Jan 01, 2007 02:29 PM
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When Dan Brown read Sidney Sheldon’s novel *The Doomsday Conspiracy *, he decided he could do better and it was Digital Fortress [DF], his first novel.
Spoiler ahead
Susan Fletcher is Head&tbsp; Cryptographer of NSA(National Security Agency) and she receives emergency call from the Dy. Director of the operation, Commander Trevor Strathmore, who was like father to Susan.
Strathmore informed her about the emergency, TRANSLTR, a super toy of NSA able to decode toughest encrypted message within minutes, is not able to decrypt a code for more than fifteen hours. Strathmore explained that he had entered a code published by Ensei Tankado, who claims that the code is unbreakable as against the Bergofsky Principle, which states that every code is breakable. Only Tankado has pass-key to decrypt the code, he has decided to sell the unbreakable code to the highest bidder among the international computer companies.
However, TRANSLTR seems to be in endless loop, and Strathmore sends David Becker, a foreign languages expert and boyfriend of Susan, to Spain to recover the belongings of dead Tankado. Meanwhile Susan and Strathmore tries to figure out the problem.
When Phil Chartrukian, assistant System Security Division of Crypto, arrives at Crypto and believes that TRANSLTR has been attacked by a virus. Greg Hale, another Crypto of NSA also wonders why Susan and Starthmore are present on Saturday and smell the rate.
Here David find something missing from the personal belongings of Tankado and the chase begins to recover it as it contains the pass-key to decrypt the code of Tankado.
I find the story with too many co-incidents. Also the chase by David almost consume half of the story which becomes frustrating sometime. You left in wondering that NSA, budget of which runs in billions and which contains the most secured secrets of America appears to easy to breached. One could peep into another’s room, and one can access to the Dy. Director’s email account.
I find hard to believe that at the NSA, building of which is spread in
two millions square feet and have staff of twenty six thousand, nobdy
turnsup when their ultimate machine is at fire.
Having read all the novels of Dan Brown it appears that the author makes a very good head start, explaining everything necessary to understand the novel, and also state that the state-of-art technology developed and controlled by the American secret agencies, but somehow initial excitement created by the fact and figures fads away as the story progresses.
Dont regret If you haven’t read, because you will regret too after reading.
I liked a dialog of abusive Jabba, Anti-Hecker and System Security Chief of NSA .to conclude the review.
"Clear like shit"
