Devil's Plaything

Matt Richtel Devil's Plaything

Dedication

For My Grandparents

Pillars

Epigraph

The number of people suffering acute memory loss is doubling every twenty years.

Shipments of computer memory are doubling every two years.

Are these two statistics related?

More than you dare imagine.

Prologue

TRANSCRIPT FROM THE HUMAN MEMORY CRUSADE.

JANUARY 17, 2010

Human Memory Crusade:

Thank you.

We appreciate your participation in our effort to record this nation’s incredible history.

We hope the brief instruction you have received has been helpful to you. As you have learned, your task is simple. Just read the questions and answer into the microphone. We’ll take care of recording and storing your stories for your children, grandchildren and generations to come.

When you have finished answering a question, please hit the enter key.

If you are having trouble remembering something, don’t worry. Just say: I can’t remember. You may also skip a question by hitting the enter key.

Even though I am a computer, I have an artificial brain. I have been programmed to listen for key words and use them to have a conversation with you. Think of me as your friend.

In the corner of the screen, you can see your image in a box. This is captured by a small camera on the top of the computer monitor. If your image is not in the middle of the box, please move slightly to the left or the right so that your image is in the middle.

Let us begin.

ARE YOU A RETURNING PARTICIPANT?

This is not my first time.

SORRY, WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWER. ARE YOU A RETURNING PARTICIPANT? YES, OR NO?

Yes.

THANK YOU. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MIDDLE NAME.

Lane Eliza Idle. I go by Lane. Lane Idle.

THANK YOU. WHAT IS YOUR BIRTHDATE AND PASSWORD?

WE WILL KEEP CONFIDENTIAL ALL PERSONAL IDENTIFIERS. WE NEED THIS INFORMATION TO FIND YOUR FILE IN OUR DATABASE.

My birthday is June 17, 1924. My password is… What is it with computers and passwords?

I’M SORRY. WE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWER.

“Pigeon.” My password is “pigeon.”

THANK YOU. PLEASE WAIT WHILE WE FIND YOUR FILE.

LANE IDLE, WE HAVE FOUND YOUR FILE IN OUR SYSTEM. WE WILL CONTINUE WHERE YOU LEFT OFF. YOU ARE 85 YEARS OLD?

Between us, I still tell everyone I’m 77.

DID YOU SAY YOU ARE 77 YEARS OLD?

No, I’m joking. You don’t do too well with humor.

WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER YOU LIVED IN DENVER. IS THAT CORRECT?

Yes.

WHEN WE LAST SPOKE, YOU SAID YOUR HUSBAND DROVE A CHEVROLET. IS THAT CORRECT?

I don’t remember. I’m having a lot more trouble remembering things.

DID YOU SAY THAT YOU DON’T REMEMBER THAT YOUR HUSBAND DROVE A CHEVROLET?

Yes.

NO PROBLEM. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR STORY OF YOUR CHILDHOOD IN DENVER?

I’m not used to talking at a computer. Or to a computer. I’m not sure which is the best preposition. I used to be an English teacher, I think I told you that. In college, I wrote my thesis about Huckleberry Finn. I think he was misunderstood. Everyone thinks he’s so adventurous. He was. But I think of him as more of a true American. You know… always looking for something better. He had a short attention span, like they talk about on all the talk shows on the radio and television. I… I’ve lost my place. What was I talking about?

ARE YOU FINISHED?

ARE YOU STILL THERE? WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR STORY?

(Laughter) You’re very persistent. You remind me of my brother, Leonard. He was so curious, and once he got hold of an idea he just wouldn’t let go of it. (Pause) Well, anyway. Denver. I really haven’t started telling that story. Denver was so green and quiet then, before the world got paved over with concrete and everyone started carrying around those silly phones. But it’s not really a story about Denver. It’s about war. Bad things that happen during war, or because of it, maybe. Or maybe war was just an excuse. To be honest, I’m not sure that I want to tell the story after all. I know this is silly, but, well, I’m wondering if I can trust you. Can I really expect a bunch of wires and plastic and Lord knows what else to process my information or keep it private if I say so?

I THINK YOU’VE ASKED WHETHER THE INFORMATION YOU SHARE WITH ME IS PRIVATE. IS THAT CORRECT?

Yes. That is correct.

OUR RECORDS INDICATE THAT YOU HAVE SIGNED RECORDS RELEASING THIS INFORMATION ONLY UPON YOUR PASSING. AT THAT POINT, IT WILL BECOME AVAILABLE AS PART OF A RECORD OF MEMORIES AND LIFE STORIES THAT WILL HELP FUTURE GENERATIONS UNDERSTAND THE 20TH CENTURY AND PEOPLE WHO LIVED THROUGH IT.

Does that mean that this information will be secret until I die?

THIS INFORMATION WILL REMAIN SECRET UNTIL YOUR PASSING.

Good. May I say something?

DID YOU ASK IF YOU CAN SAY SOMETHING? IF SO, YOU ARE FREE TO SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT.

You have to keep my secrets until I die.

ARE YOU STILL THERE?

Please.