digital-certificates
Encrypted digital documents called 'creditats' serve as proof of contributions to medical breakthroughs and are central to verifying the Mysterious Stranger's legitimacy.
1 chapter across 1 book
Rainbows End (2007)Vernor Vinge
In this chapter, Robert Gu grapples with the enigmatic Mysterious Stranger's proposition to regain his lost intellectual prowess in exchange for cooperation, involving covert biometric data collection on his family. Meanwhile, Robert navigates complex social dynamics with his family and students, while investigating cryptic digital certificates that validate the Stranger's claims of facilitating medical breakthroughs. The tension between trust, betrayal, and the lure of restored genius underpins Robert's internal conflict as he prepares to make a consequential decision.