...the fine line

1. Write a historical fiction story about someone working at a company that helped revolutionize early computers.

She had beauty, brains and breeding...and I am so happy to say, is an ancestor of mine. The only [legitimate] child of Lord Byron, I often muse about that blood pumping through my veins; a historical poet and a mathematical woman had a child in society, who was highly educated. I have both the creative side and the logical side, but am far more comfortable in the former. Since Ada’s mother considered her father’s genius a kind of insanity, she educated her heavily with mathematics and logic. Born in 1815; certainly a time when women were to be seen not heard, she came in contact with major scientists of the time. Of course, there was no ‘company’ of sorts back then, only great tutors, mentors and scientists. Even her own approach borrowed a little of her father’s muse, as the Countess of Lovelace called it “poetical science”. She is, historically, known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. In other words, she is known to be the first person that saw this machine beyond mere calculations, as what we call now a computer...not bad for a pre-Victorian woman of breeding.

I often wonder, once I had this information, of how this affects me, having that amazing gene pool swimming in my veins. Sure, I have beauty, brains, grace and breeding as well; at least as much as modern society allows. And sure, I may have fits of what they would have called ‘madness’, being a creative artistic type, which we have all come to know and love in this era. And I do have an unusually high IQ and abilities of problem solving and logic; ones that have won me awards in college. But there it ends...we don’t have Nobility in the modern States. I have an honorary Title, which means nothing there, although gets [some] respect in England, where I currently reside. But building a computer; I remember when my kids would buy all the parts like a shopping list and build them...I can’t even set up my cell phone without help! That part of my brain is just missing….

Ada was abandoned by her famous father when she was an infant. He wrote a famous poem, wondering what his only legitimate offspring looked like. Lord Byron’s former wife was said to have been very bitter, and put Ada into more scientific and mathematical courses than one would have done for a girl in those days. Even these days, in some cases. Her mother was determined she would turn out to be nothing like her father. 

Although Charles Babbage is credited with being the ‘father of the computer’, as is typical when men get all the credit, it was Ada that saw use for the Analytical Engine as he called it, to be more than a calculator. Babbage did outlive Ada, as she died at a young age of 36...another tragedy that runs in my family; bad luck. Oh, we had a great dynasty, but fraught with executions, run away marriages, overspending and death...the fine line between genius and insanity is what you do about it. Hence, my family going to the US and my imminent return to the UK. So it is Babbage’s design that sits in a museum today, not the credit for Ada. 

Ada met many great men in her life, and used the connections to further her education. They weren’t all scientists...one of great note, was Charles Dickens. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that salon where the conversations of the educated and famous happened! She considered herself to be a ‘poetical’ [not political] scientist’ and an analyst. That creative part of her from her father stirred within her. Indeed, she even named her sons after her father, to carry on the legacy. She even had a similar childhood to my own; a bitter mother that controlled everything, and a doting grandmother that kept her grounded. In fact, her grandmother referred to her mother as ‘thing’, which is pretty extreme, even now. In society, because there was a separation with the parents, that in itself was quite scandalous. Both Lovelace and Babbage had illnesses in their childhoods which made their successes all the more extraordinary. 

She became Lady Lovelace, later Countess,  when she married Baron King, so despite being the product of a broken home, she still found her way back to the top. Ada’s mother had people check on her ‘morality’ as a girl and hired someone to do the same for her three children, only for him to want to start an affair with Ada. I always say; those that act morally superior usually have the most issues! So similar to my own child and adulthood; a mother that would reach beyond even the grave to control happiness, because they lacked any of their own. Yes, beautiful, bright Ada was a favourite among men, and is rumoured to have affairs, something I feel did happen...and the same is true for me when my life is not fulfilled. Of course, divorce is easier these days...

Not unlike the women in the last century that were quietly creating code like it was recipes, Ada was the one that saw past the Analytical Engine being merely for calculations. She is credited for taking Babbage’s ‘difference machine’, which was simpler, and creating the what was called the first general-purpose computer. Now, I don’t know about you, but that is hard for me to even imagine back then. The museum display looks like the inner workings of an old slot machine; quite large and metallic. Considering it was the 1800's, not the 20th century, I find it amazing. People didn’t have computers when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s. I did, however, take Fortran in college. For you kids out there, we used to have to program in the codes long before Word was created...but I do not have the brains for that. Following directions is not my forte’, but glad for those that do have that ability. 

What I wonder is, what it would be like to be in one of those glittering salons back in the day. People dressed so formal; men in top hats and tails, women in gowns with dance cards...this was a different world. There were no mobile phones, much less landlines, so people would come to ‘call’...an expression still used in England today, as opposed to ‘ring’ someone. So, calling cards would have been left in silver trays, arrangements would have been made, invitations ferried about...these are merely the preparations that the people participating would have done. Can you imagine those that weren’t a party? I mean the servants; cooking and cleaning everything in the house, mending and laying out clothes, doing the women’s elaborate hairdos. Even 20 years ago when I came here on business, I thought it was so bizarre; men on one side of the room, who took turns buying the drinks, and women on the other side, that talked about exciting things like knitting. As a businesswoman, I had to pass notes to my business partners! So Ada, full of charm and loving to dance [much like myself], I can imagine used some of these Victorian rules to her advantage; filling her dance card only with the most intelligent men in the room, bending their ears, flirting with a fan, making plans to meet with then outside on the veranda [I presume that is a free zone] while they had cigars, so they could all discuss science, mathematics and art. She was respected in society as well as for her intellectual abilities, so I can imagine amongst the candlelight and glittering jewels in the room, she would be the one girl allowed into the old boys club. I picture something that Scarlet O’Hara could pull off, with more gumption but less intellect perhaps. Sometimes, the  charm of a woman can cut to much deeper things in life, just as the fine line between genius and insanity may be as thin as a silk thread...