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Data Ghosts

• Chapter 1: Predictability
• Chapter 2: EOF
• Chapter 3: The Ghost of Frank Crane
• Chapter 4: Dead Reckoning
• Chapter 5: Frank's Will

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Data Ghosts

by Jimmy Jacobson

Data Ghosts Chapter 4: Dead Reckoning

From the richest to the most destitute, humans are creatures of habit. Ninety point eight one percent of all of them spend the night in the same place ninety two point three percent of the time as the night before. Ninety five point six three percent, repeating, spend at least six hours a day sitting in the same place, every day. And eighty five percent, rounded, eat lunch at the same place and travel the same route to get there. Ninety eight point nine-nine-nine percent of all humans eat at least 2 meals a day at the same time every day, and an even greater proportion of the human population goes to sleep the same time every twenty four hour period with a five minute margin of error.

In the beginning, the first iteration of what became the Dead Reckoning project attempted a brute force compilation of data transmitted from cell phone and handhelds embedded with global tracking chips. This data was stored in a top secret database called the National Data Base of Global Positions. When the data was harvested for relevant information, the system choked on the sheer quantity of logged data acquired after only a few short months. Typical of government problem solving, heads rolled and even more money was thrown at the problem. From a large pile of grant proposals, one was selected that offered a promising solution to the overload of data. Two young and eager graduate students were summoned to Washington D.C. to speak to the project administrators.

Oneida Greisen was the woman that pulled the strings that made everyone dance. When the first round of projects and reports based on the N.D.B.G.P. failed due to data glut, the previous director was shown the door and Ms. Griesen, or Oni as she was called behind her back, was brought in by the political backers of the project to salvage the operation. Oneida and the five men she dominated professionally sat across the table from the two fresh eyed graduate students. “Mr. Crane and Mr. Cantwell, thank you for your time today“, she began courteously and professionally. Over the course of the next three hours, the discussion became more intense and questions flew like sharp knives. The topics ranged from statistical models and Hessian matrices, to artificially intelligent heuristics for searching. Frank and Sid found the five men, uniform in appearance, and the tall, proud woman across from them able to converse and probe their responses intelligently. While Frank and Sid answered all questions openly about their proposed research, they found any attempt to discern what department of government would be writing the check deflected skillfully.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Oneida’s eyes burned with the fire of anticipation. These young men held the key she needed to turn this project around and claim the reward. Standing and smoothing her dark grey suit, she thanked Crane and the impeccably dressed Cantwell. Oneida tasked her five dwarves, as she thought of them, with preparing the paperwork to fund project Dead Reckoning. One week later, she called Sid and Frank personally to give them the good news.

Chapter 5: Frank's Will