RESTORATION (a science fiction novel) (RESTORATION (the science fiction trilogy)) Read online

  Then he hit himself in the forehead, “Idiot, the phonebook file wouldn’t take up that kind of file space either!” He felt stupid for even thinking that. He sat back for a minute and contemplated what to do next.

  His electronics troubleshooting skills were quite sharp so he focused on how he could apply them to this situation. He was not really a software programmer by trade but back at that time when the code needed to be edited they recently lost John Calhoun, their best programmer to another company.

  They didn’t have time to recruit another candidate for the job or bring one up to speed for that matter. He knew a great deal about the software end of the design because he was so highly involved in every aspect of the project. John Calhoun was a good programmer but an even better friend. Even though he left the company he told Dodge to give him a call if they had any problems with the code.

  One reason Dodge took a copy home was just in case he got stuck and needed some help finishing it up. John had it completed anyway but after he left the company the development department made a few small changes in the hardware which required tweaks on the software side.

  Dodge only had to call John twice to bail him out. John was so good he knew how to help him over the phone. The guy pretty much spoke Trinary and thought in pure F code. Even though Trinary and F code were considered outdated, they were still to that day the building blocks behind every modern code assembler and John could take them apart and put them back together in his sleep.

  The youngsters coming out of engineering school these days thought that the old code was useless, not realizing that it was running behind the scenes making everything they designed work. They were all spoiled by the new assembler programs that wrote the code for them by transforming entire pages of Trinary and F code into single command words.

  The ability to read and write raw code made guys like John Calhoun worth their weight in gold. The young pups couldn’t code their way out of a wet paper bag! If the assembler program got kinked up, they were useless.

  He was thinking about calling John to help him out. They stayed in touch as friends and they ran into each other at the golf club occasionally. Sometimes they would have a beer or a coke while they caught up. They couldn’t really be best friends now because they worked for two different engineering companies, they had to watch what they talked about.

  With Non-Disclosure Agreements, Trade Secret Clauses and Lawyers lurking behind every bush, everybody was walking on eggshells. Maybe he would just try to fix it himself. Dodge thought about it for a little more and came up with an idea, he would delete the extra pages and see what happened.

  He saved it again as “testfile.gts” to be sure that he didn’t lose it, then he carefully placed his cursor right after the END command and began holding down the delete key. He held it down for several minutes before remembering that the program had a function that would allow deletion by entire pages.

  He noted the page that the last command was on being page 317. He brought up the “delete code by page range” box and entered “318-*” he used the wild card instead of putting in the actual last page number because he wanted to be sure he got everything deleted after that last command. He hit the delete key and then saved the file.

  Once again the usual message appeared on the screen as expected “replace file -testfile.gts- file size 1289KTB with file -testfile.gts- file size 405KTB.” Hmm, the exact opposite of the first time this happened the night before.

  Deleting the extra pages got the file back close to the original size that Dodge had on his computer that night ten years earlier. The file was slightly larger, but that was to be expected, after all, he had made some subtle changes and some small additions of code here and there.

  “So why were the blank pages causing the file size to increase so much?” Ah yes another idea. He went back and opened the original file, and then using the copy and paste function he copied only the blank pages. Next he shrank the original program window and opened a second program window and selected “new file” from the menu. Now he had a blank window on the screen. He clicked in the window and pasted. Nothing appeared on the screen but the page count shot up from zero to 794.

  He brought the other window to the front that contained the original oversized file, and the page count was 1112. He quickly brought up his calculator on the screen and tapped in the numbers, unbelievable the math was exact when he subtracted the original page count of 318 from the total of 1112 he got 794 the exact page count of the blank pasted document. He couldn’t see anything on the screen but something must be there, what was causing this strange anomaly?

  Then it hit him, print it! He went over to the printer and loaded it up with paper but it only held two hundred pages. It was not a large office printer, just a small home office unit. Then he realized, “I don’t need to print all of it, just a few pages to see what comes out if anything.” He quickly went back to the PC and brought the window to the foreground that contained the 794 page blank document and hit the print icon at the top selecting a page range of 1-10 and hit print.

  The printer responded and began warming up then it stopped and let out a few beeps followed by a beep every two or three seconds. “Great a paper jam! good timing” He jumped up and went over to fix it but was surprised by the message on the info screen. “Unrecognized Font.” “Huh? Really?” He printed something but it was not something the printer could actually print? “Great!”

  Linsey popped her head in just then.

  “Need anything?” She could tell he was irritated by the expression on his face. “What’s wrong? Misplace millions of dollars?” She would always try to lighten the mood when she thought Dodge was stressing.

  “Uh, no Hun, just a paper jam, you know how irritated I get with stuff that doesn’t work right, especially electronics since that’s my field and all.” Linsey, smiled.

  “Yeah, I know, they shouldn’t sell it if it isn’t perfect, right?”

  She was having some fun quoting Dodge. He was always saying that when things failed to work correctly and he really was a perfectionist.

  After Linsey left the room, he reflected on what she had just said for a minute. What if he had screwed this thing up somehow? What if all the people of the world were in harm’s way because he didn’t get the software right? That was it, he had to call John, he had to find out if this was just a file reporting its size incorrectly or if there really was something in that file that he couldn’t see, something potentially harmful that he may have caused. He was hoping that it was something simple like the GTS assembler program reporting too many pages due to some weird glitch but he really needed to find out for sure.

  He dug through his desk drawer for a holographic business card that John had given him. They weren’t popular now but they were quite the fad for a while. He remembered John telling him to keep it because he programmed all his new personal info into it. Dodge knew he put the card in the drawer with a stack of others slated for reviewing later but now it was nowhere to be found, what the heck had he done with it?

  He had no way of contacting John because it was a work day and he really shouldn’t call him at his work. Big high tech companies kept very detailed phone records of every incoming and outgoing call. He knew they should not be talking to each other due to all the legalities of their employers being direct competitors, but he had to talk to him about this problem.

  It was afternoon. John should be headed home soon and Dodge knew where he lived, or at least where he lived if he hadn’t moved. It was a long shot but maybe he still lived there. With John’s new salary package he received when he switched jobs a few years ago he could have easily afforded moving to a much more affluent community but the only way to find out was to go and see.

  Dodge had to keep this from Linsey and his mind began to reel wildly in an effort to come up with a reason he needed to go out. After all the crazy things he had been doing Linsey would be absolutely insatiable with curiosity if he announced out of the blue that
he was going to see John Calhoun. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, it was just that she was fairly sociable and he couldn’t have her mentioning that he and John had talked to each other, just too risky with all the legal stuff to worry about.

  He renamed the file -phonebook.txt- he figured that if he lost the darned thing at least it would seem useless to anyone that might happen upon it. He password protected it with “unrecognizable font” which made him chuckle a bit but he knew he wouldn’t forget it. He closed out all the windows except for the financial report just in case Linsey got curious while he was gone. He locked up the original microdrive in the box and put the key back over the sill again.

  He was still thinking of what he might tell Linsey when his phone began to ring. It was his Dad, and that gave him an idea. He answered and his Father’s rather excited voice came over louder than usual.

  “Hey Son, do you have some time to talk?”

  “Sure Dad but I was heading out, can I drop over in a few minutes, that way we can talk in person.”

  “Hey that’s even better,” said Alan, “See you in a few minutes.”

  His Father just handed him the perfect alibi for going to see John. He went downstairs and told Linsey his Dad called and wanted to talk to him in person about something and that he sounded excited.

  “It must be something about Restoration so I’m gonna run over there,” he said, as he gave her a quick kiss.

  Linsey knew Alan was getting excited about his new lease on life.

  “Yes of course,” she said, “but don’t forget I’m fixing chicken tonight so be back by six for dinner okay?”

  “Sure thing Hun,” said Dodge, as he walked out only pausing to give her a quick kiss.

  Deep down he doubted that he would make it back by then but he would deal with that problem when the time came. He arrived at his Dad’s house in record time. Alan Kerrington was sitting at his kitchen table when his Son walked in. He had two of his best friends there that were both about his age and in similar health. Neither of them had cancer but they were pretty much ticking time bombs with cigarette residue, beer slag and the remnants of pure lard lining their insides.

  Years of eating badly, drinking, smoking, and not taking care of themselves had taken its toll. They were all hard workers and were old school military men that were surprised themselves that they were still alive. Just like Alan they were widowed and pretty much only had each other to keep company.

  “So what’s going on Dad?” Dodge was anxious to get it out of him so that he could move on to the real mission at hand.

  “Well Son, we’ve decided we’re all going to get restored and then we’re going to go out and do everything on this bucket list starting with some good old-fashioned skirt chasing!” Alan and his two friends busted out laughing. Dodge must have had an “oh no” look on his face even though it was funny, he only mustered up a small grin.

  “Hey, don’t worry Son, I was just kidding about the woman chasing, we’re just gonna go camping, fishing and hiking, you know stuff we all loved to do when we still had our health.”

  Mark Stent, one of Alan’s buddies started laughing.

  “Hiking my ass! Alan is only speaking for himself! The only hiking I’m doin is to the cooler for another beer,” added Jerry. They all started laughing and clanking their bottles together.

  “Oh, no, no, that’s great fella’s. I think you guys should definitely do all of that,” said Dodge. “Excuse us fellas. Hey, Dad, can I talk to you in the other room for just a minute?” Alan was a little surprised.

  “Well sure Son, let’s go in here, hey you guys have another beer and come up with some more ideas, I’ll be back in a minute.”

  They went to the living room just around the corner from the kitchen.

  “What’s going on Son?”

  “Look Dad, I have a problem that I need to investigate with an old work buddy. The thing is Linsey doesn’t know about it and I have to keep it under wraps until I have more information. If my being over here comes up any time soon, just play along like I was over here for the whole evening.”

  Alan looked concerned.

  “You lunk head, are you cheatin on that peach of a daughter-in-law of mine!”

  “Hell no! Jeeze Dad, you think I would do something like that?”

  “Son, are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “No, no, Dad, I just have to be careful because I’m going to see an old work friend about a computer problem and he works for a competitor, I have to be really secretive because Linsey knows everyone and is very sociable, if she let out even the slightest slip to someone I could lose my job, that’s all.”

  “All right Son, if she asks I’ll cover for ya, but don’t make a habit of it because I don’t like you keeping things from Linsey and I’m no liar.”

  “Believe me Dad, if there was another way . . .”

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever, just get going, the sooner you get home the less likely she is to call me looking for you, and I won’t have to lie.”

  “Thanks Dad, I’ll talk to you soon, oh and I really do like the bucket list thing.”

  Dodge wasted no time getting across town to John Calhoun’s house. He went up to the door and rang the bell. A young woman came to the door that Dodge assumed must have been John’s daughter.

  “Hi there is John here?” The young lady responded with. “John?”

  “Uh, yes, I’m looking for John Calhoun.”

  She smiled. “Oh you must be looking for my Uncle John. He and Aunt Karen moved.”

  “Oh, well, I’m Dodge, Dodge Kerrington and . . . “ before he could finish she turned her head and yelled. “Mom, there’s a man here, Dodge Kerrington, he’s looking for Uncle John.”

  A woman’s voice came from the next room.

  “Really Dawn? You yell like that when there’s a visitor at the door.”

  “Sorry Sir,” she said as her mother arrived at the door to take over.

  “Sorry about that, we’re still training her on proper door answering manners.”

  Dodge smiled.

  “Yes I know how teenagers are, I have two of my own at home.”

  “So you’re looking for my brother John?”

  “Yes John and I worked together for a few years and this is the last address I had for him. I lost his new skyphone number that he gave me at the golf club a while back.”

  “Oh yes, John and his golf! No problem I’ll get the number for you.”

  “Oh, would you mind calling him for me my phone isn’t holding a charge. I need to save what little power is left to call my wife later. She gets worried if she can’t reach me.”

  “Wow that was fast thinking, I’m getting good at this stuff.”

  He didn’t want John’s number on his phone. He thought Linsey might notice him calling an unusual number while he was supposed to be visiting with his Dad.

  “Sure no problem,” she said as she stepped out onto the porch and sat down on the bench. Dodge felt awkward, but he sat down also to be polite.

  “Hi John, this is Sis, there’s a Mr. Dodge Kerrington here that would like to speak to you. Okay, here he is . . . ,

  “Here you go,” she said, as she handed Dodge the phone.

  “Hi John . . . , yeah I didn’t know you moved . . . , sure I know where that is, can I come by? Okay I’ll be there in a few.”

  Dodge handed the phone back to John’s sister.

  “Thank you so much,” he said.

  “You’re welcome, have a nice evening.”

  “You too and thanks again,” he said as he stepped off the porch.

  It was getting late and all this running around was taking way too much time. He wasted no time getting over to John’s house. The bagel Linsey brought him earlier in his study was long worn off and now he was starving. He passed two burger joints on the way to John’s house. “Oh man that smells good.” There was no extra time, he needed to meet with John and get back home in a believable time frame to avoid any question
ing.

  John Calhoun had definitely moved up in the world. Dodge could hardly believe the massive spread of a home back on a long private lane. It was impressive, and more like an estate really. John’s career moves had obviously served him quite well. He zipped up the long curvy brick drive through the security gates and to the front of the house. “Wow!” He rang the bell and a well dressed elderly man arrived promptly to greet him in traditional butler attire.

  Wow John had a butler!

  “Good evening Sir, you must be one Dodge Kerrington I presume?”

  Dodge nodded to indicate yes in amazement, and then actually said the word yes when he realized he was being impolite.

  “Please come in Mr. Calhoun is expecting you.” Just as he got inside the door John appeared in the sitting room right off the entry way.

  “Dodge, man, great to see you, welcome to my humble abode, he said sarcastically.”

  “Yeah right, real humble abode, more like a freaking mansion.”

  “Oh well buddy you can’t take it with you so you might as well spend it on a gigantic castle that says screw you guys, I’m rich, right?”

  “Come on in, sit down, let’s talk, it’s been a long time. You know what, let’s not sit here, lets go out to my man cave behind the pool house. It’s well equipped my friend and when I say well-equipped I mean it!”

  John led Dodge through a maze of corridors and large rooms and then out through the kitchen and around the pool and then back to what appeared to be a ten-car garage behind the pool house.

  They stepped into the garage and were headed over to the stairs when something caught Dodge’s eye that made him stop.

  “John, is that what I think it is?”

  John paused, “Well I don’t know Dodge, depends on what you think it is?” Suddenly the mission at hand took a back seat to what Dodge believed was under the car cover directly to his left on the way to the stairs.

  “Is that a vintage corvette under that cover?”

  John grinned with the utmost sarcasm.