✍  Chapter 5. Sigita

Unfortunately for Dmitry, the bell rang, preventing him from hearing Yaroslav's answer. The biology teacher entered the classroom with a stack of students' notebooks. There was a test scheduled for today, and the woman ordered everyone to put their phones away on the last, empty desk. When everyone had done so, she counted the phones. After making sure that the number matched the number of students, she wrote the tasks on the blackboard and announced the start of the test.

For such occasions, Dmitry carried a second phone and sat in a less conspicuous place, on the second desk of the second row. Waiting until the teacher turned away, he went to the browser to find the answer to the assignment online. But was distracted by a notification of a new message. It arrived not on his main phone, but on the second one he was using. Dmitry took one look at the message and forgot all about the test work.

«Wondering what game I made up for you? So you want to play it. Let's play. Right now, your classmate Sigita, sitting on the first desk in the first row, is cheating on the test paper. You can't see it from the outside, and the teacher naively believes that she's doing it fairly. To restore justice, I choose you.

You have to figure out how she does it. You have 10 minutes. If you don't submit an answer within that time, you will be shown on the electronic board, close-up, phone in hand. Not only will you get the worst grade, but you will be shamed in front of the whole class. The game has begun!»

Dmitry felt a surge of rage. Yaroslav had brazenly lied to his face, and now, to get revenge, was playing such a game with him.

«Nothing, Yaroslav! When the lesson is over, you'll be over too!»

Sigita was an excellent student and knew all subjects well, including biology. Every test paper in that subject she got only an A or B grade. Dmitry looked at her and thought about Yaroslav's words, declaring her cheating.

«He's wrong. Sigita can't cheat. Both of her hands are lying on the table. Except for a pen, there's nothing in them. Moreover, she's sitting right in front of the teacher's desk!»

The girl, leaning slightly to the left, was quietly writing answers to the questions.

— I have ten minutes to uncover your secret. And I'm going to do it.

Dmitry looked intently at the girl, and began to mentally reason.

— You always enter with your jacket on and hang it on the back of your chair. It has pockets, so you could put your second phone in the left one, closer to your desk mate, reaching for it while the teacher can't see. Would the teacher be watching a top excellent student who is already sitting right in front of her? Of course not. Well, then another question arises: where did you get your second phone from? It's possible it's not yours. It could have belonged to someone else. Someone... sitting next to you.

— Let's say a test paper comes up. You and a classmate sit in the first row to avert suspicion. Someone gives you a second phone and you put it in your place. The teacher walks around the class and looks at those who are cheating without a doubt, like Nicholas. At the same time you take your phone out of the left pocket of your beige and orange jacket and look at prepared materials from presentations, websites and textbooks. Such manipulations would be in my field of vision, but I didn't see it. So the option of a second phone is dropped.

— Your left hand is wearing a smartwatch. But what if it's an unusual watch? What if it can open documents and photos? That's right, it's the watch! I think it's the watch!

Dmitry opened the conversation with an unknown number, typed «Watch» and sent a message.

«Wrong answer.»

«What? It's not the watch?, — Dmitry was surprised. — You must be very clever, Sigita. But I'm going to find you out anyway!»

— So, you don't use the watch. It would be too easy, and also too boring for you. Anyway, whenever I look in your direction on tests, I don't see you looking at anything on your watch. In class, you hardly use them at all. I think you do elsewhere. Moreover, this type of watch is too narrow to comfortably read material on it. Hence, I'm right: it's not a watch, it's a phone, but the scheme is more elaborate. And I must realise what it consists in.

— To some people near you, you also give answers. Not everyone, because someone will be able to use this tactic too, like Alina, who isn't smart enough to hide it well. By the way, for some reason she didn't show up today despite not being on the sick list, but that doesn't matter now.

— Let's assume all of this is true. But suddenly, by chance, a teacher notices you get caught. Your reputation for excellence is ruined. Would you risk that much? The odds are low, but there's a lot to lose. You're always nice to your teachers and you don't want them to think badly of you. In view of that, you thought of something smarter. Because I'm sure you're smarter than all of them. In front of you is a notebook, a pencil case, a closed textbook on a stand. Every item here has value. You're doing something you can't do in maths class, where we put every single thing away: phones, textbooks and notebooks. And the maths teacher watches the students too. But she doesn't suspect you, as you're good at solving problems and doing it on your own. Given all this, what would I do if I were you?

Dmitry imagined himself as Sigita.

«I'm you: without a phone, with a closed textbook and a notebook. What would I do with all that right in front of everyone? The notebook won't do much, but there's a thing that could be very useful...»

He got an epiphany.

«A translucent shirt.»

— Of course it is! You wear it often and did so now. Even from afar, my back could be seen through it. Since you don't wear glasses and, judging by your «Instagram» profile, you lead an active lifestyle, I would have good eyesight. Your translucent shirt doesn't fit closely to your body, then I'd have an open space in my hands where I could put anything. But what is it?

— Your phone, the iPhone 15 Pro, became available not so long ago. It follows that I would still have my previous phone. I would put it in my left sleeve, closer to the palm of my hand, bend slightly towards my desk mate and discreetly flip through presentation slides or definitions.

— In case a teacher came up to me, I would cover my left hand with a notebook page, and to keep the phone from falling off, I would hold it with a small rubber band. I'd do it in front of everyone, but no one would see it. The translucent shirt makes it a little hard to see. It only looks okay if you don't look at it on purpose, but no one would be looking at me in class. Even forseeing that, I would, like I said, bend to the left so there's definitely no chance of anyone catching me.

— Translucent shirt... Smartest plan for cheating. No one in the history of the lyceum has ever come up with a decent way to cheat. Except you. You, Sigita, are the only one who could invent such an unusual way. I'm amazed.

Dmitry looked at the time: two minutes left. In the input box, quickly typed «Translucent shirt».

«It's time to save you.»

And sent.

«Correct answer.»

He breathed a sigh of relief. The joy was so intense that he put the phone down on the table and leaned back in his chair, completely forgetting about the class. The game was over.

Yet not for him...

Suddenly, a close-up image of Sigita appeared on the electronic board. Under her left sleeve, there was a phone visible. The surprised classmates turned to her at once. The girl made a silly attempt to express her confusion:

— What is it? — but her voice trembled.

In a panic she tried to slip the phone out of her sleeve, but because of the excitement she accidentally dropped it on the floor. It fell with the display facing upwards, showing a browser where a website with answers to questions was open. Everything was shown close-up on the board. Absolutely everyone, including the teacher, saw it. Dying of shame, Sigita picked up the phone, and, barely holding back tears, tried to escape from the classroom, but the door...

Was locked.

February 13. 1 day ago

Alina dragged Nicholas to the fence.

The latter's low height allowed the girl to throw him over without much difficulty. The snow again prevented possible fractures. He would have a lot of bruises, though, after all that had happened.

«There should be a singal here», — Alina hoped and made a call to «112». The phone was answered.

— Emergency service, — the man on the other end of the line began the conversation.

— My classmate is in a serious condition, unconscious and badly injured, — the girl tried to suppress excitement and clearly explain all the details.

When she finished, the officer asked her:

— Where are you located?

She gave the address of the lyceum and mentioned facilities nearby to speed up her search.

But in the retort that followed, the interlocutor's accent changed beyond recognition.

— I already know where you are.

— Is that you? But how... How did you do that?

— The phone you're calling from isn't really yours, but an exact copy. Same password, but no fingerprint lock. Knew you wouldn't notice. Otherwise, this phone is no different from yours, except that it's been reflashed to forward all calls and messages to my number.

Alina's jaw dropped. After a little thought, she came to her senses.

— But I can go to «Instagram» and text my friends to call the police! You didn't mention social media redirects! And about the jamming, it's only on calls, not mobile data!

— What?

— Didn't think of that, you bastard? Not so clever of you! — Alina gloated.

Without a second's hesitation, she switched on the mobile data transmission, opened «Instagram», went to the conversation with her mother and sent a message for help, attaching her geolocation.

As soon as the message reached its destination, the phone emitted a high-pitched beeping sound. A few seconds later, it stopped and the app shut down.

— What was that? — Alina didn't understand.

— With your reckless actions, you triggered one mechanism.

— What mechanism?

— It consisted in the fact that when you sent someone a message on «Instagram» or any other social network, a timer would start. Two days later, in biology class, your classmate Dmitry would receive an interesting message.

— What message?

— A new game.

— What happens if he loses?

— Whether he wins or not, one person will suffer. But winning will speed up the process.

— Who exactly will suffer?

— How about your best friend?

— How do you know who my best friend is?

— I know more about you than you think. More than your parents. More than you know about yourself.

Alina was petrified of fear.

— How do I save her?

— You can't. Someone else will.