Walter Van de velde
Starlab
wvdv@starlab.net

In mid-February of this year I returned to Brussels from Odense, where we had had a technical meeting of the Stories project . We had visited the local school, discussed the upcoming review meeting, and refined our first deliverables. I had also demonstrated the Memory Boxes to the project, and we had developed scenarios for the KidsLab workshop that would be using them in Sitges. When I arrived at Copenhagen I was exhausted but reasonably happy with what had been achieved.

At the airport I was stopped at the security check: the X-ray machine had detected suspect technology in my hand luggage. I had carefully packed some Memory Boxes and infra red tags in a leftover box of a champagne bottle (incidentally the one that I had gained from a bet with a fellow researcher at Starlab that the Today’s Stories proposal would be accepted).

‘Are you surprised you are stopped with this?’ was the first question. On to the more relevant one: ‘What does it do?’. I tried to explain about children, about virtual collections, about memories in boxes. I was (too) used to reactions of awe; this one was different. ‘Does it work?’. Answering `yes’ maybe wasn’t the best choice, so I found myself plugging in the batteries, setting up tags on the fly, and demonstrating how, when the box is opened near to a tag, a signal enters it and a ‘beeb’ sound is produced. Then I shook the box and said happily ‘… and now it’s empty’; but this met with no enthusiasm either.

Started the more formal check. Flight records and identity were checked out thoroughly while I waited patiently. Luckily I had met a French friend at the airport, who witnessed the whole thing. Suddenly he asked me about the IR tag that I wear clipped on my coat as a jewel. Realising that this would not help me getting through I took it off and put it in my pocket. I should not have done that: I soon found out that security people — by that time a superior officer had joined them — have been trained to spot such suspicious changes.

What company did I work for? The ‘Starlab: deep future’ business card did not impress them. What had I been doing in Denmark? I explained about the meeting, but they wanted proof. All I could dig up was a printed email with agenda, directions, and Marilyn Panayi’s signature file. ‘Why don’t you call them?’ They agreed that I finally had a good idea and took off with my papers. After several minutes they came back, and I immediately noticed that the atmosphere had turned a little more aggressive. ‘These are false numbers!’. I could not believe my ears. I took out my mobile phone and suggested calling Odense myself. They let me, but when I had to ask them for the international dial code for Denmark I lost the last of my credit. I was clearly trying to fool them. However, when I eventually got Merete Bertelsen on the line she managed to convince them, and I could start packing my things.

I arrived at the gate fifteen minutes late; the plane was packed and waiting. Running to get there I had noticed that the boxes made beeb-sounds with every step I took, because of the shaking. To avoid this, as well as any interference with on-board instruments, I decided to disconnect the boxes from their batteries. So I opened up the champagne box again, revealing to my fellow passengers, as I tried to disconnect things, wires and small boxes bulgy with switches. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few passengers around me had a nervous flight to Brussels.

The official advice: next time check in the Memory Boxes as ‘weapon’.