The crew made their way back to the professor’s house. Jessica still couldn’t get over how beautiful the forest was. There was something about the sound of the birds chirping and the cool breeze that made Jessica want to spend all day strolling down different, unknown paths.
“So Match Day,” Jordan said, “is like a mix between a science fair and a career conference. Geniuses from all over come here and present their ideas for solutions that will help improve the world.”
“It happens once every procession, typically during a period when two cycles overlap,” Vau said.
“Wait.” Jessica tried to wrap her mind around what they just said. “Match Day happens once every two thousand years?”
“Give or take a couple of hundred years,” Vau said, “but yeah.”
A large cloud of white fog filled the woods just off to the right. Jessica paused in place as she watched it move in. Everyone else continued walking as if nothing had happened. Within the cloud, something caught her attention. She saw flickers of small black particles that quickly got larger and larger until they came together to form a blurry outline of a person. As the image continued to sharpen, Jessica recognized Tony walking out of the fog. He fell in stride with Ori as if he’d been walking next to them the entire time.
Jessica jogged and caught up with the group.
“How was your trip?” she heard Ori ask Tony.
Tony shook his head. “Carlos’s tip was right. They are snatching up anyone who’s testing negative for the virus. How was the meeting?”
“We got permission to intervene,” Ori said.
Tony replied, “That’s going to be a lot of clean up.”
“Don’t worry.” Ori had a big smile. He put his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Gabriel has to clean up anything that we miss.”
Tony turned back to Jessica. “How are you doing? Anything coming back to you yet?”
“I—I don’t…” Jessica tried to replay the image that popped into her mind during the council meeting. She focused her gaze on the ground, concerned that looking at the others would throw off her concentration. Something clicked into place in her brain. “Wait…”
Jessica looked up. Everyone’s expression showed concern, except Ori’s. He had a smile on his face. She continued, “I remember what Zach was building.”
Back at the house, the team sat around the table, all focused on Jessica. Professor Raziel brought tea, and Jessica took a sip. “Is this peppermint?”
“It will help ease your headaches and help you concentrate,” he said.
“Thank you,” Jessica said with meaning. She then took a breath and started. “I remember that Zach didn’t just oversee research and development for special projects. He was being groomed to take over the company after Leslie.”
“That’s right,” Ori said in a soft, encouraging voice.
“His contact tracer technology,” Jessica continued, “was based on the theory that we can communicate with plant life. He learned that trees send messages through the fungi network, exchanging nutrients and water. Zach found that if a tree was under threat by a parasite or something, then that tree would send a message or signal out asking for help. In response, the forest would send more nutrients to the tree in danger to help it heal faster. Even more interesting,” Jessica stood up and started to pace, keeping the momentum, “was that the forest would also send out a chemical reaction in the air. These aerosols could call for help from other species. For instance, if beetles were harming some trees, the chemical reaction would attract woodpeckers, who eat the larvae. Zach saw this play out time after time. Then, he started trying to monitor trees while they were healing. Zach measured the number of nutrients the trees were consuming when they were trying to get healthy versus when they were healthy. Trees, like the human body, require more resources when they are growing or healing. One day, Zach noticed something peculiar. There were trees in the forest that were consuming more nutrients than usual. But to his surprise, they were perfectly healthy trees. Zach couldn’t understand why, so he broadened his research and enlisted the world’s top dendrologists. After extensive study, they found that trees consumed more nutrients when they were surrounded by large populations with respiratory illnesses. Trees not only capture carbon emissions and provide air, but they act as a type of filter.”
Jessica realized that she had everyone’s undivided attention. “Zach found that when we exhale CO2, small DNA particles are exhaled as well, and trees capture all of that during the photosynthesis process. Zach found a way to tap into the mycorrhizal fungi network of large old-growth hub trees, to read the data that the trees were capturing.”
“It’s the most advanced bioengineering technology on the planet,” Tony said.
Jessica kept following this trail of memory. “This was a pet project for him. Zach had a fascination with nature, and he just wanted to learn more. That’s why he was willing to partner with… Ah.” Jessica grabbed her head as the sharp pain returned. She shook her head, trying to refocus. She took a couple of sips of the tea and then said the last thing still in the front of her mind. “His main project was Alderamin7500. He didn’t finish it.”
“Well done, Jessica,” Evelyn said. Jessica glanced around; everyone was smiling, and Tony was nodding his head with a big grin. Everyone looked pleased, except Ori.
“What’s Alderamin7500?” Jessica asked.
“Alderamin7500 is an algorithm,” Jordan said. “It’s a program that will tap into government and university databases that the Singularity Group was able to get access to, aggregate the information, and create an easy-to-read output.”
“We’re talking some degree of cooperation from all the alphabet organizations, FBI, DOJ, EPA,” Tony said. “It also would have combined data from the World Bank, the WHO, and it would have been able to cross-reference social media posts with official statistics.”
“Why?” Jessica asked. “What was the objective?”
“It was meant to ensure that everyone on the planet had access to a fact-based, objective source of information,” Tony said.
“How would it have been used?” Jessica asked.
“Anytime a person using a device with a Singularity Group screen would search for information, that algorithm would flag and deprioritize any resulting content not supported by credible, objective data,” Tony said. “It would have made sure that everyone online had a shared version of the truth.”
“A north star,” Vau said.
Evelyn jumped in. “Society heavily relies on the internet to get their information. The world is fractured and is becoming more so. People with different views can live in micro-realities, their ideals being constantly reinforced as truth, even if they are not. This division alone is harmful, but it also opens people up to being controlled by whoever creates internet content.”
“Zach was working on this algorithm under tight confidentiality,” said Jordan.
“Why?” Jessica asked.
“Because if he were to launch it, then no one would be able to hide behind misinformation anymore,” Vau said.
“Is that why he was attacked?” Jessica asked.
“No,” Ori said, “that was unrelated. But only Zach can finish the Alderamin7500 algorithm.”
“What makes you think that people will believe the truth anyway?” Jessica looked at Evelyn. “People are so divided that they only believe what’s convenient for their own narrative.”
“It’s about longevity and consistency,” Evelyn said. “Once launched, that tool will provide accurate, honest information year after year after year. At some point, people will realize that they’ve been lied to. When they see that this information has been accurate time and time again, we believe that people will start listening.”
“This will not be a fast transition, but this tool needs to be out there,” Ori said.
“You heard Gabriel,” Jordan said. “If this virus doesn’t get under control, then everyone will be living life behind a screen, experiencing reality through their internet connection. This puts everyone at risk of being manipulated by those who control the content and access.”
This conversation was triggering more flashes of memory. Jessica felt little bits of information coming back. “Zach did talk about how close he was to finishing. He kept all of his secret work on an encrypted memory stick, never in the cloud. He was very cloak-and-dagger with this, which was so not Zach.” Jessica gave a little laugh. “Part of why Zach and I connected was because he appreciated that I explained the Singularity Group’s other technology to the world. He wanted more people to learn so that they could take the technology to the next level.”
“Jessica.” Ori’s tone was steady, serious. “This is great progress, but I need you to try to remember where Zach got his ideas.”
“I don’t know,” Jessica said quickly. She looked at Vau. He avoided eye contact. Jordan was staring at the ground, and Tony stood up and went inside.
“Do you mind, guys?” Ori asked. Jessica watched as Vau and Jordan followed Tony inside the house. Now Evelyn and Ori were left, staring at Jessica.
“Please,” Evelyn said, “just try one more time to remember where Zach got his ideas.”
Jessica felt a sense of panic in her chest. This was the first time she’d ever felt uncomfortable around them. “Okay, I’ll try.”
Jessica closed her eyes. She tried to replay the memories that had been coming back. Walking with Zach through the woods, walking past an exhibit at the museum. Then she saw a flash of Zach in Medlock Park. She saw him sitting on a bench like he was waiting for someone. It reminded Jessica of when she met with Ori the other day, and someone was sitting on the bench by the baseball field. Zach was sitting on that same bench. It was early. Her skin felt the cold breeze of the morning; dew soaked through her shoes. She was walking toward Zach from the side of the baseball field. She looked down. Something was in her hands. It was a journal, with a beige cover and a green spine. Then everything faded to black.