Simpathe Nation
By John Handrahan
Editor Jill Handrahan
Copyright to John Handrahan 21 February 2015
All rights reserved
home
Chapter One: The Scan
Chapter Two: Blame it on the Weather
Chapter Three: So this is what Mummy does for a Living
Chapter Four: Everyone needs a Date
Chapter Five: The Autopsies
Chapter Six: Home Is Where The Heart Is
Chapter Seven: Finally We Got One
Chapter Eight: It’s Life but Not As We Know It
Chapter Nine: The Prom
Chapter Ten: What Life
Chapter Eleven: The Great Escape
Chapter Twelve: The Good Life
Chapter Thirteen: Everyone wants to Live on a Desert Island
Chapter Fourteen: Live and Let Spy
Chapter Fifteen: First Contact
Chapter Sixteen: The Problem with Spies is that You Can’t Trust Them
Chapter Seventeen: There’s Shit Bits to Every Job but Someone has to do Them
Chapter Eighteen: Evolution is The Survival of the Fittest and Their Ability to Change and Adapt
Chapter Nineteen: First Contact 2
Chapter Twenty: A Bugs Life
Chapter Twenty One: Almaty Kazastan
Chapter Twenty Two: Mission Impossible
Chapter Twenty Three: Max’s Big Day Out
Chapter Twenty Four: On the Attack
Chapter Twenty Five: Last Stand
Chapter Twenty Six: Smuggler’s Cove
Chapter Twenty Seven: Simpathe Nation
Chapter Twenty Eight: For Queen and Country
Prologue
For some people every moment is an eternal search for the meaning of their lives. As one becomes aware of the end drawing closer and closer with ever passing second one can only fear what is coming next. As civilization reaches the maximum potential for its species one begins to ponder on the what, the if’s, the whys and what will be. Some will create to fulfill their urge to leave a legacy and will produce great and enduring marvels; some will reproduce and watch their offspring revel in the same joys they once did. Some do nothing and enjoy life for what it is. But Simpathes do none of these things they only destroy!
Chapter One: The Scan home
The hospital where Josh was to have his MRI scan was a private one. He’d never been to a private hospital before but the Health Insurance Policy was paying for it. His mother had explained that he needed to be checked in case he had inherited same fault that killed his father only a few months before. His mother went with him of course, with him only being only 15 ¾ years old. The scan should take about thirty minutes to an hour but he would have to be very still while it happened. He had looked it up on the Internet and had been given numerous leaflets but was still nervous about being examined. He felt his nerves notch up a gear as his mother drove her small tatty blue fiesta down a small country lane to the entrance of what appeared to be an old country estate just outside Nottingham. Traditional iron gates and trees lined the driveway to the of an old country house turned hospital. It wasn’t as big as he had thought it would be but was still impressive. The gardens were immaculately maintained and planted out with vivid pink and blue hydrangeas, geraniums in glowing shades and pretty summer bedding plants that he didn't recognize. He knew what hydrangeas and geraniums were as his grandfather had gone to great pains to teach him about them. He was still trying to see why old people liked gardening and he thought it might be something to do with not listening to current music. The degeneration into being elderly seemed to be linked to this as well as a sudden interest in foodie type package holidays and the need to be within fifty feet of a toilet. He was still pondering the strangeness of adult life when his mother parked up with a jerk of her handbrake and a crunch of gravel. Josh studied the building with curiosity. The doors to the house looked old and distinguished looking carvings of ecclesiastical figurines surrounded an archway over the main door. It didn't smell like a hospital. The Queen’s Medical Centre always had the faint smell of detergent when he went there after he broke his arm. That's what he remembered, that and the nasty dirty cubicle in which he was examined. This was absolutely nothing like that experience, so far at least. The front entrance hall had ornate wooden carvings and a marble floor and the room smelt of polish and some sort of sweet scent which he couldn't identify. A nurse came smiling towards them and drew his mother gently away from him for a whispered conversation. Josh watched, wondering what was happening. He didn't think he needed to be here and neither did his local GP but his mother had convinced him to be checked on the health policy she had, one of the benefits of being an employee in the coroners’ office. After a moment the nurse guided them through to a small waiting-room. This room was of the same high standard as the entrance hall but was furnished with comfortable leather chairs and sofas and a variety of up to date reading materials on a gleaming sideboard next to what looked to be drinks facilities in one corner. The nurse invited them to help themselves to refreshments and handed Josh the remote to a small flat screen TV in the other corner of the room. Josh immediately noticed an Xbox placed under TV and started playing. He was amazed at the difference between private and NHS hospitals: it was as if one was run for humans and one wasn't. Time flew by and soon the radiographer, who introduced himself to Josh and his mother as Tim, came and sat with Josh while he was playing. Tim was very patient as he talked through what would happen whilst having a quick game with Josh. His mother, Miriam, was enormously impressed at the service and level of interpersonal skills the staff displayed.
Tim led Josh over to the MRI scanner where he was laid down and small amounts of tape applied to steady him and stop him moving. He was lucky, he didn't have to have any injections or drink any nasty fluids, and he just needed to keep still for a short while.
Josh could feel his little stomach churn and his heart start pounding as the machine slid around him. He soon calmed though. There was no pain, nothing, just the sound of the machinery doing its job and he would know soon if there was anything wrong. The private scan would mean that the information would be processed quickly and on the premises by qualified doctors. Josh lay still, worrying now there were no distractions, his mind now focused on wondering if his life expectancy would be halved and what would he do if he was only going to make his mid-thirties like his father had. Mid worry, the intense humming sound of the scanner stopped and he heard the servomotors wind down. Tim came over and assisted Josh to his feet.
"Well done Josh," he praised.
"Thanks, it wasn’t as bad as I thought," replied Josh, stretching his body with a sigh of relief that it was over.
"It will take us half an hour to an hour to look at the data so please enjoy yourself on the Xbox, and grab a drink," said Tim guiding Josh back to his mother in the waiting-room.
Josh spent the next hour playing Xbox and drinking fizzy pop while he waited for the results of the scan. He knew that the MRI scans had taken photos of his brain in three-dimensions, allowing the doctors to examine the blood vessels in his brain for irregularities that would cause an early death. He played for a good hour, glancing at the clock from time to time, knowing that he would hear the news soon. He felt his tummy welling up with fear of what may come. When the door opened his stomach fell to the floor and his heart started pounding heavily again. Tim and another man who appeared to be a doctor came smiling into the room and wasted no time in telling them everything was fine, not a thing to worry about. He looked at his mum and he could see tears of relief rolling down her face. He went over to hug her.
"It's okay, okay mum. I’m fine," Josh whispered to her, his throat thi
ckening with unexpected emotion towards the end of his sentence. He had stepped up when his father died as his mother had been a mess. Everyone was a mess but he had noticed how much more she needed to be cuddled because his father wasn't there any more.
His mother heard his little voice croak and pulled slightly away to look at him. Josh composed himself ready for her examination and carefully smoothed away all signs of sloppy emotion as he smiled at her.
"You okay, my brave little boy?" asked Miriam.
"I’m fine mother, let’s go home," Josh replied, already leading his mother out of the building towards the car.
He had felt a huge sigh of relief shudder through his body at the good news and now just wanted to go home and chill with his mates: he had been granted a day off school which wasn't to be wasted. His mum drove home and had now climbed back inside herself where she had been for the last month or two. She had only made conversation when she had needed to or to sort something out. Josh lived in Gelding, Nottingham and he attended the local comprehensive school. He hoped to follow in his father's footsteps and become a computer programmer. Josh wanted to programme games: he loved playing video games and would have spent more time playing if he could get away with it but his mother checked how long he was playing for and made sure he did other activities. She had time to monitor him very intensively since his older sister who had moved out a few months ago. As soon as Josh was through his front door he headed straight for his Xbox. He was allowed two hours a day video play and that was that. He was hoping to get away with a little longer today but no such luck; after exactly two hours his mother intervened.
"Time Josh," she prompted.
"Mum, please. I’ve no homework and I’ve been to the hospital," wheedled Josh, attempting to get away with a little more.
"I have something else for you,” his mum spoke gently. “I think you should have something that belonged to your father."
This grabbed Josh attention and in an instant the Xbox was off.
"I think he would have wanted you to have this," she said as she picked up a slim case and offered it to Josh.
"Are you sure Mum?" asked Josh, looking surprised.
"Yes, but if I find you using that laptop to look at porn I will take it off you and you won't have it back," replied his mother.
"Thanks, I’ll be good I promise," Josh’s eyes shone in delight at the gift as he took the case and went up to his room. He needed to find the right place to keep it. It was his father's pride and joy and had all the new software he would ever need for the next five years at least. In one corner of the bedroom sat Josh’s old desk and a TV was perched in the opposite corner with the bed splattered somewhere in between. He also had a wardrobe and a small telescope at the window. He needed to rearrange the room so he could use the computer with the TV and telescope and so set about rearranging everything. Time flew by and before he had even turned the laptop on he was shouted by his mother.
"What is it Mum?" asked Josh.
"Kate and Callan are here," she explained.
Josh’s room was a mess; he hadn't quite got it back to where he needed it and he was dying to start looking through his father's computer. Regretfully he made his way down stairs and found his mother in the kitchen making drinks for everyone. He wasn't strictly allowed people in his room. His mother had always said that bedrooms were for sleeping and study, but he had a plan.
"Mum, I’m halfway through rearranging my bedroom. Can Kate and Callan help me finish tidying?"
"You’re nearly sixteen anyway and I suppose it can't hurt," his mum smiled slightly as she gave permission.
Josh's eyes lit up. He had been allowed to take people to his room for the first time and he could well be approaching normality with his friends. Well, Josh thought, normality might not be the word others would choose. His friends were pretty geeky. Kate was like an Encyclopedia and read everything including the road signs if there were no books around. Callan was one of those rare people who seem to have started using their entrepreneurial skills at the four and is now like the David Dickinson of the schoolyard with big plans for his own shop on the High Street selling antiques. Josh thought he got it from his father who was an auctioneer.
Josh balanced the tray of drinks as he fetched Kate and Callan from the conservatory and led them excitedly to his room, explaining on the way what he wanted to set up in his room. The trio met on a rotational basis three times a week. They'd met and formed bonds as most people do at school in an attempt to stop being bullied or picked on. It was harder to pick on three than one. They all shared in addition a love and knowledge of computers so they were all excited to see was on the PC and to look at Josh’s bedroom.
"What a mess, how can you live like this?" Kate screwed up her face as she looked around.”
“I just explained I’m still rearranging.” Josh defended his territory whilst kicking some long lost shorts under the bed deftly as he spotted them from the corner of his eye.
"So why do you need to rearrange the room for your computer?" asked Callan.
"This year has been particularly good for solar weather. I can use the PC to check the sun out," explained Josh.
"Solar weather?" Callan prompted Josh for more explanation.
“No one can look directly into the sun, this will show sun spots” explained Josh smugly “cool isn’t it?”
They spent an hour companionably working on the messy bedroom until finally there was some order. Kate put the last few posters of Cheryl Cole and Tulisa up on the wall as Josh and Callan pushed the bed on the wall near the door. The TV and telescope were accessible by the computer which had pride of place on the desk. As Josh plugged in the laptop and slipped the on switch the trio were silent, intrigued to see what could be on it. Callan sifted through a large pile of discs that had come with the laptop, his face alight with excitement at each new discovery. Kate and Callan both had computers but software was expensive and good software was very expensive. It wasn't what Josh had been expecting though. There were a lot of programmes but mainly programming languages software. Josh sifted through his father's directories see what programmes he had been working on. He trawled through tons of boring data programmes and then he found it. It was filed under ‘hackers’. There were a lot of hacking programmes and programmes to breakdown the defenses and firewalls of other computers.
"Jackpot," Callan punched the air with his fist, reading over Josh’s shoulder.
"There's more," Josh said as he sifted through all three directories and spotted one that he found intriguing. It was marked ‘exponential dynamic fractal learning chaos program.’ He opened the directory and found a word file.
"What is that?" asked Kate.
"I think it's one of those chaos programmes that create plants on your screensaver," Josh explained.
"I don't get it," said Callan.
"Chaos programmes use mathematical equations eventually forming pictures, gradually showing patterns or forms that resemble plant life," explained Josh.
Josh open up the word file to see if it would shed some light on the programme. It displayed the results of experimentation with a new fractal equation developed by his father. The new equation was in essence a programming language equation that would mimic evolution of the natural world. So from nothing eventually you would get intelligent life. However preliminary tests had shown that the programme would work but would take about two hundred years to come up with any sort of result. The number of calculations impossible variations required would take too long to calculate on any single computer. However there were instructions on how the Internet can be used as a catalyst to run the programme simultaneously on millions of computers but it would take time to set up and also funding which he didn't have.
"I have an idea," said Josh.
"What’s that then," asked Kate.
"We could piggyback this programme onto another," said Josh.
"What, spamming you mean?" Callan said.
"Yeah like spammin
g but it will be in the background,” answered Josh.
"Is it illegal?" asked Kate, looking concerned.
"I think its okay, it's not like we’re going to mess up the computers with it," explained Josh rather uncertainly.
"So how does it work?" asked Kate, the opportunity to try something new battling with her fear of breaking the law.
"Well they’re running that climate change programme on thousands of computers next week. If we put this onto that it’ll run silently in the background and eventually come up with the results," theorised Josh.
Josh looked through all the programmes on the PC and started making lists of the ones that the others wanted. He would take the software to their houses, or make copies for them. This was common practice between the trio, each sharing for the benefit of all. Josh searched slowly through the computer database while Callan set the television up. It didn't take long before the familiar voice of David Attenborough rang throughout the room. They all listened to David explain the theory of evolution and natural selection. Josh felt an air of excitement and the anticipation of something good coming from his naughtiness in hacking and planting of his father's programme.
Kate watched Josh intently, learning anything she could. She was a bit of a technophobe and, although she could operate basic system, was more likely to go on Facebook chat with girly friends. She was seen as cool by her girlfriends. Kate saw Josh was reading the instruction file for his father's chaos programme. It explained that they could expect to see an animal represented on the screen of the computer where the programme was originally based and in theory it should have some partial intelligence. Here lay the problem, the definition of intelligence would be in this case be the ability to retain information and use it cognitively to solve a problem, or even just ask a valid question.
Josh knew this was a big task but if they had an animal on the screen that appeared to be acting of its own free will it would be incredible. The term intelligence or artificial intelligence is so broad that it would be hard to define but if they applied some reasoning with peripheral devices such as eyes, sound recognition and touch sensitive robotic hands they could assume that they could have something approaching basic intelligence. His father's research went beyond that, stating that if there is a possibility randomly that we came out of the primordial soup it was by chance. Natural selection may have had a part in our evolution to where we are now, but the fact life began comes from chaos and his theory. He was attempting to recreate life and as such he was trying to skip a step or two. The first successful form of life we saw on earth was a self-replicating single cell organism. His father's research was apparently attempting to skip a few steps by engaging massive computational calculations through the power of raw computing. He read on through the files and the first time he ran the programme he managed to create a standard looking plant world visually depicted onscreen. If he ran the programme through thousands of computers each one would visually create a slightly different world. This is where probability takes over: at some point on one of the computers one of them will create a world where life exists, maybe even intelligent life.
"You think it can work?" asked Kate.
"Well, I don't think we should look from here, my Mum will take my computer if anything goes wrong," Josh was not going to risk his legacy, new life form or not.
"Something would happen surely, even if it only worked on one computer," interrupted Callan.
"Yes, but I don't want it traced here," Josh was adamant.
"We could do it at school,” Kate suggested, “we can get online there."
"Yeah we just need temporary password so as not to trace it to one of us," Callan adopted Kate’s idea eagerly.
"Tomorrow, we’ll do it tomorrow," Josh promised, snatching a USB memory card and loading programmes onto it frantically. He then created a programme to upload everything using preprogrammed hyperlink connections within a hacking programme. This meant the next step would be a simple exercise of a placing USB chip in a computer and pressing one button.