Chapter 1

On June 23, 1999, I got the e-mail that changed my life forever. I was checking my yahoo e-mail account, which is the one I used most of the time. I had the usual junk, and an e-mail with no sender, it was just blank. The e-mail said "READ ME NOW LORD ANUBIS" (LORD ANUBIS was the hacker name I went by when I was hacking.) I figured it was some kind of e-mail offering me some "new" software or something so I deleted it. As soon as my inbox page refreshed there was another e-mail with the same thing in the sender box, only this one said "READ ME NOW BEFORE YOU GO TO JAIL!"! Now this one caught my attention I opened the e-mail and here is what is said:

Sender:
Recipient: Lord Anubis
Attachments: none
Body:

Now that I have your attention, I would like to tell you that the FBI is about five minutes from your door, they traced your computer from when you hacked into the NSA mainframe two years ago and I have to say that, We are impressed with the way you hid your computer. It took us two years to trace your IP back to you. But DO NOT WORRY!!!! If you respond to this email now I will call them off and call you to set up a meeting to tell you what we would like your help with! You now have two minutes left!!! Hurry!!!!

JTM

I responded immediately because I did not want to go to jail for a very long time now that they had passed that new legislation last year. The FBI never came to my house. I was just starting to think it was a prank when I was at Best Buy, talking to a friend of mine about the PS2 that was due to come out next year, when the intercom paged me to the customer service desk. I knew that it was against store policy to page anyone other than an employee or a parent of a young child so I was confused when I walked up to the service desk. Since I came here with my friend and was wondering who was having me paged. When I got to the desk and didn't see anyone I knew I told them who I was, they handed me the phone and told me I had a phone call. Here is how my conversation went:

Voice: Hi Aaron! I am James. The man who send you the e-mail! Before you start asking questions, No this is not a joke. Now ask the lady behind the desk to get the manager for you!

I asked her and she went and got him with-out hesitation.

James: When he gets here ask him if you can take this call in his office. He will most likely say NO. When he does hand him the phone and I will get him to let us have some privacy.

When the manager got there, I asked him and of course he said "NO". I handed him the handset and after about 30 seconds. He had an astonished look on his face and he put the call on hold and told me to follow him. I followed him to his office and he got the call transferred and handed me the phone and left.

James: Ok, now that we have some privacy I can talk to you about why I saved your ass. I have a challenge for you. I have been trying to develop a program for the US Government for the past 5 years and am having no luck at all. I need your help. If you agree, I will send you a new computer and all the information that you need. Also I will give you complete access to the program if you can create it.

Me: Ok. Well thank you for saving me. Now what kind of program is this and why me of all people.

James: I can't tell you anything else about the program unless you agree, however I can tell you it is an amazing idea if we can get it to work. As to why you, I picked you because even though you are not the best, you have never damaged another's computer without due cause, like most hackers. You developed the most amazing set of programming I have ever seen when I went to investigate that virus you sent to that guy that tried to crash your computer. I also can tell that you are a good person and will not use the resources that I am offering to you too badly. Now do you want this task or not, the benefits are beyond your wildest imagination.

Me: Ok I will do it but under one condition.

James: And that would be?

Me: That you answer this question for me: Are there aliens in Area 51?

James: You will have access to that and more, but since it is relevant to your job I will tell you that yes there are and you will be working with some of the technology that we recovered from the crash in Roswell, New Mexico back in 1947. Don't ask me to explain what I mean because that is all I can tell you on this phone. Now go back home your new computer will be there by the time you get there.

Before I could say anything he hung up. I still had my doubts about whether or not this was real, so I decided to wait and decide when I go home and see if there is a computer there for me.