,a
vegetarianoptionisnotoptional),andastyleofeatingand
drinkingthatcanonlybedescribedasquaffing.

Ifireballedhimashewasseekingouttreasureafterwewiped
outabandoforcs,playingrockpapersscissorswitheachorcto
determinewhowouldprevailincombat.Thisisalotmore
excitingthanitsounds.

Idon'tknowwhyCharles'sparentssenthimLARPing.He
wasn'tthekindofkidwhoreallyenjoyedthatkindofthing.He
wasmorethepullingwingsofffliestype.Oh,maybenot.Buthe
justwasnotintobeingincostumeinthewoods.Hespentthe
wholetimemoochingaround,sneeringateveryoneand
everything,tryingtoconvinceusallthatweweren'thavingthe
goodtimeweallfeltlikewewerehaving.You'venodoubtfound
thatkindofpersonbefore,thekindofpersonwhoiscompelledto
ensurethateveryoneelsehasarottentime.

Already,thekeenkidswouldbegettingintocharacter.Myfirst
game,Iwasawizard.Ihadabagofbeanbagsthatrepresented
spellswhenIthrewone,IwouldshoutthenameofthespellI
wascastingfireball,magicmissile,coneoflightandthe
playeror"monster"IthrewitatwouldkeeloverifIconnected.
Ornotsometimeswehadtocallinareftomediate,butforthe
mostpart,wewereallprettygoodaboutplayingfair.Noone
likedadicelawyer.

TheotherthingaboutCharleswasthathecouldn'tgetthehang
ofsimulatedcombat.Onceyoustartrunningaroundthewoods
andplayingtheseelaborate,semimilitarygames,it'seasytoget
totallyadrenalizedtothepointwhereyou'rereadytotearout
someone'sthroat.Thisisnotagoodstatetobeinwhenyou're
carryingapropsword,club,pikeorotherutensil.Thisiswhyno
oneiseverallowedtohitanyone,underanycircumstances,in
thesegames.Instead,whenyougetcloseenoughtosomeoneto
fight,youplayaquickcoupleroundsofrockpaperscissors,with
Bybedtime,wewereallincharacter.At14,Iwasn'tsupersure modifiersbasedonyourexperience,armaments,andcondition.
whatawizardwassupposedtosoundlike,butIcouldtakemy
Therefereesmediatedisputes.It'squitecivilized,andalittle
cuesfromthemoviesandnovels.Ispokeinslow,measured
weird.Yougorunningaftersomeonethroughthewoods,catch
tones,keepingmyfacecomposedinasuitablymystical
upwithhim,bareyourteeth,andsitdowntoplayalittle
expression,andthinkingmysticalthoughts.
roshambo.Butitworksanditkeepseverythingsafeandfun.
Themissionwascomplicated,retrievingasacredrelicthathad
beenstolenbyanogrewhowasbentonsubjugatingthepeopleof
thelandtohiswill.Itdidn'treallymatterawholelot.What
matteredwasthatIhadaprivatemission,tocaptureacertain
kindofimptoserveasmyfamiliar,andthatIhadasecret
nemesis,anotherplayerontheteamwhohadtakenpartinaraid
thatkilledmyfamilywhenIwasaboy,aplayerwhodidn'tknow
thatI'dcomeback,bentonrevenge.Somewhere,ofcourse,there
wasanotherplayerwithasimilargrudgeagainstme,sothateven
asIwasenjoyingthecamaraderieoftheteam,I'dalwayshaveto
keepaneyeopenforaknifeintheback,poisoninthefood.
Forthenexttwodays,weplayeditout.Therewerepartsofthe
weekendthatwerelikehideandseek,somethatwerelike
wildernesssurvivalexercises,somethatwerelikesolving
crosswordpuzzles.Thegamemastershaddoneagreatjob.And
youreallygottobefriendswiththeotherpeopleonthemission.
Darrylwasthetargetofmyfirstmurder,andIputmybackinto
it,eventhoughhewasmypal.Niceguy.ShameI'dhavetokill

Charlescouldn'treallygetthehangofthis.Ithinkhewas
perfectlycapableofunderstandingthattherulewasnocontact,
buthewassimultaneouslycapableofdecidingthattheruledidn't
matter,andthathewasn'tgoingtoabidebyit.Therefscalledhim
onitabunchoftimesovertheweekend,andhekepton
promisingtostickbyit,andkeptongoingback.Hewasoneof
thebiggerkidstherealready,andhewasfondof"accidentally"
tacklingyouattheendofachase.Notfunwhenyougettackled
intotherockyforestfloor.
IhadjustmightilysmoteDarrylinalittleclearingwherehe'd
beentreasurehunting,andwewerehavingalittlelaughovermy
extremesneakiness.Hewasgoingtogomonsteringkilled
playerscouldswitchtoplayingmonsters,whichmeantthatthe
longerthegameworeon,themoremonsterstherewerecoming
afteryou,meaningthateveryonegottokeeponplayingandthe
game'sbattlesjustgotmoreandmoreepic.
ThatwaswhenCharlescameoutofthewoodsbehindmeand

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/105
tackledme,throwingmetothegroundsohardthatIcouldn't
breatheforamoment."Gotcha!"heyelled.Ionlyknewhim
slightlybeforethis,andI'dneverthoughtmuchofhim,butnowI
wasreadyformurder.Iclimbedslowlytomyfeetandlookedat
him,hischestheaving,grinning."You'resodead,"hesaid."I
totallygotyou."
Ismiledandsomethingfeltwrongandsoreinmyface.I
touchedmyupperlip.Itwasbloody.Mynosewasbleedingand
mylipwassplit,cutonarootI'dfaceplantedintowhenhe
tackledme.
Iwipedthebloodonmypantslegandsmiled.ImadelikeI
thoughtthatitwasallinfun.Ilaughedalittle.Imovedtowards
him.
Charleswasn'tfooled.Hewasalreadybackingaway,tryingto
fadeintothewoods.Darrylmovedtoflankhim.Itooktheother
flank.Abruptly,heturnedandran.Darryl'sfoothookedhisankle
andsenthimsprawling.Werushedhim,justintimetoheara
ref'swhistle.
Therefhadn'tseenCharlesfoulme,buthe'dseenCharles's
playthatweekend.HesentCharlesbacktothecampentranceand
toldhimhewasoutofthegame.Charlescomplainedmightily,
buttooursatisfaction,therefwasn'thavinganyofit.Once
Charleshadgone,hegaveusbothalecture,too,tellingusthat
ourretaliationwasnomorejustifiedthanCharles'sattack.
ItwasOK.Thatnight,oncethegameshadended,weallgot
hotshowersinthescoutdorms.DarrylandIstoleCharles's
clothesandtowel.Wetiedtheminknotsanddroppedtheminthe
urinal.Alotoftheboyswerehappytocontributetotheeffortof
soakingthem.Charleshadbeenveryenthusiasticabouthis
tackles.
IwishIcouldhavewatchedhimwhenhegotoutofhisshower
anddiscoveredhisclothes.It'saharddecision:doyourunnaked
acrossthecamp,orpickapartthetight,pisssoakedknotsinyour
clothesandthenputthemon?
Hechosenudity.Iprobablywouldhavechosenthesame.We
linedupalongtheroutefromtheshowerstotheshedwherethe
packswerestoredandapplaudedhim.Iwasatthefrontofthe
line,leadingtheapplause.
#
TheScoutCampweekendsonlycamethreeorfourtimesa
year,whichleftDarrylandmeandlotsofotherLARPers
withaseriousLARPdeficiencyinourlives.
Luckily,thereweretheWretchedDaylightgamesinthecity
hotels.WretchedDaylightisanotherLARP,rivalvampireclans
andvampirehunters,andit'sgotitsownquirkyrules.Playersget
cardstohelpthemresolvecombatskirmishes,soeachskirmish

involvesplayingalittlehandofastrategiccardgame.Vampires
canbecomeinvisiblebycloakingthemselves,crossingtheirarms
overtheirchests,andalltheotherplayershavetopretendthey
don'tseethem,continuingonwiththeirconversationsabouttheir
plansandsoon.Thetruetestofagoodplayeriswhetheryou're
honestenoughtogoonspillingyoursecretsinfrontofan
"invisible"rivalwithoutactingasthoughhewasintheroom.
TherewereacoupleofbigWretchedDaylightgamesevery
month.Theorganizersofthegameshadagoodrelationshipwith
thecity'shotelsandtheyletitbeknownthatthey'dtaketen
unbookedroomsonFridaynightandfillthemwithplayerswho'd
runaroundthehotel,playinglowkeyWretchedDaylightinthe
corridors,aroundthepool,andsoon,eatingatthehotel
restaurantandpayingforthehotelWiFi.They'dclosethe
bookingonFridayafternoon,emailus,andwe'dgostraightfrom
schooltowhicheverhotelitwas,bringingourknapsacks,
sleepingsixoreighttoaroomfortheweekend,livingon
junkfood,playinguntilthreeAM.Itwasgood,safefunthatour
parentscouldgetbehind.
Theorganizerswereawellknownliteracycharitythatrankids'
writingworkshops,dramaworkshopsandsoon.Theyhadbeen
runningthegamesfortenyearswithoutincident.Everythingwas
strictlyboozeanddrugfree,tokeeptheorganizersfromgetting
bustedonsomekindofcorruptionofminorsrap.We'ddraw
betweentenandahundredplayers,dependingontheweekend,
andforthecostofacouplemovies,youcouldhavetwoanda
halfdays'worthofsolidfun.
Oneday,though,theyluckedintoablockofroomsatthe
Monaco,ahotelintheTenderlointhatcateredtoartyolder
tourists,thekindofplacewhereeveryroomcamewithagoldfish
bowl,wherethelobbywasfullofbeautifuloldpeopleinfine
clothes,showingofftheirplasticsurgeryresults.
Normally,themundanesourwordfornonplayersjust
ignoredus,figuringthatwewereskylarkingkids.Butthat
weekendtherehappenedtobeaneditorforanItaliantravel
magazinestaying,andhetookaninterestinthings.Hecornered
measIskulkedinthelobby,hopingtospottheclanmasterofmy
rivalsandswoopinonhimanddrawhisblood.Iwasstanding
againstthewallwithmyarmsfoldedovermychest,being
invisible,whenhecameuptomeandaskedme,inaccented
English,whatmeandmyfriendsweredoinginthehotelthat
weekend?
Itriedtobrushhimoff,buthewouldn'tbeputoff.SoIfigured
I'djustmakesomethingupandhe'dgoaway.
Ididn'timaginethathe'dprintit.Ireallydidn'timaginethatit
wouldgetpickedupbytheAmericanpress.
"We'reherebecauseourprincehasdied,andsowe'vehadto
comeinsearchofanewruler."

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/106
"Aprince?"

NewYorkTimes,who,unfortunately,haveanunhealthyappetite
forfactchecking.Thereportertheyputonthestoryeventually
"Yes,"Isaid,gettingintoit."We'retheOldPeople.Wecameto trackeditdowntotheMonacoHotel,whoputthemintouchwith
Americainthe16thCenturyandhavehadourownroyalfamily
theLARPorganizers,wholaughinglyspilledthewholestory.
inthewildsofPennsylvaniaeversince.Welivesimplyinthe
woods.Wedon'tusemoderntechnology.Buttheprincewasthe
Well,atthatpoint,LARPinggotalotlesscool.Webecame
lastofthelineandhediedlastweek.Someterriblewasting
knownasthenation'sforemosthoaxers,asweird,pathological
diseasetookhim.Theyoungmenofmyclanhavelefttofindthe liars.Thepresswhowe'dinadvertentlytrickedintocoveringthe
descendantsofhisgreatuncle,whowentawaytojointhemodern storyoftheOldPeoplewerenowinterestedinredeeming
peopleinthetimeofmygrandfather.Heissaidtohave
themselvesbyreportingonhowunbelievablyweirdweLARPers
multiplied,andwewillfindthelastofhisbloodlineandbring
were,andthatwaswhenCharlesleteveryoneinschoolknowthat
thembacktotheirrightfulhome."
DarrylandIwerethebiggestLARPingweeniesinthecity.
Ireadalotoffantasynovels.Thiskindofthingcameeasilyto
me.
"Wefoundawomanwhoknewofthesedescendants.Shetold
usonewasstayinginthishotel,andwe'vecometofindhim.But
we'vebeentrackedherebyarivalclanwhowouldkeepusfrom
bringinghomeourprince,tokeepusweakandeasytodominate.
Thusitisvitalwekeeptoourselves.WedonottalktotheNew
Peoplewhenwecanhelpit.Talkingtoyounowcausesmegreat
discomfort."
Hewaswatchingmeshrewdly.Ihaduncrossedmyarms,
whichmeantthatIwasnow"visible"torivalvampires,oneof
whomhadbeenslowlysneakinguponus.Atthelastmoment,I
turnedandsawher,armsspread,hissingatus,vampingitupin
highstyle.
Ithrewmyarmswideandhissedbackather,thenpelted
throughthelobby,hoppingoveraleathersofaanddekingaround
apottedplant,makingherchaseme.I'dscoutedanescaperoute
downthroughthestairwelltothebasementhealthclubandItook
it,shakingheroff.
Ididn'tseehimagainthatweekend,butIdidrelatethestoryto
someofmyfellowLARPers,whoembroideredthetaleandfound
lotsofopportunitiestotellitovertheweekend.
TheItalianmagazinehadastafferwho'ddonehermaster's
degreeonAmishantitechnologycommunitiesinrural
Pennsylvania,andshethoughtwesoundedawfullyinteresting.
Basedonthenotesandtapedinterviewsofherbossfromhistrip
toSanFrancisco,shewroteafascinating,heartwrenchingarticle
abouttheseweird,juvenilecultistswhowerecrisscrossing
Americainsearchoftheir"prince."Hell,peoplewillprint
anythingthesedays.
Butthethingwas,storieslikethatgetpickedupand
republished.FirstitwasItalianbloggers,thenafewAmerican
bloggers.Peopleacrossthecountryreported"sightings"ofthe
OldPeople,thoughwhethertheyweremakingitup,orwhether
otherswereplayingthesamegame,Ididn'tknow.
Itworkeditswayupthemediafoodchainallthewaytothe

Thatwasnotagoodseason.Someofthegangdidn'tmind,but
wedid.Theteasingwasmerciless.Charlesledit.I'dfindplastic
fangsinmybag,andkidsIpassedinthehallwouldgo"bleh,
bleh"likeacartoonvampire,orthey'dtalkwithfake
TransylvanianaccentswhenIwasaround.
WeswitchedtoARGingprettysoonafterwards.Itwasmore
funinsomeways,anditwasalotlessweird.Everynowand
again,though,Imissedmycapeandthoseweekendsinthehotel.
#
Theoppositeofespritd'escalieristhewaythatlife's
embarrassmentscomebacktohauntusevenafterthey'relong
past.IcouldremembereverystupidthingI'deversaidordone,
recallthemwithpictureperfectclarity.AnytimeIwasfeeling
low,I'dnaturallystarttorememberothertimesIfeltthatway,a
hitparadeofhumiliationscomingoneafteranothertomymind.
AsItriedtoconcentrateonMashaandmyimpendingdoom,
theOldPeopleincidentkeptcomingbacktohauntme.There'd
beenasimilar,sick,sinkingdoomedfeelingthen,asmoreand
morepressoutletspickedupthestory,asthelikelihoodincreased
ofsomeonefiguringoutthatithadbeenmewho'dsprungthe
storyonthestupidItalianeditorinthedesignerjeanswith
crookedseams,thestarchedcollarlessshirt,andtheoversized
metalrimmedglasses.
There'sanalternativetodwellingonyourmistakes.Youcan
learnfromthem.
It'sagoodtheory,anyway.Maybethereasonyour
subconsciousdredgesupallthesemiserableghostsisthatthey
needtogetclosurebeforetheycanrestpeacefullyinhumiliation
afterlife.Mysubconsciouskeptvisitingmewithghostsinthe
hopesthatIwoulddosomethingtoletthemrestinpeace.
Allthewayhome,Iturnedoverthismemoryandthethoughtof
whatIwoulddoabout"Masha,"incaseshewasplayingme.I
neededsomeinsurance.
AndbythetimeIreachedmyhousetobesweptupinto
melancholyhugsfromMomandDadIhadit.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/107

#
Thetrickwastotimethissothatithappenedfastenoughthat
theDHScouldn'tprepareforit,butwithalongenoughleadtime
thattheXnetwouldhavetimetoturnoutinforce.
Thetrickwastostagethissothatthereweretoomanypresent
toarrestusall,buttoputitsomewherethatthepresscouldseeit
andthegrownups,sotheDHSwouldn'tjustgasusagain.
Thetrickwastocomeupwithsomethingwiththemedia
friendlinessofthelevitationofthePentagon.Thetrickwasto
stagesomethingthatwecouldrallyaround,like3,000Berkeley
studentsrefusingtoletoneoftheirnumberbetakenawayina
policevan.
Thetrickwastoputthepressthere,readytosaywhatthe
policedid,thewaytheyhadin1968inChicago.
Itwasgoingtobesometrick.
Icutoutofschoolanhourearlythenextday,usingmy
customarytechniquesforgettingout,notcaringifitwould
triggersomekindofnewDHScheckerthatwouldresultinmy
parentsgettinganote.
Onewayoranother,myparents'lastproblemaftertomorrow
wouldbewhetherIwasintroubleatschool.
ImetAngeatherplace.She'dhadtocutoutofschooleven
earlier,butshe'djustmadeabigdealoutofhercrampsand
pretendedshewasgoingtokeeloverandtheysentherhome.
WestartedtospreadthewordonXnet.Wesentitinemailto
trustedfriends,andIMmedittoourbuddylists.Weroamedthe
decksandtownsofClockworkPlunderandtoldourteammates.
Givingeveryoneenoughinformationtogetthemtoshowupbut
notsomuchastotipourhandtotheDHSwastricky,butI
thoughtIhadjusttherightbalance:
> VAMPMOB TOMORROW
> If you're a goth, dress to impress. If
you're not a goth, find a goth and
borrow some clothes. Think vampire.
> The game starts at 8:00AM sharp.
SHARP. Be there and ready to be divided
into teams. The game lasts 30 minutes,
so you'll have plenty of time to get to
school afterward.
> Location will be revealed tomorrow.
Email your public key to
m1k3y@littlebrother.pirateparty.org.se

and check your messages at 7AM for the

update. If that's too early for you,
stay up all night. That's what we're
going to do.
> This is the most fun you will have all
year, guaranteed.
> Believe.
> M1k3y
Then I sent a short messageto Masha.
> Tomorrow
> M1k3y
A minute later, she emailed back:
> I thought so. VampMob, huh? You work
fast. Wear a red hat. Travel light.
#
Whatdoyoubringalongwhenyougofugitive?I'dcarried
enoughheavypacksaroundenoughscoutcampstoknowthat
everyounceyouaddcutsintoyourshoulderswithallthe
crushingforceofgravitywitheverystepyoutakeit'snotjust
oneounce,it'soneouncethatyoucarryforamillionsteps.It'sa
ton.
"Right,"Angesaid."Smart.Andyounevertakemorethan
threedays'worthofclothes,either.Youcanrinsestuffoutinthe
sink.Bettertohaveaspotonyourtshirtthanasuitcasethat'stoo
bigandheavytostashunderaplaneseat."
She'dpulledoutaballisticnyloncourierbagthatwentacross
herchest,betweenherbreastssomethingthatmademegeta
littlesweatyandslungdiagonallyacrossherback.Itwas
roomyinside,andshe'dsetitdownonthebed.Nowshewas
pilingclothesnexttoit.
"Ifigurethatthreetshirts,apairofpants,apairofshorts,three
changesofunderwear,threepairsofsocksandasweaterwilldo
it."
Shedumpedouthergymbagandpickedouthertoiletries."I'll
havetoremembertostickmytoothbrushintomorrowmorning
beforeIheaddowntoCivicCenter."
Watchingherpackwasimpressive.Shewasruthlessaboutit
all.Itwasalsofreakyitmademerealizethatthenextday,I
wasgoingtogoaway.Maybeforalongtime.Maybeforever.
"DoIbringmyXbox?"sheasked."I'vegotatonofstuffonthe

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/108
harddrive,notesandsketchesandemail.Iwouldn'twantittofall
intothewronghands."
"It'sallencrypted,"Isaid."That'sstandardwithParanoidXbox.
ButleavetheXboxbehind,there'llbeplentyoftheminLA.Just
createaPiratePartyaccountandemailanimageofyour
harddrivetoyourself.I'mgoingtodothesamewhenIget
home."
Shedidso,andqueueduptheemail.Itwasgoingtotakea
couplehoursforallthedatatosqueezethroughherneighbor's
WiFinetworkandwingitswaytoSweden.
Thensheclosedtheflaponthebagandtightenedthe
compressionstraps.Shehadsomethingthesizeofasoccerball
slungoverherbacknow,andIstaredadmiringlyatit.Shecould
walkdownthestreetwiththatunderhershoulderandnoone
wouldlooktwiceshelookedlikeshewasonherwaytoschool.
"Onemorething,"shesaid,andwenttoherbedsidetableand
tookoutthecondoms.Shetookthestripsofrubbersoutofthe
boxandopenedthebagandstucktheminside,thengavemea
slapontheass.

fromtoptobottom.Angelookedprettyacceptable,Ithink.She
dressedwell,andlowkey,andyoucouldtellhowsmartshewas
justbylookingather.
"Apleasuretomeetyou,MrsYallow,"shesaid.Shesounded
veryconfidentandselfassured.MuchbetterthanIhadwhenI'd
methermom.
"It'sLillian,love,"shesaid.Shewastakingineverydetail.
"Areyoustayingfordinner?"
"I'dlovethat,"shesaid.
"Doyoueatmeat?"Mom'sprettyacclimatedtolivingin
California.
"Ieatanythingthatdoesn'teatmefirst,"shesaid.
"She'sahotsaucejunkie,"Isaid."Youcouldserveheroldtires
andshe'deat'emifshecouldsmothertheminsalsa."
Angesockedmegentlyintheshoulder.
"IwasgoingtoorderThai,"Momsaid."I'lladdacoupleof
theirfivechilidishestotheorder."

"Nowwhat?"Isaid.
"Nowwegotoyourplaceanddoyourstuff.It'stimeImet
yourparents,no?"
Sheleftthebagamidthepilesofclothesandjunkalloverthe
floor.Shewasreadytoturnherbackonallofit,walkaway,just
tobewithme.Justtosupportthecause.Itmademefeelbrave,
too.
#
MomwasalreadyhomewhenIgotthere.Shehadherlaptop
openonthekitchentableandwasansweringemailwhiletalking
intoaheadsetconnectedtoit,helpingsomepoorYorkshireman
andhisfamilyacclimatetolivinginLouisiana.
IcamethroughthedoorandAngefollowed,grinninglikemad,
butholdingmyhandsotightIcouldfeelthebonesgrinding
together.Ididn'tknowwhatshewassoworriedabout.Itwasn't
likeshewasgoingtoendupspendingalotoftimehanging
aroundwithmyparentsafterthis,evenifitwentbadly.
MomhungupontheYorkshiremanwhenwegotin.
"Hello,Marcus,"shesaid,givingmeakissonthecheek."And
whoisthis?"
"Mom,meetAnge.Ange,thisismyMom,Lillian."Momstood
upandgaveAngeahug.
"It'sverygoodtomeetyou,darling,"shesaid,lookingherover

AngethankedherpolitelyandMombustledaroundthekitchen,
gettingusglassesofjuiceandaplateofbiscuitsandaskingthree
timesifwewantedanytea.Isquirmedalittle.
"Thanks,Mom,"Isaid."We'regoingtogoupstairsfora
while."
Mom'seyesnarrowedforasecond,thenshesmiledagain."Of
course,"shesaid."Yourfatherwillbehomeinanhour,we'lleat
then."
Ihadmyvampirestuffallstashedinthebackofmycloset.Ilet
AngesortthroughitwhileIwentthroughmyclothes.Iwasonly
goingasfarasLA.Theyhadstoresthere,alltheclothingIcould
need.Ijustneededtogettogetherthreeorfourfavoriteteesanda
favoritepairofjeans,atubeofdeodorant,arollofdentalfloss.
"Money!"Isaid.
"Yeah,"shesaid."Iwasgoingtocleanoutmybankaccounton
thewayhomeatanATM.I'vegotmaybefivehundredsavedup."
"Really?"
"WhatamIgoingtospenditon?"shesaid."Eversincethe
Xnet,Ihaven'thadtoevenpayanyservicecharges."
"IthinkI'vegotthreehundredorso."
"Well,thereyougo.GrabitonthewaytoCivicCenterinthe

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/109
morning."
IhadabigbookbagIusedwhenIwashaulinglotsofgear
aroundtown.Itwaslessconspicuousthanmycampingpack.
Angewentthroughmypilesmercilesslyandculledthemdownto
herfavorites.
Onceitwaspackedandundermybed,webothsatdown.
"We'regoingtohavetogetupreallyearlytomorrow,"shesaid.
"Yeah,bigday."
Theplanwastogetmessagesoutwithabunchoffake
VampMoblocationstomorrow,sendingpeopleouttosecluded
spotswithinafewminutes'walkofCivicCenter.We'dcutouta
spraypaintstencilthatjustsaidVAMPMOBCIVICCENTER>
>thatwewouldspraypaintatthosespotsaround5AM.That
wouldkeeptheDHSfromlockingdowntheCivicCenterbefore
wegotthere.Ihadthemailbotreadytosendoutthemessagesat
7AMI'djustleavemyXboxrunningwhenIwentout.
"Howlong..."Shetrailedoff.
"That'swhatI'vebeenwondering,too,"Isaid."Itcouldbea
longtime,Isuppose.Butwhoknows?WithBarbara'sarticle
comingout"I'dqueuedanemailtoherforthenextmorning,
too"andall,maybewe'llbeheroesintwoweeks."
"Maybe,"shesaidandsighed.
Iputmyarmaroundher.Hershoulderswereshaking.
"I'mterrified,"Isaid."Ithinkthatitwouldbecrazynottobe
terrified."
"Yeah,"shesaid."Yeah."
Momcalledustodinner.DadshookAnge'shand.Helooked
unshavedandworried,thewayhehadsincewe'dgonetosee
Barbara,butonmeetingAnge,alittleoftheoldDadcameback.
Shekissedhimonthecheekandheinsistedthatshecallhim
Drew.
Dinnerwasactuallyreallygood.TheicebrokewhenAngetook
outherhotsaucemisterandtreatedherplate,andexplained
aboutScovilleunits.Dadtriedaforkfulofherfoodandwent
reelingintothekitchentodrinkagallonofmilk.Believeitornot,
Momstilltrieditafterthatandgaveeveryimpressionofloving
it.Mom,itturnedout,wasanundiscoveredspicyfoodprodigy,a
natural.
Beforesheleft,AngepressedthehotsaucemisteronMom."I
haveaspareathome,"shesaid.I'dwatchedherpackitinher
backpack."Youseemlikethekindofwomanwhoshouldhave
oneofthese."

Chapter19
ThischapterisdedicatedtotheMITPressBookshop,astoreI've
visitedoneverysingletriptoBostonoverthepasttenyears.
MIT,ofcourse,isoneofthelegendaryoriginnodesforglobal
nerdculture,andthecampusbookstorelivesuptotheincredible
expectationsIhadwhenIfirstsetfootinit.Inadditiontothe
wonderfultitlespublishedbytheMITpress,thebookshopisa
tourthroughthemostexcitinghightechpublicationsinthe
world,fromhackerzineslike2600tofatacademicanthologies
onvideogamedesign.ThisisoneofthosestoreswhereIhaveto
askthemtoshipmypurchaseshomebecausetheydon'tfitinmy
suitcase.
MITPressBookstorehttp://web.mit.edu/bookstore/www/
BuildingE38,77MassachusettsAve.,Cambridge,MAUSA
021394307+16172535249
Here'stheemailthatwentoutat7AMthenextday,whileAnge
andIwerespraypaintingVAMPMOBCIVICCENTER>>at
strategiclocationsaroundtown.
> RULES FOR VAMPMOB
> You are part of a clan of daylight
vampires. You've discovered the secret
of surviving the terrible light of the
sun. The secret was cannibalism: the
blood of another vampire can give you
the strength to walk among the living.
> You need to bite as many other vampires
as you can in order to stay in the
game. If one minute goes by without a
bite, you're out. Once you're out, turn
your shirt around backwards and go
referee -- watch two or three vamps to
see if they're getting their bites in.
> To bite another vamp, you have to say
"Bite!" five times before they do. So
you run up to a vamp, make eye-contact,
and shout "bite bite bite bite bite!"
and if you get it out before she does,
you live and she crumbles to dust.
> You and the other vamps you meet at
your rendezvous are a team. They are
your clan. You derive no nourishment
from their blood.
> You can "go invisible" by standing
still and folding your arms over your

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/110
chest. You can't bite invisible vamps,
and they can't bite you.
> This game is played on the honor
system. The point is to have fun and
get your vamp on, not to win.
> There is an end-game that will be
passed by word of mouth as winners
begin to emerge. The game-masters will
start a whisper campaign among the
players when the time comes. Spread the
whisper as quickly as you can and watch
for the sign.
> M1k3y
> bite bite bite bite bite!

tenminutes,outfrontofCityHall.Alreadythebigplazateemed
withcommuterswhoneatlysidesteppedthehomelesspeople
beggingthere.
I'vealwayshatedCivicCenter.It'sacollectionofhuge
weddingcakebuildings:courthouses,museums,andcivic
buildingslikeCityHall.Thesidewalksarewide,thebuildingsare
white.InthetouristguidestoSanFrancisco,theymanageto
photographitsothatitlookslikeEpcotCenter,futuristicand
austere.
Butontheground,it'sgrimyandgross.Homelesspeoplesleep
onallthebenches.Thedistrictisemptyby6PMexceptfor
drunksanddruggies,becausewithonlyonekindofbuilding
there,there'snolegitreasonforpeopletohangaroundafterthe
sungoesdown.It'smorelikeamallthananeighborhood,andthe
onlybusinessestherearebailbondsmenandliquorstores,places
thatcatertothefamiliesofcrooksontrialandthebumswho
makeittheirnighttimehome.

We'dhopedthatahundredpeoplewouldbewillingtoplay
VampMob.We'dsentoutabouttwohundredinviteseach.But
IreallycametounderstandallofthiswhenIreadaninterview
whenIsatboltuprightat4AMandgrabbedmyXbox,therewere
withanamazingoldurbanplanner,awomancalledJaneJacobs
400repliesthere.Fourhundred.
whowasthefirstpersontoreallynailwhyitwaswrongtoslice
citiesupwithfreeways,stickallthepoorpeopleinhousing
Ifedtheaddressestothebotandstoleoutofthehouse.I
projects,andusezoninglawstotightlycontrolwhogottodo
descendedthestairs,listeningtomyfathersnoreandmymom
whatwhere.
rollingoverintheirbed.Ilockedthedoorbehindme.
At4:15AM,PotreroHillwasasquietasthecountryside.There
weresomedistanttrafficrumbles,andonce,acarcrawledpast
me.IstoppedatanATManddrewout$320intwenties,rolled
themupandputarubberbandaroundthem,andstucktherollin
azipuppocketlowonthethighofmyvampirepants.
Iwaswearingmycapeagain,andaruffledshirt,andtuxedo
pantsthathadbeenmoddedtohaveenoughpocketstocarryall
mylittlebitsandpieces.Ihadonpointedbootswithsilverskull
buckles,andI'dteasedmyhairintoablackdandelionclock
aroundmyhead.Angewasbringingthewhitemakeupandhad
promisedtodomyeyelinerandblacknailpolish.Whythehell
not?WhenwasthenexttimeIwasgoingtogettoplaydressup
likethis?
Angemetmeinfrontofherhouse.Shehadherbackpackon
too,andfishnettights,aruffledgothiclolitamaid'sdress,white
facepaint,elaboratekabukieyemakeup,andherfingersand
throatdrippedwithsilverjewelry.
"Youlookgreat!"wesaidtoeachotherinunison,thenlaughed
quietlyandstoleoffthroughthestreets,spraypaintcansinour
pockets.
#
AsIsurveyedCivicCenter,Ithoughtaboutwhatitwouldlook
likeonce400VampMobbersconvergedonit.Iexpectedthemin

Jacobsexplainedthatrealcitiesareorganicandtheyhavealot
ofvarietyrichandpoor,whiteandbrown,AngloandMex,
retailandresidentialandevenindustrial.Aneighborhoodlike
thathasallkindsofpeoplepassingthroughitatallhoursofthe
dayornight,soyougetbusinessesthatcatertoeveryneed,you
getpeoplearoundallthetime,actinglikeeyesonthestreet.
You'veencounteredthisbefore.Yougowalkingaroundsome
olderpartofsomecityandyoufindthatit'sfullofthecoolest
lookingstores,guysinsuitsandpeopleinfashionrags,upscale
restaurantsandfunkycafes,alittlemovietheatermaybe,houses
withelaboratepaintjobs.Sure,theremightbeaStarbuckstoo,
butthere'salsoaneatlookingfruitmarketandafloristwho
appearstobethreehundredyearsoldasshesnipscarefullyatthe
flowersinherwindows.It'stheoppositeofaplannedspace,like
amall.Itfeelslikeawildgardenorevenawoods:likeitgrew.
Youcouldn'tgetanyfurtherfromthatthanCivicCenter.Iread
aninterviewwithJacobswhereshetalkedaboutthegreatold
neighborhoodtheyknockeddowntobuildit.Ithadbeenjustthat
kindofneighborhood,thekindofplacethathappenedwithout
permissionorrhymeorreason.
Jacobssaidthatshepredictedthatwithinafewyears,Civic
Centerwouldbeoneoftheworstneighborhoodsinthecity,a
ghosttownatnight,aplacethatsustainedathincropofweedy
boozeshopsandfleapitmotels.Intheinterview,shedidn'tseem
verygladtohavebeenvindicated;shesoundedlikeshewas
talkingaboutadeadfriendwhenshedescribedwhatCivicCenter

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/111
hadbecome.
NowitwasrushhourandCivicCenterwasasbusyasitcould
be.TheCivicCenterBARTalsoservesasthemajorstationfor
Munitrolleylines,andifyouneedtoswitchfromonetoanother,
that'swhereyoudoit.At8AM,therewerethousandsofpeople
comingupthestairs,goingdownthestairs,gettingintoandout
oftaxisandonandoffbuses.TheygotsqueezedbyDHS
checkpointsbythedifferentcivicbuildings,androutedaround
aggressivepanhandlers.Theyallsmelledliketheirshampoosand
colognes,freshoutoftheshowerandarmoredintheirworksuits,
swinginglaptopbagsandbriefcases.At8AM,CivicCenterwas
businesscentral.
Andherecamethevamps.AcoupledozencomingdownVan
Ness,acoupledozencomingupMarket.Morecomingfromthe
othersideofMarket.MorecomingupfromVanNess.They
slippedaroundthesideofthebuildings,wearingthewhite
facepaintandtheblackeyeliner,blackclothes,leatherjackets,
hugestompyboots.Fishnetfingerlessgloves.
Theybegantofilluptheplaza.Afewofthebusinesspeople
gavethempassingglancesandthenlookedaway,notwantingto
lettheseweirdosintotheirpersonalrealitiesastheythoughtabout
whatevercraptheywereabouttowadethroughforanothereight
hours.Thevampsmilledaround,notsurewhenthegamewason.
Theypooledtogetherinlargegroups,likeanoilspillinreverse,
allthisblackgatheringinoneplace.Alotofthemsported
oldtimeyhats,bowlersandtoppers.Manyofthegirlswerein
fullonelegantgothiclolitamaidcostumeswithhugeplatforms.
Itriedtoestimatethenumbers.200.Then,fiveminuteslater,it
was300.400.Theywerestillstreamingin.Thevampshad
broughtfriends.
Someonegrabbedmyass.IspunaroundandsawAnge,
laughingsohardshehadtoholdherthighs,bentdouble.
"Lookatthemall,man,lookatthemall!"shegasped.The
squarewastwiceascrowdedasithadbeenafewminutesago.I
hadnoideahowmanyXnetterstherewere,buteasily1000of
themhadjustshoweduptomylittleparty.Christ.
TheDHSandSFPDcopswerestartingtomillaround,talking
intotheirradiosandclusteringtogether.Iheardafarawaysiren.
"Allright,"Isaid,shakingAngebythearm."Allright,let's
go."
Webothslippedoffintothecrowdandassoonaswe
encounteredourfirstvamp,webothsaid,loudly,"Bitebitebite
bitebite!"Myvictimwasastunnedbutcutegirlwith
spiderwebsdrawnonherhandsandsmudgedmascararunning
downhercheeks.Shesaid,"Crap,"andmovedaway,
acknowledgingthatI'dgottenher.

Thecallof"bitebitebitebitebite"hadscrambledtheother
nearbyvamps.Someofthemwereattackingeachother,others
weremovingforcover,hidingout.Ihadmyvictimforthe
minute,soIskulkedaway,usingmundanesforcover.Allaround
me,thecryof"bitebitebitebitebite!"andshoutsandlaughsand
curses.
Thesoundspreadlikeavirusthroughthecrowd.Allthevamps
knewthegamewasonnow,andtheoneswhowereclustered
togetherweredroppinglikeflies.Theylaughedandcussedand
movedaway,clueingthestillinvampsthatthegamewason.
Andmorevampswerearrivingbythesecond.
8:16.Itwastimetobaganothervamp.Icrouchedlowand
movedthroughthelegsofthestraightsastheyheadedforthe
BARTstairs.Theyjerkedbackwithsurpriseandswervedto
avoidme.Ihadmyeyeslaserlockedonasetofblackplatform
bootswithsteeldragonsoverthetoes,andsoIwasn'texpectingit
whenIcamefacetofacewithanothervamp,aguyofabout15or
16,hairgelledstraightbackandwearingaPVCMarilynManson
jacketdrapedwithnecklacesoffaketuskscarvedwithintricate
symbols.
"Bitebitebite"hebegan,whenoneofthemundanestripped
overhimandtheybothwentsprawling.Ileaptovertohimand
shouted"bitebitebitebitebite!"beforehecoulduntanglehimself
again.
Morevampswerearriving.Thesuitswerereallyfreakingout.
ThegameoverflowedthesidewalkandmovedintoVanNess,
spreadinguptowardMarketStreet.Drivershonked,thetrolleys
madeangrydings.Iheardmoresirens,butnowtrafficwas
snarledineverydirection.
Itwasfreakingglorious.
BITEBITEBITEBITEBITE!
Thesoundcamefromallaroundme.Thereweresomany
vampsthere,playingsofuriously,itwaslikearoar.Irisked
standingupandlookingaroundandfoundthatIwasrightinthe
middleofagiantcrowdofvampsthatwentasfarasIcouldsee
ineverydirection.
BITEBITEBITEBITEBITE!
ThiswasevenbetterthantheconcertinDoloresPark.Thathad
beenangryandrockin',butthiswaswell,itwasjustfun.Itwas
likegoingbacktotheplayground,totheepicgamesoftagwe'd
playonlunchbreakswhenthesunwasout,hundredsofpeople
chasingeachotheraround.Theadultsandthecarsjustmadeit
morefun,morefunny.
That'swhatitwas:itwasfunny.Wewerealllaughingnow.
Butthecopswerereallymobilizingnow.Iheardhelicopters.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/112
Anysecondnow,itwouldbeover.Timefortheendgame.
Igrabbedavamp.
"Endgame:whenthecopsorderustodisperse,pretendyou've
beengassed.Passiton.WhatdidIjustsay?"
Thevampwasagirl,tiny,soshortIthoughtshewasreally
young,butshemusthavebeen17or18fromherfaceandthe
smile."Oh,that'swicked,"shesaid.
"WhatdidIsay?"
"Endgame:whenthecopsorderustodisperse,pretendyou've
beengassed.Passiton.WhatdidIjustsay?"
"Right,"Isaid."Passiton."
Shemeltedintothecrowd.Igrabbedanothervamp.Ipassedit
on.Hewentofftopassiton.
Somewhereinthecrowd,IknewAngewasdoingthistoo.
Somewhereinthecrowd,theremightbeinfiltrators,fake
Xnetters,butwhatcouldtheydowiththisknowledge?It'snot
likethecopshadachoice.Theyweregoingtoorderusto
disperse.Thatwasguaranteed.
IhadtogettoAnge.TheplanwastomeetattheFounder's
StatueinthePlaza,butreachingitwasgoingtobehard.The
crowdwasn'tmovinganymore,itwassurging,likethemobhad
inthewaydowntotheBARTstationonthedaythebombswent
off.IstruggledtomakemywaythroughitjustasthePA
underneaththehelicopterswitchedon.
"THISISTHEDEPARTMENTOFHOMELAND
SECURITY.YOUAREORDEREDTODISPERSE
IMMEDIATELY."

SECURITY.YOUAREORDEREDTODISPERSE
IMMEDIATELY.DISPERSEIMMEDIATELY."Thevoiceof
godmademybowelsache.Ifeltitinmymolarsandinmy
femursandmyspine.
Thesalarymenwerescared.Theyweremovingasfastasthey
could,butinnoparticulardirection.Thehelicoptersseemedtobe
directlyoverheadnomatterwhereyoustood.Thecopswere
wadingintothecrowdnow,andthey'dputontheirhelmets.
Somehadshields.Somehadgasmasks.Igaspedharder.
Thenthesalarymenwererunning.Iprobablywouldhaverun
too.Iwatchedaguywhipa$500jacketoffandwrapitaround
hisfacebeforeheadingsouthtowardMission,onlytotripupand
gosprawling.Hiscursesjoinedthechokingsounds.
Thiswasn'tsupposedtohappenthechokingwasjust
supposedtofreakpeopleoutandgetthemconfused,notpanic
themintoastampede.
Therewerescreamsnow,screamsIrecognizedalltoowell
fromthenightinthepark.Thatwasthesoundofpeoplewho
werescaredspitless,runningintoeachotherastheytriedlikehell
togetaway.
Andthentheairraidsirensbegan.
Ihadn'theardthatsoundsincethebombswentoff,butIwould
neverforgetit.Itslicedthroughmeandwentstraightintomy
balls,turningmylegsintojellyontheway.Itmademewantto
runawayinapanic.Igottomyfeet,redcaponmyhead,
thinkingofonlyonething:Ange.AngeandtheFounders'Statue.
Everyonewasontheirfeetnow,runninginalldirections,
screaming.Ipushedpeopleoutofmyway,holdingontomypack
andmyhat,headingforFounders'Statue.Mashawaslookingfor
me,IwaslookingforAnge.Angewasoutthere.

Ipushedandcursed.Elbowedsomeone.Someonecamedown
Aroundme,hundredsofvampsfelltotheground,clutching
theirthroats,clawingattheireyes,gaspingforbreath.Itwaseasy onmyfootsohardIfeltsomethinggocrunchandIshovedhim
tofakebeinggassed,we'dallhadplentyoftimetostudythe
sohewentdown.Hetriedtogetupandsomeonesteppedonhim.
footageofthepartiersinMissionDoloresParkgoingdownunder Ishovedandpushed.
thepeppersprayclouds.
ThenIreachedoutmyarmtoshovesomeoneelseandstrong
"DISPERSEIMMEDIATELY."
handsgrabbedmywristandmyelbowinonefluidmotionand
broughtmyarmbackaroundbehindmyback.Itfeltlikemy
Ifelltotheground,protectingmypack,reachingaroundtothe shoulderwasabouttowrenchoutofitssocket,andIinstantly
redbaseballhatfoldedintothewaistbandofmypants.Ijammed doubledover,hollering,asoundthatwasbarelyaudibleoverthe
itonmyheadandthengrabbedmythroatandmadehorrendous
dinofthecrowd,thethrumofthechoppers,thewailofthesirens.
retchingnoises.
Iwasbroughtbackuprightbythestronghandsbehindme,
Theonlyonesstillstandingwerethemundanes,thesalarymen whichsteeredmelikeamarionette.TheholdwassoperfectI
who'dbeenjusttryingtogettotheirjobs.Ilookedaroundasbest couldn'teventhinkofsquirming.Icouldn'tthinkofthenoiseor
asIcouldatthemasIchokedandgasped.
thehelicopterorAnge.AllIcouldthinkofwasmovingtheway
thatthepersonwhohadmewantedmetomove.Iwasbrought
"THISISTHEDEPARTMENTOFHOMELAND
aroundsothatIwasfacetofacewiththeperson.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/113

Itwasagirlwhosefacewassharpandrodentlike,halfhidden
byagiantpairofsunglasses.Overthesunglasses,amopofbright
pinkhair,spikedoutinalldirections.
"You!"Isaid.Iknewher.She'dtakenapictureofmeand
threatenedtoratmeouttotruantwatch.Thathadbeenfive
minutesbeforethealarmsstarted.She'dbeentheone,ruthless
andcunning.We'dbothrunfromthatspotintheTenderloinas
theklaxonsoundedbehindus,andwe'dbothbeenpickedupby
thecops.I'dbeenhostileandthey'ddecidedthatIwasanenemy.
SheMashabecametheirally.
"Hello,M1k3y,"shehissedinmyear,closeasalover.Ashiver
wentupmyback.SheletgoofmyarmandIshookitout.
"Christ,"Isaid."You!"
"Yes,me,"shesaid."Thegasisgonnacomedowninabouttwo
minutes.Let'shaulass."
"AngemygirlfriendisbytheFounders'Statue."
Mashalookedoverthecrowd."Nochance,"shesaid."Wetry
tomakeitthere,we'redoomed.Thegasiscomingdownintwo
minutes,incaseyoumisseditthefirsttime."

thinned.WewereheadingtowardsagroupofDHScopswithriot
shieldsandhelmetsandmasks.Aswedrewnearthem,they
movedtoblockus,butMashaheldupabadgeandtheymelted
awaylikeshewasObiWanKenobi,saying"Thesearen'tthe
droidsyou'relookingfor."
"Yougoddamnedbitch,"IsaidaswespedupMarketStreet.
"WehavetogobackforAnge."
Shepursedherlipsandshookherhead."Ifeelforyou,buddy.I
haven'tseenmyboyfriendinmonths.HeprobablythinksI'm
dead.Fortunesofwar.WegobackforyourAnge,we'redead.If
wepushon,wehaveachance.Solongaswehaveachance,she
hasachance.Thosekidsaren'tallgoingtoGitmo.They'll
probablytakeafewhundredinforquestioningandsendtherest
home."
WeweremovingupMarketStreetnow,pastthestripjoints
wherethelittleencampmentsofbumsandjunkiessat,stinking
likeopentoilets.Mashaguidedmetoalittlealcoveintheshut
doorofoneofthestripplaces.Shestrippedoffherjacketand
turneditinsideouttheliningwasamutedstripepattern,and
withthejacket'sseamsreversed,ithungdifferently.She
producedawoolhatfromherpocketandpulleditoverherhair,
lettingitformajaunty,offcenterpeak.Thenshetookoutsome
makeupremoverwipesandwenttoworkonherfaceand
fingernails.Inaminute,shewasadifferentwoman.

Istoppedmoving."Idon'tgowithoutAnge,"Isaid.

"Wardrobechange,"shesaid."Nowyou.Losetheshoes,lose
thejacket,losethehat."Icouldseeherpoint.Thecopswouldbe
Sheshrugged."Suityourself,"sheshoutedinmyear."Your
lookingverycarefullyatanyonewholookedlikethey'dbeena
funeral."
partoftheVampMob.IditchedthehatentirelyI'dneverliked
ballcaps.ThenIjammedthejacketintomypackandgotouta
Shebegantopushthroughthecrowd,movingaway,north,
longsleevedteewithapictureofRosaLuxembourgonitand
towarddowntown.IcontinuedtopushfortheFounders'Statue.A pulleditovermyblacktee.IletMashawipemymakeupoffand
secondlater,myarmwasbackintheterriblelockandIwasbeing cleanmynailsandaminutelater,Iwasclean.
swungaroundandpropelledforward.
"Switchoffyourphone,"shesaid."Youcarryinganyarphids?"
"Youknowtoomuch,jerkoff,"shesaid."You'veseenmy
face.You'recomingwithme."
Ihadmystudentcard,myATMcard,myFastPass.Theyall
wentintoasilveredbagsheheldout,whichIrecognizedasa
Iscreamedather,struggledtillitfeltlikemyarmwouldbreak, radioproofFaradaypouch.Butassheputtheminherpocket,I
butshewaspushingmeforward.Mysorefootwasagonywith
realizedI'djustturnedmyIDovertoher.Ifshewasontheother
everystep,myshoulderfeltlikeitwouldbreak.
side...
Withherusingmeasabatteringram,wemadegoodprogress
Themagnitudeofwhathadjusthappenedbegantosinkin.In
throughthecrowd.Thewhineofthehelicopterschangedandshe mymind,I'dpicturedhavingAngewithmeatthispoint.Ange
gavemeaharderpush."RUN!"sheyelled."Herecomesthegas!" wouldmakeittwoagainstone.Angewouldhelpmeseeifthere
wassomethingamiss.IfMashawasn'tallshesaidshewas.
Thecrowdnoisechanged,too.Thechokingsoundsandscream
soundsgotmuch,muchlouder.I'dheardthatpitchofsound
"Putthesepebblesinyourshoesbeforeyouputthemon"
before.Wewerebackinthepark.Thegaswasrainingdown.I
heldmybreathandran.
"It'sOK.Isprainedmyfoot.Nogaitrecognitionprogramwill
spotmenow."
Weclearedthecrowdandsheletgoofmyarm.Ishookitout.I
limpedasfastasIcouldupthesidewalkasthecrowdthinnedand
Shenoddedonce,oneprotoanother,andslungherpack.I

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/114
pickedupmineandwemoved.Thetotaltimeforthechangeover
waslessthanaminute.Welookedandwalkedliketwodifferent
people.
Shelookedatherwatchandshookherhead."Comeon,"she
said."Wehavetomakeourrendezvous.Don'tthinkofrunning,
either.You'vegottwochoicesnow.Me,orjail.They'llbe
analyzingthefootagefromthatmobfordays,butoncethey're
done,everyfaceinitwillgoinadatabase.Ourdeparturewillbe
noted.Wearebothwantedcriminalsnow."
#
ShegotusoffMarketStreetonthenextblock,swingingback
intotheTenderloin.Iknewthisneighborhood.Thiswaswhere
we'dgonehuntingforanopenWiFiaccesspointbackontheday,
playingHarajukuFunMadness.
"Wherearewegoing?"Isaid.
"We'reabouttocatcharide,"shesaid."Shutupandletme
concentrate."
Wemovedfast,andsweatstreameddownmyfacefromunder
myhair,courseddownmybackandsliddownthecrackofmy
assandmythighs.MyfootwasreallyhurtingandIwasseeing
thestreetsofSanFranciscoraceby,maybeforthelasttime,ever.
Itdidn'thelpthatwewereploughingstraightuphill,movingfor
thezonewheretheseedyTenderloingiveswaytothenosebleed
realestatevaluesofNobHill.Mybreathcameinraggedgasps.
Shemovedusmostlyupnarrowalleys,usingthebigstreetsjust
togetfromonealleytothenext.
Wewerejuststeppingintoonesuchalley,SabinPlace,when
someonefellinbehindusandsaid,"Freezerightthere."Itwas
fullofevilmirth.Westoppedandturnedaround.
AtthemouthofthealleystoodCharles,wearingahalfhearted
VampMoboutfitofblacktshirtandjeansandwhitefacepaint.
"Hello,Marcus,"hesaid."Yougoingsomewhere?"Hesmileda
huge,wetgrin."Who'syourgirlfriend?"
"Whatdoyouwant,Charles?"
"Well,I'vebeenhangingoutonthattraitorousXneteversinceI
spottedyougivingoutDVDsatschool.WhenIheardaboutyour
VampMob,IthoughtI'dgoalongandhangaroundtheedges,just
toseeifyoushowedupandwhatyoudid.YouknowwhatI
saw?"
Isaidnothing.Hehadhisphoneinhishand,pointedatus.
Recording.Maybereadytodial911.Besideme,Mashahadgone
stillasaboard.
"Isawyouleadingthedamnedthing.AndIrecordedit,

Marcus.SonowI'mgoingtocallthecopsandwe'regoingtowait
righthereforthem.Andthenyou'regoingtogoto
poundyouintheassprison,foralong,longtime."
Mashasteppedforward.
"Stoprightthere,chickie,"hesaid."Isawyougethimaway.I
sawitall"
Shetookanotherstepforwardandsnatchedthephoneoutofhis
hand,reachingbehindherwithherotherhandandbringingitout
holdingawalletopen.
"DHS,dickhead,"shesaid."I'mDHS.I'vebeenrunningthis
twerpbacktohismasterstoseewherehewent.Iwasdoingthat.
Nowyou'veblownit.Wehaveanameforthat.Wecallit
'ObstructionofNationalSecurity.'You'reabouttohearthat
phrasealotmoreoften."
Charlestookastepbackward,hishandsheldupinfrontofhim.
He'dgoneevenpalerunderhismakeup."What?No!ImeanI
didn'tknow!Iwastryingtohelp!"
"ThelastthingweneedisabunchofhighschoolJuniorGmen
'helping,'buddy.Youcantellittothejudge."
Hemovedbackagain,butMashawasfast.Shegrabbedhis
wristandtwistedhimintothesamejudoholdshe'dhadmein
backatCivicCenter.Herhanddippedbacktoherpocketsand
cameoutholdingastripofplastic,ahandcuffstrip,whichshe
quicklywoundaroundhiswrists.
ThatwasthelastthingIsawasItookoffrunning.
#
Imadeitasfarastheotherendofthealleybeforeshecaught
upwithme,tacklingmefrombehindandsendingmesprawling.I
couldn'tmoveveryfast,notwithmyhurtfootandtheweightof
mypack.Iwentdowninahardfaceplantandskidded,grinding
mycheekintothegrimyasphalt.
"Jesus,"shesaid."You'reagoddamnedidiot.Youdidn't
believethat,didyou?"
Myheartthuddedinmychest.Shewasontopofmeand
slowlysheletmeup.
"DoIneedtocuffyou,Marcus?"
Igottomyfeet.Ihurtallover.Iwantedtodie.
"Comeon,"shesaid."It'snotfarnow."
#

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/115
'It'turnedouttobeamovingvanonaNobHillsidestreet,a
sixteenwheelerthesizeofoneoftheubiquitousDHStrucksthat
stillturneduponSanFrancisco'sstreetcorners,bristlingwith
antennas.

"Youneedtogivemeacopyofthis,"Isaid."Ineedit."

"WhenwegettoLA,"shesaid,snatchingthephoneback.
"Onceyou'vebeenbriefedonhowtobeafugitivewithoutgetting
Thisone,though,said"ThreeGuysandaTruckMoving"on
bothourassescaughtandshippedtoSyria.Idon'twantyou
theside,andthethreeguyswereverymuchinevidence,trekking gettingrescueideasaboutthisguy.He'ssafeenoughwhereheis
inandoutofatallapartmentbuildingwithagreenawning.They fornow."
werecarryingcratedfurniture,neatlylabeledboxes,loadingthem
oneatatimeontothetruckandcarefullypackingthemthere.
Ithoughtabouttryingtotakeitfromherbyforce,butshe'd
alreadydemonstratedherphysicalskill.Shemusthavebeena
Shewalkedusaroundtheblockonce,apparentlyunsatisfied
blackbeltorsomething.
withsomething,then,onthenextpass,shemadeeyecontactwith
themanwhowaswatchingthevan,anolderblackguywitha
Wesatthereinthedark,listeningtothethreeguysloadthe
kidneybeltandheavygloves.Hehadakindfaceandhesmiledat truckwithboxafterbox,tyingthingsdown,gruntingwiththe
usassheledusquickly,casuallyupthetruck'sthreestairsand
effortofit.Itriedtosleep,butcouldn't.Mashahadnosuch
intoitsdepth."Underthebigtable,"hesaid."Weleftyousome
problem.Shesnored.
spacethere."
Therewasstilllightshiningthroughthenarrow,obstructed
Thetruckwasmorethanhalffull,buttherewasanarrow
corridorthatledtothefreshairoutside.Istaredatit,throughthe
corridoraroundahugetablewithaquiltedblanketthrownoverit gloom,andthoughtofAnge.
andbubblewrapwoundarounditslegs.
MyAnge.Herhairbrushinghershouldersassheturnedher
Mashapulledmeunderthetable.Itwasstuffyandstilland
headfromsidetoside,laughingatsomethingI'ddone.Herface
dustyunderthere,andIsuppressedasneezeaswescrunchedin
whenI'dseenherlast,fallingdowninthecrowdatVampMob.
amongtheboxes.Thespacewassotightthatwewereontopof
AllthosepeopleatVampMob,likethepeopleinthepark,down
eachother.Ididn'tthinkthatAngewouldhavefitinthere.
andwrithing,theDHSmovinginwithtruncheons.Theoneswho
disappeared.
"Bitch,"Isaid,lookingatMasha.
Darryl.StuckonTreasureIsland,hissidestitchedup,takenout
"Shutup.Youshouldbelickingmybootsthankingme.You
ofhiscellforendlessroundsofquestioningabouttheterrorists.
wouldhaveendedupinjailinaweek,twotops.Not
GitmobytheBay.Syria,maybe.Ithinkthat'swheretheysent
Darryl'sfather,ruinedandboozy,unshaven.Washedupandin
theonestheyreallywantedtodisappear."
hisuniform,"forthephotos."Weepinglikealittleboy.
Iputmyheadonmykneesandtriedtobreathedeeply.
"Whywouldyoudosomethingsostupidasdeclaringwaron
theDHSanyway?"
Itoldher.ItoldheraboutbeingbustedandItoldherabout
Darryl.
Shepattedherpocketsandcameupwithaphone.Itwas
Charles's."Wrongphone."Shecameupwithanotherphone.She
turneditonandtheglowfromitsscreenfilledourlittlefort.
Afterfiddlingforasecond,sheshowedittome.
Itwasthepictureshe'dsnappedofus,justbeforethebombs
blew.ItwasthepictureofJoluandVanandmeand
Darryl.
IwasholdinginmyhandproofthatDarrylhadbeenwithus
minutesbeforewe'dallgoneintoDHScustody.Proofthathe'd
beenaliveandwellandinourcompany.

Myownfather,andthewaythathehadbeenchangedbymy
disappearancetoTreasureIsland.He'dbeenjustasbrokenas
Darryl'sfather,butinhisownway.Andhisface,whenItoldhim
whereI'dbeen.
ThatwaswhenIknewthatIcouldn'trun.
ThatwaswhenIknewthatIhadtostayandfight.
#
Masha'sbreathingwasdeepandregular,butwhenIreached
withglacialslownessintoherpocketforherphone,shesnuffleda
littleandshifted.Ifrozeanddidn'tevenbreatheforafulltwo
minutes,countingonehippopotami,twohippopotami.
Slowly,herbreathdeepenedagain.Ituggedthephonefreeof
herjacketpocketonemillimeteratatime,myfingersandarm
tremblingwiththeeffortofmovingsoslowly.
ThenIhadit,alittlecandybarshapedthing.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/116

Iturnedtoheadforthelight,whenIhadaflashofmemory:
Charles,holdingouthisphone,wagglingitatus,tauntingus.It
hadbeenacandybarshapedphone,silver,plasteredinthelogos
ofadozencompaniesthathadsubsidizedthecostofthehandset
throughthephonecompany.Itwasthekindofphonewhereyou
hadtolistentoacommercialeverytimeyoumadeacall.
Itwastoodimtoseethephoneclearlyinthetruck,butIcould
feelit.Werethosecompanydecalsonitssides?Yes?Yes.Ihad
juststolenCharles'sphonefromMasha.
Iturnedbackaroundslowly,slowly,andslowly,slowly,
slowly,Ireachedbackintoherpocket.Herphonewasbiggerand
bulkier,withabettercameraandwhoknewwhatelse?
I'dbeenthroughthisoncebeforethatmadeitalittleeasier.
Millimeterbymillimeteragain,Iteaseditfreeofherpocket,
stoppingtwicewhenshesnuffledandtwitched.
IhadthephonefreeofherpocketandIwasbeginningtoback
awaywhenherhandshotout,fastasasnake,andgrabbedmy
wrist,hard,fingertipsgrindingawayatthesmall,tenderbones
belowmyhand.
IgaspedandstaredintoMasha'swideopen,staringeyes.
"Youaresuchanidiot,"shesaid,conversationally,takingthe
phonefromme,punchingatitskeypadwithherotherhand.
"Howdidyouplanonunlockingthisagain?"
Iswallowed.Ifeltbonesgrindagainsteachotherinmywrist.I
bitmyliptokeepfromcryingout.
Shecontinuedtopunchawaywithherotherhand."Isthiswhat
youthoughtyou'dgetawaywith?"Sheshowedmethepictureof
allofus,DarrylandJolu,Vanandme."Thispicture?"
Ididn'tsayanything.Mywristfeltlikeitwouldshatter.
"MaybeIshouldjustdeleteit,taketemptationoutofyour
way."Herfreehandmovedsomemore.Herphoneaskedherif
shewassureandshehadtolookatittofindtherightbutton.
That'swhenImoved.IhadCharles'sphoneinmyotherhand
still,andIbroughtitdownonhercrushinghandashardasI
could,bangingmyknucklesonthetableoverhead.Ihitherhand
sohardthephoneshatteredandsheyelpedandherhandwent
slack.Iwasstillmoving,reachingforherotherhand,forher
nowunlockedphonewithherthumbstillpoisedovertheOK
key.HerfingersspasmedontheemptyairasIsnatchedthe
phoneoutofherhand.

Pharaohinatomb.Afewofthemfelldownbehindme,andI
heardMashagruntagain.
TherollingtruckdoorwasopenacrackandIdoveforit,
slitheringoutunderit.ThestepshadbeenremovedandIfound
myselfhangingovertheroad,slidingheadfirstintoit,clanging
myheadofftheblacktopwithathumpthatrangmyearslikea
gong.Iscrambledtomyfeet,holdingthebumper,and
desperatelydraggeddownonthedoorhandle,slammingitshut.
MashascreamedinsideImusthavecaughtherfingertips.Ifelt
likethrowingup,butIdidn't.
Ipadlockedthetruckinstead.
Chapter20
ThischapterisdedicatedtoTheTatteredCover,Denver's
legendaryindependentbookstore.IhappeneduponTheTattered
Coverquitebyaccident:AliceandIhadjustlandedinDenver,
cominginfromLondon,anditwasearlyandcoldandweneeded
coffee.Wedroveinaimlessrentalcarcircles,andthat'swhenI
spottedit,theTatteredCover'ssign.Somethingaboutittingledin
myhindbrainIknewI'dheardofthisplace.Wepulledin(gota
coffee)andsteppedintothestoreawonderlandofdarkwood,
homeyreadingnooks,andmilesandmilesofbookshelves.
TheTatteredCover
http://www.tatteredcover.com/NASApp/store/Product?
s=showproduct&isbn=9780765319852162816thSt.,Denver,
COUSA80202+13034361070
Noneofthethreeguyswerearoundatthemoment,soItookoff.
MyheadhurtsomuchIthoughtImustbebleeding,butmyhands
cameawaydry.Mytwistedanklehadfrozenupinthetruckso
thatIranlikeabrokenmarionette,andIstoppedonlyonce,to
cancelthephotodeletiononMasha'sphone.Iturnedoffitsradio
bothtosavebatteryandtokeepitfrombeingusedtotrackme
andsetthesleeptimertotwohours,thelongestsetting
available.Itriedtosetittonotrequireapasswordtowakefrom
sleep,butthatrequiredapassworditself.Iwasjustgoingtohave
totapthekeypadatleastonceeverytwohoursuntilIcould
figureouthowtogetthephotooffofthephone.Iwouldneeda
charger,then.
Ididn'thaveaplan.Ineededone.Ineededtositdown,toget
onlinetofigureoutwhatIwasgoingtodonext.Iwassickof
lettingotherpeopledomyplanningforme.Ididn'twanttobe
actingbecauseofwhatMashadid,orbecauseoftheDHS,or
becauseofmydad.OrbecauseofAnge?Well,maybeI'dact
becauseofAnge.Thatwouldbejustfine,infact.

Imoveddownthenarrowcorridoronhandsandknees,heading
forthelight.Ifeltherhandsslapatmyfeetandanklestwice,and
I'djustbeenslippingdownhill,takingalleyswhenIcould,
Ihadtoshoveasidesomeoftheboxesthathadwalledusinlikea mergingwiththeTenderloincrowds.Ididn'thaveanydestination

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/117
inmind.Everyfewminutes,Iputmyhandinmypocketand
nudgedoneofthekeysonMasha'sphonetokeepitfromgoing
asleep.Itmadeanawkwardbulge,unfoldedthereinmyjacket.
Istoppedandleanedagainstabuilding.Myanklewaskilling
me.WherewasI,anyway?
O'Farrell,atHydeStreet.Infrontofadodgy"AsianMassage
Parlor."Mytraitorousfeethadtakenmerightbacktothe
beginningtakenmebacktowherethephotoonMasha'sphone
hadbeentaken,secondsbeforetheBayBridgeblew,beforemy
lifechangedforever.
Iwantedtositdownonthesidewalkandbawl,butthat
wouldn'tsolvemyproblems.IhadtocallBarbaraStratford,tell
herwhathadhappened.ShowherthephotoofDarryl.

Theoretically,theGuardianwasfree,butthisguyappearedto
havecorneredthelocalmarketforcopiesofit.Ihadaquarterin
myhand.Idroppeditintohiscupandfishedforanotherone.I
didn'tbotherpolishingthefingerprintsoffofitthistime.
"We'retoldthattheworldchangedforeverwhentheBay
Bridgewasblownupbypartiesunknown.Thousandsofour
friendsandneighborsdiedonthatday.Almostnoneofthemhave
beenrecovered;theirremainsarepresumedtoberestinginthe
city'sharbor.
"Butanextraordinarystorytoldtothisreporterbyayoungman
whowasarrestedbytheDHSminutesaftertheexplosion
suggeststhatourowngovernmenthasillegallyheldmanyof
thosethoughtdeadonTreasureIsland,whichhadbeenevacuated
anddeclaredofflimitstociviliansshortlyafterthebombing..."

WhatwasIthinking?Ihadtoshowherthevideo,theonethat
MashahadsentmetheonewherethePresident'sChiefofStaff
Isatdownonabenchthesamebench,Inotedwithaprickly
gloatedattheattacksonSanFranciscoandadmittedthatheknew hairuptheneckfeeling,wherewe'drestedDarrylafterescaping
whenandwherethenextattackswouldhappenandthathe
fromtheBARTstationandreadthearticleallthewaythrough.
wouldn'tstopthembecausethey'dhelphismangetreelected.
Ittookahugeeffortnottoburstintotearsrightthere.Barbarahad
foundsomephotosofmeandDarrylgoofingaroundtogetherand
Thatwasaplan,then:getintouchwithBarbara,giveherthe
theyranalongsidethetext.Thephotosweremaybeayearold,
documents,andgetthemintoprint.TheVampMobhadtohave
butIlookedsomuchyoungerinthem,likeIwas10or11.I'd
reallyfreakedpeopleout,madethemthinkthatwereallywerea donealotofgrowingupinthepastcouplemonths.
bunchofterrorists.Ofcourse,whenI'dbeenplanningit,Ihad
beenthinkingofhowgoodadistractionitwouldbe,nothowit
Thepiecewasbeautifullywritten.Ikeptfeelingoutragedon
wouldlooktosomeNASCARDadinNebraska.
behalfofthepoorkidsshewaswritingabout,thenremembering
thatshewaswritingaboutme.Zeb'snotewasthere,hiscrabbed
I'dcallBarbara,andI'ddoitsmart,fromapayphone,putting
handwritingreproducedinlarge,ahalfsheetofthenewspaper.
myhoodupsothattheinevitableCCTVwouldn'tgetaphotoof Barbarahaddugupmoreinfoonotherkidswhoweremissing
me.Idugaquarteroutofmypocketandpolisheditonmy
andpresumeddead,alonglist,andaskedhowmanyhadbeen
shirttail,gettingthefingerprintsoffit.
stuckthereontheisland,justafewmilesfromtheirparents'
doorsteps.
Iheadeddownhill,downanddowntotheBARTstationandthe
payphonesthere.ImadeittothetrolleycarstopwhenIspotted
Iduganotherquarteroutofmypocket,thenchangedmymind.
thecoveroftheweek'sBayGuardian,stackedinahighpilenext WhatwasthechancethatBarbara'sphonewasn'ttapped?There
toahomelessblackguywhosmiledatme."Goaheadandread
wasnowayIwasgoingtobeabletocallhernow,notdirectly.I
thecover,it'sfreeit'llcostyoufiftycentstolookinside,
neededsomeintermediarytogetintouchwithherandgetherto
though."
meetmesomewheresouth.Somuchforplans.
TheheadlinewassetinthebiggesttypeI'dseensince9/11:
INSIDEGITMOBYTHEBAY
Beneathit,inslightlysmallertype:
"HowtheDHShaskeptourchildrenandfriendsinsecret
prisonsonourdoorstep.
"ByBarbaraStratford,SpecialtotheBayGuardian"
Thenewspapersellershookhishead."Canyoubelievethat?"
hesaid."RighthereinSanFrancisco.Man,thegovernment
sucks."

WhatIreally,reallyneededwastheXnet.
HowthehellwasIgoingtogetonline?Myphone'swifinder
wasblinkinglikecrazytherewaswirelessallaroundme,butI
didn'thaveanXboxandaTVandaParanoidXboxDVDtoboot
from.WiFi,WiFieverywhere...
That'swhenIspottedthem.Twokids,aboutmyage,moving
amongthecrowdatthetopofthestairsdownintotheBART.
Whatcaughtmyeyewasthewaytheyweremoving,kindof
clumsy,nudgingupagainstthecommutersandthetourists.Each
hadahandinhispocket,andwhenevertheymetoneanother's
eye,theysnickered.Theycouldn'thavebeenmoreobvious

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/118
jammers,butthecrowdwasoblivioustothem.Beingdownin
thatneighborhood,youexpecttobedodginghomelesspeopleand
crazies,soyoudon'tmakeeyecontact,don'tlookaroundatallif
youcanhelpit.

Liamlookedlikehemightcry.

"Don'tworry,youdidn'tgetbusted.I'llgiveyousometips,
later."Hebrightenedupagain.Whatwasbecomingweirdlyclear
Isidleduptoone.Heseemedreallyyoung,buthecouldn'thave wasthatthesetworeallydididolizeM1k3y,andthatthey'ddo
beenanyyoungerthanme.
anythingIsaid.Theyweregrinninglikeidiots.Itmademe
uncomfortable,sicktomystomach.
"Hey,"Isaid."Hey,canyouguyscomeoverherefora
second?"
"Listen,IneedtogetonXnet,now,withoutgoinghomeor
anywherenearhome.Doyoutwolivenearhere?"
Hepretendednottohearme.Helookedrightthroughme,the
wayyouwouldahomelessperson.
"Ido,"Natesaid."UpatthetopofCaliforniaStreet.It'sabitof
awalksteephills."I'djustwalkedallthewaydownthem.
"Comeon,"Isaid."Idon'thavealotoftime."Igrabbedhis
Mashawassomewhereupthere.Butstill,itwasbetterthanIhad
shoulderandhissedinhisear."Thecopsareafterme.I'mfrom
anyrighttoexpect.
Xnet."
"Let'sgo,"Isaid.
Helookedscarednow,likehewantedtorunaway,andhis
friendwasmovingtowardus."I'mserious,"Isaid."Justhearme
#
out."
Nateloanedmehisbaseballhatandtradedjacketswithme.I
Hisfriendcameover.Hewastaller,andbeefylikeDarryl.
didn'thavetoworryaboutgaitrecognition,notwithmyankle
"Hey,"hesaid."Somethingwrong?"
throbbingthewayitwasIlimpedlikeanextrainacowboy
movie.
Hisfriendwhisperedinhisear.Thetwoofthemlookedlike
theyweregoingtobolt.
NatelivedinahugefourbedroomapartmentatthetopofNob
IgrabbedmycopyoftheBayGuardianfromundermyarm
Hill.Thebuildinghadadoorman,inaredovercoatwithgold
andrattleditinfrontofthem."Justturntopage5,OK?"
brocade,andhetouchedhiscapandcalledNate,"MrNate"and
welcomedusallthere.Theplacewasspotlessandsmelledof
Theydid.Theylookedattheheadline.Thephoto.Me.
furniturepolish.Itriednottogawpatwhatmusthavebeena
couplemillionbucks'worthofcondo.
"Oh,dude,"thefirstonesaid."Wearesonotworthy."He
grinnedatmelikecrazy,andthebeefieroneslappedmeonthe
"Mydad,"heexplained."Hewasaninvestmentbanker.Lotsof
lifeinsurance.HediedwhenIwas14andwegotitall.They'd
back.
beendivorcedforyears,butheleftmymomasbeneficiary."
"Noway"hesaid."You'reM"
Fromthefloortoceilingwindow,youcouldseeastunning
viewoftheothersideofNobHill,allthewaydownto
Iputahandoverhismouth."Comeoverhere,OK?"
Fisherman'sWharf,totheuglystuboftheBayBridge,thecrowd
ofcranesandtrucks.Throughthemist,Icouldjustmakeout
Ibroughtthembacktomybench.Inoticedthattherewas
TreasureIsland.Lookingdownallthatway,itgavemeacrazy
somethingoldandbrownstainingthesidewalkunderneathit.
urgetojump.
Darryl'sblood?Itmademyskinpuckerup.Wesatdown.
IgotonlinewithhisXboxandahugeplasmascreeninthe
"I'mMarcus,"Isaid,swallowinghardasIgavemyrealname
tothesetwowhoalreadyknewmeasM1k3y.Iwasblowingmy livingroom.HeshowedmehowmanyopenWiFinetworkswere
cover,buttheBayGuardianhadalreadymadetheconnectionfor visiblefromhishighvantagepointtwenty,thirtyofthem.This
wasagoodspottobeanXnetter.
me.
"Nate,"thesmallonesaid."Liam,"thebiggeronesaid."Dude,
itissuchanhonortomeetyou.You'relikeouralltimehero"
"Don'tsaythat,"Isaid."Don'tsaythat.Youtwoarelikea
flashingadvertisementthatsays,'Iamjamming,pleaseputmy
assinGitmobytheBay.Youcouldn'tbemoreobvious."

TherewasalotofemailinmyM1k3yaccount.20,000new
messagessinceAngeandIhadleftherplacethatmorning.Lots
ofitwasfromthepress,askingforfollowupinterviews,butmost
ofitwasfromtheXnetters,peoplewho'dseentheGuardianstory
andwantedtotellmethatthey'ddoanythingtohelpme,anything
Ineeded.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/119

Thatdidit.Tearsstartedtorolldownmycheeks.

wasstaringatmewitheyesasbigassaucers,lookinglikehe
wantedtodroptohiskneesandworshipme.

NateandLiamexchangedglances.Itriedtostop,butitwasno
"CanIjustsay,"Natesaid,"canIjustsaythatitisthebiggest
good.Iwassobbingnow.Natewenttoanoakbookcaseonone honorofmyentirelifetohelpyou?CanIjustsaythat?"
wallandswungabaroutofoneofitsshelves,revealinggleaming
rowsofbottles.Hepouredmeashotofsomethinggoldenbrown
Iwasblushingnow.Therewasnothingforit.Thesetwowere
andbroughtittome.
totallystarstruck,eventhoughIwasn'tanykindofstar,notin
myownmindatleast.
"RareIrishwhiskey,"hesaid."Mom'sfavorite."
"Canyouguys"Iswallowed."CanIhavesomeprivacy
Ittastedlikefire,likegold.Isippedatit,tryingnottochoke.I here?"
didn'treallylikehardliquor,butthiswasdifferent.Itookseveral
deepbreaths.
TheyslunkoutoftheroomlikebadpuppiesandIfeltlikea
tool.Itypedfast.
"Thanks,Nate,"Isaid.HelookedlikeI'djustpinnedamedal
onhim.Hewasagoodkid.
"Igotaway,Zeb.AndI'montherun.IneedallthehelpIcan
get.Iwanttoendthisnow."IrememberedtotakeMasha'sphone
"Allright,"Isaid,andpickedupthekeyboard.Thetwoboys
outofmypocketandtickleittokeepitfromgoingtosleep.
watchedinfascinationasIpagedthroughmymailonthegigantic
screen.
Theyletmeusetheshower,gavemeachangeofclothes,anew
backpackwithhalftheirearthquakekitinitenergybars,
WhatIwaslookingfor,firstandforemost,wasemailfrom
medicine,hotandcoldpacks,andanoldsleepingbag.Theyeven
Ange.Therewasachancethatshe'djustgottenaway.Therewas slippedaspareXboxUniversalalreadyloadedwith
alwaysthatchance.
ParanoidXboxonitintothere.Thatwasanicetouch.Ihadto
drawthelineataflaregun.
Iwasanidiottoevenhope.Therewasnothingfromher.I
startedgoingthroughthemailasfastasIcould,pickingapartthe
IkeptoncheckingmyemailtoseeifZebhadreplied.I
pressrequests,thefanmail,thehatemail,thespam...
answeredthefanmail.Iansweredthemailfromthepress.I
deletedthehatemail.Iwashalfexpectingtoseesomethingfrom
Andthat'swhenIfoundit:aletterfromZeb.
Masha,butchanceswereshewashalfwaytoLAbynow,her
fingershurt,andinnopositiontotype.Itickledherphoneagain.
"Itwasn'tnicetowakeupthismorningandfindtheletterthatI
thoughtyouwoulddestroyinthepagesofthenewspaper.Not
Theyencouragedmetotakeanapandforabrief,shameful
niceatall.Mademefeelhunted.
moment,Igotallparanoidlikemaybetheseguyswerethinking
ofturningmeinonceIwasasleep.Whichwasidioticthey
"ButI'vecometounderstandwhyyoudidit.Idon'tknowifI
couldhaveturnedmeinjustaseasilywhenIwasawake.Ijust
canapproveofyourtactics,butit'seasytoseethatyourmotives couldn'tcomputethefactthattheythoughtsomuchofme.Ihad
weresound.
known,intellectually,thattherewerepeoplewhowouldfollow
M1k3y.I'dmetsomeofthosepeoplethatmorning,shouting
"Ifyou'rereadingthis,thatmeansthatthere'sagoodchance
BITEBITEBITEandvampingitupatCivicCenter.Butthese
you'vegoneunderground.It'snoteasy.I'vebeenlearningthat.
twoweremorepersonal.Theywerejustnice,goofyguys,they
I'vebeenlearningalotmore.
couldabeenanyofmyfriendsbackinthedaysbeforetheXnet,
justtwopalswhopalledaroundhavingteenageadventures.
"Icanhelpyou.Ishoulddothatforyou.You'redoingwhatyou They'dvolunteeredtojoinanarmy,myarmy.Ihada
canforme.(Evenifyou'renotdoingitwithmypermission.)
responsibilitytothem.Lefttothemselves,they'dgetcaught,it
wasonlyamatteroftime.Theyweretootrusting.
"Replyifyougetthis,ifyou'reontherunandalone.Orreplyif
you'reincustody,beingrunbyourfriendsonGitmo,lookingfor
"Guys,listentomeforasecond.IhavesomethingseriousI
awaytomakethepainstop.Ifthey'vegotyou,you'lldowhat
needtotalktoyouabout."
theytellyou.Iknowthat.I'lltakethatrisk.
Theyalmoststoodatattention.Itwouldhavebeenfunnyifit
"Foryou,M1k3y."
wasn'tsoscary.
"Wooooah,"Liambreathed."Duuuuude."Iwantedtosmack
him.Iturnedtosaysomethingawfulandcuttingtohim,buthe

"Here'sthething.Nowthatyou'vehelpedme,it'sreally
dangerous.Ifyougetcaught,I'llgetcaught.They'llgetanything

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/120
youknowoutofyou"Iheldupmyhandtoforestalltheir
protests."No,stop.Youhaven'tbeenthroughit.Everyonetalks.
Everyonebreaks.Ifyou'reevercaught,youtellthemeverything,
rightaway,asfastasyoucan,asmuchasyoucan.They'llgetit
alleventuallyanyway.That'showtheywork.

goingtobewatchingherwatchingtoseeifIshowup."

"Butyouwon'tgetcaught,andhere'swhy:you'renotjammers
anymore.Youareretiredfromactiveduty.You'rea"Ifishedin
mymemoryforvocabularywordsculledfromspythrillers
"you'reasleepercell.Standdown.Gobacktobeingnormalkids.
Onewayoranother,I'mgoingtobreakthisthing,breakitwide
open,endit.Oritwillgetme,finally,domein.Ifyoudon'thear
frommewithin72hours,assumethattheygotme.Dowhatever
youwantthen.Butforthenextthreedaysandforever,ifIdo
whatI'mtryingtodostanddown.Willyoupromisemethat?"

"IwantyoutogetVantocomeandmeetme.DidDarrylever
tellyouaboutVan?Thegirl"

"Youdon'tthinkthatthey'llbewatchingforme,too?Ifyour
planinvolvesmegoingwithinamileofthatwoman'shomeor
office"

"Hetoldme.Yes,hetoldme.Youdon'tthinkthey'llbe
watchingher?Allofyouwhowerearrested?"

"Ithinktheywill.Idon'tthinkthey'llbewatchingherashard.
AndVanhastotallycleanhands.Shenevercooperatedwithany
ofmy"Iswallowed."Withmyprojects.Sotheymightbea
littlemorerelaxedabouther.IfshecallstheBayGuardianto
Theypromisedwithallsolemnity.Iletthemtalkmeinto
makeanappointmenttoexplainwhyI'mjustfullofcrap,maybe
napping,butmadethemsweartorousemeonceanhour.I'dhave they'llletherkeepit."
totickleMasha'sphoneandIwantedtoknowassoonasZebgot
backintouchwithme.
Hestaredatthedoorforalongtime.
#

"Youknowwhathappenswhentheycatchusagain."Itwasn'ta
question.

TherendezvouswasonaBARTcar,whichmademenervous.
They'refullofcameras.ButZebknewwhathewasdoing.Hehad
Inodded.
memeethiminthelastcarofacertaintraindepartingfrom
PowellStreetStation,atatimewhenthatcarwasfilledwiththe
"Areyousure?SomeofthepeoplethatwereonTreasureIsland
pressofbodies.Hesidleduptomeinthecrowd,andthegood
withusgottakenawayinhelicopters.Theygottakenoffshore.
commutersofSanFranciscoclearedaspaceforhim,thehollow
TherearecountrieswhereAmericacanoutsourceitstorture.
thatalwayssurroundshomelesspeople.
Countrieswhereyouwillrotforever.Countrieswhereyouwish
theywouldjustgetitoverwith,haveyoudigatrenchandthen
"Nicetoseeyouagain,"hemuttered,facingintothedoorway. shootyouinthebackoftheheadasyoustandoverit."
Lookingintothedarkglass,Icouldseethattherewasnoone
closeenoughtoeavesdropnotwithoutsomekindof
Iswallowedandnodded.
highefficiencymicrig,andiftheyknewenoughtoshowuphere
withoneofthose,weweredeadanyway.
"Isitworththerisk?Wecangoundergroundforalong,long
timehere.Somedaywemightgetourcountryback.Wecanwait
"Youtoo,brother,"Isaid."I'mI'msorry,youknow?"
itout."
"Shutup.Don'tbesorry.YouwerebraverthanIam.Areyou
readytogoundergroundnow?Readytodisappear?"
"Aboutthat."
"Yes?"
"That'snottheplan."
"Oh,"hesaid.
"Listen,OK?IhaveIhavepictures,video.Stuffthatreally
provessomething."IreachedintomypocketandtickledMasha's
phone.I'dboughtachargerforitinUnionSquareontheway
down,andhadstoppedandpluggeditinatacafeforlongenough
togetthebatteryuptofouroutoffivebars."Ineedtogetitto
BarbaraStratford,thewomanfromtheGuardian.Butthey're

Ishookmyhead."Youcan'tgetanythingdonebydoing
nothing.It'sourcountry.They'vetakenitfromus.Theterrorists
whoattackusarestillfreebutwe'renot.Ican'tgounderground
forayear,tenyears,mywholelife,waitingforfreedomtobe
handedtome.Freedomissomethingyouhavetotakefor
yourself."
#
Thatafternoon,Vanleftschoolasusual,sittinginthebackof
thebuswithatightknotofherfriends,laughingandjokingthe
wayshealwaysdid.Theotherridersonthebustookspecialnote
ofher,shewassoloud,andbesides,shewaswearingthatstupid,
giantfloppyhat,somethingthatlookedlikeapieceoutofa
schoolplayaboutRenaissanceswordfighters.Atonepointthey
allhuddledtogether,thenturnedawaytolookoutthebackofthe
bus,pointingandgiggling.Thegirlwhoworethehatnowwas

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/121
thesameheightasVan,andfrombehind,itcouldbeher.
NoonepaidanyattentiontothemousylittleAsiangirlwhogot
offafewstopsbeforetheBART.Shewasdressedinaplainold
schooluniform,andlookingdownshylyasshesteppedoff.
Besides,atthatmoment,theloudKoreangirlletoutawhoopand
herfriendsfollowedalong,laughingsoloudlythateventhebus
driversloweddown,twistedinhisseatandgavethemadirty
look.

Onceshestoppedattheappointedplace,Imovedquicklyto
catchuptoher.Sheblinkedowlishlyatmefrombehindher
glasses.
"Marcus,"shebreathed,andtearsswaminhereyes.Ifound
thatIwascryingtoo.I'dmakeareallyrottenfugitive.Too
sentimental.
ShehuggedmesohardIcouldn'tbreathe.Ihuggedherback
evenharder.

Vanhurriedawaydownthestreetwithherheaddown,herhair
tiedbackanddroppeddownthecollarofheroutofstylebubble
Thenshekissedme.
jacket.Shehadslippedliftsintohershoesthatmadehertwo
wobbly,awkwardinchestaller,andhadtakenhercontactsout
Notonthecheek,notlikeasister.Fullonthelips,ahot,wet,
andputonherleastfavoredglasses,withhugelensesthattookup steamykissthatseemedtogoonforever.Iwassoovercomewith
halfherface.AlthoughI'dbeenwaitinginthebusshelterforher emotion
andknewwhentoexpecther,Ihardlyrecognizedher.Igotup
andwalkedalongbehindher,acrossthestreet,trailingbyhalfa
No,that'sbull.IknewexactlywhatIwasdoing.Ikissedher
block.
back.
Thepeoplewhopassedmelookedawayasquicklyaspossible.
ThenIstoppedandpulledaway,nearlyshovedheraway.
Ilookedlikeahomelesskid,withagrubbycardboardsign,
"Van,"Igasped.
streetgrimyovercoat,huge,overstuffedknapsackwithducttape
overitsrips.Noonewantstolookatastreetkid,becauseifyou
"Oops,"shesaid.
meethiseye,hemightaskyouforsomesparechange.I'dwalked
aroundOaklandallafternoonandtheonlypersonwho'dspoken
"Van,"Isaidagain.
tomewasaJehovah'sWitnessandaScientologist,bothtryingto
convertme.Itfeltgross,likebeinghitonbyapervert.
"Sorry,"shesaid."I"
VanfollowedthedirectionsI'dwrittendowncarefully.Zebhad
passedthemtoherthesamewayhe'dgivenmethenoteoutside
schoolbumpingintoherasshewaitedforthebus,apologizing
profusely.I'dwrittenthenoteplainlyandsimply,justlayingit
outforher:Iknowyoudon'tapprove.Iunderstand.Butthisisit,
thisisthemostimportantfavorI'veeveraskedofyou.Please.
Please.
She'dcome.Iknewshewould.Wehadalotofhistory,Van
andI.Shedidn'tlikewhathadhappenedtotheworld,either.
Besides,anevil,chucklingvoiceinmyheadhadpointedout,she
wasundersuspicionnowthatBarbara'sarticlewasout.
Wewalkedlikethatforsixorsevenblocks,lookingatwhowas
nearus,whatcarswentpast.Zebtoldmeaboutfivepersontrails,
wherefivedifferentundercoverstradedoffdutiesfollowingyou,
makingitnearlyimpossibletospotthem.Youhadtogo
somewheretotallydesolate,whereanyoneatallwouldstandout
likeasorethumb.
Theoverpassforthe880wasjustafewblocksfromthe
ColiseumBARTstation,andevenwithallthecirclingVandid,it
didn'ttakelongtoreachit.Thenoisefromoverheadwasnearly
deafening.Nooneelsewasaround,notthatIcouldtell.I'd
visitedthesitebeforeIsuggestedittoVaninthenote,takingcare
tocheckforplaceswheresomeonecouldhide.Thereweren'tany.

Somethingoccurredtomejustthen,somethingIguessIshould
haveseenalong,longtimebefore.
"Youlikeme,don'tyou?"
Shenoddedmiserably."Foryears,"shesaid.
Oh,God.Darryl,alltheseyears,soinlovewithher,andthe
wholetimeshewaslookingatme,secretlywantingme.Andthen
IendedupwithAnge.Angesaidthatshe'dalwaysfoughtwith
Van.AndIwasrunningaround,gettingintosomuchtrouble.
"Van,"Isaid."Van,I'msosorry."
"Forgetit,"shesaid,lookingaway."Iknowitcan'tbe.Ijust
wantedtodothatonce,justincaseInever"Shebitdownon
thewords.
"Van,Ineedyoutodosomethingforme.Somethingimportant.
IneedyoutomeetwiththejournalistfromtheBayGuardian,
BarbaraStratford,theonewhowrotethearticle.Ineedyouto
givehersomething."IexplainedaboutMasha'sphone,toldher
aboutthevideothatMashahadsentme.
"Whatgoodwillthisdo,Marcus?What'sthepoint?"
"Van,youwereright,atleastpartly.Wecan'tfixtheworldby

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/122
puttingotherpeopleatrisk.Ineedtosolvetheproblembytelling
whatIknow.Ishouldhavedonethatfromthestart.Shouldhave
walkedstraightoutoftheircustodyandtoDarryl'sfather'shouse
andtoldhimwhatIknew.Now,though,Ihaveevidence.This
stuffitcouldchangetheworld.Thisismylasthope.Theonly
hopeforgettingDarrylout,forgettingalifethatIdon'tspend
underground,hidingfromthecops.Andyou'retheonlypersonI
cantrusttodothis."

"Idon'tthinkitmattersanymore.EitheryousucceedorIor
it'stheendofMarcusYallow.MaybeI'llgetanewidentity,butI
don'tthinkso.Ithinkthey'llcatchme.IguessI'veknownall
alongthatthey'dcatchme,someday."
Shelookedatme,furiousnow."Whatawaste.Whatwasitall
for,anyway?"

"You'rekidding,right?Lookathowwellyouhandledgetting
here.You'reapro.You'rethebestatthisofanyofus.You'rethe
onlyoneIcantrust.That'swhyyou."

Ofallthethingsshecouldhavesaid,nothingcouldhavehurt
memore.Itwaslikeanotherkickinthestomach.Whatawaste,
allofit,futile.DarrylandAnge,gone.Imightneverseemy
familyagain.Andstill,HomelandSecurityhadmycityandmy
countrycaughtinamassive,irrationalshriekingfreakoutwhere
anythingcouldbedoneinthenameofstoppingterrorism.

"WhynotyourfriendAngie?"Shesaidthenamewithoutany
inflectionatall,likeitwasablockofcement.

Vanlookedlikeshewaswaitingformetosaysomething,butI
hadnothingtosaytothat.Sheleftmethere.

"Whyme?"

Ilookeddown."Ithoughtyouknew.Theyarrestedher.She'sin
GitmoonTreasureIsland.She'sbeentherefordaysnow."Ihad
beentryingnottothinkaboutthis,nottothinkaboutwhatmight
behappeningtoher.NowIcouldn'tstopmyselfandIstartedto
sob.Ifeltapaininmystomach,likeI'dbeenkicked,andI
pushedmyhandsintomymiddletoholdmyselfin.Ifoldedthere,
andthenextthingIknew,Iwasonmysideintherubbleunder
thefreeway,holdingmyselfandcrying.

#
ZebhadapizzaformewhenIgotback"home"tothetent
underafreewayoverpassintheMissionthathe'dstakedoutfor
thenight.Hehadapuptent,militarysurplus,stenciledwithSAN
FRANCISCOLOCALHOMELESSCOORDINATING
BOARD.

ThepizzawasaDominos,coldandclabbered,butdeliciousfor
Vankneltdownbymyside."Givemethephone,"shesaid,her allthat."Youlikepineappleonyourpizza?"
voiceanangryhiss.Ifisheditoutofmypocketandpasseditto
her.
Zebsmiledcondescendinglyatme."Freeganscan'tbechoosy,"
hesaid.
Embarrassed,Istoppedcryingandsatup.Iknewthatsnotwas
runningdownmyface.Vanwasgivingmealookofpure
"Freegans?"
revulsion."Youneedtokeepitfromgoingtosleep,"Isaid."I
haveachargerhere."Irummagedinmypack.Ihadn'tsleptall
"Likevegans,butweonlyeatfreefood."
thewaythroughthenightsinceIacquiredit.Isetthephone's
alarmtogooffevery90minutesandwakemeupsothatIcould
"Freefood?"
keepitfromgoingtosleep."Don'tfolditshut,either."
Hegrinnedagain."Youknowfreefood.Fromthefreefood
"Andthevideo?"
store?"
"That'sharder,"Isaid."Iemailedacopytomyself,butIcan't
"Youstolethis?"
getontotheXnetanymore."Inapinch,Icouldhavegonebackto
NateandLiamandusedtheirXboxagain,butIdidn'twanttorisk
"No,dummy.It'sfromtheotherstore.Thelittleoneoutbehind
it."Look,I'mgoingtogiveyoumyloginandpasswordforthe
thestore?Madeofbluesteel?Kindoffunkysmelling?"
PirateParty'smailserver.You'llhavetouseTortoaccessit
HomelandSecurityisboundtobescanningforpeoplelogging
"Yougotthisoutofthegarbage?"
intoppartymail."
Heflunghisheadbackandcackled."Yesindeedy.Youshould
"Yourloginandpassword,"shesaid,lookingalittlesurprised. seeyourface.Dude,it'sOK.It'snotlikeitwasrotten.Itwas
freshjustascreweduporder.Theythrewitoutinthebox.
"Itrustyou,Van.IknowIcantrustyou."
Theysprinkleratpoisonovereverythingatclosingtime,butif
yougettherequick,you'reOK.Youshouldseewhatgrocery
Sheshookherhead."Younevergiveoutyourpasswords,
storesthrowout!Waituntilbreakfast.I'mgoingtomakeyoua
Marcus."
fruitsaladyouwon'tbelieve.Assoonasonestrawberryinthe
boxgoesalittlegreenandfuzzy,thewholethingisout"

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/123
demandingmypasswords.Severehaircutwoman.
Itunedhimout.Thepizzawasfine.Itwasn'tasifsittinginthe
dumpsterwouldinfectitorsomething.Ifitwasgross,thatwas
onlybecauseitcamefromDomino'stheworstpizzaintown.
I'dneverlikedtheirfood,andI'dgivenitupaltogetherwhenI
foundoutthattheybankrolledabunchofultracrazypoliticians
whothoughtthatglobalwarmingandevolutionweresatanic
plots.
Itwashardtoshakethefeelingofgrossness,though.
Buttherewasanotherwaytolookatit.Zebhadshowedmea
secret,somethingIhadn'tanticipated:therewasawholehidden
worldoutthere,awayofgettingbywithoutparticipatinginthe
system.
"Freegans,huh?"
"Yogurt,too,"hesaid,noddingvigorously."Forthefruitsalad.
Theythrowitoutthedayafterthebestbeforedate,butit'snotas
ifitgoesgreenatmidnight.It'syogurt,Imean,it'sbasicallyjust
rottenmilktobeginwith."
Iswallowed.Thepizzatastedfunny.Ratpoison.Spoiled
yogurt.Furrystrawberries.Thiswouldtakesomegettingusedto.
Iateanotherbite.Actually,Domino'spizzasuckedalittleless
whenyougotitforfree.
Liam'ssleepingbagwaswarmandwelcomingafteralong,
emotionallyexhaustingday.Vanwouldhavemadecontactwith
Barbarabynow.She'dhavethevideoandthepicture.I'dcallher
inthemorningandfindoutwhatshethoughtIshoulddonext.I'd
havetocomeinonceshepublished,tobackitallup.
IthoughtaboutthatasIclosedmyeyes,thoughtaboutwhatit
wouldbeliketoturnmyselfin,thecamerasallrolling,following
theinfamousM1k3yintooneofthosebig,columnatedbuildings
inCivicCenter.
Thesoundofthecarsscreamingbyoverheadturnedintoakind
ofoceansoundasIdriftedaway.Therewereothertentsnearby,
homelesspeople.I'dmetafewofthemthatafternoon,beforeit
gotdarkandweallretreatedtohuddlenearourowntents.They
wereallolderthanme,roughlookingandgruff.Noneofthem
lookedcrazyorviolent,though.Justlikepeoplewho'dhadbad
luck,ormadebaddecisions,orboth.
Imusthavefallenasleep,becauseIdon'trememberanything
elseuntilabrightlightwasshinedintomyface,sobrightitwas
blinding.
"That'shim,"saidavoicebehindthelight.
"Baghim,"saidanothervoice,oneI'dheardbefore,oneI'd
heardoverandoveragaininmydreams,lecturingtome,

Thebagwentovermyheadquicklyandwascinchedsotightat
thethroatthatIchokedandthrewupmyfreeganpizza.AsI
spasmedandchoked,hardhandsboundmywrists,thenmy
ankles.Iwasrolledontoastretcherandhoisted,thencarriedinto
avehicle,upacoupleofclangingmetalsteps.Theydroppedme
intoapaddedfloor.Therewasnosoundatallinthebackofthe
vehicleoncetheyclosedthedoors.Thepaddingdeadened
everythingexceptmyownchoking.
"Well,helloagain,"shesaid.Ifeltthevanrockasshecrawled
inwithme.Iwasstillchoking,tryingtogaspinabreath.Vomit
filledmymouthandtrickleddownmywindpipe.
"Wewon'tletyoudie,"shesaid."Ifyoustopbreathing,we'll
makesureyoustartagain.Sodon'tworryaboutit."
Ichokedharder.Isippedatair.Somewasgettingthrough.
Deep,wrackingcoughsshookmychestandback,dislodging
somemoreofthepuke.Morebreath.
"See?"shesaid."Notsobad.Welcomehome,M1k3y.We've
gotsomewhereveryspecialtotakeyou."
Irelaxedontomyback,feelingthevanrock.Thesmellofused
pizzawasoverwhelmingatfirst,butaswithallstrongstimuli,my
braingraduallygrewaccustomedtoit,filtereditoutuntilitwas
justafaintaroma.Therockingofthevanwasalmostcomforting.
That'swhenithappened.Anincredible,deepcalmthatswept
overmelikeIwaslyingonthebeachandtheoceanhadsweptin
andliftedmeasgentlyasaparent,heldmealoftandsweptme
outontoawarmseaunderawarmsun.Aftereverythingthathad
happened,Iwascaught,butitdidn'tmatter.Ihadgottenthe
informationtoBarbara.IhadorganizedtheXnet.Ihadwon.And
ifIhadn'twon,IhaddoneeverythingIcouldhavedone.More
thanIeverthoughtIcoulddo.ItookamentalinventoryasIrode,
thinkingofeverythingthatIhadaccomplished,thatwehad
accomplished.Thecity,thecountry,theworldwasfullofpeople
whowouldn'tlivethewayDHSwantedustolive.We'dfight
forever.Theycouldn'tjailusall.
Isighedandsmiled.
She'dbeentalkingallalong,Irealized.I'dbeensofarintomy
happyplacethatshe'djustgoneaway.
"smartkidlikeyou.You'dthinkthatyou'dknowbetterthan
tomesswithus.We'vehadaneyeonyousincethedayyou
walkedout.Wewouldhavecaughtyouevenifyouhadn'tgone
cryingtoyourlesbojournalisttraitor.Ijustdon'tgetitwehad
anunderstanding,youandme..."
Werumbledoverametalplate,thevan'sshocksrocking,and
thentherockingchanged.Wewereonwater.Headingto

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/124
TreasureIsland.Hey,Angewasthere.Darryl,too.Maybe.
#
Thehooddidn'tcomeoffuntilIwasinmycell.Theydidn't
botherwiththecuffsatmywristsandankles,justrolledmeoff
thestretcherandontothefloor.Itwasdark,butbythemoonlight
fromthesingle,tiny,highwindow,Icouldseethatthemattress
hadbeentakenoffthecot.Theroomcontainedme,atoilet,a
bedframe,andasink,andnothingelse.
Iclosedmyeyesandlettheoceanliftme.Ifloatedaway.
Somewhere,farbelowme,wasmybody.Icouldtellwhatwould
happennext.Iwasbeinglefttopissmyself.Again.Iknewwhat
thatwaslike.I'dpissedmyselfbefore.Itsmelledbad.Ititched.It
washumiliating,likebeingababy.
ButI'dsurvivedit.
Ilaughed.Thesoundwasweird,anditdrewmebackintomy
body,backtothepresent.Ilaughedandlaughed.I'dhadthe
worstthattheycouldthrowatme,andI'dsurvivedit,andI'd
beatenthem,beatenthemformonths,showedthemupaschumps
anddespots.I'dwon.
Iletmybladdercutloose.Itwassoreandfullanyway,andno
timelikethepresent.
Theoceansweptmeaway.
#

"Maybeweshouldgiveyouabath,then,"shesaid.Shenodded,
andmyguardscarriedmetoanotherstretcher.Thisonehad
restrainingstrapsrunningitslength.Theydroppedmeontoitand
itwasicecoldandsoakedthrough.BeforeIknewit,theyhadthe
strapsacrossmyshoulders,hipsandankles.Aminutelater,three
morestrapsweretieddown.Aman'shandsgrabbedtherailings
bymyheadandreleasedsomecatches,andamomentlaterIwas
tilteddown,myheadbelowmyfeet.
"Let'sstartwithsomethingsimple,"shesaid.Icranedmyhead
toseeher.ShehadturnedtoadeskwithanXboxonit,connected
toanexpensivelookingflatpanelTV."I'dlikeyoutotellme
yourloginandpasswordforyourPiratePartyemail,please?"
Iclosedmyeyesandlettheoceancarrymeoffthebeach.
"Doyouknowwhatwaterboardingis,M1k3y?"Hervoice
reeledmein."Yougetstrappeddownlikethis,andwepourwater
overyourhead,upyournoseanddownyourmouth.Youcan't
suppressthegagreflex.Theycallitasimulatedexecution,and
fromwhatIcantellfromthissideoftheroom,that'safair
assessment.Youwon'tbeabletofightthefeelingthatyou're
dying."
Itriedtogoaway.I'dheardofwaterboarding.Thiswasit,real
torture.Andthiswasjustthebeginning.
Icouldn'tgoaway.Theoceandidn'tsweepinandliftme.There
wasatightnessinmychest,myeyelidsfluttered.Icouldfeel
clammypissonmylegsandclammysweatinmyhair.Myskin
itchedfromthedriedpuke.

Sheswamintoviewaboveme."Let'sstartwiththelogin,"she
Whenmorningcame,twoefficient,impersonalguardscutthe
bindingsoffofmywristsandankles.Istillcouldn'twalkwhen said.
Istood,mylegsgavewaylikeastringlessmarionette's.Too
Iclosedmyeyes,squeezedthemshut.
muchtimeinoneposition.Theguardspulledmyarmsovertheir
shouldersandhalfdragged/halfcarriedmedownthefamiliar
"Givehimadrink,"shesaid.
corridor.Thebarcodesonthedoorswerecurlingupanddangling
now,attackedbythesaltair.
Iheardpeoplemoving.Itookadeepbreathandheldit.
Igotanidea."Ange!"Iyelled."Darryl!"Iyelled.Myguards
Thewaterstartedasatrickle,aladlefulofwatergentlypoured
yankedmealongfaster,clearlydisturbedbutnotsurewhattodo
overmychin,mylips.Upmyupturnednostrils.Itwentbackinto
aboutit."Guys,it'sme,Marcus!Stayfree!"
mythroat,startingtochokeme,butIwouldn'tcough,wouldn't
Behindoneofthedoors,someonesobbed.Someoneelsecried gaspandsuckitintomylungs.Iheldontomybreathand
squeezedmyeyesharder.
outinwhatsoundedlikeArabic.Thenitwascacophony,a
thousanddifferentshoutingvoices.
Therewasacommotionfromoutsidetheroom,asoundof
chaoticbootsstamping,angry,outragedshouts.Thedipperwas
Theybroughtmetoanewroom.Itwasanoldshowerroom,
emptiedintomyface.
withtheshowerheadsstillpresentinthemouldtiles.
"Hello,M1k3y,"SevereHaircutsaid."Youseemtohavehad
aneventfulmorning."Shewrinkledhernosepointedly.
"Ipissedmyself,"Isaid,cheerfully."Youshouldtryit."

Iheardhermuttersomethingtosomeoneintheroom,thento
meshesaid,"Justthelogin,Marcus.It'sasimplerequest.What
couldIdowithyourlogin,anyway?"
Thistime,itwasabucketofwater,allatonce,afloodthat

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/125
didn'tstop,itmusthavebeengigantic.Icouldn'thelpit.Igasped
andaspiratedthewaterintomylungs,coughedandtookmore
waterin.Iknewtheywouldn'tkillme,butIcouldn'tconvincemy
bodyofthat.Ineveryfiberofmybeing,IknewIwasgoingto
die.Icouldn'tevencrythewaterwasstillpouringoverme.
Thenitstopped.Icoughedandcoughedandcoughed,butatthe
angleIwasat,thewaterIcoughedupdribbledbackintomynose
andburneddownmysinuses.
Thecoughsweresodeeptheyhurt,hurtmyribsandmyhipsas
Itwistedagainstthem.Ihatedhowmybodywasbetrayingme,
howmymindcouldn'tcontrolmybody,buttherewasnothingfor
it.

Beneaththeredcrosseswasanotherinsignia:CHP.California
HighwayPatrol.TheywereStateTroopers.
Istartedtoaskwhattheyweredoingthere,andthat'swhenI
sawBarbaraStratford.She'devidentlybeenheldbackinthe
corridor,butnowshecameinpushingandshoving."Thereyou
are,"shesaid,kneelingbesidemeandgrabbingmeinthelongest,
hardesthugofmylife.
That'swhenIknewitGuantanamobytheBaywasinthe
handsofitsenemies.Iwassaved.
Chapter21

Finally,thecoughingsubsidedenoughformetotakeinwhat
wasgoingonaroundme.Peoplewereshoutinganditsounded
likesomeonewasscuffling,wrestling.Iopenedmyeyesand
blinkedintothebrightlight,thencranedmyneck,stillcoughinga
little.

ThischapterisdedicatedtoPagesBooksinToronto,Canada.
LongafixtureonthebleedinglytrendyQueenStreetWeststrip,
PagesislocatedovertheroadfromCityTVandjustafewdoors
downfromtheoldBakkastorewhereIworked.WeatBakka
lovedhavingPagesdownthestreetfromus:whatwewereto
sciencefiction,theyweretoeverythingelse:handpicked
Theroomhadalotmorepeopleinitthanithadhadwhenwe
materialrepresentingthestuffyou'dneverfindelsewhere,the
started.Mostofthemseemedtobewearingbodyarmor,helmets, stuffyoudidn'tknowyouwerelookingforuntilyousawitthere.
andsmokedplasticvisors.TheywereshoutingattheTreasure
PagesalsohasoneofthebestnewsstandsI'veeverseen,rowon
Islandguards,whowereshoutingback,neckscordedwithveins. rowofincrediblemagazinesandzinesfromallovertheworld.
"Standdown!"oneofthebodyarmorssaid."Standdownand
putyourhandsintheair.Youareunderarrest!"
Severehaircutwomanwastalkingonherphone.Oneofthe
bodyarmorsnoticedherandhemovedswiftlytoherandbatted
herphoneawaywithaglovedhand.Everyonefellsilentasit
sailedthroughtheairinanarcthatspannedthesmallroom,
clatteringtothegroundinashowerofparts.
Thesilencebrokeandthebodyarmorsmovedintotheroom.
Twograbbedeachofmytorturers.Ialmostmanagedasmileat
thelookonSevereHaircut'sfacewhentwomengrabbedherby
theshoulders,turnedheraround,andyankedasetofplastic
handcuffsaroundherwrists.
Oneofthebodyarmorsmovedforwardfromthedoorway.He
hadavideocameraonhisshoulder,aseriousrigwithblinding
whitelight.Hegotthewholeroom,circlingmetwicewhilehe
gotme.Ifoundmyselfstayingperfectlystill,asthoughIwas
sittingforaportrait.

PagesBookshttp://pagesbooks.ca/256QueenStW,Toronto,ON
M5V1Z8Canada+14165981447
TheyleftmeandBarbaraaloneintheroomthen,andIusedthe
workingshowerheadtorinseoffIwassuddenlyembarrassed
tobecoveredinpissandbarf.WhenIfinished,Barbarawasin
tears.
"Yourparents"shebegan.
IfeltlikeImightthrowupagain.God,mypoorfolks.What
theymusthavegonethrough.
"Aretheyhere?"
"No,"shesaid."It'scomplicated,"shesaid.
"What?"

Itwasridiculous.

"You'restillunderarrest,Marcus.Everyonehereis.Theycan't
justsweepinandthrowopenthedoors.Everyonehereisgoingto
"Doyouthinkyoucouldgetmeoffofthisthing?"Imanagedto havetobeprocessedthroughthecriminaljusticesystem.Itcould
getitalloutwithonlyalittlechoking.
take,well,itcouldtakemonths."
Twomorebodyarmorsmoveduptome,oneawoman,and
begantounstrapme.Theyflippedtheirvisorsupandsmiledat
me.Theyhadredcrossesontheirshouldersandhelmets.

"I'mgoingtohavetostayhereformonths?"
Shegrabbedmyhands."No,Ithinkwe'regoingtobeableto
getyouarraignedandreleasedonbailprettyfast.Butprettyfast

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/126
isarelativeterm.Iwouldn'texpectanythingtohappentoday.
Andit'snotgoingtobelikethosepeoplehadit.Itwillbe
humane.Therewillberealfood.Nointerrogations.Visitsfrom
yourfamily.
"JustbecausetheDHSisout,itdoesn'tmeanthatyougetto
justwalkoutofhere.What'shappenedhereisthatwe'regetting
ridofthebizarroworldversionofthejusticesystemthey'd
institutedandreplacingitwiththeoldsystem.Thesystemwith
judges,opentrialsandlawyers.
"Sowecantrytogetyoutransferredtoajuviefacilityonthe
mainland,butMarcus,thoseplacescanbereallyrough.Really,
reallyrough.Thismightbethebestplaceforyouuntilwegetyou
bailedout."
Bailedout.Ofcourse.IwasacriminalIhadn'tbeencharged
yet,buttherewereboundtobeplentyofchargestheycouldthink
of.Itwaspracticallyillegaljusttothinkimpurethoughtsabout
thegovernment.
Shegavemyhandsanothersqueeze."Itsucks,butthisishowit
hastobe.Thepointis,it'sover.TheGovernorhasthrownthe
DHSoutoftheState,dismantledeverycheckpoint.TheAttorney
Generalhasissuedwarrantsforanylawenforcementofficers
involvedin'stressinterrogations'andsecretimprisonments.
They'llgotojail,Marcus,andit'sbecauseofwhatyoudid."
Iwasnumb.Iheardthewords,buttheyhardlymadesense.
Somehow,itwasover,butitwasn'tover.
"Look,"shesaid."Weprobablyhaveanhourortwobeforethis
allsettlesdown,beforetheycomebackandputyouawayagain.
Whatdoyouwanttodo?Walkonthebeach?Getameal?These
peoplehadanincrediblestaffroomweraideditonthewayin.
Gourmetalltheway."
AtlastaquestionIcouldanswer."IwanttofindAnge.Iwant
tofindDarryl."
#
ItriedtouseacomputerIfoundtolookuptheircellnumbers,
butitwantedapassword,sowewerereducedtowalkingthe
corridors,callingouttheirnames.Behindthecelldoors,
prisonersscreamedbackatus,orcried,orbeggedustoletthem
go.Theydidn'tunderstandwhathadjusthappened,couldn'tsee
theirformerguardsbeingherdedontothedocksinplastic
handcuffs,takenawaybyCaliforniastateSWATteams.
"Ange!"Icalledoverthedin,"AngeCarvelli!DarrylGlover!
It'sMarcus!"
We'dwalkedthewholelengthofthecellblockandtheyhadn't
answered.Ifeltlikecrying.They'dbeenshippedoverseasthey
wereinSyriaorworse.I'dneverseethemagain.

Isatdownandleanedagainstthecorridorwallandputmyface
inmyhands.IsawSevereHaircutWoman'sface,sawhersmirk
assheaskedmeformylogin.Shehaddonethis.Shewouldgoto
jailforit,butthatwasn'tenough.IthoughtthatwhenIsawher
again,Imightkillher.Shedeservedit.
"Comeon,"Barbarasaid,"Comeon,Marcus.Don'tgiveup.
There'smorearoundhere,comeon."
Shewasright.Allthedoorswe'dpassedinthecellblockwere
old,rustingthingsthatdatedbacktowhenthebasewasfirstbuilt.
Butattheveryendofthecorridor,saggingopen,wasanew
highsecuritydoorasthickasadictionary.Wepulleditopenand
venturedintothedarkcorridorwithin.
Therewerefourmorecelldoorshere,doorswithoutbarcodes.
Eachhadasmallelectronickeypadmountedonit.
"Darryl?"Isaid."Ange?"
"Marcus?"
ItwasAnge,callingoutfrombehindthefurthestdoor.Ange,
myAnge,myangel.
"Ange!"Icried."It'sme,it'sme!"
"OhGod,Marcus,"shechokedout,andthenitwasallsobs.
Ipoundedontheotherdoors."Darryl!Darryl,areyouhere?"
"I'mhere."Thevoicewasverysmall,andveryhoarse."I'm
here.I'mvery,verysorry.Please.I'mverysorry."
Hesounded...broken.Shattered.
"It'sme,D,"Isaid,leaningonhisdoor."It'sMarcus.It'sover
theyarrestedtheguards.TheykickedtheDepartmentof
HomelandSecurityout.We'regettingtrials,opentrials.Andwe
gettotestifyagainstthem."
"I'msorry,"hesaid."Please,I'msosorry."
TheCaliforniapatrolmencametothedoorthen.Theystillhad
theircamerarolling."MsStratford?"onesaid.Hehadhis
faceplateupandhelookedlikeanyothercop,notlikemysavior.
Likesomeonecometolockmeup.
"CaptainSanchez,"shesaid."We'velocatedtwoofthe
prisonersofinteresthere.I'dliketoseethemreleasedandinspect
themformyself."
"Ma'am,wedon'thaveaccesscodesforthosedoorsyet,"he
said.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/127
Sheheldupherhand."Thatwasn'tthearrangement.Iwasto
havecompleteaccesstothisfacility.Thatcamedirectfromthe
Governor,sir.Wearen'tbudginguntilyouopenthesecells."Her
facewasperfectlysmooth,withoutasinglehintofgiveorflex.
Shemeantit.
TheCaptainlookedlikeheneededsleep.Hegrimaced."I'llsee
whatIcando,"hesaid.
#
Theydidmanagetoopenthecells,finally,abouthalfanhour
later.Ittookthreetries,buttheyeventuallygottherightcodes
entered,matchingthemtothearphidsontheIDbadgesthey'd
takenofftheguardsthey'darrested.
TheygotintoAnge'scellfirst.Shewasdressedinahospital
gown,openattheback,andhercellwasevenmorebarethan
minehadbeenjustpaddingallover,nosinkorbed,nolight.
Sheemergedblinkingintothecorridorandthepolicecamerawas
onher,itsbrightlightsinherface.Barbarasteppedprotectively
betweenusandit.Angesteppedtentativelyoutofhercell,
shufflingalittle.Therewassomethingwrongwithhereyes,with
herface.Shewascrying,butthatwasn'tit.

sawthatnearlyeveryoneonTreasureIslandhadbeenoneshade
ofbrownoranother.
Ihadonlybeeninsideforonenight,butitwastoolong.There
wasalightdrizzlecomingdown,normallythesortofthingthat
wouldmakemehunchmyshouldersandlookdown,buttodayI
joinedeveryoneelseincraningmyheadbackattheinfinitegray
sky,revelinginthestingingwetasweracedacrossthebaytothe
ferrydocks.
Theytookusawayinbuses.Theshacklesmadeclimbinginto
thebusesawkward,andittookalongtimeforeveryonetoload.
Noonecared.Whenweweren'tstrugglingtosolvethegeometry
problemofsixpeople,onechain,narrowbusaisle,wewerejust
lookingaroundatthecityaroundus,upthehillatthebuildings.
AllIcouldthinkofwasfindingDarrylandAnge,butneither
wereinevidence.Itwasabigcrowdandweweren'tallowedto
movefreelythroughit.Thestatetrooperswhohandleduswere
gentleenough,buttheywerestillbig,armoredandarmed.Ikept
thinkingIsawDarrylinthecrowd,butitwasalwayssomeone
elsewiththatsamebeaten,hunchedlookthathe'dhadinhiscell.
Hewasn'ttheonlybrokenone.

Atthecourthouse,theymarchedusintointerviewroomsinour
"Theydruggedme,"shesaid."WhenIwouldn'tstopscreaming shacklegroup.AnACLUlawyertookourinformationandasked
foralawyer."
usafewquestionswhenshegottome,shesmiledandgreeted
mebynameandthenledusintothecourtroombeforethe
That'swhenIhuggedher.Shesaggedagainstme,butshe
judge.Heworeanactualrobe,andseemedtobeinagoodmood.
squeezedback,too.Shesmelledstaleandsweaty,andIsmelled
nobetter.Ineverwantedtoletgo.
Thedealseemedtobethatanyonewhohadafamilymemberto
postbailcouldgofree,andeveryoneelsegotsenttoprison.The
That'swhentheyopenedDarryl'scell.
ACLUlawyerdidalotoftalkingtothejudge,askingforafew
morehourswhiletheprisoners'familieswereroundedupand
Hehadshreddedhispaperhospitalgown.Hewascurledup,
broughttothecourthouse.Thejudgewasprettygoodaboutit,
naked,inthebackofthecell,shieldinghimselffromthecamera butwhenIrealizedthatsomeofthesepeoplehadbeenlockedup
andourstares.Irantohim.
sincethebridgeblew,takenfordeadbytheirfamilies,without
trial,subjectedtointerrogation,isolation,tortureIwantedto
"D,"Iwhisperedinhisear."D,it'sme.It'sMarcus.It'sover.
justbreakthechainsmyselfandseteveryonefree.
Theguardshavebeenarrested.We'regoingtogetbail,we're
goinghome."
WhenIwasbroughtbeforethejudge,helookeddownatme
andtookoffhisglasses.Helookedtired.TheACLUlawyer
Hetrembledandsqueezedhiseyesshut."I'msorry,"he
lookedtired.Thebailiffslookedtired.Behindme,Icouldheara
whispered,andturnedhisfaceaway.
suddenbuzzofconversationasmynamewascalledbythe
bailiff.Thejudgerappedhisgavelonce,withoutlookingaway
Theytookmeawaythen,acopinbodyarmorandBarbara,
fromme.Hescrubbedathiseyes.
tookmebacktomycellandlockedthedoor,andthat'swhereI
spentthenight.
"MrYallow,"hesaid,"theprosecutionhasidentifiedyouasa
flightrisk.Ithinktheyhaveapoint.Youcertainlyhavemore,
#
shallwesay,history,thantheotherpeoplehere.Iamtemptedto
holdyouoverfortrial,nomatterhowmuchbailyourparentsare
Idon'tremembermuchaboutthetriptothecourthouse.They
preparedtopost."
hadmechainedtofiveotherprisoners,allofwhomhadbeenin
foralotlongerthanme.OneonlyspokeArabichewasanold
Mylawyerstartedtosaysomething,butthejudgesilencedher
man,andhetrembled.Theotherswereallyoung.Iwastheonly withalook.Hescrubbedathiseyes.
whiteone.Oncewehadbeengatheredonthedeckoftheferry,I

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/128
"Doyouhaveanythingtosay?"
"Ihadthechancetorun,"Isaid."Lastweek.Someoneoffered
totakemeaway,getmeoutoftown,helpmebuildanew
identity.InsteadIstoleherphone,escapedfromourtruck,and
ranaway.Iturnedoverherphonewhichhadevidenceabout
myfriend,DarrylGlover,onittoajournalistandhidouthere,
intown."
"Youstoleaphone?"

Whentheyletgo,Imanagedtofinallysaysomething.
"Darryl?"
"Hisfathermetmesomewhereelse.He'sinthehospital."
"WhencanIseehim?"
"It'sournextstop,"Dadsaid.Hewasgrim."Hedoesn't"He
stopped."Theysayhe'llbeOK,"hesaid.Hisvoicewaschoked.
"HowaboutAnge?"

"IdecidedthatIcouldn'trun.ThatIhadtofacejusticethat
myfreedomwasn'tworthanythingifIwasawantedman,orif
thecitywasstillundertheDHS.Ifmyfriendswerestilllocked
up.Thatfreedomformewasn'tasimportantasafreecountry."
"Butyoudidstealaphone."
Inodded."Idid.Iplanongivingitback,ifIeverfindthe
youngwomaninquestion."
"Well,thankyouforthatspeech,MrYallow.Youareavery
wellspokenyoungman."Heglaredattheprosecutor."Some
wouldsayaverybraveman,too.Therewasacertainvideoon
thenewsthismorning.Itsuggestedthatyouhadsomelegitimate
reasontoevadetheauthorities.Inlightofthat,andofyourlittle
speechhere,Iwillgrantbail,butIwillalsoasktheprosecutorto
addachargeofMisdemeanorPettyThefttothecount,asregards
thematterofthephone.Forthis,Iexpectanother$50,000in
bail."
Hebangedhisgavelagain,andmylawyergavemyhanda
squeeze.
Helookeddownatmeagainandreseatedhisglasses.Hehad
dandruff,thereontheshouldersofhisrobe.Alittlemorerained
downashisglassestouchedhiswiry,curlyhair.
"Youcangonow,youngman.Stayoutoftrouble."
#
Iturnedtogoandsomeonetackledme.ItwasDad.Heliterally
liftedmeoffmyfeet,huggingmesohardmyribscreaked.He
huggedmethewayIrememberedhimhuggingmewhenIwasa
littleboy,whenhe'dspinmearoundandaroundinhilarious,
vomitousgamesofairplanethatendedwithhimtossingmeinthe
airandcatchingmeandsqueezingmelikethat,soharditalmost
hurt.
Asetofsofterhandspriedmegentlyoutofhisarms.Mom.She
heldmeatarm'slengthforamoment,searchingmyfacefor
something,notsayinganything,tearsstreamingdownherface.
Shesmiledanditturnedintoasobandthenshewasholdingme
too,andDad'sarmencircledusboth.

"Hermothertookherhome.Shewantedtowaithereforyou,
but..."
Iunderstood.Ifeltfullofunderstandingnow,forhowallthe
familiesofallthepeoplewho'dbeenlockedawaymustfeel.The
courtroomwasfulloftearsandhugs,andeventhebailiffs
couldn'tstopit.
"Let'sgoseeDarryl,"Isaid."Andletmeborrowyourphone?"
IcalledAngeonthewaytothehospitalwheretheywere
keepingDarrylSanFranciscoGeneral,justdownthestreet
fromusandarrangedtoseeherafterdinner.Shetalkedina
hurriedwhisper.Hermomwasn'tsurewhethertopunishheror
not,butAngedidn'twanttotemptfate.
ThereweretwostatetroopersinthecorridorwhereDarrylwas
beingheld.Theywereholdingoffalegionofreporterswhostood
ontiptoetoseearoundthemandgetpictures.Theflashespopped
inoureyeslikestrobes,andIshookmyheadtoclearit.My
parentshadbroughtmecleanclothesandI'dchangedintheback
seat,butIstillfeltgross,evenafterscrubbingmyselfinthe
courthousebathrooms.
Someofthereporterscalledmyname.Ohyeah,that'sright,I
wasfamousnow.Thestatetroopersgavemealook,tooeither
they'drecognizedmyfaceormynamewhenthereporterscalled
itout.
Darryl'sfathermetusatthedoorofhishospitalroom,speaking
inawhispertoolowforthereporterstohear.Hewasincivvies,
thejeansandsweaterInormallythoughtofhimwearing,buthe
hadhisserviceribbonspinnedtohisbreast.
"He'ssleeping,"hesaid."Hewokeupalittlewhileagoandhe
startedcrying.Hecouldn'tstop.Theygavehimsomethingtohelp
himsleep."
Heledusin,andtherewasDarryl,hishaircleanandcombed,
sleepingwithhismouthopen.Therewaswhitestuffatthe
cornersofhismouth.Hehadasemiprivateroom,andinthe
otherbedtherewasanolderArablookingguy,inhis40s.I
realizeditwastheguyI'dbeenchainedtoonthewayoffof
TreasureIsland.Weexchangedembarrassedwaves.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/129

ThenIturnedbacktoDarryl.Itookhishand.Hisnailshad
beenchewedtothequick.He'dbeenanailbiterwhenhewasa
kid,buthe'dkickedthehabitwhenwegottohighschool.Ithink
Vantalkedhimoutofit,tellinghimhowgrossitwasforhimto
havehisfingersinhismouthallthetime.
IheardmyparentsandDarryl'sdadtakeastepaway,drawing
thecurtainsaroundus.Iputmyfacedownnexttohisonthe
pillow.Hehadastraggly,patchybeardthatremindedmeofZeb.
"Hey,D,"Isaid."Youmadeit.You'regoingtobeOK."
Hesnoredalittle.Ialmostsaid,"Iloveyou,"aphraseI'donly
saidtoonenonfamilymemberever,aphrasethatwasweirdto
saytoanotherguy.Intheend,Ijustgavehishandanother
squeeze.PoorDarryl.
Epilogue
ThischapterisdedicatedtoHudsonBooksellers,thebooksellers
thatareinpracticallyeveryairportintheUSA.Mostofthe
Hudsonstandshavejustafewtitles(thoughthoseareoften
surprisinglydiverse),butthebigones,liketheoneintheAA
terminalatChicago'sO'Hare,areasgoodasanyneighborhood
store.Ittakessomethingspecialtobringapersonaltouchtoan
airport,andHudson'shassavedmymindonmorethanonelong
Chicagolayover.
HudsonBooksellers
http://www.hudsongroup.com/HudsonBooksellers_s.html
BarbaracalledmeattheofficeonJuly4thweekend.Iwasn'tthe
onlyonewho'dcomeintoworkontheholidayweekend,butI
wastheonlyonewhoseexcusewasthatmydayreleaseprogram
wouldn'tletmeleavetown.
Intheend,theyconvictedmeofstealingMasha'sphone.Can
youbelievethat?Theprosecutionhaddoneadealwithmy
lawyertodropallchargesrelatedto"Electronicterrorism"and
"incitingriots"inexchangeformypleadingguiltytothe
misdemeanorpettytheftcharge.Igotthreemonthsina
dayreleaseprogramwithahalfwayhouseforjuvenileoffenders
intheMission.Isleptatthehalfwayhouse,sharingadormwitha
bunchofactualcriminals,gangkidsanddruggiekids,acoupleof
realnuts.Duringtheday,Iwas"free"togooutandworkatmy
"job."

tribunalclearedherofanywrongdoing.Thefileissealed.She's
beingreturnedtoactiveduty.They'resendinghertoIraq."
CarrieJohnstonewasSevereHaircutWoman'sname.Itcame
outinthepreliminaryhearingsattheCaliforniaSuperiorCourt,
butthatwasjustaboutallthatcameout.Shewouldn'tsayaword
aboutwhoshetookordersfrom,whatshe'ddone,whohadbeen
imprisonedandwhy.Shejustsat,perfectlysilent,dayafterday,
inthecourthouse.
TheFeds,meanwhile,hadblusteredandshoutedaboutthe
Governor's"unilateral,illegal"shutdownoftheTreasureIsland
facility,andtheMayor'sevictionoffedcopsfromSanFrancisco.
Alotofthosecopshadendedupinstateprisons,alongwiththe
guardsfromGitmobytheBay.
Then,oneday,therewasnostatementfromtheWhiteHouse,
nothingfromthestatecapitol.Andthenextday,therewasadry,
tensepressconferenceheldjointlyonthestepsoftheGovernor's
mansion,wheretheheadoftheDHSandthegovernorannounced
their"understanding."
TheDHSwouldholdaclosed,militarytribunaltoinvestigate
"possibleerrorsinjudgment"committedaftertheattackonthe
BayBridge.Thetribunalwoulduseeverytoolatitsdisposalto
ensurethatcriminalactswereproperlypunished.Inreturn,
controloverDHSoperationsinCaliforniawouldgothroughthe
StateSenate,whichwouldhavethepowertoshutdown,inspect,
orreprioritizeallhomelandsecurityinthestate.
TheroarofthereportershadbeendeafeningandBarbarahad
gottenthefirstquestionin."MrGovernor,withallduerespect:
wehaveincontrovertiblevideoevidencethatMarcusYallow,a
citizenofthisstate,nativeborn,wassubjectedtoasimulated
executionbyDHSofficers,apparentlyactingonordersfromthe
WhiteHouse.IstheStatereallywillingtoabandonanypretense
ofjusticeforitscitizensinthefaceofillegal,barbarictorture?"
Hervoicetrembled,butdidn'tcrack.
TheGovernorspreadhishands."Themilitarytribunalswill
accomplishjustice.IfMrYalloworanyotherpersonwhohas
causetofaulttheDepartmentofHomelandSecuritywants
furtherjustice,heis,ofcourse,entitledtosueforsuchdamages
asmaybeowingtohimfromthefederalgovernment."
That'swhatIwasdoing.Overtwentythousandcivillawsuits
werefiledagainsttheDHSintheweekaftertheGovernor's
announcement.MinewasbeinghandledbytheACLU,andthey'd
filedmotionstogetattheresultsoftheclosedmilitarytribunals.
Sofar,thecourtswereprettysympathetictothis.

"Marcus,they'relettinghergo,"shesaid.

ButIhadn'texpectedthis.

"Who?"

"ShegotofftotallyScotfree?"

"Johnstone,CarrieJohnstone,"shesaid."Theclosedmilitary

"Thepressreleasedoesn'tsaymuch.'Afterathorough

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/130
examinationoftheeventsinSanFranciscoandinthespecial
antiterrordetentioncenteronTreasureIsland,itisthefindingof
thistribunalthatMsJohnstone'sactionsdonotwarrantfurther
discipline.'There'sthatword,'further'likethey'vealready
punishedher."
Isnorted.I'ddreamedofCarrieJohnstonenearlyeverynight
sinceIwasreleasedfromGitmobytheBay.I'dseenherface
loomingovermine,thatlittlesnarlysmileasshetoldthemanto
givemea"drink."
"Marcus"Barbarasaid,butIcutheroff.
"It'sfine.It'sfine.I'mgoingtodoavideoaboutthis.Getitout
overtheweekend.Mondaysarebigdaysforviralvideo.
Everyone'llbecomingbackfromtheholidayweekend,looking
forsomethingfunnytoforwardaroundschoolortheoffice."
Isawashrinktwiceaweekaspartofmydealatthehalfway
house.OnceI'dgottenoverseeingthatassomekindof
punishment,ithadbeengood.He'dhelpedmefocusondoing
constructivethingswhenIwasupset,insteadoflettingiteatme
up.Thevideoshelped.
"Ihavetogo,"Isaid,swallowinghardtokeeptheemotionout
ofmyvoice.
"Takecareofyourself,Marcus,"Barbarasaid.
AngehuggedmefrombehindasIhungupthephone."Ijust
readaboutitonline,"shesaid.Shereadamillionnewsfeeds,
pullingthemwithaheadlinereaderthatsuckedupstoriesasfast
astheyendeduponthewire.Shewasourofficialblogger,and
shewasgoodatit,snippingouttheinterestingstoriesand
throwingthemonlinelikeashortordercookturningaround
breakfastorders.
IturnedaroundinherarmssothatIwashuggingherfromin
front.Truthbetold,wehadn'tgottenalotofworkdonethatday.
Iwasn'tallowedtobeoutofthehalfwayhouseafterdinnertime,
andshecouldn'tvisitmethere.Wesaweachotheraroundthe
office,buttherewereusuallyalotofotherpeoplearound,which
kindofputacrimpinourcuddling.Beingaloneintheofficefor
adaywastoomuchtemptation.Itwashotandsultry,too,which
meantwewerebothintanktopsandshorts,alotofskintoskin
contactasweworkednexttoeachother.
"I'mgoingtomakeavideo,"Isaid."Iwanttoreleaseittoday."
"Good,"shesaid."Let'sdoit."
Angereadthepressrelease.Ididalittlemonologue,synched
overthatfamousfootageofmeonthewaterboard,eyeswildin
theharshlightofthecamera,tearsstreamingdownmyface,hair
mattedandfleckedwithbarf.

"Thisisme.Iamonawaterboard.Iambeingtorturedina
simulatedexecution.Thetortureissupervisedbyawomancalled
CarrieJohnstone.Sheworksforthegovernment.Youmight
rememberherfromthisvideo."
IcutinthevideoofJohnstoneandKurtRooney."That's
JohnstoneandSecretaryofStateKurtRooney,thepresident's
chiefstrategist."
"Thenationdoesnotlovethatcity.Asfarasthey'reconcerned,
itisaSodomandGomorrahoffagsandatheistswhodeserveto
rotinhell.Theonlyreasonthecountrycareswhattheythinkin
SanFranciscoisthattheyhadthegoodfortunetohavebeen
blowntohellbysomeIslamicterrorists."
"He'stalkingaboutthecitywhereIlive.Atlastcount,4,215of
myneighborswerekilledonthedayhe'stalkingabout.Butsome
ofthemmaynothavebeenkilled.Someofthemdisappearedinto
thesameprisonwhereIwastortured.Somemothersandfathers,
childrenandlovers,brothersandsisterswillneverseetheirloved
onesagainbecausetheyweresecretlyimprisonedinanillegal
jailrighthereintheSanFranciscoBay.Theywereshipped
overseas.Therecordsweremeticulous,butCarrieJohnstonehas
theencryptionkeys."IcutbacktoCarrieJohnstone,thefootage
ofhersittingattheboardtablewithRooney,laughing.
IcutinthefootageofJohnstonebeingarrested."Whenthey
arrestedher,Ithoughtwe'dgetjustice.Allthepeopleshebroke
anddisappeared.Butthepresident"Icuttoastillofhim
laughingandplayinggolfononeofhismanyholidays"andhis
ChiefStrategist"nowastillofRooneyshakinghandswithan
infamousterroristleaderwhousedtobeon"ourside""
intervened.Theysenthertoasecretmilitarytribunalandnow
thattribunalhasclearedher.Somehow,theysawnothingwrong
withallofthis."
Icutinaphotomontageofthehundredsofshotsofprisonersin
theircellsthatBarbarahadpublishedontheBayGuardian'ssite
thedaywewerereleased."Weelectedthesepeople.Wepaytheir
salaries.They'resupposedtobeonourside.They'resupposedto
defendourfreedoms.Butthesepeople"aseriesofshotsof
Johnstoneandtheotherswho'dbeensenttothetribunal"
betrayedourtrust.Theelectionisfourmonthsaway.That'salot
oftime.Enoughforyoutogooutandfindfiveofyourneighbors
fivepeoplewho'vegivenuponvotingbecausetheirchoiceis
'noneoftheabove.'
"Talktoyourneighbors.Makethempromisetovote.Make
thempromisetotakethecountrybackfromthetorturersand
thugs.Thepeoplewholaughedatmyfriendsastheylayfreshin
theirgravesatthebottomoftheharbor.Makethempromiseto
talktotheirneighbors.
"Mostofuschoosenoneoftheabove.It'snotworking.You
havetochoosechoosefreedom.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/131
"MynameisMarcusYallow.Iwastorturedbymycountry,but
Istillloveithere.I'mseventeenyearsold.Iwanttogrowupina
freecountry.Iwanttoliveinafreecountry."
Ifadedouttothelogoofthewebsite.Angehadbuiltit,with
helpfromJolu,whogotusallthefreehostingwecouldeverneed
onPigspleen.

totestifyagainsther.Iwaslookingforwardtoseeingheragain.
"Doyouwanttogogetaburrito?"
"Totally."
"Letmegetmyhotsauce,"shesaid.

Theofficewasaninterestingplace.Technicallywewerecalled
IcheckedmyemailonemoretimemyPiratePartyemail,
CoalitionofVotersforaFreeAmerica,buteveryonecalledusthe whichstillgotadribbleofmessagesfromoldXnetterswho
Xnetters.Theorganizationacharitablenonprofithadbeen
hadn'tfoundmyCoalitionofVotersaddressyet.
cofoundedbyBarbaraandsomeofherlawyerfriendsrightafter
theliberationofTreasureIsland.Thefundingwaskickedoffby
Thelatestmessagewasfromathrowawayemailaddressfrom
sometechmillionaireswhocouldn'tbelievethatabunchof
oneofthenewBraziliananonymizers.
hackerkidshadkickedtheDHS'sass.Sometimes,they'daskus
togodownthepeninsulatoSandHillRoad,wherealltheventure
>Foundher,thanks.Youdidn'ttellmeshewassoh4wt.
capitalistswere,andgivealittlepresentationonXnettechnology.
Therewereaboutazillionstartupswhoweretryingtomakea
"Who'sthatfrom?"
buckontheXnet.
Ilaughed."Zeb,"Isaid."RememberZeb?IgavehimMasha's
WhateverIdidn'thavetohaveanythingtodowithit,andI
emailaddress.Ifigured,ifthey'rebothunderground,mightas
gotadeskandanofficewithastorefront,rightthereonValencia wellintroducethemtooneanother."
Street,wherewegaveawayParanoidXboxCDsandheld
workshopsonbuildingbetterWiFiantennas.Asurprisingnumber
"HethinksMashaiscute?"
ofaveragepeopledroppedintomakepersonaldonations,bothof
hardware(youcanrunParanoidLinuxonjustaboutanything,not
"Givetheguyabreak,he'sclearlyhadhismindwarpedby
justXboxUniversals)andcashmoney.Theylovedus.
circumstances."
ThebigplanwastolaunchourownARGinSeptember,justin
timefortheelection,andtoreallytieitinwithsigningupvoters
andgettingthemtothepolls.Only42percentofAmericans
showedupatthepollsforthelastelectionnonvotershada
hugemajority.IkepttryingtogetDarrylandVantooneofour
planningsessions,buttheykeptondeclining.Theywere
spendingalotoftimetogether,andVaninsistedthatitwas
totallynonromantic.Darrylwouldn'ttalktomemuchatall,
thoughhesentmelongemailsaboutjustabouteverythingthat
wasn'taboutVanorterrorismorprison.
Angesqueezedmyhand."God,Ihatethatwoman,"shesaid.
Inodded."Justonemorerottenthingthiscountry'sdoneto
Iraq,"Isaid."Iftheysenthertomytown,I'dprobablybecomea
terrorist."

"Andyou?"
"Me?"
"Yeahwasyourmindwarpedbycircumstances?"
IheldAngeoutatarm'slengthandlookedherupanddownand
upanddown.Iheldhercheeksandstaredthroughher
thickframedglassesintoherbig,mischievoustiltedeyes.Iran
myfingersthroughherhair.
"Ange,I'veneverthoughtmoreclearlyinmywholelife."
Shekissedmethen,andIkissedherback,anditwassometime
beforewewentoutforthatburrito.

"Youdidbecomeaterroristwhentheysenthertoyourtown."

AfterwordbyBruceSchneier

"SoIdid,"Isaid.

I'masecuritytechnologist.Myjobismakingpeoplesecure.

"AreyougoingtoMsGalvez'shearingonMonday?"

Ithinkaboutsecuritysystemsandhowtobreakthem.Then,
howtomakethemmoresecure.Computersecuritysystems.
Surveillancesystems.Airplanesecuritysystemsandvoting
machinesandRFIDchipsandeverythingelse.

"Totally."I'dintroducedAngetoMsGalvezacoupleweeks
before,whenmyoldteacherinvitedmeoverfordinner.The
teacher'sunionhadgottenahearingforherbeforetheboardof
theUnifiedSchoolDistricttoargueforgettingheroldjobback.
TheysaidthatFredBensonwascomingoutof(early)retirement

Coryinvitedmeintothelastfewpagesofhisbookbecausehe
wantedmetotellyouthatsecurityisfun.It'sincrediblyfun.It's

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/132
catandmouse,whocanoutsmartwhom,hunterversushunted
fun.Ithinkit'sthemostfunjobyoucanpossiblyhave.Ifyou
thoughtitwasfuntoreadaboutMarcusoutsmartingthe
gaitrecognitioncameraswithrocksinhisshoes,thinkofhow
muchmorefunitwouldbeifyouwerethefirstpersoninthe
worldtothinkofthat.
Workinginsecuritymeansknowingalotabouttechnology.It
mightmeanknowingaboutcomputersandnetworks,orcameras
andhowtheywork,orthechemistryofbombdetection.But
really,securityisamindset.It'sawayofthinking.Marcusisa
greatexampleofthatwayofthinking.He'salwayslookingfor
waysasecuritysystemfails.I'llbethecouldn'twalkintoastore
withoutfiguringoutawaytoshoplift.Notthathe'ddoit
there'sadifferencebetweenknowinghowtodefeatasecurity
systemandactuallydefeatingitbuthe'dknowhecould.
It'showsecuritypeoplethink.We'reconstantlylookingat
securitysystemsandhowtogetaroundthem;wecan'thelpit.
Thiskindofthinkingisimportantnomatterwhatsideof
securityyou'reon.Ifyou'vebeenhiredtobuildashopliftproof
store,you'dbetterknowhowtoshoplift.Ifyou'redesigninga
camerasystemthatdetectsindividualgaits,you'dbetterplanfor
peopleputtingrocksintheirshoes.Becauseifyoudon't,you're
notgoingtodesignanythinggood.
Sowhenyou'rewanderingthroughyourday,takeamomentto
lookatthesecuritysystemsaroundyou.Lookatthecamerasin
thestoresyoushopat.(Dotheypreventcrime,orjustmoveit
nextdoor?)Seehowarestaurantoperates.(Ifyoupayafteryou
eat,whydon'tmorepeoplejustleavewithoutpaying?)Pay
attentionatairportsecurity.(Howcouldyougetaweapononto
anairplane?)Watchwhatthetellerdoesatabank.(Bank
securityisdesignedtopreventtellersfromstealingjustasmuch
asitistopreventyoufromstealing.)Stareatananthill.(Insects
areallaboutsecurity.)ReadtheConstitution,andnoticeallthe
waysitprovidespeoplewithsecurityagainstgovernment.Look
attrafficlightsanddoorlocksandallthesecuritysystemson
televisionandinthemovies.Figureouthowtheywork,what
threatstheyprotectagainstandwhatthreatstheydon't,howthey
fail,andhowtheycanbeexploited.

Itwasonlyafewyearsagothatsomeoneinventedphishing.
I'mfrequentlyamazedhoweasyitistobreaksomepretty
bignamesecuritysystems.Therearealotofreasonsforthis,but
thebigoneisthatit'simpossibletoprovethatsomethingis
secure.Allyoucandoistrytobreakitifyoufail,youknow
thatit'ssecureenoughtokeepyouout,butwhataboutsomeone
who'ssmarterthanyou?Anyonecandesignasecuritysystemso
stronghehimselfcan'tbreakit.
Thinkaboutthatforasecond,becauseit'snotobvious.Noone
isqualifiedtoanalyzetheirownsecuritydesigns,becausethe
designerandtheanalyzerwillbethesameperson,withthesame
limits.Someoneelsehastoanalyzethesecurity,becauseithasto
besecureagainstthingsthedesignersdidn'tthinkof.
Thismeansthatallofushavetoanalyzethesecuritythatother
peopledesign.Andsurprisinglyoften,oneofusbreaksit.
Marcus'sexploitsaren'tfarfetched;thatkindofthinghappensall
thetime.Goontothenetandlookup"bumpkey"or"Bicpen
Kryptonitelock";you'llfindacoupleofreallyinterestingstories
aboutseeminglystrongsecuritydefeatedbyprettybasic
technology.
Andwhenthathappens,besuretopublishitontheInternet
somewhere.Secrecyandsecurityaren'tthesame,eventhoughit
mayseemthatway.Onlybadsecurityreliesonsecrecy;good
securityworksevenifallthedetailsofitarepublic.
Andpublishingvulnerabilitiesforcessecuritydesignersto
designbettersecurity,andmakesusallbetterconsumersof
security.IfyoubuyaKryptonitebikelockanditcanbedefeated
withaBicpen,you'renotgettingverygoodsecurityforyour
money.And,likewise,ifabunchofsmartkidscandefeatthe
DHS'santiterroristtechnologies,thenit'snotgoingtodoavery
goodjobagainstrealterrorists.
Tradingprivacyforsecurityisstupidenough;notgettingany
actualsecurityinthebargainisevenstupider.
Soclosethebookandgo.Theworldisfullofsecuritysystems.
Hackoneofthem.

Spendenoughtimedoingthis,andyou'llfindyourselfthinking
BruceSchneier
differentlyabouttheworld.You'llstartnoticingthatmanyofthe
securitysystemsouttheredon'tactuallydowhattheyclaimto,
http://www.schneier.com
andthatmuchofournationalsecurityisawasteofmoney.
You'llunderstandprivacyasessentialtosecurity,notin
opposition.You'llstopworryingaboutthingsotherpeopleworry AfterwordbyAndrew"bunnie"Huang,XboxHacker
about,andstartworryingaboutthingsotherpeopledon'teven
thinkabout.
Hackersareexplorers,digitalpioneers.It'sinahacker'snatureto
questionconventionsandbetemptedbyintricateproblems.Any
Sometimesyou'llnoticesomethingaboutsecuritythatnoone
complexsystemissportforahacker;asideeffectofthisisthe
haseverthoughtaboutbefore.Andmaybeyou'llfigureouta
hacker'snaturalaffinityforproblemsinvolvingsecurity.Society
newwaytobreakasecuritysystem.
isalargeandcomplexsystem,andiscertainlynotofflimitstoa
littlehacking.Asaresult,hackersareoftenstereotypedas

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/133
iconoclastsandsocialmisfits,peoplewhodefysocialnormsfor
thesakeofdefiance.WhenIhackedtheXboxin2002whileat
MIT,Iwasntdoingittorebelortocauseharm;Iwasjust
followinganaturalimpulse,thesameimpulsethatleadstofixing
abrokeniPodorexploringtheroofsandtunnelsatMIT.

autoimmunedisease,whereanorganism'sdefensesystemgoes
intooverdrivesomuchthatitfailstorecognizeitselfandattacks
itsowncells.Ultimately,theorganismselfdestructs.Rightnow,
Americaisonthevergeofgoingintoanaphylacticshockoverits
ownfreedoms,andweneedtoinoculateourselvesagainstthis.
Technologyisnocureforthisparanoia;infact,itmayenhance
theparanoia:itturnsusintoprisonersofourowndevice.
Coercingmillionsofpeopletostripofftheiroutergarmentsand
walkbarefootthroughmetaldetectorseverydayisnosolution
either.Itonlyservestoremindthepopulationeverydaythatthey
haveareasontobeafraid,whileinpracticeprovidingonlya
flimsybarriertoadeterminedadversary.

Unfortunately, the combination of not complying with social

norms and knowing threatening things like how to read the
arphid on your credit card or how to pick locks causes some
people to fear hackers. However, the motivations of a hacker are
typically as simple as Im an engineer because I like to design
things. People often ask me, Why did you hack the Xbox
security system? And my answer is simple: First, I own the
things that I buy. If someone can tell me what I can and cant run
Thetruthisthatwecan'tcountonsomeoneelsetomakeusfeel
on my hardware, then I dont own it. Second, because its there.
free,andM1k3ywontcomeandsaveusthedayourfreedoms
Its a system of sufficient complexity to make good sport. It was a arelosttoparanoia.That'sbecauseM1k3yisinyouandin
great diversion from the late nights working on my PhD.
meLittleBrotherisareminderthatnomatterhowunpredictable
thefuturemaybe,wedon'twinfreedomthroughsecurity
I was lucky. The fact that I was a graduate student at MIT when systems,cryptography,interrogationsandspotsearches.Wewin
I hacked the Xbox legitimized the activity in the eyes of the right freedombyhavingthecourageandtheconvictiontoliveevery
people. However, the right to hack shouldnt only be extended to dayfreelyandtoactasafreesociety,nomatterhowgreatthe
academics. I got my start on hacking when I was just a boy in
threatsareonthehorizon.
elementary school, taking apart every electronic appliance I could
get my hands on, much to my parents chagrin. My reading
BelikeM1k3y:stepoutthedooranddaretobefree.
collection included books on model rocketry, artillery, nuclear
weaponry and explosives manufacture -- books that I borrowed
from my school library (I think the Cold War influenced the
Bibliography
reading selection in public schools). I also played with my fair
share of ad-hoc fireworks and roamed the open construction sites NowritercreatesfromscratchweallengageinwhatIsaac
of houses being raised in my Midwestern neighborhood. While
Newtoncalled"standingontheshouldersofgiants."Weborrow,
not the wisest of things to do, these were important experiences in plunderandremixtheartandculturecreatedbythosearoundus
my coming of age and I grew up to be a free thinker because of
andbyourliteraryforebears.
the social tolerance and trust of my community.
Ifyoulikedthisbookandwanttolearnmore,thereareplenty
Current events have not been so kind to aspiring hackers. Little ofsourcestoturnto,onlineandatyourlocallibraryorbookstore.
Brother shows how we can get from where we are today to a
world where social tolerance for new and different thoughts dies
Hackingisagreatsubject.Allsciencereliesontellingother
altogether. A recent event highlights exactly how close we are to
peoplewhatyou'vedonesothattheycanverifyit,learnfromit,
crossing the line into the world of Little Brother. I had the fortune andimproveonit,andhackingisallaboutthatprocess,sothere's
of reading an early draft of Little Brother back in November
plentypublishedonthesubject.
2006. Fast forward two months to the end of January 2007, when
Boston police found suspected explosive devices and shut down
StartwithAndrew"Bunnie"Huang's"HackingtheXbox,"(No
the city for a day. These devices turned out to be nothing more
StarchPress,2003)awonderfulbookthattellsthestoryofhow
than circuit boards with flashing LEDs, promoting a show for the Bunnie,thenastudentatMIT,reverseengineeredtheXbox's
Cartoon Network. The artists who placed this urban graffiti were
antitamperingmechanismsandopenedthewayforallthe
taken in as suspected terrorists and ultimately charged with
subsequentcoolhacksfortheplatform.Intellingthestory,
felony; the network producers had to shell out a $2 million
BunniehasalsocreatedakindofBibleforreverseengineering
settlement, and the head of the Cartoon Network resigned over
andhardwarehacking.
the fallout.
BruceSchneier's"SecretsandLies"(Wiley,2000)and"Beyond
Havetheterroristsalreadywon?Havewegivenintofear,such Fear"(Copernicus,2003)arethedefinitivelayperson'stextson
thatartists,hobbyists,hackers,iconoclasts,orperhapsan
understandingsecurityandthinkingcriticallyaboutit,whilehis
unassuminggroupofkidsplayingHarajukuFunMadness,could "AppliedCryptography"(Wiley,1995)remainstheauthoritative
besotriviallyimplicatedasterrorists?
sourceforunderstandingcrypto.Brucemaintainsanexcellent
blogandmailinglistatschneier.com/blog.Cryptoandsecurity
Thereisatermforthisdysfunctionitiscalledan
aretherealmofthetalentedamateur,andthe"cypherpunk"

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/134
movementisfullofkids,homemakers,parents,lawyers,and
everyotherstripeofperson,hammeringawayonsecurity
protocolsandciphers.
Thereareseveralgreatmagazinesdevotedtothissubject,but
thetwobestonesare2600:TheHackerQuarterly,whichisfull
ofpseudonymous,boastingaccountsofhacksaccomplished,and
O'Reilly'sMAKEmagazine,whichfeaturessolidHOWTOsfor
makingyourownhardwareprojectsathome.
Theonlineworldoverflowswithmaterialonthissubject,of
course.EdFeltenandAlexJHalderman'sFreedomtoTinker
(www.freedomtotinker.com)isablogmaintainedbytwo
fantasticPrincetonengineeringprofswhowritelucidlyabout
security,wiretapping,anticopyingtechnologyandcrypto.
Don'tmissNatalieJeremijenko's"FeralRobotics"atUCSan
Diego(xdesign.ucsd.edu/feralrobots/).Natalieandherstudents
rewiretoyrobotdogsfromToysRUsandturnthemintobadass
toxicwastedetectors.Theyunleashthemonpublicparkswhere
bigcorporationshavedumpedtheirwasteanddemonstratein
mediafriendlyfashionhowtoxicthegroundis.
Likemanyofthehacksinthisbook,thetunnelingoverDNS
stuffisreal.DanKaminsky,atunnelingexpertofthefirstwater,
publisheddetailsin2004(www.doxpara.com/bo2004.ppt).
Theguruof"citizenjournalism"isDanGillmor,whois
presentlyrunningtheCenterforCitizenMediaatHarvardand
UCBerkeleyhealsowroteahellofabookonthesubject,
"We,theMedia"(O'Reilly,2004).
Ifyouwanttolearnmoreabouthackingarphids,startwith
AnnaleeNewitz'sWiredMagazinearticle"TheRFIDHacking
Underground"
(www.wirednews.com/wired/archive/14.05/rfid.html).Adam
Greenfield's"Everyware"(NewRidersPress,2006)isachilling
lookatthedangersofaworldofarphids.

TheElectronicFrontierFoundation(www.eff.org)isa
charitablemembershiporganizationwithastudentrate.They
spendthemoneythatprivateindividualsgivethemtokeepthe
Internetsafeforpersonalliberty,freespeech,dueprocess,andthe
restoftheBillofRights.They'retheInternet'smosteffective
freedomfighters,andyoucanjointhestrugglejustbysigningup
fortheirmailinglistandwritingtoyourelectedofficialswhen
they'reconsideringsellingyououtinthenameoffighting
terrorism,piracy,themafia,orwhateverbogeymanhascaught
theirattentiontoday.EFFalsohelpsmaintainTOR,TheOnion
Router,whichisarealtechnologyyoucanuserightnowtoget
outofyourgovernment,schoolorlibrary'scensoringfirewall
(tor.eff.org).
EFFhasahuge,deepwebsitewithamazinginformationaimed
atageneralaudience,asdotheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnion
(aclu.org),PublicKnowledge(publicknowledge.org),FreeCulture
(freeculture.org),CreativeCommons(creativecommons.org)
allofwhichalsoareworthyofyoursupport.FreeCultureisan
internationalstudentmovementthatactivelyrecruitskidsto
foundtheirownlocalchaptersattheirhighschoolsand
universities.It'sagreatwaytogetinvolvedandmakea
difference.
Alotofwebsiteschroniclethefightforcyberliberties,butfew
goatitwiththeverveofSlashdot,"NewsforNerds,StuffThat
Matters"(slashdot.org).
Andofcourse,youhavetovisitWikipedia,thecollaborative,
netauthoredencyclopediathatanyonecanedit,withmorethan
1,000,000entriesinEnglishalone.Wikipediacovershackingand
countercultureinastonishingdepthandwithamazing,
uptothenanosecondcurrency.Onecaution:youcan'tjustlook
attheentriesinWikipedia.It'sreallyimportanttolookatthe
"History"and"Discussion"linksatthetopofeveryWikipedia
pagetoseehowthecurrentversionofthetruthwasarriveda
t,getanappreciationforthecompetingpointsofviewthere,
anddecideforyourselfwhomyoutrust.

NealGershenfeld'sFabLabatMIT(fab.cba.mit.edu)ishacking
Ifyouwanttogetatsomerealforbiddenknowledge,havea
outtheworld'sfirstreal,cheap"3Dprinters"thatcanpumpout
skimaroundCryptome(cryptome.org),theworld'smostamazing
anyobjectyoucandreamof.ThisisdocumentedinGershenfeld's archiveofsecret,suppressedandliberatedinformation.
excellentbookonthesubject,"Fab"(BasicBooks,2005).
Cryptome'sbravepublisherscollectmaterialthat'sbeenpriedout
ofthestatebyFreedomofInformationActrequestsorleakedby
BruceSterling's"ShapingThings"(MITPress,2005)shows
whistleblowersandpublishesit.
howarphidsandfabscouldbeusedtoforcecompaniestobuild
productsthatdon'tpoisontheworld.
Thebestfictionalaccountofthehistoryofcryptois,
handsdown,NealStephenson'sCryptonomicon(Avon,2002).
SpeakingofBruceSterling,hewrotethefirstgreatbookon
StephensontellsthestoryofAlanTuringandtheNaziEnigma
hackersandthelaw,"TheHackerCrackdown"(Bantam,1993),
Machine,turningitintoagrippingwarnovelthatyouwon'tbe
whichisalsothefirstbookpublishedbyamajorpublisherthat
abletoputdown.
wasreleasedontheInternetatthesametime(copiesabound;see
stuff.mit.edu/hacker/hacker.htmlforone).Itwasreadingthis
ThePiratePartymentionedinLittleBrotherisrealandthriving
bookthatturnedmeontotheElectronicFrontierFoundation,
inSweden(www.piratpartiet.se),Denmark,theUSAandFrance
whereIwasprivilegedtoworkforfouryears.
atthetimeofthiswriting(July,2006).They'realittleoutthere,
butamovementtakesallkinds.

CoryDoctorow/LittleBrother/135

Speakingofoutthere,AbbieHoffmanandtheYippiesdid
indeedtrytolevitatethePentagon,throwmoneyintothestock
exchange,andworkwithagroupcalledtheUpAgainsttheWall
Motherf_____ers.AbbieHoffman'sclassicbookonrippingoff
thesystem,"StealThisBook,"isbackinprint(FourWallsEight
Windows,2002)andit'salsoonlineasacollaborativewikifor
peoplewhowanttotrytoupdateit
(stealthiswiki.nine9pages.com).

Forthehackersandcypherpunks:BunnieHuang,SethSchoen,
EdFelten,AlexHalderman,Gweeds,NatalieJeremijenko,
EmmanuelGoldstein,AaronSwartz

Hoffman'sautobiography,"SoontoBeaMajorMotionPicture"
(alsoinprintfromFourWallsEightWindows)isoneofmy
favoritememoirsever,evenifitishighlyfictionalized.Hoffman
wasanincrediblestorytellerandhadgreatactivistinstincts.If
youwanttoknowhowhereallylivedhislife,though,tryLarry
Sloman's"StealThisDream"(Doubleday,1998).

Forthewriters:BruceSterling,KatheKoja,ScottWesterfeld,
JustineLarbalestier,PatYork,AnnaleeNewitz,DanGillmor,
DanielPinkwater,KevinPouslen,WendyGrossman,JayLake,
BenRosenbaum

Fortheheroes:MitchKapor,JohnGilmore,JohnPerryBarlow,
LarryLessig,ShariSteele,CindyCohn,FredvonLohmann,
JamieBoyle,GeorgeOrwell,AbbieHoffman,JoeTrippi,Bruce
Schneier,RossDowson,HarryKopyto,TimO'Reilly

Forthefriends:FionaRomeo,QuinnNorton,DannyO'Brien,
JonGilbert,danahboyd,ZakHanna,EmilyHurson,GradConn,
JohnHenson,AmandaFoubister,XeniJardin,MarkFrauenfelder,
DavidPescovitz,JohnBattelle,KarlLevesque,KateMiles,Neil
andTaraLeeDoctorow,RaelDornfest,KenSnider

Morecounterculturefun:JackKerouac's"OntheRoad"canbe
hadinpracticallyanyusedbookstoreforabuckortwo.Allan
Ginsberg's"HOWL"isonlineinmanyplaces,andyoucanhear
himreaditifyousearchfortheMP3atarchive.org.Forbonus
points,trackdownthealbum"TendernessJunction"bytheFugs,
Forthementors:JudyMerril,RozandGordDoctorow,Harriet
whichincludestheaudioofAllanGinsbergandAbbieHoffman's Wolff,JimKelly,DamonKnight,ScottEdelman
levitationceremonyatthePentagon.
Thankyouallforgivingmethetoolstothinkandwriteabout
Thisbookcouldn'thavebeenwrittenifnotforGeorgeOrwell's theseideas.
magnificent,worldchanging"1984,"thebestnovelever
publishedonhowsocietiesgowrong.IreadthisbookwhenIwas
12andhavereadit30or40timessince,andeverytime,Iget
CreativeCommons
somethingnewoutofit.Orwellwasamasterofstorytellingand
wasclearlysickoverthetotalitarianstatethatemergedinthe
CreativeCommonsLegalCode
SovietUnion.1984holdsuptodayasagenuinelyfrightening
workofsciencefiction,anditisoneofthenovelsthatliterally
changedtheworld.Today,"Orwellian"issynonymouswitha
AttributionNonCommercialShareAlike3.0Unported
stateofubiquitoussurveillance,doublethink,andtorture.
ManynovelistshavetackledpartsofthestoryinLittleBrother.
DanielPinkwater'stoweringcomicmasterpiece,"Alan
Mendelsohn:TheBoyFromMars"(presentlyinprintaspartof
theomnibus"5Novels,"Farrar,StrausandGiroux,1997)isa
bookthateverygeekneedstoread.Ifyou'veeverfeltlikean
outcastforbeingtoosmartorweird,READTHISBOOK.It
changedmylife.
Onamorecontemporaryfront,there'sScottWesterfeld's"So
Yesterday"(Razorbill,2004),whichfollowstheadventuresof
coolhuntersandcounterculturejammers.Scottandhiswife
JustineLarbalestierweremypartialinspirationtowriteabook
foryoungadultsaswasKatheKoja.Thanks,guys.

Acknowledgments
Thisbookowesatremendousdebttomanywriters,friends,
mentors,andheroeswhomadeitpossible.

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FIRMANDDOESNOTPROVIDELEGALSERVICES.
DISTRIBUTIONOFTHISLICENSEDOESNOTCREATEAN
ATTORNEYCLIENTRELATIONSHIP.CREATIVE
COMMONSPROVIDESTHISINFORMATIONONAN
"ASIS"BASIS.CREATIVECOMMONSMAKESNO
WARRANTIESREGARDINGTHEINFORMATION
PROVIDED,ANDDISCLAIMSLIABILITYFORDAMAGES
RESULTINGFROMITSUSE.
License
THEWORK(ASDEFINEDBELOW)ISPROVIDEDUNDER
THETERMSOFTHISCREATIVECOMMONSPUBLIC
LICENSE("CCPL"OR"LICENSE").THEWORKIS
PROTECTEDBYCOPYRIGHTAND/OROTHER
APPLICABLELAW.ANYUSEOFTHEWORKOTHER
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