The Future: Sometime in 2035
NEWSFLASH
There is a very real possibility of a World War worse than World War Two breaking out, as a failure in US security systems lead to nuclear missiles being launched and destroying large parts of cities in Europe. The President of the US warned civilians that they were on the brink of a full scale nuclear war. The President has blamed the Dweebo virus. “The monster who created this virus will be tried and sentenced before an international tribunal. Intelligence services are on the hunt for the Dweebo virus hacker.”
***
The Present January 2013
Early Saturday morning, Dwight heads for his ATM. He is exhausted.
That security system on the banking website was tough. An absolute nightmare! Even now, he isn’t sure if his program installed itself correctly.
“Time to face the truth,” he says nervously. He punches his pin into the ATM pad.
Next to him, some man is yelling into the bank’s courtesy phone. “You have to help me! I’m telling you, I had enough money in my account. Yes. For the stop-order to pay off my taxi loan. No, I don’t know where the money went! I didn’t touch it. And if I don’t pay, they will repossess my taxi!”
Dwight ignores the yelling taxi driver. Because a wonderful, wonderful thing is happening. Dwight’s mini-statement slides out of the ATM and – yes! Yes! It shows he has money. Seven thousand and fifty-three rand and twenty-one cents, to be exact.
Credit, not debit!
Balance, not overdraft!
Plus, not minus!
And there in the left-hand bottom corner of his mini-statement is a single word in 8-Point Century Gothic Italics: Dweebo!
Dwight draws a thousand for his night with Glenda. Now his balance goes up: eight thousand and fifty-three rand and twenty-one cents.
“One tiny sign and my whole world gets turned around!” He draws a second thousand. Maybe Glenda will be free on Sunday night as well?
Nine thousand, says his balance.
The taxi driver is sitting on the pavement now, his feet in the gutter. Begging over his cellphone. “Don’t you understand? If I don’t have my taxi, I can’t work. How will I feed my children? How will I send them to school? Please you must help me. You must check what went wrong in my account.” He is weeping openly.
His ATM statement lies in the gutter beside him. It too has the word “Dweebo” in the bottom corner. But he doesn’t notice through his tears.
Dwight walks past with a smile. Dwight doesn’t understand that it is his Dweebo virus that has caused this man’s distress. Dwight is a genius when it comes to computer programming. But he has no imagination. None whatsoever.
Even when he realises, in the near future, how much horror he has created, what does he say?
“Who cares? All my life people have been nasty to me. They have mocked me, laughed at me. So why should I care what happens to them? Serves them all right!” That’s his reaction.
And he won’t give it any more thought. After all, he has more important things on his mind. Like glorious, glamorous, gorgeous Glenda. And a whole night there in her cottage! Alone with her at last.
***
Tell us what you think: Is Dwight going to be punished for what he has done? Is there any hope of justice?