An experiment coauthoring with ChatGPT. Chapter One, where Pete asks Ana to help him recover his digital wallet
When cryptography meets quantum computer and cryopreserved bodies hide secrets worth millions, it only takes one bad actor to unleash a thrilling action. Coauthored with ChatGPT based on my prompts. The technology and historical events in this novel are real.
Peter, a crypto investor, sat nervously at Ana’s kitchen table, fidgeting with his hands as he explained his predicament. “I’ve lost the keys to my digital wallet,” he said, “and I have no idea how to recover them. Can you help me?” Ana, a Computer Science graduate student specializing in crypto and security, listened attentively while mentally thinking what was she going to have for dinner.
“Okay, let’s start from the beginning,” Ana said. “What exactly happened to the digital keys to your wallet?”
Peter took a deep breath and explained. “My hard drive crashed, and when I tried to recover the contents, the sector where the keys were stored could only be restored partially. I’ve tried everything I know, but I can’t seem to get the keys back.”
Peter, a man shrouded in mystery, was once just an ordinary taxi driver, ferrying people through the bustling streets of the city. But little did his passengers know, Peter had a secret passion — Bitcoin. He had always been fascinated by the world of digital currencies, and in his spare time, he dove deep into the world of crypto investing.
With his luck timing the market, Peter’s investments started to pay off. He felt as if he had finally found his calling, and his small investments began to grow into a substantial fortune. He dreamed of retiring early and living a life of luxury with his girlfriend, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
But destiny had other plans. One fateful day, Peter discovered that the keys to his crypto wallet, the gateway to his fortune, went missing due to a hard disk crash of his laptop. Without those keys, his investments were locked away, out of reach. The loss was a crushing blow to Peter’s plans, and his girlfriend news love for Louboutins hung in the balance.
Ana was a brilliant computer science graduate student, a prodigy in the field of cryptography and cybersecurity. She was also a great cook, and a bit of a party animal. She was determined to make her mark in the academic world, at least as big as her sister had made in TikTok. Her passion for the field led her to a top university where she was working under the guidance of a renowned expert in the field of quantum computing.
Together, Ana and her professor were on the cusp of a breakthrough, working to merge the worlds of quantum computing and cryptocurrency security. They believed that by harnessing the power of quantum computing, they could create unbreakable codes that would revolutionize the crypto industry.
The challenge that Peter was presenting her was an interesting practical problem she could use to advance her research. Plus it could be an easy way to cash in her know how to finally get that expensive hairdo and tint that she had been wanting to have for a while.
Ana and Peter had met serendipitously. One day, Peter picked up a fare, a distinguished-looking gentleman, who asked to be taken to a local computer repair shop. As they drove, Peter confided in his passenger about his recent misfortune of losing the keys to his crypto wallet, and the possible financial troubles it may cause to his love life. No money for high heels could result in sunseting interest in him by his girlfriend.
The gentleman listened with interest an once they arrived at the computer repair shop handed Peter his card. “I may be able to help you with your problem,” he said. “I know a young woman, a graduate student in computer science, who specializes in crypto security. She may be able to assist you in recovering your keys.”
Intrigued, Peter thanked the gentleman and took the card. He contacted Ana, and explained his predicament. She agreed to meet to discuss how she could help him. This is how Peter had found his way to Ana’s kitchen and had explained the situation in full to her while she was gathering the ingredients to make Lasagna from scratch.
Ana sat across of Peter and decided she could use his case as a practical application to some of the technologies she was working on. “Ok, let’s see if we can recover the missing pieces. Can you show me the partially restored sector and the recovery software you’ve been using?”
Peter handed over his laptop. Ana quickly scanned through the recovered sector, looking for any clues that could help her piece together the missing information. She knew that in cases like this, even a small fragment of data could be crucial in unlocking the keys to the wallet.
After a few minutes of examination, Ana had an idea. “I think I might have a solution,” she said, “ but we’ll need to try a few things, and it may take some time. Can you leave your laptop and the recovery software with me? I’ll work on it and keep you updated.”
Peter nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. “Thank you, Ana. I really appreciate it.”
Ana quickly realized that she might need some help to recover the keys to Peter’s digital wallet. She remembered the chat group of her college buddies who were all experts in various fields of computer science and security.
Ana wrote a message to the group explaining the situation with Peter. She included details about the crash, the partially restored sector, and the recovery software that had been used. She ended the message by asking if anyone had any ideas on how to help Peter recover his keys.
Within minutes, the group was buzzing with activity as her friends offered suggestions and possible solutions. Some suggested trying different recovery software, while others suggested that a brute force attack on the partially restored sector could reveal the missing keys.
Mike, a good looking expert in quantum computing, offered an idea. “Have you considered using a quantum computer to try and crack open the digital wallet? The advantage of a quantum computer is that it can work on many possible key pair combinations in parallel, increasing the chances of finding the correct one.”
Mike explained that he had been working on a similar problem and had developed a new technique that he believed could help recover the lost keys. Ana listened intently, feeling her spirits lift with each word he spoke.
For Ana, this was a huge opportunity. Not only was she getting closer to a solution for Peter, but this could also be a game changer for her career. If she and Mike could recover the keys and figure out a way to secure crypto wallets from hackers, it could put her on the map as a leading expert in the field of crypto security.
Mike explained that the process would involve running a quantum algorithm on the partially restored sector of the wallet, which would generate a large number of possible key pair combinations. The quantum computer would then test each combination in parallel, looking for the one that unlocked the wallet.
Ana knew that this would be a resource expensive solution and asked Mike about the cost. Mike told her that it could end up being a significant amount of money, but that the chances of success were high.
Ana chatted with Peter. “I have a possible solution for you, but it is going to cost a significant amount of money,” she said. “Are you willing to pay a finder’s fee if this works?”
Peter, who was desperate to regain access to his funds, agreed without hesitation. “I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said. “Just get me my keys back.”
Ana told Mike they had the green light to proceed with the quantum computing solution. Mike asked Ana if she could arrange for some time on the quantum computer that she had access to through her university lab.
Ana reached out to her professor and presented this as a case study for a potential application so that she could get access to the computing resources of the lab. After some coordination, she managed to secure a slot for the upcoming week and informed Mike.
“Great, we’re all set then,” Mike said. “let’s meet up later for coffee and we can discuss the next steps and the finder’s fee.”
Ana was excited to work on this project with Mike. She had secretly had a crush on him for a while and was now happy to have an excuse to spend time with him. She spent at least half an hour trying to find the proper outfit to wear to meet him. The short black dress was too slutty, and her jeans and sweater did not show enough. She decided to go for a miniskirt, with black stockings and a blue blouse with large buttons that resalted the color of her eyes.
As they met, Mike and Ana discussed the details of the quantum computing solution, including the cost of the process and the amount of the finder’s fee. As they sat and talked, she couldn’t help but feel a bit self-conscious. She worried about saying something stupid, or spilling her coffee. She found herself fidgeting with her hair, and playing with the lid of her cup.
She tried her best to keep the conversation going, asking him questions and discussing the next steps in the process, including the preparation of the data and the programming of the quantum algorithm. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was rambling. All the while, she couldn’t help but steal glances at him, admiring his striking features and the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed.
Despite her nerves, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy and contentment as she sat there with him, talking and laughing. She couldn’t wait to spend more time with him and to get to know him better. With the plan in place and the quantum computer time secured, Ana and Mike felt confident that they were one step closer to recovering the keys to Peter’s digital wallet.
As Ana and Mike parted ways, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement. She had a secret crush on Mike for a long time and was happy to have an excuse to spend time working on this project with him. She couldn’t wait to get started and see where things would lead.
As the days passed, Ana found herself looking forward to the time she would spent working on the project with Mike. They laughed, chatted and planned their work together, and she couldn’t help but feel a connection growing between them.
Also published here