Controversial implanting of MDF Boards in human brains revealed

Sunday January twenty six 2070

The government of the People's Democracy of China has just released the final report of its inquiry into the controversial AI based educational enhancement programme of the 2040s. 

With the conclusions come many questions and concerns that have rippled across the world and alarmed many in the FUKS. It appears that Chinese scientists and medical engineers successfully uploaded educational enhancements directly to hard-wired human brains from 2040 onwards. The technology arose from the ground-breaking invention of the organic super computer in 2037 at the Democratic University of Hong Kong (DUHK). This marked the end of the digital computing era and the beginning of the organic computing era with the introduction of modulated data format or MDF boards. This technology is the basis of the massive ‘Two Brains’ organic computer in Birmingham currently used by the FUKS government. The technology was quickly exploited by Lotus Technologies in nearby Shenzhen in Guangdong Province. Whilst the revolutionary organic computers have spread into all areas of computing, robotics and AI around the world, the work of its spin-out company, Lotophage Life Solutions, remained hidden until now.

Hardwiring human brains.

We now know that vast Chinese resources were poured into developing implants of mini-organic ports (or MOPS) into human brains. These receive data wirelessly from the sophisticated organic computers and transmit directly into the brain’s memory in the MDF board format. Vast amounts of educational information could be uploaded into human brains in a matter of hours. Initial trials on students at DUHK were successful and those with only three hours of uploading out-competed third year students in final examinations. By 2045 the trials had expanded to paying ‘volunteers’ from several other countries. It appears a black market in enhanced education was operating for several years.

FUKS students pay for educational enhancement.

Thousands of FUKS students travelled in secret to China at that time and benefitted from rapid educational enhancements that assisted them in their attainment at home. The costs were high and only the wealthier families could afford the fees and travel expenses. However, the recent inquiry and report reveals that most success was achieved using humans that were less capable and of low intelligence, “It was better to paint on a blank canvas than paint over a masterpiece”. Indeed as the trials progressed it appeared that even the most capable students became confused in later years. This was particularly evident in how they interpreted historical facts. In contrast, less capable students revealed that they had knowledge enough to excel in exams but often did not know what it meant. One anonymous FUKS volunteer with a first class degree from the University of Middle England reported, “I could remember huge complex mathematical equations and solutions and I admit I never understood what they meant. But it didn't hold me back”.

The secret trials were halted.

As the adverse effects of enhanced education slowly emerged, the Chinese Government became concerned. When one of the program’s more famous alumni, Měi Huā was elected to a senior ministerial position as Education Chair, alarmed bells were ringing. She began to advocate that all students should be educated in this manner despite many having reservations. Unfortunately for her she had a major breakdown in 2052 and was committed to a mental institution. There was disquiet when she announced in a speech to the People’s Democratic Assembly that she was “all knowing and all seeing”. However, when she broke into a song about her “sixteen points” singing “The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution is Indeed Good” she was escorted away.

Within weeks the programme was closed down. The fact that many similarly educated elite were scattered around the world, with thousands now known to be in the FUKS, was conveniently forgotten.

The recent revelations raise many concerns about well-off FUKS students gaining unfair advantages in the past. We asked Re-education Minister in the Department for Life-Long Learning, Karl Corbyn Junior III, if he could comment about his ‘cultural exchange’ visit to China as a student on a gap year in 2045. He declined to comment.

From our Asia correspondent, Yīn Jīng Head.

‘Incident. What incident?

Sunday January nineteen 2070

Anti-history activists from ‘Existentialists Now’ and 'Forget' target a meeting of historians.

What was thought to be a well-guarded secret at the University of Middle England this week descended into further farce and chaotic scenes. Travelling from Berlin by airship to the giant Midland Air Hub in Brinklow nearby, I arrived earlier in the day and went along to see what was happening.

Historians meet to debate marking the end of the 'incident'

Since early last year, a group of leading Former UK States (FUKS) academic historians has been debating how the events of fifty years ago should be marked.  What has become known as the ‘incident’ over the years had its 50^th Anniversary last year but there was little comment and no event to mark it. The election of Margaret May’s SCAM (Socialist Conservative Alliance Movement) government in a landslide victory in May blocked out any thoughts of a painful past as optimism came to the fore. The ‘incident’ is rarely discussed in polite circles and most of the government papers from the time are unseen and remain locked away. Yet many of the historians attending wish to reflect on those times and express concerns that we may not have learned enough about the causes leading to such turbulent times. They insist that the ‘incident’ was not the cause of the problems but only the symptom of a wider problem.

With the 50^th anniversary now passed, the historians decided to arrange a summit with the intention of proposing an event to mark the end of the ‘incident’. The issue of what happened and its impact is still a taboo subject and it was hoped that the meeting would pass off in secret.  In the end, this was not to be and news soon leaked out. Disagreements about when the incident actually finished marred the preparations. Apparently, a leading scholar of Irish History, Professor Ash Phoenix, of the Republican University of Belfast was excluded. His recent book ‘Irish Look Back in Anger’ proposed that the ‘incident’ was still with us and would never go away. He says it was always there in latent form and always will be.

Anti-history protest disrupts the meeting

The academics arrived at the main campus that consists of clusters of PortaKabins and a temporary conference centre hastily constructed from an old industrial warehouse. Many of the buildings on the campus were badly damaged in the Christmas party riots last year (see Timeline 2069 Sunday December twenty two 2069 'University of Middle England Cancels Christmas after riotous party'.)

They were met by several hundred noisy protesters trying to disrupt the meeting. Many appeared to be from the organisation ‘Existentialists Now’ that seeks to abolish the study of history in all schools and universities.  Some say that their elusive leader, Kirk Haggard, does not actually exist. There also were  a few protesters from the radical ‘incident denier’ group called ‘Forget’. Their spokesperson, Dr Dai Irving claims that the incident never happened and that the reports are all fabricated to instil fear and ensure meek compliance of the people. They also insist that the government papers from that time remain secret simply because nothing happened. 

Historians on the other hand fear that too much ‘false news’ and misreported ‘facts’ are concealing up an important time in our recent history.  Banners and flags with slogans such as ‘History is Bunk’ and ‘Ban History’ only confirm the dangers lurking in our society that has developed mass amnesia.

A counter protest by a handful of history students tried to make their point heard. One shouted “History must not repeat itself”. In unison the protestors shouted back “Pardon!”  This was followed by the student’s louder call “History must not repeat itself!”.  After three more cycles of pardons and calls, the student finally gave up trying.

Time to reflect perhaps?

I spoke later to Professor Herbie Wells of the Historical Society of FUKS as he pushed his way out through the crowd. He indicated that we “must not try to relive history but instead look to the future from a perspective of where we came from. We need to live the future but remember the past. We must always travel into our futures together knowing where we started from.” I also managed to get the views of the CEO of The University of Middle England, Virginia Fox. As usual she was ready with an enigmatic and obscure response “I can only note that the past is beautiful. What is amusing now had to be taken in desperate earnest once.”

I spoke to one young protester who was holding a banner with the slogan ‘History Breeds Discontent’. She said “There is too much looking backwards. Analysing our history is sapping our confidence and depressing everyone. Our generation needs to be positive and bold and only look ahead. After all, the future belongs to us”.

I turned and walked away thinking that history is surely repeating itself. In the distance I thought I heard someone shout “Pardon!”

Walter Hess. Timeline’s Western European Confederation reporter based in Berlin.

Oldest graduate finally pays off loan.

Sunday January 12 2070

This week saw the final repayment of a student loan by a former student who graduated fifty years ago in 2020. This makes her the oldest student to date to finally pay off the student loan. We caught up with her as she waved off another boatload of tourists for the ‘Monster Loch Experience’ tour on Loch Ness. Her role as a tour guide is the most recent of a series of temporary and part-time jobs that she has had in a long career. Now eighty seven years old, she shows no sign of stopping work. Ivana Mooretyme graduated as a mature student of Media Studies at the age of thirty seven back in 2020. By then she had three children, Annie, Justin and Lottie.

The ‘incident’ coincided with her graduation and negative inflation at that time meant that her pay looked unlikely to advance in the near future. She told us that she had accumulated over £57,000 in debt for maintenance loans and fees during her time as a student. “Even then I had to work 20 or so hours a week in a cinema to make ends meet”. Her passion for films and theatre was evident and she clearly likes working with the public. However, she said that she never expected to pay off the full loan as the government said it would right-off all of the loans and had even reduced this to 20 years. “The loan book was sold to a private company, Coylock Lifelong Investments, in 2026 and I did not expect them to keep coming after me” she said.

Unfortunately the ‘incident’ of 2019 and the following financial crisis meant that by 2027 the minority Socialist Conservative United Momentum (SCUM) government had reversed its decision on all loans. They all had to be paid in full within the life-time of the student. This came as a significant blow to Ivana as she planned for retirement.

We asked her if the Media Studies degree had been worth it overall and had it helped in her prospects. She said, “I enjoyed my time at uni but it was a struggle with the kids in tow. As for jobs, I continued working part-time doing front of house in the cinema until it closed in 2030. After that I was unemployed for a time. Then I had various jobs including working abroad as a tour guide in Brussels. But all the time the loan company was sending threatening emails and making phone calls. On one occasion I was met at the ferry port by one of their officials who made me pay there and then by credit card. It was very scary”

We asked why she was still paying off the debt so late in her life. She said, “I slipped in and out of the country for several “seasonal jobs” helping various small import companies and for a while they lost track of me. I had to keep the work low key you know”.

Eventually she decided to settle back in the Former UK States (FUKS) but still had to work. The loan repayments continued but the accumulated interest and penalties for late and non-payment had added to the burden.

Then she added a surprise. “This morning I received an email from Coylock Lifelong Investments. They appear to have miscalculated the repayments.” 

She showed us the communication that held the surprise.

“Dear Ms Mooretyme,

Unfortunately we have found a discrepancy in our calculations dating back to the transfer from £FUK currency to the universal Bitcoin currency in 2032. The correct currency exchange rate was not used by the Coylock management in place then. An inquiry by the new FUKS government carried out since last May has concluded that a major fraud had been perpetrated. The news will appear in the media soon, but we have decided to contact you in advance of this. It appears that you have overpaid your student loan repayments by 32,456₿. We enclose a non-liability agreement for you to sign and ask you to indicate which account you would like the back payment to be credited to. Please respond within five days.

Yours

Anthony Bassanio".

"Things are finally looking up" she said wearily.

Happy New Year 2070

Tuesday December thirty one 2069

Today is the last day of 2069 and the last day of Timeline 2069. Tomorrow brings the launch of Timeline 2070 and hopefully the start of a new era for the Former UK states (FUKS) and the Western European Confederation of States (WECS).

For FUKS sake we wish the government well in its bold endeavours in the coming year.

The last year has been momentous with the highlight being Margaret May leading a newly elected Socialist Conservative Alliance Movement (SCAM) government. Under Re-education Minister, Karl Corbyn Junior III, lifelong learning compulsory education to age 60 will be rolled out in the next year. It is a bold move to ensure that the WECS leisure time directive is adhered to.

We will be watching closely.

Stand in editor: Chuck Kane

The usual editor is not available - we can't find him.