CHAPTER EIGHT
"I guess I'm gonna learn to make ale?" Callen asked. He knocked his fist on the closest cask, while following his grandfather through the twists of stone corridors, rooms, and staircases beneath the Heavenly Pint. Between the old walls that dated to the 1700s, there was a maze of giant oak casks, tanks, and other brewing equipment. The only thing that marked the rooms as modern was a device on each oak cask to monitor the aging process of Rurik's ales. The centuries hung on the brick, like elegant wrinkles on a wise man's face and the scent of roasted malts lingered in the cool air.
"A sip o' some o' Rurik's ales could knock out a hill giant." Corth chuckled as they twisted through the maze of casks and stopped at a blank wall. "But, wouldn't we be so lucky if them demons just wanted a drink and didn't know how to ask?" Corth glanced at his wrist and activated something on his personal computer system. In response, wall rumbled as a section moved to reveal a hidden staircase.
"We didn't come this way when we first arrived," Callen stated. He adjusted his backpack, which contained his computer, on his shoulder.
"No, lad. There're a few different ways into the technology hub and workshops." Corth said. "They're connected, I just wanted to give yeh more o' a tour."
"Wait, technology hub? Workshops?" Callen asked. "There's more to this place?"
“Aye," Corth said. "Me clan has a long history with the order and many of us have become knights. The combination of the church across the street and this being one o' me clan's oldest establishments in America makes this a perfect location for our order to have an outpost."
"So, how many around here are knights?" Callen asked.
"Only a handful," Corth said. "The dwarves and the monks know about what we do, help maintain our secrecy, and provide some support. But, the only official knights that live here are meself, Dr. Brewer, me partner, Dr. Webb, and our tech guy that yer about to meet."
"What about Father Kenton?" Callen asked. "He was there when we got here and helped with mom..."
"He's the head priest o' the church," Corth explained. "He was once a part o' the order, retired, like Rurik. He doesn't talk about it though, and only helps us a little." Corth sighed. "I be sorry, lad. I really haven't had much o' time to explain everything to yeh, I was hoping Sadie o' Tende would fill yeh in, but...I guess not. Everything be so crazy I haven't really gotten to the pleasantries or even a bunch o' the necessities. Hell, I haven't even gotten yeh and yer sister into Church."
"Church?" Callen sneered. "Why would I have to go to church?"
"Lad, we be an order o' religious knights," Corth said as he began to walk down the damp stone cave-like hidden staircase. "Don't let the chaos fool yeh. It be only a matter o' time befer someone, namely Lady Cole, gets up me arse about getting' yeh and yer sister to go..."
"Sounds like a waste of time..." Callen grumbled. "You know...with everything that's going on."
"It's anything but...lad, there's a lot of yeh don't understand." Corth scolded and let out a sigh. "I just haven't had the time. I should just ask Sadie and Tende to take yeh. But...I'd like to take yeh...fer personal reasons...but, believe yeh me, if Webb were here...yeh would have been in church the day yeh got here. I've been a wee bit lax in our protocol. Don't tell anyone."
"I won't tell," Callen said.
"Hopefully, yeh have been recently..."
"I haven't gone since Dad was around." The door slid shut behind them as Callen followed.
"Yer Mom never took yeh?" Corth asked.
"Nope," Callen said. "Maybe it was to keep us off the grid?"
Corth shrugged. "Well, that not be good lad..."
"What's so special about watching some old dude read from the bible?" Callen asked, trying not to sound snide, but to no avail.
"The rites of the Church are fer yer protection, lad," Corth answered. "They give yeh a layer of armor against the darkness."
"Did my mom do it?" Callen asked.
"Yep, yer pop did too," Corth said. "I don't know what made her stop, but I need to remedy this..."
"How about when I'm making progress on whatever I'm going to do...mom's life is in the balance..." Callen sounded sincere. "And you said you want to take Ania and I...so lets wait until you are free too?"
"Aye," Corth said. "I'll accept that. We'll make it a family thing when things settle down a bit."
"Grandpa, why did my mom leave?" Callen asked.
"No idea lad," Corth said. "But, whatever it was that caused yer mum to take yehs away, it was big. But maybe yeh and yer sister got some sense of what it means to have a normal life out o' the deal."
"I wouldn't say I had a normal life," Callen said. "Hospitals, playing with tech, and shooting ranges when I wasn't in the hospital...well..."
"Yer Mom always kept her cards close to her chest," Corth admitted. "With a poker-face that could rival a statue...it be her killer instinct...and if I not be mistaken, yeh got it too..."
"You see her in me?" Callen asked.
"Aye," Corth admitted. "A dangerous warrior yeh would make, and with yer pop's genius...yeh will truly be a force to be reckoned with."
"Well, if I wasn't such a mess...maybe," Callen said. "And, my life has a way of placing me back in a hospital bed."
"Sounds like yer lacking a wee bit o' faith lad." Corth pointed out. "But, yer mum told me yeh are a pretty damn good shot..."
"That's what she said last time we went shooting." Callen sighed. "But, it wasn't like it would have mattered if I had a gun when those demons attacked. The bullets just bounced off. It was that tomahawk that did something. By the way, why did you lie about it?"
"Lad, I think you understand why."
"That Cole lady. What's her problem anyway?"
"That's a long story that goes way back," Corth admitted. "Frankly, I barely can make sense of it meself." He sounded like he was deflecting quite a bit, but Callen couldn't tell if he was covering up not knowing or something deeper. He let out a long sigh. "But lad, do me a favor..."
"Alright..."
"Don't mention the tomahawk again, to anyone."
"But..."
"No buts, lad. I know what you're thinking...make more of what it is and use it to kill those things." Corth sighed. "Let's just leave it as being impossible at this point in time...just focus on what you did. Trust me."
"If..."
"No lad, one axe isn't going to stop a pack of those things. We need another option and yours is far better. The world is changing and we need to add new weapons to our tool box."
"Alright Grandpa." He shook his head.
They entered a basement that was lit like an old film development room and was crowded with blinking electronic equipment. There were boxes filled with loose parts scattered around the room that seemed to lack any sort of order. Large electronic systems, large metal jars with view ports glowing with heat, and pipes and wires ran between devices. Complex machines had been built into the walls, in rows, and crammed into every space possible with cables running to a vast network of computers and off into a few hallways. Despite the apparent chaos, Callen could tell that the room was far from disorganized. The equipment that he could identify were quite logically placed. Whoever worked here, knew where everything was, and had a method to what looked like madness.
The heavy cave like moisture had been replaced by a cool dryness from a number of dehumidifiers that sat on the floor and hung from the ceiling near an array of piping and ductwork. The place felt, strangely, clean.
"This is pretty weird." Callen looked at the quartz reactors, chemical delivery systems, pumps, flow controllers, and countless wires on the plethora of machines. A few of them pulsed and flashed with colors from across the spectrum of visible light.
"We are used to building things where people a) don't look and b) wouldn't expect to find somethin
g anyway. It be how we've stayed in the shadows all these centuries." Corth led him down a narrow path between a cluster of computers, piping, and other devices. As they came to the doorway, Corth pushed back the yellowing clear plastic strips that separated a short hallway from the factory floor.
They entered a short hallway with a few doors, and only one was open. The glow of computer monitors shined from the room. Among the arch of glowing computer monitors, sat a tiny man in a large chair that looked like it came with a certificate of authenticity from the original Star Trek set. Though, the chair had been modified with all kinds of attachments, including a variety of keyboards, touchscreens, and other devices clustered around him in a convenient half circle. The tiny man sat waving his hands and tapping the air as if there were invisible buttons that Callen couldn't see.
The dim glow from the monitors reflected off the man's bald head and silhouetted a pair of non-symmetrical technological eyewear. Wires ran up the man's arm connected to the goggles and a glow of electronic light came from a variety of electronic devices strapped to his arms. A stack of pizza boxes, half-eaten bags of Doritos, empty cans of Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew lay on the floor next to the massive chair. A dripping can of each rested in the mismatched cup holders that were stuck on the armrest by some sort of adhesive.
Around the edges of the room sat a mess of containers, stacks of books, papers, half-finished electronic projects, a wide assortment of tools, and a pair of tables with other powered down computer stations.
Among the computer screens displaying everything from security footage and engineering schematics to swimsuit models, Callen spotted one screen with a Shadowborne character sitting idle. He grinned. This was his kind of room.
Corth tapped the small man on the shoulder. He muttered and spat before tugging a pair of headphones out of his ears. Callen instantly recognized Black Sabbath's 'Ironman' blaring on the headphones. "What?" The man squawked as he turned around. "Can't you see I'm busy here?" He spoke with a pronounced Italian accent. "You need my approval to enter my command center!"
The man's face was so pale that he was almost translucent and his carefully trimmed long thin mustache and pointy soul patch looked as if they had been drawn on. He wore a dingy red shirt and an old pair of brown canvas overalls that looked like they had been made for an elementary school student. The man was a dwarf like Corth, but actually did possess the dwarfism gene.
"Morn' Lad."
"Moring?" He scoffed. "It's..." He looked at one of the devices on his chair. "Oh...guess it is morning...here...yeah. So, what do you want? I got a whole mess of..."
"I know yer busy, Felix. Webb told me he gave you directions last night and to bring Callen down to see you this morning."
"Ummm...no." Felix's tone instantly filled with grumbled irritation. "What does he want now? He has absolutely no respect for what I..."
"Lad, did yeh get his message?" Corth asked with a bit of force in his voice. He obviously had years of practice cutting through the shorter man's attitude.
"No, I'm too busy to check those messages right now," Felix complained. "I got weapons to make, things to upgrade, repair, design, all these electronics don't maintain themselves you know. Not to even mention the problem with the breach, I've had that kidnapping case to trace, algorithms to program and run..."
Corth cut him off. "I know, yeh told me a million times lad." He sighed. "But, to sum up Webb's message. Yer priority is to work with me grandson here."
"I don't have time to play babysitter, Corth." Felix spat. "I've got a lot of..."
"We all do, lad. But, I doubt this lad will slow yeh down. Callen, this be Felix Longwood. Machinist, technologist, inventor, designer, artificer, professor, and straight up pain in the arse."
"Yeah, yeah, that's me. I'm Felix Longwood." His eyebrows wiggled when he said his last name, which was in comical contrast to the irritation in his voice. "But, you can call me Dr. Longwood."
"I'm Callen Thorne." Callen held back a chuckle.
"Yeah, I know who you are, and now you're my problem...great." Felix sighed as he gave Callen the once over that ended with him rolling his eyes. "Corth, this kid isn't even in high school...I doubt he has even the simplest understanding of..."
"Those are our orders, Lad. Read them."
Felix brought up his inbox and looked over Webb's message. "Do you have any idea what Webb is asking me to do here?" Felix complained. "No one appreciates what I do here! No one even has the scientific understanding or the technological skills to make decisions about my..."
"Lad, he took down one of those demons we have been working for years to classify with a personally built computer system. The tech he used was light years behind ours." Corth stated. "Hacked real-time and shut them down temporarily. All completely improvised in the heat of watching his mother fight a losing battle against it."
"Wait, what?!" Felix sounded shocked.
"Yeh really didn't read the whole message, did yeh? And here I though yeh be just giving me a hard time." Corth shook his head. "I bet yeh didn't even check my recordings from that night."
"No, Webs too long winded...or should I say typed? Oh well, you know what I mean. I've got doctorates in engineering, not folklore, anthropology, and archeology. I don't like reading long-winded fluffy bunny stuff. But, something about building a disruptor stuck out. Does that help?"
Corth shook his head. "No, the title doesn't quite cover it, Lad."
"Fine, fine." Felix tapped a few buttons and took a few extra seconds to finish Webb's long email. He closed the message when he was done and shook his head. Several unanswered emails filled with tech requests sat idle on the screen.
"I guess yer already starting to get orders from the bitch?"
"Yup." Felix cursed. "And then some. She wants crazy gear updates for both her and Reeves. It's easier for her to make demands here than in Europe. She's a real piece of work."
A new email from Webb titled Status Update: Callen Thorne flashed in Felix's inbox.
"New one from Webb." Callen pointed out.
Felix sighed and opened the message. After a second, came a few choice Italian curse words.
"What be the problem?" Corth asked.
"Webb's request for authorization was partially overruled. They approved the work, but not the gear." Felix sighed. "The council won't issue new gear to the kid because of the controversy surrounding his family."
"Webb assured me everything would work out. What changed, laddie?"
"Not what, who." Felix shook his head with frustration. "The bitch. She went over his head. Damn politics. But, Webb's work order was approved...so..."
"So?" Corth said.
"Do you know what that means?"
Corth shrugged. "Not really, lad. Yeh make the gear, I use it."
Felix cursed again. "I gotta have that kid build everything from scratch! Which means I have to teach him how to do everything! I can't just give him one of our rigs and have him play with it...he has to build every component from the ground up! Do you have any idea how long that will take?"
"But, if yeh teach him, he could be an extra pair of hands...and with your unparalleled skills..."
"Well, that's true." Felix twirled his mustache. "Yeah, but even then...maybe if he had a Ph.D. in material science..."
"I'm a fast learner, Dr. Longwood," Callen said. "I'll do whatever I have to." He took a deep breath and forced himself to sound confident. "I want to save my mom and get some payback."
"Well, that's a start," Felix grunted. "But, heart doesn't always cut it, kid."
"Lad, we gotta do what we can." Corth pleaded. "Me daughter..."
"Yeah, well...it's not like I got a choice." Felix shook his head with frustration. "Guess I get to play kindergarten scientist." Felix gave Callen a long stare and twirled his mustache with h
is index finger. He visibly calmed a little. "Well, aside from what I have to teach you, I guess I should give you credit for what made me your babysitter."
"That's a good start, lad."
Felix rubbed his bald head and gave Corth an annoyed glare. "If you remember, I made the suggestion at the last sighting that those things had a vulnerability to electronic attack...but no one listened. Hence, the whole computer scrambling...eh...never mind. Water under the bridge. Damn occult anthropologists and biologists wanting every monster we face to be organic. But here you are, the boy wonder who exploited the weakness on a whim. So, how'd you do it?"
"It hacked through my network security, I found a communication signal, translated enough of the encryption to inject my own virus, and overloaded their system."
"How did you realize it was a demon on your network?" Felix asked.
"I saw a symbol on the head of the monster that looked like part of the encryption hieroglyphics," Callen explained. "So, I just hoped I was right and sent the virus. But, I had already started the hack. So, when I saw the symbols on the screen and on the demon I just hoped."
Felix nodded. "I'm curious on how your system didn't get scrambled." He rubbed his chin. "Either you had something special in there or maybe they didn't register your system as a threat. We'll talk more about this later. You have the computer you shut it down with?"
"Yup." Callen nodded. "I wasn't gonna leave my computer behind, especially since it saved our lives."
"Good, you're logical even when terrified," Felix said. "There may be some hope here."
"Sorry to pull yeh lads from yer tech talk, but yeh two set here?" Corth stated. "Cole's waiting fer me."
"Yeah, yeah, we're set, and you have fun with that," Felix stated. "At least the pit she cast me into doesn't include her."
"I take it you and her are BFFs?" Callen grinned sarcastically.
"A smart-aleck and logical...this may work." Felix chuckled. "But, sarcasm aside, all kinds of bloodsuckers would find that woman's blood toxic. But, since I'm no vampire or deer tick, I would equate her presence to bashing your head with a hammer during a brain freeze."
Callen grinned. "Colorful description, you sure you're not a poet rather than a scientist?"
"Only when it comes to describing objects of my disaffection does my true artistic and linguistic aptitude come out."
"Aye, if that's what yeh want to call it." Corth laughed. "But, don't get too comfortable, she'll be around, I bet, to talk about old times and she'll probably have some work orders."
"Yeah, I know. Nothing like shooting the breeze with that bitch and accommodating her demands for technological upgrades." Felix grunted.
"Aye, she be a hemorrhoid, lad. But, I'm sorry to cut and run..."
"I know." Felix glanced at Callen. "But, if I find your grandson just talks a good game...well...that extra case of limoncello isn't gonna be enough."
"I'm sure you two will be just fine." Corth laughed. "If yeh need me give me a call. Off to pound the pavement for clues on those missing children."
"Oh, speaking of that case...I traced that demon's movements on through the grid over the last week...I'll send you the data."
"Alright," Corth asked. "And, the short version that I don't have to interoperate from yer data files?"
"Well, seems he made some friends not far from Helga's," Felix said. "Couldn't get a good look at who...but from what I saw they were small. Child sized...possibly, a changeling or a goblin...definitely unseelie..."
Corth nodded. "Friends how?"
"Can't draw any conclusions on what was happening from the feed, but it's a place to start...and there wasn't any conflict that I could see..." Felix answered. "I'll send you what I patched together.
"Aye, I hate this type o' case," Corth grumbled. "When creatures go all crime syndicate on us...it just reminds me how truly short handed we are...but he did say subterranean...so goblins be a solid lead...now comes the question of tribe..."
"Tell me about it." Felix nodded. "Oh...there's one more thing...a few of the kidnaps with the MO you're investigating...well...all of the victims have been reported to have returned with no memory of their abduction."
"Now, that is curious." Corth stroked his beard. "I guess I have some things to look into...thanks for finding the info..."
"Big brother is always watching." Felix grinned.
"Aye," Corth grumbled. "Thought, it be always good to have another set o' eyes. Anyway, I'll keep yeh posted...and let's keep our fingers crossed that this case doesn't lead me underneath the city..."
"Well, keep me in the loop...you might need special gear if that happens." Felix chuckled. "Good luck, let me know and I'll play operator when yeh need me."
"I know yeh will, lad." Corth turned and left the room.
Felix gave Callen another once over. "You don't look like much of a tech nerd..."
"What's a tech nerd supposed to look like?" Callen asked.
"Well..." Felix pointed his thumbs at himself. "Me. I was king nerd when I was at Georgia Tech all those years ago. Best of the best...but being one of us, well...I didn't get to graduate Magna Cum Laude." He let out a sigh. "But, what can you do? In our world, the spotlight is for second place, and first place gets to live in the shadows. Anyway, how long you were playing with technology?"
"Almost as long as I can remember." Callen shrugged. "Five or six, maybe? And I've been coding for longer..."
Felix nodded. He leaned over and popped open the top box on his stack of pizza boxes. He grabbed a slice that was loaded with bratwurst and sauerkraut. "So, what you got in the bag there?" Felix pointed at the backpack hanging from Callen's shoulder.
"My computer."
Felix nodded and smiled. "Well, show me what you got."
"What do you want to look at?" Callen asked as he pulled out his computer.
"The algorithm you cracked," Felix suggested, "I think that would be a good place to start." He watched Callen as he brought up the appropriate program windows. "Nice setup, I must say. Unreleased technology and a custom operating system. Conventional...but, brilliant."
"Thanks. I kept the code in that file there."
Felix nodded after staring at the program. "Interesting." He started to reread the code and began to twirl his mustache. "You're right about the hieroglyphics, other symbols from other ancient languages, and common computer code, but there are some new symbols and sequences from the Key of Solomon...and..." He paused and took a longer stare. "Alchemy runes...this truly is an interesting code..."
"Wait, Key of Solomon? Alchemy runes?"
"A simple explanation is that the code is occult computer code. As for The Key of Solomon, it's a grimoire, basically, it's one of the many magic textbooks in the world. Whether it has a connection to King Solomon or not, who knows...but Webb's gonna want to hear about this..."
"These symbols...do you know what any of it means?"
"Individually, yes, some of them. But, put them together and it could mean anything." Felix sighed. "Which one did you see on the creature?"
With a few taps on the keyboard, Callen brought up the image of swirls, smudges, and dots that reminded Callen of a skull with tentacles. "That's the one."
"It's a tri-blended rune. Looks like Alchemy dominant and the others, I can't place. The direction and curvature of these slashes below this blotch that looks skull like all mean something, but that's Webb's area of expertise..." Felix sighed. "I'll have to get him to look into it. Hopefully, he may have some insight...and your hack will, hopefully, be the Rosetta stone for Webb to complete a translation...Anyway, come on let me show yah around. Then, we can get you started on the monumental task that just got dumped on our shoulders." He took a huge bite of the strange pizza and after hitting a button; he slid out of his electronic chair. He waddled out
into the hallway and through the browning clear plastic straps. He gestured towards the room full of machinery. "So, this is the fab...we got fabricators of all types, reactors, 3d printers, and all kinds of stuff. I got everything you could need here to build anything you couldn't order over the Internet or trick some grad student at one of the universities to build as a project through our convenient arrangements."
"Did you design this place?" Callen asked.
"A lot of it was here when I arrived, but I did do a lot of changes," Felix admitted. "The rooms you just came from are the workshops...and my command center of course..."
Callen nodded and knelt down next to a panel on one of the complex pieces of machinery. He ran his finger over some chipped paint that read 'Nextigen.' "This is the company that made most of the hospital equipment that they used to do all the advanced scans and diagnostic stuff when I was in the hospital. They made my new laptop computer screen..."
"You know Nextigen equipment?" Felix sounded impressed.
"Yeah. One of their top hardware engineers was my doctor's son, Matt. He was in a graduate program at MIT. He taught me all kinds of stuff when I was in the hospital. I helped fix things with the hospital equipment whenever I was feeling well enough...he was working on getting me into MIT instead of going to high school when I got better..."
"Really?! I just got more impressed." Felix said happily. "Not only is Nextigen revolutionizing a lot of the tech industry, but you've been tutored by...wow..." He smiled. "Anyway way, I love their equipment...absolutely brilliant. They make a lot more than just hospital equipment and are rumored to be releasing their first commercial bipedal robot for home use. But, if you know their hospital tech, then you'll learn everything else very quickly, it all runs very similarly. Maybe I did jump to conclusions about you..."
"Matt taught me how to work on the hospital equipment, but he was in RnD, so I got to play with some of the robotics too...among other stuff he built...So, I've even played with a lot of stuff they haven't released yet." Callen said. “And I even helped him create a few new things."
"I gotta see it to believe it though. I'll see how good you are when you get working." Felix stopped walking in front of a quartz reactor that was pulsing with blue light.
Callen's eyes weren't focused on the light. He stared with amazement as a floating robot that was connected to the computer system on the reactor turned its optics towards them. Its many arms continued to make adjustments on the reactor's controls.
"Callen, this is Mavis." Felix's voice was ripe with pride. "He's one of my mainframe's bots. They're all different. Designed this one based on two of my favorite movie robots...this one's like a probe droid...and I made one like R2D2...they float on a magnetic rail system I got set up. No need for legs."
"Star Wars fan?" Callen asked, and Felix nodded. "Guess that answers my question on how you manage to both run all this stuff and keep it maintained."
"Greetings, Sir," Mavis said in a robotic monotone voice. "I am Mavis V. Face recognition failed, who is the organic life-form accompanying you sir?"
"This is Callen Thorne. He is going to be working with us. Feel free to add his facial profile map to your database."
"Excellent. Welcome, Sir."
"Mavis V?"
"Yes. I am unit number five." Mavis answered "There are ten other units in the Mavis collective all working on projects assigned by Mr. Longwood. We keep his facility running at top efficiency."
"Mavis, I want you to assist Callen in any way you can. His work has priority unless otherwise stated by me."
"Understood, sir. Would you like me to finish the containment canister and wave emission particles for your current project?"
"Finish them. We aren't near the point to where your assistance is required."
"Understood, sir." Mavis turned back to its work.
"So there are more of them?"
"Yes, the others are working throughout the shop. They are all attached to a centralized AI that coordinates them for me. I input their directions and they do what I need them too. But, kid, they're nothing compared to some of the new tech we are pioneering. The newest bots are swarms of nanobots that can do all kinds of things. Borderline magic, even for a tech guy like me. I swear."
"Awesome." Callen grinned. "Got any of that here?"
"Some." Felix nodded. "We use them inside some of the reactors and 3d printers to create specific things. It's a new area, so there's a lot of room for development. Now, come along."
He led Callen towards a garage door, which he opened, with a wave of his hand. The door rumbled open revealing an automobile garage and Grandpa's truck was sitting in the middle of the room. "This is where the dirty work is done, like welding, forging, etc. You probably won't be working much in here, but I thought I would show it to you anyway."
"This is where we came in." Callen pointed out
"Yup. We call it the docking bay."
"94?" Callen asked with a grin.
"94." Felix chuckled.
The truck had its hood popped open, most of the body had been removed, and there was a pair of Mavis bots working on installing armor plates into the frame around the truck's cabin.
"Just got my order for carbon fiber armor plates for Ol' Bessie here. That's what your grandfather calls her. She is a good old Truck." Mr. Longwood said, but the pair of female legs sticking out from under the truck's hood stole Callen's attention.
"Felix, we got that transducers that you ordered." The voice said from under the hood. "And, I got the hydrogen fuel cell upgrade installed. I'll have this baby purring in a few hours."
"Sadie?" Callen said, recognizing her voice and shaking his head to tear his eyes away from her attractive lower half to avoid the embarrassment of her noticing he just checked her out.
She stood up, pulled a pair of welding goggles onto the top of her head, and whipped her forehead smearing grease across her face. "Yeah, who did you think it was, cowboy? You forget your grandpa instructed me to go work for Felix?"
"Well, I've been a bit overwhelmed," Callen admitted. "And I really didn't expect you to be..."
"What you saying that a girl can't be a mechanic?” Sadie asked. "or even be good at it?"
"Ah...no..." Callen stuttered. "I mean...sure..." He blushed.
"Got yah." She laughed as she stepped towards a toolbox that was on the opposite side of the truck and grabbed a rag to wipe her hands. "Still cute when you're flustered." She winked.
"Sadie has a knack for engines and the like," Mr. Longwood said. "I think it was when she was about eight that she dragged in a busted dirt bike from an alley and asked me to help her get it to work. So, I got her started...she's a natural with that stuff..."
"Yup. When it comes to engines, firearms, and machine shop stuff, I'm your girl." Sadie grinned.
"If I can't help you find something, Sadie knows her way around."
"Yeah, Mavis doesn't have the best inventory system," Sadie admitted. "Things get moved or disappear all the time." She shot Felix an annoyed glance before putting the welding goggles back over her eyes and grabbing a pair of wrenches from her toolbox.
"Yeah, I know, Sadie. It's on the list...and hopefully we'll get to it." Felix grumbled. "Oh, and before I forget...add spelunking gear to your list of preps...just in case...Corth might need to go underground..."
"Got it..." Sadie returned to working on the truck.
Felix looked at Callen. "Now, let's get you started." He led Callen back through the shop towards the command center and plopped down in his chair.
"I think the best place to start for you is to make a pair of these." He tapped his goggles. "And a personal computer, like this one on my wrist." He pointed to a device that looked like a combination of a watch and a smartphone.
"So, I'm going to make a watch an
d a pair of glasses?" Callen sounded unimpressed.
"Ye of little faith." Felix grinned. "They're a bit more...well, complicated...than their mundane cousins...and well, this thing is not a watch. It's an incredibly advanced computer system, and in conjunction with the eyewear, you can actually see the interface and they augment reality with all kinds of data applications."
"So, it's like what I wore in the meeting."
"Yeah, exactly, but the computer is on you and can see virtual interfaces that are controlled by Mavis in our facilities," Felix answered. "Think of them as your own personal heads up display...like in a video game. Normally, I would just give a set to a new knight."
"I'm not a knight. Neither is Sadie."
"I know. Sadie's borrowing my spare." Felix sighed. "But, with the roadblock from Bethany, I don't have that convenience with you. You will have to build everything from scratch. But, building them will allow you to learn the basics of our tech and you can build your demon disruptor right into your wrist computer. You have complete freedom, but it's gonna take a lot of work."
"But, the device is for Sir Reeves to use..." Callen started to say.
"It's all politics," Felix grunted. "The short version is you have to do it from scratch and develop the disruptor as a tool that can be added to Reeve's computer. So, ready to have some fun?"
"I have access to everything here?" Callen had a devilish smirk on his face.
"Yup." Felix nodded. "You can sync your laptop to Mavis. Then, you can use Mavis's AI to enhance, well...everything you do on your computer."
"Like..."
"Well, she can take a look at your virus code...designs and help you improve them. There are programs that will allow you to virtually design anything you want, simulate the effectiveness, command the Mavis bots to make parts you design and get parts you need that are standard. Also, the background knowledge of material science, nanotechnology, and any other stuff you might need are all somewhere in my database. I'll make a file for you to set it up." He shook his head. "That touch interface you got there for gaming will suffice until you finish your rig."
"So, where should I start?" Callen asked impatiently.
“First, we can't get ahead of ourselves. I admit, I'm not exactly prepared for this. But, we will have to make due...give me an hour before downloading the Mavis software and I'll get her set up with tutorials and info that you may need...But, I warn you, even for someone with your electronic skills what your doing isn't going to be easy." Felix sighed. "I wish someone consulted me on this whole process of having you..." He shook his head with frustration. "But, orders are orders. You are going to have to do a lot of reading...and I'll do my best to teach you..."
"How do you mean?" Callen asked. "You're giving me high-tech components, the designs, and every tool I could possibly need. Can you just give me a box of parts and let me work?"
"Maybe, if this were the CIA or DoD fighting conventional terrorists. But, we are fighting things that few have even a remote understanding of…we’re like the occult DARPA. We have to be vastly superior in our tech to make up for the advantages our enemies possess. Besides, you did something to those things that none of us have been able to do yet. So, I guess the idea of this arrangement is to hope you tap into whatever miracle helped you in the first place."
"Okay. So, what do I gotta do?"
"Well, first, you gotta realize that our gear isn't mass produced and is largely custom. A lot of the things we make aren't new concepts or devices. We are just way better at it. The quick explanation is that we build what we need to from the molecule up."
"From the molecule up?" Callen asked with a combination of confusion and overwhelming curiosity.
"Yup, the materials of each part are carefully arranged at a molecular level, depending on the material, to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the total part. And we make sure they look similar to commercial devices so people who aren't us don't notice out superior tech or make them small enough to easily conceal." Felix explained. "We also look at how that part works with other parts and how everything builds into a whole. Everything is carefully made and then, we have to make sure that it doesn't look any different than what the conventional world has. But, that's becoming less difficult now than it was in the decades and centuries past...but that's a topic for another day."
"I think I like the sound of this." Callen's grin grew wider.
"Yeah, molecular engineering’s fascinating work. It's the fun stuff, that is, if you got the smarts, and will push into the realm of what stupid people call magic. But, I just hope...well, let's put it this way...we got a lot of work to do."
"When do I start and..." He looked back towards the reactor room. It wasn't a place he saw where he could work. "And, well...how? And where? This is your command center..."
"True..." Felix scratched his head. "Yeah...I guess I did forget that part...oh, there's a room two doors down the hall you can use...you may have to organize that workshop. It hasn't been used in a while...Mavis can help...maybe you can convince Sadie." He cursed suddenly, as if out of the blue.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, I just got an emergency I gotta attend to." Felix moaned. "You know, one of those ones that's only an emergency if you have the IQ of a peanut?"
"The Cole lady?"
"Fast learner." Felix grinned. "Anyway, you're welcome to start rearranging the room whenever you're ready. It's two doors down from mine...I'll set Mavis to check the integrity of the rooms electrical systems...so, the rooms all yours..."