Welcome again! Here are the legal statements. If you are not yet old enough or if it is not legal to read this type of material where you live, please leave now. If the subject of homosexual relations offends you please read no further. The following story is a work of fiction and with the exception of Andy and the brief mention of Terry, all persons in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to persons living, dead or not yet born are completely accidental and unintentional.
The Author reserves all rights. copyright 2000 The Author is Andrew Simon van Ryan. Email me at Zlatazobo@aol.com Visit me at my web page http://hometown.aol.com/zlatazobo/myhomepage/profile.html
Where no one owns the Rain....
By Andrew Simon van Ryan
Copyright 2000. All Rights Reserved
Part Eleven
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biological computer born
Dateline: London - Wednesday 2 June 1999.
A computer made of neurons taken from leeches has been created by US scientists. At the moment, the device can perform simple sums - the team calls the novel calculator the "leech-ulator". But their aim is to devise a new generation of fast and flexible computers that can work out for themselves how to solve a problem, rather than having to be told exactly what to do. Professor Bill Ditto, at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is leading the project.
"Ordinary computers need absolutely correct information every time to come to the right answer," he says. "We hope a biological computer will come to the correct answer based on partial information, by filling in the gaps itself."
The device the team has built can "think for itself" because the leech neurons are able to form their own connections from one to another. Normal silicon computers only make the connections they are told to by the programmer. This flexibility means the biological computer works out its own way of solving the problem. The neuron computer works in a similar way to the human brain.
The BBC -Wednesday 2 June 1999.
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"I promise you he'll be safe, OK?" Gabriel whispered as he held me. "Better come on now. Let's not have him see you cry."
Gabriel was right. If Zeke spotted me crying, he'd know something was up. I couldn't help myself though. In just this short time I'd found that I loved him. It seemed the world was moving at nearly the speed of light and now every second counted like years. I pulled myself away from my thoughts of Zeke and focused on the task ahead. As I was turning my cogitation a last footnote flashed in my head.
"One more thing, Gabe. If Zeke thinks I'm going into danger, he won't leave me. Make him believe I'm doing anything but going to Washington, OK?"
"Yeah, you're right. He's really in love with you, isn't he?" Gabe sighed.
"And I am with him." I said, drying my eyes.
We soon joined Zeke, Danny and Noah, who were now in the back of the truck and reading the inventory list.
"Hey, shit man! This is unbelievable!" Noah cried excitedly to us. "We're equipped for just about any situation."
"So you can see what we've been doing." I smiled. "What's been going on here?"
"Packing the DatMan full of fudge." Noah said with an evil laugh. "We've had three guys working for almost twenty four hours sending files out. And my 'Spycatcher VooDoo' program detected the NSA's DatMan Intelligence gathering software picking out our files as we place 'em. It's transferring them to a separate computer system, just like I thought. They're definitely onto the books plot, Andy. They're gonna' be expecting us."
"Yeah, and we have a specific timetable now." I replied. "This Saturday at 8:00 AM Greenwich Mean Time is Zero Hour. C'mon, let's go inside and I'll explain."
The three of them jumped down from the truck bed and we headed for Zekes hut. While walking, I asked Noah a question that I'd wondered for quite some time.
"Noah, why do you guys call what you do VooDoo?"
He laughed and replied "Because no one knows how your VooDoo works. They only know it does, but they can't figure it out. VooDoo programmers work at tricking each other, which is how the competition for Top VooDoo got started. To be Top, you have to succeed with your defenses and be successful in your attacks. The last guy 'alive' is Top VooDoo. Playing this game is risky too, because guys meet for battle inside a government or corporate main computer. It's done by hacking in and changing the host computers system files, setting traps to kill your opponent, removing the changes after the kill is made and getting out without being detected. Very tricky shit and carries major jail time and huge fines if they catch you doing it. The other applications you can use VooDoo for are limitless, but you gotta know exactly what you've doing. I don't think programming VooDoo can be taught to just anyone. It's something you understand or you don't. You have to have a brain that's hooked up to think that way naturally."
"Maybe they use brain tissue like yours to grow bio-chips from." I remarked.
"Wouldn't surprise me." Noah shrugged. "My brain seems to work in a similar way."
Once we'd entered the hut and closed the door I illustrated how the plan had to be timed.
"At the same moment the Razorfish hits it's target, our representative will be addressing the EU members. What he's going to ask them for is a short delay before they vote. They'll know if we were successful within minutes. If we have been, they won't proceed further. No missile exchange will occur, because there won't be a launch detected. The Secretary General can instantly notify the US Embassy in Brussels the EU is not declaring war, that we're the group claiming responsibility for the attack and that they want peace. It will all be over in just a few minutes time."
"Who's the vice President and what's he like?" Danny asked. All our eyes focused on the Brit. He suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"Hey, just asking!" He defended.
"No, it's all right, Danny." Gabriel said. "We're just getting nerved up. The vice President is Carl Spencer. He's a conservative, but almost middle of the road. Conner needed him as a running mate to gain votes. Spencer's not another Conner. I'm sure he's stunned by all of this too."
"That helps. Once Conner's been removed, you don't want his replacement to continue his policies." Danny stated.
"Our best guess is he'll be pretty scared after it's happened and do a 180 degree policy turnaround." Noah theorized.
"Seems logical." I added. "Who wants to be blown away after watching your predecessor get vaporized?"
"OK, it's set for 8:00 AM GMT. What time will that make it in Washington, DC?" Gabriel asked.
"3:00 AM." Danny answered. "You'll be moving in darkness."
"Until the flashbulb goes off..." I chuckled "When we take Conners picture."
"OK, about the message to the EU." Gabriel began.
I cut him off before he could say more.
"It's almost finished. I wrote a speech presenting our plan and asking for the postponement of the vote."
"Then all we need is the messenger." Noah said.
"That's easy." Gabriel said. "There's only one person in Camp that's a citizen of an EU country. And he's got a valid passport, too. We'll send Ezekiel."
"Huh?" Zeke uttered looking up.
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Noah agreed. "He's got a great speaking voice, too."
"I think he's your best man." Danny remarked. "Wa.......ah, Zeke... was on the debate team at school and took Public Speaking also."
"Hang on!" Ezekiel cried. "What's Andy going to be doing during all this?"
"Staying right here." Gabriel asserted. "He has to write everything down and keep the records of who, how many and what we did, remember?"
"Oh, yeah...." Zeke remembered. He relaxed and said "OK, I'll go to the EU. I guess. "
"You guess?" I blurted. "Zeke, think how important this is!"
"Yeah, I'm sorry." Zeke replied. "I wasn't thinking. I'll go convince the EU. I can do it."
"Thanks, Zeke. That's what I wanted to hear." Gabe said softly.
"OK. We gotta get moving." I said. "How soon is breakfast?"
"Ah.... In twenty minutes." Noah said glancing at his watch.
"Danny, after breakfast we'll have the truck unloaded. Can you show the men how to operate some of that stuff?" I asked
"That's what I'm here for!" He replied with a smile.
"I'll help you out." Noah said. "I'm an ex - Navy man."
"More the merrier!" Danny smiled.
"OK. I'm gonna need writing paper and some quiet. I'll finish the speech for Zeke after breakfast. During breakfast I'm going person to person and getting everyone's name and birth date. It's for those who don't make it." I stated somberly. "So the world will know who they were."
The others all stared at me. They realized it was really going to happen now and how serious it all was. Some of us in Heaven would surely be dying in the next three days.