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First Step is a pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller that explores the intersection of cutting-edge technology and human ambition. From the intricacies of quantum computing to the vast possibilities of interplanetary travel, this novel delves into the ethical dilemmas posed by scientific advancement and the power struggles that ensue when world-changing discoveries are at stake.
James Kentley's journey from reclusive genius to reluctant leader will challenge readers to consider the true cost of progress and the lengths one must go to protect the greater good. As corporate espionage, government conspiracies, and personal vendettas collide, "First Step" asks: When the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who can you really trust?
Step into a world where the next scientific breakthrough could lead to humanity's salvation or its downfall. First Step is just the beginning of an exhilarating saga that will take you from the laboratories of Earth to the uncharted territories of a new world. Are you ready to take the first step?
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Seitenzahl: 450
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
First Step
KEITH BRADY
Copyright © 2024 Keith Brady
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-7636653-0-9
For friends and family.
And imagination.
And life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am greatly indebted to those who encouraged me to write in various forms. My soccer teammates from KPSC and walking footy at Pittwater put up with various poems over the years.
My family offered encouragement and critical appraisal as they worked through the first rough drafts. I want to express my sincere thanks to my wife Janet and children Geoff and Bron for their excellent feedback. I also want to thank Michelle for her wonderful editing, which made the story much more professional than it would have been.
Chapter 1
Dr. James Kentley, a renowned physicist, frowned at the display, his lips tight and his nose wrinkled in concentration. His lab coat stirred as he swayed, a sign of his restless mind. The laboratory was silent and still, a stark contrast to the storm of thoughts in his head.
A man stuck his head in the lab door and looked around. "Coffee, James?" He received no response. Blinking, he moved closer. "James? You okay?"
James jerked as his concentration shattered. "Uh?" He turned and looked at the man, confusion in his eyes. "Oh! Liam. Sorry mate, I was thinking."
Liam smiled. "No problem. I came to see if anyone wanted a coffee. I'm heading to the cafe."
James ran a hand through his dark, unkempt hair. "No thanks, Liam." He frowned and looked back at the screen. "I've had enough for the moment."
Liam looked at the display and back at James. "Let me know if you need anything." James didn't answer Liam's offer; he had turned back to the display, forehead lined in concentration.
Liam quietly closed the lab's door as he left.
James realigned the target and double-checked the power settings before re-running the test. Same result. He frowned as he worked through the results, thumbs tapping the bench. Closing his eyes, he visualised the accelerator firing electrons at the target and smashing into the protons and neutrons. He frowned as he pictured smaller particles exploding like shrapnel, their movement creating a kaleidoscope of varying fields. His logic gates required customised fine-tuning to interface with external hardware and maximise performance. He'd achieved what he needed for the job, but a new batch of targets had thrown up an odd result - a gap in a particle's trail. This anomaly, a particle's momentary disappearance, was irritating and challenging. He scratched his head at the incongruity of a particle coming and going. He could feel an idea scratching aroundbut couldn't pull it out.
James's natural curiosity and determination nagged at him to find a solution. Though not directly related to his current project, this anomaly had become a puzzle he couldn't ignore. He chuckled as he recognised this compulsive element of his personality. It had previously landed him in strife with his supervisor and professor while researching his thesis at the university. At his graduation, his professor gave him a wry smile and suggested the corporate world and James would have an interesting time. Not surprisingly, the professor was right.
James had worked with three technology companies in the space of five years. In each, he had a conflict with management. Two firms focused on short-term revenue at the expense of product quality, staff and marketplace reputation. In contrast, James focused on the quality of the product and the opportunities presented for long-term results for the company and its clients. The third company conducted business in a manner James could only interpret as unethical. He took his concerns to his manager. As a result, he was made redundant shortly afterwards.
The Australian corporate culture may have been less cut-throat than other countries, but James still worried about his fit in the corporate world. He talked about the issue with the few people he trusted, and after one clarifying discussion with Harry Barnes, a friend from his university days, James decided to go solo. He created his own technology consulting company called 'JK Miniaturisation'. The change suited him, and he quickly built a reputation as a problem solver focusing on miniaturisation and robotics. One of his more significant developments, the J-Gate, involved miniaturised linear accelerators for computing applications where high performance was critical. Built on his original university thesis, the J-Gate used variations in power and electric fields to facilitate super-fast processing of simple calculations.
The J-Gate's reputation had landed James a contract with AI4U, an up-and-coming Australian company specialising in bespoke artificial intelligence systems. For security reasons, AI4U required James to work in their offices in Redfern, south of Sydney's CBD. AI4U's central laboratory in the basement had become James's home away from home.
James had prepared another variation on his tests when his Project Manager, Scott Willis, entered the lab. "James, how are those chips coming along?"
James groaned. Interactions with Scott had a way of ending in pointless conflict. He sat back from the display and smiled. "And 'Hello' to you too, Scott." Scott, oblivious to the dig, looked confused. James shook his head before grinning and looking at Scott. "I'm progressing ahead of schedule. The testing has worked out better than expected, and the J-Gates and processor connectors are ready for final assembly by your engineers." James leaned forward, eyes opened in invitation. "I'm about to run another test on the strange track. Would you like...".
Scott interrupted. "Shit James! This processing enhancement for the demo with Martyn Analytics has to be finished by the end of the month! We can't muck around!" He went a bit red around the cheeks and continued. "If you can't do the job properly, I'll finish it myself! Get me? I can't afford for AI4U to miss out on this deal."
James raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, Scott. Don't burst a valve! Everything's done except checking the final build when the engineers sign off, and reviewing the documentation. It's just that this..."
"I don't want to hear about your anomaly! Get the checks and documentation done and on my desk by the end of next week! No excuses!"
"But they're not due till..."
"I don't care when they're due! End of next week. Get the job done!" With that, Scott stormed out of the lab.
James shrugged. He didn't understand Scott's aversion to discussion and closed mind to new knowledge. He looked at the lab's closed door and his brow furrowed. AI4U's engineers planned to complete the final build before the middle of the following week, three weeks ahead of schedule. James smiled to himself, happy to be self-employed and able to escape bosses who took a lot of the joy and sense of achievement out of work!
James sent the components to engineering late Friday afternoon. The gates' design had proven to increase the speed of AI4U's artificial intelligence engine by a factor of three. Martyn Analytics had grown to be one of Europe's largest data analytics companies, and a share of their business would be worth billions to AI4U.
* * *
Early on Saturday morning, James was still frustrated with Scott's attitude, a distraction affecting his ongoing consideration of the enigma he'd encountered with the gap in the particle trail. He shook his head, but his mind kept circling the question. Deciding to try a change of scenery, he drove to the coast for a walk and headed to Long Reef, one of his favourites. Rather than taking his usual route to 'Longie' headland, he turned north and headed along the beach. Clouds had built during the morning, and rain threatened, which kept most people at home. It suited his mood, and he was glad when the rain started.
He made his way up the coarse gold sand and onto the concrete apron at the rock pool at Collaroy. Down the other side, he waded through thick weed washed in with the surf. As he looked north towards Narrabeen, a mob of silver gulls began squabbling over a tasty morsel, and he chuckled at their antics. Seagulls doing what seagulls do got his thinking back on track. He had to focus on the basics-chunk the problem down and build the solution one piece at a time. He turned back towards his car with a simple action plan and laughed at himself for his muddled thinking.
James drove home, showered, and put on dry clothes before eating a tuna, mayo, and gherkin sandwich for lunch. He made his way into AI4U and quickly organised his work area for a series of tests, which he decided would be a decent foundation for his thinking and further experimentation. He started with the target that caused the anomaly to confirm the trails with gaps. He switched to another target from the same batch, and the test showed the same particle trails, but these remained unbroken. Repeating the tests with another two of the same batch of targets gave the same result: unbroken trails.
James scratched the back of his neck and frowned as he spoke aloud. "There's something about this particular target. Something in its structure causes the particles to behave differently and cause the gap in the trail." He placed the offending target under a magnifier but couldn't see anything obvious. He magnified and made copies of both targets and put them side by side on a viewer. Comparing the images, he couldn't see any noticeable differences and decided to give the targets to a specialist materials expert for a complete physical analysis. The materials used in the target consisted of precise amounts of tungsten, carbon, and bronze, which formed a monochrome grey alloy. As he turned to shut off the screen, he noticed a difference in the colour of the samples out of the corner of his eye. The targets should be identical, but the one producing the anomaly seemed to have a slight tinge. He frowned at the screen, but whatever he'd seen had gone. He shook his head, and his eyes darkened in determination.
James turned off the equipment he'd been using and started to secure the lab. He placed the two target samples in sealed containers and put them in his pocket. His efforts came to a surprised halt when the door slammed open, and Scott entered, arms waving around his head while he shouted about trespass and security.
James noticed a couple of security guards accompanying Scott, so he half-raised his hands to calm the situation. "Scott! What's the matter with you, mate?"
Scott stepped close and shouted. "What are you doing here? It's out of hours. You shouldn't be here!"
James looked at him and the security guards. "What are you talking about? I've been in after-hours often over the last six months. There's never been an issue. It's a good quiet time to concentrate and get work done." The guards nodded their agreement.
"I don't care about the past!" shouted Scott. "What have you been doing here today?"
James's eyes darkened as his brow furrowed. "Looking into the anomaly with the J-Gate and ... "
Scott pushed his palm close to James's face. "Stop right there! Is your anomaly authorised work? Is your anomaly work I have scheduled you to do? Is your anomaly anything to do with the Martyn project?"
James looked gobsmacked at Scott's emotional state. "Well, no. Not as such."
Scott turned to the security guards. "See! Get him out of here." He looked back at James. "Your contract is terminated! Don't bother coming back. I'll have HR send you anything personal from your desk!"
Horrified by this turn of events, James tried to reason with Scott. "Scott, hang on a tick. I've finished the wafers. They'll be with the engineers on Friday afternoon. What's your problem here?"
Scott turned with a sneer. "I know about the engineers, but you've been a pain in my arse since you joined the project. You go off on tangents and have no respect for my authority. You've undermined me with the whole team!"
James spread his hands. "I'm sorry you feel that way. It wasn't my intention to undermine you. I've always delivered my work on time, on budget and in good order."
Scott pushed past the guards. "It's not always about doing the job right; it's about how you do it." With that enigmatic comment, he left, and the guards escorted James to his car.
Chapter 2
Five men, each representing a pivotal role in the operations of WestProtect, chatted quietly as they sipped on drinks and waited for the sixth member of their group. These were the leadership of WestProtect, an American-based, non-government organisation dedicated to Western society's success and ongoing freedom. WestProtect presented itself to the public as a conservative think-tank funded by wealthy individuals, corporations, and other groups with similar goals of 'small' government, low taxes, and the freedom to do what they wanted without intervention.
The dining table in the centre of the room looked fantastic, displaying the finest china, silver, and crystal glassware meticulously laid by the property's staff. The dining room, a place of high-level discussions and strategic planning, formed an integral part of the sprawling property owned by WestProtect outside of Millington, West Virginia. Waiters stood at the room's perimeter, watching the men like hawks, ready to meet any need; the staff's movement and timing were carefully orchestrated to ensure complete confidentiality during the event.
A flurry of activity announced the arrival of Thomas Artur Sheridan. Thomas ordered a scotch. "Apologies for my being delayed..." He accepted his glass from the waiter and tasted the drink while waiting for the server to return to his position, out of hearing. "Ah! That's a nice drop!" He smiled and held his glass in a toast to his friends. "A delay well worthwhile, though. The UK has agreed with the idea and will be more, shall we say, obliging when they meet with the Secretary of State." They clinked glasses and signalled for refills as Thomas added more detail about his recent meeting.
When the drinks arrived, Ainsley van den Favel, WestProtect's chairman, looked around in expectation. "Let's get started, shall we?" He received gestures of agreement and called the head waiter. "We're ready to start, thank you." The waiter nodded. "Yes, sir!" as he signalled for the remaining staff to exit the room.
Once the room had cleared, Ainsley turned to his left and raised an eyebrow in question. Emanuel Thorpe, Head of Martial Response and Security, checked the room before drawing what looked like a remote control from his inner jacket pocket. Emanuel activated the device, a security scanner that swept the room and surrounding area for signs of electronic activity that could point to a potential security breach. Satisfied, he adjusted the scanner's mode to sense human sound; apart from their breathing, nothing registered. He put the device into watch mode and returned it to his pocket. "We're clear."
Ainsley smiled. "Excellent!"
Ainsley surveyed the others. "Welcome! It has been a while since our last get-together, and a lot has happened. Let's enjoy the starter before getting on to business." A faint ping sounded, and the men quietened. Ten seconds later, doors opened, and staff efficiently delivered a bowl of soup to each man before disappearing again. The talk quietened as the men enjoyed their first course, although there were occasional murmurs of appreciation for the complex flavour of the starter.
Again, a soft ping announced the waiters' arrival. They cleared the table and served a second course, this time of fish. They replenished wine and other beverages, and after a last look, the waiters left the room.
Emanuel checked his security scanner and indicated to Ainsley the meeting could proceed.
Ainsley lifted his chin and smiled. He relished his position as the head of WestProtect and his influence with the five men at the table. He turned to Braydon Dempsey, WestProtect's Head of Finance. "Braydon?"
Braydon smiled like a cat with cream-covered whiskers. His report, concise and to the point, gave insight into the performance of several initiatives, both long- and short-term. He was exceptionally pleased with their positioning in response to Europe's troubles. "The war between Russia and Ukraine continues to deliver the inflation we need to get a rise in interest rates. I expect employment to rise again in the short term before falling off in the following ten to twelve months. This will increase wages but at a rate less than inflation." He raised his eyebrows. "This continued pressure on the population will keep them focused on themselves and agitated against our adversaries." He lifted his chin. "Central banks will buy back the money they printed during the pandemic and, previously, the GFC. The buyback will put upward pressure on interest rates, which will be blamed on inflation." He smiled. "Our combined wealth will increase strongly during the upcoming year, and I expect we will enter a time of more stable politics once buybacks end and interest rates ease."
Shortly after Braydon finished, the ping sounded, and the plates were cleared. The head waiter called his staff to serve the main course. Each meal was prepared according to the men's preferences, and a sommelier followed the meals, serving fresh wines to match the food. She placed more wine on a sideboard before she left the room. With serving complete, the head waiter checked with Ainsley to ensure nothing remained to be done as the doors would remain locked for ninety minutes.Ainsley nodded his satisfaction and signalled for the man to leave. Once again, Emanuel ensured the room's security before the main course started.
Ainsley called for briefings from Elias Donovan, who handled US Domestic Affairs, followed by Thomas Sheridan on Foreign Affairs. When they had finished, Ainsley stood, eyes dark. "As you all know, we're financially sound. The countries we are interested in are doing what we need them to both here and overseas." His eyebrows lowered as he went on. "Technology, however, is not our strong suit. As a result, our security is at risk." He lifted his chin and looked towards Darius Robins, Head of Communications and Technology. "I have spoken with Darius about the problem and had several group discussions with your staff and external advisors. The recent developments in technology threaten to leave us behind. This situation affects all of us in one way or another, and we become more vulnerable as days go by." His jaw tightened, and he took a moment to ease the emotion. "Vulnerability to artificial intelligence is fast becoming a real threat. Technology can be used to influence people through analysis of their beliefs, priorities, and politics. Newer developments can achieve this faster and better than we can; It can influence money markets, interest rates, bitcoin prices, and other investments to our loss." His lips tightened. "There is also work being done that can be detrimental to security by cracking codes and intercepting communications." He ran his eyes over his leadership group. "Technology must be our number one priority until we either invent or acquire capabilities closer to the leading edge of AI, nanotechnology, drones, robotics, and quantum computing."
Ainsley turned to Darius. "Anything to add?"
Darius, the big-boned, loud and boisterous CEO of a privately funded Silicon Valley enterprise, looked sombre; he had none of his usual energy and charisma. "We provide cloud services and big data analytics - artificial intelligence is disruptive and has the potential to make or break us." His eyes narrowed. "We've built a team to focus on AI from people within the group and supplemented them with a selection of 'experts' from outside." He frowned as he looked around the group. "I say 'experts' because the landscape changes so quickly. Every day, there is a new startup, a new library of language models, a new funding round, and a new failure." His frown deepened. "As a going concern, we can't hope to keep pace with the mainstream, let alone the leading edge." He shook his head slowly. "I've stated this previously: I don't believe a startup of our own will do any better than what we're doing right now." He glanced towards Braydon and shrugged. "I believe a startup with the right publicity could gain financially if one of the bigger technology firms makes an offer." He shook his head. "The payback for the risks tells me it's not worth trying the strategy. We should develop the best solutions to meet our objectives and invest in the best people we can find. Then, we keep upgrading."
Ainsley nodded, and his eyes crinkled in frustration. "I agree with Darius. The feeding frenzy generated by AI reminds me of the dotcom boom and bust, and we need to steer clear of the churn." He scowled and shook his head as he turned to Emanuel.
Emanuel Thorpe set aside the remains of his grilled brown trout and addressed the table. "Besides Darius's team, we have a research centre in Colorado focused on security and weapons. They make good progress but have not created anything offering a significant advantage. We trail technology firms and foreign countries in two areas - AI and nanotechnology. We can't take our eye off the new development in nanotechnology, which is increasingly important, especially in surveillance and, closely related, robotics." He frowned and gave a shake of his head. "Artificial intelligence is a soft spot for everybody, not only us. Whoever cracks AI will gain a huge advantage because the AI's algorithms will build capabilities exponentially. I can't stress this enough."
The men chatted after they finished their main meals as fifteen to twenty minutes had been scheduled for ad-hoc discussion. During this time, Thomas Sheridan took the opportunity to speak with Ainsley and Emanuel. Thomas had recently returned from a five-week relationship trip, visiting the various WestProtect groups in other countries. "Emanuel, I've been thinking about your suggestion to be on the lookout for AI opportunities. An active member in Australia, Harper Caldwell, heads an AI firm called AI4U; he told me about his company's products at a function last month."
Emanuel's brow furrowed, and he nodded. "I know of AI4U. If I recall correctly, they build AI engines for data analytics."
"That's right." Thomas smiled and cocked his head. "Their main thrust involves using data from social media and other mass activity sites to provide a customer with the ability to target messaging and product information to the public. Their experience covers solutions for political campaigns, online advertising click-through rates, and simple online shopping results."
Thomas shrugged and tilted his head. "They're not breaking any revenue records, but their solution's reputation is growing."
Emanuel nodded. "They sound interesting." He pursed his lips. Can you look into their personnel and expertise areas? Perhaps talk with this Caldwell fellow. Where does he see himself in a few years? Can we make better use of him in WestProtect? Let's see if we can motivate him to push for technical breakthroughs to assist us."
Ainsley pursed his lips. "It wouldn't help Darius unless there's specific IP (intellectual property) or people they can get hold of, but the Colorado effort could use fresh ideas if AI4U gets onto something solid." He cocked his head. "Worth looking into, Thomas."
Sheridan nodded, and their conversation moved on to other topics until interrupted by the ping signalling a course change.
* * *
The morning following the dinner, Thomas called his senior associate in Australia, Robert Hickey-Roche, on their secure line. "Roche, how are you?"
Robert Hickey-Roche preferred to be addressed as 'Roche', his grandmother's surname, as she had been the central figure in his early life and taught him much about their family's place in society. She also introduced him to the people who would guide him through business and politics. "Hello, Thomas. It's good to hear from you." He chuckled. Have you decided to join our Australasian summit conference after all?"
Thomas laughed. "No, Roche, I'll leave the summit in your experienced hands."
Roche snorted. "You simply don't want to come to the frontier. Let your hair down! Come and see how we Aussies get the job done - we may surprise you!"
They laughed at the familiar banter until Thomas broached the reason for his call. "I do need something from you, Roche. We had our leadership lunch yesterday. The dominant theme was a real urgency to come to grips with artificial intelligence research and applications. I mentioned AI4U was starting to get competitive results, and Ainsley suggested we look into anything of potential benefit to us."
Roche nodded, his interest piqued. "Yes, they have been doing good business recently. They appear to have assembled an excellent team that's gelling well and innovating. I'll talk with Harper Caldwell and see what he has to say. He's giving a short presentation at the conference, so he's keen."
Thomas thanked Hickey-Roche and made a note in his diary to catch up with him after the Australasian summit.
At the same time, Roche made a note to have lunch with Harper over the next few days.
Chapter 3
Monday morning came by, and James called Scott at AI4U to see if the situation had stabilised over the weekend.
Scott answered abruptly. "Kently, you're off the books here. Don't call again!" And he hung up.
James didn't get a chance to say a word. He looked at his phone and shook his head. He couldn't figure out why he continually had these issues. He did the work, he did it well, and he did it at a fair price. What was the problem?
James found that being outdoors in a natural environment helped his thinking, so he decided to drive to Long Reef and walk in the seaside air. He sometimes considered getting himself a corporate mentor for advice, but he didn't know anyone from the corporate sector he trusted enough to talk to. In the past, the only advice he'd ever been given was to toe the line' or, 'If you want to get ahead, you have to conform'. He hadn't been prepared to do either, which often meant leaving his employer and finding somewhere where he could work effectively.
Reaching the Long Reef lookout, James looked out to sea and narrowed his eyes as he enjoyed the tangy air. The sun shone brightly, and an easterly breeze blew with enough strength to support a couple of paragliders stalking the cliff. Hearing a high-pitched sound, James looked behind him and upwards as his ears tuned in to the direction of the noise. One of the paragliders had a radio hanging off the bar. James shook his head and laughed at the absurdity of taking a radio with you when flying in the wind.
He walked westwards on the Dee Why side of the golf course, mindful of golfers preparing to tee off for the par four parallel with the track. He'd never heard of anyone getting hit, but the possibility always loomed. Coming to the narrow wooden bridge over a creek about halfway back to the main road, he jumped onto the beach. He kept an eye open for cuttlebones, which often washed onto the sand. If he found any, he collected them for Bob, a local bird breeder James had talked with on occasion. James appreciated Bob's down-to-earth, straightforward, honest take on most subjects. He also played walking football with his friends from England. Bob bred canaries and finches and mentioned they loved cuttlebones, so James kept a bag in the car for when they happened on each other.
He strolled along the high water mark and picked up a couple of smaller cuttlebones, their whiteness stark against the dark, dry seaweed and pale sand. As he walked, his mind went over his options, but the anomaly and the situation at AI4U kept tripping over each other. He was no closer to a solution when he returned to his car after his walk. James passed by a rubbish bin and dropped in the junk he'd collected while on the beach. He'd been so focused on his problem that he hadn't noticed when he picked up bits of plastic and trash left behind by the public. He put the cuttlebones in their bag and returned home to continue his internal struggle.
Later in the day, James continued to mull over his problem. He needed to discover the difference between the composite target samples and look further into what the difference meant. The more he thought about it, the more a potential solution came to mind - Harry Barnes, one of the few people James had clicked with at university and had consistently helped James when needed. They had shared technical interests and, more importantly to James, shared a distrust of corporations, the government, and people's motivations in general.
Harry had been working on a Doctor of Computer Engineering; his thesis covered architectural considerations in constructing quantum computers. Harry had completed his doctorate, and the university, impressed with his ideas, referred the work to their futures board for introduction to venture capitalists interested in helping graduates develop their ideas into products. In the five years since he'd started up, Harry had been successful enough to exercise an escape clause and buy out the VC's stake. The VCs had made way more profit than expected and told Harry they'd be happy to invest in future developments if the opportunity arose.
James gave Harry a call and explained the situation. The following day, they found a quiet corner in a convenient pub in the city. Harry listened to James as he related his experiences at AI4U and expressed his amazement at Scott's attitude. As Harry put it, "I can understand the pieces Scott put together, and there's a kind of logic to his way of thinking." He raised his eyebrows and continued. "But I can't fathom anyone thinking that way!" He shook his head and frowned. "What if your strange results turn out to be a game changer or disruptive? He's extremely shortsighted!"
James picked up his glass for a toast. "Well, here's to new beginnings! Again!" They had a laugh, clinked glasses, and finished their Coopers. Harry checked the time. "I've another hour before a meeting at four. Let's have a coffee and talk about the future."
They relocated to a cafe not far away and ordered coffee. Harry sat back in his chair. "Okay, James, tell me what you think you have and what you need to make it happen."
James spent a half hour talking through the miniaturisation work he'd been doing for AI4U's AI system and the appearance of the anomaly in the cloud chamber. "I have a theory on what the gap in the trails represents, but I need to do more experiments to figure out the process." He went on to describe the slight colour difference between the composite targets. "I'll need to check the molecular makeup of the two composites and find out what's different. Once I know that, I can begin collecting data on why the difference has an impact."
Harry nodded. "So, a fair bit of lab work and data collection, eh?"
James shrugged. "Nothing comes without hard work."
Harry raised his eyes. "Okay. Tell me about this theory you have about the gap in the particle trail."
James lowered his eyes and chewed on the inside of his lip. This was the moment his idea came into the light of day. If correct, this would be a discovery that could change the world. James looked Harry in the eye. "I believe the gap is time."
Harry looked surprised and confused. "Time?"
"Yes, time!" James took another deep breath and punched the idea out. "The gap is caused by the movement of the Earth in space while the particle has been physically relocated back in time. When the particle returns to the present, the present has moved. It's almost instantaneous, but not quite."
James remained silent and waited while Harry chewed through the idea.
James watched Harry's expression and saw him come to the point of the logical follow-up question. "What causes the particle to move back in time?"
James laughed out loud. "You're a quick bugger, aren't you?" He lifted his head. "That's why I need to do the research. I think the strange composite generates a second synthetic particle, and its field interacts with the first particle's field, causing the anomaly. The interaction of the fields results in the decay of the second particle until it has been exhausted. The field collapses, and the first particle returns to the present."
James shrugged. "It's the only scenario that fits what happens. I need to identify the second particle, create it in a controlled fashion, and then test my theory about the interaction of the fields."
Harry was silent again as he mulled over James's revelations. Finally, he looked at James. "Holy Shit! If you are right, it'll be the biggest game changer since the wheel." He frowned. "What's your plan? Where will you do the lab work?"
James countered with raised eyes and a cheeky grin. "I had considered checking with the university to see if I could get time there." He shrugged. "Or the government, though I hate to suggest them given the way they're loose with public money, not to mention their ever-strengthening ties with the USA."
Harry was shaking his head. "No, James, you can’t take this to the university or the government. It’s too big! Imagine what would happen if they treated something significant like they had everything else?” He snorted and laughed. “You have to find another way to develop it.”
James shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “There isn’t anyone else who has the resources. Harry, I need a lab, and I will also need smart people. It won’t be cheap.”
Harry frowned. "Look, James, come and join me at SplitQC. I have the people you need and the space to set up a lab. The company has done well over the last few years, so I have enough cash in reserves to invest in your research." He leaned forward. "If you're right, the discovery will herald a new and unexpected technology. Its applications could change our civilisation."
James considered Harry's open offer but baulked at joining the company, even though he trusted Harry implicitly. "Harry, that's a great offer, but I can't join the company." He shook his head. "You know me. I have to maintain my independence." He looked Harry in the eye. "Is there another way you can help me?"
Harry sighed and grinned. "Consider it done. I'll set you up with a lab and provide you with the people you need. You'll have no contractual or moral obligation to repay me. No strings." He smiled. "Will that work for you?"
James sat back, astonished. "You'll do that? You'll trust me to that extent?"
Harry smiled back. "James, there's nobody I trust more! It's like you said: I know you, mate." He paused and smiled at James. "And you know me."
* * *
With the Martyn Analytics team seen off, Harper Caldwell, CEO of AI4U, and his Chief Information Officer, Hugh Barton, discussed the demonstration in Harper's office. Harper grinned, eyes glinting. "That went extremely well. The new AI hardware performed beyond expectations. I'm sure the speed clinched the deal in the end."
Hugh had been the CIO at AI4U for just two years. He considered Harper a friend and professional colleague, having previously worked with him at various public companies. Harper, himself, had been brought into AI4U after an extensive international search for 'The type of Chief Executive who could lead the business through the turbulence of a changing world.' The board expected Harper would sharpen profits, cut waste and procure emerging winners. He had a history of success in creating shareholder value, but some commentators viewed his methods as mercenary and short-term. One strategy he often used was to get staff off the balance sheet by making them redundant during a reorganisation and then hiring the good ones back in as contractors. Harper and Hugh had enjoyed particular success with savings in information technology departments.
Hugh's smile mirrored Harper's delight. Both were basking in the shared success of the AI hardware project, a significant milestone in their professional journey. "Yes, a great result. We dedicated substantial attention and focus to miniaturising key elements, a crucial step in enhancing processing speeds."
Harper's eyes focused on the distance as he considered his strategy. "Your bloke Scott Willis project managed the hardware upgrades, didn't he?"
"Yes. I brought Scott in from my previous gig. We're of like mind in the way we approach getting results."
Harper's eyes sharpened with strategic intent as he considered the next move. "Given our significant impact with Martyn Analytics, I'm confident our AI hardware will outperform GPUs (graphics processing units). I propose a meeting with the three of us. By capitalising on the improvements we've already made, we can position ourselves for a larger share of the market and increased profits."
Hugh tilted his head in agreement. "If we couple our existing software design with an even better in-house hardware design, we'll be hard to beat for many years."
Harper leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "Arrange the meeting for Monday, after lunch, say half past two. Have Scott Willis there and anyone else who may have useful input."
Hugh made a note on his phone and nodded. "I will do that, Harper." He put his phone away and relaxed in his chair. "Do you have any plans for the weekend?"
Harper smiled. "WestProtect's having their biannual Australasian summit conference in the Robertson Valley."
Hugh shook his head and shivered. "Brr. Too cold for me at this time of year."
Harper laughed out loud. "Not for us, Hugh. We'll have roaring fires, good food and plenty of interesting discussion on the future." He caught Hugh's eye. You should join us. The think tank is always interested in new talent. You'd fit right in!"
It was Hugh's turn to chuckle. "You've asked me often enough over the years, Harper. I'm not ready to tell the world how to live yet, but give me a year, and I may change my mind."
Harper stood. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you next week."
"You too, Harper. Enjoy the conference."
Chapter 4
WestProtect's Australasian event garnered strong support; there wasn't an empty seat in the auditorium as the guest speaker prepared for the keynote presentation.
The keynote speaker, a former Australian Prime Minister, started his address softly. "WestProtect's mission is to provide leadership and insight into the development and protection of our Christian values, our democratic society, our rules-based approach and our economic system that rewards effort and innovation." He looked out over the group and spoke with more force. "That society, my friends, is in mortal danger!"
He raised his arm, index finger pointing to the roof, "Firstly, our two-party system of politics has been infiltrated by a woke rabble of independents who spout questionable science about climate change to slow industry. They undermine our governments through exaggerated claims of corruption and nepotism. They want to 'give' people benefits from revenue we, you and I, have had to work hard for!"
He looked at his hand, and a second finger joined the first, "Woke progressives in coffee shops subvert the laws and policies put in place to protect us from harm and protect our industries from threat. Loopholes are created to facilitate the arrival of terrorists to our shores and illegals to our welfare system. These same people continue to chip away at previous governments' funding policies to divert revenue into socialist ambitions without any consideration of the lives they wreck on the way."
He scowled as he raised a third finger. "And, worst of all, suggesting those of us who accumulate wealth through dint of hard work, our blood, sweat and tears..", a pause, "...should hand over our wealth to bludgers through tax reform and changes to economic levers such as subsidies and quotas."
The keynote continued in this vein, with the speaker referring to WestProtect's research, the Western way of life and the dignity of work, amongst other themes. The speech made a powerful statement, encapsulating the frustration and anger experienced by the group's members in the face of global change. Those members consist of captains of industry, church and politics. All successful in industries as broad in scope as media, high tech, mining, armaments, pharmaceuticals and consulting. They also had representation from the Christian church, including Roman Catholicism, the Church of England, and Evangelical Protestantism. To a man, they encountered the changes happening within their nations. Indeed, due to populist uprisings, two nearby countries were not represented.
Those present listened and pondered.
At the end of the speech, the speaker shook his head and sighed. "My friends, we live in challenging times. We must bite the bullet, take the socialist snake by the neck and strangle it into submission." He looked out over the audience, his face etched in determination. "I don't know how we can achieve what we must to save our way of life, but technology will be a crucial element in this conflict. Make this summit the foundation stone of our strategy for moving forward."
He raised his arm again, this time with a closed fist. "No one can succeed if not us! Be strong! Find answers! With God's help, we will prevail!"
The attendees rose, clapped, and cheered. They were all strong, successful people. They would find a way.
Harper Caldwell's break-out session on Artificial Intelligence attracted a packed audience. Comfortable on the stage, he smiled as he walked and talked. "AI will be a disruptive technology. We approach the day when AI interactions with humans will seem natural." He held up a hand and chuckled. "Not conscious interactions! We're a long way from anything we could call consciousness. What I mean is, within a defined perspective, the AI may 'appear' to have consciousness because it can analyse, innovate and build new algorithms based on learned events. It will simply be an extremely sophisticated piece of programming."
One of the attendees, Mandy Malone, raised her hand with a question. Mandy lived outside of Washington, DC, and worked with Thomas Sheridan. Harper smiled and acknowledged her. "Yes, Mandy?"
"Thanks, Harper. Tom Sheridan wanted me to get your views on when you believe artificial intelligence and, to a degree, quantum computing will combine to be useful. In a targeted way?"
Harper pursed his lips before answering. "That's a good question. We seem to have been on the cusp of a breakthrough for a decade but can't quite get over the line." He raised his head and frowned. "We're on the verge. I can almost taste it." There were a few chuckles at this, and Harper smiled and shook his head. "Most recently, we've introduced quantum computing-based logic systems into parts of the AI's processing sub-systems. These improvements significantly increase the processing power and, in turn, its learning capability." He held his thumb and index finger one to the other, almost touching. "We're this close! It won't be long before we break through the frontier, and when we do, everything will change!"
Mandy cocked her head, "Change everything? How do you mean?"
Harper smiled. "We've recently won a contract with Martyn Analytics for an AI to process data relating to people's 'footprint' on the internet. The AI will look at the places they go, their searches, the products they buy, and so on. It's a massive amount of data. An AI analyses the data so any 'individual' can be targeted to receive information in a form to which the 'individual' will respond positively. Or negatively, for that matter." He sighed. "Development of the AI took months of work across multiple disciplines. And that's regardless of the library we have already developed as a core for AI processes in general." His eyes narrowed as he considered the future. "When we crack that processing frontier, an AI will do that work without human intervention. We'll tell the AI what we want to achieve, and the AI itself will build the processes and algorithms required to access data and produce the result."
"What if the AI decides to kill off humanity?"
Harper didn't see who asked the question but laughed. "The AI can't 'decide' to do anything outside of the instructions it has been given. It doesn't have free will to make those kinds of decisions." He looked at his audience. "AIs are purpose-built for specific tasks. The AI I mention can push conservative ideas tailored to an individual's values in advertising and information they access online. The AI analyses the individual's interactions with the internet and social media to determine those ideas." Harper shrugged.
"Not only will we save time and get to more people, but we'll give those people a better opportunity to be exposed to 'right thinking'. The key aspect of the AIs we're building now is their algorithms. By monitoring results over time, the AIs can improve their algorithms to get a better result."
He raised a hand. "Let's leave it there for the time being."
It was a valuable summit for Harper. He made strong connections to one or two conservative politicians in Australia and the USA while raising his standing among the members.
Chapter 5
Harry quickly organised access for James to use an empty warehouse-cum-factory owned by SplitQC in Tumbi Umbi, north of Sydney. He even sent over a bench-size linear accelerator his engineers had used for their research.
Within a few days, James had rented a house in Long Jetty and moved his files and lab equipment into the vacant warehouse. When the lab equipment was organised, James quickly reproduced the tests he'd made at AI4U. He called Harry to give him the news and ask about having the composite targets analysed by an expert.
Harry volunteered the services of one of his best materials scientists, who had recently finished a significant project. "I know she'd be happy to help out. Her last project was conducted under pressure, and yours will give her something new to look at, which will help her rebalance." He sighed. "It's great to have good people, but sometimes this work can get intense and focused."
James smiled to himself. "I know just what you mean, mate. When can she get here?"
"I'll give her a call and outline the situation. She lives in an apartment on the harbour so she can get there anytime. Her name is Imogen Matthews. I'll get her to give you a call."
James's phone rang an hour later. "Hello?"
"Oh, hello. This is Imogen Matthews. Harry Barnes asked me to give you a call."
"Right! Hi Imogen. Did Harry give you any information on what I'm doing here?"
Imogen snorted. "Sorry about that! I don't usually snort to strangers!"
"No problem. I'm known for snorting on occasion. I assume he didn't give you a lot of detail?"
Imogen laughed this time. "That's an understatement! He said you had something I'd find extremely interesting and that he wanted me to help you out. That was it! He said he had to go and I should check my email."
James shook his head. "It may not be interesting at all, but it is a puzzle, so that's a plus."
"Well, I need a break, so I'm happy to have a look. I have the address of the lab you've set up but don't know much about Tumbi Umbi... what sort of a name is that anyway?"
James laughed. "I Googled it! It's an aboriginal word meaning 'tall trees' or 'raging water'. There's not much of either of those around that I can see, but it's a nice area up here on the Coast."
"Hmm... I like the sound of indigenous words; they have a poetic ring."
James laughed again. "They sure do. Look, have you picked somewhere to stay?"
"Not yet. Can you recommend anywhere?"
"Nothing specific. I've heard the Shady Bay Motel is nice. I'd offer the second bedroom at my place, but it's a two-bedroom, one-bathroom place and probably a bit of a squeeze for strangers."
Imogen chuckled. "I'll stick with Google and, perhaps, the Shady Bay."
James laughed. "Good Choice! When do you expect to get here?"
"How about the day after tomorrow? Give me time to sort out a few loose ends."
"Sounds great. I look forward to meeting you and working with you. Thanks for taking the chance!"
"Chance is my second name! After the last year or so, I'm open to anything to relax!"
"Okay then. See you in a couple of days."
James sat back. He felt positive after speaking with Imogen on the phone. He'd never found it easy to work with someone new, but Harry's recommendation was worth its weight in gold. That, plus the fact that Imogen sounded easygoing, confident and level-headed, went a long way to putting James at ease.
The following morning, after a restless night, James decided to take it easy. Regardless of how he had thought the evening before, he was still nervous about trusting someone else with his research and ideas. He was cynical of most people's motivations and had trust levels of zero after being burned professionally on a couple of occasions.
He followed a coffee with bathroom necessities and a shower. Feeling refreshed, he cooked himself a basil and cheese omelette, which he quickly ate before driving to Tuggerah Lake.
The tension he had felt slowly dissipated as he looked over the glassy water. Feeling recharged in spirit, he walked to the lakeside track at Tumbi Umbi Creek, turned east and started walking. The weed growing at the lake's edge gave the air an earthy tang, which he found pleasant. He'd heard that you could catch prawns in the weed but had not seen anyone doing so. Perhaps it was only on nights with a full moon or something like that.
The lake was quiet and peaceful. Being shallow, it was free of fishermen and sailboards except in the far distance. Bird life was the one thing it did have plenty of, and James stopped occasionally to watch the numerous black swans, pelicans and cormorants. Egrets and herons fished at the edges, while ducks favoured the creeks and shaded areas. Along the track were plenty of corellas making a racket in the she-oaks. Their screeching was sometimes joined by lorikeets, rosellas and sulphur-crested cockatoos adding to the symphony. Magpies strutted in the grassy areas hunting for beetles and worms while noisy miners 'peep peeped' at anyone getting close to their territory.
James enjoyed the birds. He especially liked the pelicans as they flew low to the water, graceful despite their size, wings almost motionless as they glided to their new fishing spot. He found his unease slowly falling away and stopped for another coffee and light lunch before heading home, where he looked forward to a quiet afternoon and barbecued salmon for dinner.
After an early night, James woke refreshed and looked forward to meeting and working with Imogen. Somewhere in the past day, he'd reconciled himself to give her the benefit of the doubt on the back of Harry's trust.
Chapter 6
Scott had a smile on his face and felt pumped as he walked into the meeting. He saw this as an excellent opportunity to move up in the ranks, as he'd not had many chances to talk with his CEO.
His boss, Hugh Barton, waved him over before turning to Harper Caldwell. "This is Scott Willis, Harper. He's our Project Manager for the Martyn Analytics bid and was responsible for the new AI hardware configuration."
Harper shook Scott's hand. "Excellent work, Scott. I look forward to hearing more about it." He leaned in towards Scott and said, in a more inclusive tone, "I believe this is important work, Scott. I expect we'll be working closer together in the future."
Scott's eyes widened with surprise and pleasure. "Of course, Sir. I'll look forward to it."
Harper smiled. "Just Harper, please, Scott, no need for formality amongst friends."
Before Scott could comment, Harper pointed to the front of the room. "Why don't you give me an overview of what you've done and how you did it? That'll give me a better grounding for my ideas."
Scott walked to the front of the room and presented an overview as requested. He outlined the key elements in the new configuration and drilled into the faster communications interface and the use of wafers to miniaturise quantum logic processes. When he finished, he looked at Harper. "Any questions?"
Harper referred to his notes before turning back to Scott. "You mentioned the software guys had to redevelop the interfaces to the new hardware?"
"Er... Yes, that's correct."
"So, we'll need to iterate the product version to indicate the upgrade?"
Scott looked over at Hugh. "I believe so. That's the process, isn't it, Hugh?"
Hugh took the baton and responded. "Yes, the product guys will roll out a new version. By rights, If we plan to keep the new hardware architecture, we should release a new version series."
Harper raised a finger. "That's what I thought, except perhaps a new product release would serve us better." He paused and looked at his notes. "Scott, tell me more about the quantum elements. We're a software house delivering custom AI applications. How can these hardware components help us further?"
Scott shrugged. "The components form a quantum computing-based preprocessor for simpler, more common processes used by the AI. It's a hybrid solution; classical computing for complex processes integrates with quantum computing for mundane processes. The result is a significant improvement in overall performance.
Harper nodded. "Is it conceivable that we could join the race to develop a fully functioning Quantum Computer rather than a hybrid?"
"Yes. We could create a team with that goal in mind."
Harper turned to Hugh. "Hugh, what about using these quantum elements for the AI's more complex processes?"