"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
A cafe outside Hilton Hotel, Washington DC
Leonard calmly sat at a table near the window, with his cane at the side and a warm cup of coffee nestled in his hands. He quickly looked at his watch, waiting with anticipation for the arrival of someone. Soon, the door to the cafe opened and Paige Swanson, in all her glory, walked into the cafe. Her eyes, that always seemed haggard, held a light of joy. She quickly looked through the cafe before finding Leonard at a table. She smiled widely and walked up to him.
Leonard smiled and greeted, "Hello Dr. Swanson, welcome to Washington DC."
Paige snorted, "Leonard, I believe I told you to call me Paige."
Leonard teased, "You certainly did."
Paige sat down, ordering a coffee from an approaching waitress, before fixing Leonard with her gaze, "Leonard, I received your invitation. And it was great to see you again, but I am quite curious."
Leonard sipped his coffee, "Curious about what?"
Paige began, "Oh, a lot of things. I am curious about the mysteries of the universe, the subatomic particles, and many other things, but you can help me by telling me more about how you grew so tall since I last saw you. You were quite short before…"
Leonard interrupted, "An experimental procedure. I'll let you know more about it later."
Paige understood Leonard's avoidance. She sighed before getting to the point, "We will talk about it later. Now, what is this conference about?"
Leonard stared outside the window for a moment. The world was bustling around, with people going to and fro, cars moving, birds chirping, and life going on. For a moment, Leonard felt like an observer, watching as the world passed him by. He looked back at Paige before he spoke, "You remember the story you told me last time we met. A student from MIT, who developed a great encryption method, yet his ending was an 'accident'."
Paige grew quiet at that. That was a wound she never liked poking. She motioned for Leonard to continue.
Leonard sipped his coffee before resuming, "I couldn't sleep that night. When I tried to fall asleep, I kept remembering him and many scientists like him, who were persecuted, ignored, killed. People who deserved a better ending, who needed protection and support, but never got it. I decided to be that support. To help reach the boundaries of science and make it accessible to everyone. To make sure that everyone, be they rich or poor, receives healthcare, and lives in peace. As a scientist, the only solution I could think of was through science."
Paige was surprised and intrigued. She wondered what solution Leonard could have come up with. She knew the difficulties of scientists all too well. Pulled funding, corporate greed, lack of R&D support was the least of their problems. Scientists who studied disruptive technology could even find themselves in danger from governments and industries.
Leonard continued, "But science is a shackled lion. It can conquer the world, but it is weakened by hunger, locked in a cage. I want to free this lion."
Paige understood what he was trying to say. But she had her doubts. She asked, "How would you do that Leonard? You might be rich, but your wealth is like a drop of water in a dried ocean."
Leonard looked her in the eyes. There was a fire in them. Steely determination that evoked her admiration, even though she wondered about the possibility of his dream.
Leonard continued, "I don't plan to fill the ocean with a bucket. I plan to call the rain. I want to connect scientists all over the world under one banner. I will use scientific discovery to fund scientific growth. No more will science be shackled by industry. No more will governments stop the growth of science. When my plan succeeds, science will become separate from money or politics. It will only serve the world."
Paige questioned, "And do you think the companies around the world will let you? The governments around the world will simply go along with your plan? It is like stealing fire from the Gods. Prometheus was punished for all eternity when he tried to give humanity fire."
Leonard looked at her again, "That is why I need you with me in this. I might be Prometheus, but I will not fail. Even Prometheus wouldn't have failed if he had Athena by his side. This is my offer to you Paige."
Paige looked at Leonard with shock and awe. Leonard was looking at her with bright eyes as he asked, "Dr. Paige Swanson, will you be my Athena?"
The air stilled, the noise in the cafe faded to the background. Paige looked deeply at Leonard, her eyes tearing up slightly. She hesitated a little, unsure of what the future would hold. She was slightly apprehensive of this plan, but one look into Leonard's glowing eyes filled her with confidence. She smiled widely before nodding.
Hilton Hotel Conference Room, Washington DC
The conference bustled with activity as people from different disciplines filled the room. There were many scientists in the crowd, some biologists, many chemists and physicists. As the people came into the room, they started finding familiar people and sitting in groups.
It was this bustle that Leonard and Paige found when they entered the conference hall. Paige quickly found a seat in the front as Leonard climbed on the stage. He looked at the gathering in front of him. Scientists, teachers, hackers, economists, business professionals, even some Wall Street professionals, all sat in front of him, waiting for a conference that promised them the future.
Leonard began, "Good afternoon everyone, my name is Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. I am the one who invited you to this conference. Before we begin, let us set some ground rules. I will be the host and I may invite some of you to speak on the stage if necessary. Your questions are appreciated but only between the topics. I prefer to get all the information out before you question it. Finally, welcome to the first of hopefully many meetings of Chaldea."
Leonard continued, "Human society is considered to be about 5000 years old, though some of the evidence suggests that it can be older. In these five to ten thousand years, humanity has developed and differentiated itself from the other species in the world by our intelligence, resourcefulness and innovative capability."
Suddenly, Leonard's voice grew somber, "Unfortunately, as we move forward, we have lost those qualities in favour of conformity, greed, and stupidity. We have had five thousand years to grow as a species, yet we also have people who believe that the earth is flat, that their country is the only country in the world and somehow, the colour of one's skin makes one superior to another. We are afraid of being different, being true to ourselves. We want to blend with the crowd nowadays. And frankly, I don't blame people who do this."
Leonard took out a remote that started a simple powerpoint presentation. The picture of an old, bearded man came to the screen. Leonard looked at the crowd and asked, "Can anyone tell me who this is?"
Arun Rao, sitting in the middle of the row raised his hand and stood up and answered, "Archimedes."
Leonard smiled and said, "Correct, this is Archimedes —one of the most famous scholars and physicists in the world. A visionary who created many principles we still use today. And this man died at the hands of an ignorant Roman soldier."
Leonard clicked again and another bearded man appeared on the screen, " This is Galileo Galilei, an Italian polymath. He studied space and motion of planets. He discovered that the sun is the center of our solar system. For that, he was persecuted, imprisoned and forced to disavow his own beliefs by the Catholic Church. He died penniless and alone."
Leonard looked at his audience that had grown silent. He clicked again, before continuing, "If these two are too old for you to relate, maybe this person would be slightly closer, this is Alan Turing, the man famous for cracking the Enigma, the father of modern computer science and artificial intelligence. He was imprisoned, made to take hormones and drugs in an effort to 'cure' his homosexuality. In the end, he died of cyanide poisoning."
Leonard clicked again, "Now, here is Nikola Tesla, you can thank him for a lot of things, alternating current, x-rays, radio controlled toys and many other things. This man was a visionary but his vision ended alone in a hotel room."
Leonard kept clicking, kept telling, and the audience saw many such brilliant minds lost to ignorance, religious persecution, financial ruin, government laws and policies, scientific espionage, and many other causes. The mood in the room was somber. Many people pictured their own faces on the screen. For some like Arun Rao, this picture was closer to truth, for many others, a warning of their own fate. Finally, Leonard stopped and came to the front of the stage.
Leonard announced, "These were the friends we lost in our battle against ignorance, greed and persecution. And believe me, these will not be the last. Unless, we do something about it. That is my goal. That is Chaldea, a support system for people like us, people who are different, who are smart, and people who need help."
Leonard looked at the people gathered in the hall and said, "Now that we have our heroes, we also need villains. If it were 1505, I would say the Church is the biggest enemy, but things are no longer that simple."
Leonard clicked again and the image of a handsome bald man came on the screen. Leonard asked, "Can anyone tell me who this is?"
A business analyst answered, "This is Simon Doss. His family operates Doss Inc., a giant in material science. While the company opened in 1956, it is only after Simon took over that the R&D capability of the company improved."
Leonard nodded and continued, "That is true to some extent. They hold the most patents in material science. About 130 new materials are patented by the company and they license these patents to both the military and civilian manufacturers. Now, the company 'upgraded' their labs and 'enhanced' R&D when Simon took over. Now let me show you their labs."
Many of the scientists were astonished. Quite a few of them worked in material science, so watching a high tech lab used by an industry leader was overwhelming. Leonard clicked again and many small screens opened up, showing people many labs, with scientists working relentlessly. Many smiled at seeing the activity. However, Paige was a bit apprehensive. Why did Leonard show this to the people and then call Doss Inc. an enemy?
Leonard continued, "What you are looking at, are the labs owned by Dresden Corp. It is another company owned by Doss. It puts professional equipment in the labs and scientists can use these labs on lease to perform experiments. What these videos show are the hidden cameras placed around those labs. These cameras capture every scientific breakthrough made by the scientists who use that lab. There are teams of scientists at Doss that analyse this data and complete certain experiments, allowing Doss to reap in the rewards of those patents. A case of scientific espionage and parasitism."
Every scientist in the room was horrified at that. Many scientists conduct experiments in leased labs because lab equipment is expensive. To think, people like Doss took advantage of these scientists for their own gain. The scientists not only have to pay for the usage of these labs, but their achievements are stolen by the lab as well.
Leonard continued, "And this is not an isolated case. Some are even more horrifying. Take this company for instance, WCKD, a company that engineers chemical disasters like plagues, chemical leaks etc, in order to test the effects of those chemicals on humans. In fact, just two months ago, they created an epidemic in a small town near Philadelphia, causing untold chaos and killing many people. The scientist who solved the crisis was put behind bars by the company using some crooked cops."
In the crowd, Sofia was shocked at the conspiracy. Even after experiencing it first hand, the fact that a company could kill millions in order to test harmful chemicals was unthinkable. Tears slipped from her eyes as she wept for the lives lost. Mike comforted her as he looked at the man who pulled both of them out of the abyss.
Many scientists were disturbed by the actions of the company, but Leonard wasn't done, "Continuing further, we have AltruCell. They are most famous for making the yellow fuzz on tennis balls, but they are also involved in many other profitable ventures. Illegal mining, arms dealing, all that shebang. Their defense strategy is quite something. They have a post in their company and every illegal venture is signed by that one person. If these issues come to light, they have a guy whose only job is to take the fall. Luckily, it seems that the company's days are numbered."
Leonard clicked again and continued, "This company has closed down now, but in 1999, Aesir Pharmaceuticals created a drug called Valkyr on the order of the military. It was an attempt to create super soldiers, but there were side effects. While the drug showed results in a couple of people, most people had hallucinations and died. While the company stopped making the drug on the surface, certain factions in the company released the drug on the streets as a recreational drug. Many were killed until Max Payne, an NYPD detective, killed a lot of people working for the company, in order to dismantle this operation after his wife and child were killed."
In the back of the hall, former NYPD detective and Leonard's firearm instructor Max Payne subtly wiped his eyes at the mention of his wife and daughter. He looked at the people screwed over by corporations finally realizing the gravity of their situation. A small smile spread on his face, 'At least these people would be careful.'
Leonard looked at the people in the hall, furiously and suspiciously discussing everything he revealed. Leonard did not stop there, "Now, many of you might think, why hasn't the government done anything regarding these. Well, the government has done quite a bit in this."
Leonard clicked again as the people saw images of killings, bombings, and massacres. Leonard pointed and said, "This is the second enemy. While the government is not necessarily an enemy, it is not an ally either. A large portion of the economy runs on the whims of large corporations. If the government were to actually prosecute these companies, the economy will collapse. So, they assist these companies by removing or changing judges, wiping evidence and eliminating key witnesses. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Any individual or company that is disruptive in nature will find themselves sanctioned, closed or even destroyed under false pretenses. And that is what the government does to its citizens, we haven't even looked at what is done to the people in other countries."
Leonard clicked again and the image of a village appeared. In the crowd, Emil Okoye gasped as he recognized the village. Leonard continued, "This was Ikope, a village in Nigeria, with some 70 families living there. While the people were not rich, they were happy. They did not commit any crime, but they were unfortunate enough to live on top of expensive mineral deposits. One day, a group of African militants came to the village, killed almost everyone and burnt it to the ground. Just five days later, our army, stationed in Nigeria, attacked the village and removed all the warlords. It has been a year since then. Ikope is now a mining location."
Leonard looked at the people and said, "Now, I welcome any questions. Anyone?"
A scientist sitting in the second row stood up and asked, "Is everything you said true? Where did you get this evidence?"
Leonard answered, "It might be shocking but everything is true. As for how I got it, these records are stored in computers all over the country. Some at Langley, some at the Pentagon and others in the headquarters of the companies I mentioned."
A murmur went among the hackers. They understood the indication Leonard gave, but they were skeptical of his abilities. A hacker, wearing a black cap stood up and asked, "How can we be sure that you can even hack the places you mentioned? We have never heard of you on any forums and hacker groups."
Leonard smiled and asked, "What is your name?"
The hacker was defensive for a moment but then answered, "Aiden. Don't try to stall."
Leonard smiled and asked, "Anyone else who is as curious about it?"
From a corner, a hand was raised by a hooded guy. Leonard looked at him and asked, "And you are?"
The young man answered in a low, hesitant voice, "Elliot."
Leonard nodded, before taking out his phone. He clicked on the device for a couple of seconds. Everyone in the room watched with bated breath, when suddenly, an image appeared on the screen. The hackers, especially Aiden and Elliot, were dumbfounded as their bank account information, driving licenses, and every other document came on the screen. Leonard smiled before saying, "Technology is never stagnant people — it is always changing. This information was not taken from your phones, but from the government systems you use. Your bank accounts, your social security numbers, even your biometric data, is available on the internet."
Leonard comforted, "I am not trying to be an alarmist. But the issue is significant enough to affect us. Right now, I look at you not as scientists, engineers, hackers, teachers or your professions. I see you as people, good people, in a world that is out to get them. There are people like Doss, who exploit scientists, that have sunk their savings in conducting independent experiments. There are governments who suppress people in order to safeguard corporations. It is not something I want, and it is most certainly not something you want."
Leonard announced, "In order to bring change, I decided to take this initiative. Chaldea is meant as a protective force for people like us. While I can do a lot, I cannot do it alone. This conference is not to scare you, or exploit your fear to make you work for me. It is a conference to connect, to understand and hopefully, to cooperate. If we combine our forces, we can make Chaldea something unignorable."
Leonard's words captured the attention of everyone in the room. They imagined such a world, where science is protected, where innovation is rewarded. It could be a platform that connects every scientist around the world. For the first time in history, scientific borders could vanish.
Leonard continued, "I know, many of you might be skeptical. Maybe my words cannot convince you, or maybe, you are happy with what you have. I do not blame you. Who would want to rock the boat when it is sailing smoothly. But I would still like to meet everyone here. Hopefully, we will be able to cooperate, if not now, then in the future. But for those who want change, those who want to do good with their abilities, Chaldea will be your promised land."
There was silence for a few moments, before the room erupted in thunderous applause. As the people clapped, Leonard's eyes gazed on the bright eyes in the crowd. Eyes that glowed with hope for a better future. Finally, his eyes found Paige's, who sat there smiling at him, as if her eyes said to him ' you are not alone.'
AN: A thank you to Jordane Minott, Rickard Gustavsson, Kameron Krueger, Lamar Naugles, TyrantGod, Randomdepressed, Nathan, Matthew Hankins, Darth Melkor, Haku, Steven Mullen and Darren Burns who have supported me in my writing journey. Thank you
AN2: The Sabbatical arc is nearing completion. Stay tuned for more.