Fiction: Inexact Science (chapter 2)

2

Science club met at Teacher’s house. In the basement which was secluded. Seth didn’t know why it was secretive. That moderate precautions were taken against being seen and heard.

After Mr. Frederick introduced him as a new member, the debate started and he struggled to keep up. Nobody explained. Maybe Marjorie would, afterwards.

There was to be a war between East and West. And it was because of Science. The Chinese and other Asiatics were very different in their thinking compared to White people. Black people were also different, and so too the Semitic races.

What learning the theory of Inexact Science did was it opened everyone’s minds to one another. It was a creepy side effect of developing the advanced yet simple technology he had seen first hand.

How the war would be fought best, was the matter being debated.

How you catching up so far? Asked the boy with the high voice.

I’m good.

Name’s Matthew, he said.

And you’re a cadet?

Yes. When you get to our grade level, some of you will be recruited.

The smartest?

No, Matthew laughed. And Seth let his guard down as well.

Those of us that think logically.

What has it got to so with inexactness when you think like a machine?

Everyone applauded Seth’s first big question.

Frederick explained, when you don’t make mistakes, it’s not Science. When you do, Science tells you. When Science is inexact, Science tells you nothing but does everything you say and it works according to the technology. It’s pooling everyone’s smarts, flying by the seat of your pants. The Chinese particularly disagree and it’s damaging everyone’s minds.

Why not shut it down?

We can’t. It keeps growing. The body, our minds, are hosting this viral paradigm and we have no choice but to assimilate the world into our way of thinking. Already, many government departments function on inexactness. And the world economy is torn by the disagreements. It won’t be long before war breaks out and how it will be fought is anyone’s guess.

Saim Ye was the only Asian in the club. Indeed he stuck out like a sore thumb with paisley chef pants and Hawaiian shirt. Seth had not met an Asian guy in so close a situation before.

They say you’re the leader, are you?

No -not yet. I’m being prepared.

Don’t take too long. I have sources in Beijing. There WILL be war. Soon. Do you know what’s going on in my head?

Seth shrugged. Now he knew why their meeting was secretive. It involved politics and government technology.

We don’t want to fight one another. That’s why Marge and Matthew are researching Inexact Science. It’s that simple. Nothing underhand. Do you know what fighting will be like?

Things happening, I suppose. People losing their minds. Possibly our technology no longer working depending on who’s stronger.

That’s true. In general. How will you sleep if an attack can come from anywhere at any time in any form? How will you eat when everything tastes like cardboard because nobody in the East likes eating it?

My last name’s Ye -it’s a name with a prophetic connotation. Do you believe in synchronicity? Never mind. I will prepare you to face the supreme council.

There was food cooked by Teacher’s girlfriend on the table. They made Seth say grace and all bowed to the supreme god -the Most High.

Seems Saim has taken interest in you?

Said I needed to be prepared to face the supreme council.

So soon? Marjorie lifted an eyebrow.

And not a day too late, chipped Mr Frederick.

After they had eaten, and the food was very ‘neutral’ for lack of a better word -not tasteless, nor remotely exciting to the palette, Saim had a discussion with Marjorie out of earshot. Seth thought he saw blades of light flash like blue neon holograms in the air, and his old friend retreated. Saim looked at Seth and turned to walk away. He followed a step behind.

What do you think of us?

You’re all okay.

What do you think of what you saw? Am I to be your teacher?

Yea, I guess.

A teacher is never your wife. How is that for Inexact Science?

Seth felt like when he was weaned off his mother’s milk. Like taking his first breath, freshly born.

I live with my older sister. She’s hot. You’ll see. Saim smiled a slanted smile. But it was a genuine invitation to what might happen.

Matthew cornered Marjorie. I don’t really like what happened tonight, he said in his high counter tenor voice. He sounded a bit like an angel. Some being with a purer heart than mortal men. It was easy to see how he dominated the group. And Marjorie couldn’t fend off his questioning.

Have you and Seth done it yet? Why wait? Now he’s with Saim. We don’t see eye to eye with the Chinese, even westernized Chinese. I tolerate Saim because he’s half the enemy we don’t know.

Surrender your blade, sister -you’ve lost to an Asian.

Marjorie turned away, seemingly untouchable but Matthew called her name in a whisper and his otherworldly voice disarmed her. She drew the blade. And it was an actual blade. She placed it in Matthews hand. Then she covered her face, sighing heavily, looking up at the stars. It was a good time to be alive, maybe a heady one more so than that.

You saw the knife fight I had with your girlfriend?

It looked like lightning bolts.

It was supposed to be invisible.

Then why…?

She loves you, and so do I.

You’ll need a knife at the very least. My sister made mine for me / with me, that’s probably how I won, Saim admitted humbly.

The jaunty Asian gave his blade to Seth. He turned it in his hands. It was sharp but not razor sharp and seemed to be between a metal and plastic. There was no handle. He was puzzled how it made him feel. And why was Saim being so kind? Nevertheless, he grew stronger and more like giving out commands like they said he was supposed to.

Still coding…

There is somehow just so much to do in my JS applet, SeTT. Found another unhandled condition that affects the AI piece placement: forming 3-piece stacks. This morning, I squashed the bug in the scoring function. A major error.

May be going out for lunch with Dad, maybe Mom as well who is seeing a doctor today over ear ache. She is always going to hospital and lately, Dad is the same. Both are in their mid 70s. A time when things go wrong with a person. Imho, a wasted / dirty life and lower hormonal protection, under attack from others they offended. It’s vital to behave well and sacrifice for those in need, fix your personal issues and don’t let them affect the world.

…

Yesterday was a rollercoaster in the mindspaces. We saw all kinds of attacks and defended against them quite well. Maybe today there’ll be less damage. Still expecting some kind of change in the world order as America looks to shut down its government yet again. Dr Mahathir has police-reported PMX, Anwar. Things in Malaysia are also heating up.

Today’s coding mission will be to finish the pattern matcher, working in the ratio calculator output which is a weighted array of piece sizes, arranged in order of importance. Quite a bit to chew. May take an hour or so.

Thinking of splitting the diagonal and adjacent condition blocks function into 2 functions calling one another. Looping in the main AI loop until ratio-pattern agreement is reached. Sounds like a pretty good idea, imho.

…

Ended up scrapping the adjacent condition function and condition blocks altogether. The code is leaner and more readable. Also scrapped the heuristical ratio things for more easily defined and comparable variables.

We are moving house soon. Well before Christmas so it seems. I have not been overnight at the shoebox so far. Iirc, nobody has. It is a hovel of a house by comparison, with little privacy.

…

Coding went well today despite the interruptions of moving house. I even managed to do some novel writing. Hope to wrap up SeTT by tonight as everything seems to be falling into place. Imagine that I could be raptured before I taste any success. Or left down to suffer my way thru it. Either way you look at it, I guess.

Taking a break after a good lunch, to rest and police the British mind sphere. It’s not too bad so we just gave out the FCOJ and some encouragement. Normally these people aren’t emotionally immature compared to some Asians.

…

Did a quick burst of coding and solved many of the issues outstanding. Should be less than an hour of moderate work left to do. When we get home from the shoebox, I’ll sweep the house clean ahead of my aunt’s visit tomorrow morning.

Fiction: Inexact Science (chapter 1)…

Inexact Science

1

Seth was only 13 when he first came into contact with the new teachings. “Inexact Science”. A new subject in his timetable. The first lesson was practical.

They were standing at a touchline on the playing field behind a row of W-shaped bows. cans of spindle like arrows stood on tripods. Teacher showed them how to prime a folding bow.

Step on it. Go on, use your bodyweight.

Then he showed Seth how to nock the spindle arrows. They elongated with the string, effortlessly.

Look into the sight, everybody, said Teacher. The sight was just 3 glass cylinders arranged in a triangle. Seth could see the target faces replicated in each one. He tried to get them the same size and position in each lens, so none were deformed.

He was aware of the faint vibrations coursing through the stretched arrow. He released it, and scored a 9.75 on his first shot. He did a 9.9 on his 3rd.

How does it feel?

Great! Said everyone.

But this was just a primer for what they would face next. Seth, you can take one of the bows home, and only one arrow. You’re responsible and we trust you.

That night, Seth lay in his bed holding the tensed folding bow. The spindle arrow on his pillow. He closed his eyes and dreamed of glory. He had hit a target at 70 yards, almost dead on without really trying.

Then, a rap on his window. He got up and looked out. It was Marjorie from school.

What do you want?

The bow, she whispered loudly. Bring it down here.

Seth got changed and met Marge in the garage. There were several other boys with her who were older and looked like soldiers.

They’re cadets, in case you’re wondering.

What are we going to do?

One of the boys spoke and it was in a counter tenor voice. You’ve seen inexact science today, brother. What do you think of it?

Seth looked confused.

You’re responsible, the boy said, but you can trust us -can you? Marge, can he see yet?

Seth dropped his eyes and turned to leave. You can have the bow but let me know why first.

Brother, if you can’t see, we’ll be back later. The group turned to leave but Majorie stopped them. He’ll see -very soon.

Seth looked into her eyes and he knew trust when he saw it. The others read his face and agreed.

You need to see, then hear, then read. See if Marge will help you. It’s supposed to be logical -whatever you feel you should do.

Seth handed over the bow and arrow on condition they keep it in his garage. They agreed.

That night, the teenagers dissected the weapon and projectile. Seth saw them jotting Math-like equations on their notepads. Something he didn’t understand yet. It was taught at a higher grade.

They didn’t say what they were doing. But in half an hour, they had put everything back together and left his home. Marjorie stayed back. Seth, thanks for being a friend. You haven’t betrayed anyone. Science is everybody’s right to learn. It’s not the weapon that’s dangerous, it’s our minds.

That night, he had a dream of Marjorie. They were swimming in her pool and she kissed him in the water. He looked into her eyes and he saw truth in her beauty.

The golden ratio reflected between them just like the lenses of the bow and he pulled at each of its images until they lined up. He chose the one that looked a bit whimsically odd. And she smiled. You WILL see.

Teacher, Mr. Frederick, was in his office as usual. Seth came in and placed the borrowed weapon on his table. He took a seat and squeezed his arms between his knees.

Frederick didn’t look up from his paperwork. You’ve looked it over what do you think?

It’s purely mechanical but very accurate. Maybe it uses physics in a different way.

How so?

It tackles the problem from many angles.

Or so you think?

Or so I do -so far.

Where is Marjorie? Go fetch her in if you don’t mind.

Seth waited in the corridor as voices were raised in the office. Then, Teacher called him in. Marjorie’s face was stern but a little flushed and she wouldn’t look directly at anything, any one of them.

Seth, I trusted you and I still do. There is a reason you were allowed the bow. Something never done at your grade. Seth, you’re a leader and I want to give you all the exposure you need. If this young lady is your guide, then say so.

Yes, she is.

Then both of you are free to leave. No conditions.

Seth you can’t see because you’re proud.

Proud?

Of yourself. Everyone can read you. Even your own mind reads you. That’s why you are -full of yourself.

Seth, you need a guide and me and the bunch, we’re at your command.

It wasn’t something easily told to a newly turned teenager but he managed this threat to his authority, masquerading as a compliment without any emotion. Maybe he was proud.

Marge took his hand and they went home.

Seth found out that there was a Science club that met every Friday evening after school. You should join, said Marjorie. All of us are in it. Are you afraid of change? At your level, you should be. All leaders are worrywarts.

What’s going to change?

Everything. Eventually. Even you.

Later, he stripped off to bathe and he sat on the small plastic stool under the weakly sputtering shower head, hands tucked between his knees. He breathed through his mouth as rivulets trickled across his skin. His wet hair plastered across his forehead. He KNEW this was where he would conduct his war room meetings with the older boys from. Under water.

And Friday evening couldn’t have come sooner.