Читать книгу The Perestroika Effect - Cecilia Tanner - Страница 16

Sergey realized he was still carrying the small metal case.

"I almost forgot, one more thing, Elovach. Instead of coming in to work tomorrow, I want you to go to Zhigansk for me. Andrei Brusov will be driving the bus down about ten o'clock in the morning. There will be a few people going along for medical appointments and such."

"I think I can manage that, Colonel," replied Elovach, pleased at the opportunity of the trip.

"I need somebody trustworthy to deliver this case to the post office building in town," said Sergey, showing the case to Elovach.

Elovach had wondered why the Colonel was carrying an olive drab metal case that he knew carried classified computer disks. He was familiar with the case with the two special tumbler locks and a four-barrel combination lock that guarded access to the case. A special pronged key, similar to a dinner fork, had four round tines, each a different calibrated length. When inserted onto the lock, each tine pushed a corresponding tumbler inward a critical distance. If all of the tumblers lined up, the lock opened; if even one was off by less than a half millimeter, the lock froze and could not be tried again, a person had only one try at setting the combination. A wrong setting activated an internal electromagnetic field that wiped clean the data on any of the computer disks in the case. Forced opening of the case, virtually impossible, also activated the erasing electromagnetism.

"I want to add some information tonight, so I will hand over the case to you at the bus stop tomorrow morning. When you get to Zhigansk, get Andrei to drop you off at the post office building. Go to room 203 and ask for Sergeant Ivanekov. He will take the case from you. Go back at four o'clock. He will give you an envelope addressed to me. I will collect the envelope from you the day after tomorrow. All right?"

"Of course, Colonel” said Elovach, noting down the room number, “What was the sargeant’s name again?”

“Ivanekov.”

“Got it, not to worry. I will handle everything in my usual way,"