Free The Codex File (2012) by Miles Etherton Page A

The TV, if you could call it that now, had been a coming home present from both sets of parents. Their old TV had been on the blink for months before Colette had been…
    Stopping himself going down that road again, he picked up the manual.
    It was a nice thought. But this was no ordinary TV as the manual was at pains to point out. This was eCitTV. In fact half-way through the manual the word TV had only been mentioned once, and that was on the cover. The rest of the manual was continually promoting the benefits of ‘content’ and ‘integration’ and, of course, the 5GSW platform. Michael read from the page open in his lap:
    “ After your 5GSW device is connected and you have registered your personal details and interests, customised content will begin downloading to your own secure personal device portal.”
    Michael frowned at the alien language: ‘5GSW’, ‘downloading’, ‘personal device portal’ . It was clear that the use of ‘TV’ in the product name and cover of the manual was only to provide something recognisable and less intimidating for the digitally uninitiated like himself. He could handle the concept of TV, even digital TV channels, but ‘personal device portals’ and ‘ customised content ‘ rather than channels all seemed too much. None of this had been possible before Colette’s death and his stay in the care home.
    Michael looked at the slimline flat screen, reading the large white lettering that appeared.
    ‘ Please enter your IP address and registration serial code.’
    He looked quizzically at the screen.
    What the hell is an IP address?
    Halfway down the second page of the manual he found his IP address and registration serial code.
    He’d always been one of those frustratingly annoying people who wanted to know and understand everything. He’d been the child who had always asked one more question than anyone else. Even when the teacher had exhausted their explanation he would always be the one dissenting voice.
    But why does it do that?
    But what does that mean?
    Several paragraphs later in the manual he found the information he was looking for.
    ‘ The IP address can be considered as your Intranet telephone number. This, for example, allows web pages and email to know exactly where to go.’
    He frowned a little, frustrated at how vague and patronising the explanation was. Turning back to the IP address and serial code, Michael reached for the sophisticated glossy black control panel that accompanied the ‘TV’.
    Before it had happened there had been remote controls. But now that had all changed. The remote had been replaced by the hi-tech, all-purpose, eCitTV control panel. The black console resembled a tablet computer, elegantly curved at the edges with a responsive screen that you barely had to touch to get the desired response. The screen’s number pad appeared to be where content selection was to be made from. Above the alphabet keys were further buttons which read: ‘Web’, ‘Email’, ‘Music’, ‘Video’, Social Networking’, ‘Shopping’ and ‘Your Money’.
    Were ‘TV programmes’ under ‘Video’ he wondered with slight confusion?
    Carefully, and instinctively pointing the control panel at the screen, he keyed in his eight digit IP address and registration serial code. The black screen flickered again and the message changed.
    ‘ Please complete the following details to initialise your UKCitizensNet email set-up.’
    Further boxes appeared on the screen asking for the number of users connecting to UKCitizensNet, their full names, and National Insurance numbers.
    Tapping the ‘Enter’ key on the console Michael watched as his details vanished from the screen. For a few long moments the screen was blank.
Great, the damn thing’s not working
    He flicked through the instruction manual for the Troubleshooting section. But before he could find the page he wanted the screen burst into life.
    “ Hello and welcome to UKCitizensNet, the UK’s new online