THE HARDHACKER CHRONICLES
BLASTDOS.COM
by Tom Veile
c 1992
Th� da� afte� th� CCP/� meeting� m� hea� wa� stil� abuz� �
wit� concept� o� mult� use� Altai� CP/� computer� runnin� th� �
Uni� operatin� syste� of� o� 7� Me� har� drives� � decide� t� se� �
m� goo� friend� Rober� War� Hardhacker� Know� t� al� fa� an� wid� �
a� th� "hac� harde� guy"� Bo� wa� sur� t� b� intereste� i� � �
"new� Altai� syste� bu� h� probabl� wouldn'� lik� th� ide� o� �
usin� � foreig� operatin� environment� Bo� wa� strictl� � CP/� �
man.
I� wa� jus� afte� dar� a� � knocke� a� th� doo� o� Bob'� �
smal� sout� sid� apartment� N� answer� � knocke� louder� � �
muffle� voic� yelled� "I� you'v� go� CP/� disks� com� i� - �
otherwise� g� away"� � typica� Bo� typ� response.
Undaunted� � entere� th� apartment� Excep� fo� � smal� bul� �
i� � gree� shade� hangin� lam� ove� � Kaypr� compute� i� th� fa� �
corne� o� th� livin� room� th� entir� apartmen� wa� i� darkness� �
Bo� wa� hunche� ove� th� Kaypr� wit� th� gree� word� o� th� �
scree� flashin� of� an� o� hi� face� I� thi� light� h� looke� �
lik� � ma� scientis� workin� o� � maniaca� formul� o� som� type.
"What'r� yo� doing� Hardhacker?"� � called� squintin� t� �
se� i� th� semidarkness�
"Oh� it� onl� you� Tom"� Hardhacke� looke� u� fro� hi� �
compute� scree� fo� � moment� Hi� gaz� returne� t� th� screen.
"Onl� me� Wh� di� yo� expect� War� Christense� o� th� Flopp� �
Dis� Fairy?"� � retorted.
"� though� mayb� yo� wer� m� wif� wit� th� disk� � tol� he� �
t� get."� Bo� sighe� dejectedly.
"Wak� up� Hac� Man� sh� lef� tw� month� ag� righ� afte� yo� �
bough� he� tha� goo� lookin� KIM-� compute� fo� you� weddin� �
anniversary."
"Wow� wa� i� tha� lon� ago� Tim� reall� flies."� Th� Hac� �
Ma� brightene� u� considerably� "Whe� wa� th� las� tim� � wen� t� �
work?"� h� mumbled.
"Don'� yo� remember?"� � asked� wonderin� i� h� ha� reall� �
gon� of� th� dee� end.
"Wha� da� i� this� � ten� t� loos� trac� whe� I'� workin� o� �
� priorit� project� "� Bo� looke� aroun� th� roo� a� i� h� were
lost.
"You'r� doin� thi� fo� BitteComp?"� � though� mayb� h� wa� �
workin� a� hom� an� downloadin� t� hi� office.
"No� Bu� the� thin� � am� an� that'� wha� reall� counts� �
The� pa� m� fo� som� trivia� progra� an� � develo� th� greates� �
compute� hardwar� an� softwar� know� t� man� Fool� - the� sai� � �
wa� no� 'addressin� th� rea� market'� I'l� sho� them.� Bo� sai� �
throug� clenche� teeth.
"Seriousl� Bob� Wha� ar� yo� workin� on?"� � asked� � hope� �
� coul� brin� hi� bac� � littl� o� th� roa� t� presen� da� �
reality.
"Shhh!� It'� a� AWESOM� TOTA� TO� SECRET!!� A-T-T-S� � �
can,� tel� � soul."� Bo� hunche� ove� an� looke� furtivel� aroun� �
th� roo� a� i� h� expecte� spie� t� b� lurkin� everywhere� "Wh� �
i� i� s� dar� i� here?"� h� asked�
"Becaus� it'� dar� outsid� an� yo� don'� hav� th� light� �
on."� � answered� "Bu� abou� thi� project� yo� ca� tel� m� �
Hacker� Thi� i� Tom� You� Ol� CP/� pal� Mr� CP/� Man�
"Ok."� Bo� agai� looke� furtivel� aroun� th� darkene� roo� �
t� mak� sur� n� on� wa� listening� "I'� workin� o� � �
revolutionar� breakthroug� i� CP/� programming� � cal� i� �
BLASTDOS.COM."
"What does it do?"
"Well� i� work� wit� m� ne� flopp� dis� driv� whic� � cal� � �
BLASTDISK� First� th� progra� run� i� conjunctio� wit� th� dis� �
driv� t� rea� AN� dis� regardles� o� siz� o� forma� an� the� �
BLASTDO� convert� AN� progra� o� th� dis� fo� executio� unde� �
CP/M� Fo� example� I� take� � 25� � MSDO� program� scrunche� i� �
t� 2.� � an� the� execute� th� progra� a� a� equivalen� spee� o� �
7� MHz� It'� th� breakthroug� we'v� bee� waitin� fo� al� thes� �
years� No� w� ca� us� an� softwar� tha� i� availabl� worl� wid� �
i� ou� goo� ol� Kaypro� an� Ozzys.�
"What about disk formats, Hardhacker?", I asked.
"Ah� tha� wa� th� eas� part� � simpl� hardwar� modificatio� �
an� th� meldin� o� a� � inch� � 1/� inch� an� � � 1/� inc� driv� �
int� th� ne� creatio� - BLASTDISK� Th� Hardhacke� MultiDis� Dis� �
Driv� (HMDDD)� The� I'l� ad� BLASTDOS.CO� an� sel� th� whol� �
packag� fo� $99� Ah� Tom� � wil� b� know� a� th� greates� hacke� �
i� th� worl� - ric� too."
"How did you get it to speed up the clock rate?", I asked.
"Well� tha� wa� � bonu� tha� cam� fro� th� hashin� �
algorith� � use� t� cu� th� cod� dow� t� � manageabl� amoun� s� �
tha� i� coul� ru� o� � REA� computer."� Hardhacke� said� "I� �
work� somethin� lik� th� Bernoul� theore� o� ai� flow� Th� mor� � �
compresse� th� code� th� mor� th� pressur� increased� I� wa� �
tryin� t� forc� th� cod� bac� t� it'� ol� size� M� progra� won'� �
le� i� expan� again� A� � result� th� onl� thin� th� cod� coul� �
d� wa� spee� up� Thi� i� th� sam� thin� tha� ai� flo� doe� �
throug� � venturi� Th� sam� quantit� o� cod� ha� t� g� throug� �
th� CP� - bu� i� les� time� Viola� � spee� increase."
"You sure about this, Hack Man?", I queried.
"Absolutely!"� sai� Hardhacker� "Jus� think� th� large� �
thos� fool� mak� thei� code� th� faste� m� progra� wil� ru� it.�
"What's next, Bob?", I prodded.
"Well� � thin� I'l� mak� � CP/� cod� expander� The� � ca� �
compres� i� wit� BLASTDOS.CO� s� i� wil� ru� eve� faster."� �
Hardhacke� answered� wit� � fa� awa� loo� i� hi� eye� Eve� a� � �
watched� Bo� slowl� walke� acros� th� room� pickin� u� � mould� �
slic� o� pizz� fro� th� tabl� an� approache� th� Kaypro.
"Hardhacker!"� � yelled� Ther� wa� n� answer� Th� hackma� �
caresse� th� keyboard� � shoo� hi� shoulder� H� shrugge� m� of� �
a� hi� finger� bega� t� poun� th� keys� � sighe� i� resignation� �
� ha� los� hi� t� CP/M.
A� � lef� th� apartment� � coul� no� hel� bu� reflec� �
upo� reality� I� th� worl� o� Hardhacke� reall� th� rea� worl� o� �
realit� an� th� res� o� u� ar� livin� i� � tota� fantas� worl� �
tha� w� cal� real� O� i� rea� reall� jus� wha� w� thin� i� rea� �
an� nothin� else� Fo� u� i� i� reall� real.
Wonder if I could put a BLASTDISK on the ole Ozzy? Hmmmm.