FRATE PETI
1. Scola · 2. Esplode · 3. Aresta · 4. Prison · 5. Paranoia · 6. Rede X · 7. Spleno-Porco · 8. Paradox · 9. Furgon · 10. Claves · 11. Slogan
12. Conserta · 13. Jornales · 14. Bitnic · 15. Enrolada · 16. Reportor · 17. Tuneli · 18. Juas · 19. Vampires · 20. Tortura · 21. Judi · Epiloga

10. Claves

Cua tu ta fa si tu ta trova ce tu ave un spior en tua ambiente? Tu ta pote denunsia el, sta el contra la mur e elimina el. Ma alora tu ta fini cisa con un plu spior en tua ambiente, e la spior nova ta es plu atendente ca la pasada e cisa no ta es tan fasil caturada.

What would you do if you found out you had a spy in your midst? You could denounce him, put him up against the wall and take him out. But then you might end up with another spy in your midst, and the new spy would be more careful than the last one and maybe not get caught quite so readily.

Asi es un idea plu bon: comensa intersepi la comunicas de la spior, e nuri el e sua xefes con malinforma. Imajina ce sua xefes instrui el a colie informa sur tua moves. Ta ce el segue tu de asi a ala e fa tota la notas cual el desira, ma ta ce tu abri furtiva la envelopas cual el reenvia a la xeferia e sustitui per sua reporta un raconta imajinada sur tua moves. Si tu vole, tu pote fa ce el pare acaso e nonfidable afin los desemplea el. Tu pote fabrica crises per fa ce un lado o la otra revela cisa la identias de otra spiores. Per resoma, tu controla los.

Here’s a better idea: start intercepting the spy’s communications and feed him and his masters misinformation. Say his masters instruct him to gather information on your movements. Let him follow you around and take all the notes he wants, but steam open the envelopes that he sends back to HQ and replace his account of your movements with a fictitious one. If you want, you can make him seem erratic and unreliable so they get rid of him. You can manufacture crises that might make one side or the other reveal the identities of other spies. In short, you own them.

On nomi esta “la ataca par ajente media”, e si on considera lo, lo es vera asustante. Algun ci ataca tal tua comunicas pote engana tu en cualce de mil maneras.

This is called the man-in-the-middle attack and if you think about it, it’s pretty scary. Someone who man-in-the-middles your communications can trick you in any of a thousand ways.

Natural, un modo eselente esiste per proteje se contra la ajente media: usa cripto. Con cripto, lo no importa esce la enemi pote vide tua mesajes, car el no pote desifri los, cambia los e reenvia los. Esta es un de la razonas xef per usa cripto.

Of course, there’s a great way to get around the man-in-the-middle attack: use crypto. With crypto, it doesn’t matter if the enemy can see your messages, because he can’t decipher them, change them, and re-send them. That’s one of the main reasons to use crypto.

Ma recorda: afin cripto pote funsiona, on nesesa ave claves per la persones a ci on vole parla. Tu e tua asosior nesesa comparti alga secretas, alga claves cual vos pote usa per sifri e desifri vosa mesajes per esclui la ajentes media.

But remember: for crypto to work, you need to have keys for the people you want to talk to. You and your partner need to share a secret or two, some keys that you can use to encrypt and decrypt your messages so that men-in-the-middle get locked out.

De asi la idea de claves publica veni. Esta es pico difisil, ma lo es ance tan stonante bela.

That’s where the idea of public keys comes in. This is a little hairy, but it’s so unbelievably elegant too.

En cripto con claves publica, cada usor ave du claves. Los es cadenas longa de babela matematical, e los ave un cualia cuasi majiosa. Cuando on ia misca cualce cosa par la un clave, la otra va desmisca lo, e la reversa. Plu, los es la sola claves cual pote fa esta – si tu pote desmisca un mesaje par la un clave, tu sabe ce lo ia es miscada par la otra (e la reversa).

In public key crypto, each user gets two keys. They’re long strings of mathematical gibberish, and they have an almost magic property. Whatever you scramble with one key, the other will unlock, and vice-versa. What’s more, they’re the only keys that can do this – if you can unscramble a message with one key, you know it was scrambled with the other (and vice-versa).

Donce tu prende cualce de esta claves (lo no importa cual) e, simple, tu publici lo. Tu fa ce lo es un nonsecreta completa. Tu vole ce cadun en la mundo sabe cua lo es. Per razonas evidente, on nomi esta tua “clave publica”.

So you take either one of these keys (it doesn’t matter which one) and you just publish it. You make it a total non-secret. You want anyone in the world to know what it is. For obvious reasons, they call this your “public key.”

La otra clave, tu asconde lo en la profondas la plu oscur de tua mente. Tu proteje lo par tua vive. Tu permete nunca de sempre ce cualcun sabe cua lo es. Esta es nomida tua “clave privata”. (Evidente.)

The other key, you hide in the darkest reaches of your mind. You protect it with your life. You never let anyone ever know what it is. That’s called your “private key.” (Duh.)

Aora, imajina ce tu es un spior e ce tu vole parla con tua xefes. Sua clave publica es conoseda par cadun. Tua clave publica es conoseda par cadun. Nun conose tua clave privata, estra tu. Nun conose sua clave privata, estra los.

Now say you’re a spy and you want to talk with your bosses. Their public key is known by everyone. Your public key is known by everyone. No one knows your private key but you. No one knows their private key but them.

Tu vole envia a los un mesaje. Prima, tu sifri lo par tua clave privata. Tu ta pote mera envia acel mesaje a longo, e esta ta susede alga bon, car los ta sabe, cuando la mesaje ia ariva, ce lo ia veni de tu. Como? Car, si los pote desifri lo par tua clave publica, lo ia pote es sifrida sola par tua clave privata. Esta coresponde a pone tua selo o tua suscrive a la fini de un mesaje. Lo dise: “Me ia scrive esta; no otra person. Nun ia pote interfere con lo o cambia lo.”

You want to send them a message. First, you encrypt it with your private key. You could just send that message along, and it would work pretty well, since they would know when the message arrived that it came from you. How? Because if they can decrypt it with your public key, it can only have been encrypted with your private key. This is the equivalent of putting your seal or signature on the bottom of a message. It says, “I wrote this, and no one else. No one could have tampered with it or changed it.”

Nonfortunosa, an tal, esta no va manteni la secretia de tua mesaje. Esta es car tua clave publica es vera bon conoseda (lo debe es tal, o tu va es restrinjeda a envia mesajes a acel poca persones ci ave tua clave publica). Cualcun ci intersepi la mesaje pote leje lo. El no pote cambia lo e fa ce lo pare ce lo ia veni de tu, ma si tu no vole ce persones sabe cua tu dise, tu nesesa un solve plu bon.

Unfortunately, this won’t actually keep your message a secret. That’s because your public key is really well known (it has to be, or you’ll be limited to sending messages to those few people who have your public key). Anyone who intercepts the message can read it. They can’t change it and make it seem like it came from you, but if you don’t want people to know what you’re saying, you need a better solution.

Donce, en loca de sifri la mesaje par mera tua clave privata, tu sifri lo ance par la clave publica de tua xef. Aora lo porta du securadores. La securador prima – la clave publica de la xef – abri sola cuando on combina lo con la clave privata de tua xef. La securador du – tua clave privata – abri sola con tua clave publica. Cuando tua xefes reseta la mesaje, los desclavi lo par ambos claves, e aora los sabe serta ce (a) tu ia scrive lo e (b) sola los pote leje lo.

So instead of just encrypting the message with your private key, you also encrypt it with your boss’s public key. Now it’s been locked twice. The first lock – the boss’s public key – only comes off when combined with your boss’s private key. The second lock – your private key – only comes off with your public key. When your bosses receive the message, they unlock it with both keys and now they know for sure that: a) you wrote it and b) only they can read it.

Esta es eselente. A la dia cuando me ia aprende lo, Darryl e me ia fa un intercambia instante de claves, e ia pasa menses en cacara e frota nosa manos en intercambia nosa mesajes secreta de grado militar sur do nos va reuni pos scola e esce Van va persepi el a cualce tempo.

It’s very cool. The day I discovered it, Darryl and I immediately exchanged keys and spent months cackling and rubbing our hands as we exchanged our military-grade secret messages about where to meet after school and whether Van would ever notice him.

Ma si tu vole comprende securia, tu debe considera la posibles la plu paranoica. Per esemplo, cua ta aveni si me ta engana tu a pensa ce mea clave publica es la clave publica de tua xef? Tu ta sifri la mesaje par tua clave privata e mea clave publica. Me ta desifri lo, ta leje lo, ta resifri lo par la clave publica vera de tua xef, e ta envia plu lo. Cuanto tua xef ta sabe, nun otra ca tu ia ta pote scrive la mesaje, e nun otra ca el ia ta pote leje el.

But if you want to understand security, you need to consider the most paranoid possibilities. Like, what if I tricked you into thinking that my public key was your boss’s public key? You’d encrypt the message with your private key and my public key. I’d decrypt it, read it, re-encrypt it with your boss’s real public key and send it on. As far as your boss knows, no one but you could have written the message and no one but him could have read it.

E me pote senta en la media, como un arania obesa en un rede, e tota tua secretas parteni a me.

And I get to sit in the middle, like a fat spider in a web, and all your secrets belong to me.

Bon, la solve la plu fasil per esta es ce tu anunsia vera vasta tua clave publica. Si lo es vera fasil ce cualcun conose tua clave vera, la ataca par ajente media deveni sempre plu difisil. Ma tu sabe ja? Vasti la conose sur un cosa es egal tan difisil como manteni la secretia. Considera lo – cuanto biliones de dolares es spendeda per anunsia xampu e otra caca, mera per serti ce tan multe persones como posible conose un cosa sur cual alga anunsior desira sua conose?

Now, the easiest way to fix this is to really widely advertise your public key. If it’s really easy for anyone to know what your real key is, man-in-the-middle gets harder and harder. But you know what? Making things well-known is just as hard as keeping them secret. Think about it – how many billions of dollars are spent on shampoo ads and other crap, just to make sure that as many people know about something that some advertiser wants them to know?

On ave un solve plu barata per la ataca par ajente media: la rede de fida. Imajina ce ante cuando tu sorti de la xeferia, tu e tua xefes senta vos con cafe e dona direta vosa claves a lunlotra. No plu ajentes media! Tu es asoluta serta sur la identia de la person de ci tu ave sua claves, car los ia es donada a tua propre manos.

There’s a cheaper way of fixing man-in-the-middle: the web of trust. Say that before you leave HQ, you and your bosses sit down over coffee and actually tell each other your keys. No more man-in-the-middle! You’re absolutely certain whose keys you have, because they were put into your own hands.

Tota vade bon asta asi. Ma esta ave un limita natural: cuanto persones tu pote encontra fisical per intercambia claves? Cuanto oras de la dia tu vole dedica a un ata simil a scrive tua propre libro de telefon? Cuanto de acel persones es preparada per dedica un tal cuantia de tempo a tu?

So far, so good. But there’s a natural limit to this: how many people can you physically meet with and swap keys? How many hours in the day do you want to devote to the equivalent of writing your own phone book? How many of those people are willing to devote that kind of time to you?

Lo aida si on considera esta como un libro de telefon. A un ves pasada, la mundo ia es un loca con multe libros de telefon, e cuando on ia nesesa un numero, on ia pote xerca lo en la libro. Ma per multe de la numeros cual on ia desira asede en un dia tipal, o on ia ave ja lo en la testa, o on ia pote demanda a un otra person. An oji, cuando me es estra la casa con mea telefoneta, me demanda a Jolu o Darryl esce los ave un numero cual me xerca. Acel es plu rapida e fasil ca xerca enlinia lo, e los es ance plu fidable. Si Jolu ave un numero, me fida el, donce me fida ance la numero. Esta es nomida “fida transferente” – un fida cual traversa la rede de nosa relatas.

Thinking about this like a phonebook helps. The world was once a place with a lot of phonebooks, and when you needed a number, you could look it up in the book. But for many of the numbers that you wanted to refer to on a given day, you would either know it by heart, or you’d be able to ask someone else. Even today, when I’m out with my cell-phone, I’ll ask Jolu or Darryl if they have a number I’m looking for. It’s faster and easier than looking it up online and they’re more reliable, too. If Jolu has a number, I trust him, so I trust the number, too. That’s called “transitive trust” – trust that moves across the web of our relationships.

Un rede de fida es un varia plu grande de esta. Imajina ce me encontra Jolu e reseta sua clave. Me pote ajunta lo a mea “portaclave” – un lista de claves cual me ia suscrive par mea clave privata. Tal, tu pote desclavi lo par mea clave publica e sabe serta ce me – o algun ci ave mea clave, a la min – dise ce “esta clave parteni a esta person”.

A web of trust is a bigger version of this. Say I meet Jolu and get his key. I can put it on my “keyring” – a list of keys that I’ve signed with my private key. That means you can unlock it with my public key and know for sure that me – or someone with my key, anyway – says that “this key belongs to this guy.”

Donce me dona a tu mea portaclave, e si tu fida ce me ia fa vera la encontras per serti tota la claves en lo, tu pote prende lo e ajunta lo a tua portaclave. Aora, tu encontra un otra person e tu dona la portaclave intera a el. La portaclave deveni sempre plu grande, e si tu fida la person seguente en la cadena, e el fida la person seguente en sua cadena, e tal plu, tu es bon e secur.

So I hand you my keyring and provided that you trust me to have actually met and verified all the keys on it, you can take it and add it to your keyring. Now, you meet someone else and you hand the whole ring to him. Bigger and bigger the ring grows, and provided that you trust the next guy in the chain, and he trusts the next guy in his chain and so on, you’re pretty secure.

E esta gida me a selebras per suscrive claves. Estas es esata como sua nom sujesta: un selebra do tota asembla e suscrive la claves de tota lunlotra. Darryl e me, cuando nos ia intercambia claves – acel ia es un tipo de selebra miniatur de suscrive claves, con sola du partisipores compatiable gicin. Ma con plu persones, on crea la seme de la rede de fida, e la rede pote crese de ala. Con ce cadun en tua portaclave vade tra la mundo e encontra plu persones, los pote ajunta sempre plu nomes a la portaclave. Tu no nesesa encontra la persones nova, ma fida mera la validia de la claves suscriveda cual on reseta de los en tua rede.

Which brings me to keysigning parties. These are exactly what they sound like: a party where everyone gets together and signs everyone else’s keys. Darryl and I, when we traded keys, that was kind of a mini-keysigning party, one with only two sad and geeky attendees. But with more people, you create the seed of the web of trust, and the web can expand from there. As everyone on your keyring goes out into the world and meets more people, they can add more and more names to the ring. You don’t have to meet the new people, just trust that the signed key you get from the people in your web is valid.

Tal, redes de fida e selebras cabe a lunlotra como bur de aracide e xocolada.

So that’s why web of trust and parties go together like peanut butter and chocolate.

“Dise simple a los ce lo es un selebra multe privata, sola per invitadas.” – me ia dise. “Dise ce los va debe no veni con otras o los no va pote entra.”

“Just tell them it’s a super-private party, invitational only,” I said. “Tell them not to bring anyone along or they won’t be admitted.”

Jolu ia regarda me supra sua cafe. “Tu broma, si? Si on dise acel a la persones, los va veni con plu amis.”

Jolu looked at me over his coffee. “You’re joking, right? You tell people that, and they’ll bring extra friends.”

“Ai.” – me ia dise. Me ia spende a esta tempo un note per semana a la casa de Jolu, frescinte la codigo de rede-nondep. En fato, Spleno-Porco ia paia a me nonzero mone per fa esta: un cosa multe strana. Me ia imajina nunca ce on va paia a me per scrive codigo.

“Argh,” I said. I spent a night a week at Jolu’s these days, keeping the code up to date on indienet. Pigspleen actually paid me a non-zero sum of money to do this, which was really weird. I never thought I’d be paid to write code.

“Donce cua nos va fa? Nos vole ave ala sola persones ci nos fida vera, e nos no vole indica la razona asta cuando nos va ave la clave de cadun e va pote envia secreta mesajes a los.”

“So what do we do? We only want people we really trust there, and we don’t want to mention why until we’ve got everyone’s keys and can send them messages in secret.”

Jolu ia desdefeti e me ia regarda supra sua spala. En la pasada, on ia nomi esta “programi estrema”, un nom pico embarasante. Aora nos nomi lo “programi”, mera. Du persones trova multe plu defetos ca un. Como la clixe dise: “Con sufisinte multe oios, tota defetos es nonprofonda.”

Jolu debugged and I watched over his shoulder. This used to be called “extreme programming,” which was a little embarrassing. Now we just call it “programming.” Two people are much better at spotting bugs than one. As the cliche goes, “With enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.”

Nos ia es laborante tra la reportas de defetos e preparante nos per publici la varia nova. Tota ia pote refresci se, automata e fondal, donce nosa usores ia nesesa fa vera no cosa: los ia velia simple a un ves per semana o simil con un program plu bon. Lo ia es un sabe alga asustante, ce la codigo scriveda par me va es usada par sentos de miles de persones, doman!

We were working our way through the bug reports and getting ready to push out the new rev. It all auto-updated in the background, so our users didn’t really need to do anything, they just woke up once a week or so with a better program. It was pretty freaky to know that the code I wrote would be used by hundreds of thousands of people, tomorrow!

“Cua nos va fa? O, me no sabe. Me pensa ce nos debe mera vive con lo.”

“What do we do? Man, I don’t know. I think we just have to live with it.”

Me ia recorda nosa epoca de Joia Loco Harajuku. Multe defias sosial, envolvente grupos grande de persones, ia parteni a acel jua.

I thought back to our Harajuku Fun Madness days. There were lots of social challenges involving large groups of people as part of that game.

“Oce, tu razona bon. Ma ta ce, a la min, nos atenta manteni la secreta. Dise a los ce on pote veni con no plu ca un person, e esta debe es algun ci on conose personal ja tra no min ca sinco anios.”

“OK, you’re right. But let’s at least try to keep this secret. Tell them that they can bring a maximum of one person, and it has to be someone they’ve known personally for a minimum of five years.”

Jolu ia leva sua regarda de la scermo. “U,” – el ia dise – “u, acel ta funsiona perfeta. Me pote imajina vera lo. Vide, si tu ta dise a me ce me no pote veni con otras, me ta pensa: ‘Tu es un egosa enfernin.’ Ma tal espresada, lo pare como un caso briliante de 007.”

Jolu looked up from the screen. “Hey,” he said. “Hey, that would totally work. I can really see it. I mean, if you told me not to bring anyone, I’d be all, ‘Who the hell does he think he is?’ But when you put it that way, it sounds like some awesome 007 stuff.”

Me ia trova un defeto. Nos ia bevi cafe. Me ia vade a casa e ia jua alga a Ruba Enrolada, atentante no pensa sur enrolores con demandas tro curiosa, e ia dormi tan bon como un bebe.

I found a bug. We drank some coffee. I went home and played a little Clockwork Plunder, trying not to think about key-winders with nosy questions, and slept like a baby.

Banieria Sutro es la ruinas roman falsa autentica de San Francisco. Cuando lo ia abri en 1896, lo ia es la banieria interna la plu grande de mundo, un soleria jigante de vitro victorian, plenida con pisinas e banios e an un tobogan temprana de acua. Ja en la desenio de 1950 lo ia dejenera, e la posesores ia torxi lo per la asecura en 1966. Tota cual resta es un labirinto de petra erodeda, moldurida par la falesa gastada a Plaia Osean. Lo aspeta esata como un ruina roman, desintegrada e misteriosa, e direta ultra lo on ave un serie de cavas cual abri a la mar. A mareas savaje, la ondas freta tra la cavas e supra la ruinas – lo ia aveni an de ves a ves ce los ia sumerje e afoca un turiste.

Sutro baths are San Francisco’s authentic fake Roman ruins. When it opened in 1896, it was the largest indoor bathing house in the world, a huge Victorian glass solarium filled with pools and tubs and even an early water slide. It went downhill by the fifties, and the owners torched it for the insurance in 1966. All that’s left is a labyrinth of weathered stone set into the sere cliff-face at Ocean Beach. It looks for all the world like a Roman ruin, crumbled and mysterious, and just beyond them is a set of caves that let out into the sea. In rough tides, the waves rush through the caves and over the ruins – they’ve even been known to suck in and drown the occasional tourist.

Plaia Osean es distante ultra Parce Porton Dorada, un falesa sever bordada par casas custosa e sin futur, tufante a su asta un plaia streta con sperdes de medusas e surfores corajosa (demente). On ave un roca blanca jigante cual protende de la nonprofondas a la costa. On nomi acel Roca Foca, e a ves pasada lo ia es la loca do la focas ia asembla asta cuando on ia reloca los a la ambiente plu turiste de Molo Pexor.

Ocean Beach is way out past Golden Gate park, a stark cliff lined with expensive, doomed houses, plunging down to a narrow beach studded with jellyfish and brave (insane) surfers. There’s a giant white rock that juts out of the shallows off the shore. That’s called Seal Rock, and it used to be the place where the sea lions congregated until they were relocated to the more tourist-friendly environs of Fisherman’s Wharf.

Pos la reposa de sol, on ave ala cuasi no person. Lo deveni multe fria, con un nebleta salosa cual empapa on asta la osos si on permete. La rocas es agu, e on ave vitro rompeda e agos de droga asi e ala.

After dark, there’s hardly anyone out there. It gets very cold, with a salt spray that’ll soak you to your bones if you let it. The rocks are sharp and there’s broken glass and the occasional junkie needle.

Lo es un loca merveliosa per un selebra.

It is an awesome place for a party.

Ce on trae lonas plastica e caldimanos cimical ia es mea idea. Jolu ia descovre la modo de oteni la bir – sua frate plu vea, Javier, ia ave un ami ci ia opera un servi completa de furni alcol a la tro jovenes: si on paia sufisinte a el, el gida sua camion a la loca isolida de la selebra, con caxones de jelo e tan multe bevidas como desirada. Me ia spende un bon cuantia de mea paia per programi de rede-nondep, e la xice ia apare a la ora esata – 20:00, a minima un ora pos la reposa de sol – e ia tira la caxones de cauxo spumin a via de sua camioneta e a su a la ruinas de la banieria. El ia trae an un plu caxon per la botelas vacua.

Bringing along the tarpaulins and chemical glove-warmers was my idea. Jolu figured out where to get the beer – his older brother, Javier, had a buddy who actually operated a whole underage drinking service: pay him enough and he’d back up to your secluded party spot with ice-chests and as many brews as you wanted. I blew a bunch of my indienet programming money, and the guy showed up right on time: 8PM, a good hour after sunset, and lugged the six foam ice-chests out of his pickup truck and down into the ruins of the baths. He even brought a spare chest for the empties.

“Ta ce vos enfantes jua secur.” – el ia dise, tocante sua xapo de cauboi. El ia es un om obesa de Samoa con un surie vasta e, disturbante, un camiseta sin manga de cual sua pelo de axila e ventre e spalas ia emerje vidable. Me ia descoli biletas de dudes dolares de mea enrola e ia dona los a el – sua comision ia es 150 persentos. No un mal scema.

“You kids play safe now,” he said, tipping his cowboy hat. He was a fat Samoan guy with a huge smile, and a scary tank-top that you could see his armpit- and belly- and shoulder-hair escaping from. I peeled twenties off my roll and handed them to him – his markup was 150 percent. Not a bad racket.

El ia regarda mea enrola. “Tu sabe, me ta pote simple prende acel de tu.” – el ia dise, ancora suriente. “Me es un criminor, ultima.”

He looked at my roll. “You know, I could just take that from you,” he said, still smiling. “I’m a criminal, after all.”

Me ia pone la enrola en mea pox e ia regarda calma sua oios. Me ia ata stupida en mostra a el mea portada, ma me ia sabe ce a alga veses on debe simple resta nonsedente.

I put my roll in my pocket and looked him levelly in the eye. I’d been stupid to show him what I was carrying, but I knew that there were times when you should just stand your ground.

“Me tisa tu, mera.” – el ia dise, final. “Ma ta ce tu atende con acel mone. No mostra lo a la mundo.”

“I’m just messing with you,” he said, at last. “But you be careful with that money. Don’t go showing it around.”

“Grasias.” – me ia dise. “Ma Securia Interna va proteje me.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Homeland Security’ll get my back though.”

Sua surie ia deveni an plu larga. “Ha! Los es an no vera la polisia. Acel avietines sabe no cosa.”

His smile got even bigger. “Ha! They’re not even real five-oh. Those peckerwoods don’t know nothin’.”

Me ia regarda sua camioneta. BandaPronto ia es clar mostrada sur sua paraventa. Me ia demanda a me cuanto tempo va pasa asta cuando on catura el.

I looked over at his truck. Prominently displayed in his windscreen was a FasTrak. I wondered how long it would be until he got busted.

“Vos invita xicas a esta sera? Esce tal tu ave tan multe bir?”

“You got girls coming tonight? That why you got all the beer?”

Me ia surie e ia brandi mea mano a el como si el repasea ja a sua camioneta, como el ia ta debe. Final el ia comprende la sujesta e ia viaja a via. Sua surie ia bambola nunca.

I smiled and waved at him as though he was walking back to his truck, which he should have been doing. He eventually got the hint and drove away. His smile never faltered.

Jolu ia aida me a asconde la caxones en la detrito, laborante con lampas peti de diodos blanca sur bandas de testa. Cuando la caxones ia es locada, nos ia lansa un cadena peti de clave a en cada, portante un diodo de lus blanca, afin lo ta brilieta pos la sutrae de la covrente de polistiren, tal ce on va vide plu fasil cua on fa.

Jolu helped me hide the coolers in the rubble, working with little white LED torches on headbands. Once the coolers were in place, we threw little white LED keychains into each one, so it would glow when you took the styrofoam lids off, making it easier to see what you were doing.

La note ia es sin luna e nubosa, e la lampas distante de strada ia lumina apena nos. Me ia sabe ce nos ta es vidable como focones a un aparato infraroja, ma lo ia es nonposible ce nos ta asembla un monton de persones sin es oservada. Me ta es sasiada si on ta suposa ce nos fa un peti selebra enebriada sur la plaia.

It was a moonless night and overcast, and the distant streetlights barely illuminated us. I knew we’d stand out like blazes on an infrared scope, but there was no chance that we’d be able to get a bunch of people together without being observed. I’d settle for being dismissed as a little drunken beach-party.

Me vera no bevi multe alcol. On ia ave bir e canaba e estasia a la selebras a cual me ia vade ja de mea anio 14, ma me ia odia fumi (an si me gusta pico un torteta de haxix de ves a ves), estasia ia consuma tro multe tempo – ci ave un finisemana intera per alti e redesende? – e bir, bon, lo ia es oce, ma me no ia comprende la interesa grande a lo. Mea prefereda ia es cocteles grande e complicada, de la spesie cual on servi en un volcan seramica, con ses stratos, flaminte, e con un simia plastica a la borda, ma esta ia es xef car me ia gusta la teatralia de lo.

I don’t really drink much. There’s been beer and pot and ecstasy at the parties I’ve been going to since I was 14, but I hated smoking (though I’m quite partial to a hash brownie every now and again), ecstasy took too long – who’s got a whole weekend to get high and come down – and beer, well, it was all right, but I didn’t see what the big deal was. My favorite was big, elaborate cocktails, the kind of thing served in a ceramic volcano, with six layers, on fire, and a plastic monkey on the rim, but that was mostly for the theater of it all.

Me gusta es enebriada, en fato. Ma me no gusta la posenebria, e crede me, me sufri posenebrias profonda. A la otra lado, esta es cisa relatada con la spesie de bevidas cual veni en un volcan seramica.

I actually like being drunk. I just don’t like being hungover, and boy, do I ever get hungover. Though again, that might have to do with the kind of drinks that come in a ceramic volcano.

Ma on no pote organiza un selebra sin pone alga caxas de bir sur jelo. On espeta lo. Lo laxi la situa. Persones fa cosas stupida pos tro multe bires, ma vera mea amis no parteni a la spesie de persones ci ave autos. E persones fa cosas stupida en tota situas – bir e canaba e similes es tota tanjente a esta fato sentral.

But you can’t throw a party without putting a case or two of beer on ice. It’s expected. It loosens things up. People do stupid things after too many beers, but it’s not like my friends are the kind of people who have cars. And people do stupid things no matter what – beer or grass or whatever are all incidental to that central fact.

Jolu e me ia abri du bires – Anchor Steam per el, Bud Lite per me – e ia tintina la botelas a lunlotra, sentante nos sur un roca.

Jolu and I each cracked beers – Anchor Steam for him, a Bud Lite for me – and clinked the bottles together, sitting down on a rock.

“Tu ia dise 21:00 a los?”

“You told them 9PM?”

“Si.” – el ia dise.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Ance me.”

“Me too.”

Nos ia bevi silente. Bud Lite ia es la cosa la min alcolosa en la caxon. Plu tarda, me va nesesa un testa clar.

We drank in silence. The Bud Lite was the least alcoholic thing in the ice-chest. I’d need a clear head later.

“Esce tu deveni asustada a veses?” – me ia dise, ultima.

“You ever get scared?” I said, finally.

El ia turna a me. “No, xic’, me no deveni asustada. Me es sempre asustada. Me es asustada ja de la minuto de la esplodes. Me es tan asustada a veses ce me no vole sorti de la leto.”

He turned to me. “No man, I don’t get scared. I’m always scared. I’ve been scared since the minute the explosions happened. I’m so scared sometimes, I don’t want to get out of bed.”

“Alora perce tu fa esta?”

“Then why do you do it?”

El ia surie. “A tema de esta…” – el ia dise. “Cisa me no va fa lo, no multe plu. Me vole dise, aida tu ia es eselente. Eselente. Vera briliante. Me no sabe esce me ia fa un cosa tan importante a ante. Ma Marcus, ami, me debe dise…” Sua vose ia diminui a silentia.

He smiled. “About that,” he said. “Maybe I won’t, not for much longer. I mean, it’s been great helping you. Great. Really excellent. I don’t know when I’ve done anything so important. But Marcus, bro, I have to say. . .” He trailed off.

“Como?” me ia dise, an si me ia sabe cua va segue.

“What?” I said, though I knew what was coming next.

“Me no pote fa lo per sempre.” – el ia dise ultima. “Cisa an no per un plu mense. Me pensa ce me ia fini. La risca es tro. Securia Interna, on no pote gera contra lo. Lo es demente. Vera e franca, demente.”

“I can’t do it forever,” he said at last. “Maybe not even for another month. I think I’m through. It’s too much risk. The DHS, you can’t go to war on them. It’s crazy. Really actually crazy.”

“Tu sona como Van.” – me ia dise. Mea vose ia es multe plu amarga ca me ia intende.

“You sound like Van,” I said. My voice was much more bitter than I’d intended.

“Me no critica tu, xic’. Me pensa ce lo es eselente ce tu ave la coraje per fa sempre esta. Ma me no ave lo. Me no pote fa mea vive en teror eterna.”

“I’m not criticizing you, man. I think it’s great that you’ve got the bravery to do this all the time. But I haven’t got it. I can’t live my life in perpetual terror.”

“Cua tu dise?”

“What are you saying?”

“Me dise ce me resinia. Me va es un de acel persones ci condui como si tota es oce, como si tota va revade a normalia a alga dia. Me va usa la interede como me ia fa sempre a ante, e va usa Rede X sola per juas. Ce me va resinia es lo cual me dise. Me no va es plu un parte de tua scemas.”

“I’m saying I’m out. I’m going to be one of those people who acts like it’s all OK, like it’ll all go back to normal some day. I’m going to use the Internet like I always did, and only use the Xnet to play games. I’m going to get out is what I’m saying. I won’t be a part of your plans anymore.”

Me ia dise no cosa.

I didn’t say anything.

“Me sabe ce tu va es solitar a pos. Me no desira esta, crede me. Me ta prefere multe si tu ta abandona con me. Tu no pote declara un gera contra la governa de la SUA. Acel no es un batalia cual tu va gania. Regarda tua probas es simil a regarda un avia ci vola sempre denova contra un fenetra.”

“I know that’s leaving you on your own. I don’t want that, believe me. I’d much rather you give up with me. You can’t declare war on the government of the USA. It’s not a fight you’re going to win. Watching you try is like watching a bird fly into a window again and again.”

El ia vole ce me dise alga cosa. Lo cual me ia vole dise ia es: Txa, Jolu, tan multe grasias per abandona me! Esce tu oblida como lo ia es cuando on ia prende nos a via? Esce tu oblida como la pais ia es ante cuando on ia saisi la controla de lo? Ma el no ia vole ce me dise acel. El ia vole ce me dise esta:

He wanted me to say something. What I wanted to say was, Jesus Jolu, thanks so very much for abandoning me! Do you forget what it was like when they took us away? Do you forget what the country used to be like before they took it over? But that’s not what he wanted me to say. What he wanted me to say was:

“Me comprende, Jolu. Me respeta tua eleje.”

“I understand, Jolu. I respect your choice.”

El ia bevi la resta de sua botela e ia estrae un otra e ia desvisi la covrente.

He drank the rest of his bottle and pulled out another one and twisted off the cap.

“Ance un otra cosa.” – el dise.

“There’s something else,” he said.

“Cua?”

“What?”

“Me no ia intende indica lo, ma me vole ce tu comprende perce me debe fa esta.”

“I wasn’t going to mention it, but I want you to understand why I have to do this.”

“Cristo, Jolu, cua?”

“Jesus, Jolu, what?”

“Me odia dise lo, ma tu es blanca. Me no es. On catura persones blanca con cocaina e los pasa alga tempo en terapia. On catura persones brun con crac e los vade a prison per dudes anios. Persones blanca vide polisiores sur la strada e senti plu secur. Persones brun vide polisiores sur la strada e demanda a se esce los es a punto de es esaminada. Tu es maltratada par Securia Interna? La lege en esta pais ia es sempre tal per nos.”

“I hate to say it, but you’re white. I’m not. White people get caught with cocaine and do a little rehab time. Brown people get caught with crack and go to prison for twenty years. White people see cops on the street and feel safer. Brown people see cops on the street and wonder if they’re about to get searched. The way the DHS is treating you? The law in this country has always been like that for us.”

Lo ia es tan nonjusta. Me no ia demanda per es blanca. Me no ia pensa ce me ave plu coraje, simple car me es blanca. Ma me ia comprende cua Jolu dise. Si polisiores para algun en la Mision e demanda per vide sua identia, probable acel person no es blanca. Ca cualce risca cual me ia fasa, Jolu ia fasa plu. Ca cualce puni cual me ta sufri, Jolu ta sufri plu.

It was so unfair. I didn’t ask to be white. I didn’t think I was being braver just because I’m white. But I knew what Jolu was saying. If the cops stopped someone in the Mission and asked to see some ID, chances were that person wasn’t white. Whatever risk I ran, Jolu ran more. Whatever penalty I’d pay, Jolu would pay more.

“Me no sabe responde.” – me ia dise.

“I don’t know what to say,” I said.

“Tu no nesesa responde.” – el ia dise. “Me ia vole mera ce tu sabe, afin tu pote comprende.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said. “I just wanted you to know, so you could understand.”

Me ia vide persones paseante a nos longo la via ladal. Los ia es amis de Jolu, du xicos mexican e un xica ci me ia conose de la ambiente, corta e gicin, sempre portante un oculo dulse negra, en stilo de Buddy Holly, par cual el ia aspeta como la studiante de arte en un filma adolesente ci es sosial escluida ma reveni como un susede major.

I could see people walking down the side trail toward us. They were friends of Jolu’s, two Mexican guys and a girl I knew from around, short and geeky, always wearing cute black Buddy Holly glasses that made her look like the outcast art-student in a teen movie who comes back as the big success.

Jolu ia presenta me e ia dona bires a los. La xica no ia prende un bir, ma ia produi de sua bolsa un peti botela arjento de vodca en loca e ia ofre lo a me. Me ia fa un engoli – vodca tepida pare es un sabor per conosor – e ia loda el sur la botela, cual ia es impresada con un motif repetente de carateres de Parappa Rappa.

Jolu introduced me and gave them beers. The girl didn’t take one, but instead produced a small silver flask of vodka from her purse and offered me a drink. I took a swallow – warm vodka must be an acquired taste – and complimented her on the flask, which was embossed with a repeating motif of Parappa the Rapper characters.

“Lo es japanes.” – el ia dise en cuando me ia pasa un plu cadena luminada supra lo. “Los ave multe tal ornetas per alcol sur funda de juas de enfantes. Tan deviante.”

“It’s Japanese,” she said as I played another LED keyring over it. “They have all these great booze-toys based on kids’ games. Totally twisted.”

Me ia presenta me e el ia presenta se. “Anj.” – el ia dise, e ia presa mea mano con sua – seca, calda, con ungias corta. Jolu ia presenta me a sua amis, ci el ia conose ja de pos la campa informatical a la eda de des anios. Plu persones ia apare – sinco, segueda par des, e par dudes a pos. La grupo ia es multe grande aora.

I introduced myself and she introduced herself. “Ange,” she said, and shook my hand with hers – dry, warm, with short nails. Jolu introduced me to his pals, whom he’d known since computer camp in the fourth grade. More people showed up – five, then ten, then twenty. It was a seriously big group now.

Nos ia demanda ce on ariva puntual e no plu tarda ca 21:30, e nos ia espeta asta 21:45 per vide tota ci va apare. Sirca tre cuatris ia es amis de Jolu. Me ia invita tota la persones ci me ia fida vera. Me ia es o plu distinguinte ca Jolu o min popular. Car aora el ia dise ce el va resinia, esta ia fa ce me pensa ce el es min distinguinte. Me ia es vera coler contra el, ma ia atenta no mostra esta, par consentra a sosiali con otra persones. Ma el no ia es stupida. El ia comprende la situa. Me ia pote vide ce el es vera deludeda. Bon.

We’d told people to arrive by 9:30 sharp, and we gave it until 9:45 to see who all would show up. About three quarters were Jolu’s friends. I’d invited all the people I really trusted. Either I was more discriminating than Jolu or less popular. Now that he’d told me he was quitting, it made me think that he was less discriminating. I was really pissed at him, but trying not to let it show by concentrating on socializing with other people. But he wasn’t stupid. He knew what was going on. I could see that he was really bummed. Good.

“Oce,” – me ia dise, asendente un ruina – “oce, he, alo?” Alga persones prosima ia atende me, ma la plu distantes ia continua parleta. Me ia leva mea brasos en la aira como un arbitror de sporte, ma lo ia es tro oscur. Ultima la idea ia veni a me de ensende mea cadena luminada e dirije lo a cada de la parlores en serie, e a me a pos. Gradal, la fola ia silenti.

“OK,” I said, climbing up on a ruin, “OK, hey, hello?” A few people nearby paid attention to me, but the ones in the back kept on chatting. I put my arms in the air like a referee, but it was too dark. Eventually I hit on the idea of turning my LED keychain on and pointing it at each of the talkers in turn, then at me. Gradually, the crowd fell quiet.

Me ia bonveni los e ia grasia tota per veni, ante demanda ce los prosimi per permete ce me esplica perce nos ia asembla. Me ia pote sensa ce los saborea la secretia de la situa, esente curiosa e pico caldida par la bir.

I welcomed them and thanked them all for coming, then asked them to close in so I could explain why we were there. I could tell they were into the secrecy of it all, intrigued and a little warmed up by the beer.

“Donce esta es la cosa. Tota vos usa Rede X. Lo no es un coaveni ce Rede X ia es creada direta pos cuando Securia Interna ia prende controla de la site. La persones ci ia fa lo es un organiza dedicada a libria personal, ci ia crea la rede per securi nos de spiores e enforsores de Securia Interna.” Jolu e me ia prepara esta a ante. Nos no va confesa ce tota acel ia es fada par nos – a no person. Lo ta es multe tro riscosa. En loca, nos va informa ce nos es mera tenintes en la armada de “M1k3y”, atante per organiza la resistores local.

“So here it is. You all use the Xnet. It’s no coincidence that the Xnet was created right after the DHS took over the city. The people who did that are an organization devoted to personal liberty, who created the network to keep us safe from DHS spooks and enforcers.” Jolu and I had worked this out in advance. We weren’t going to cop to being behind it all, not to anyone. It was way too risky. Instead, we’d put it out that we were merely lieutenants in “M1k3y”’s army, acting to organize the local resistance.

“Rede X no es pur.” – me ia dise. “La otra lado pote usa lo egal tan fasil como nos. Nos sabe ce Securia Interna ave spiores ci usa lo aora. Los usa trucos de injenia sosial per atenta fa ce nos revela nos, afin los pote catura nos. Si Rede X va susede, nos nesesa trova un modo per preveni ce los spia nos. Nos nesesa un rede en la rede.”

“The Xnet isn’t pure,” I said. “It can be used by the other side just as readily as by us. We know that there are DHS spies who use it now. They use social engineering hacks to try to get us to reveal ourselves so that they can bust us. If the Xnet is going to succeed, we need to figure out how to keep them from spying on us. We need a network within the network.”

Me ia pausa per lasa ce los asorbe esta. Jolu ia sujesta ce cisa esta va es alga pesosa – la aprende ce los es a punto de deveni membros de un grupo de revoluistes.

I paused and let this sink in. Jolu had suggested that this might be a little heavy – learning that you’re about to be brought into a revolutionary cell.

“Aora, me no sta asi per demanda ce vos fa cualce cosa ativa. Vos no nesesa vaga interferente o simil. Nos ia asembla vos asi car nos sabe ce vos es bon, nos sabe ce vos es fidable. Esta fidablia es lo cual me vole ce vos contribui a esta sera. Alga de vos conose ja la rede de fida e selebras per suscrive claves, ma per la resta de vos, me va dona un esplica rapida —” E me ia fa tal.

“Now, I’m not here to ask you to do anything active. You don’t have to go out jamming or anything. You’ve been brought here because we know you’re cool, we know you’re trustworthy. It’s that trustworthiness I want to get you to contribute tonight. Some of you will already be familiar with the web of trust and keysigning parties, but for the rest of you, I’ll run it down quickly –” Which I did.

“Aora, lo cual me vole de vos a esta sera es ce vos encontra la persones asi e deside cuanto vos pote fida los. Nos va aida vos a jenera duples de claves e comparti los con lunlotra.”

“Now what I want from you tonight is to meet the people here and figure out how much you can trust them. We’re going to help you generate key-pairs and share them with each other.”

Esta parte ia es difisil. Demanda ce persones porta sua propre computadores no ia ta funsiona, ma nos ia nesesa ancora fa un cosa enfernin complicada cual serta no ta funsiona con paper e lapis.

This part was tricky. Asking people to bring their own laptops wouldn’t have worked out, but we still needed to do something hella complicated that wouldn’t exactly work with paper and pencil.

Me ia leva un portable cual Jolu e me ia reconstrui de zero en la sera presedente. “Me fida esta macina. Cada composante en lo ia es poneda par nosa propre manos. Lo usa un varia fresca despacida de Linux Paranoica, inisiada de la DVD. Si on ave ancora un computador fidable a cualce loca en la mundo, cisa lo es esta.

I held up a laptop Jolu and I had rebuilt the night before, from the ground up. “I trust this machine. Every component in it was laid by our own hands. It’s running a fresh out-of-the-box version of ParanoidLinux, booted off of the DVD. If there’s a trustworthy computer left anywhere in the world, this might well be it.

“Me esecuta asi un jenerador de claves. Cadun de vos va veni asi per dona a lo alga enflue acaso – colpa la teclas, ximi la mus – e lo va usa acel como la seme per crea acaso un clave publica e privata per tu, cual lo va mostra sur la scermo. Tu va pote fa un foto de la clave privata par tua telefon, e presa cualce tecla per dejeta lo per sempre – lo es tota no conservada a la disco. Pos acel, lo va mostra a tu tua clave publica. Alora tu va clama tota la persones asi ci tu fida e ci fida tu, e los va fa un foto de la scermo con tu a la lado afin los sabe a ci la clave pertine.

“I’ve got a key-generator loaded here. You come up here and give it some random input – mash the keys, wiggle the mouse – and it will use that as the seed to create a random public- and private key for you, which it will display on the screen. You can take a picture of the private key with your phone, and hit any key to make it go away forever – it’s not stored on the disk at all. Then it will show you your public key. At that point, you call over all the people here you trust and who trust you, and they take a picture of the screen with you standing next to it, so they know whose key it is.

“Cuando tu revade a casa, tu debe converti la fotos a claves. Esta va es un taxe longa, me regrete, ma tu va debe fa lo a sola un ves. Ta ce vos es estrema atendosa cuando tu tape estas – an un ereta va es un fali. Fortunosa, tu ave un metodo per sabe esce tu ia fa coreta: su la clave on va ave un numero multe plu corta, nomida la ‘contorno’. Cuando tu ia tape la clave, tu va pote jenera un contorno de lo e compara lo con acel contorno, e si los es la mesma, tu ia fa coreta.”

“When you get home, you have to convert the photos to keys. This is going to be a lot of work, I’m afraid, but you’ll only have to do it once. You have to be super-careful about typing these in – one mistake and you’re screwed. Luckily, we’ve got a way to tell if you’ve got it right: beneath the key will be a much shorter number, called the ‘fingerprint’. Once you’ve typed in the key, you can generate a fingerprint from it and compare it to the fingerprint, and if they match, you’ve got it right.”

Tota los ia regarda me, aturdida. Bon, me ia demanda ce los fa un cosa alga strana, lo es vera. Ma an tal.

They all boggled at me. OK, so I’d asked them to do something pretty weird, it’s true, but still.