“Confessions” Serial, Tech Wars 15
Author’s note: Up to this point, “Tech Wars” has been a work of pure fiction, loosely based on the kind of criminal activities that have evolved with the development of the Internet. I will shortly introduce a genuine and far-advanced computing system that will pose major barriers for the criminals. Any information on this system presented in this story will be based on actual technical data. What will remain fictional at this stage, however, is the location of the technology’s headquarters.
Jauncey will not be drawn into any further details at that point. Instead, he insisted that they drive down to the beach a couple of miles away to enjoy the late afternoon sun and the cooling sea breeze. The beach was fairly deserted at that point. Sunbathers and the windsurfers had packed up and gone home. A couple of dog owners had let their animals loose and were constantly whistling and calling them back as the dogs raced along the wet sand just above the waterline.
Sally stretched her arms wide and let out a whoop of contentment.
Jauncey smiled at her. “I’m always delighted when a person like you, who is practically married to her computer, can come out into the fresh air and really enjoy the space on our wonderful planet.”
Sally grinned. “There has to be a balance. I refuse to let myself be trapped in the digital world. It fascinates me, yes, but I take care to move away and enjoy nature as often as I can … and, by the way, I’m not practically married to my computer. I have a flesh-and-blood man here who’s way more important to me than any collection of multimedia microchips!”
Andrew made a deep bow in his lady’s direction.
“Sorry, bad analogy,” said Jauncey. “But let me ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“Do you feel that computer technology is developing along the right lines?
Sally considered this for some moments. “It has its frustrations, yeah, but some of the best brains in the world are constantly refining the tech, mostly searching for the Holy Grail of Artificial Intelligence. I’ve no doubt they’re very close now.”
Jauncey looked at her quizzically. “What if I told you that there’s been an inherent flaw in the development of computer technology going back to its earliest days … as far as back as Britain’s Bletchley Park cryptology center during World War II?”
Sally shook her head. “I’d say that you’ve been reading too much science fiction mixed up with conspiracy theories!”
Jauncey laughed. “Your reaction is pretty much the same as most techies when the subject is broached. The thing is that when some seven generations of computer nerds or geniuses – call them what you like – create the basic premise upon which all programs have been built, there has to be a strong agreement that this is the way it’s done!”
“You’re sounding like the soldier marching in a huge parade who afterwards turned to his mother and said, “Did you see how I was the only one in step!”
Andrew broke in. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s not like you to have fixed ideas.”
Sally hung her head for a moment, then looked up defiantly. “Normally I don’t reject new thoughts out of hand … but in this case, it’s a bit like saying that trains shouldn’t run on rails when they’ve been doing so successfully for hundreds of years.”
Jauncey put up his hand. “I don’t want to cause trouble in paradise, so let’s put it this way … It does seem logical that for over seventy years computing systems have been built in the best way available. We cannot ignore the remarkable progress made. The creation of personal computers (after the earlier monsters that filled room after room), uncovering the Internet and now the frantic search for Artificial Intelligence, all indicate that great progress has been made.”
“I rest my case!”
“Okay, okay, but would you agree that the core of computing systems is programming? Would you also agree that this aspect of computing is the most complex … and infuriating? Even the simplest change to an existing program now requires page after page of complex programming code. There’s a growing sense that we may be reaching the end of major progress with computer systems because they’re becoming too unwieldy.”
Sally snorted. “That’s why oddball people like me are worth our weight in gold – because we’re willing to fight our way through complexities to achieve results.”
She fixed Jauncey with a steely glare. “Anyway, what in the hell has this got to do with the fight we have on our hands with criminal elements?”
Andrew nodded. “Have to agree with her there, Jaunce.”
The elegant Englishman shrugged. “Fair comment. However, if we’re going to clean up the computing industry, it surely makes sense to replace existing systems that are open to abuse with something that can be heavily protected and encrypted. At the same time this new system is far simpler to use as well as being completely affordable.”
“If pigs had wings!” Sally muttered.
Jauncey remained patient. “Look, when Brett … er … Andy approached me for help with your encounters with some very bad people, I immediately agreed. It ties in with investigations I’ve also been making. I started to uncover the staggering number of fraudulent and outright criminal activities that have been infiltrated into the world of computing. I also began to wonder how one could develop systems that could allow for a new and completely ethical approach to the ongoing use of computers.
“Not long ago, I heard about a system that has been based on going back to the very beginnings of computing and taking a new look at how it should work. The person who uncovered a flaw in the logic of current computing is concerned primarily with removing that flaw and creating a system that works without that flaw. He has, in fact, opened the door to the creation of actual Artificial Intelligence – which should perhaps be now called Virtual Intelligence.”
Jauncey bent down, picked up a piece of driftwood lying on the sand. A couple of dogs, reveling in their freedom, were racing towards them. Jauncey lifted the driftwood above his head and thrust it powerfully back along the beach towards the dogs. The two animals immediately turned and raced after the flying object, competing fiercely to be the first to capture it.
He turned and smiled at Sally and Andrew. “I’m not suggesting that we become involved in the final development of this system, which is about to launch anyway. What I am suggesting is that we use this remarkable system to assist its creator to develop a new culture of ethical behavior in computing. We will also use our joint resources to bring to justice as many of the bad elements as we can – and allow computing to regain its intended status as the finest and purest form of communication ever created on this planet.
There was a long silence as the young couple digested the enormity of what Jauncey was suggesting.
“Wow!” was all that Sally could think of saying.
• • •
The reason why Johannsen had managed to hang onto his position in a fiercely competitive and utterly ruthless criminal organization, was that he simply refused to give up. He received a call from one of his many investigators with the news that a well-known plastic surgeon in Cape Town, South Africa, had very recently performed surgery on a young couple that could possibly be the missing Brett and Sandy.
It was a long shot at best. The couple did not look very much like the fleeing pair and their names were completely different. Nevertheless, the timing of the arrival of a young American couple to both undergo plastic surgery was suspicious. It reeked of a need for them to wipe out their past. Johannsen had received other reports from around the world but this one looked promising.
Johannsen sent two of his best men and a woman to Cape Town to track the pair down. He had a feeling in his gut that he may have struck lucky once again.
An ExoTech Ltd shareholder, Chris is currently authoring two of the four books to be published the day ExoBrain launches and has helped to create ExoBrain’s introductory video to the Confidential Technical Briefing. Chris has spent his working life in the film and television industry, starting with BBC Television in London, then ATV in Birmingham becoming, at the time, the youngest Studio Manager in Britain.
Later, in South Africa, he wrote and directed film and TV commercials, having four South African entries at the Cannes Advertising Festival. After a number of years of writing and directing or producing documentaries (eight international awards) and corporate videos, he concentrated on writing feature film screenplays (five screened) and television series (seven screened). He has a novel, ”Pursuit of Treachery,” with a literary agent and is currently obtaining finance for an action adventure feature film he has written and is co-producing. He is a published poet and has given many readings.