Jack Be Quick Ch. 01

"Have you heard any names, like faculty members who are involved? Or project names, goofy sounding things that don't seem to mean anything?"

"The only name I heard more than once is Carlson. That mean anything to you?"

"No, but I bet I know a guy who might know something. He's an associate professor in Comp Sci, Jim Mangrum, and we've become friends. He keeps his ear to the ground. Some days he shows up looking as if he didn't get any sleep because he was up most of the night on his computer, either programming or chatting with people all over the world. Not much gets past him. I'll give him a call and see if we could meet him for lunch or whatever."

"The light turned green, Jack."

"Oh, yeah. Here, take my cell phone and see if you can find Jim Mangrum in the contact list. Got it? Would you call him and hand me the phone, please."

It sounded like a call that wouldn't be answered and I was just thinking how odd it was that a nerd like Jim wouldn't have an answering machine, when suddenly there was the sound of a voice starting to say "Hello" and the phone falling on the floor. After some scrapes and thumps, Jim's voice came back. "Sorry about that. What's up, Jack?"

"I just picked up Trudy at the airport and I'm taking her home. She's been hearing rumors in Cambridge that I'd like to ask you about, and I was wondering if we could get together and pick your brain. It's about security. Maybe lunch tomorrow?"

"Sure. How about Freddie's at noon? Shouldn't be crowded now that school's out. If you get there before me, try to grab a booth in the back so we'll have some privacy."

* * * * * * * * * *

Jim was right, Freddie's Burger Shack was nearly deserted when we got there. Jim was already in a back booth with a cup of coffee. I could tell that he'd gone all out to make a good impression on Trudy. His hair was combed, his shirt wasn't wrinkled, his slacks had a crease, he was wearing socks, and they matched! "Trudy, I'm so glad to meet you. Jack talks about you all the time, and I had you pictured about nine feet tall with librarian glasses. He must have told me a dozen times how much smarter you are than he is, and that must make you very special. But you don't look at all intimidating."

"I think Jack's a little prejudiced, Jim. Hope so, anyway. I've missed him so, and everything and everybody here at home." She was looking around. "I've eaten here a few times, and I see the place hasn't changed. How's the coffee?"

Before Jim could answer, Janice, my favorite waitress, materialized. "Are you Trudy? As soon as Jack came in the door I told Bernice that I'd take this table, because I wanted to meet the wonderful girl he's been telling us about."

"Oh, you're making me feel embarrassed. I'm glad Jack thinks I'm special, because I think he is, too. Does he come in here often?"

"Only for breakfast and lunch every day, and supper sometimes, when he remembers to eat. Bernice and I try to make sure he gets a balanced diet, because he's always so wrapped up in his work that he hardly knows what's on his plate. This is the first time I've seen him at lunchtime without his laptop, so I guess you really are special."

After we ordered, Trudy explained to Jim how and where and what she had heard about the new concentration on information system security at MIT. "So what do you make of all that, Jim? Is it really something big or just talk?"

"Trudy, it's remarkable how you assembled all those little scraps into a pretty complete picture. Especially considering that you're not a techie. And you sure have captured it. The CIA could use spies like you." Jim turned to aim his remarks at me. "This really is something big. I was planning to tell you about it, because you could be just what they're looking for. If you were to get involved you'd have to move, and I know you've been living at home so that might be a tough decision. But in any technical field you have to go where the cutting edge work is being done or spend the rest of your life reading about it in trade magazines. And by the time they get it, all the fun is over." He added, with a sly grin, "Do you happen to know anybody in Cambridge, maybe somebody you could bunk with to save on rent?"

I was trying to contain myself. "You mean you really think I could get in on this? I'm only a kid, a freshman, and they probably want grad students."

"What they're looking for is ability - brains and talent and related experience. They don't care if you're old enough to drink. They don't even care if you're old enough to drive. You match their needs perfectly. Look, I know some people there, and I'll get on the phone tonight with a couple of friends and pick their brains. I can't guarantee anything, but I think you've got a good chance of getting in on it. A very good chance!"

As insightful as ever, Trudy asked a question that was on my mind. "What about you, Jim? You must have all the qualifications. Aren't you interested in this program?"

"If I were actively recruited, meaning if they really needed me there to save the world, I'd go in a heartbeat. But these things have a life cycle. Jack could go there, do a lot of really ground breaking work and establish a reputation in the industry. Along the way he could get a free ride at MIT and pick up credentials that'll be valuable in the future. But after four or five years the head count on this will shrink, and later on it'll spin off some sort of a private company or government funded think tank or university laboratory, with a staff of regulars who'll probably stay with it till they retire. The guys who peel off will be grabbed up by headhunters for leading companies and government agencies, and never look back. But I'm an academic, and I think like one and I act like one. I like the life, the teaching, the people I get to know as they travel through the university, the sponsored research and development, all of it. So for me it'd be more of a career detour than an important stepping stone.

"Remember, every project, every research thrust, every product, has a lifetime. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. Or in human terms, birth, development, maturity, slowdown, and death. That's nature. Nothing to be afraid of or ashamed of, but something you always have to be aware of."

Janice came then with our food, and the conversation tapered off to small talk, short comments amid appreciative chewing and swallowing. Freddie's food was always good no matter how crowded the restaurant was, but with school out and only a few lunches to fix he could really demonstrate his talents, and he'd hit this one right out of the park for us.

As we relaxed and let the food settle, I asked, "How does this opportunity compare with my future prospects if I just stay here and go on through the program at State?"

"Jack, let me explain something to you. I teach a few courses and direct some research projects, but a very important function for all of us in the department is job placement. If we can get our grads into companies that are growing, then it's easier to place the next crop. The university has ongoing relationships with a lot of companies. They keep us up to date on what they're working on and what kinds of people they need, and we're constantly watching for rising stars. I know what the industry needs, what it can offer, and what the future holds - here, there, everywhere. If you continue your studies here you have a good future ahead of you, and I think you can expect good pay, interesting work, and reasonable job security. But this thing at MIT is the sort of thrust that comes along maybe once in a decade, and provided they get the right people working on it, the real contributors can expect opportunities that are out of sight. My advice, just my personal opinion, is that if you get a chance at this and turn it down, you'll be kicking yourself the rest of your life."