September 7th, Sunday night 11:28 PM:
Walter sat in the easy chair outside of the bedroom he shared with Paige in the basement apartment of the Dineen home in West Cambridge. He was wiped but he couldn't sleep and rather than disturb Paige he left her sleeping and sat in the recliner. He was reading the report Richard had left him, but his mind kept going over what had happened that day.
The procedure had taken nearly three hours. Ralph had ended up needing three stents but Toby's discussion with Dr Roberts convinced Bernie to let him put in a fourth rather than wait and see.
When they came out to the waiting room smiling at the small family it had relieved the tension in all of them instantly. Happy instantly yelled "YES!" and hugs flowed between everyone. Dr Roberts took Veronica back while Toby sat with Happy, Paige and Walter and explained everything.
Happy kissed his cheek and told him he redeemed himself in so many ways. But she still threatened him about gambling.
As Toby thanked Walter for saving him he started to promise to pay him back and Walter shook his head.
"You saved our Dad, you don't owe me anything." Walter told him.
Veronica explained, when she came back to get the kids, that while normally they would discharge Ralph within twenty four hours Dr Roberts wanted to keep him for forty eight to be sure everything was okay. They only estimated he had suffered three percent damage to his heart. And Dr Roberts gave all the credit to Toby's quick actions along with everyone pitching in to help.
Walter smiled as they sat down for pizza after they got home. The rest of the evening was spent trying to unwind.
Walter sighed as his mind came back to the report and he continued to read. As he came to part of it he frowned. He scratched at his head as his mind began running differentials and permutations. Suddenly he got up and moved to his computer desk. Turning on his laptop he quickly surfed out to connect to his hacking portal he had set up in some servers outside of the US. After carefully locking down information and snaking through multiple servers meant to hide internet data flow he found himself inside of Richard's servers.
Walter didn't take long to break through the firewall and began reading data Richard wouldn't want out in the world. He spent several hours following a trail through the servers that housed all of Richard's projects.
Walter's hand ran down his face as he backed out of the system. He needed help from someone he trusted, someone who had experience. He stood and scribbled a note and left it on his pillow to let Paige know he'd gone out for a drive to unwind.
He looked up at the unexpected sounds of explosions from the TV. Paige liked sleeping with the noise of the TV in the background. Being in the basement reduced outside noise and the lack of noise disturbed her sleep. After years of Callan nightlife making noises, Paige just couldn't sleep without something.
Walter's eyes went wide as he watched once again as the news channel replayed the video of the bombing of Baghdad. They used it to explain why now Iraq was demanding the UN charge all of those responsible for the bombing in Baghdad as war criminals.
Walter's eyes closed as the horror of that day resurfaced.
Paige frowned in her sleep. She wasn't sure what was on the TV but it was annoying her. Slowly her mind put it together that someone was crying. Her brain figured it must have been a story of something bad that happened and she tried to get back to sleep when she heard a shuddering sound in the crying and it sounded like it came from Walter's side of the room.
Paige's eyes opened instantly as she sat up and looked to her right but Walter wasn't there and she rubbed her eyes hearing the crying louder now. As the TV switched to a commercial, it lit the room up a bit more and she saw Walter on the floor in the corner.
"Walter!" Paige exclaimed as she scrambled from the bed and over to him. She dropped instantly beside him and took him in her arms. "Walter, are you hurt? What's wrong?"
Paige's touch, her scent, the sound of her voice slowly infiltrated his mind. Walter swallowed hard as he tried to regain control over his emotions.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Paige." Walter said over and over.
"Walter, there isn't anything to be sorry for. What's wrong?" Paige told him as she kissed his cheek.
Walter pointed to the TV.
"Iraq is pushing to have the UN declare me a war criminal." Walter told her as his arms went about her.
"What? Why would they do something like that?" Paige said as she hugged him tightly to her.
"Over the bombing. They are calling for those who were responsible for the strike to be tried as war criminals. Since it was my software that guided the planes, I'll be held responsible." Walter told her.
Paige felt him shudder. Walter could see their dreams falling apart now. Everything he touches from this point forward was going to be poisoned. Doomed to fail.
"I've got to distance myself from you, from Mom, Dad and Happy." Walter told her as he cried.
"What? Absolutely not. You swore to me, you are mine forever. You are not abandoning me." Paige told him angrily.
"But I'll be nothing but a horrible burden to you all. People will blame you in association. And because of all of the deaths I'll be executed." Walter told her.
"No! I don't give a damn. You didn't do anything wrong Walter. And I will not let you face anything alone. We are a Cyclone and if someone thinks they are going to harm you then they are going to find me in their way. You are mine and I am not giving you up." Paige told Walter as she hugged him tighter.
Walter and Paige held each other for several minutes when her alarm went off.
"I'm sorry for waking you early." Walter sniffed.
"Walter, you are my heart. If something is bothering you, you need to wake me. You and I are first, always. And then Happy and the rest of our family." Paige told him before they kissed. "Let's take a shower." Paige said softly.
Walter smiled but nodded.
Happy looked up at Walter and Paige as they came into the dining room for breakfast.
"What's wrong?" Happy asked.
"Nothing." Paige said a bit evasively.
"Yea, right. Lie to me again, I dare you." Happy told her.
"She isn't lying. Nothing is wrong right now." Walter defended her.
"So what is going to be wrong?" Happy demanded from him.
Walter sighed.
"Baghdad is pushing the UN to declare those responsible for the bombing as war criminals. And to conduct a trial." Walter told her.
"Well, you aren't responsible. So don't worry about it." Happy told him. "Besides, we got your back."
Paige smiled at Happy.
"It isn't that simple, Happy. They routinely hold people responsible for just following orders." Walter reminded her.
"Yes. But, you weren't following orders. You were lied to. You were told that a relief organization wanted you to design software to help them deliver aid packages. That's like a friend asks to borrow your car to pick up a friend from the airport. Only they go and rob a bank instead. You've got nothing to worry about over it. We are a Cyclone and if one of us is attacked, then we're all jumping in." Happy told him even as Silvia walked in with Happy's breakfast.
It was just before 8 am as Walter and Paige entered the room Ralph was sleeping in. It took them a short bit to make their way through the hospital without being seen. Walter was paranoid that law enforcement would be looking for him already. Ralph's security detail nodded at them as they let them enter. They slowly approached Ralph's bed. Ralph looked so peaceful. His vitals were all good. Walter dreaded this next part but he needed to talk to someone.
"Dad." Walter and Paige said finally after they sat down in the chairs next to the bed. Paige reached up and she squeezed Ralph's hand.
Ralph's eyes kind of scrunched and slowly they opened as he inhaled deeply and then turned to look at his left side as he felt pressure on his hand.
"Paige, Walter? It's good seeing you both. Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Ralph said as his eyes tried to focus.
"I'm sorry Dad, I needed to talk to you." Walter told him.
"We needed to see you Dad." Paige interjected. "Make sure you are doing okay. I might go to school shortly."
Ralph smiled at Paige and then looked at Walter.
"We need to talk about what you did, for Toby." Ralph looked at him closer.
Walter's eyes saw his heart rate rise a bit.
"Dad, please try and stay calm. I'll listen to anything you need to say or yell at me about that when you are stronger, better. But right now I really need you to listen." Walter pressed.
Ralph stared at Walter for several moments before he finally nodded even as his heart rate lowered.
Walter let out his breath in relief.
"Dad, there are a couple of things you need to know about. One of them Paige doesn't know about. Something bad is going on at Richard's. This project he wants me helping with, it's a sham. Well the project itself isn't a sham, but there is something else behind it. Someone there wants to develop something that isn't what this project is about. I don't know if he is involved for sure, but someone at Richard's is trying to develop a true interface between the human brain and a computer." Walter told him.
"A what?" Paige asked as she looked at Walter.
"I know the military has been trying to get work done on that to improve military operations. Quicker and faster drone responses, other military hardware that is all controlled remotely. I'm not sure what it is about that that is so concerning Walter. So tell me, what is it that is bothering you?" Ralph asked.
"What is it about humans that keeps most people from doing bad things?" Walter asked him.
"Well, our moral center. Our sense of right or wrong. Right?" Ralph frowned.
"In our frontal lobe." Walter nodded. "Now imagine if you could transfer your entire conscious mind minus the part that tells you that you shouldn't do this or that. And the computer begins running that consciousness. With nothing limiting it in what it should consider." Walter told him.
"It sounds like the Terminator movies come to life." Ralph frowned.
Paige gasped.
Walter saw his heart rate ramp up a bit.
"Relax Dad, you need to keep your heart rate down." Walter told him. Walter watched him nod and he kept looking at the monitor and the numbers dropped slowly back down.
"You wouldn't be far off. Maybe someone is dying and they are looking for a way to transfer their consciousness into a machine to live on. It could be completely benign." Walter tried to explain.
"But someone, possibly even Richard, is trying to accomplish this?" Ralph asked.
Walter nodded.
"I found some strange wording in the report that concerned me. So after I ran a number of scenarios, I hacked my way into Richard's system." Walter paused as Ralph chuckled. "Dad, someone with or without Richard's permission is seeking this development. My concern is what if they don't transfer the sense of right or wrong, or if the computer isn't programmed to interpret that part of the mind. We could end up with a truly scary opponent. I don't know anyone who could keep up mentally with a computer like that. It could take over every computer on the internet."
Ralph slowly nodded.
"Okay, well there isn't a lot we can do right now. When I get out of here we'll call Richard to come over and we'll meet with him. You can explain what you have discovered. We'll get this straightened out Walter." Ralph smiled. "Thank you for coming to me with this."
"I had to, there is no one else I know with the experience. Certainly no one else I trust more than you." Walter told him. "We're so glad you are okay."
Ralph smiled.
"Me too son, go home and get some sleep. You look terrible. And you go to school." Ralph told them.
"No, that's the other thing we have to tell you Daddy." Paige told him.
Ralph frowned.
"What's going on?" Ralph asked.
"Iraqi government officials are demanding that the UN denounce the bombing of Baghdad and to hold those responsible as war criminals. Walter's worried they will try and include him in that." Paige told him.
"Damn it." Ralph said.
"Dad, your blood pressure." Walter warned.
Ralph nodded as he closed his eyes.
"Okay, there isn't much I can do today. But I'll make some calls. We'll get this straightened out Walter. Trust me." Ralph told him as he opened his eyes. "You're my boy and I'm not losing you to some nonsense." Ralph smiled.
Walter smiled back at him.
"Thanks Dad." Walter told him before they left.
Ralph watched them leave and his blood pressure rose. Merrick wasn't getting away with this. His chips were all in place. He'd worked hard the last two years keeping everything away from everyone. He reached over and picked up his phone. After he brought up a security program he pulled up Katherine Cooper's contact and hit the dial icon.
Katherine stared at the screen at the unknown caller listed as her phone rang. On the second ring the screen flashed and it pulled up her security program and she figured she knew who it was.
"Hello." Katherine answered her phone.
"Marigold." Ralph said and hung up.
Katherine smiled at that one word before she hung up.
Dr. Cassandra Davis had just sat down at her desk when she got a new email alert. Moving the mouse over she clicked on the email program and pulled it up.
"Walter." She smiled. "I was afraid you would contact me after hearing the news." She clicked on the email and watched as the computer screen changed and then began reading. She sighed. "Poor kid."
She reached over and clicked a few icons and pulled up a registry. She typed in Boston and hit enter and watched the registry change and gave her a few names. She nodded at the name she thought was in practice there. She copied the contact information into the computer's memory and then switched back to the email.
After copying the data into an email response she began typing.
"Walter,
I'm so sorry. I wondered when I heard the news earlier if you would contact me or not. Ralph and your family are correct. You are not responsible for this. But you need help. And I want you to contact an associate of mine. I think he can help you. His name is Dr Tobias Curtis and you can reach him at the number below.
He's got a number of sub specialties and I believe it would benefit you to contact him and have some sessions with him over this. And don't be afraid to discuss other issues you have with him.
Wishing you all the best,
Cassandra Davis."
She clicked send and sat there for a minute. She wished she was still in New York rather than California, she'd love to try and help him herself.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
Railman - hehe No he was not a clown! Definitely a good place for him to shine and earn some creds! lol Here's hoping to Ralph's full and complete recovery!
LouBe - Glad you didn't have any clogged arteries when it went up! hehe Toby definitely came through this time! Yeah, I mean they should have been more involved but this is about our geniuses and their family so...Charles and James heard what happened and rushed to the hospital and took over watching him. Oh you are so right about that! lol It comes up a few times in the chapters to come. lol It did...absolutely felt weird that Walter wasn't more active...but when I got to the hospital I was like...where's Emmett? *face palm* And then I thought...Hey, that's a good thing for Walter to do since he's in the background. He can care for Emmett! lol Yep...and look...there the wheel goes flying away! lol
Guest - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it! hehe Right now Walter's more worried about The Hague...But looks like Ralph has a plan!
Chipbass - Thank you brother! Glad you enjoyed it!
Pearliegirl - Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! Sometimes the surprises continue for a while...hehe
To the Adventure! -Tim