He approached Claire. "What happened?"
Claire pointed toward Daniel. "Passenger doesn't have a confirmed reservation."
Robert looked toward the seating area. "Name?"
"Daniel Cross."
Robert froze. Only for a fraction of a second. But Daniel saw it. Robert typed the name into his terminal. The screen loaded. Then stopped. Robert frowned. He tried again. The computer froze. A blue security window appeared. Robert's expression changed. "What is this?"
Claire leaned over the counter. "What?"
Robert didn't answer. The screen suddenly went black. Then a new interface appeared. Not the airline's normal reservation system. A secure airport interface. Red letters appeared across the screen. EXECUTIVE CLEARANCE VERIFICATION
Claire stared. Robert stepped backward. A second line appeared. IDENTITY CONFIRMED
Then:
DANIEL CROSS
Claire's face went pale. Robert looked toward the seating area. Daniel was still sitting there. The system continued loading. AUTHORIZED ACCESS LEVEL: OMEGA
TERMINAL OPERATIONS: CLEARED
SECURITY SYSTEMS: CLEARED
EXECUTIVE OVERRIDE: ACTIVE
Claire whispered:
"What does that mean?"
Robert didn't answer. The screen displayed one final message. AUTHORIZED EXECUTIVE — DANIEL CROSS
Then the airport system automatically unlocked a series of restricted functions. Gate control. Passenger security. Operations command. Emergency systems. Everything. Claire slowly turned toward Daniel. For the first time that morning, she looked frightened. Robert walked toward him. "Mr. Cross."
Daniel looked up. "Yes?"
Robert swallowed. "Could I speak with you?"
Daniel stood. "About my ticket?"
Robert looked at the torn pieces in the trash. Robert Kline lowered the monitor's brightness, but the words EXECUTIVE CLEARANCE remained visible in the reflection on the office glass. Daniel spoke deliberately. "Do not call this an emergency simply because my name is on the screen. Call it an emergency because the network may have been compromised." Claire watched the exchange from the doorway. She had thought that the man in the gray jacket wanted an apology. Now she understood that he wanted an explanation, and the difference terrified her. Outside, the normal boarding announcements went on, bright and cheerful, as if nothing beneath them had changed. "I didn't mean to humiliate anyone," Claire said finally. Daniel did not challenge her intention. He asked a different question. "When you saw that woman struggling with her bag, did you know she needed help?" Claire's silence answered him.
Chapter 03 — Omega Clearance
"About something much bigger than your ticket."