Discovery

by Douglas E Roff

  “Sounds just like him, the little prick. Don’t you agree Hannah?” Bitsie seemed unwilling or unable to let go of the snarky, baiting tone.

  Hannah looked at Edward, then Bitsie. “I think you’re trying to provoke me and have a little fun with the new hire, Bitsie. I wish you’d stop acting like the very guy you profess to detest and grow up yourself. Far from embarrassing me, or humiliating Adam, you just sound like a spoiled teenager who didn’t get her way. Grow up and let’s move on.”

  Then she turned to Edward, who was silent, and said, “Edward, can you share your thoughts on the NSA and encryption. I’d like to understand more about this. Seems central to our work.”

  Bitsie fell back in her chair, irritated that no one stepped forward and came to her defense. She was deeply annoyed by Adam’s articulate little pop tart and she was unconvinced that Hannah was right for this job. In her eyes, Hannah got the job fucking her way to the position. How did that qualify her in any way for the task at hand? She glared at her new adversary and sulked.

  Edward smiled imperceptibly and then said, “As I was saying, if the NSA continues eavesdropping despite being outed by Adam, what exactly can we do then? Can’t really fire them. Can’t really sue them either. So, the deep background on EncryptoWorld 1.0 is that Adam constructed his own encryption technology to prevent them from snooping. According to my boy, his software “evolves” by the hour, making data capture and decryption virtually impossible. Something new, he tells me. On the other end, the receiving end, you not only have to have his decryption key but also the precise day and time of the encryption, not its transmission, to know which encryption key to use to decipher the data transmitted. So, both parties must have the hardware, software and encryption/decryption keys.”

  Bitsie said, “I don’t actually know what Adam has developed. He hasn’t shared his secret with me or anyone, I assume. But from what you’re are saying, Edward, it sounds a lot like QKD, an aspect of quantum cryptography. Extremely difficult, if not almost impossible to intercept and decrypt. And even if the data transmitted is intercepted by a third party, the technology is such that the interception itself will be detected as the quantum state of the photons carrying the message will be altered. That alteration fundamentally changes the message, which will be detected on the receiving end.”

  She continued, “The technology is completely different than traditional computer “bits”, that is, a long series of 0 and 1. In QKD, there are “qubits”, that is 0, 1 and 0/1. The more qubits employed, the vastly more complex the exercise becomes, as each qubit is a factor of ten more complex than the next lower numbered qubit.”

  Hannah said, “Sounds like physics and mathematics, neither of which are Adam’s fields. How did Adam devise that? Or did Maria invent this contraption?”

  Bitsie replied, “If QKD is involved, it does seem to be the high-end confluence of quantum physics and advanced mathematics. But Adam didn’t do the devising. For that matter I’m certain that Maria didn’t either. That was probably a local company in Vancouver that Adam and I approached about a year ago. Just got lucky that they’re also nearby with full US and Canadian security clearances. They work with industry and NASA and have the cutting-edge quantum physics-based technology, hardware and software.

  “On the math end of the stick, one of Adam’s long-time friends and mentors is a mathematician. If this is QKD, I think he and his math wiz daughter likely were involved. Don’t know how or why though.”

  Edward knew who Bitsie was talking about but decided not to disclose who they were.

  This was mostly flying over Tony’s head. Even Bitsie only knew the general lingo but none of the details or the science for that matter.

  “You said the receiving party has to know the date and time of encryption for the receiving party to use the right key to decrypt. How can the other party ever know when a message was encrypted to decrypt the message? Seems like a problem.”

  Edward said, “Does to me too but he has solved that problem somehow. Don’t know how though and he won’t tell me.”

  Silence.

  Edward spoke up, breaking the silence. “Then we move on. Getting back to the materials we do have, Bitsie can you summarize what is in these materials?”

  “As to the Diary, the Book of Gensarii and the Beneviste letters, I will leave to each of you to read carefully and form your own conclusions. We should have another meeting to discuss it in a couple of days once you have had the time to really study these volumes. As to the other sealed materials from the boxes, we can begin digitizing and uploading to a staging one computer when Edward gives us a go. But please be aware that we have a lot of material and we have only limited resources here to devote to that task. It’s a phenomenal amount of work.”

  Edward said, “Now that I hear the full extent of the task as well as the current storage arrangements, I think you should load these cans on some flat beds and ship them on up to Barrows right away. I don’t like them being stored off site and there isn’t a sufficient amount of manpower here to do both this task and the normal work flow.”

  Bitsie added, “What about Canadian Customs? Won’t they want to take a peek? Create a record, a paper trail somewhere that can be traced?”

  “I’ll take care of that. You make the arrangements. Tony, I guess that ball is now firmly in your court. Do you know who I want for the job?”

  “Bill Fender and his team?”

  “Correct. They can start tomorrow but I want you to task them right away. I expect these containers to be in Barrows within forty-eight hours. Tell them to use the ferry. No barges. We clear?”

  “We are.”

  Bitsie continued, “I have also uploaded these materials to the G drive on our intranet system for the time being, so you can work here. When you get your new encryption system from Maria, just download the contents of the disc you now have. You’ll have to do that here, though. I’m told all relevant software tools you need have been loaded into the new hardware.”

  “You prepared a report, Bitsie. Anything new to add?” Edward said.

  “I have nothing new to say about the Library materials other than what you see in my report. The report summarizes the results of our find so far and what we have done with it to date. So, Edward, what now?”

  “We finish this delicious meal then scatter to read the information we have available. We meet back here first thing in the morning and decide next steps for each of us. Tony will assign office space and computer access for Hannah and me. I have made reservations at the River Walk for Hannah, so you may wish to check in there now and settle in. Nothing, including the disc in your possession, leaves the building. So, let’s do our work here until we get Adam’s new EncryptoWorld 1.0.

  Tony escorted Hannah and Edward to their temporary offices and familiarized them with the DataLab Project’s internal systems. Both received credentials to enter and exit the building along with the security rules of the building just in case they got lost on a wrong floor which was somewhat unlikely.

  Hannah collected her car downstairs, handed off the remainder of Edward’s things to him then headed off to the River Walk, the hotel immediately adjacent to her potential new place of employment.

  Edward pulled Bitsie off to the side for a chat. “You know how much I respect you, Bitsie. And I’ve never taken sides between you and Adam. And he’s my son. But this hostility with Hannah will cease and I mean immediately. You don’t know her, she’s done nothing to you and there is zero to be gained from this nasty business. If it keeps up, you’ll be off this case doing the same stuff you were doing before. Or you can leave. I need you to be here for me, but if you are disruptive force out of some misplaced anger about Adam, you’re gone. I won’t have this distraction created by your misplaced animosity. I hope I’m being clear. I need you and I need Hannah, and the why’s and wherefores are above your paygrade. I don’t need your approval. Whoever creates the tension will be terminated.”

&
nbsp; “Sorry boss. I’ll try to do better.”

  “No, you will do better. Final warning.”

  ***

  The next morning, Hannah had breakfast with Edward in the hotel restaurant overlooking the beautiful Willamette River.

  “So, I see you are taking off this morning, Edward. I thought you were staying a little while. Where are you off to, if it isn’t a deep dark secret?”

  “I’m on my way to San Francisco to visit with our palaeographers and document authentication specialists and then meet up with some former colleagues at Berkeley to see if we can engage them quietly on our carbon dating project and the chemical analysis work. I’d like to keep our research staff as ‘in house’ as I can and this crew at Berkeley has always delivered results accurately and privately. Hopefully we’ll know much more about the scientific basis for all this bother once they have had a chance to do their thing.”

  “Still not convinced?” Hannah had not formed her conclusions as yet but would probably have some idea pretty quickly. In this, she was wrong.

  “No, I’m thoroughly convinced. But others may find my evidence and reasoning to be less persuasive without these verification measures. Principally I have to get my home team firmly on board and I haven’t quite been convincing enough for everyone.”

  “Like who?”

  “First and foremost is Adam, who thinks this is either a hoax, or if not, it simply doesn’t matter. He’s more than happy to live in ignorant bliss.”

  “There’s something to be said for that.” Hannah didn’t automatically presume anything they knew so far to be true, or even if true, to presume a hostile or nefarious intent.

  “Indeed, there is. But the opposite is true too. Have you ever considered what might happen if machines became conscious and aware? True artificial intelligence?”

  “The sci-fi scenario? No, I have not.” Movies now, Hannah thought. Edward was getting ridiculous.

  “Well, according to Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bill Gates, there are dangers posed by artificial intelligence to humanity. Algorithms loaded into robots predicting potential human behaviors are already in use. Super intelligent machines might decide that the biggest threat to their existence is us. Humans. That could elicit a response that would not be a happy one for humanity. There’s a lot of new literature and thinking on the subject and then there was the recent warnings from the Buenos Aires conference. I can summarize their warning as ‘be careful, it’s too risky’.”

  “Not seeing the connection to our science project. Is there one?”

  “In a similar vein, I consider the existence of these creatures to pose a similar dilemma. The difference is these creatures would know without question that humans do, in fact, pose an existential threat to them. In an age that includes biological weapons, chemical weapons and nuclear arsenals, the ability to unleash Armageddon is very real. I have long believed that the end of mankind will likely be at the hands of mankind, but it is also possible that these creatures could decide to act against us somehow before we ever have a chance to even fully discover and understand them.”

  “You really think that is what they might do?” This line of thinking seemed a stretch to Hannah and perhaps Edward was getting out a little ahead of himself.

  “If I were them, I’d be road mapping at least two scenarios. First, how to stay secret with all that that normally entails. Second, what to do if they’re ‘outed’. So, let me ask you, if you were them, what course of action would you take? We must seriously consider the ramifications and responses they might have to discovery. So, cutting through the three-tiered, hierarchical approach we discussed yesterday, my real first step is to verify their existence. That we haven’t done yet and it will take a lot of time, talent and resources just to get organized to the point where we can systematically sort out fact from fiction, truth from hoax. So, I hope you’ll join us in this endeavor and soon.”

  “I hope so too. With your permission, I’d like to begin studying the source materials as much as I can without disturbing the physical documents. Once you have established your authentication protocols and have had a sampling of items translated, I can make a final decision. So, I assume, will you. Then a yay or nay should be easy. But don’t worry, I will come on board so long as you remain convinced that this is worth pursuing. While I’m aware that you are a gifted prevaricator I doubt you’re faking any of this.”

  “Sounds better than liar.”

  “Yes, it does. Now, about Adam. I don’t need to see him, talk to him or communicate with him in any way right now. But I assume, and you must too, that the time will come when our work will overlap. If so, and unless we do our work anonymously, he will learn of my involvement. In fact, I can’t see how our paths won’t cross. As far as I’m concerned this is no problem on my end. But on yours …”

  “I expect a full on thermonuclear explosion. But that’s my problem to address if and when that happens. Hopefully by the time he finds out, you’ll both be married with tons of kids to distract. And maybe he’ll have grown up a bit by then too.”

  “One can only hope.”

  “Let me just say one more thing about that situation. I truly love you Hannah and would have been delighted had things worked out for you two kids. But knowing Adam, and knowing you, I think you really dodged a bullet. You deserve better than what Adam would ever be able to offer emotionally, and I think he needs someone far different from you. I have come to realise that while you truly are sweet and normal, my boy is not. He is deeply troubled. I now believe that things will get far worse in his life before they begin to get better. My greatest fear is that he will become more like me than his mom, in which case there is nothing but darkness that looms ahead for him. It’s in his DNA and there is nothing any of us can ever do about it.”

  “Geez, Edward, you’re scaring me a little.”

  “Not trying to. But sign the contract and let us make you wealthy and free. The work will be amazing, and someday you’ll be famous. You’ll have a husband who adores you and kids who can’t live without you. Just be happy.”

  “You butterin’ me up old man?”

  “Of course. After all, you are family.”

  “Do I get a vote on that?”

  “Nope. Best not to involve you. You might say no.

  Chapter 46

  The small crowd of fifty or so Gens youth, all of high school or college age, had gathered in Princeton for a special lecture by the most powerful Gens Elder in the world, Paulo Fortizi. They had come from all over the United States and Canada, though most were attending elite Gens prep schools or local colleges nearby. All were hoping for a specialized career in biochemistry, genetics or a related field and a job at graduation with one of the BioGen labs worldwide. Alternatively, there might be a bright future with a career in the military/political track of the military, Trackers and Captains. Then perhaps a political appointment to one of the many new and burgeoning local Councils could become a reality. No matter, in any case, the future was positive and hopeful.

  New opportunities abounded for young, educated and aggressive transformed Gens with most now leaning toward the military track if science and technology didn’t appeal or the aptitude was lacking. Rumors of war, potential war or imminent war had become part of daily life, creating uncertainty and insecurity among the Elders of the Councils and romantic notions of an apocalyptic conflagration and human bloodbath with the youth. The Elders wanted the Gens youth to be prepared, come what may, but didn’t want their youth agitating for war.

  The dramatic growth of the Gens population had driven the need for expanded political representation in the newer and high population density regions on Earth. Representation that was too distant or seemingly unapproachable had begun to inculcate its way into modern Gens thinking, and the Great Council had deemed this feature of modern life unacceptable. The decision to expand the local and regional Councils had been made over twenty years ago but full implementation had onl
y taken firm root in recent years.

  The topic of the day’s lecture or Progression was on the subject matter most Gens youth cared deeply about: environmentalism and the natural world.

  As a educated and progressive Gens, all transformed children were required to read the Histories, a textbook on the known recorded history of the Gens with appropriate commentary by the leading Gens thinkers in the transformed world. The most cautious paths for co-existence with humankind had been devised and laid out thousands of years ago and only modified over time to respond to perceived contemporary threats of detection. However, the vast majority of knowledgeable contemporary Gens foresaw the possibility of discovery as nearing a virtual certainty given the increased scientific knowledge in the human world and the looming hazard represented by advancing technology. Detection had been difficult in the past and had protected the Gens Collective; now, detection would be easier using modern technology.

  Hiding in the wilderness or in plain sight as a transformed Gens had never been very difficult; Gens leadership thought that one day it might become next to impossible. Gens youth knew what this inevitably meant; however, their Elders seemed incapable of responding to the perceived urgency of the moment. The Gens had hidden out and eluded detection for thousands of years but most Gens youth now openly speculated that the age of complete concealment was rapidly ending. Many believed that time had arrived to act, and act pre-emptively if possible, before it was too late and the decisive moment for victory and survival had passed.

  Nowhere were the lines more visibly drawn than in this small assemblage of young adult Gens assembled in Princeton that day. Approximately one half of the adult and mature transformed Gens population still clung to the hope that widespread discovery could be avoided – at least until after they were all dead. War to them wasn’t a realistic option, though more and more came to believe that war was the unavoidable consequence of a planet growing smaller through technology, rapid communication and dissemination of knowledge coupled with the swift rise in human tech application and study globally. To them it was less of matter of “if” and more a matter of “when”.