"They're all on a single blockchain."
Boxer sat across from agent DeMarco, whose diminutive figure was accentuated by Boxer's own considerable size. In the Blockchain Division, however, this difference in physical proportion mattered little; it was tech that reigned here, and he needed this smug agent's knowledge. If he hadn't, he'd have smeared this man against the wall long ago.
Instead, he asked "What's that mean? Can't we track it if it's all there, in one place?" He had learned that patience, and not aggression, went much further with these brainy nerds.
"No, not really," the way that DeMarco had scoffed had almost ignited the sleeping rage in Boxer, the fighter, but outwardly he just leaned back in his chair and sighed.
DeMarco continued, "See, their exchanges, marketplaces, their whole damn illicit system lives on one Blockchain. That last roadblock sweep you conducted netted us one of their users, albeit small game. Still, we now know that they call it "The Chain," and they claim no one runs it. Of course we'll continue utilizing all enhanced interrogation techniques to ensure we recover as much useable intel as possible."
While the roadblock had been successful, it had not captured anyone using the kind of tech that could cause what he witnessed, the beeping signal that had headed west and dispersed into noise each beat.
Definitely a stingray-like device. Probably a Kingfisher.
It would seem they had gotten away, and it must've been by the skin of the skin of their teeth. In hindsight, he should've shut down the highway for 25 miles; 10 had seemed enough.
"So how do we shut it down? If we know it's all right there, why don't we just get the computers and servers?" Boxer had no illusions, he knew that if it were possible it would already be happening and 'The Chain' would be shuttering currently. But he needed to have a better understanding, so he'd make DeMarco spell it out for him.
DeMarco sighed, "Unless you can confiscate computers around the world, you can't kill a blockchain. And even if you could accomplish that first impossible task, you still couldn't be sure that it was truly eradicated and not just gone to ground. Besides, we have no idea how to access it. But I have a theory."
Boxer leaned forward, intrigued but still unsure he had grasped the entirety of what the other agent was saying. "What do you mean? If we know it's there, can't we use one of those... block... uh, explorers? Can't we just see everything on their ledger? What's your theory?"
"You'd need access to the blockchain in order to use an explorer, so that's out of the question for the time being. I think we've been looking at this wrong. Our focus has been on the blockchain companies that we thought were a united syndicate for the illicit free market. But maybe they're not a united syndicate. What if they're access points for 'The Chain.'"
DeMarco let Boxer chew on that for a few moments until, finally, Boxer spoke up.
"So, those crypto projects aren't crime bosses, in your theory. They're access points."
Boxer leaned back again.
Access points...
Working on The Chain
The three MRAPS that had initiated the start of the roadblock had done so one mile behind the white sedan that carried Mixxy, Max, Simon and Renee. Had Boxer set the roadblock at twenty or even fifteen miles instead of ten, he would've had four new sources to interrogate about The Chain, as well as the contraband to put them away for a short, brutal life.
But as it was, the vehicle traveled into Pennsylvania and through a sleepy town that had largely been deserted when the government had decreed mass migrations to nearby cities to cope with the scarcity of resources. The sedan pulled through the town using backroads, and soon approached the entrance to a mine-shaft, a gaping hole cut into the side of a mountain.
Simon could see that driving into a mine had caused anxiety for Renee and attempted to converse with her to calm her nerves.
"Don't worry, we'll be there in a few hours now. The rest of the trip will be underground, but I assure you we are safe."
Renee took a calming breath, her shoulders rising and falling visibly. Now steadied, she nodded for Simon to continue.
"So, right, access points. This is how you'll interact with the market place and where you can secure contracts. For example, me and these lovely ladies are aligned with TEXTRACTION for this contract, though each of us comes from a different communities called 'Witness Houses'. Everyone who crosses The Divide into The Chain does so through one of these houses."
Renee scrunched up her nose, "So do I belong to TEXTRACTION now?"
Simon grinned at her and shook his head to indicate no. "Renee, you don't belong to anybody. TEXTRACTION is a service that both completes extraction contracts from The Chain and serves as a sort of halfway Witness House for those who do not have arrangements set up beforehand. A representative will go over all of the options available to you, but when you cross The Divide, you take accountability for your own life. No one can dictate to you here. You belong to you."
"So how does it work? How will I get work?" Renee felt confused and more than a little nervous. She hadn't had to consider so many options when she was under the jackboot of the government. They made all the decisions.
"As part of the extraction package, TEXTRACTION will serve as your temporary Witness House. If you wish to work in the field of Extraction, this is the House you want to work with. You don't need to belong to the House to contract with it, but membership does always provide benefits. I'd suggest thinking about what you want to do for a living before deciding."
Renee grew quiet, staring out into the inky blackness of the tunnel walls, watching the packed earth speed by.
What kind of work will help me find my father, or at least find out what happened to him?
"Are there journalism or writing jobs I could do?" She hadn't shared her desire to find her Father, wasn't sure that she should trust anyone anymore.
Simon answered back without thinking "Sure is. Most of the writers on The Chain utilize Steemit to disseminate information. They also use Steem Gigs, a community job board of sorts on Steemit that offers all kinds of, you guessed it, gigs. But if that's your passion, you can also join StikiLeaks House. And you can always write on Steemit without belonging to a house. But you already knew that." Again, that boyish grin that probably turned many a girls knees to jelly.
StikiLeaks, got it.
"Okay, but how about getting around and general services? Are there police or doctors or any of that?"
Renee did not understand how any of these services could exist without a violent, central government. Simon was patient in bringing her around to comprehension.
"As a rule and not exception, every day people want to live in peace within a community of friends and family. Past The Divide, this is no different. The way it is managed is through The Chain. When a group decides it would like to band together it develops a Community DAO - underwritten by the humanity principles built into The Chain." Simon took a moment to make sure she was following, and indeed she was.
"As long as the community does not intend to harm others or violate the basic tenets of community, their charter should be approved and their community gets plugged into The Chain. Once that happens, anyone from any Community in the DAO umbrella can visit and spend currency or utilize services."
"This is a lot to think about and I have so many questions I don't even know where to begin, Simon."
"Don't worry, you'll understand in time. There's a lot of information, but there's also a lot of time," he tried to reassure her.
Maybe for you and me. But not for my Dad.
She began to wonder when they'd leave the underground and arrive, she had begun to grow restless in the sedan.
As if on cue, the road began to get rougher, and the tunnel opened up. Not into the fresh air and open spaces of the earth above, but into a vast cavernous area that extended further than the eye could see. The vehicle stopped and Renee got out of the vehicle immediately, hypnotized by the view before her.
"The Chain?" Renee said outloud but to no one in particular.
"Almost. We go on foot from here." Simon, Mixxy and Max had already hidden the vehicle and began to walk.
Boxer and The Blockchain
Josh, the unlucky catch of yesterday's roadblock, sat alone in an interrogation room that had doubled as his quarters. In the corner, a bucket with human waste sat unattended near a sink.
Outside this room, Agent Boxer reviewed the file in his hands again. He wanted to be fully prepared for this. Since yesterday, the family and any associates of Josh Hearden had been detained. His child, wife and mother, however, had been killed by gunfire when they refused to open their front door during their no-knock SWAT raid. Josh had not been made aware of this fact.
Boxer entered the room, not once looking Josh in the eyes as he flopped the folder down onto the table, took a seat himself, and rubbed the bridge of his nose in mock exhaustion.
"We have your family, Josh. Little Cecilia, Julie and your mother June. I know you're probably anxious to get back to them, and know that I'm anxious for you to get back to them as well, but we just have a few points that need clearing."
The mention of his family had visibly captured the attention of the tired man sitting across from Boxer.
"Just a few more questions, and you'll be free to go. I swear."
Promises were easy now that the rule of law had become the rule of right. Besides, the Supreme Court had long ago given moral authority to the lying that Law Enforcement engaged in, had called it necessity in the battle against crime. And what was he doing here, if not fighting crime.
Indeed, it was the greatest crime on earth, in Boxer's opinion, to resist the inevitable progress of humanity as a whole. The individual was but a note in the grand orchestra that was humanity and government. And these blockchain animals were even worse; they wanted to see destroyed everything that Agent Boxer had taken oaths to protect. Oaths to the System that the forefathers fought for, and that he still fought for today.
"Tell me, Josh. How do I get onto The Chain?"
If Josh had known that his family was already dead, he would never have given up any information. But as it was, he hoped that anything he could share or do would help him see them again, someday.
"... There are these... places... places called ... Witness Houses... you can find them through Steemit..."
Josh spoke well into the night, and Boxer listened in silence as he began to feel a strategy, still dim and forming in the back of his mind, teasing him with possibilities that, 24 hours ago, did not exist.
In the morning, Boxer had Josh transferred to Homan Square in Chicago, an off grid black site where Josh's disappearance would go unnoticed.
This was, after all, a war.
Thank you for spending time here. If you are enjoying the story so far, please make sure to share through re-steem and show your support with an upvote and/or comment!
Boxer has finally had a break in his case, but what is this new strategy he's forming to bring down The Chain?
Stay tuned for the next episode:
The Blockchain Explorer: Pt. 4 - # Introduceyourself
