Everything’s Jake

Jake Blake hated his name. Back in middle school, the cool kids were relentless. “Jake Blake, what a flake!” “Hey, Jake-off!” “Jake Blake, how’s your School of Cock?” These were taunts he heard almost every day. To be honest, the boy who made up the last one was a Jack Black fan, and kids made fun of him too. Nevertheless, Jake did his best to take the snide in stride – and never retaliated. He spent a lot of time in the library though, trying to stay away from his tormentors.

But he couldn’t use his first name either. His pediatrician had called him, “Little Chrissy.” His grade school classmates somehow found out and called him, “Chrissy the Sissy.” Jake couldn’t win. He resented the names, just as he raged against the onset of Alzheimer’s a few years ago. The only upside of his present condition was that Jake could hardly remember his own name, much less the humiliations brought on by immature, unthinking adolescents. So, for all anyone knew now, Chris was finally in bliss. Except he wasn’t.

“Look, Jake is on the verge of remembering,” Dr. Davis stated. “His synapses are like microscopically open circuits and just need to close. Surely, you can imagine the frustration of almost remembering something important. The feeling that it’s “on the tip of your tongue,” but in Jake’s case, it never materializes. With this new serum, I think there is a good chance we can bring Jake’s mind back. He could retrieve his memories once again.”

“But it’s not approved for humans, Miles,” Dr. Gillespie replied. “We would be experimenting on a human being. The risk is far too great. What if it makes him worse, or kills him?”

“There’s very little chance of that, John. My tests in brain-damaged mice improved their ability to solve a maze by a factor of over 100. And there were no adverse side effects. My only concern is that a few of them became a little faster and stronger.”

“Oh, come on, Miles. They got more aggressive too. Your serum could turn Jake into a monster.”

“I’ve made some modifications since that trial. I think the risk…”

“The risk is simply not acceptable. You know the institute can’t endorse this experiment of yours. Jake must not become a human subject. The ethics are clear. Dr. Davis, I forbid you to do any experimentation on a human subject. Is that clear?”

Dr. Davis was about to answer when Jake, who was across the room during the conversation, spoke up, whispering, “I want to remember…”

2

Like his namesake, Dr. Miles Davis was never one to do things by the book. His parents thought it would be funny to name him after the famous jazz trumpeter, but it wasn’t, really. A white boy from Indiana would need to chart a whole new course to make his mark. So, recombinant DNA it was. After becoming both an MD and a PhD in biochemistry, he began to shake off the connection with cool jazz. Then, several fellowships and grants later, nobody joked about whether he could play “So What” or “Boplicity.” Yet, he carried with him some of the insouciance of “The Prince of Darkness.” He did things his own way and practically dared others to follow or warned them to get out of the way.

Miles understood the risks of what he was about to do. To say he didn’t care wouldn’t be accurate. Maybe he cared too much. Jake had become special to him. Brain scans showed he was a good candidate for the serum. He also had the potential for growth in his hippocampus, which according to some conjectures could mean restoration of lost memories. More importantly, Miles had known Jake for several years before Alzheimer’s set in. Jake was a thoughtful, good-hearted human being who was interested in a lot of subjects. He could converse intelligently with people from all walks of life. It was a damn shame that he had lost much of what it took him decades to gather. He and Miles shook their fists at a God who would allow such a tragic waste, one who would take away a lifetime of memories only to shut down a good man with so much to offer others.

So, Miles sought to combine the regenerative powers of octopus DNA and human stem cells. The serum showed promise in brain-damaged mice and guinea pigs. The big question was whether it would work in a human. After his chat with Dr. Gillespie, Miles undertook a little experiment with a chimpanzee he called, Chris. Anna, one of Miles’ graduate assistants, evaluated Chris. He was certainly not one of the more intelligent specimens typically covered by the press. Chris was not much for sign language or solving puzzles. His performance report and brain scan provided a baseline: he was an average Joe for a chimp, loveable and sweet-natured, but nothing special in terms of memory or cognitive ability.

After a secret dose of the serum, and three weeks of training, Chris was signing flawlessly. He also showed significant improvement in games of “memory.” Anna at first thought Chris had responded to her expert training. While she was disappointed to learn she wasn’t that good, she was amazed that the serum had such an effect. Koko, the world-famous gorilla, had taken three years to learn the rudiments of ASL. Chris did all that and more in a matter of weeks. No trainer could have done that without performance-enhancing chemistry. And besides, his before and after scans looked like they were from different chimps.

Anna, of course, wanted to publish, but Miles demurred. “It might be a one-off. I’m not ready to stake my reputation and yours on a stroke of luck. We will need study this more and try the serum on more test subjects later.”

Miles officially put the project on hold. As far as Anna and everyone else at the institute were concerned, results of the Chris experiment were under review. But Miles couldn’t get Jake’s words out of his head. “I want to remember…” While he understood it would be unethical to administer the serum to Jake, he couldn’t stand the thought of his old friend’s brain withering away until his autonomic system failed. As far as Miles was concerned, it was a terrible way to go. He was afraid he or someone else he knew could be next. And he was running out of time. The dreaded brain disease would soon reach a point of no return, serum or not.

3

Meanwhile, Chris was a happy super-chimp. Anna kept an eye on him and he was allowed certain “privileges” other lab animals were not. The two made regular visits to the park, where Chris played checkers with some of the retirees who gathered around. Anna made them swear not to tell anyone about the chimp who was a champ at checkers. “Why the hell would I?” one offered. “Who in his right mind would admit that a chimpanzee beat him?” On the downlow, Brownie, and elderly cowboy type, began teaching Chris the game of chess using ASL. Anna pretended not to notice, but she was intrigued.

After a few weeks, Chris had showed no adverse effects from the serum. He was still good-natured and friendly, even as he learned more and more about the world of humans, which is saying something. He had become Anna’s best buddy and went everywhere with her. Some people remarked that he acted more like a well-behaved child than a chimp. Others of course felt he should be kept off the streets, or at least on a leash. Anna couldn’t help but notice Chris was watching her intently as she drove the car from place to place. Once she let him steer while she worked the gas and the brake.

Anna kept Miles in the loop about Chris, reporting on his every move, as if she were a proud parent. “Dr. Davis, Chris beat three old codgers at checkers today!” But when he heard things like this, Miles was tortured by the fact that Chris was making fantastic progress even as Jake was retreating into an impermeable shell and would soon be gone. He decided to cross the Rubicon. He would treat Jake just as he had treated Chris. Jake was in Spring View nursing center, so if anything went wrong, a doctor would be on call. Miles thought such an event would be highly unlikely.

Within minutes of receiving the serum, Jake had a seizure. Miles quickly pocketed the syringe and hit the call button. “Hold on, old friend.”

Less than a minute later, the seizure lapsed, and Jake fell into a coma. “Seizures are common with late stage Alzheimer’s,” Jake’s doctor explained to the staff. Miles nodded his head in agreement, waiting for an opportunity to leave. The care team decided to do what they could to keep Jake comfortable, awaiting a family decision about end-of-life treatment.

When Miles reached his car, he broke down, at least I gave it a shot, what else could I do? he thought as he bowed his head. Then it crossed his mind, what if there’s an autopsy?

It was a long three days. No change day one. Same on day two. Miles kept checking back, so often that the nurses became a little annoyed with him. They kept saying Jake might never wake up and reminded him of the DNR order in place. Miles finally resigned himself to the probability that this was the end of the line. Either the serum didn’t work in humans or he had waited too long to administer it, or he had hastened his friend’s death. No matter which, his career might soon be over, and there was little he could do about it.

Miles left the office early on the afternoon of the third day and went to see his friend one last time.

As he walked down the hall, one of the CNAs called into Jake’s room, “Jake, you have a visitor.”

Miles growled, “that’s not funny…Cheryl,” as he read her badge. Cheryl just smiled at him.

As he turned into the room, Jake was sitting up in bed, “Miles! I’ve missed you! Glad you’re here. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

Miles became dizzy. He plopped into the nearest chair before his blood had an opportunity to find his feet. “Jake, old friend, it’s good to see you too.”

“Tell me, Miles, who do I have to bribe to get a decent meal in this place?”

4

“I don’t know how to explain it, Dr. Davis.” Anna worked hard to compose herself. She’d been crying.

“Slow down, Anna. Just take a breath and tell me what happened.”

“Well, we…Chris and I…had just gotten his favorite, a banana smoothie from the Smoothie Shack. I put the special sippy top on it like I always do. Then these three guys came up and started…”

“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere, Anna.”

“They started harassing us. Well, me, actually. Chris must have sensed I was uncomfortable. He signed, “Go away. Leave now.” But obviously those geniuses didn’t understand. I politely asked them to leave. Told them I wasn’t interested. The ring leader said if I would go out with a monkey, I shouldn’t have any problem giving him a little piece. I said the same thing Chris did. “Go away. Please leave us alone.” He grabbed my arm. He tried to force his other hand down my pants. I shouted, “No!” and tried to pull away. Chris signed, “Stop! Stop! Stop!” and screamed at him. Sometimes I can’t tell the humans from the animals… The guy pushed me down and stepped over me. I thought he was going to…”

“I’m so sorry, Anna. Are you all right? You don’t have to go on.”

“I’m fine…physically. I really need to tell you what happened. When that bastard pushed me down, our sweet boy, Chris, wouldn’t put up with it. He literally went ape. I’ve never seen anything like it. Chimpanzees are strong, but this was next-level strong. Chris jumped the guy. He was just trying to defend me, Miles…I mean Dr. Davis. Chris twisted and broke his forearm like you would snap a twig – the guy’s bones were sticking out. Chris swung up on his back, pounded him to the pavement, then ripped off one of his ears like you’d pick a daisy. The others ran, like the freakin’ cowards they are…” Anna broke down in tears.

“Where’s Chris…Anna?” Miles asked calmly after handing Anna his handkerchief.

“I told Chris to stop, and he did. But a police car was passing just as Chris… Dr. Davis, they shot Chris. He’s dead. The cops didn’t care what led up to it. Chris put a man in the hospital. A detective is coming to interview you. I already told them what happened. The owner of the Smoothie Shack saw it. He told them how nice Chris was…he really liked him, you know…”

“Oh, God, Anna. I don’t know what to say. You should take some time off. I’ll tell them about our research – as much as I can. Don’t worry. Look, I know Chris was special. He’d grown very attached… very protective of you. Those guys were dicks. Don’t blame yourself. I’m blathering. This is all such a big shock.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Davis. If I had only…”

“This was not your fault, Anna.”

“There’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Chris could play chess.”

5

“It was like coming out of a fog at night. No. More of a black hole, Miles,” Jake replied. “A deep, smothering, black cloud of nothing. I imagine this is what recovering from amnesia must feel like.”

“Well, you’re back now, Jake. That’s all that matters,” Miles replied. He moved his King’s Bishop. “Your move.”

“Somehow I think that’s not all that matters. Look, nobody’s ever spontaneously recovered from Alzheimer’s, let alone just had an MRI that showed some measurable growth in his hippocampus. I suspect there’s more going on than you’ve told me.” Jake let go of his Queen’s Knight. “Your move.”

Miles looked around the room. “You must promise to keep this between us. I made a serum…”

“Let me guess…and I’m your first human test subject.”

“Yes. That was quick. But I did not receive approval. You are strictly off-the-books. There are many ethical concerns. Please understand, Jake, you were my main concern. I didn’t want to see you die…so soon…without your mind. I just couldn’t lose you.” Miles countered with his Queen’s Bishop. “Your move.”

“When I first understood I had Alzheimer’s, I was furious. I was only 38. That was 7 years, 3 months, and 6 days ago. And you stood by me, whenever you weren’t in that lab of yours, that is. Now, I get it, Miles. You were racing against time for me. This may be unethical, but I’m grateful for the second chance.” Jake casually moved his Queen’s Rook. “Your move.”

“That’s an awfully specific recollection of time. You used to approximate everything. Had more of a big picture kind of attitude.” Miles blocked with a Pawn. “Your move.”

“Well, I’ve begun to remember a lot of things.”

“Like what, Jake?”

“Conversations – word-for-word – for one thing. Even some of what was said to me when Alzheimer’s was taking over. My sense of time is different. I’m starting to recall what happened on specific days, what was in the news and details about what I did that day. It’s weird. It’s like I’m watching somebody else’s life.” Jake moved his Queen. “By the way, Checkmate.”

“Well, done, Jake! I can’t remember that you’ve ever beaten me this fast before.”

“Neither can I. And we’ve played at least 956 times. You’ve won approximately 65.5% of the time.”

“How could you possibly remember that, Jake?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

6

“I can’t believe we’re going to trial for Reckless Endangerment, Anna sighed.

“Everything will work out,” Miles offered. “You’ll see. We have extensive video footage of you and me and Chris, the testimony of Earl at the Smoothie Shack, and all the retirees in the park. Not once was Chris ever aggressive to anyone. He was protecting you. A well-trained German Shepherd would have bit that jerk. I would have punched the guy if I’d been there.”

“I know, but you wouldn’t have dislocated his shoulder, caused compound fractures to his radius and ulna, and ripped his freakin’ ear off! The prosecutor will have a field day.”

“So will the defense. We all know about the #MeToo movement. That son-of-a-B assaulted you. Case closed.”

“They’re going to say we should have taken precautions, that we should have kept Chris locked away from people. We are liable for whatever mayhem Chris caused. I’m afraid we won’t win.”

“Look, if we’re backed into a corner, I’ll take full responsibility. I’ll tell them about my research…the serum…Chris’ intelligence.”

“Then the press will go ape. The whole thing will become a three-ring circus. Sexual assault, a potential cure for Alzheimer’s, animal rights, super-intelligent monkeys. For heaven’s sake, Miles, have you even heard of Planet of the Apes?”

“Fair point, Anna. But what choice will I have? As you’ve said, that guy was hurt – badly, and Chris did it. He and his friends will testify in court that the attack was unprovoked. That you misunderstood, what’s his name, Cleat? We know that’s bullshit.”

“It’s Pete,” Anna managed a weak smile. “But I was the one assaulted. Chris came to my defense!”

“I think the jury will see it that way.”

“If I might jump in,” Jake spoke up. “I discovered the store has a security cam in the alley. Earl was mugged last year, so he installed one to cover his side door. The attack happened in sight of that camera.”

“What are you, some kind of detective now, Jake?” Miles asked.

“Well, the police didn’t even ask Earl about it,” Jake replied. “It seems to me that footage will help your case. As will Earl’s testimony. Remember, he was taking out the trash and saw the whole thing. He’s pretty steamed about his buddy Chris being shot. Don’t give up hope. To answer your question specifically, I’ve read every detective story by Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, and several others. It seems to me investigating a crime is rather elementary, my dear Miles.”

“Don’t tell me you can remember every detail of those stories.”

“But I can, Miles. I can also remember every detail of every law book I’ve ever read. If I were your attorney, I could defend you more than competently.”

“Too bad you haven’t passed the bar.”

“That’s just a matter of time. Miles, I never had an eidetic memory before, but now it seems I have no trouble recalling books and articles I read years ago. And I’m absorbing new information all the time. The trouble is, I also remember a disturbing number of details about my own life. A lot of stuff I had let go of, that I willingly forgot about to maintain my sanity. Incidents are coming back, like a library of personal files, available to open at my own risk. It’s like I’m watching my life on a computer monitor. And, I’m not entirely sure if it’s my life or someone else’s. It’s all becoming overwhelming.”

Now it was Anna’s turn. “Miles…what…did…you…do?”

“It’s alright, Anna.” Jake answered for him. “My old friend Miles merely saved my life. I’m sure the two of you can help me manage.”

“Good Lord, Miles!” Anna exclaimed. “You gave him the serum. What if he…”

“What if he what, Anna?” Miles responded. “Goes insane…or dies?”

Jake tried to mollify Anna, “Don’t worry, Miles told me all about Chris. Thanks for naming him that, by the way. That’s why I’m here. I want to help you. What happened to Chris wasn’t fair. I’ve reviewed all the information. Chris tried to rescue you. His only fault was being too strong for his own good.”

“And what about you, Jake? Are you experiencing increased strength or agility?” Anna tried to remain calm.

“As a matter of fact, yes, my dear friends. This morning I could bench press 200 pounds. Not bad for an over-the-hill 45-year-old man who’s been moping around in a bathrobe for a couple of years, wouldn’t you say?”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Jake?” Miles broke in.

“I was getting around to it.”

“I suppose your agility and reflexes have improved as well?” Anna stayed on task.

“As a matter of fact…”

7

“The defense will argue that the accused had no reason to suspect that the Chimpanzee known as Chris would be dangerous to humans and was therefore safe. I want to remind the jury that even though the defense has painted him as friendly, the Chimpanzee who attacked Peter Derry was a wild animal, therefore dangerous, and therefore should not have been allowed to associate with humans. Ladies and gentlemen, you must decide that by allowing this animal to have unrestricted contact with humans, the defendants were reckless in this case.”

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. You have heard testimony from several members of the checkers club in the park, including Les Brown, who goes by the nickname, Brownie. Mr. Brown testified that he learned ASL to communicate with his granddaughter, Emily, who was born with a severe hearing impairment. Mr. Brown has also testified that he taught Chris how to play chess. We have seen footage of Chris calmly playing chess as well as checkers with humans. Strikingly, we have seen that when he loses, which is often, he shakes hands with the person who defeated him. We have also seen video of Chris in a lab setting. But we have not seen video of Chris playing in the park with Mr. Brown’s granddaughter. With the court’s permission, I would like to show a video clip that Mr. Brown’s daughter, Jackie, recently brought to my attention.”

“Objection.”

“I apologize, your honor. Jackie Brown sent this clip to me just this morning. She said she had misplaced her old cellphone and only found it by accident in a plastic bag inside a cardboard box under a mid-century chair in her living room. I think we need to show this clip to the jury to provide a full picture of the animal the defense has described as wild and dangerous.”

“I’ll allow it but keep it short.”

The clip showed Emily playing a “Tea Party” scene in the park with Chris. They were signing, laughing, and sipping imaginary tea. The defense provided a translator. Other than a decent conversation between a 6-year-old child and a Chimp, it showed that Chris seemed to understand the word, “pretend,” when Emily signed it. He clearly drank the tea and ate the cookies without being disappointed or angry these things weren’t real. The clip ended with a big hug between Emily and Chris. The fact that Jackie trusted Chris around Emily did not go unnoticed.

“Ladies and gentlemen, first I want to point out that the defendants had no reason to believe that their highly-intelligent and well-socialized Chimpanzee would attack a human being. The evidence and testimony we have presented shows that Chris was extremely unlikely to be aggressive towards humans. In fact, the one and only time he attacked a man was in response to that man assaulting his friend, Anna. Chris merely did what most people would do. He came to the defense of his friend. Admittedly, he did not know his own strength, however I believe it’s clear that this so-called unprovoked attack was not unprovoked. It was in fact appropriate under the circumstances. The law says we can stand our ground on behalf of another person. Well, Anna was that other person, and Chris was only standing that ground as one of us would have. My clients are not guilty of endangering anyone. Perhaps Peter Derry should have been kept on a leash that day.”

Media responses were swift and predictable. Animal rights advocates weighed in with slogans, such as “Free Chris’ People!” and “Chimps Are People Too.” Anti-science doomsday scenarios warned of the dangers of super-intelligent primates and Frankenstein monsters – people becoming “mutants” because of this kind of research. Victims’ rights advocates argued that Pete was the real victim here and demanded justice. Several of the more radical “#MeToo” feminists suggested that Chris should have ripped off something more private than Pete’s ear. Headlines, such as, “Chimp No Chump but Chess Champ,” played to the amusement of readers. Memes of “Planet of the Apes” characters with captions referring to the case received thousands of shares. It was every bit the circus Anna thought it would be. If all the bruhaha served any purpose for Miles and Anna, it was to deflect attention away from Jake.

8

By the time the verdict was handed down, Jake had been “awake” for 11 months and 8 days. In his testimony, Miles took responsibility but was found not guilty. However, his research was not to proceed until the NIH approved it. This meant it would require years of review, but all was not lost. Pete was dissuaded from a civil suit, because, well, #MeToo, and clear footage that showed him trying to grab a young woman by the Presidential Parts.

Jake had made a bit of money in the bitcoin market and was helping Miles continue his “off-the-books” project. But he was plagued by the discrepancy between who he remembered he was and what he was with millions of added memories.

“I’m sure a human being isn’t supposed to include a computer-like memory bank, Miles. Sometimes I think my head is about to explode, then I get control and feel like I’m Commander Data, with 100 petabytes of positronic brain capacity. But when I do, I find I don’t have any emotions, no empathy, just raw logic.”

“I’m sorry, old friend. I didn’t want you to be caught between feeling human and…something else. How can I help?”

“First, we need a lot more money. Then, we need a secret lab.”

“Like the Bat Cave? I always wanted to do that, but as you know, I’m no Bruce Wayne.”

“No. But keep in mind you are Miles Davis! And I will be like Bruce Wayne in a year or so. Except I will be known as J. Christopher Blake. Only you may call me Jake. Many noteworthy people have had a J as their initial. J. Edgar Hoover. J. Howard Marshall. J. Paul Getty. J. Robert Oppenheimer. J.B. Hunt. J.B. Priestley. J.C. Penny. J.D. Salinger. J.F.K. J.J. Abrams. J.K. Rowling. J.K. Simmons. J.L, Kraft. J.M. Smucker. J.P. Morgan. J.R.R. Tolkien. J.S. Bach. J.W. Marriott. And if I stretch it a little, J.Z. Soon, I will be recognized by the same initials as the most famous J in history.”

“Jake, may I remind you that you are not a god?”

“Not yet,” Jake laughed. “But I benched 300 pounds this morning.”

9

“Your mental acuity and physical agility are off the charts,” Miles stated. “And I haven’t won a game of chess since you recovered. But…”

“But…you’re still concerned about my mental health. Don’t be, Miles. I think I’m getting my feelings under control. There’s less of a disconnect now.”

“On a scale of one-to-ten, how well put together are you?”

“I’d say about a 6 or a 7.”

“Well, that’s better than a coin flip to psychopathology, which is what I was concerned about. We need to find some activity or focus that helps you stay grounded – in control. I’m still worried about what you said. You felt like you were watching your life as though you were a third party. You’re not. You’re still you, no matter what name you’ve chosen, J.C. or just Jake.”

“That’s my problem. I’m not just Jake. I’m something more. I’m trying to figure out exactly what or who I am. But I agree. I need to find a focus for my energies. And it can’t just be making money.”

“Although you are very good at that. You’ve made a billion dollars in less than two years. What will it be in five?”

“One year and ten months. In five years, my goal is 50 billion. I have some ideas. One thing this computer-brain 2.0 is good for is analyzing risk. But besides funding your research, what should I do with my money?”

“Is the Bat Cave idea off the table?”

“Ha! Not entirely. But a mission to Mars would be silly, and I’m not about to risk my life in Challenger Deep or on top of Everest. I want to make a difference here on Earth.”

“That’s a good thought. Stay with that. There’s green energy, resource recovery, artificial intelligence, climate change amelioration, and of course, my Alzheimer’s research could lead to other regenerative therapies. I’d say just pick one, but you need to find something meaningful to you. I’ll stand by you no matter what you choose.”

“I appreciate that. Let’s hope I choose something legal,” Jake winked.

10

There is a fundamental problem with society. And to think that J. Christopher Blake did not notice it would be a mistake. Edmund Burke once wrote, “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” The problem is that good men try to be tolerant, to cultivate an open and questioning mind, to practice justice and non-violence, while evil men practice intolerance and project a sense of certainty that justifies doing injustice and violence to other human beings. Some men opposed slavery on the principle that it was wrong for some to own other human beings as chattel property. Certain that some races were inferior, other men justified slavery and participated in centuries of injustice and violence. Some men opposed authoritarianism while others killed millions of human beings in the quest for a thousand-year Reich. Some men seek a paradoxical nexus between freedom and order, mercy and justice, equality and merit, while others seek ways to perpetuate their own advantage in society.

J. Christopher Blake realized that certain individuals were a “clear and present danger” to good people everywhere. These individuals were so certain, so dogmatic, and in many cases so self-absorbed that they rationalized injustice and promoted fear, hatred, and violence. These individuals were arguably the cause of innumerable deaths, indescribable suffering, and indeed all wars. They were so certain that their way of doing things was right that their minds were closed to other possibilities. They were so convinced that their rights were more important than the rights of others that they dehumanized others to confirm their prejudices and assert their dominance. They believed their religion or ideology entitled them to rule over others, no matter what the evidence suggested. These were the men who shouted, “See what you made me do!” after every crime against humanity. These were the men who held others hostage to their whims in the name of their god or their beliefs, practically daring good men to stop them.

J.C. Blake wanted to stop them. He didn’t know how, but he knew he must try.

At first, Jake toyed with the idea of killing evil people. He quickly concluded that choice would make him no different from those he considered “evil.” There must be another way. After second, third, and fourth thoughts, he realized there would be no information unavailable to a man with enough money, servers, and mental horsepower. Forget Wikileaks and Edward Snowden. Forget whistleblowers in general. Because truth was the enemy of the self-righteous, full disclosure would be his weapon of choice. J.C. Blake would begin the apocalypse – literally the unveiling – of the evil perpetrated by the intolerant, the dogmatic, and the willfully ignorant.

11

While Miles continued to refine his serum, J. Christopher Blake carried out an assault on evil. He refused to stand by and do nothing. He released millions of pages of personal and classified information revealing prominent authoritarians as the dangerous frauds they are. Each day’s headlines began with new revelations. Step-by-step, the old saying, “Everything’s Jake,” became a reality. Everything was coming out Jake’s way. True histories of injustice and malfeasance were exposed. Governments were brought to account for decades of corruption in the name of the national interest. It was a difficult time, to say the least, as apocalypses generally are. But larger truths were set free along with delusions and lies. Many stories of honest, decent, tolerant, and hard-working men and women were brought to light. Good people who tried to work every day towards freedom, justice, and equality. Workers in public health, elections, education, social programs, the mail system, and other public servants were honored and celebrated rather than criticized and stigmatized. The glue of society started to matter while the self-aggrandizing who drove wedges between people were marginalized. It wasn’t utopia, by any means. But it was a start, and Jake helped make it possible.

12

“How’s my suggestion working out? Jake asked.

“I appreciate your insights,” Miles replied. “I’ve been able to refine the serum. My trials in mice have reversed brain damage without side effects and without super-intelligence. The formula for the serum you received must remain a secret.”

“That goes without saying. We were incredibly lucky. Just imagine what would happen if a neo-Nazi got a dose of version 1.0. Now…how about lunch? It’s on me.”

They headed to lunch at a downtown establishment. In the parking garage, they were approached by a man flashing a pistol. “Put your wallets and watches in the bag.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jake asked as he stepped in front of Miles.

“I have to. Some asshole released my financial data. I got kicked out of office for fraud and my assets have been seized. What choice do I have?”

“I suppose you could choose not to rob people at gunpoint,” Jake retorted.

“The weak are the rightful prey of the strong.”

“Not today.” As fast as an octopus strike, Jake twisted the gun out of the man’s hand, nearly breaking his wrist. With a fluid step to the side, he flipped the unsuspecting mugger head-over-heels into the nearest dumpster, knocking him unconscious. He emptied the magazine, broke off the hammer, and kicked the weapon behind the dumpster.

Miles turned to Jake and remarked, “Look what the man in the tuxedo is doing now!” a lame reference to an old TV ad.

Jake laughed, “Nobody messes with Miles Davis while I’m around.”