Newline Magazine
Robots, Fakes, or Just Simply Amazing?
By Sarah Cline
What do the following well-known people have in common? Senator Les Walkins of Kansas, Governor James Glenwich of Idaho, Rev. Morris Newcolm of the world-famous Pensacola Bible Tabernacle, and Lou Ellen Toomes, President of the African Children’s Relief Fund. They are all alumni of the well-known, yet reclusive Memorite Preparatory School.
The Memorite Preparatory School was established almost 3five years ago, with a generous grant from multi-billionaire William Ezra Scarboro. It was originally intended as a way for underprivileged children to receive a higher quality education, but the initial list of students included the names of children from some fairly prominent members of American society. Scarboro’s son, Kelsey, was in the group. As it later turned out, the school was an experiment in a novel teaching method and curriculum, that subsequently produced some very noteworthy graduates.
Six years later, another school, the Memorite Academy was begun under the same auspices as the Preparatory Academy.
All students accepted to the Memorite Academy are selected exclusively from those graduating from Memorite Preparatory School. The students not accepted into the Memorite Academy go on to other public or private schools, or in many cases, simply start college – at age 12.
The entrance requirements of the Memorite Preparatory School have nothing to do with income or social standing. Some of the students admitted are from well-to-do families, but many are from the middle class, and a significant percentage are from low-income, inner-city families. Since there is no tuition, and the school provides not only books, supplies as well as transportation, the burden is the same regardless of the family’s income.
Senator Walkins, his mother, and his five brothers and sisters were surviving on government aid 24 years ago when he was accepted at age six. Lou Ellen Toomes’ family was worth an estimated $6.5 billion when she was accepted at the same age, two years later.
There are tens of thousands of Memorite Preparatory School graduates all over the country, the vast majority of whom are successful leaders in society. They all attribute their success to Memorite Preparatory School.
But what of the mysterious Memorite Academy, which produces the much talked about Memorites?
Roughly a third of each year’s Memorite Preparatory School graduates are accepted into the Memorite Academy. The Memorite Preparatory School covers six years. Usually from age six to twelve. The Memorite Academy covers the next six years, ages thirteen to eighteen. Schools that have tested Memorite Preparatory School graduates find that these twelve-year-olds, generally have the equivalent of a high school education and beyond. Most parents opt to send them on to school for socialization reasons, but a significant number go straight to college.
Both the Memorite Preparatory School and the Memorite Academy are funded mainly through private donations, the majority of which are from Memorite Preparatory School alumni and through honorariums earned by Memorites. Memorite Academy graduates, so far, have all remained as a part of the Memorite Society, and work only under its authority.
Why are the Memorites so mysterious?
So far, from what can be learned about them, Memorites have been trained in highly advanced mental abilities. They can read at astounding speeds. They have virtually photographic memories. They are trained in information and data management, all using their minds for the most part.
Physically, Memorites look like you or me except that they keep their appearance fairly conservative, thus the ever-present misconception that the Society is a cult.
While speed-reading and memory are impressive feats, it hardly seems criteria for the kind of rumors that surround the Memorites. Some rumors claim that Memorites are actually human shells for robotic computer implants. And as noted some rumors claim that the Memorite Society is a cult. Others say they are nothing more than a harmless group of intellectuals.
Five years after the first students graduated from the Memorite Academy, a handful of Memorites were placed outside the two schools in various humanitarian positions. As the years passed a greater number each year could be found working for charities, hospitals, universities, relief agencies, etc. The Memorite Society has been deluged each year with requests from various organizations. As of this writing, according to official Memorite Society reports, there are about 1,000 Memorites in positions with the government—State and Federal—and about 5,000 Memorites in various private organizations.
There’s an old saying that a human is a slow, error-prone genius, and a computer is a fast, accurate moron. While it was frustrating, it did draw the line between people and computers. Memorites blur that line, some say, to a dangerous degree.
Sarah Cline is a contributing writer for Newline Magazine.
Kevin opened the car door and reached for his phone in one move. He then sat in the driver’s seat and pushed his phone into the charger/hands-free holder. It was instinct; he’d done it so many times. The car started up with one turn of the key, and he stretched his head around to see what was behind. He popped the car in reverse without looking at the gearshift and backed out. Pulling through the gate to the parking lot, he gave a brief wave to Willy, the gate attendant.
Kevin waited for two cars to pass before he pulled into the street. He was in mid-turn when his phone rang.
“Yeah, Gould.”
“Detective, this is Chief Roberts. Where are you right now?”
“Just pulling out from the station, heading to the college.”
“Good, I just heard the news. Now, Kevin, I’m putting my faith in you that you’ll handle this well.”
Kevin stopped at an intersection and waited for the light.
“There are several key elements to this crime that could impact our department very seriously,” said the Chief. “For one, this will most likely make national news. We need to make sure we don’t look like a bunch of inept bumblers. Next, we don’t want to jeopardize our relationship with the Memorite Society.”
The light turned green, so Kevin pulled out and turned.
“I’ve been trying to get a Memorite for the department for a year now,” continued the Chief, “and I really don’t want to have this get in the way of that. Okay?”
“Yeah, you know me; I’ll be the picture of professionalism.”
“Right. Now has anybody called the college President?”
“Not that I’m aware of, sir.”
“Since you’re the point man on this I think it’d be best coming from you. Go ahead and give him a call, and let him know what’s happened. He’ll most likely want to come to the scene, so the sooner he’s notified the better.”
“I’ll call him as soon as I get off the line with you.”
“Fine, I won’t be coming out now. I should be there sometime later on this morning...“ Kevin could hear the distant sound of a woman’s angry voice coming across the line, followed by the muffled sound of the Chief, through his hand as he covered his phone.
“Just make sure things are done right, okay, Kevin?”
“You can count on me, Chief.”
“Good, I’ll see you in a few hours.”
Kevin tapped the voice command button on the side of his phone.
“Police Station.”
He waited while the phone dialed.
“Limestone Police Department.”
“Yeah, Carla, this is Kevin, do you think you could look up the home number for the college President for me?”
“Sure Kevin, hang on a minute...”
Carla had been working for the police department for almost three years now. Her husband was an old high school friend of Kevin’s and Kevin had mentioned the opening to them when they had talked about Carla getting a part-time job. He was glad she’d answered the phone because most of the other operators could get snotty when asked to look up phone numbers.
“I found it, Kevin, but are you driving?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, let me just connect you through here and you won’t need to be fiddling with your phone.”
“Thanks, Carla, what would I do without you?”
“Here you go, Kevin.”
Kevin could hear the phone ringing several times followed by a sleepy, “Yes, this had better be really important.”
“President Payton? This is Detective Gould of the Limestone Police Department, there’s been a...uh...situation at the college.”
“What!? What’s happened?”
Kevin had reached the next intersection and stopped to wait for a green light.
“There’s been a murder, a shooting.”
“Oh goodness. Do you know who it is?”
“Yes.” The light turned and Kevin accelerated. “The victim is Todd Engstrom.”
Kevin knew that would hit like a ton of bricks. There was a long pause.
“President Payton, are you there?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m here. I’ll...where is...I‘m on my way. I’ll talk to you there.” The line went dead.
Kevin reached the next intersection and turned right. Up ahead, not six blocks further was the college campus.