CHAPTER
12: Turks and Cayucos Islands, Old Technology saves the World.
At
approximately zero six hundred hours the Nanny Lu rounded the northern point of
Hawks Nest Bay, headed a half mile northwest, and dropped sails. She coasted to
a mooring ball fifty yards off the one hundred year old lighthouse Chauncey
called home. As Geno ran a bowline through the mooring and secured the Nanny Lu.
Chauncey came cruising out in a twenty foot Boston Whaler. "What the hell
boys, why didn't you call or something, tell me you were coming so I could have
arranged a proper reception". "Radio silence buddy boy, I will tell
you all about it over two dozen margaritas, but first we have to make some
calls on your dime. Do you still have your HAM radio set up"? "Yea,
jump in". Chauncey led Max, Dougy, Jack, and Geno through his house and
into the light tower where his communications equipment was located right next
to the original 1893 Fresnel lens. Chauncey had grown up in the mountains of
Montana near the Canadian border. His father was a National Park Ranger at
Glacier National Park and for nine months a year they lived in a lodge built in
1930, way above the tree-line at eleven thousand feet. "Granite Park
Chalet" was a CCC (civilian conservation corp.) project during the Great
Depression. It was a six hour back pack, or four hours on horseback with pack
mule from road end to the lodge. In recent times quad runners and custom built
ATVs for gear transport were used, but only in the winter before they shut down
and only out of necessity. Short Wave Radio had once been the only form of
communication at Granite Park, and Chauncey's Dad developed a pretty serious
HAM radio hobby. Chauncey followed in his Dad's footsteps and would spend hours
every night communicating with people from all over the world; broadcasting
from high atop Granite Park Peak.
Ever
since the adoption of the Internet in the 1990's HAM radio enthusiasm had
waned, however for some hard core enthusiasts the digital age only made things
more interesting and opened up new modes of communication. Also, the digital
age allowed for digitized information to be sent through the airwaves and
presumably out into infinity. Long before earth was visited by the eggheads
Chauncey and his father had dreamed of making "first contact".
Chauncey
was now seventy six years old, retired, and pursuing his passions which were in
no particular order: flying, sailing, scuba diving, cooking, astrophysics,
interplanetary communications, drinking, and historic lighthouse restoration.
Chauncey was a genius who, inspired by his dad's hobby had helped developed the
original TCIP/IP Internet protocol and had continued to work with Vinton Cerf
to develop advanced space communication technology including distance-tolerant
networking (DTN). He had worked directly with NASA and Ball Aerospace to
develop and test the DTN protocol with their Deep Impact Networking (DINET)
experiment on board the Deep impact spacecraft in October, 2008. This research
which was the first to send a spacecraft to impact with a comet and actually
study its nucleus. This research eventually led to a reliable standard
communication system to control most all unmanned spacecraft for the next
several decades. Needless to say, having the various patens on some of this
stuff yielded a hefty sum over time and Chauncey was now a billionaire
essentially able to pursue whatever the heck he wanted.
Chauncey
had retired from so called professional life back in 2015, one year before the
first egghead visit. He had a deep interest in old lighthouses. He thought of
them as one of the first technologically advanced communications systems and he
hated to see them disappear. To date, he had purchased and restored eighteen
lighthouses all over the world. Interestingly enough, this also played into his
passion for global (and interplanetary) communications since lighthouses by
design happen to be in prefect locations for
communications relay and network. Chauncey had taken full advantage of this
"doubly bonus" as it were to fully implement what was quite possibly
the world’s largest, most sophisticated private communications network.
As the five of them sat down in Chauncey's
communication room, Jack explained what had been going on and the necessity of
getting perhaps a thousand different messages to a thousand different people
without any of them being intercepted. "That shouldn't be a problem"
said Chauncey, confident in the fact that encoded data transmission was rather
a specialty of his. "Yes but...." started Jack "this might be a
bit tricky since this conspiracy we are dealing with goes all the way to the
top and they have mega-resources.....I mean mega fucking resources. We have
been tracked by spooks from Beaver Island to Anagoda. We sailed here with no
electronics what so ever. Total silent running. That's why I didn't call you
and tell you we were coming. Any technology that exists, they have it......and
they are not shy about killing anybody who might rain on their proverbial
paradise". "So what you are saying is that you are sitting in a room
with quite possibly the most advanced privately owned communications equipment
and network in the world and you can't use it"? "Exactly"
replayed Jack. "But Max has an idea". "I'm all ears" said
Chauncey. Max spoke up "I figure these guys are pretty sophisticated, so
they just might overlook monitoring good old fashion short wave radio
transmissions". "Probably correct in your assumption there Max, but
one primary reason they would not bother is that the days of someone on the
other end monitoring a certain radio frequency and waiting for a transmission
are gone.....unless you happen to have made arrangements for a radio link up
already". "No such luck" said Max, "however, we created a
little trick at the secret service. The boys in the lab came up with a black
box device that could digitize a voice signal sent via Short Wave or SSB and
link up with a computer provided you had the requisite IP address and pass code
connect info......which I happen to have for several dozen key personal. If we
can get an unintercepted message to these key players than, my guess is
that we can lock in on the NSA network and start transmitting the remaining
thousand messages. The important thing is that all the information is
distributed, and the resulting action taken, is done swiftly.....like within
say...twelve hours. The other important thing is that none of it is
intercepted. If it is....we are probably fucked". "We'll alrighty
than" said Chauncey "where is the black box". "We'll,
that's the thing...I don't have one on me". Chauncey's grin was
diminishing rapidly "and I suppose you would like me to recreate the same
trick that your Secret Service Lab boys came up with......right"?
"That would be nice" was Max's response. "Good thing for you
guys that I came up with that one decades ago.....remember....you are sitting
with the dude who invented the fucking Internet". "Ah yes..Well
pardon fucking me your highness, but if we don't get to sending out this stuff
we are going to be dead burnt toast".
Chauncey
and Max went to work sending digitized messages out on short wave radio waves,
bouncing off the stratosphere and downloading into the Computers, pads and
implanted devices of Ron Smith, Secretary Sivananthan, General A.J. Lukas, Pete
Miller, Senator Derek Bailey, Ahbeene Farhteen, Laura, Dr. Watson, Jason Williams
(head of MI6), We Chang Wong (China security) and a few dozen other senators,
admirals, generals, cabinet secretaries and agents of various security
organizations. These were all highly vetted, highly respected, highly
trustworthy individuals that jack and Max felt could get things
accomplished.......at least they hoped. Jack was feeding information to Max and
Chauncey who were doing the transmitting. Even though English had been long
since adopted as the universal language of the Internet, sending data on short
wave radio frequency still required using Morse code. Chauncey commented
that they probably didn't need to encode the messages because proficiently in
Morse had been removed from the international communications commission (ICC)
and the (FCC) test for a HAM license back in 2007 and nobody knew it anymore.
"As Bart Mancuso said in Tom Clancy's book Hunt for Red October
"hell, my Morse is so rusty I might be sending him the measurements of the
Playmate of the Month".......I loved that movie...Sean Connery played
Admiral Rameious" Chauncey said. "Yea, well I might be telling my
friend at Chinese intelligence to go eat a goat head" Max replied.
"Hey guys, not to add any pressure to you but...the future of the earth
might just rest on your ability to remember Morse code. All I remember is SOS,
dot dot dot, dash dash dash" Jack added. Chauncey noted that it was
interesting that Samuel Morse used dots and dashes, just two symbols, to create
a language and that when we learned to digitize information one hundred years
later, we used the same formula with ones and twos or X'x and O's. "Seems
like Sam was ahead of his time". " most innovators are.....just like
you there buddy boy" Geno said. " And since you guys are going to be
busy here for the next five hours, I think I will go make mad passionate love
to your girlfriend.....ok with you Jacky boy"? "Sure, go for it"
Jack responded without really hearing the comment.
Geno
and Dougy left Jack, Max, and Chauncey in the comm room and headed down to join
the others and have a cocktail. "Might as well let those three save the
world, and go get drunk. I guess I trust them more than anybody else to save
our asses.....right"? "Right.....I saw a blender when we went through
the kitchen" Dougy answered. "Margaritas"? "Wow, you are a
fucking mind reader..... Make mine a Grand Gold". Annie, Tom Rum, and
Jimmy were sitting in the living room having already opened the bar. Actually,
Tom and Jimmy were sleeping in a couple cozy big overstuffed chairs. Annie was
reading a marine Bio. mag that was on the coffee table. "Hey Annie, wanna
go have some wonderful, noncommittal sex"? Geno asked "show me the
way big boy' she answered. As they headed toward the stairs Dougy said " great,
leave me with these two worthless sleeping beauties....I thought we were going
to drink copious amounts of tequila". "Yes, my friend, but I hadn't
counted on a positive response from sweet dream boat Annie here, so how bout a
rain check on those Grand Gold Margaritas" was Geno's response. Annie
added "And if you want to keep jawing with the boys, I can probably find
another willing victim". "No, need for that baby.....I'm on my
way".
The
next twelve hours were intense. Messages were successfully sent to several
thousand key individuals at the top (or near it) of dozens of the most powerful
agencies and governments throughout the world. These messages contained a
complete and comprehensive report on all the illegal activities and goals of the world wide conspiracy and unequivocal
proof of all the wrong doing. All the information that Bob had reviled to Jack, all the evidence, all the crimes, were
currently being send around the globe and the shit was defiantly hitting the
fan. "I'm guessing that within the next ten hours or so, enough bad guys
will be rounded up so as to break down their network. If we don't get killed in
the next ten hours, we are probably home free". Max was saying as a coded
message came from Ron. "Good job boys, shit is flying" was all it
said, and Jack knew that in "Ron-Speak" that was as positive as it
gets. "Now we wait for the floor crumbs to get swept up and start
broadcasting our data and evidence to the rest of the global government
community and hope that good judgment and justice prevails". "What
are the odds" Chauncey asked. "I give it fifty fifty" Max
answered "Jack, what do you think"? "I'll tell you what, if
it was up to us, humanity that is, I would only give us about a one percent
chance. My personal faith in humanity seems to have declined somewhat in the
past few weeks. But, you know, its not just up to us, you see, it seems we have
a guardian angel or two watching over us and that probably gives us a far
better chance. So maybe Max is about right, fifty fifty could be about where we
stand, but I believe the human race has stood at that fifty fifty spot
before.....lots of times.....I mean, look at the years of the Cold War, look at
World War Two, look at all the natural disasters that could have taken out the
human race, or at least most of it, and every time we seem to still come out
the other side. Is that due to our cleverness, our good judgement, our forward,
logical, pragmatic thinking? I think not. I think it is because we have had a
higher power looking over us all along, and while I don't know just how many of
these guardian angles there are out there, I do know that I met one and if
we....humanity that is....can actually stop this selfish, stupid, greedy
conspiracy to reconstitute fossil fuels and gain power and wealth at the expense
of others and our very existence, that we owe it to them and not ourselves. You
know, I never though much for religion, and I still think the idea that
"my god is better than your god" that lots of religions have is
totally bogus, but I have to admit, after meeting with Bob and just feeling his
wisdom and his love.....well it kind of blew me away, and it left me feeling a
sense of serenity and comfort I never had. I guess what Im trying to say is
that it feels like all of the world religions were all correct in one sense or
another in that there is a power greater than us that created us and loves us
and is a force of good and really wants us to be happy, joyous and free, but
really wants us to find it for ourselves. It's just that we are a bunch of
spoiled brat kids and keep fucking things up, so they keep sending us an angle
or two to give us a push in the right direction. So, I guess that's the long
way for me to say, I think things are going to be alright, but it's definitely
not because of us". "Well said my friend...well said" Chauncey
said as he finally lifted his hands from the controls and lit a fine Cuban
cigar.
After
several hours another message came in from Ron. "Our secure line is
safe...make contact ASAP". "Ok them, let's talk to the boss". Jack
said as Max entered the proper protocol. "Hey Ron" Jack yelled
"how do you like us so far". "Holy shit boys, we have not seen a
shit storm like this in D.C. since Nixon" Ron said with just a bit more
animation in his voice that usual. "What da ya mean Ron. Some bad guys
getting rounded up and marched off to the big house" Jack countered.
"Yea, I guess you could say that. It's a fucking white collar prison
overload day. They even busted Vice President Stanley.....well actually I guess
he was actually president for two and a half days. The evidence you sent
connected him to Senator Amash and all his lackeys. Speaker of the House Rep.
Derek Bailey has been sworn in as President, and the TRADS are dropping like
flies. The meat wagon has been runnin all day haulin in asshole
politicians...... It's fucking great"!!! "Well Ron, Glad we
could make you happy". Jack said. “Make me happy, MAKE ME HAPPY, you have
just made the event of my whole, fucking, long assed LIFE! How the hell did you
get that Intelligence? It was unbelievable. We are rounding up bad guys all
over the globe. I have been in nonstop communications with officials from
fucking everywhere. There must be at least six thousand arrests so far and not
one is in question. Also we have discovered at least sixty five depositories of
machinery and weapons and a couple hundred fuel storage facilities. This thing
is just massive. How the hell did you do it Jacky boy"? Jack paused for a
moment, thinking of how to respond and finally said "Ron...would you believe
a guy named Bob, sitting on the beach in Anagoda told me"? "Yea sure,
you can tell me all about it when you get back here which is about six hours
from now. I just sent a jet down to McCarthy Air Field to get you guys".
"Hey Ron, if it’s all the same to you, I would just as soon hang here for
a few more days, do a little decompression if you catch my drift".
"That's fine with me Jacky boy, but the boys from CIA, NSA, and the Joint
Chiefs all want to debrief you, not to mention every other security agency in
the world, not to mention the congressional ethics and defense committees.....
Plus I would not mind picking your brain just a bit myself. Anyway, nobody
knows it yet, but you are a national fucking hero Jacky boy. I'll just tell all
the authorities here that you are still laying low for oblivious security
reasons and send the jet down for you when you are ready". "Sounds
good Ron thanks".
An
hour later Jack found himself and Chauncey sitting on his patio in a couple
deck chairs with a bottle of Patron and a lime, smoking Cuban cigars leaning
back with their feet up on the seawall just a few feet from the water of Hawks
Nest Bay listening to the small waves lapping against the seawall. as they
looked out at the Nanny Lu at the mooring and the few lights at the other side
of the bay, Jack was reflecting on the last few weeks and what had occurred. He
happened to cast a look up at the stars which were bright with a new moon and
no ambient light from the house or surrounding area. Chauncey noticed him starring
at the starlit sky and said “you know Jack, I have dreamed about making contact
with an alien life form since I was a boy of seven. Broadcasting all over the
world and talking to people from such exotic places like Mongolia or Antarctica
or Siberia was so cool but then the earth got so small and I dreamed of some
intelligent life form returning the signal I have been sending out into space
for fifty years, but alas, no return signal. Then the eggheads make an
appearance, which of course makes me happy because I knew that they-or at least
something like them-had always existed. But even though I'm happy, I am kind of
bummed because I was always hoping to make contact myself. So now, you tell me
you actually got to sit and talk with one for like three hours.....Wow.....what
was it like.....I mean what did you ask him....what did he tell you....what the
fuck man...tell me everything"! "Chauncey man, I think I am really
just plain too tired to tell you all about it. I did ask some stuff and I have
to tell you it was pretty interesting, and I really felt like I just had
unequivocal love and confidence and comfort. I don't know it's really strange
and I can't really explain it, but suffice to say, my life will never be the
same". "Ok, I'll let you off the hook for now" Chauncey said
"but I just have one question". "Yea, what's that" Jack
answered. Chauncey took a breath like he was pondering exactly what he was
going to say and finally said "So, what happens after we die".
"Sorry Chauncey old buddy" Jack said reluctantly "I had to
promise I wouldn't tell anybody". "Oh, you are such a dick
head". Right then the rest of the gang all came out onto the patio and sat
along the seawall with their feet up. "So, what has everyone been up to
while we were saving the world" Jack asked. Geno spoke up first.
"Well, I was making mad passionate love to your girlfriend. Can I keep her
or do you want her back". "I'll just keep both of you. I am way too
much woman for ether one of you alone" Annie chined in. "Gotta admit,
she has a point there" Jack said " you know guys, we did good and it
looks like most of the bad guys are going to jail and the GECA will pass and
all will be right with the world". "Well aren't you Mary fucking
Poppins" said Dougy “What are we going to do now. I hate to admit it, but
I'm starting to get kind of fond of you dip sticks". "Another
adventure perhaps" said Annie G. "We do have a big, fast sailboat at
our disposal, sitting about fifty feet away" said Jimmy. "Where do we
want to go" asked Tom Rum. Jack, Geno and Annie G all smiled and all spoke
in unison "where ever the wind takes us".
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