Garth Rides For Hope

CHAPTER 1                                                                 THE  ARGUMENT
“Stupid, stupid, stupid ……. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
Internally chanting these words over and over to the tune of the William Tell Overture usually worked. Today, for some strange reason it just wasn’t getting the job done. Sitting at his favourite spot in the neighbourhood coffee shop, Blake was trying to read a long awaited book by his favourite author; but sadly he couldn’t help overhearing the idiotic conversation that was taking place at the very next table.
           “Stupid, stupid, stupid ……. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
   This internally chanted mantra was one of the several coping mechanisms that Blake had developed over the years. The inconsiderate loud-mouth louts that were causing him to lose his concentration, were two young ladies in their mid to late teens. Thoughtlessly, and at a decibel level equivalent to a 747 landing in your living-room, these obviously best of friends were having an argument. Both had their hair bleached ash blonde and also had the required ton of makeup artfully plastered onto their shiny faces. This daring duo were more than happy to complete the stereotype by wearing the shortest mini skirt and Daisy Dukes possible. Their silly conversation has been going on for what felt like hours. Every second word seemed to be “like“, “shuudup“, “O…M…G“ or the ever popular full length version, “Oh My God”, was thrown in with shocking regularity.
   Blake was accustomed to the expansive vocabulary of today’s youth and could just about always block them out. However, these two were really starting to get on his nerves. It wasn’t just their superior linguistic skills or lack thereof. It was their appalling ignorance in the absolute certainty, that each possessed in the mistaken belief that they were right … And that their friend was … Like totally wrong.
   Mini Skirt had started the argument with the brilliant statement.
   “So like these guys from Atlantis way back in like the olden days, well like their calendar like ended in 2012, and like OMG when it like ends …. Like so does the world. I’m so totally freakin out.”
   Daisy Dukes entered the fray with an obviously knowledgeable rebuttal.
  “Shudup, it’s not like 2012, I’m way sure it’s like 2013, and I think it’s the Egyptians, and they like all vibrated; at like the some strange frequency or something, and they all like disappeared, and are all like watching us from like another dimension, and now they are all like laughing at us or something like that, and Oh ….. My ….. God we gotta like start parting harder coz like we only got like a couple a years to like live … Or like something.“
   Blake continued with his now apparently futile attempt at blocking them out.
             “Stupid, stupid, stupid ……. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
   After tucking her long hair behind her ears with hands that featured inch long bright red fingernails, Mini Skirt shot back.
    “You shudup, they are like from Atlantis coz the calendar is in like South America, and that’s where this broken stone thingy is.”
   Daisy Dukes mirrored her friends gesture with equally long black fingernails, and exclaimed with a shrill tone creeping into her voice.
    “OMG you are like such a dumb ass. Atlantis is like somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, not in South America like Egypt is. You silly bitch.”
   Blake once again tried to keep it together by continuing with his internally chanted mantra. In his ongoing attempt at blocking them out, he even briefly considered covering his ears with his hands and softly humming his little ditty.
                “Stupid, stupid, stupid ……. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
   Mini Skirt’s eyes went wide as she thrust out her overexposed bosom, and re-entered the battle of dimwits with the obviously well thought out retort.
    “Shudup, like who you callin a dumb ass bitch. I’ll have you know that Jimmy says I’m totally like the smartest chick that like he has ever like hooked up with, and you’re just like … Like …. Like … A stupid head.”
   Daisy Dukes was visibly appalled by Mini Skirt’s latest slur, and with obvious internal difficulty was preparing her next salvo.
   That’s when Blake finally snapped. Unable to contain himself any longer, he interrupted.
    “Ladies please excuse my intrusion into you’re enlightened academic disagreement. If you will allow me your undivided attention for just a few seconds. I think that I just might be able to amicably settle your little dispute. First of all Atlantis is a mythical civilization. The location of which has yet to be established … And Egypt is located in the northern part of the African Continent. Secondly, the calendar you are both eluding to was a product of the Mayan civilization that was situated in parts of Mexico, Central and South America. This calendar just abruptly ended in 2012. There was no accompanying prophesy or thesis proposed by these ancient scholars in regards to the Earth’s supposedly imminent demise. I hope that settles your little disagreement and that you both can continue to be friends …… And like talk about like something else.”
With looks that could only be described as murderous, both Mini Skirt and Daisy Dukes stared at Blake. Daisy Dukes was the first to recover enough to speak. With ice in her now staccato voice she attacked.
    “Like just who do you think you are? My friend Rainbow knows a lot of stuff … And if she says Atlantis is in like South America … It is. And like everyone says the world is like totally gonna end in like 2012 … And I believe them cause like the planets are gonna like line up, and stuff is gonna happin, and everything is gonna like be destroyed.”
   In obvious disgust Daisy Dukes stood, jerked her friend Rainbow to her feet and started pulling her towards the door. It was then that the slow moving cogs and gears inside Rainbow’s brain finally all fell into place, she suddenly lurched to a stop and spat back towards Blake.
    “Ya …. Just like my friend Amber says. We’re gonna like party really extra hard cause like we’re all gonna like totally die when the world like ends in like 2012.“
  Blake sadly smiled while slowly shaking his head. He tried with great difficulty to continue reading his book, but was having a tough time doing just that, because he was still inwardly chanting.
               “Stupid, stupid, stupid ……. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

CHAPTER 2                                                              BLAKE ROGERS
   Blake Rogers was probably the world’s smartest and wisest person. Born on August 18 1980, it was soon clearly evident that he was something very special. With blonde hair and intelligent blue eyes: he always keenly observed the world around himself and quickly learned. At the beginning of his 7th month he just decided that it was time to walk; in spite of the fact that he hadn’t even begun to crawl yet. He just stood up and began to walk. This caused a few minor problems because he hadn’t thought things all the way though, and didn’t know how to get back down to the floor. A few awkward crashes were all that was required before the solution became apparent, and he mastered the new technique.
    Shortly after his 1st birthday a much more aggressive 3 year old bully kept taking away the cars that he was playing with in the sandbox. After losing his favourite car young Blake was momentarily perplexed. Rather than cry he came up with an ingenious plan to get it back. Picking up a car in each of his little hands he walked up to his much larger playmate, and offered him both of the cars that he was holding. The bully looked up and was momentarily puzzled, after all he didn’t have a third hand. In order to receive the generous gift he was being offered he had to first set down the car that he was holding. So the older bully threw down Blake’s favourite car, and quickly snatched up the 2 new cars that he was so generously given. Young Blake then picked up his special car. and slowly turned and walked away with a sly smile completely covering his cute little face.
  By his 15th month Blake was talking with a full adult vocabulary, and when his 2nd birthday rolled around he had already taught himself to read.
   In 1984 his father had purchased one of the first Macintosh personal computers, and 4 year old Blake was curious. His father gave him a brief lesson in how to operate the computer, and showed his some elementary programming basics. Blake quickly fell in love with the pure logic of computer language, and started writing his own programs. Soon the little Mac was performing complicated tasks that its makers had never envisioned. A quick learner in everything, and an extremely talented natural athlete he excelled in any sport that he tried. His incredible analytic skills rendered him a brilliant strategist and tactician. On every team he played with it quickly became apparent to any knowledgeable observer that Blake was the defacto coach and the on field General.
   When Blake first came in contact with Advanced Mathematics it was as if a bomb of knowledge had exploded inside his head. Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus were like languages that he was instantly fluent, and profoundly proficient with. It was around this time that Blake began to think that he was psychic. Anything that he didn’t know he was magically provided with. Through either sudden inspiration or incredibly vivid dreams.
  When only 11 years old, and just before he reached puberty. Blake was provided with the ultimate sexual lesson. In an extraordinarily lucid dream he was given an erotic vision. In this revelation he was rowing in a small boat accompanied by an intoxicatingly beautiful young woman. The wind suddenly began to pick up, and the waves grew larger as threatening dark clouds rolled in over the lake. An instant before the torrential rain and hail broke loose he had safely beached the little boat on the far shore. Blake and his enchanting passenger then turned the craft over on the sandy beach, and crawled underneath to find refuge from the now violent storm. The sexy and sultry long haired creature pulled him gently towards her, and then began to slowly make passionate love to him. At every step along the way this lovely sexual mentor taught young Blake how to shamelessly give and receive pleasure. These sensual erotic lessons would never be forgotten, resulting in a string of more than satisfied lovers.
   Very early in the education process he had quit putting his hand up while anxiously waiting to be called upon to give the correct answer to the class. All his teachers knew he had the right answer, and therefore wouldn’t call upon him. Preferring instead to test their other less bright students. As Blake progressed through the system it became apparent to him that he was not only smarter than his fellow students, but also each and everyone of his instructors. One day in high school an extremely bored Blake had put his head down on the desk, and was pretending to sleep while quietly listening to his Algebra teacher. This grade 10 instructor was solving a complicated problem on the blackboard. Using line after line of calculations combined with a staccato play by play commentary the answer continued to grow in length, until it now occupied over 4 full blackboards. When the correct solution was finally reached the smug instructor stepped back from his completed calculations, and with a pride in his voice exclaimed.
   “Voila.“
   Looking around the room he noticed the sleeping student, and in a loud voice remarked.
   “Mr. Rogers …. What do you think of the answer?“
   Blake slowly pulled his head up, and pretended to rub the sleep from his eyes. Then with a sly smile replied.
   “Not bad but way too long.“
   The teacher was having a difficult time controlling his rising anger, and sarcastically said.
   “Well Mr. Smarty Pants if you think that you could do any better please be so kind as to come up to the board, and slow us all. We breathlessly await your brilliant solution.“
  Blake slowly got up from his desk and sluggishly shuffled up to the blackboard where he picked up a piece of chalk, and quickly wrote 4 short lines of equations. After setting the chalk back down he bowed to first the instructor, and then the rest of the class. The class began to laugh, but the laughter quickly changed to cheers as everyone realized that Blake’s answer was not only correct, but beautiful in it’s logical simplicity. There was an important lesson for Blake to learn here. Later he paid a stiff penalty for embarrassing his teacher. On the final report card that semester he received 0% in Algebra and had to attend summer school that year. His lesson learned, Blake began to play the political game, and never again did he show up a teacher, boss or superior of any type.
  In 1994 Blake’s world was forever changed when his dad hooked up the family PC to the new Internet. Fourteen year old Blake spent every available moment surfing the World Wide Web. This rebellious teen soon became bored with the easily accessible content, and began applying his considerable programming skills in the pursuit of restricted information. Teenage Blake became the world’s very 1st Hacker. In Hacker ling; there are White Hats, those who do no harm when they hack, or Black Hats, those who hack with malicious intent. Blake was the master of them all, and knew how to operate without being caught. His online legend grew, and his assumed internet persona became known as the GOD HAT by the entire hacker community. The GOD HAT was also responsible for the worlds 1st Internet Virus and Worm. Realising the income potential of these innovations young Blake wrote the first Internet Security Programs, and using a new assumed identity he established the first Internet Security Company. Blake’s security code became the basis for all the security software that followed. Buried deep inside the original software is an invisible worm that still inhabits every computer in existence on the planet. This worm gives Blake a back door, and easy access into every computer or system anywhere. Another innovation of his was the solution to the Y2K problem. Thru back door channels he sold his solution to both of the major computer operating systems. He only asked both of these software giants for a small licensing fee on every computer in which this Invisible patch was installed. These 2 pioneering ideas resulted in the accumulation of a vast amount of wealth for the young entrepreneur, and before he had even graduated from high school teenage Blake was a multi millionaire. The most amazing thing was that absolutely no one knew who he was or what he had accomplished …. Not even his parents.
   Ever since he had taught himself to read at 2 years of age. Blake has read everything that he could get his hands upon. He devoured fiction, Text Books, and even Instructional Manuals at an incredible rate. Everything he read he not only immediately learned but remembered. His unique mind stored all of this knowledge, and when combined with his psychic abilities, incredible new discoveries or eureka moments often occurred. In these internal inspirational revelations; the solutions to age old problems became clearly evident or the disastrous results of current trends or technologies starkly revealed themselves. In the beginning Blake had tried to contact those in charge and point out the error in their ways. But for various reasons no one would believe this upstart kid.
   The decision makers were sometimes just way too busy to see this precocious youngster. Those who were gracious enough to grant Blake an audience were either not farsighted enough to grasp his solutions or found them unacceptable for various reasons. Some of these power brokers were simply not intelligent enough to see the correctness of Blake’s trend analysis or follow the logic of his problem solving. Still others shot down his discoveries because they were either perceived to be too expensive or  believed that they would ultimately prove to be politically unpopular.
   Before Blake even reached University he had given up on saving the world … It was just way too frustrating. University however was pure unadulterated fun for this young man with the incredible mind. In High School standard IQ tests had rated his intelligence as immeasurable, somewhere above 200. He applied this brilliant brain, and became fluent in 7 languages. Played piano in the Jazz Band, wide receiver on the Varsity Football Team, and finally left university 5 years later, having earned 10 doctorates. 23 year old Blake was heavily recruited by many major Corporations, Research Facilities, and high level Think Tanks. However this self sufficient Billionaire turned down all of these offers, and instead spent the next 2 years backpacking, travelling the world.
   His 6 foot 3 inch 195 pound frame combined with youthful good looks that featured strikingly vibrant blue eyes, and long curly ash blonde hair ensured that he was a hit with most members of the fairer sex. His appearance, and easy surfer dude attitude seemed to be sufficient in gaining him easy access to temples or mosques, and all of the worlds famous or infamous holy men. After spending many, many hours in intellectual discussions and applying himself thru various forms of meditation. Blake realized that he was a confirmed agnostic, and that religious belief and logic simply could not coexist in his mind.
   After his backpacking days were over. Blake relocated to the West Coast and moved into a 10,000 square foot open plan loft in an old warehouse that he had purchased and lavishly refurbished. Blake had all the latest toys. His cars ran on water and emitted zero pollutants. He had all the state of art electronic gizmos that money could buy and his computers operated like no other’s on the planet. Blake was happy and content. Rich beyond his wildest dreams and living with a beautiful and intelligent woman. He appeared to have achieved the ultimate American dream. However there was just one little problem or fly in the ointment. He was very, very, BORED.