Dark Tidings: Ancient Magic Meets the Internet Book 1 Read Free Page B

real world and it evolved by itself to counter the ever changing threat from Internet crackers and hackers. Revolutionary and evolutionary.
    He worked in the Malware Creation department, MC for short, a little ironic because MC was the texting abbreviation for Merry Christmas, but they made presents no one wanted. Malware Creation wasn’t the department’s official name, of course. In fact, the department didn’t exist officially.
    Michael spent his days creating Viruses, Worms, Trojans, and Spyware, all targeting the big banks and other financial institutions. These targets called it ‘malware,’ which was a bit harsh because his creations weren’t particularly malicious, so maybe ‘pesky-ware’ was nearer the mark. Whatever you called them, they were annoying enough to be the ultimate door-opening tool for Noviru’s sales team. How else could a small company grab the undivided attention of multinational giants?
    The software simply told people their system had been breached. ‘ This message demonstrates your vulnerability. Contact Noviru if you want total protection. ’ As time went on, he injected his personality and humour into the mix. ‘ Planet Earth is shutting down in twenty minutes. Please save all your files, log off and contact Noviru. ’ Sometimes his software was sneakier. Messing with the target’s automated telephone answering systems was a favourite ploy. ‘ Press seven if you would like a list of how technology has improved our lives. ’ Or trapping callers in the holding-music loop and every so often telling them they were one place further back in the queue. How funny was that?
    As soon as the businesses realised they couldn’t dislodge the invasive software, they reluctantly contacted Noviru for help. Inevitably the first meetings were hostile with a capital ‘H.’ Lots of shouting, plenty of accusations and threats of legal action, or worse. However, after everyone calmed down, there was often a sale made.
    That was just the tip of Michael’s digital iceberg. He had his own plans for one of these titanic financial companies. He had created software intruders which were infinitely more devious than anything Noviru had.

Chapter 5 - A Spell of Trouble
    Madrick did have a story to tell, regardless of whether anyone wanted to listen.
    “I graduated from the Academy and was presented with a few minor scrolls. That’s how a wizard makes his way in the world initially. I used these scrolls well, but every so often I slipped in a ‘special’ with the Spell Spell and secretly created a new enchantment, and that made me stick out from the crowd. Anyway, I became so famous that I was invited, or rather commanded, to attend the court of King Mifal. He liked what he saw and made me his Royal Wizard in attendance. That meant I was given access to his personal store of scrolls so I became even more powerful. He’d a reasonable collection of interesting minor scrolls, but he’d nothing of major import because that was the way it was with ‘private’ collections. The Wizards tolerated kings, great lords and emperors building small collections of insignificant scrolls… what was the point of starting unnecessary wars over inconsequential artefacts? Anyway, I digress.”
    “You do, don’t you?” said Tung under his breath.
    “To begin with it all went well and I pleased Mifal with my stunning magic. I amazed him with my versatility. He thought I was exceptionally clever to use his scrolls so ‘imaginatively’. His previous wizard had never achieved such impressive feats. But of course, it was really the Spell Spell which was doing the truly splendiferous stuff.”
    “Of course,” said Tung.
    “Most of my created spells were wonderful and I used them to great effect. As my reputation grew, I had to keep my wits about me because my wizard teachers from Sorebun were a little suspicious to say the least. Every so often they’d send spies to spy on me and try to discover how I’d changed