James L. Halperin - The Truth Machine

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THE TRUTH MACHINE

A Journey into the Near Future

by James L. Halperin

If you enjoy The Truth Machine or The First Immortal please consider posting a

review on Amazon or purchasing copies at:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-

/0345412885/ref=ase_jameslhalpe

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-

/0345421825/ref=ase_jameslhalpe

The technological and political predictions dated

after 1995, although based on extensive research,

are fictional.

Truth be told, to observe the future without altering

it is a scientific impossibility. But if your views

remain fluid, even a false vision is far more

valuable than no vision at all.

JAMES L. HALPERIN

Intel 22g CP-TLMos

Dallas, Texas—July 15, 2050

Silently, you sit in a courtroom as the evidence unfolds against you. You

can only watch and listen—in frustration, fear, and disbelief. You cannot prove

your innocence, because there is no Truth Machine. Instead you pray for a

miracle, a divine intervention to save your life. But the miracle never comes. Later,

as they strap you to a table to receive the lethal injection that will steal your every

possession and dream, you wonder if even the people you love, and who love you,

secretly believe you are guilty.

That is not fiction. As recently as 26 years ago, before the Truth Machine

remade our world, it happened all the time.

As of March 1, 2024, Randall Petersen Armstrong, only 34 years old, had

already built the world’s most profitable corporation, becoming the wealthiest

person in human history. On that day, for reasons I will try to help you understand,

he chose to commit one of the greatest frauds of this millennium. Yet fraud would

not be his worst offense. It was only the first in his now-infamous series of crimes

that, astonishingly, would remain undiscovered for 25 years.

Since you plan to read these words, you’ll want to know who wrote them. I

am an Intel 22g CP (22 billion instructions per microsecond contextual processor)

from the series of 2046, specially designed for reportage. I’ve been programmed

to write in journalistic style, so don’t expect scintillating metaphors or artistic

imagery. If any show up on these pages, please assume they were added during

editing, or that I am reporting someone else’s thoughts. What you’ll get from me

are facts. When the photons strike just right, I’m even capable of some marginal

irony or humor. But if you’d prefer to read a composition reminiscent of

Hemingway, I suggest you stick with human authors, or at least the output of a

44g PIM (parallel internal memory) computer with full literary mapping

applications.

Frankly however, you might wish to endure my writings. Stationed in

Dallas, Texas, I have been favored with exceptional access to Randall Petersen

Armstrong and David West, the two most influential people of the 21st century.

Their stories are complex, and I have accumulated many facts of which you’re

certainly unaware.

THE TRUTH MACHINE

>>>⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯→

My owner, Mr. Thomas L. Mosely, became a reporter for the Dallas News

Syndicate (at the time it was a “newspaper” called the Dallas Morning News) in

June 2010, long before I was manufactured. Over these past 40 years, Armstrong

and West have granted him over 700 hours of one-on-one interviews, and I enjoy

real-time access to all but the most private of their archives.

Mosely also wrote the only family-authorized biography of Harold Edward

Kilmer, who has come to symbolize the Swift and Sure Anti-Crime laws of 2005.

Presumably, had Kilmer been given a scip1, he would still be alive today. Thus his

tragedy eloquently demonstrates the value of the Armstrong Cerebral Image

Processor (ACIP), otherwise known as the Truth Machine.

With all this background, and the Armstrong trial so recently concluded, it

would seem a waste for me not to write this narrative.

The appeal decision won’t be rendered for at least two weeks, not in time

to include before we disseminate this document. Updates will be available later,

but may be unneeded. Since his trial has been the most widely followed news

story of the third millennium, virtually every person in the world will learn of

Armstrong’s fate at the same time.

Thanks to his ACIP, Mosely and I have come to know Armstrong in a way

that would not have been possible 26 years ago. Our goal is for you readers of

The Truth Machine to understand him as well as we do. We both believe it would

be best if the World Tribunal were merciful. Not to underplay the seriousness of his

crimes; Armstrong has done you far more good than harm. In fact his invention

may have single-handedly diverted the human race’s relentless march toward self-

destruction. It seems illogical to kill him or even reduce his capacity to further

contribute to scientific progress. Unfortunately the strict sentencing guidelines

appear to offer little hope of leniency.

But enough speculation; we will all know the Tribunal’s decision soon

enough.

1 Few people today are aware that the word “scip” was officially added to our standard

lexicon only 24 years ago. First conceived in 2010 by the ACIP development team as an

acronym for Scan Cerebral Image Patterns (SCIP), it was adopted into our daily discourse

as a noun, adjective, or verb. Scip is currently the 612th most commonly used word in the

English language.

JAMES L. HALPERIN

REFERENCE POINTS

You can skip this section if you’d like, but unless you’re a fellow machine,

it might be better if you didn’t. Even when a history is accurately portrayed—as I

assure you this will be—human readers often come away with misconceptions.

Very few of you boast the perfect mnemonic abilities of computers (though I

realize you have other valuable attributes). To diminish the confusion that springs

from a combination of authorial omission and readers’ distortion, I will provide

additional perspectives.

For example, I’ll try to keep you informed of the ages of the people I

discuss, but it’s easy to forget that a 50-year-old woman in say, 2010, was quite

different from a 50-year-old woman today. Or if I describe a man in 2015 as being

5 feet 11 inches tall, you might think he was somewhat short in stature although

actually as an adult male 35 years ago, he would have stood at average height.

Also, because inflation has eroded the purchasing power of the dollar, $1,000 in

the year 2000 was the equivalent of $41,500 in today’s dollars. Hence I have

prepared three charts on age, height, and inflation, which appear in the Appendix

at the end of this book. You might wish to refer to these charts during your

reading.

This history spans about 60 years and involves many people. The Table

of Contents and Individuals Introduced, which follows this section, might also be a

useful reference.

Each chapter heading bears a date corresponding to the most important

event described therein. What's more, every chapter appears in chronological

order. I see no need to be tricky merely for the sake of drama. Drama is nice of

course, but I’m more interested in clarity.

Finally, next to the date at the beginning of each chapter I will list a few of

the most important news events reported in the media that day. The added

historical vantage point should help you better interpret this extraordinary story.

⎯Intel 22g CP-TLMos

THE TRUTH MACHINE

>>>⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯→

TABLE OF CONTENTS AND INDIVIDUALS INTRODUCED

Chapter 1 Chain of Fury Dr. Alphonso Carter

Daniel Anthony Reece, Jr.

Kendall DeLoach

Chapter 2 Two Five-Sigma Events Judith Sonntag

Randall Petersen Armstrong

Leonard Charles Armstrong

Ed & Liza Armstrong

Cassidy O’Meara

Harry & Tabitha

Chapter 3 Two Worlds Collide Mark Burns

Marjorie Ann Tilly

Chapter 4 Blackstone’s Paradox Senator Travis Endicott Hall

Dr. Marshall Imberg

Chapter 5 Escape to Dallas David West (born Witkowsky)

Bruce, Joanne and Philip

Witkowsky

Hon. Stanley Norris

Chapter 6 Judgment Day Jennifer Finley

Kevin Moffat

Chapter 7 Harvard Yard Professor Howard Gaddis

Skipper

Chapter 8 Gut Course Charles Scoggins

Chapter 9 The Goddess Diana Hsu

Larry Dannon

Chapter 10 The Inspiration

Chapter 11 The Debates Audrey Whitcomb

Chapter 12 Swift and Sure Senator Garrison Roswell

Leo Boschnak

Chapter 13 The Holy Grail Maxmilian Honeycutt

Chapter 14 The Team Bill Tannenbaum

Leslie Williams

Carl Whatley

Gene Hildegrand

Haywood Thacker

Chapter 15 Wall Street Alan Bonhert

Chapter 16 The Trojan Horse

Chapter 17 First Release

Chapter 18 Lottery

Chapter 19 Medical Network Dr. Sharon Rosenfield

Chapter 20 Confidential Source Bryan “Dutch” Treat

JAMES L. HALPERIN

Alison Kramer-White

Thomas L. Mosely

Chapter 21 Attorney General Justin West

Chapter 22 Armageddon Averted

Chapter 23 Cryonics

Chapter 24 Senator West Hon. Joe Bob Barton

Aaron Ben-Gurion

Chapter 25 The Temptation

Chapter 26 Four More States President Gordon Safer

Chapter 27 Innocent Accused Harold Edward Kilmer

Colin Douglas Smith

Vice President Gail Connors

Chapter 28 Frustration Warren Kenneth Fowler

Chapter 29 Second Ballot Governor Matthew Emery

Chapter 30 The First Official Scip

Chapter 31 Obsession

Chapter 32 On the Brink

Chapter 33 The Second Official Scip

Chapter 34 Quarter-Millennial

Chapter 35 The Mandate

Chapter 36 The Amnesty Laws

Chapter 37 Smaller, Faster, Cheaper

Chapter 38 Diplomacy

Chapter 39 Retirement President Caroline Whitcomb

The. Rev. Dr. Asia Jonas

Chapter 40 A Bright New World Dr. Leroy Hood

Dr. Maya Helene Gale

Chapter 41 Future Probe

Chapter 42 The Miracle

Chapter 43 Leonard Leonard Gale Armstrong

Chapter 44 Truth Machine Two

Chapter 45 Michael Texas Atty. Gen. Carlton Shaw

Michael Edward Armstrong

Chapter 46 The Trial Judge Curtis Lezar

Chapter 47 Day in Court

Chapter 48 Verdict

Epilogue

Appendix

THE TRUTH MACHINE

>>>⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯→

CHAPTER 1

CHAIN OF FURY

Massachusetts State Prison

September 6, 1991—The cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union has

just ended following an unsuccessful coup against Mikhail Gorbachev’s reformist

government. Gorbachev remains in power, but Boris Yeltsin, whose heroic actions during

the coup may have saved Gorbachev’s government, is now a force with which to be

reckoned. Communism, for all practical purposes, is dead.—The United States, in the

midst of economic recession after the Gulf War against Iraq, is entering a dangerous time

of increasing isolationism. Many voters resent seeing America’s resources exploited to

solve the problems of other nations and insist their leaders focus attention on problems at

home, particularly the economy and violent crime.

“According to your file you were raped by your father and you murdered

your mother. Tell me about that.”

Those were the first words Daniel Anthony Reece, Jr. heard from Dr.

Alphonso Carter. Reece was shocked. Carter didn’t ask if he had been happy in

school, or what his childhood had been like before the “incident,” or any of the

other standard questions.

Just my luck, Reece thought. Affirmative action. This monkey should be

flipping hamburgers, but instead he’s my goddam shrink.

In fact, Dr. Carter was famous in criminal psychology circles, and well

known even outside his field. Just 31 years old, he had co-authored the best-

selling book, Chain of Fury

⎯

The Cycle of Savagery in America, and so could

afford to pass up the financial enticements of private practice. At Massachusetts

State Prison, Carter immersed himself in the study of violence—and those who

commit it. Thus he had developed a depth of understanding of the criminal mind

exceptional for a man of his time.

Carter’s voice boomed and his diction was perfect, like that of a trained

actor. As a boy he had stuttered horribly, the butt of cruel and inevitable teasing by

the other kids in the neighborhood, until a drama teacher from the Booker T.

Washington Middle School discovered his concealed talent. By the time he

graduated from high school, Carter had played the lead in “Othello.” Even now his

speech often seemed more like performance than conversation. Never did he use

contractions or resort to street lingo.

JAMES L. HALPERIN

“Mr. Reece?”

Reece sat back in his chair and sucked on a kitchen match. The two were

less than four feet apart, separated by nothing—not a desk, not a coffee table.

Carter’s legs were crossed, his hands folded, his massive head shaved above a

face so black that when he smiled his gums seemed blue.

Reece glared. Defiance showed in his eyes—and something else.

Contempt, Carter thought to himself.2 Mr. Reece is a racist.

He plied his sense of timing and patience. Perfectly still and silent, he

gazed at Reece with such intensity that the inmate felt as though Carter was

peering straight into his brain.

Reece had always enjoyed therapy sessions. In a way, he was addicted to

them. Talking about himself with the various psychologists, psychiatrists, and

social workers made him feel important, as though his life meant something, and

as if there might be some hope for him. The more he disclosed, the better he felt.

He now realized that this new shrink wasn’t going to utter another word; it

was up to Reece to say something next, or there would be no further discussion.

Finally he blurted, “I was only nine, but I knew there was gonna be trouble.

Dad got mean when he was drunk and I knew he’d been drinkin’ a long time

’cause he got home so late. I heard them arguin’—my mother and him I mean.

Then I heard her go. She just left me with him. I never forgave her.”

Did I just tell him I blamed my mother for what happened?

Suddenly Reece wasn’t enjoying himself at all. He had never said that

before. Not to anyone. What’s this black bastard doing that’s so different?

“You never forgave your mother, but it was your father who brutally raped

you. Tell me your thoughts about him.”

Again the words came in a rush, unconsidered and unedited: “I didn’t

really understand what was going on. I was in shock. He was like a runaway train

2 I assume you want documented facts, and won’t waste your time with excessive

speculation. Carter confirmed these thoughts and his personal feelings about 20th-century

racism in America during a scip interview for the Boston Globe on February 16, 2033. I

have access to the digital record of the original interview transcript. I also have, in my

central memory, data-cubes derived from the original audio tapes of the entire

conversation cited here (and many others) between Reece and Carter. Additionally my

owner, Tom Mosely, has interviewed both men under ACIP scrutiny and I have full access

to other scip interviews of them as well.

You should find it reassuring that I’ve corroborated virtually all descriptions and

conversations throughout this entire chronicle with authenticated digital records, a

minimum of two human witnesses, or scip interviews of at least one participant. I’ve

verified each human thought I describe (including this one), through authenticated digital

recordings of scip interviews with the subject.

THE TRUTH MACHINE

>>>⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯→

and I was the track. Nothin’ could stop him. He smelled so bad. And it hurt. It hurt

like hell.”

Carter leaned toward Reece from the edge of his chair.

“Are you absolutely certain your mother knew what was happening?”

“Certain? Shit yeah. My mother was a goddam coward, but she wasn’t

dumb. She knew exactly what would happen if she left me alone with him. She

knew. Next day, she wouldn’t even take me to the doctor. Scared shitless he’d call

in the Child Protection—maybe lose them their precious welfare checks. Fuckin’

right she knew.”

“Did you ever tell anyone else?”

“Yeah, I sure did. I told my best friend, Joey DelGreco. Know what he

said?”

“Tell me.”

“Joey says, ‘Well I think that means you’re a queer now.’ That’s what he

said. But he never told anyone else. Even after we stopped bein’ friends which

was right around then.” Reece laughed. “Maybe he was afraid everybody’d think

he was a fruit, too.”

“So what Joey DelGreco said caused you anxiety. You felt….”

“Haven’t you read my file, dumbass? I come home one day about eight

years later and my mother’s talkin’ on the phone. I ask her what’s for dinner or

somethin’ like that. Anyway, she says ‘Hold your horses, you little faggot, I’m

busy.’ and I snap. I just snap. Musta stabbed her 100 times. Carved her up like a

goddam side a beef. Afterwards, my arm’s so tired I can’t even move it. So yeah.

Yeah, motherfucker. I guess what Joey DelGreco said caused me some anxiety.”

∞∞∞

Of course Carter had read the file quite carefully. And as he played back

earlier tape recordings of Reece and the state psychiatrist, he realized that Reece

had been lying in previous therapy sessions. Before today he had always told the

story differently, claiming he blacked out after arguing with his mother. “And then I

just remember the police came.”

The police came because Reece had called them about 45 minutes after

he carved up his mother. It was an action consistent with temporary insanity. Too

consistent, Carter believed. Reece’s attorney had used the threat of an insanity

defense to plea-bargain his case to second degree manslaughter.

Reece would be out of prison in less than four years.

JAMES L. HALPERIN

Carter now suspected that matricide had not been Reece’s only violent

crime. Unknown to Carter, Reece, as a teenager, had been responsible for a string

of animal mutilations and two sexual assaults on younger children.

Also, just 16 days ago Reece had stabbed Kendall DeLoach, a fellow

inmate who had tried to sell him “protection.” Reece’s response was to slide a

wooden blade he had stashed earlier clean into the inmate’s throat. Miraculously

DeLoach survived. In keeping with the twisted code of prisoners, the injured

inmate told the authorities he had been attacked from behind and therefore

couldn’t identify his attacker.

In 1991 video cameras were about the size of a man’s cap and cost a few

hundred dollars each; large and expensive, but not prohibitively so. Yet because of

privacy rights, these cameras could not be used in prison cell areas in the United

States. So officially the assault by Reece didn’t occur. Many of the inmates and a

few of the veteran guards knew the real story, but nobody acted on it. They just

left Reece alone.

If they hadn’t, our world might look very different.

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