The Biogram

By David C. Pearce

Someone wants to kill Brian Kurtz for discovering the Biogram. What starts as a market research project for a cola company leads to a chilling discovery about the destiny of mankind. Brian luckily misses being blown to bits in his lab and finds himself on the run, determined to uncover the secrets of the Biogram and find a way to stop fateful progress.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 17, 2001
• ISBN: 9781469797120

David C. Pearce

Following graduation from West Point, an engineering career of over thirty years has helped David Pearce attain an ability to plan and organize complex tasks, such as writing a novel. Even though busy with structural engineering in Florida, David makes time for family, golf, travel and writing.

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1

Wednesday, October 23, 1996

The explosion lit up the night sky at a quarter past eleven, exactly as planned. Even though Brian Kurtz anticipated the blast, he flinched and nearly overturned his boat when the sudden flash signaled the destruction of his building. He had set the timer, dashed to his small boat, and managed to paddle a quarter of a mile north on Lake Hancock. Even at that distance he could sense the concussion and feel the heat. Scores of ducks quacked vigorously as they fled the scene. One nearly collided with Brian as it shot past sputtering its disapproval of the proceedings. Brian continued northward beginning the next phase of the escape from his would-be murderers. In spite of the peril he faced, he could not shake the memories of how he had become a target.

December 1995

Brian, you’ve been a valuable asset to our company for over fifteen years. I wish we could make it that many more, but it’s not to be, Peter Austin said. Peter was feeling a little too smug in talking to me. With virtually all of the new chemical processing plants being designed and built overseas, we just don’t have a need for chemical engineers any more.

The words swam through the whirlpools of my thoughts and beached themselves on my realization that I was being terminated. A chill swept up from my stomach as I asked, Are you telling me that there’s no room for project managers to design the microchip plants we have under contract? I noticed some small droplets of sweat forming on Peter’s chin. My previous experiences with Peter made me expect his nervousness in the face of pressure. I never could figure out why Peter had been promoted to Executive Vice President, Operations.

Peter squirmed slightly as he replied, It’s just that Wolverine has many managers experienced with high tech facilities. I was inwardly amused by the way his voice cracked as he uttered this revelation. Your high salary and extensive experience in heavy industry don’t serve you or Wolverine well in today’s market.

That ended the last visit I would make to corporate headquarters in Boston. On my way to the airport I rode in the back seat of a taxi clutching the large manila envelope containing the conditions of my separation so neatly woven as to preclude any legal recourse. The sounds of my teeth grinding caused me to take a deep breath to relieve the tension. Gradually I realized that it was best that Wolverine was behind me. What future could I have with an engineering company that valued people who toed the line more than those who knew where to draw it?

My flight to Atlanta left Boston on time, soaring effortlessly at thirty thousand feet through sunny skies. My spirits weren’t soaring, and my outlook wasn’t sunny. I had just been canned after fifteen years of exceptionally good service.

Trying to focus through the anesthetic fog induced by a plastic cup of warm bourbon, I slipped a magazine from my briefcase under the seat in front of me. It was a maneuver that had grown more difficult with the passing years. Either my girth was increasing, or the space between seats was shrinking. Ego forced me to accept the latter. The magazine was the latest issue of Engineering News Record that I had hurriedly stuck into my briefcase, along with a stack of unread mail. I had hoped for some spare time during the trip to catch up on my reading. In regard to spare time, I had gotten what I had hoped for and much more.

You’re an engineer?

I looked at the guy in the window seat as he gestured at my magazine. Well, yeah, at least I was yesterday. I’m afraid my course has been set toward new horizons.

I know where you’re coming from. My career changed from software writer to local area network trouble-shooter, he said and fired a smile toward me. You’ve got to keep a wide stance in today’s job market.

I nodded assent and went back to my magazine. It contained articles on managing successful projects and litigating on unsuccessful ones. Immersing myself in the details of the articles helped me regain my perspective. The best therapy for an engineer is to become involved in complicated problems other than his own.

As I sifted through the articles and read those of greatest interest, an ad caught my eye. Most of the ads touted management or scheduling software that was guaranteed to bring the user boundless success with projects. Right, that software, along with knowledge and hard work, would produce success just as any other tool would with the same companions.

Then an ad for a new company jumped up from the page. Technical Executives Needed Now. Ads like these were common. The companies placing these ads were essentially job shops that provided managers and lead engineers for their clients’ projects. With the attitude that any road back into the work force was a good one, I decided to pursue the opportunity described in the ad.

By the time the plane began its descent into Atlanta, I had penned the cover letter for my response to the ad. I was in the process of updating my resume when the announcement to return all seat backs and tray tables to their original, upright position signaled the demise of my writing desk. I jotted a few more notes on my resume using my magazine to support the paper. The words flowed easily from my pen. The requirements for the opportunity described in the ad meshed perfectly with my background and experience.

It looks like you are on to something interesting, my aisle neighbor noted.

One of these ads looks pretty good, I replied. They’re looking for technical executives from nearly every field of engineering.

Well, great. I hope you find something. The sooner you can get back up on that horse, the better.

It did look like a good opportunity for me. My MSChE from the University of South Florida and fifteen years of process engineering experience for a multitude of industrial clients looked like perfect matches for the qualifications sought by the ad. As I made my way along the quarter mile commute from Gate 26 in Concourse B to Gate 3 in Concourse C at Hartsfield Airport, I had plenty of time to concentrate on my response. I even passed the Columbo frozen yogurt shop without my customary large cup of chocolate soft serve. Boarding the plane for the flight home to Tampa, the need for a reality check prompted me to breathe, Easy does it. Don’t get yourself so worked up over the first opportunity you find. Most guys your age take months to rebound on a new career path.

The next day I faxed my response and mailed the original. Within hours after the fax was sent, the phone rang. The voice at the other end of the line claimed to represent Lester Phillips, a program director for Techtics Corporation. Lester explained that Techtics was organizing a loosely bound think tank that operated by correspondence, a freelance research job shop.

We promise our clients innovative, effective solutions to strategic problems with their businesses, Lester said. Combining this service with low cost and discretion keeps everyone Techtics can recruit busily at work. He chuckled. Don’t let me put you off with the low cost bit, though. We pay our consultants well. Our costs to clients are low, because our overhead is minimal. Everyone works at whatever location they choose, and they coordinate with other team members by e-mail, fax and telephone. It’s rare that we have face-to-face internal meetings.

Trying to remain detached, I said, That really sounds interesting. I’d like to learn more about the job. What I really wanted to say was that challenging problems, independent task assignments, reasonable income and steady work were more than I could possibly resist.

Get on a plane for Atlanta tomorrow, Lester said. Plan to spend the day. I’ll describe a potential assignment for you, and we’ll see if we can do business.

No problem. I’ll be at your office by ten tomorrow morning. I tried not to sound breathless. My heart was pounding when we hung up. It felt great to be back in the hunt. I laughed to myself. Everywhere I’ve had to travel for the last twenty years required routing through Atlanta. Now, even careers follow the same path.

When I strode into Lester’s office the next day, I found a stocky, balding man with deeply set eyes that projected sadness and intensity. Glad to meet you, he said. How was the flight?

I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Phillips. Thanks for having me up to talk with you. The flight from Tampa was on time. I guess the Christmas season traffic hasn’t clogged the system yet, I said.

Please, call me Lester. If we can make this thing work out, there’ll be no time to waste with formality. He rubbed some non-existent sweat off his chin. Here’s why we were immediately interested in you. Throughout your career you’ve shown skill, even gained fame, as a person who can find creative solutions to problems that defy a conventional approach. Several of the other program directors have heard of you through their clients. You’ve been doing some really innovative work in process-related industries for years.

Lester’s praise reminded me of the many successful plant retrofit or de-bottlenecking projects I had completed. The cola wars of the mid-eighties started a new era of marketing products. Market dominance has become a matter of anticipating trends to formulate a product line and ad campaign, to put the goods and message in sync with the pulse of the populace. Brian, we need your help in this business of anticipating trends.

To say I was flabbergasted would have understated my feelings. I saw this eagerly anticipated opportunity become gauzy, out of focus. I heard someone ask, How can a process engineer produce anything that the Madison Avenue guys would find interesting, let alone understandable? I immediately regretted hearing that, especially since it was my own voice that was hastening to inject the inquiry into what had been a pleasant meeting. To my surprise, Lester was unfazed by the question and, judging from his response, ready for it.

What we’re looking for is a person with the ability to find solutions to problems where others may not know to look. You’re that guy. Our client, once undisputed king of the cola market, has been shaken by the fresh approach to product formulation and sales put forth by its chief competitor over ten years ago, Lester explained.

I remembered the frantic attempts by Big Cola to retain market share by updating logos, modifying flavor, diversifying products and lowering prices. Based on what I was hearing from this intense but likable person behind the desk, these strategies were not producing the desired results.

Lester went on, What we need you to do is discover a method for predicting the tastes and interests of the population by forecasting the biological changes in people that occur with the passage of time and the alteration of environmental conditions.

What had been gauzy and unfocused to me became cloaked and opaque. Why not have a biological scientist look into this? This doesn’t sound like an area where a process engineer would do you much good.

Lester lifted a calming hand. We’ve already been pursuing a solution to the problem through biological scientists for several years. All of them have been thwarted by the confining effect that vast knowledge in a specific field has on creativity. Big Cola’s project manager studied your background and was impressed by your demonstrated ability to be unconventionally successful where convention had failed. In addition, your understanding of diverse industrial processes will serve you well in learning the biological basics required for this study.

I pressed my argument.Biological research is so foreign to me that it will take months, maybe years, for me to learn enough background to even begin planning an effective research program.

Lester rejected this notion.Look, Brian, you’ve been solving difficult problems for years using a creative slant that finds solutions others miss. Sometimes in-depth knowledge in a specialized field can be more hindrance than help. Conventional knowledge promotes conventional results. We’re looking for someone to plow into the problem without blinders.

Lester, I don’t want to waste the client’s money just getting myself up to speed in a new field, I countered. It would be shameful for my first assignment with you to go nowhere. Are you sure that this has been thought all the way through?

Absolutely. Lester jumped to his feet and stepped quickly to a nearby bookshelf. Taking down a framed photograph on the top shelf, he thrust it toward me. Look at this, and tell me what you see.

"It’s a photo of a laundry business in a commercial area. The LAUNDRY sign on the pole in front of the building is upside down," I offered after briefly eyeing the picture.

Lester grinned.Precisely.That’s one franchise of what is now a chain of over seven hundred laundries in a company that started on a shoestring seven years ago.

I shrugged nonchalantly. Okay, but what does that have to do with my nonexistent background in biology?

Everything, Lester shot back. Years ago a new owner of a laundry gave a sign and tools to his Vietnamese helper, a recent refugee who knew virtually no English, and directed him through pointing to put the sign on the post in front of the building. Later in the day, the owner noticed the sign had been installed upside down. He decided he liked it and left it that way.

What you’re implying is that the helper’s unfamiliarity with the language eliminated the possibility of a conventional response.

Lester smiled. Now you see what I’m getting at. That upside down sign gave this laundry business a unique identity that set it apart from the pack. Combining that edge with quality service led to its success. A team of marketing geniuses couldn’t have arrived at that solution because of the blinders imposed by knowledge of English. I know that what we’re dealing with is biological research and is much more complex, but the principle is the same. Just give this thing a chance! I’m sure you’ll be successful. Have you got anything better to do for the next few months?

That question snapped me back to reality. I had nothing to lose. Curiously confident about the prospects for success, I said, All right, Lester, I’ll do it. Let’s look at what you’ve got so far. Maybe we can establish a few objectives and a schedule for the first few months so both of us can be comfortable with expectations and probable results.

There were two cardboard archive boxes stacked in the corner of the office. Lester gestured for me to follow and walked over to the boxes. With visible effort, he picked one up and started back to his desk. I picked up the remaining box, doubtless showing more effort than had Lester. The box was so heavy that the hand holes were on the verge of tearing out. When I arrived at the desk, Lester had already opened his box and started on mine. Inside the boxes were neatly labeled legal-length file folders. Some of the documents had been folded to fit into the box. Nearly every folder had clear plastic pockets holding diskettes containing the data for the accompanying documents. Lester retrieved a file marked DNA Model and spread the contents around the desktop. He oriented the documents so I could read them from my side of the desk.

What Lester spread out before me was surprisingly familiar. There had been enough magazine articles, television documentaries and court cases concerning DNA that I had developed a conversational understanding of the subject. Lester explained that the biological scientists working on the research were trying to create a model of the DNA molecule in a computer. Their goal was to be able to synthesize the evolving of DNA through analysis of variations in the molecule in human beings as far back in time as specimens could be collected.

This had proved to be a very lengthy process. Apparently, formatting the data for entry into the computer program consumed vast amounts of time. Though useful results could be anticipated with this molecular approach, the arrangement of the millions of atomic components and mapping of their alteration over time was taking considerable manpower. Charting progress through the molecule thus far and projecting task completion revealed a twenty-five year program timeline. The client had not bought it.

Lester and I spent more than four hours scanning the documents. He provided briefings on key information as we made our way through the file boxes. As we progressed, my understanding of the research deepened. Seeing the benefit that an organized approach to analyzing the data would bring to the project, my confidence grew that I could make a meaningful contribution to the client’s cause.

My mind shifted into overdrive as I helped Lester gather the documents and file them in the boxes. When the packing was complete, he helped me carry the information out to my car. Lester, I’ve developed an approach to this problem that, if successful, will give us the results we’re seeking in about six months. You want me to present some concrete findings at the client’s next annual meeting, ten months from now. Molecular level studies won’t hack it. I’m going to use DNA charts like those used by test labs for reporting DNA types in criminal investigations.

Through narrowed eyes, Lester inquired, How can that speed things up?

I’ll create a graphical database to compare numerous samples with known personality traits such as styles, tastes, behavior patterns, whatever. It won’t take long to set up. We’ll know in just three or four months whether it’s going to work, I offered. What do you think?

That sounds pretty good. You’ve reduced the field of variables from millions, maybe billions, to thousands. That could still take a lot of time, though, Lester replied. Sweat beads had formed on Lester’s forehead by the time he and I had reached the car. I figured it was from the unaccustomed exercise. He squinted from the salt stinging his eyes as a few beads of sweat broke loose. I always perspire, and my stomach gets queasy, when I have to let someone run with an assignment into areas that are unfamiliar to both of us. I sure hope your plan brings results! Big Cola is getting very impatient. Unless we show some progress soon, they’ll cancel our contract.

I tried to reassure him. I’ll find a way to expedite the data entry. Once a pattern is identified, there are ways to build new input from what has gone before. The computer can be taught to feed itself.

Lester looked less than convinced as I packed the car. I thought it was odd that just a few hours ago he was campaigning hard to get me to take the assignment. When that had been accomplished, his mood transformed from positive enthusiasm to nervous anxiety. I had the feeling that Lester had oversold the project and its potential to the client. As I prepared to step into the car he said, I’d like to brief the client’s project team on our progress in six months. Gear your initial work toward production of some documentation that shows the complete approach to solving the problem. Be sure the documents show that we are on the right track. We have access to a projection monitor, so you can use your computer graphics to illustrate and clarify your presentation. E-mail me first thing each Monday to report your progress. Send me quotes for any equipment or software you need. I’ll get it purchased and shipped to you.

We said goodbye and I started back to Tampa. I finished my to-do list for getting started on the project as the plane began its descent for landing in Tampa. As I clicked my tray table into place, I glanced at the first item on the list. Set up home/lab.

The next day I gave my landlord thirty days’ notice, called Gerald Green for help in finding what would turn out to be my lakeside building, and began checking for availability of the hardware and software I would need.

I needed to find an inexpensive place to live and set up shop for my new job. It had to be large enough to accommodate a computer lab and provide reasonably comfortable quarters. To keep distractions to a minimum seclusion was important.

A maintenance office and garage abandoned by a grove tending service looked like it would do the job. The price was right. The grove service business had fallen off considerably in the Lakeland area after recent freezes had driven many of the citrus growers to warmer areas of Florida. The old concrete block building proved to be ideal in meeting my requirements for a residence with ample space, seclusion, and now that my old job was history, low price.

My buddy Gerald Green told me about the place. Gerald learned about everything going on around Lakeland through his customers at his auto repair shop. It had been that way since I met him on one of my co-op work sessions in the phosphate business. I could always find out everything going on around town while knocking golf balls around the course at Cleveland Heights with Gerald.

The building was on the west shore of Lake Hancock about ten miles southeast of Lakeland on Bartow Highway. Both the garage door and the office door faced the lake. I imagined that the caretaker enjoyed the view from his office window across his dock to the lake.

Lake Hancock is an immense body of water nearly surrounded by cypress swamps. It collects water from several streams draining the central part of the state and discharges it into the Peace River for its southward course to the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the swamps surrounding the lake the shore has never been considered suitable for large scale residential development. This suited me just fine. With my building situated on one of the few strips of high ground with access to the lake, there was little possibility of anyone wandering through the property.

The process of remodeling and outfitting the building took a month. During that time, I completed a thorough review of the documents in the archive boxes. I was also able to chart my course for data entry. Once this had been done, I could organize the information in the boxes to agree with the system of data entry.

Gerald Green, proud owner of Two G’s Garage, pronounced toojies, not only helped me find my lakeside building, but also did plenty to get it in shape for its residential role. Brian, what in hell do you want this dump for? he asked. This is a giant step down from your place in Tampa.

While running a wire through the trusses for my bathroom light, I responded as cheerfully as possible, Nah, Tooj. For the project I’m starting, it’ll be a step up. It’s quieter, more secluded. There’ll be fewer distractions to pull me away from my work. I pulled out my wire strippers. Besides, it’ll cost me only half the rent that the old place did. That’ll leave me a little savings in case this assignment doesn’t work out.

Gerald smiled. Well, it’s great to have you living over this way. I hope you’ll be able to pull your ass away from work for an occasional round of golf.

Hell, yeah, Tooj, I laughed. I figure with the money I win off you, I can dine out three or four times a week.

I’ll just have to up my rates for repairing that Chevy Blazer you love so much.

It was great to have a friend like Gerald. With my total immersion in research, I needed an occasional diversion. It was amazing what a little lighthearted humor and a few double bogies could do to prevent the mental ham-stringing that is often the bane of the workaholic.

As I plowed into the project, I immediately noticed a pattern to the variations in the DNA test results. There were thousands of test results dating from the present back to the earliest specimen available, over five thousand years old. I set out to isolate the more obvious consistencies in the variations. Next, I sought to link the markers on the electrophoresis plots to their influence on human physiology, mental capacity or behavior.

The first tangible results came from tracking the marker controlling height through the thousands of samples. I roughed out a formula to predict the variations in height and successfully applied it to forecast the height of the sources of specimens. It took a month and a half.

I regularly updated Lester with e-mail reports. I felt so good about reaching this milestone I decided to telephone Lester instead.

Brian, that’s great news. The Big Cola team has been on my case for weeks to see some signs of progress, Lester replied with his customary enthusiasm upon hearing about my breakthrough. You’re doing a great job. The client will love to hear the news.

Thanks, Lester. I’m sure that I’m on to something. I’ll keep you posted.

Despite his praise I felt my progress was too slow. I devised a system for speeding things up. My goal was to put on a good show at the client briefing in two and a half months.

While still with Wolverine, I had seen a demonstration of an artificial intelligence program that ran on a microcomputer. It had been introduced as Aprendo, Spanish for I learn, by its developer and president of the company marketing the product. Houston Moyer had successfully applied the program to engineering projects around the world, completing fixed-price contracts for engineering services for less than twenty percent of what it would have taken to do them the conventional way. With the eighty percent Houston had pocketed, he set out to market his product.

Lester, I’m going to need some additional funding for a special software package, I said to start my pitch. I’ve found a software package that will speed this deal up considerably.

Sounds great, Brian. How does it work?

The program learns the steps to a problem-solving process from the user as he works his way through the initial phases of a job, I began. The demonstration I saw involved the production of isometric drawings for pipe from the piping and instrumentation diagrams. After the user designed a few lines of pipe, the computer began on subsequent lines to automatically complete the parts it recognized from the previous lines. In a short time, it was doing virtually the entire line.

How’s that going to help you with DNA research?

I can see that after a few days of exposure to any systematic problem solution, the computer armed with this artificial intelligence software can solve the problem as well as the user, but thousands of times as fast, I said.With this system to crank out the formulas,we’ll be able to make a strong showing at the client briefing.

Lester approved the purchase, and I had my Aprendo package in three days.

To determine the pattern of evolution for height, I found a way to isolate the DNA marker responsible for determination of height. It had been a laborious process of trial marker selection and comparisons of that marker value with known heights of the sources of specimens. I had already entered the DNA marker information and specimen characteristics in a database. The trial and error process of comparing, tabulating and establishing a confidence percentage had at first been so slow that I found myself in a cold sweat, worrying that I had promised what I could not deliver.

The window revealed a sparkling Lake Hancock reflecting the afternoon sun. "Get a grip on yourself. This is