#quantum entity

Even with the era of #AI upon us, I believe the combination of AI and great people with good heart (ie, trustworthy and committed) will be a lot more effective than AI alone or worse, AI with lazy, duplicitous or stupid people.

Prof Bruce

(San Quentin says books are ‘Unauthorized Donation’ returns Quantum Entity | we are all ONE to author)

Part of the action in Book 1 happens in a place referred to as ‘The Arena’. It is called this by its inmates not by the warden, prison guards or prison staff who instead refer to it as ‘California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s San Quentin State Prison for men’.

As I say in Book 1, “It is the worst, most feared prison in a nation with a prison community so large that if it was a separate country, it would rank among the top 70 biggest countries (by population) out of 242 nation states.”

As part of our outreach program for Quantum Entity Trilogy, we got in touch with a Minister at the prison and he welcomed a book donation to their prison library saying, “It isn’t often we get people willing to donate anything to this place.”

Alex Wolfe boxed up a set of books and snail mailed them to San Quentin. Each book had an inscription in it, each one different, but basically encouraging inmates there to look forward to better days.

Unceremoniously, the books were returned to us in the same box marked, ‘Unauthorized Donation’. 

San Quentin has now made these six copies of Quantum Entity | we are all ONE collector items. If you would like one, please contact Alex Wolfe, awolfe @ exploriem.org or via Twitter @alexwolfe12. We will make sure you get a copy of the rejection and a personal inscription from the author too.

Since there appears to be no shot to get these books onto the shelves of San Quentin’s library or even into the State prison unless someone takes an unauthorized copy in, here is a key excerpt from the book about what it is like to be a prisoner in The Arena.

@ProfBruce @Quantum_Entity

(Excerpt from Chapter 13, Quantum Entity | we are all ONE, Book 1 of the Quantum Entity Trilogy, http://www.brucemfirestone.com/)

Damien has been incarcerated in a place inmates call The Arena for over five months. They’re sweating him for his Quantum Key. There’s no pussyfooting around with these guys.

As he watched his newest bodyguard Vince Bowen die, he counted 14 heavily armed Special Agents plus two members from the hated Bureau of Indian Affairs Police only there to give political cover for his arrest on Hopi land.

He’s been in solitary for the entire time but he can smell other inmates not far away. Damien doesn’t know how many (there are 112 others). He also doesn’t know much about prisons never having been in one before. But he’s figured out that the conditions he finds around him are not ‘normal’ even given his individual circumstances. He is actually on death row in the only California prison mandated to carry out both State and Federal executions.

The execution chamber (all by lethal injection) is less than 150 metres from Damien’s present position. He’s heard it being used seven times since his arrival. Sometimes there are prayers—he’s heard Christian, Muslim and possibly Animist. Sometimes there are curses. But mostly just a slow methodical walk by at least six people, only five of whom will return his way.

The reason they want his Key is obvious—they want to take back control over the Internet and the entire quantum economy. If he could talk to Ellen, he would tell her, ‘See I was right. It’s the economy, stupid.’

His interrogators report to and are appointed by DOC, Department of Commerce. Someone there is pulling the strings. It is their agents who took him.

He’s been arrested and charged with, among other things, contempt of Congress. That is a Federal charge which brings the FBI into the matter. But, apart from a cursory interrogation by two of their agents, they don’t play much of a role in this as far as Damien can tell.

The DOC’s mission statement calls for the Department to ‘protect foreign policy and economic interests of the nation through a law enforcement program’. New acts have been rushed through Congress with surprisingly little opposition and signed into law by the new President whose coattails have brought like-minded legislators into both the Senate and the House in November elections of the previous year.

Acts like ‘Fairness for American Industry’ have given DOC all the authority they need to go after Damien and Q-Computing, practically with impunity. The President speaks eloquently of the need for the US to ‘get back on its feet’, ‘to stand up for what’s right and just’, ‘to match Imperial China and rightfully take our place again as first among nations’. He intends to see that they do and has signed a Presidential Executive Order further authorizing his DOC Cabinet Secretary to take all necessary steps to assert and then retain control over aspects of industry crucial to US economic sovereignty and not currently under US-control. While it doesn’t specifically mention Toronto-based Quantum Computing, there can be no doubt about its intended target.

But they don’t really need any of that. Damien doesn’t show up for his 10 am ET appearance before the Senate Sub-Committee and, despite protestations from Linnert, he is charged with contempt of Congress by the Chair and unanimously found guilty. That citation is passed along to the US Attorney who issues a warrant for his arrest and detention. They can hold him for a year just on this charge and fine him $10,000 New Dollars. Of course it doesn’t seem to matter to anyone that the reason he doesn’t show up is because he was already detained by the US, more than 36 hours before his appointment with a handful of Senators.

In their announcement later that day about locating and arresting Bell as he attempts to flee from US Special Agents in an isolated part of Arizona, they neglect to mention time frames.

This escapes the attention of the tabloid media in their rush to judgment but not Mike Cronkey and OLA Tech Crunch.

…

Damien is kept in his cell 24/7. The only time he is removed is for questioning by a pair of interrogators appointed by the Office of General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce. They are always accompanied by a stenographer and an in-house DOC lawyer. Damien has never seen a human stenographer in action before and he is impressed with the guy’s ability to keep up with the conversation using such a primitive typing machine and also not to react to anything that is said. These interrogations last anywhere from one to 24 hours.

They feed him twice a day—a special diet calculated to keep him alive but in a weakened state. He is losing weight and his mental acuity fades in and out. They also use sleep deprivation, loud noise and other forms of psychological pressure. There has been no overt torture so far but they sometimes strap him to a chair and leave him there for hours. He loses track of time.

Someone appearing to be a doctor comes to check on him every two weeks. He brings with him ancient medical equipment to check on his vital signs.

It’s an all-guy place, he hasn’t seen any women and none of the men appear to have any sense that what they’re doing to Damien is in any way morally wrong. Maybe they’re just true believers in their cause.

He has been threatened that in addition to anti-trust proceedings against Q-Computing by DOJ, there will be other unspecified measures taken against his company unless he cooperates.

Demanding to see his lawyer or a representative from the Canadian Consulate and other tactics like the Habeas Corpus that they used at Langley won’t work here. He’s been detained under Homeland Security Act III which allows them to hold him as a terrorist threat indefinitely. He has NO rights.

But Damien has absolutely no intention of giving his Quantum Key to these bozos, now or ever.

…

“Mr. Bell, my name is Yao Allitt, General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce.” Damien sees a short man of indeterminate age and nationality entering the interrogation room. He stands ramrod straight, probably because he has short man syndrome or Napoleonic Complex. Damien notices he wears custom dress shoes with soles that are at least two and a half centimetres thick.

“I have come here to see for myself whether there is a basis for us to resolve matters. But first let me provide you with an update of current actions involving your company.

“The EPA has issued a compliance order for your company to withdraw all Quantum Entities from the states and territories of these United States of America until independent tests confirm that they pose no threat to the environment of this nation, both its security environment and its financial one. The Agency can issue such orders without court approval. Your firm, Mr. Bell, cannot appeal compliance orders unless EPA asks a Federal judge to enforce the order which they do not plan to do.

“As a result, new sales of Q-Phones in the US have unfortunately,” Alitt pauses and smiles falsely, “dropped close to zero as consumers naturally do not want to purchase a product that is subject to total recall.

“In addition, you personally, your entire management team and your company have been charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as RICO. In addition to fines, each person so convicted can be sentenced to 20 years in prison for each racketeering count. You will also forfeit all your ill-gotten gains and your interest in Q-Computing.

“It is also interesting to note that the U.S. Attorney does not have to prove any of this in court before he seeks a pre-trial restraining order and injunction to ‘temporarily’ seize your assets and all those of your colleagues.

“I understand that you have an exceptionally nice condo in Toronto which, by the way, I look forward to seeing in an auction soon.” He smiles again.

“I should also add that Canadian cooperation via both CSIS and the RCMP has been exemplary.

“Further,—”

“You guys are still pushing too hard, Mr. Allitt,” says Damien. “There’s no way you’ll force withdrawal of QEs from the service of your nation—the economic hit you’d take from that is way too much so you’re just bullshitting me. What I can’t figure out is why you want the Quantum Key so bad?”

Yao has been told the fellow is smart. He can see this for himself even if the man before him currently looks more like a street person.

“We cannot and will not tolerate actions by these drogues you’ve unleashed on the world. We plan to eliminate them and you, Mr. Bell, are going to help us do that.”

“Mr. Allitt, I can do that for you. Let me speak to one of these so-called drogues. If I am convinced that you are right and they are damaging the economic or security interests of the United  States, I promise you, I will work with your people to find a way to end them,” Damien says.

“Ah, we prefer to do that ourselves,” Allitt answers.

“Why?”

The interrogation continues for another five hours with Damien zoning in and out. It goes around in circles. There are times when he cannot follow the conversation or he stops talking because he’s lost the thread or can’t remember where he left off.

“Give him another shot,” Yao tells the doctor who is now in the interrogation room with him. Damien has passed out again from exhaustion. “Ah, I’m not sure that is wise.”

Allitt comes over, takes a brief look at Damien and then says softly, now very close to the Doctor, “I believe I was clear the first time.” Moments later, Damien is awake again.

“How are you feeling, Damien?” Yao asks.

“Never better.”

“Feel like you’re ready to go on then?”

Damien says nothing.

“So you’re willing to help us with the drogue problem, we are agreed, yes?”

“I think I already told you I can help.”

“We have some excellent scientists you will be working with, Damien. Our facilities are much better than anything you have at your, ah, Canadian university and our funding is, well, unlimited. Would you like a tour? Perhaps you’d like to see a few old friends too. We could bring Ellen here you know.”

“What do I have to do to get a tour and visit with my friends?”

“Why just the simplest thing possible, really. I’ll give you this sheet of paper, you write out the location of the Quantum Key please. There, that’s a good fellow.”

Damien has picked up the pen, looked down at the paper, looked up at Yao once more then again at the paper. He starts to write. His coordination is poor; it’s been awhile. He stops. Yao gently takes the pen and paper from him.

He reads what Damien has scratched out, ‘Until you find something worth dying for, you’re not really living,’ Rebecca St. James.

Allitt brings his face so close to Damien’s that he can see the large pores on the man’s skin which has turned red. Yao whispers in Damien’s left ear, his only good one having suffered serious hearing loss in his right ear during a previous interrogation. “I will break you into a thousand pieces each one of them infinitely painful and, after you give me the Key, I will not only have ruined you and your company, I will find and destroy all the people you are close to.”

Yao then spits in Damien’s face—the ultimate insult in his world, Damien supposes. He is surprised but not angered by this primitive behaviour. A new thought occurs to him as he calmly, carefully wipes spittle onto a cuff of his prison jumpsuit. He is quite sure he is looking into the face of a dead man.

…

Damien is interred in San Quentin State Prison for men. It is 17.1 miles from the prison to Market and 8th in downtown San  Francisco to the south of him where Q-Computing America has its head offices.

This is the prison that the late great Johnny Cash, one of Nell’s favourite oldster artists, once said, ‘I hate every stone of you.’

It is the worst, most feared prison in a nation with a prison community so large that if it was a separate country, it would rank among the top 70 biggest countries (by population) out of 242 nation states.

There are more than 7,300 prisoners jammed into a space originally built for 3,000. Many of them are considered habitual offenders under vague statutes and laws and jailed for life for crimes such as smoking a joint, shoplifting or stealing less than $50 New Dollars. Almost none of the inmates ever had any significant personal resources, financial, educational or otherwise, when they lived in the outside world. In other words, this place is reserved exclusively for the poor.

In these times, US jurisprudence is harsher than 18th century Britain which transported large numbers of convicts to its Australian Penal Colonies under the Bloody Code that cited 222 crimes—almost all crimes against property. Cutting down of a tree, stealing goods worth more than five shillings or stealing a rabbit got you exiled and jailed for life. Damien is in the maw of a vicious US justice system from which most do not escape.

…

This is a trilogy that concerns itself with the big questions about life and the small details of how we live it. Young Damien Bell, physicist and engineer, designs then unleashes Quantum Communications and Quantum Entities on an unsuspecting mid-21st Century world. The tech company he co-founds along with Romanian mathematician Traian Vasilescu and Elmira College marcom graduate Ellen Brooks, Quantum Computing Corporation (QCC), becomes a fast growing, vastly profitable, globe-spanning one in a remarkably short few years.

Inevitably, they come into conflict with established commercial interests as well as security agencies around the world, first, because their quantum phones (later known as Q-phones) based as they are on hacked iPhone 40s completely disintermediate established carriers and, second, Quantum Entities (QEs) are fully actualized quantum computers that are not only superb examples of AI but appear to be conscious, sentient creatures come to join humanity on its voyage to a collective destiny whatever that may be. What it also means is that Internet security, paywalls and all forms of digital encryption are wide open to possible exploitation by QEs and their human counterparts as well as QCC.

Quantum Entities apparently comply with all human laws but there appears to be an issue with a small minority of QEs called ‘Drogues’ who, for some reason, do not successfully form a bond with their human hosts. This ultimately results in a war on Drogues and other problems for QCC and its founders.

The introduction of Quantum Communications and Quantum Entities leads to an era of Quantum Economics (later called the Quantum Era), a time when scarcity becomes a thing of the past at least for some. It also leads to a new competition amongst nations—some like the United  States embracing (to an extent) the new era while others such as Imperial China apparently rejecting this new technology. This leads to a clash amongst world powers when Imperial China and its ally, Germania (a renamed EU), attempt to impose a new hegemony on a mostly unwilling planet. The last book of the trilogy follows the lives of those who would resist a new tyranny by the Cartesian Powers (sometimes referred to as the Cartesian Axis or simply Cartesians) and how they attempt to do just that.

The trilogy spans four generations and follows three (somehow interconnected) families (the Bells, the Brooks and the family of Chief Dan of the Hopis of Third Mesa) as well as introducing a wide cast of supporting characters and geography including Toronto, Boston, Ambergris Caye, Bucharest, Langley Airforce Base, St Jo’s Women’s Shelter in San Francisco, San Quentin, Austin, New Orleans, Carthage, Shenyang or Shengjing (盛京), capital and largest city of Liaoning Province, Wreck Beach, Vancouver, New Zealand, Stockholm, Hermosa Beach, University of California, Berkeley, Oregon (Umatilla National Forest), Luna Colony, Shackelton Crater, Mars Colony, Europa, Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Gabriola Island, Port Isabella, Free State of Texas, Q-space and the Guatemala Highlands.

The Trilogy is made up of nine parts, numbered I to IX. Each book contains three parts, 16 chapters and one epilogue. The Trilogy finishes early in the 22nd Century but there is a prequel chapter at the end that returns to the year 1929. The prequel follows real life quantum physicist Paul Dirac on his voyage from Cambridge to America and from there through the Panama Canal to Japan before returning to England via Siberia. He was accompanied on his journey by Werner Heisenberg (author of the Uncertainty Principal for quantum mechanics). Dirac and Heisenberg make a (relatively) short detour on their way through the Panama Canal to Marcos Gonzalez on Ambergris Caye. Their never-before-revealed voyage to Belize sets in motion all that follows in Quantum Entity Trilogy. There is one final Postscript with the last two reveals of the trilogy.

Book 1 shows what it is like to conceive, found, grow and then defend a major tech biz. Book 2 looks at what it takes to rescue a moribund economy after a great reset and meltdown. Finally, Book 3 examines what it is like to organize a massive project in resistance to those who would seek to dominate and enslave the solar system and it also tries to answer big questions including are we alone in the galaxy, where are other intelligent species, why don’t we see them, what is the purpose of life and what’s next for humanity?

Quantum Entity | American Spring

“Dr.?” “Yes.” “Sorry to disturb you but there’s a young woman here to see you.” “Does she have an appointment?” “Umm, no.” “Is she a student?” “I don’t think so.” “Well tell her to make an appointment and have security check her out,” the physicist says to his EA. His EA is a young man, Alex, 21, who is going places, he thinks.

Their lab at the Department has grown fantastically using the resources of the Commonwealth. It’s grown not only in terms of personnel (from 2 to more than 700) but spills over into a network of trailers that are parked everywhere. Farrar wants them to work at Livermore (Lawrence Livermore National Lab near SFA, San Francisco Aerodrome) but they decline, politely but firmly.

The General says security and confidentiality will work better there but the scientists don’t care SFA (sweet fuckall) about the General’s concerns. Still they agree to a joint CSIS (plainclothes group of agents) and Commonwealth Military presence here. The Cartesian Powers are no joke and they understand this. They detest 24/7 security but put up with it.

The physicist is still living in the President of UBC’s basement but now they have a full time RCMP hut at the gate (one of those horrible nanosite extruded/grown brownish nest-looking structures) pretending to provide security for Dr. Woo. But it’s the physicist they’re actually looking out for. When he’s over at Euph’s place, they sit in a couple of squad cars that look ridiculously out of place on Granville Island. Euphony brings them coffee and hot chocolate.

She’s offered them some of her illegal Wrecked Brew too which they regretfully decline. He reminds her that the ‘P’ in RCMP stands for police but she just shrugs. “I’ll cast an evil spell on them if they try anything.” The RCMPs (all men) have no interest in busting a small time bootlegger especially one who looks as yummy as Euphony does. As his economic prospects have recently improved so have hers so she can afford nicer things now—she’s been shopping at Bolts in downtown Vancity and it shows. What she likes especially is the effect it has on him—it’s really, really good.

…

“Dr., my name is Arcadia Valenzuela.” “Hello, Ms. Valenzuela.”

She’s been waiting in their ante room for two days. She refuses to leave the premises while security checks her out. They think she can’t afford a hotel or something—she’s a waitress from Texas after all. They’ve scanned her and made sure she has no weapons or viruses or other surprises for them but she won’t tell them what it’s about. She seems very determined. Maybe she’s some kind of groupie who likes physicists but she doesn’t look like that. She’s attractive enough but not showy in the way you would expect a groupie to dress or act. She sure is set on seeing the Dr. though.

The only thing she has with her is an old Thermalite Quadcore SYS505HS Tower which must be a bitch to lug around. She lets them boot it up but it has zero/zip on it. She has a data cube too (just under a centimetre per side) which they find of course but she won’t let them touch it. It’s for the Dr., she tells them. This makes them uncomfortable and leads to a standoff until Alex tells the physicist that he has a hunch that she is legit.

Alex has gotten to know her a bit in the 48 hours she’s been sitting two metres from his workstation.

…

“He said to tell you everything,” she continues, “but is it OK if I boot up my PC?” “Please.” She inserts her data cube and a video of Jag Durai and G4nesha starts playing. “Freeze frame,” the physicist says right away to her computer but the video dumbly keeps playing. He realizes instantly the thing is an antique so he reaches for the screen but it doesn’t respond to touch either. “Here,” she says showing him how to move a mouse awkwardly on a teensy touchpad on a keyboard that just as awkwardly folds out from the base of the tower. He freezes the video and then enlarges it. He can plainly see that G4nesha has the same freckled complexion as Ash3r does. What the fuck? “Do you know why this Quantum Entity looks the way she does?” “Yeah. I think it’s because Nesha and Jag are bonded and linked. She’s evolved or something.” “Nesha?” “G4nesha, she’s Jag’s QE—they can read each other’s minds—they’re, they’re linked.” “Ah, Miss Valenzuela, do you mind telling me where, umm, Jag and G4nesha are?” “Sure. They’re in a prison camp in Shenyang, that’s near the—” “I know where it is,” the physicist interrupts. “They were taken there by a guy named Yao Allitt when I was 15 and—” “Can you hold up a minute, Ms. Valenzuela please?” the physicist says. Then via intercom he says, “Alex, can you ask Dr. Wong to join us immediately? And please cancel my appointments for the next two hours.”

…

They get the story out of her in about 90 minutes—the quantum scanning that Mr. Durai has perfected, the link that can be formed between human and quantum counterpart that has been hinted at in their equations but never (scientifically) demonstrated let alone verified, the evolutionary step that QEs take after mindlink is established, their subsequent release from the three laws, the quantum tunnel that Mr. Durai initially uses to drop his data cube on Arcadia’s floor, even their visits using hacked Sinofighter consoles are disclosed. But still he feels he is missing something, something important.

“Ms. Valenzuela, is there anything more about these visits that you can tell me?” he asks. “Not really.” But she doesn’t make eye contact with him when she says this so he goes over to where she is sitting. She is hunched over in her chair, shoulders rounded, like she’s been beaten down, maybe by life. He kneels down so his eyes are on the same level as hers, he takes both of her hands in his and says, “Arcadia, I don’t mean to pry. Neither Dr. Wong nor I will ever tell a soul what you have said here unless you give us permission. But we have to know everything, everything. We can’t help you otherwise. Are you sure there isn’t anything else?” “Well maybe one more thing.” “Uh, huh?” “Well, you see, like, those consoles, Jag used them, I mean we used them to be with each other, I mean like intimate sort of.” “Sort of?” “Well, ah, really all the way.” “I assume they worked?” “Yeah. Really, really well.” “Is there something else?” “Yeah, we are going to try like maybe next week to have a baby.” “A baby?” “Yeah, it was my idea. You see,” she says in a rush to get it over with, “I thought he could use that little quantum tunnel of his to send something else through.” “Would that be sperm, Ms. Valenzuela?” Dr. Wong asks as clinically as possible to save the young woman any further embarrassment. “Yeah. But Jag wasn’t sure he could transport something live so we were going to try something else first.” The physicist reaches down to pick up Popeye who is back for some more attention. Cady just looks at the enormous cat. He says, “Well we won’t be sending you through, Pops. You’re way too big. Maybe we should try a lab rat first.” As soon as he gets this out of his mouth another thought occurs to him. He looks at Chuck who immediately sees it too. “Ms. Valenzuela, is there anything else? I think I might have something that can help you and Jag but I want to make sure I have all the facts.” “That’s pretty much it except Jag said, well he isn’t too sure, but he thinks maybe Imperial China is working on some kind of super weapon based on his work, some new way to attack the Commonwealth.” “No surprise there. OK, Arcadia, how big is Jag?” “About 6’3”.” “No, how wide is he—how broad in the shoulders?” the physicist asks. She holds out her hands indicating a big man about 55 centimetres. “What are you thinking, Dr.?” “I think Arcadia we can do better than bring a vial of sperm out of Shenyang. Let’s see if we can widen that quantum tunnel, stabilize it and test it. Afterwards, let’s go get Jag out of that shithole they have him in. Let’s bust him out, Ms. Valenzuela.”

When he says this, Cady jumps up like she is 15 again and gives him the biggest hug. Her face only comes up to his chest. “Oh, oh, oh, Dr. that would be the best thing evverr. Can you do it?” “I don’t know for sure, Arcadia, but I think the answer is yes.” When he says this she bursts into tears. He puts his arm around her and strokes her hair. She’s had a rough go, no doubt about it.

…

By Bruce M Firestone, Author, Quantum Entity Trilogy

Come Sunday Sept. 30, 2012 at 3 pm to support Collected Works, an Ottawa independent bookstore, and Bruce M Firestone as he reads from Book 1 of his new trilogy, Quantum Entity. Collected Works is at 1242 Wellington Street West, Ottawa. Their telephone number is 613-722-1265. You can email Alex Wolfe for more info, awolfe @ exploriem.org or @connect with us via Twitter: @alexwolfe12 or @profbruce.

“After reading Part I, Discovery, I was totally hooked. It’s better than ‘The Goal’ and more entertaining even than ‘Dune’!” David Perry, Partner, Perry-Martel International, Co-author, Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0

On Sunday, we’ll talk about writing and publishing in a new world where old line publishers are fading away and then discuss the future of business, politics, law, sci-fi, action/adventure and romance! It’ll be fun, promise.

For $20, you get tea/coffee/cookies, a reading by Prof Bruce, great conversation and an autographed copy of Quantum Entity | we are all ONE.

People today are craving authentic experiences and business models are changing. Can an independent bookstore like Collected Works survive under an onslaught from mega stores and vast download sites?

“Quantum Entity is a story about love and life’s lessons. It’s about growing up, trust, passion, business, entrepreneurship, finance, history, science, action, adventure… my list goes on. The detail captivated me throughout the novel but it was the ongoing mysteries that excited me for what’s next,” Theresia Scholtes, @tclscholtes

It can as long as Collected Works brings some differentiated value to its platform in the form of staff who knowledgeably curate books for their audience, serve great coffee and cookies and hold unique events there.

“I enjoyed Book 1 immensely. I felt as if I was in the middle of an Isaac Asinov world again. Great job!” Steve Gordon, President, Regional Group of Companies

So come on over on Sunday at 3 pm and support CW and Prof Bruce.

@ProfBruce

ps. here is the Foreword to Quantum Entity | we are all ONE, Book 1 of the new trilogy:

When young Damien Bell, physicist and engineer, and his business partner, the fabulous Ellen Brooks unleash Damien’s twin creations, a new artificial life-form he calls Quantum Counterparts and she calls Quantum Entities—because she believes they may in fact be sentient beings—and the Quantum phone, their delivery system for Quantum Counterparts, they revolutionize communications and search industries in their mid 21st century world.

Damien and Ellen and their new company, Quantum Computing Corp, introduce the era of quantum economics, a condition where scarcity is a thing of the past. Together they build a great new globe-spanning, ultra-fast growing tech enterprise that somehow gets away from them.

Damien is distracted from his scientific and startup work by performance artist and world superstar, Miss Nell, whom he first meets at Nuit Blanche in Toronto.

Their adventures take them to Four Corners and a mystical place called Third Mesa in Arizona, Boise and the Salmon River in Idaho, Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Palos Verdes, California, the Big Smoke (Toronto), San Pedro Town and Marco Gonzalez on Ambergris Caye in Belize, then Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Langley Air Force Base, San Quentin State Prison and finally San Francisco where their group will, of necessity, transform itself into the largest protest movement the US has seen in almost 90 years.

What does it take to start, build and then defend a great new enterprise? How do you extend human rights to a new non-human life-form when such rights barely apply to people in these troubled days of the Republic, a time when the United States has fallen from first among nations to third after Imperial China and the European Union, with the AU (African Union) closing in on them fast?

Inevitably, they come into conflict with entrenched business and political interests. Are Quantum Entities truly friends to human beings or are they, as the US Government maintains, a threat to national security?

“Congratulations on Book 1. The trilogy is very original and enjoyable!” Michael Cowpland, ceo, Zim Corporation (Zim.biz) _____________________________________________

You’ve got a winner here. After reading Part I, Discovery, I was totally hooked. It’s better than ‘The Goal’ and more entertaining even than ‘Dune’!

David Perry, Partner, Perry-Martel International, Co-author, Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0 …

QE is an adventure as exciting and unpredictable as the unveiling of a new technology or discovery of a new love. It’s a great tale about human spirit and its persistence. Quantum Entity had me on edge waiting to see what would happen next. It was also a learning journey for me as much as for the book’s main character—young physicist, Damien Bell. The book is about politics, the law, science, science fiction, science speculation, engineering and, above all, founding a globe-spanning, disruptive tech business and then facing down unexpected challenges that come with it, which form the core of the challenge that all entrepreneurs face. A great read for individuals from any background with lots of action and adventure thrown in as well as a moving love story—it’s the beginning of a trilogy as enthralling as quantum technology itself. Franco Varriano, Co-founder, www.beaconize.com …

Firestone writes with an authenticity that can only come from someone who has lived a life full with opportunities that stretch far beyond the confines of normalcy. He speaks with a voice that comes across with the legitimacy and simple power of other entrepreneur/explorer/authors such as Louis L’Amour or science fiction great Frederik Pohl. With an open, friendly and often humorous voice, the story speaks directly to the reader with the best of down home phrases and expressions. It makes this novel refreshingly approachable and charmingly geeky. In a sense, Quantum Entity is a work of post-science fiction. Where science fiction has always used the ‘big idea’ to push forward a futuristic view of the world, Firestone uses hundreds of smaller ideas, some new, some old, some experiential, some based on common stereotypes and many drawn from points in our shared history, to draw a very believable map of how the next life-changing innovation may well be born into our world. Firestone uses these to empower the believability of the story while also engaging the reader, laying out simple yet highly fundamental ideas of business, politics and science which can often escape even seasoned professionals. The big idea is still there (and it is a game changer) but it is built on a foundation of smaller fragments which are the real critical underpinning of this first book in his trilogy. This tessellation of content to illustrate the bigger whole demonstrates that Firestone himself is a hacker; an individual capable of using and repurposing the best ideas to generate something familiar yet brand new. Extending current models and trajectories of thought in a believable and engaging way, Firestone paints a picture of the future which somehow bridges being both optimistic and cautionary by laying out scenarios of a not-so-distant world which are both satirical and serious. Its central motto is: “Fall down 7 times, Get up 8” which means that Quantum Entity shows that despite setbacks, political wrangling or outright failure, humanity has always succeeded in pushing through the barriers it creates for itself. Whether it is Civil Rights, Women’s Right’s, Gay Rights or even one day perhaps the rights of our digital or Quantum Counterparts, the drive to freedom will always be at the heart of human nature. Janak Alford, M. Arch., Founder, prototypeD Urban Workshops Inc. http://www.prototypeD.org …

Quantum Entity, written by serial entrepreneur Bruce M. Firestone, introduces an amazing concept that both educates and entertains. It has humble beginnings then explodes outward dealing first with the success of a young company then its trials which rival both the awesomeness of some of today’s top tech enterprises and the awfulness of dealing with political insiders, dug-in business interests, lawyers and litigation. Damien Bell, QE’s main protagonist, is a deep and attractive character—he embodies the spirit and drive of top tech entrepreneurs while still managing to maintain a humble outlook on life. It made me want to better myself. QE also introduces a wide cast of passionate characters who surround Damien and Quantum Computing Corp, his startup. There’s a sense of camaraderie that developed for me with these people and a strong distaste for the book’s antagonists and anti-heroes. Prof Bruce found a way to create both an amazing story and one that teaches real life lessons. While his novel keeps you thinking, there’s also no shortage of action, adventure, betrayal, sex and rock & roll to keep you turning page after page. Chris Beaudoin, @cjbeaudoin …

Having recently re-read Mary Shelley’s classic gothic tale Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, it was intriguing to take up Quantum Entity immediately thereafter. From early nineteenth-century Switzerland and Bavaria, I was jolted into mid twenty-first century North America but with eerily parallel moral and ethical dilemmas to ponder. Frankenstein’s monster is a hideous creature, who, when spurned by his creator, malevolently turns on him and those he loves. Damien Bell’s creatures are seemingly benign and totally plugged into an artificial post-digital universe. Though having little or no mass, they verge on becoming sentient beings—having the power of perception. This sci-fi thriller is a page-turner with plenty of twists and turns but along the way Prof Bruce suspends the narrative to launch into any number of mini-essays on social, political, scientific, engineering and business issues. We watch as socially awkward quantum physicist Damien, flying with pop princess Nell in her private jet, decides this is the perfect time and place to start a discourse on the Russian Dachnik movement for sustainable agriculture. Nell falls asleep. Go figure. Pick up Quantum Entity and learn more about this cast of characters human as well as artificial but beloved creatures called Quantum Entities. You’ll be glad you did. Paul Kitchen, Hockey Historian …

I really enjoyed Book 1—it gave me a fascinating view of what may lie ahead in the not so distant future, God help us. I came to care what happened to the characters and wanted to get to know them better. I also laughed out loud at times. The novel introduced me to many complex concepts and I found myself thinking on occasion: ‘Huh, I didn’t know that.’ It was a pleasure to read the manuscript. Margot O’Neil …

I read QE while I was in the Caribbean. First, I want to say that I really liked the book—the story is compelling and interesting. Second, I love the characters. My only real criticism is I want more! I’m anxiously awaiting Book 2. Christian Brydges …

Prof Bruce has taken a lifetime’s worth of lessons in business and life and successfully threaded them into a science fiction story set in the not-so-distant future. Quantum Entity entertains the reader while providing valuable insight into the fundamentals of creating a biz model and launching it. With predictions and commentary on issues related to politics, commerce, ancient civilizations, pop culture, science and engineering, Firestone has created a captivating story. By outlining core beliefs of his characters, his readers can see beyond conventional norms. Quantum Entity is not for the faint of heart though. Some events are quite graphic. However, if you’re an entrepreneur, an engineer or someone looking for a literary roller coaster, Quantum Entity is the right book for you. Matthew Conley, Finance, Telfer School of Management …

This is a well-crafted story about young physicist Damien Bell that nicely blends science, business and technology with some great characters set in a nearby future history. It’ll keep you reading to the end! Fall down 7 times and Get up 8? That’s me! Ken Goodfellow, Chairman and CEO of CKG International, www.ckginternational.com …

Quantum Entity is a beautifully written story about Damien Bell—a brilliant young engineer turned businessperson who changes the world. Firestone crafted a thriller that kept me engaged the whole way! I really enjoyed it especially since I could really relate to both Damien and my favourite character, Miss Nell. Isack Galib, Telfer School of Management Alumni …

Quantum Entity is a story of love and life’s lessons. It’s about growing up, trust, passion, business, entrepreneurship, finance, history… my list goes on. The detail captivated me throughout the novel but it was the ongoing mysteries that excited me for what’s next. Theresia Scholtes, BA Law (Minor French), Carleton University 2011. @tclscholtes …

Although this tale takes place in mid 21st Century North America, the relationships between these wonderful characters and the challenges they face are timeless. Reading Quantum Entity has made me a more effective leader—I respond to challenges in my own life in ways I have never been able to do before. Thanks, Prof Bruce. Saad Rashid  …

Get your copy of the trilogy from http://www.brucemfirestone.com/quantum-entity/.

Excerpt from Quantum Entity | American Spring

Here is a scene aboard the Princesa Agnes, a large passenger and cargo airship flying out of SFA, San Francisco Aerodrome, on its way to New Zealand’s North Island carrying (SPOILER ALERT) the President of the Commonwealth of the United States, Ellen Brooks, and General of the Army Farrar Staubach. Farrar is about to engage in a Texas Hold’em match against a group of nine other men, one of whom–an Aussie from Queensland–is his primary competition for a winner-take-all-purse.

Joe Krenosky (a former MBA student of mine and a hell of a card player) worked with me and my youngest son, Matthew Firestone, on this scene. We tried to outdo Casino Royale’s Texas Hold’em game (from the 2006 film). Anyway, you be the judge*–

(* Please note there is mature content and language suitable for persons 18 and older.)

There are more than 4,000 cabins on the Princesa Agnes, most of them four meters wide, double occupancy ones coating the skin of the ship on either side. They all have portals and some like Ellen’s and Farrar’s (they are sharing her cabin now that the pretend stage of their relationship is over) have balconies. They are stacked six stories high on either side of the main cylinder along its long axis with a few choice suites at the bow (where they are). The underside of the Princesa is all cargo; its inner gut is complete vacuum. The topside of the ship would be worthless for cabins unless you like looking out a skylight so it’s used for something quite different.

It’s a giant dance hall, bar, amusement park and casino. What’s really cool is that its outer shell is completely transparent so tonight, after their day spent hovering close to the ocean, the Captain has taken them to the top end of their range to gaze at the stars and lose their money in a company-run casino.

Farrar, fresh from his quite pathetic attempt to keep up with Caleb (who amazingly can get enough speed on his kiteboard to slingshot himself into 100 foot surf without assistance from a jet ski) doesn’t like to lose money so he’s playing Texas Hold’em with a bunch of guys in a men’s only game in a private room near one end of the casino. Apart from a few bumps and bruises including a nasty gash on his right cheek that Ellen needlessly fusses over, the General is fit for his next challenge.

The buy-in is $350,000 QED and each player is allowed one more for $150,000. They squeeze in 10 players and it’s winner take all which suits Farrar just fine. 5.5% will go to the house and 1 point to the dealer which leaves $4.675 million for the winner to take home.

He tells Ellen not to expect him back tonight—the game will probably last til dawn possibly noon. She’s quite OK with that since she’s a bit sore from all the recent activity her various orifices have been put to and she can use a night off. She kisses him and fusses over his face a bit more.

…

During these early stages, better players calibrate their opponents and begin to cull the herd. When they are down to six, blinds double after each player is eliminated—they’ll reach $160,000 when just two players remain.

The General is first introduced to poker in basic training. It comes naturally to him. Perhaps it’s his understanding of probabilities or his unwavering discipline but he rarely loses even to other would-be officers. It starts out as beer money but soon it’s paychecks. He thinks for a few months about making a go of it fulltime but civilian life, especially the dissolute one that lies in front of all top Hold’em players—booze, hookers, mobsters, financial backers and drugs—doesn’t interest him.

Farrar is particularly sharp when it comes to body language. He knows that amateurs show a tendency to act strong when their hand is weak and weak when their hand is strong. It is uncanny how consistent this behavior is for players who haven’t studied successful poker strategies. They pretend to look uninterested in their hand by, for example, showing sudden interest in a football game that’s on a media wall in the corner of a casino. The most common tell with amateurs though is glancing at their chips to do a quick assessment of how much money they have. This let’s trained opponents like Farrar know they are up against a good hand since their opponent is establishing how much s/he can bet and how much they stand to win.

The General also develops a habit of looking for any change in posture, good or bad, as well as any movements that are outside a player’s normal routine. Players using extra protection for their cards such as keeping their fingers on them during an entire round or placing chips on top of them are typical giveaways. Next, he’ll look for any type of chip fumble or voice cracking (it’s amazing what happens to your body when a person is nervous) or increased breathing rate. He can actually see some of his weaker opponents’ chests going in and out rapidly like they’ve just run up a flight of stairs.

Many people think that pupil dilation is a sure tell. It may be true that pupils dilate slightly when a player sees something s/he likes but this is virtually impossible to detect in most poker rooms. They are usually poorly lit to begin with and you’re too far away from your opponent to detect subtle dilation in pupils. Farrar knows better than to waste effort looking for this tonight.

If there are any windows in a casino, Farrar always sits with his back to them. This is so his face is in shadow while his opponents’ are lit up like Christmas trees from any ambient light coming into the room that way. He learns this from a financial engineer he tangles with early in his career who is fleecing DOD’s supply chain. The guy confides his negotiating tactic to Farrar. Subsequently, the finance guy finds himself trapped in an indiscretion which has nothing to do with supply contracts and everything to do with sexual harassment charges brought against him by an attractive young woman soldier who is trying on female-specific body armor at this defense contractor’s plant. It’s a bad idea to get on the wrong side of the General of the Army even before he is General of the Army. The young woman in question is Farrar’s younger sister.

Two players tonight almost get into a fight over slow-rolling. One of the guys delays showing his cards even when he knows he’s won. Consequently, his opponent thinks he’s won and starts pulling the pot towards himself. The other guy, with a not-so-fast smirk on his face, finally flips over his cards and gloats. He thinks he’s being funny. They almost come to blows. Security separates them immediately. The slow-roller is given one warning. Next time, he’ll forfeit. Slow-rolling is very bad poker etiquette and you don’t see it very often in casinos because these things are often dealt with in the parking lot after the game—also guys who routinely do it routinely end up dead.

The recipe for a good poker player is quite simple but also quite rare. The percentage of players who are profitable in the long-term is just 8%. These 8% all share Farrar’s attributes—emotional control, discipline and a good understanding of probability. That’s it. The tough part is that these three have to be in-check at all times, not just most of the time. Discipline is key. The General has discipline.

…

“The guy’s a poofter. How can you elect a chocolate driller as Prime Minister, mate? He barracks for the other team fer chrissake. And they got a bloody woman for President. Apparently, makes sex tapes on the side too. Probably bangs like a dunny door. Scona beer a gloria sty when ya get to put your donga in that, I tell ya. Probably a carpet muncher too like their PM. No wonder their country is so mucked up,” says one of the four other guys left at the table. He’s an Aussie from Queensland and is seemingly unaware of who is on the far side of the table. Some of the other men look at Farrar. They know who he is and who the cutie he is boning is too. But Farrar doesn’t react. He’s just focused on cleaning out these guys, especially this guy. They are down to five players now.

…

After what feels like an eternity of cold cards, Farrar picks up 78s on his big blind. It’s a weak hand heads-up, but it’s also a type of hand that can surprise the hell out of a guy sitting across from you. His sole remaining opponent is the Aussie who’s a complete boor but can really play. Farrar is plenty sure the guy’s earlier statements are absolutely intentional. He knows full well who Farrar is and who Ellen is. He’s just talking shit to throw the General off his game. No chance of that.

…

After all the buy-ins and re-buys are counted, there is now $3,920,000 QED in the kitty. No one is moving, coughing, drinking, burping, slurping, sneezing, scratching or making rude remarks about homos or babes.

The Aussie and the General are fairly even-stacked and have a strong read on each other. They have both seen and done it all—calibrating, bluffing, feinting, cutting their losses and double bluffing (intentionally losing by folding even when they actually have a good hand). It’s risky at this stage of the night (now day) to do anything but play the hand.

…

Farrar awaits the Aussie’s move which he hopes will be a flat call allowing Farrar to see a cheap flop. But the Aussie is too smart for that. He moves in with a strong bet of $300,000, knowing that Farrar will figure him for trying to buy the blinds. As the Aussie reaches for his chips, Farrar has already decided to fold. He picks his cards up for one last peek before he begins the motion of mucking them but suddenly stops himself.

There is something off about the Aussie’s last bet and it hits Farrar like a wafting stench. The General stares at his cards as though he’s contemplating a fold but he’s really just playing back the last 30 seconds in his mind, over and over, before it finally clicks. The cards never left the felt. All night his Aussie opponent is reckless with his cards, twirling, shuffling and even fanning himself with them. Earlier, the dealer warns him about protecting his cards from other players. But not this time. This time, hey, they just lie there, motionless, stacked neatly in front of his chips. This is no attempt to buy the blinds. The Aussie has a big hand and Farrar knows it has to be either Aces or Kings.

In Texas Hold’em figuring out your opponent’s hand is nearly as valuable as the rank of your own cards. Farrar runs the numbers in his head and knows that he could call the flop and still have enough left to hurt the Aussie if he misses. He figures he has a big underdog on the hand but he also knows that if it hits, the Aussie may not be able to release such a strong starting hand—his emotions will finally get the better of him. So Farrar calls and both players watch carefully as the dealer reveals the flop—6♥ 9♦. Farrar can feel his heart rate spike but is careful not to show any reaction. Then he sees 5♠ fall. The General’s just flopped the nuts and what’s more, if he is right about the Aussie’s hand, he knows the bloke will like his overpair too well.

Farrar is now first to act and he makes a modest $300,000 bet as though to suggest he paired on the nine; his trap is set. The Aussie, pleased by the relatively small bet, quickly moves over the top with a raise of $500,000. The General stalls. The Aussie thinks the General is deciding to fold or call but Farrar is simply putting on a show—a quick call may tip the Aussie off as to the strength of the General’s hand but too long a stall and the Aussie will detect the ploy. After three long breaths, the General utters, “Call” and slides his chips in. The turn is flipped and it takes every ounce of control for the General to dull his reactions, it’s the K♦.

The general knows this card has to help the Aussie—if he is on Aces then he’s still got an overpair and if he is on Kings then he just made trips. Farrar checks his straight so as to respect the Aussie’s raise on the flop. The Aussie takes another peek at his cards, looks up at Farrar and says the last word that the General wants to hear, “Check.”

Farrar is stunned for the first time tonight, doubt immediately sets in. How can the Aussie check his hand? Does he have him wrong, all night? Maybe he underestimates this guy’s skills?

If the General is right and the Aussie is on Ace-Ace or King-King, it takes brass balls to check that turn and it would mean that he is setting a trap for Farrar. Then again, maybe he simply has nothing and is revealing his free-card bluff.

The dealer reveals the river, it’s the 3♥. This cannot have helped the Aussie but it gives the General the stone-cold nuts along with one hell of a difficult decision. A big bet here and he’s liable to scare the guy into a call even if he hit while a check means he risks not getting paid on the best hand he’s hit all night. Farrar looks the Aussie in the eye and gets no reaction. He glances at the dealer who is becoming impatient with his delay then takes one more look at the Aussie, still nothing. Finally he breaks his silence with a firm, “Check.”

His heart is now racing. He can feel sweat starting to bead at his hairline and a drop roll down his back. He hopes the Aussie hasn’t noticed it yet; he hasn’t because he’s too busy counting his stack. As he finishes, he looks at the dealer and says, “I’m all-in with $645,500” then confidently leans back in his chair. To the General, a giant marlin’s just swallowed bait, hook, line, sinker and trawler. Farrar calmly slides his whole stack across the betting line and places his cards face-up on the pile. Just for good measure and with a cruel smile, he adds (uncharacteristically), “I flopped the nuts”.

The Aussie explodes, throwing his cards at Farrar who manages to dodge pocket Kings, now revealed. “You bloody Yank whore! Ya fucking kiddin’ me? What ya thinking checking that river?” He hauls his jacket off, throws it on the floor, stomps on it a few times then rips his shirt off and tosses it on the table, “Ya can have me bloody clobber too, ya bogan bastard.”

Farrar stands up, leans forward with his knuckles on the table and replies. “I guess I just got lucky, mate.” Then he calmly walks over to shake the tournament director’s hand and accept his reward. He pays the dealer and the house and then asks S4y3rs to bank the rest of his winnings with QE Reserve Bank, the safest bank on the planet, one that can’t be hacked. Meanwhile, security escorts the Queenslander out of the poker room.

…

The Princesa is cruising again close to the surface of the South Pacific so people can enjoy the great outdoors. All the shutters are up and habitable spaces are unpressurized. Farrar prefers it like this.

He feels like a cigar and steps out onto the balcony to enjoy a Bolivar Gigantes. He’s glad that Ellen normalized relations with Cuba so he can finally buy his favorite cigars legally.

It’s wonderful to be alive, a man, on this ship, at this time in history, dating the most powerful woman in the world who is also devilishly good in bed.

‘Humdinger,’ he thinks.

He has one last personal errand to run before he goes to visit his lover.

…

He wallops the guy again. He just doesn’t seem to be getting the message. What’s wrong with this guy? So he introduces his face to the wall, again. Then the balcony’s safety barrier for good measure.

“Let-me-say-this-just-once-more. You see that water down there. From a mile up you are going to hit it like it’s concrete. If you ever, ever so much as look at her again, I will throw your worthless self off this here balcony. The sharks will eat what’s left of you after you bounce off the ocean. You shut your bazoo, unnerstand?”

When he gets upset, he sounds more Texan than usual but he rarely swears. He gets mad at himself if he does. But the Queenslander must now surely finally get the fact that he can’t insult the General of the Army’s boss (and girlfriend) without paying a price.

He’s also going to need some dental work—the balcony railing has somehow chipped the guy’s upper and lower central incisors.

…