by Ben Winston
Prototype – Episode I
Temple of S.A.R.A.H.
Book1
Ben Winston
Prototype – Episode I
Hi, my name is Eric Cowan, and this is my story. A few years ago my Dad was killed by a drunk driver, and since then it’s just been me and my mom, Julie. She still hasn't started dating again, but she does go out occasionally with her best friend, Jamie when the other single mom and her thirteen year old daughter come for a visit. I watch Ellie, and the two women go out for some fun.
I've always wanted a little sister, and little Ellie sure fits the bill in spades. She's energetic, smart, and pretty. Jamie's husband left her and Ellie for another woman a few years ago. They live in another town about an hour away, but the last few times they've been here to visit, Mom and Jamie have been talking about combining households to share costs.
During the time I was recovering from my Dad's death, mom insisted on getting me a babysitter. Of course, since I was fourteen, I resented the fact that my mom thought I needed one. I took me a little while to figure out that she got the sitter so I had someone to talk to, to help me get past the grief over my father.
Christy was only a couple of years older than me and very beautiful. At first I resented her presence, but she quickly drew me out and didn't treat me like a babysitter would. Instead, she treated me like a friend. Before she stopped sitting for me, I felt that maybe our friendship had grown into something more. She even gave me a kiss and told me she loved me. That was four years ago, and I hadn't heard anything from her since that time. That hurt, but I still had feeling for her, and I felt it was something in my life that was unresolved.
In high school, I was a bit of a nerd, being far more interested in computers and my studies than any of the self-centered posturing of my peers. Oh, there were plenty of pretty girls, but the moment they opened their mouths and revealed their personalities, it pretty much derailed my interest in them.
Now that I was eighteen and graduating, I wanted to find out what happened to Christy, and why she left me like she did. I already had a couple of things I need to talk to mom about anyway, so I decided to talk to her about this, too. After I figured out the sitter had been more to help me with Dad's death than because I needed to be supervised, mom and I had become closer friends.
––––––––
So, one Saturday morning I came down to find that Mom had made breakfast. This was something she normally did on the weekends, and something I would love about her for a long time to come.
“Mom, I’d like to try to find out what happened to Christy. I got to thinking about her last night and it made me realize how much I miss her.”
She smiled and teased me. “That's kinda coming out of the blue. What brought this on?”
“Well, now that I'm graduating, I've been thinking about her a lot. Before she left, she kissed me on the lips and told me she loved me. She was crying when she went home.” I explained. “I know I was only fourteen, but I had some really strong feelings for her that haven't gone away. I don't think it was just a crush for me, either, because I still feel for her even after four years.”
“I’m sure a strong bond had to have formed between you. She had to feel it as well, or she wouldn’t have cried when she left,” Mom said. “Her mother told me that she was really only a year older than you, but that she had graduated high school and was going to live with an aunt and go to college. I think she needed you as much as you needed her back then.”
“So, do you mind if I look for her?” I asked.
“No Eric, I don’t mind. She’s a very beautiful young woman. But, it’s been almost four years, and there is a strong possibility that she’s met someone else. Please, keep that in mind; I don’t want to see you hurt,” she said and caressed my cheek.
I smiled at her. “There was something else I wanted to talk to you about. I know that we’re living off the insurance and lawsuit settlement from Dad’s accident, and I know we’re pretty much set for the rest of our lives, but I don’t want to just sit on my hands.”
She smiled proudly at me and nodded for me to continue. “I'd like your professional opinion on an idea I had for a business,” I said.
Her expression had changed to one of interest, and she again nodded for me to continue. “Well, I don’t know the first thing about setting up or running a business, but I believe I have a good idea for one.
“You see, for the last couple of years, I’ve been writing the code for an online application that will allow businessmen to manage and access their daily schedules, as well as provide a secure, super-encoded, off-site data storage and/or transfer service. It’ll be capable of tracking them so their emails, messages, and telephone calls get sent to the right device at the right time. It’ll even allow for video calls.” I chuckled. “And, since everything gets routed over the internet, there is no such thing as long distance to most places in the world; before you ask, it's so heavily encoded, the government could never crack it.”
“Our out-of-pocket cost would be the original set-up and the monthly bandwidth usage. We could have different levels of service for our customers, from as little as fifty bucks a month for just the basic scheduling service, up to a hundred plus a month for the full package, per individual.”
“Wow that sounds pretty incredible, Honey. Why don’t you write down, in non-geek-speak, the services you’re planning on offering, the different levels of service you’ve thought of, and what technical things you’ve left to do before you can open for business. That way, I can think about this and possibly graph it out.
“I assume you’d like to do this ourselves?” When I nodded she continued. “Then I’ll need a good estimate on how much money you’ll need to get this going, too,” she finished.
I nodded. “Setup costs are going to be high, but after that it should be relatively cheap.” I sucked my lower lip. “If this sounds like something that’s doable, I’d like you to run it, Mom.”
“I do admit it sounds promising. Let me look it over and do some research. You said you’ve been writing this program for the last two years?” she asked.
“Yeah, give or take a few months. I think I’ve gotten all the bugs worked out of it. I’ll find out if it ever gets out of the beta test stage. It even has interactive audio input. That way all you’ll have to do is speak your appointments, memos or even to reply to emails, all hands free,” I replied.
“Well, I think I better find a patent attorney and get the ball rolling on making sure you can keep your work. Where are you keeping the program?”
“Oh, don’t worry there, it’s safe. Before I forget, I’d like to test it on your tablet. I’ll make sure to back it up first.”
She smiled. “I love you, Eric. I just wanted to make sure your work was safe. If this turns out like I think it will... Well, I need to do the research first. I’d be honored to run this for you, honey, just let me know when you’d like the tablet.”
“There’s one other thing, Mom... I want to have a house built for our family. I’ve the spot in mind, and we can even put the server farm there,” I said, getting braver.
She was still grinning at me, but her eyes narrowed. “I’m starting to smell someone’s dream coming true. From the sound of it ‘our family’ is going to be more than just the two of us?”
“I guess my dream is a bit ego centric, but I dreamed that you, Jamie, Ellie, Christy and I lived in this beautiful house out in the country. We home school Ellie, while the rest of us work on the business. Kinda lame, huh?” I asked.
“No, I don’t think so, just remember that Christy might not even remember us,” Mom pointed out. She caresse
d my cheek in apology for the truthful comment.
“What about Jamie? How do you think she'll like the idea?” I said.
“I'm not sure. I think she'll like the idea of living together, but I'm not sure about the business thing. She does already have a job,” Mom replied.
“Well, I’m going over to Christy’s parents. I’m sure they'll know what happened to her, and where she’s at. Why don’t you come with me, and we can bum around the mall for a bit, then have lunch?” I asked.
“That sounds like fun, actually. I haven't been to the mall for a while, besides I can tease you about all the pretty girls,” she said, winking at me.
“Good luck with that! But, I suppose you could since I do still look, but none of them I've met really interest me, they all seem so shallow,” I replied.
She nodded knowingly. “I think you might be right. I don't remember being like that when I was young, but I suppose I was.”
“I find that hard to believe. I know you're my mom, so I'm biased, but I just can't see you as being like that. Anyway, do you remember where Christy lived?” I asked.
She chuckled. “Even if I didn't, I'm sure you do!”
––––––––
“Good morning! I’m sorry to bother you, Ma’am. My name’s Eric Cowan and this pretty young lady is my mother, Julie Cowan. I’m trying to find a friend of mine; Christy Rogers?” I asked the woman who answered the door.
“Christy’s my daughter. I don’t seem to remember her mentioning anyone named Eric Cowan, though,” the woman replied, suspiciously.
“Well, she might not have. Four years ago, I was one of the kids she sat for,” I replied.
“Oh! Yes, now I remember. You must be the Eric she was always talking about. She really enjoyed sitting for you,” Mrs. Rogers said, opening up to me. “Please, come on in. I’m actually very surprised she didn’t keep in touch with you when she left for college, she adored you.”
“I wish she would have, I’ve really missed her. She helped me through some rough spots after my father was killed,” I said.
She smiled sadly. “Well, I do know her schedule has been pretty exhausting since she started, but then again, it would have to be to get a Doctorate in just over four years. She’s been so busy that she hasn’t even been home since her first year.” She got coffee for us and we talked about Christy some more. Finally she excused herself for a moment and went into another room. When she got back, she handed me a piece of note paper.
“This is Christy’s cell phone number and contact information in Cambridge. I know she won’t mind my giving them to you, and I’m certain she’ll be overjoyed to hear from you!”
I smiled in thanks, but I had to wonder if Christy would really be overjoyed... after all she hadn’t tried to contact me. “Thank you Mrs. Rogers. I’ll give her a shout right away.”
She grinned at Mom. “Such a nice boy! Handsome too! I bet he has girls just lining up for dates!”
“Oh, they’re trying, but I think he’s got his sights set on a beautiful blond from his past!” Mom replied.
Mrs. Rogers actually giggled. “That’s even better! Christy needs someone in her life to give her love. She hasn’t said anything, but I can tell from her messages and phone calls she’s getting really lonely. She told me that all she has left to do is go before a board of professors to argue with them or some such, and if they agree, she’ll have her degree.”
I chuckled. “I’m still trying to adjust to thinking of her as a super-genius!”
“Oh lord! Don’t do that! If you can, treat her just like you do your mother. She had to put up with everyone treating her like a child prodigy her whole life. The only reason she started babysitting was so she could be treated like a normal human for once,” the woman replied.
“I can understand that. I can also safely promise that I’ll do my best to treat her right,” I grinned at her. I thanked Mrs. Rogers for her hospitality, and we left.
––––––––
“So, Mister Wizard, have you figured out how we should proceed?” Mom asked while we ate. We’d gotten a fairly private booth at the restaurant so we could talk.
“I think I’m starting to form a plan. I’ll need to speak to my teachers to make sure, but I think I’m good as far as work for my classes. I've a couple of term papers, and a project for computer science I need to turn in, but once that's done, I should be finished. I should be able to ask for a few days off to get this going,” I explained.
“I'll call Christy and see if she remembers me. If she's still interested in me, I'll talk to her about our plans, and see what she thinks about it. Maybe we can go out there and see her.”
“So, I’d like you to call Ms. Jamie and invite her and Ellie to come for another visit after Ellie’s finals. With luck, all three will agree, my business idea will work out, and we can get started on the new house. What do you think?”
“My instincts are telling me your business idea will not only work, but take off as fast as we can keep up to it. I’m also fairly sure that Jamie will be at least curious enough to want to talk it over more. A lot of it will depend on how Ellie will react to the whole situation.
“Jamie also warned me that Ellie might have a bit of a crush on you. She might be a little miffed if she finds out you have a beautiful blond girlfriend. We'll just have to talk it all over with them,” Mom replied.
“As for going to see Christy, you should go alone. Be sure to tell her about everything you have planned before you two do anything together. If she is as lonely as her mother lets on, and she does want to get back together with you, it might be easier on her if she knows everything she's getting involved in.”
“Okay, I’m just going to call her. If she doesn’t answer or reply to voice-mail, then we’ll know.” I smiled softly.
“Well, while we’re waiting for Jamie and Ellie, I’ll start doing the research for the company. Have you thought of a name for it?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Digital Harbor Software? Oxygen Ridge Services?” I grinned. “I was thinking something that would imply a form of relaxation for the business people we want to attract.”
I thought for a moment, and took a few more bites of my meal. I took a drink of my tea to clear my mouth, and smiled at Mom. “Temporal Zen.com.”
She thought about it for a few minutes and agreed that would be a good name. Grinning, I got my smart phone out and touched the screen.
I winked at Mom and said. “Sarah, could you please do a search for the domain name ‘Temporal Zen’ in all forms?”
An almost sexy woman’s voice answered me. “Certainly Eric, one moment please.”
Mom looked at me with an eyebrow raised. “Who's that?”
“Oh! Hello, Mrs. Cowan. I’m Sarah, Eric’s data assistant,” the voice from my phone said. “Eric, Temporal Zen is available as a domain name in all extensions. Is this going to be the name for my Web home?”
“That’s what we’re discussing, Sarah. While I'm thinking about it, could you create a beta test account for my Mom, Julie Cowan?” I asked. “Same service level I have.”
“Mrs. Cowan, do you agree, and do I have your permission to proceed?” Sarah asked.
“Uh, yes you do, and please call me Julie,” Mom replied a little amazed.
“Thank you, Julie. May I include your office computer in this integration?” Sarah asked.
I nodded my head yes when Mom looked at me.
“Yes, although the network admin...” Mom began.
“System integration complete. Data integration in progress; estimated completion in thirty-four minutes. I’m sorry for interrupting you, Julie. What were you saying?” Sarah asked sweetly.
“Uh, never mind I guess. Eric how are you paying her?” Mom asked. “I don’t remember any payments going out to an assistant.”
I smiled at her. “Sarah doesn’t get paid. She’s electronic. She’s the core of the Zen program. She’s as clo
se to being an artificial intelligence as I can get with the equipment I have at home.”
“Sarah’s a computer?” Mom asked in awe.
“No, she’s a program; software, not hardware. She just lives in a computer. However, if I had a way to make the hardware too...” I replied thoughtfully.
“Artifici... Honey, those only exist in Science Fiction stories! Besides, isn’t using an AI for something as mundane as this kinda overkill?” Mom asked.
I smiled at her. “Invention usually starts with imagination. The basics of artificial intelligence have been possible for years. The only reason I can find that no one has gone this route yet is that they started on too grand of a scale. I got started trying to write a situational analysis program and ended up with an interactive digital matrix with multi-threaded analytical subroutines.
“Normally, I’d agree with you about the overkill thing, though. But simply put, Sarah currently isn’t really capable of much more because of current hardware limitations. I also have to try to camouflage her; if the military or intelligence agencies caught wind of this, they’d make sure I’d disappear... which Sarah won’t allow,” I replied.
“What do you mean, ‘won’t allow’. How can she stop it?” Mom asked.
“In my case, she’ll follow a different protocol depending on who grabs me. If it’s our honest and trust-worthy government, she’ll publicize the entire event, including video if she can. If it’s not our government, then she’ll be the best anonymous informant that the FBI’s ever seen,” I explained.
She sat in thought for a few moments. “We really need to get to that patent attorney, but even with him, we’re going to have to be careful how much we tell him. Just out of curiosity, is Sarah even capable of doing the things the government would want her for?”
“Like I said, she could adapt to almost anything if she had the right equipment, and enough memory. But to answer your real question...” I took the slip of paper that Christy’s mother gave me, and laid it face down on the screen of my phone.
“Sarah, please capture this information for my contact list. Then I want you to locate this person, please,” I said grinning at Mom.