The Lost Bitcoin: Chapter 6 - How Has Hal Finney Been Cryopreserved?

When cryptography meets quantum computers, 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.

Previous chapters can be found here.

As Mike walked into the bustling restaurant, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness. He was here to meet Ana and Olivia. Ana had invited Olivia to visit her lab to see their work using quantum computers to recover lost cryptographic keys to a bitcoin wallet. Mike had been instrumental in helping Ana with the programming, and they had been able to successfully recover the lost keys from Peter based on a fragment of the private key that he had provided them.

“Mike, it’s so great to see you again!” Ana exclaimed as she stood up from the table to give him a warm hug. “I want you to meet Olivia,” she said, gesturing to the woman seated across from her. “Olivia is a cryptocurrency expert, and she’s visiting our lab to see the work we’ve been doing with quantum computers.”

Mike shook Olivia’s hand and immediately noticed the spark of intelligence in her eyes. Her elegant dark hair was flowing nicely over the nice cocktail dress she was wearing for the occasion.

“Nice to meet you, Olivia,” he said with a smile.

As they settled into their seats and ordered drinks, Ana explained how Mike had been instrumental in helping to program their quantum computers to recover lost cryptographic keys.

Olivia’s eyes lit up with excitement as she and Mike immediately dove into a discussion about the intricacies of cryptocurrencies and the challenges of securing digital assets. Ana smiled as she watched the two of them geek out over cryptocurrencies, sharing their knowledge and ideas with each other.

A random though hit Ana, if she had to choose tonight, she would not know whom would she want to take home. She looked at the chiseled fit body of Mike, with those strong arms gesturing in the air, and then looked back at the harmonious curves of Olivia, every single of her facial expressions radiating a natural beauty.

Mike leaned forward in his seat, “Olivia, did you know that there are actually several cases of lost Bitcoin wallets that we know of? It’s estimated that there are over 4 million Bitcoin that are permanently lost due to forgotten passwords and misplaced private keys. That’s why the work that Ana and I have been doing is so important. With quantum computing, we have the potential to recover lost cryptographic keys and help people regain access to their digital assets.”

Mike continued, “In fact, there’s one particularly interesting case of a lost Bitcoin wallet that comes to mind: Hal Finney”

Olivia turned to Ana and asked: “This is the guy you told me had his body cryopreserved in the hopes that he could be revived in the future?”

Ana chimmed in. “Yes, he had his private keys placed in a safe deposit box, but unfortunately, his family was unable to access the keys after his death. With quantum computing, we could potentially recover those keys and unlocked the Bitcoin for his family.”

Olivia looked thoughtful, “Wow, that’s a really fascinating case. You can already see a thriller being written about this case”. Ana placed her hand on Olivia’s leg and asked her: “And you want to star as the heroin or the villain?” Olivia turned red, and Ana did not know if it had been her hand or her comment.

Ana removed her hand from Olivia’s lap, turned to Mike and asked, “Mike, how does cryopreservation works and what was done to Hal Finney?”

Mike got ready to geek out on one of his favorite subjects. “Cryopreservation is the process of cooling a body or tissue down to a very low temperature in order to preserve it for an extended period of time. In Hal’s case, his body was cooled to a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius, using a process called vitrification, which essentially involves replacing water in the body with a cryoprotectant solution that prevents the formation of ice crystals.”

Olivia looked fascinated, “That’s really interesting. So what happens after the body is cryopreserved?”

“Well, typically, the body is stored in a special facility called a cryonics center, where it is kept at a very low temperature. The idea is that, in the future, with advances in medical technology, the body could potentially be revived and treated for any illnesses or injuries it may have suffered. Of course, this is all still very experimental and there is no guarantee that it will work, but it’s an area of research that is constantly evolving.”

Their thoughts were interrupted by the waitress bringing their orders. They were all hungry and the conversation stopped as they got busy with their food. After a few minutes Mike leaned forward and explained to Olivia, “By the way, It’s one thing to start with a segment of a key, as we did with Peter’s lost Bitcoin wallet. In that case, we were able to use quantum computing to calculate the remaining segments of the key and recover the Bitcoin. However, it’s a completely different scenario when we have to break a key from scratch. The longer the available segment of the key, the easier it is to recover the rest of the key.”

Olivia nodded thoughtfully, “I see. So the length of the key plays a big role in the difficulty of cracking it. That makes sense.”

Mike continued, “Exactly. With longer keys, it becomes exponentially harder to crack them using traditional computing methods. However, with the power of quantum computing, we can potentially overcome these limitations and tackle even the most complex cryptographic challenges.”

Again the waitress interrupted their chat, this time to pick up their plates and offer them desserts from the tray she was pushing around. Thy all chose a chocolate cake covered with Chantilly cream. After they started working on their desserts Ana turned to Mike and said, “Oh, by the way, Mike, Olivia mentioned that she knows of a secluded mountain resort that would be the perfect place to go on a holiday, once we get our finder’s fee for recovering the keys from Peter.”

Mike’s eyes widened, “That sounds incredible! What’s it like, Olivia?”

Olivia smiled, “It’s a cozy lodge tucked away in the mountains. The views are breathtaking, and there are plenty of hiking trails to explore. Plus, the resort has a fantastic spa where we can indulge in some well-deserved relaxation.”

Ana nodded, “That sounds perfect. A chance to disconnect and enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains would be wonderful after this project.”

It was now the turn of Mike to imagine him being in a secluded cabin in the company of these two gorgeous ladies. His thoughts were interrupted by Olivia, who suddenly perked up and said, “You know what? I’m actually planning to head up to that mountain resort this coming weekend. I’ve been looking for an excuse to go back, and it would be great to have some company. Would you two like to come along?”

Ana’s face lit up with excitement, “That sounds amazing, Olivia! I’d love to join you.”

Mike nodded eagerly, “Me too! It’ll be great to take a break and enjoy some time in nature.”

Ana felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach as she heard that Mike was excited to go on a holiday with her. She had been harboring a crush on Mike for a while now, and the prospect of spending a few days away with him was making her feel giddy with anticipation.

Olivia grinned with pleasure, “Great! It’s settled then. We’ll pack our bags and hit the road this weekend. I can’t wait to show you both around and introduce you to some of the local trails.”

The three of them left the restaurant feeling even more excited about the prospect of a well-deserved holiday in the mountains, and grateful for their newly shared love of adventure.

Also published here.