Devil's Plaything - Matt Richtel [0]
PLAYTHING
MATT
RICHTEL
Dedication
For My Grandparents
Pillars
Epigraph
The number of people suffering acute memory loss is doubling every twenty years.
Shipments of computer memory are doubling every two years.
Are these two statistics related?
More than you dare imagine.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Epilogue
THE JUGGLER - the sequel to DEVIL’S PLAYTHING
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
About the Author
Praise
By Matt Richtel
Copyright
About the Publisher
Prologue
TRANSCRIPT FROM THE HUMAN MEMORY CRUSADE.
JANUARY 17, 2010
Human Memory Crusade:
Thank you.
We appreciate your participation in our effort to record this nation’s incredible history.
We hope the brief instruction you have received has been helpful to you. As you have learned, your task is simple. Just read the questions and answer into the microphone. We’ll take care of recording and storing your stories for your children, grandchildren and generations to come.
When you have finished answering a question, please hit the enter key.
If you are having trouble remembering something, don’t worry. Just say: I can’t remember. You may also skip a question by hitting the enter key.
Even though I am a computer, I have an artificial brain. I have been programmed to listen for key words and use them to have a conversation with you. Think of me as your friend.
In the corner of the screen, you can see your image in a box. This is captured by a small camera on the top of the computer monitor. If your image is not in the middle of the box, please move slightly to the left or the right so that your image is in the middle.
Let us begin.
ARE YOU A RETURNING PARTICIPANT?
This is not my first time.
SORRY, WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWER. ARE YOU A RETURNING PARTICIPANT? YES, OR NO?
Yes.
THANK YOU. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MIDDLE NAME.
Lane Eliza Idle. I go by Lane. Lane Idle.
THANK YOU. WHAT IS YOUR BIRTHDATE AND PASSWORD?
WE WILL KEEP CONFIDENTIAL ALL PERSONAL IDENTIFIERS. WE NEED THIS INFORMATION TO FIND YOUR FILE IN OUR DATABASE.
My birthday is June 17, 1924. My password is . . . What is it with computers and passwords?
I’M SORRY. WE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWER.
“Pigeon.” My password is “pigeon.”
THANK YOU. PLEASE WAIT WHILE WE FIND YOUR FILE.
LANE IDLE, WE HAVE FOUND YOUR FILE IN OUR SYSTEM. WE WILL CONTINUE WHERE YOU LEFT OFF. YOU ARE 85 YEARS OLD?
Between us, I still tell everyone I’m 77.
DID YOU SAY YOU ARE 77 YEARS OLD?
No, I’m joking. You don’t do too well with humor.
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER YOU LIVED IN DENVER. IS THAT CORRECT?
Yes.
WHEN WE LAST SPOKE, YOU SAID YOUR HUSBAND DROVE A CHEVROLET. IS THAT CORRECT?
I don’t remember. I’m having a lot more trouble remembering things.
DID YOU SAY THAT YOU DON’T REMEMBER THAT YOUR HUSBAND DROVE A CHEVROLET?
Yes.
NO PROBLEM. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR STORY OF YOUR CHILDHOOD IN DENVER?
I’m not used to talking at a computer. Or to a computer. I’m not sure which is the best preposition. I used to be an English teacher, I think I told you that. In college, I wrote my thesis about Huckleberry Finn. I think he was misunderstood. Everyone thinks he’s so adventurous. He was. But I think of him as more of a true American. You know