The Blue Nowhere First Posting

Deaver, Jeffery. The Blue Nowhere. New York: Pocket Books, 2001.

Section I
1
Chapter one introduces two characters, Lara Gibson and “Will Randolph.” Lara Gibson is a single woman living relatively near Silicon Valley. She touted her adeptness at self protection, taught other women how to protect themselves, and had her own web site in regard to her business and female self protection. Lara fell prey to Will Randolph. Will Randolph is a central character of the story.
Will Randolph posed as someone whom Lara knew, but not well. He seemed to know all about Lara, shared mutual friends, and even went to some of the same parties. Randolph deliberately created a reason for Lara to want to accompany him to his car. He easily overcame her and killed her.

Lara was an objectified element of a large game Randolph is playing. He was challenged to kill the “Queen of Urban Protection” and he did it with ease, socially engineering her.

2
Wyatt Gillette, Thomas (Andy) Anderson, Detective Bishop, Bob Shelton are introduced. Gillette is a 29 year old computer wizard and code slinger who is serving out the last year of a prison sentence for being basically a threat to the National security. He sports a palm tree tattoo on his arm. He is introduced as nonviolent and a victim of his own addiction to hacking.
Thomas (Andy) Anderson is a computer police detective who himself dabbled in illegal activities. Anderson, now well educated and respected among cyber cops, is the Chief of his division of the California State Police. Detective Frank Bishop is a homicide cop who wants to be on another case. Detective Bob Shelton is another homicide cop who is portrayed as not too intelligent.
Chief Anderson takes Gillette from prison to help work on Lara’s homicide. From the evidence gathered, the case requires intense understanding computers codes. Gillette is to hack into Lara’s computer and look for any traces of the perpetrator.

The sense of the chapter is that computer experts are generally tainted with some history of illegal activity. They are extremely competitive. Their skills are beyond conventional wisdom. It seems to “take a thief to catch a thief.” The computer code slingers and wizards all have at least two things in common: respect for each other and high intrigue associated with puzzle solving. Gillette is developing as an interesting character.

3 and 4
Phate’s character is developed. His real name is Jon Patrick Holloway. He has 6 or 7 identities. He makes a living by selling computer support wares. His very best friend is “Shawn.” Phate is a wizard and brilliant code slinger. He and Shawn put together software which accesses a computer without the knowledge of its owner. The software is called “Trapdoor.” Phate’s next target is a young boy named Jamie Turner.
Jamie Turner is a 15 year old boy who is becoming a very promising code slinger himself. He attends Saint Francis Academy which has high security. He wants to break his academy master’s gate code so that he may attend a concert with his brother. He puts several computers to work on this, but to no avail. Phate has identified Jamie as his next target and is looking through Jamie’s computer files via his "Trapdoor" virus.

The student’s digital knowledge places the teacher in an apologic posturing. It is the student who is really takes control. The student is able to manipulate his unsuspecting teacher. The student is his own master.

5 and 6
California’s Computer Crimes Unit is assigned to investigate and solve Lara’s murder. The team members and others are introduced in this chapter. Linda Sanchez is a detective involved with seizure, search and logging. She is the “team bloodhound.” Sergeant Stephen Miller is the second in command. He is an older computer hacker who is later associated with a couple of oversights in his computer research investigation. Tony Mott is a computer nerd, but not typical. He is athletic and a risk taker. He wears the biggest pistol. Andy Anderson is the lead of the team. Patricia Nolan is a computer expert with good credentials who works in security with Horizon On Line, the same company with which Lara had her internet service.
Gillette is given Lara’s computer and begins to review her files with a program he has developed. In the process of the introductions and collaboration with Gillette, the team reviews significant dates in the progression of computer development in the world including those associated with Univac, ENIAC and IBM.

The reader is given significant information regarding computer ease and important dates relevant to the development of the digital world. File types are introduced. Servers and routers and roots are explained in detail.

7 and 8
Gillette discovers Unix commands on Lara’s computer. Stephan Miller claimed not recognizing these as important. Peter Fowler is introduced as a gun runner who possibly sold the perpetrator a knife. Anderson goes to Hacker’s Knoll to see if he can find out any information.
Phate is transferring Jamie’s cracker and Booty’s password file to the DRC for rapid processing to facilitate getting Jamie out of the academy. Jamie sees the root seized on his computer, but does not recognize it as an invasion of his computer. He is not alarmed.
Phate receives an email from Shawn warning him that the police are close to Phate. Phate stops manipulating Jamie’s files and leaves abruptly for Milliken Park and Hacker’s Knoll. Phate is meeting Peter Fowler, the gun/knife runner.
Anderson goes to Milliken Park and finds himself in a close encounter with who he believes is the killer. Anderson actually overtakes Peter Fowler. Phate is present and kills them both.

The intrigue for puzzle solving is inherent in each of the characters, especially the hackers. Phate is excited and confirmed that someone of Anderson’s caliber is searching for him. A key to the game is given: Anderson was stabbed in the heart. Anderson’s death is an interesting turn in the plot.

Section II

9 and 10
With Anderson’s death, Captain Bernstein is introduced as the head of the investigation both for Lara’s case and now for Anderson’s case. That Andy was killed by the same “perp” is not in question. His phone was intercepted and he was killed with the same type of knife. The homicide elements were initially assumed by Susan Wilkins, but Bishop decides that he had some guilt and wanted to pursue the case himself. Huerto Ramirez and Tim Morgan are introduced as running Anderson’s crime scene. Before Gillette can be taken back to prison as Anderson had previously ordered, Gillette identified Phate as playing a virtual game in real life. Gillette identifies the killer as a MUD head who is playing Access in real life. Gillette stays on the team.

The idea that persons are objectified, that they may be no more than mere targets and a part of a game is strongly put forth. Persons in authority are at extreme disadvantage if they are not as literate as those anticipating leadership from them.

11 and 12 (first half)
Gillette begins his search for the killer by accessing his “tools”; computer programs hidden away in the Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Research Facility. He has a 17 character password. Gillette looses himself in chat rooms, newsgroups, and websites. He finds the first real clues to Phate himself. He identifies Phate with Shawn who together created the virus "Trapdoor." Gillette works on a program to search for Phate and Shawn and the person who spoke about them on line, Triple X.
Web browsers and cloaking devices, traces were discussed. The Web, Usenet, IRC, and BBS were spoken to again. Robot demon programs were described. The internet was portrayed as having two faces; the commercial, educational side for civilians and the unsuspecting, and the unseen digital and character command side aggressively trying to protect and access information.