A story exploring time travel and societal issues in the wake of 9/11. This is chapter 21. See previous posts for chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20.
Collecting a small handful of arugula leaves from plants in the yard, T2 wandered in slow circles, consuming the greens. Ana stuck her head out the back door. "We have a visitor," she called. "A Mr Tyler, here to see you. I put some coffee on."
"Thanks," said T2, making his way back into the house, where he found the New York businessman waiting for him at the kitchen table. They shook hands and T2 poured himself a coffee. My Tyler refused the coffee but accepted a glass of orange juice.
"You need me for this?" asked Ana.
"Take your walk," said T2. "Nice out there."
"This must be important or you would've just called," said T2. "What's up?"
"I'll get right to it," said Tyler. "We can't figure out what you're playing at down in Missouri. Ten million dollars to a civil rights group in a town called Ferguson. Mr Wachuski is very interested in what you might have going on there."
"Ahh," said T2. "I guess that was a rather large donation."
"Right, but what's your angle?" asked Tyler. "Your timing in the markets and real estate has always been good. Prescient, even. But then you started buying up news outlets and throwing gobs of money at charities. So this Ferguson thing. We want to know what you know. Is it more real estate? Casinos? What?"
"You ever give any thought to police?" asked T2. "To how policing is changing in this country?"
"I'm not sure I follow," said Tyler.
"We're in the middle of a massive push to militarize civilian policing in this country," said T2. "It started after 9/11 and it's only been accelerating. The Pentagon's 1033 program is the most visible example of this, but it's happening in more subtle ways as well."
"Okay," said Tyler.
"At the same time," said T2. "Police have been padding their departmental budgets more and more with property they seize, often from innocent people. Some departments are literally making wish lists and then stealing from the population to acquire the items on those lists."
"So they're not saints," said Tyler. "What's your point?"
"Well, at least in the south, policing and corrections have been infiltrated by hate groups," said T2. "Because of these things and many others I doubt you want to go into right now, the police have essentially become an occupying army terrorizing communities of color. Particularly in places like Ferguson."
"I'm still not seeing your angle," said Tyler. "Maybe I'm missing something. But aren't you a rich White guy from the north."
"I have information suggesting that Ferguson will become a flash point for racial tensions around policing," said T2. "If allowed to build unchecked, these tensions will likely translate into rioting and looting on a national scale in approximately seven years. That civil rights group I gave to is positioned to relieve some of these tensions, especially now that they're adequately funded."
"Jesus, Barabos, you do play a long game," said Tyler, considering the statement. "I'll pass your insight on. There is another matter Mr Wachuski asked me to raise with you."
Here it is, thought T2. The real reason for the visit. "Alright, let's hear it," he said.
"This business with your Federation token is making some of our other clients nervous," said Tyler. "One client straight up asked us to kill your cryptocurrency before it got any bigger. You're rocking the boat with this thing in a big way."
"Was that a question?" asked T2.
"I'm not here to tell you how to run your business," said Tyler. "But there's a larger plan for digital currencies. You couldn't have known you were stepping on toes. Now you know."
"Given the nature of the technology," said T2. "I couldn't stop our token even if I wanted to. More than half the network is made up of independent operators at this point. If TAP and NIS shut down their nodes, these operators would take over the blockchain without missing a beat."
"I can't go back to our client with that," said Tyler.
"Get him on the phone, I'll talk to him myself," said T2.
"Not today," said Tyler. "Mr Wachuski was sure that we'd work something out."
"If your clients have a plan for digital currencies, great," said T2. "If they're smart, they'll buy Bitcoin and avoid Mt Gox. Beyond that, the space is a wild west. It'll be worth two trillion inside of ten years."
"That's not exactly the answer I was looking for, but it'll have to do," said Tyler. "So you really think Bitcoin is safe?"
"Yes and no," said T2. "As a whole, it's very safe, though it does consume enormous amounts of energy. There are however risks in every individual circumstance. While the tech won't fail, the people operating it may make mistakes. If you do buy Bitcoin, be extremely mindful about the wallet you store it in."
"Paper wallet, right," said Tyler.
"Good, so you get the basics," said T2. "My overall outlook on Bitcoin is positive. But I'm serious about Mt Gox. They have security vulnerabilities that someone is going to come along and exploit."
"I understand," said Mr Tyler. "Would you be willing to lay it all out in an article for our newsletter?"
"That I can do," said T2.
(Feature image from Pixabay.)
Read my novels:
Check out the comic I wrote:
