Hard Drive Back-Up

By David Shipley

Where are we as people going and how are we going to get there? Scientifically speaking we are doomed. It may take a million, a billion, or even several billion years but eventually the collection of knowledge and all the great things that people have been doing since they showed up on earth will be gone.

Does it have to be tha

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Shipley Publishing
• Release date: Jan 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781954168336

David Shipley

David Shipley served in the United States Air Force and worked for Lockheed Martin for many years. In both places, he was on the forefront of knowledge available at the time. David found it amazing how quickly the new became the old and, more importantly, how often we were originally wrong. Hard Drive Backup was born.

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Hard Drive Backup

Copyright © 2021 by David Shipley

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN

978-1-954168-34-3 (Paperback)

978-1-954168-33-6 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1   Death Row

Chapter 2   The Existing History Database

Chapter 3   Electromagnetic Waves

Chapter 4   Rewarding Evening

Chapter 5   Saturday Revelation

Chapter 6   Getting Directions

Chapter 7   It’s Working?

Chapter 8   Leo and Orion Revealed

Chapter 9   The Crash

Chapter 10 Earth’s Contribution

Chapter 11 The End Is Near

Chapter 12 Futility

Chapter 13 A New Chance

Chapter 14 Ethereal

Introduction

From the time humanity started recording events, it has developed two obsessions. One is accuracy. We have all heard how the news of the day can be altered to make an event fit the sensitivity of the time. For instance, we read in history books what a stellar person George Washington was. But later we find out that he was a liar and performed deeds that didn’t become a president. However, we can now accept what he did because we understand that we might not have a United States if he had not lied or performed those deeds.

The second obsession is with increasing knowledge. Though there have been times when humanity believed there was not much more that could be learned or invented, subsequent researchers proved that idea wrong.

We keep storing the data we have generated; since Gutenberg, we have been storing a lot of it on paper. More recently, data goes to large servers, much of it bypassing paper. Thanks to the internet, a great deal of it is accessible to everyone; the information is in central repositories and can spread to individual computers, so we think that losing data is not very likely.

Occasional articles emphasize how reliant we are on the internet, what would happen if the internet was down all over the world for just a day, and how catastrophic it would be if it went down for a week or more.

Certain books deal with the results of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon being detonated high in the atmosphere. Outside of some EMP-protected facilities, the US and most other technically developed countries would be devastated.

What if we did lose massive amounts of data? What if 90 percent of all the information we knew today was lost? Is it that important to us? If so, how can we protect it?

CHAPTER 1

Death Row

I thought you had a key to the front door, Mark said.

That’s the key I was given, replied an exasperated Ward. I can’t help it if it doesn’t work.

Work or not, we need to get in there. We have only a few weeks to get this place set up, and the clock is ticking. Let me try.

Ward took the key from Mark and stuck it in the lock. The key doesn’t even go all the way in. It looks like someone jammed something into the lock.

Ward pulled the key out of the lock and started looking around on the ground. He found what he was looking for—a fist-sized rock.

What are you going to do? asked Mark just as Ward smashed the door’s window; shards of glass covered the floor.

I guess that’ll work, Mark said as Ward reached through the window and twisted the lock. I sure hope this isn’t an indication of how it’s going to be to get into the rest of the building.

The two crunched glass as they walked through the reception area. Ward pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket; on it were two sets of four numbers. Ward tried the top numbers on the push-button lock on the door. Nothing happened. He tried the other set of numbers. No luck. He tried them both again.

A steel plate covered the solid door, and the frame was reinforced so it would take more than a crowbar to get it open. Under the touch screen dead bolt was a keyhole, but the key they had didn’t work in it.

Looks like there’s no power to the lock. See? The touch screen’s backlight isn’t coming on, Mark said.

A rock won’t get us through this door. Any suggestions? asked Ward.

How about getting a locksmith?

Mark and Ward, who were from the House Ways and Means Committee, were supposed to be getting the building ready for a bunch of computer geeks and their equipment. All they really had to do was open a couple of doors and clean out any unneeded equipment the previous occupant had left behind. They knew that the previous occupants had not been happy about having been kicked out, and Mark and Ward guessed that was how they had planned to show their animosity to the new residents. Mark got out his cell and called their office to explain the situation.

They said it would be around an hour before they got some help out here. I know it’s a bit early, but it looks like we’ll be working all afternoon. How about some lunch? Mark asked.

I saw a place as we were driving up. We can walk there and probably spot the locksmith when he comes.

Sounds good. Maybe we can find out about the previous tenants from the people there.

They walked into restaurant and were hit with the full aroma of an English pub. Neither of them had been in a real English pub, but they both imagined that this was what one smelled like.

The waitress greeted them. Just the two of you?

Mark and Ward nodded as they took in the ambiance; the waitress led them to a table.

I could like this place, said Ward. I hope the food’s good. What’s the name of this place?

The waitress had overheard that. No one’s ever complained about the food, and it’s called the Ship’s Inn. Until someone kicked them out, the people in that building next door were in here all the time. They couldn’t get enough of our food and drink. So what will you be having?

You knew them? Mark asked. What can you tell us about them?

Let me get your orders first. We can talk about them while you’re waiting.

How about something English? asked Ward.

Right. Two fish and chips. You can’t get much more English than that, she said.

Both men nodded approval.

Two fish and chips! the waitress yelled.

A man in the back replied, Got it!

So you were saying about the residents of the adjacent building … Mark started out.

Some of the nicest people you could ever meet, she said. "Several years ago, four of them started coming in—Elizabeth, Ariella, Spencer, and Kloe. Elizabeth led the group. She was a kind, gentle lady, but she didn’t allow any messing around. One of her big rules was not to talk about work at lunch, so we could only guess at what they did.

"Several months ago, four more were added to the group—Jake, Elizabeth’s husband; Mary, a really technical person; and two more, Leo and Orion. We never figured out how they fit in. They weren’t techies like the rest, but they seemed to have a feeling about everything that was going on. They stopped coming a week or so before the others left.

"The last person, Ben, came only a few weeks before they left. Originally, there was a lot of animosity directed at him, especially coming from Ariella. I picked up that he was from some sort of congressional committee. But he eventually blended in and became part of the group.

At the end, they were the closest bunch of people imaginable—they lived for each other. I believe they would have done anything for each other—anything.

I agree with that, said the cook as he approached the table with the fish and chips. We, he said, nodding at the waitress, sat and talked with them for many hours. It was just a joy to be with them. One of the saddest times of my life was saying goodbye to them. We’ll let you enjoy your meal.

The cook and the waitress went into the back room arm in arm as if comforting each other.

Wow. Tough act to follow. Sounds like those two really liked those people, Ward said. But I still wonder why they did that to the doors. Pretty juvenile.

I was thinking about Ben, Mark said. He was sent here to inventory the place. Up until he came here, he was very conscientious. He had the most accurate and complete inventories of anyone in the agency. We got almost nothing from this place, and Ben just disappeared. No one has seen or heard of him for a week or two.

But then they switched to small talk, primarily on how good the fish and chips were.

Eventually, Mark looked at his watch. Look at the time. It’s been nearly an hour and a half. We better get back. They paid their bill and hustled out.

They saw a van in front of the building as they walked up to it. They went inside, all the way to the steel door, and saw two men kneeling down trying to pick the lock that required a key. One of the men stood and greeted Mark and Ward. My name is Sam, and this is Henry. I was hoping we could save it, but it looks like we’ll have to drill it out.

We can get a new lock, Mark said. Do what you have to—the quicker the better—but we do need the door, so no explosives. We have a lot to do inside there and not much time.

No way this is going to be quick, Henry said. This lock is one of the hardest locks on the market. If I can get the schematic of the lock, that would really help. Of course, the quickest way is to get the key part to work.

Henry went back to attempting to pick the lock. After about forty-five minutes, he sighed and said, Whoever messed this lock up really knew what they were doing. Not only did they jam something into the lock; they also made it so it won’t turn.

Ward got on his phone and disappeared out the front door. He came back in punching an iPad screen. He handed it to Henry. Will this work?

That’s great! How’d you do that? Henry asked. They don’t give these plans out to just anybody.

Just say I have my sources, Ward said.

Sam, go out and get me the five-inch chisel, Henry said.

Henry checked the diagram and got a micrometer out of his bag. He measured something, made a line with a pencil, and measured from a different angle and drew another line that crossed the first. He rummaged through his bag again and retrieved a center punch and hammer. He placed the point of the center punch where the lines crossed and made a single strike with the hammer. He pulled his drill out and started in with that.

Half an hour and four drill bits later, Henry had gotten through the outer layer of the lock. He shined a flashlight in the hole and smiled. I think I lucked out. He referred to the lock diagram on the iPad. He pushed his chisel into the hole and turned it as he turned the iPad around. He put the iPad down and picked up his hammer again. If I get this wrong, we won’t get through this door in a week. Well, at least several hours. He grinned a bit.

Then get it right, Mark said.

Henry smiled. He set his chisel in place and gave it a rap with his hammer. Nothing happened. Henry smiled. Nothing bad. Yet. He adjusted the angle of the chisel and gave it a sharper rap. The front of the lock fell to the floor.

The three others gave a cheer as Henry let out a Whew! Henry inserted a screwdriver into the hole and eased the dead bolt back. The door slowly swung open.

So are we done? asked Sam.

Not yet, replied Ward. There’s another lock inside. I think it’s just like this one.

Henry had a very deadpan look on his face. Whoopee.

Ward reached in and flipped the light switch. The hallway has a glass wall to the right. Behind the wall was a grouping of desks and a glass-enclosed office in the back. He wrinkled his nose. Oooh! What’s that smell?

There was definitely an unpleasant odor—something was rotting. The odor permeated the room. Ward and Mark found some fans, propped open the inner door, and placed the fans in it to air out the place.

Sam and Henry moved farther down the hall. On the right past the glassed-in offices was a door without a security lock. Farther down the hall was another door, but it had a security lock. That must be the lab, Mark said.

They heard a zap sound about every ten seconds. What’s that sound? Mark asked. Sounds like loose wires touching each other.

Henry realized that the security lock on that door was the same as the one he’d just bored through. Its backlight wasn’t working.

Henry, it looks like you’ll earn your money today, Sam said.

Henry kneeled and inserted a lock pick into the lock. Yep, jammed just like the other one. Someone really didn’t want us to get into this place. I’ve used up all my drill bits, at least the ones of the right size. The place where I know I can get more bits that are hard enough is on the other side of town. I’ll be back here at eight tomorrow morning.

They all departed. They left the doors open with fans going. Mark and Ward didn’t care if someone came in and stole everything. That would have made their job easier. Besides, getting rid of the horrible smell would have been a blessing.

Mark and Ward arrived the next morning 7:55 and saw Sam’s and Henry’s van. Inside, they saw that Henry had taped the cover from the template over the lab door lock. Henry pulled out his drill and inserted the bit into the chuck. I got some cobalt bits, so I hopefully won’t have to change them out so often. Get comfortable. This is going to take a little time.

While Henry started drilling, Mark and Ward went through the other door into a large room with tables and chairs. A screen sat to the right of the door, and an overhead projector hung from the ceiling aimed at the screen. They saw that everything was unplugged.

"Mark, we might want to keep some of this stuff. The geeks will need someplace to sit and put their equipment on. That overhead is out