The Helpers: A Novelette by Michael K Murphy

Author:Michael K Murphy
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2016-06-12T22:00:00+00:00

Two hours and a bottle of scotch I'd brought with me later and Dr. Vienz and I were close friends. It turned out I was the first Servian he'd ever knowingly met. He was fascinated and asked a million questions. I answered them to the best of my ability. Then I asked him about his time with SciSec. He filled me in on everything that McPherson had been doing. Some of the experiments were beyond inhuman. Vienz hadn't found out until long after the FBI had destroyed his reputation, long after he'd lost all standing in the scientific community, and long after McPherson had left the country for an extended cruise on his $50 million yacht. Vienz had survived doing freelance work for small companies trying to cash in on the burgeoning business of quantum computing. He'd eked out a living, and was now more or less retired. He still took the odd contract to provide someone with mathematical confirmation of something they were working on, but for the most part he spent his days reading and hiking in the mountains. I noticed a large collection the old tiny movie chips on his end table and a dilapidated holographic projector in the corner.

"They're all pirated copies. I had to coble together a projector from odd parts. I couldn't afford a new one. And I certainly can't afford to buy the ether copies. That bottle of scotch you were kind enough to bring is the first of that kind of luxury I've enjoyed in well over two years." And he chuckled. "I guess I should be thankful that I didn't wind up in prison. But, still, what I and so many others went through is unforgivable. We had no idea what McPherson was engaged in. If we had known we would have burned the pavement up getting to the authorities. The man is a monster!"

"Yes, Doctor. That he is."

"But, forgive an old man. I'm permitting myself to wallow in my own self pity. What I have endured is nothing compared to being forced to watch the love of your life being executed. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "Not necessary, Dr. Vienz. You're not to blame."

He nodded slowly. "You mentioned that you want to destroy McPherson. I wish you success. But, how can an old, discarded, foolish researcher help?"

"There are a couple of things I'm hoping you might be able to do for me."

"Such as?"

"Is there any possible way that you could put together a neural programmer?"

"You mean the things they use to program Servians' neural pathways?"

"Precisely."

He thought a few seconds. "I suppose it's possible. If I could find the schematics."

"I can get those for you."

"Can you find the parts?"

"You tell me what you need, I'll find it."

He grinned. "As Mr. Spock would have said, 'Fascinating'. But what do you plan to do with it?"

"Build an invincible soldier."

"Really? Who?"

"Me."

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