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I suspected that the fatal flaw was a simple problem with a unique solution.
That s why I saved it for last. As soon as I saw the Renaissance code, I
realized it was the only possible way to solve the flaw. I knew you d memorize
it if I
showed it to you. I figured you d eventually decide to use their algorithms
rather than risk Renaissance beating us to the prize although they never
really had a chance. They re still at least 10 years behind us.
How did you come up with your plan?
When I started at ATI, I just wanted to delay the Truth Machine. It was my
only hope of staying out of jail without leaving the country. But then I
figured that once you d used stolen algorithms, your only choice would be to
override the
ACIP. I d be able to force you to program an override for me
. That would turn a liability into an asset, wouldn t you say? Worked almost
the way I planned it too, but it took a lot longer than I expected. You were
too damned principled at first.
So you never really offered Bonhert a joint venture or a merger? Pete
realized it was a stupid question the moment he asked it.
Of course not. He d ve made a deal in two seconds. I did everything I
could to make sure you two never talked to each other. Lucky for me you both
prefer to stick to science and leave the deal-making to your underlings. Big
mistake, Pete. If you want to get things done, you should learn how to connect
with people.
JAMES L. HALPERIN
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186
Pete was right.
knew that
What a fool I ve been, he thought.
Why d you show me the code back then? Why not wait until I was more desperate
for a solution to the fatal flaw?
I was afraid you d figure out the solution yourself before I showed it to
you. Hell, if my team had worked on that part first, like Renaissance did, we
could ve figured out the solution ourselves within eight months even without
you.
But that would ve ruined everything. You could ve passed the Truth Machine
Panel s SCIP honestly. I d have had nothing on you. I had to make sure that
didn t happen.
So when that former Renaissance employee showed you the code....
There was no such person.
What?
I made that up. I really got the code by hacking into Renaissance s central
research computer. Several weeks before I showed it to you.
Pete felt like an idiot. How could he have been so naive? But much worse was
that Scoggins had stalled the Truth Machine project for over two years
on purpose How could he do such a thing?
.
So you intentionally delayed the ACIP just to save your own skin? Pete
couldn t imagine anyone being so unprincipled.
Mostly. At least that was the original goal.
The original goal?
Once I figured out how to make you override the ACIP for me, I realized there
were other possibilities.
Such as?
Well the override itself is a damn valuable commodity. Also, I wanted more
money a bigger share of the ACIP. The green light flickered. Scoggins was
holding back again.
And?
And to own as big a share of ATI as possible. Hopefully someday to control
it.
Control ATI? For what purpose?
I think ATI might become the most powerful company on earth. It s already by
far the most profitable. Pete, if we work together, we could rule the world.
Tell me you haven t thought about that.
Never. Not once.
I don t believe it.
I ll never be like that, Pete thought.
But he can t understand because he doesn t care about anyone else. He wants
power and money, the rest of the world
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THE TRUTH MACHINE
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be damned. How many innocent people have already died because of Scoggins s
greed? Perhaps he doesn t deserve to live. Maybe I should just kill him. Maybe
it
won t be so hard to pull the trigger.
How d you plan to get more ATI shares? All I signed over to you was a bigger
share of the Truth Machine project.
Not exactly. The paper you signed gave me a 34-percent share in the
ACIP project, net of any overhead allocation. Imagine having a monopoly on the
entire television industry from 1955 to 1980, from the programming to the
manufacture of the image screens. Or the personal computer industry, from
chips to software, from 1980 to 2005. We d have had an exclusive on a giant
industry for
25 years.
I figured within 10 years, the ACIP division would be colossal. Everybody
knows the government contract s worth a trillion dollars in revenue, but the
special
25-year patent was the real deal. That s the part of the Truth Machine Bill
all the analysts undervalued. And I d get paid based on gross operating
profits, not net.
On that basis, the ACIP division would soon become much more profitable than
the entire company. You d have to start selling off your stock just to keep
paying my percentage. Then I could buy your ATI stock on the open market.
Scoggins kept talking. He talked for almost an hour. Perhaps he was playing
for time, giving himself a chance to think his way out. Or maybe he was
actually proud of his depraved cleverness.
The ACIP light remained green throughout.
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