Zack felt a knot in his stomach. “It's okay, Mr. Schmidt. I’ll write you a note to keep you off the hook.”
He glared at Zack’s. “That won’t be necessary.” He grasped his test folder, and placed it in the completed box. “Wait here a moment,” he said, and then went to the corner and placed a call. After several minutes, Schmidt nodded and pointed to the door indicating that he could leave.
As Zack walked from the room, he caught Ella’s eye, and winked.
She looked up at her friend, shook her head in wonder, and managed a bright smile.
As he reached for the door, Zack stopped for an instant and then closed his eyes. He instantly knew what was just beyond the door. “Uh, uh, uh,” he thought to himself.
When Zack opened the door, he walked right into the principal and the school police officer. He looked at them. “Can I help you?”
The police officer stared at Zack. “Zack Berg? Come with me.”
The officer sneered and then guided Zack toward a table. “Empty your pockets.”
“Like hell I will,” Zack cried. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, Zack. Just do it,” the principal said apologetically.
Zack studied the principal and then closed his eyes for a moment. “I know you’re sorry, sir, but that’s not enough to search me without probable cause. In fact it’s worse, since you know better.”
The principal turned ashen.
The officer moved closer to Zack and said, “Just empty your pockets, son, and pull up your sleeves.”
“Please, Zack,” the principal pleaded. “We’re within our rights to search you on school grounds. Don’t make things worse for yourself or for us.”
“Civil rights don’t mean noth’n around here,” Zack said.
“Do it,” the police officer said.
Zack pulled his arm away, rolled up his sleeves, reached into his pockets, and removed everything: his keys, change, wallet, and handkerchief.
The police officer checked Zack’s arms for notes and then rummaged through his wallet. He smirked when he found Zack’s condom. He turned to the principal, and shook his head. “Nothing.”
After Zack placed his things back in his pockets and rolled down his sleeves, he turned to the principal. They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Zack said, “Apology accepted.”
The principal crimsoned as Zack turned for the front door.
That evening when Gabe heard that Zack had gone through a stop-and-frisk search after the PSAT, he lost it. “Those sons-of-bitches. Who the hell do they think they are?”
Zack shook his head. “It’s Schmidt again. Think of what he might do to me if I’d actually done something wrong?” He paused. “Nothing happened. Let’s not make a big deal about it.”
“It is a big deal,” Gabe said, “and one hell of an example. So much for our civil rights.”
“Let it go,” Denise said. “We can only bring greater attention to Zack if we make a federal case about this.”
“That brings up an entire other subject,” Gabe said. “Is something wrong with Zack that we need to hide?” He paused. “I don’t think so. What about you, Zack?”
“Unless I live in a cave, sooner or later, people will discover the truth. Frankly, I’m sick of holding back. What’s to lose?”
“Privacy, for one,” Denise said. “Do you really want to be the object of so much attention, Zack? You’ll be a celebrity. You can’t imagine how bad it can get.”
“Excuse the cliché, guys,” Zack said, “but when the PSAT scores come in, the cat will be way out of the bag.”
“And so will be your anonymity,” Denise said.
“Maybe so,” Zack said, “but anonymity is overrated. Now with my celebrity status, perhaps the school lunch lady will give me an extra serving of tapioca.’”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Zack had been logging in each day for the results of the PSAT, but at the six-week mark, no results were yet available.
“Relax, honey,” Denise said. “What difference will a day or two make?”
“You’re right. I’m just curious because I think I aced the exam.”
“I’m sure you did well, but you still have the SAT ahead of you.”
“You don’t understand, Mother,” Zack said. “If I do well enough on the PSAT/NMSQT, I won’t need to take the SAT, and it's likely that I’ll get a National Merit Scholarship.”
“That’s great. What kind of scholarship money are we talking about? Gabe would love to see you at Harvard, his alma mater.”
“I don’t think Harvard participates,” Zack said.
“That’s nuts. With your talents and an alumni dad, I can’t believe they’d let you go elsewhere.”
“Well, let’s see how I did, and we’ll take it from there.”
The next morning, Zack came into his parent’s room and handed Gabe the PSAT scores. Zack scored 80 in critical reading, 80 in writing skills, and 76 in math.”
Gabe smiled and handed the scores to Denise. “God, Zack. You were right, you aced the exam.”
Zack sat on the edge of their bed gazing at the floor.
“What’s wrong?” Denise asked.
Zack faced his parents. “Don’t take this the wrong way or think that I don’t recognize these scores for what they are. Any student would be overjoyed with these scores, but…”
“But what?” Gabe asked.
Zack’s eyes welled with tears. “I’m not arrogant, conceited, nor do I have an overblown sense of superiority, but…”
“Tell us what you mean, sweetheart,” Denise said.
Zack stared at his parents and paused for a long moment. “I made no mistakes on the math exam. They either scored it wrong, or had the wrong answer in the first place.”
“Are you sure?” Denise asked.
“Yes, I’m sure, but maybe we should drop it.”
Gabe stared at Zack. “Why?”
“These results are going to attract a good deal of attention,” Zack said. “I’m okay with that, but I hate to think what they’ll say about me when I complain about these scores.”
“Anyone who knows you will understand,” Denise said, “I don’t care, and you shouldn’t care about the rest.”
Gabe studied Zack’s scores. “How many students in the U.S. get a perfect score?”
“About 100 students per year,” Zack said.
“Out of how many? Denise asked.
Zack looked down, and whispered, “3.5 million.”
Gabe beamed and then folded the computer printout and placed it in his pocket. “If you earned a score of 240, dammit, I’ll see that you get it.”
The next day at school, Ella walked up and gave Zack a kiss on his cheek. “Okay,” she said with a smile.
“Okay, what?”
Zack lifted his nose and sampled the air. “I like that perfume.”
“What perfume?”
“What do I know? It reminds me of a Vera Wang perfume that Denise wears.”
“It’s Lovestruck by Vera Wang.”
“You’re kidding—Lovestruck?”
“What’s in a name, Zack.” She paused. “But I wore that two days ago—can’t believe it lasted so long.”
“It’s just my sensitive nose—anyway, I like it.”
“Cool. But did you forget my question?”
“What?”
“Don’t be obtuse, Zack. My scores came in yesterday, and so did yours.”
“So,” Zack asked. “How did you do?”
“I scored 201. I couldn’t be happier.”
“That’s terrific,” Zack said. “You’re well into the 90th percentile.”
Ella stared at Zack. “I’m waiting, Zachery. I know you did great, but how great?”
Zack looked at his feet. “I scored 236.”
“My God,” she said hugging Zack. “Fantastic.”
When Zack remained silent, Ella studied him. “I don’t get it. What am I missing?”
“I know th
is will sound terrible, but I deserved a 240, a perfect score. They screwed up.”
“Are you sure?” She paused. “You are capable of making a mistake, you know.”
“Believe me, I know, but I am sure. They made a scoring mistake or the answer to the question I missed is wrong.”
“This must be difficult for you, Zack,” she said facetiously.
“I expected better from you, Ella. Now you know why I didn’t want to talk about it.” Zack paused. “So tell me, my friend, when did I become an egocentric schmuck?”
“I’m sorry. You’re right, but anyone beside Zack Berg bellyaching about a 236 score would be over the top, but I know you and it’s not vanity. If you earned that perfect score, my modest friend, you should have it.”
Zack smiled and squeezed Ella’s hand. “No friends like old friends.”
Ella blushed. “I think we’re way past that. Don’t you?”
Zack thought for a moment and then took Ella’s hands. “That’s one question I’d better get right.”
A week later, the new score was available. They’d made a scoring error, and Zack had become the 87th student in the USA with a perfect 240.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Gabe did an Internet search on Jorge Moneo and had several dozen hits. He and Denise were sitting at the computer after dinner. “I didn’t know that was a common name. I finally found our Jorge with reference to the Global Center for Gifted and Talented Children and the European Council for Higher Ability. I read the press clippings announcing the creation of the Denisovan School in Basque country.”
“Nothing about his personal life?”
“Announcements of his and his brother Alberto’s birthdays in the 50s.”
“That’s not much,” Denise said. “Where else can we look?”
“Spain has a proposal for a Freedom of Information Act, but it's not yet in place. I know of many places we can look, such as Interpol, Europol, and our own security services, but I don’t know how we get access. After all, we live a sheltered life.”
“My Cousin Lenny works for the FBI,” Denise said. “Maybe he can do better.”
“Perhaps we need to hire a private detective or use one of the Internet background search programs, although I’m guessing they may not have access to European data.”
“Why don’t we see what my cousin can find, and take it from there.”
Three weeks later, Denise was on the phone with Lenny. “Got something for you, Denise. Tell me why you need it.”
Denise told Lenny about Jorge and the Denisovan School, and hints about his life in Basque Country, and possibly an association with the ETA.”
“There is ETA material, but it all been redacted,” Lenny said.
“Redacting information,” Denise said, “suggests there’s something to hide.”
“That makes sense, but I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from material of a political nature. Often it makes no sense, or worse, reflects a political agenda.”
“What else did you find?”
“The man’s had a tragic life. The Spanish Secret Police murdered his wife, mother, and his son. The reasons are unclear although it happened after a series of violent attacks by the ETA. Draw your own conclusion.”
“My God,” Denise cried. “How can someone survive such a loss?”
“I dunno. In addition, he left Spain under mysterious circumstances and went through extensive background checks before customs admitted him to the United States. I think it they granted him some form of political asylum.”
“What about the ETA?” Denise asked. “They have aggressively fought against Spain. Perhaps someone like Jorge found reason to support them?”
“Don’t know, and I certainly wouldn’t act on what we’ve seen so far. By the way, the Denisovan School has received and continues to receive rave reviews from the public and academia. I have a few more queries out. I’ll give you a shout when I hear more.”
“Thanks, Lenny. You’re the best.”
When Gabe came home, Denise repeated her conversation with Lenny. “What do you think?” he asked.
“It's a mixed bag. Any association with the ETA is troublesome, but the Denisovan School comes off with flying colors.”
“Do you think that we should discuss this with Zack?” Gabe asked.
“Absolutely not. He’s come to enjoy the school and his new friends, especially Adam. You know me, Gabe, if I smelled a threat, he’d be out of there in an instant. Moreover, he’s going to resist any change in the status quo, and we’re going to need much more than we have now to change Zack’s mind.” She paused. “Anyway, Lenny is still working on it. He’s a resourceful guy. If there’s something there, he’ll find it.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Zack rushed around the house gathering his computer equipment, photos, charts, and a white board for his presentation.
“Don’t be nervous,” Denise said. “It's just the San Francisco Bay Area Science Fair.”
“Thanks, Mother,” Zack replied. “That really makes me feel better. Why must you be so sadistic?”
“You’ve worked so hard. You’ve done three local fairs already. Don’t worry. You’ll be great.”
Gabe reached for the equipment cart, but Zack got in his way. “No, I’ll get it.”
Gabe shrugged. “Don’t trust your old man?”
Zack smiled. “Not with something that you have to plug in.”
They picked up Ella at home and Adam from his dorm at Cal on their way to the city. When they arrived at the San Francisco County Fair building in Golden Gate Park, they were lucky to find a parking space in the rear lot. Students and parents carried equipment and displays into the poster rooms.
“Look at all these kids,” Denise said. “Despite reality TV, video games, and the ‘i-Whatevers,’ we must be doing something right.”
As they pushed Zack’s cart in, Denise asked, “How does this work?”
“Each displayer sets up his or her area,” Zack said, “and then we make a presentation. The real opportunity happens when I get a chance to show my stuff. Judges and those interested in the topic come to my area.” He paused. “They’re gonna go nuts when they see what I’ve created.”
Zack erected his display showing the title, “A New Search Algorithm by Zachery Berg.”
Just before Zack’s presentation, Ella walked up and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you. You’re gonna be great.”
Adam shook Zack’s hand. “Break a leg.”
Gabe, Denise, Ella, and Adam took seats in the second row, and listened as each student made a presentation. Most were easily understandable, but a few were incomprehensible, especially those having complex mathematical explanations.
Zack walked on stage completely relaxed. He cleaned the white board and talked as he drew. He smiled and said, “A few of you have probably heard of a Google Search.” He paused with the mild laughter, and continued. “Their strategy uses an algorithm called Page Rank that helps evaluate web pages that match what you enter in the search box.”
As Zack continued to talk, he drew at the same time. “This is a hierarchical diagram. It makes searches logical and fast.” He began drawing overlapping circles. “These are Venn diagrams. Overlapping areas show how data sets relate.”
When Zack started writing mathematical formulas, Gabe looked around, and then leaned over to whisper in Denise’s ear, “The natives are getting restless.” He stared at Zack, and then touched his index finger to his nose.
Zack nodded back and then paused. “If you really want the gory details, see me afterward at my display. For those really into it, ask me about search engine optimization (SEO) and I’ll show you a few tricks about how to make it more likely that searches will provide the hits that you need. That’s more than just a convenience for the searcher. It has real economic implications.”
Zack paused for a moment, noting Dr. Zeru Ibarra sitting in the rear.
When he nodded at her, she smiled and waved b
ack.
The presentation session ended and a group of four men, and Zeru remained seated. Three men wore business suits, and the fourth wore an Army uniform with two stars on his shoulders and the nametag: “Collier”. Zeru wore a business suit and nodded as she listened to their conversation.
Denise, Gabe, and Zack’s friends followed the crowd into the large poster area where guests were crowding around the displays and peppering the students with questions.
The four men and Zeru stood before Zack looking at his display and asking questions, as Denise and Gabe listened in. After a few minutes, it became clear that these were all computer professionals, three from Silicon Valley, and one from the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Zack hugged Zeru. “I’m so glad you came, Professor.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Zeru said. “I knew that you’d make it. I had absolute confidence.”
After a few more minutes, Denise and Gabe became lost in the high tech jargon.
Zeru pulled out her iPhone and studied Zack. “We have a few test searches for you, if that’s okay?”
Zack stood up straight. “Don’t make them too easy.”
Denise nodded in amazement as Zack prepared his equipment.
He blushed, and then sat before his computer.
Zeru handed Zack her iPhone. Her screen showed a long series of numbers, letters, and symbols. He typed them into the computer, and in three seconds, the screen filled with scientific notations. All five stood with their mouths agape.
General Collier shook his head. “That was a fluke. Let me give you something to challenge your system. He pulled out his wallet, extracted a plastic card, and handed it to Zack. “Be careful entering the search term.”
Zack took the card. “May I mark this to be sure?”
“Go for it, Kid.”
Zack stared at the General for a moment and then separated the thirty digits and symbols into fives with a marking pencil. He carefully entered the search term, and then let his finger linger over the enter key for dramatic effect. He hit enter, and in two seconds when the NSA logo appeared, the group of five began talking all at once.
Hybrid (Brier Hospital Series Book 7) Page 13