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The morning air was heavy with moisture when Callen made his way to his workbench. He carried his bag over one shoulder with his computer. Thoughts of his father lingered in his mind, and if he was here, Callen knew things would be different. If he was here his mom... Callen plugged his ear buds in to drown out his wishes with some of his angry music. His practical mind knew that wishes weren't going to change anything.
He yawned as he arrived and placed his bag on his chair. He pulled out his laptop and began connecting it to the computer hub on the workbench. There was imagining equipment next to him, x-ray devices, and a toolbox loaded with any tool he could possibly need. He powered up the benches computer.
"You're getting another early start today," Sadie said as she walked into the workshop and immediately pulled an ear bud from Callen's ear. "I guess you haven't had time for Shadowborne over the past two weeks...Tende mentioned some new expansion the other day while you were working with Felix."
"Yeah...I've been a bit busy." Callen sighed as he pulled out the second ear bud. "But, I did download it last night. It looks pretty cool they're adding an evil cult to the mix."
Sadie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sounds great...anyway, that makes me wonder...is evil cult redundant? 'Cause I don't think I've ever heard of a good cult..."
"Wouldn't that be like, um...Christianity, Islam, Judaism...?"
"Those aren't cults," Sadie said definitively, as if seeking to end an argument. "Besides, I think it's too early for that conversation, cowboy."
Callen shrugged. "Oh, my mistake. I thought you were a morning person..." He shot her a half grin.
Sadie ignored it and turned her attention to his electronic workbench. "So, how's your work coming so far?"
Callen shook his head, shrugged, and decided to accept the change in conversation. He ran his fingers through his slowly returning hair and sighed. "I've managed to build a few chips...but at this rate it's going to take forever. The way the molecular transistors, conductors, and semi..."
"Yeah, not my thing, stop here so I can at least not feel dumb when things turn complicated." Sadie yawned "But still, I can tell you're overwhelmed."
"Yeah, and frustrated." Callen sighed. "I've only been working on chips, scanning them when their done with X-ray machines and such, and writing programs for things that he gives me. I haven't even started to work on the project to save my mom yet. Maybe I'm doing something wrong and Mr. Longwood doesn't think I'm..."
"Don't," Sadie said. "You definitely are smart enough."
"But..."
"No buts...you got it." She smiled. "And Felix knows what he's doing. Just be patient and have faith."
"Yeah, right. There's just so much to know in order to even begin." Callen scoffed. "If God cared...or existed...then my mom..."
Sadie gave him a dirty look, stopping him before he went further. "I thought we weren't gonna go there..." She sighed and she moved a bin of parts to expose a coffee maker, which she promptly began setting up. She glanced around the cabinet and looked in the drawers. "Guess Felix forgot to buy sugar and creamer. I hope you like your coffee black."
"I don't drink coffee." Callen said.
"You serious?" Sadie scoffed. "No wonder you look like a zombie every day until like noon, when you slug down a chocolate milk shake and a coke or two at Helga's..."
"What can I say, I'm not a morning person." He watched her grab two cups as the coffee began to drip. "Maybe we should get some coke for me to wake up with..."
"Yeah, soda..." Sadie scowled. "Bad for you! It's one of the major causes of obesity in..."
"Mr. Longwood drinks Mt. Dew in the morning..."
"Yeah, I know, but he's not exactly worried about his figure," Sadie said.
"And you think I am?" Callen looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"If you're not, you should be," Sadie said. "Girls like guys who are in shape. I wouldn't want you turning into a basement dwelling overweight video game player with a neck-beard. So, it's time you give up soda and drink coffee.”
"Well, I got the basement thing and the video game thing going on now...so..."
"Exactly my concern," Sadie said. "Time to be more healthy. And, just so you know, I'm not taking no from you on the coffee thing. Coffee is like air. People can't function without it."
"And here I thought it was because I've become an insomniac..." Callen yawned.
"Not sleeping?" Sadie said as she watched the pot slowly fill up.
"No," Callen admitted. "But it gives me time to work here. So..."
"That's not good. Really not good...you should see Dr. Brewer. He'll give you something to help."
Callen nodded. "Maybe. I think it will be better when I save my mom. I got a lot of work to do to get there...and..." Callen paused and stared at the bench. His mind drifted.
"And what?" Sadie asked. "Callen?" Her voice sounded worried.
He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just groggy. I'll be fine." He looked at the pot of dripping coffee. "Just give me a cup."
"Glad you see it my way." Sadie grinned. She grabbed the pot and poured two steaming cups. "But, for the record, burning the candle at both ends won't help your mom. So, promise me you'll see Dr. Brewer?"
"Half as long, twice as bright." Callen murmured as he began tapping on the keyboard.
"What?" Sadie asked.
"Oh, ah..." Callen said. "Just something Matt...the guy who taught me a bunch about electronics used to say about me."
"Depressing." Sadie sighed and placed the cup on Callen's workbench.
"I never looked at it that way," Callen said. "I'd rather live a few years of amazing than a hundred years of mediocrity."
"You're certainly not the average American teenager..." Sadie laughed. "Most of them are cooing over that reality TV garbage that takes less than half a brain to make and even less than that to understand."
"Just teenagers?" Felix said as he walked into the room sipping from a coffee cup filled with Mt. Dew. "The entire world is wrapped up in celebrating stupidity and no one can what we do. Anyway, Callen, you ready?"
"Yeah," Callen said taking the first sip of the coffee and made a disgusted face. "Did you get the parts I designed that you asked for? I had Mavis send them to your office last night." He forced another sip.
"Yes I did, and they are perfect," Felix said. "I put them into the prototype I'm building..."
"That's my cue to leave," Sadie said. "Felix, Sir Corth, and Sir Reeves took the truck last night, so I can't install the parts you wanted me to get in. So, before I let you two go all super nerd, do you want me to work on those two assault rifle platform mods or get the case-less feeds into those sidearms? Or can I have the day to work on my baby?"
"Get the assault rifles done," Felix said. "That won't take long. The conventional actions just need to be removed and replaced with our adaptable ones. Then you can work on your baby."
"Your baby?" Callen asked as he choked down another sip of coffee. "I hope this isn't some crappy reality TV show about a teenage girl, a baby, and demons..."
Sadie giggled. "No, my baby is my motorcycle." Her voice was filled with pride.
"How come you haven't shown me it yet?" Callen asked.
"It's not done yet." She answered. "I haven't shown anyone, so don't feel bad, cowboy. But, maybe at some point, I could use your help with the electronics I want in it..." She flashed Callen a grin and headed towards the garage.
"I still think the cowboy thing doesn't quite work..." Callen sighed.
"She's a pistol, that one," Felix said shaking his head. "And she knows how to use them too, build them, and make them quite dangerous..." He sighed and chuckled at Callen's expression. "Guess someone has a crush..."
"Um...no," Callen said, but the blood
flowing to his cheeks said otherwise.
"Right," Felix said. "And you're just choking down that coffee because you like it..."
Callen rolled his eyes. "So, what are we doing today?" Callen asked changing the subject. "Am I ready to start on my stuff yet?"
"Patience, my boy, patience." Felix said.
"But, my mom..."
"I assure you, I'm well aware, and I'm doing everything I can to make sure that you are able to succeed. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know." Felix stated. "Now come with me." He waddled out of the electronics shop and down the hallway towards the farthest door from the factory.
"Where we going?" Callen asked as he followed.
"Server room," Felix said. "I want to show you what I used some of the parts you made for practice for...remember the strange chips?"
"Yeah, looked to me like they would somehow rapidly transfer information to something you would store in a thin cylinder. That something has to get the info fast...least that's what all the designs you let me look at indicated."
"Very good," Felix admitted as he unlocked the door. "I'm pleased you're learning how these things go together." The door beeped and metal locks creaked from inside the wall.
"Why is this door so much more secure than the rest of this place?" Callen said as the heavy door hissed open. "I don't think you can get any more secure than this place considering..."
"You'd be surprised," Felix said. "I'm doing a lot of security upgrades around this place. It just takes forever. Actually, that's part of the reason why I had you working on components for this device for practice." He reached into the pocket of his apron and pulled out a thin electronic tube about the width of a straw that had a small box of connectors at one end. He began walking down the stairs.
"What is it?" Callen asked as they emerged in a room filled with computer servers.
Felix grinned as he flipped on the lights. He walked over to one of the servers and popped open an access panel. "You see what's wrong?"
Callen glanced over the series of circuit boards. "Well, ah...give me a minute. Is there one designed the same way without a problem that I can compare it to? I didn't design these so picking out exact flaws will be nearly impossible without a reference if you want a quick answer."
"Good answer." Felix smiled. "But look at the quality of the electronics. See the difference?"
The computer card itself was extremely advanced, but there was a spider-like device that looked outdated and built by jury-rigging old technology attached to it.
"Yeah," Callen admitted. "What the hell is that thing?"
"It's a bug," Felix admitted.
"Literally," Callen said. "It looks like it's feeding off the chip."
"Yeah, essentially it is," Felix said. "I've been finding these things in the Mavis servers for years. They are always slightly different, look like junk, and they..."
"Are some sort of transmitter." Callen said. "It's like bugging a telephone."
Felix nodded. "But the weird thing is, they never transmit anything and I can't even figure out their purpose! They don't seem to be hurting anything, but I don't like them and every time I want to remove them it is a pain in the ass. Whatever is installing them keeps stripping away my TEMPEST shielding...and the bugs seem to be reading the electronic emissions from the circuits...but they're not broadcasting anything! I have to break the card or shutdown the network...blah, blah, blah...but then the next day they're back. Since they haven't actually done any real damage, it hasn't been a priority to get this done. So, I gave you projects related to the solution that I haven't finished yet to teach you the basics of molecular engineering.“
"So, what is the device I helped you finish yesterday?" Callen asked.
Felix attached the cylinder to his wrist computer and pulled his goggles over his eyes. The status lights on the cylinder. "The cylinder is full of a special adaptive nanoparticle designed to manipulate electromagnetic fields based on a variety of scans from my goggles. Each nanoparticle positions itself to form a reverse Faraday Cage to contain an EMP within it. I'm scanning the bug now. When it's done, I'll specify my target, and release the particles. They will arrange themselves in a pattern that will allow them to manipulate the electric field that comes out of the targeted device, interrupt the electron flow, and temporarily disable it without damage to the primary card. Then, I can pull it off without shutting down the network and maybe I can find out why they're here. Then my problem is solved, well sort of."
"What if the bug and the card it's attached to are made of the same stuff?" Callen asked. "Then wouldn't you fry both?"
"Yes," Felix said. "But, that's only if you didn't have the schematics for the device you're trying to save."
"I guess the algorithm is pretty complex," Callen said. "Especially to control an EMP."
"Well, yes, it is quite complicated," Felix said. "It's all based on how these specially designed particles react to their command signal and the vibrations they emit."
"Cool," Callen said. "You mostly had me designing the circuitry and programming..."
"Yeah," Felix said. "You'll get more into the material science of what the electronics we build control when you start on the eyewear."
Callen nodded. "It's awesome, but Mr. Longwood, don't you think building this EMP device was overkill?" Callen asked. "Why didn't you just install security cameras or using Mavis to find out who is doing this then shoot them?"
"I did, initially...conventional means shouldn't be disregarded in favor of a complex solution...so your thoughts are in the right spot. This has been going on for a very long time. So, I pretty much exhausted all my options conventional or imaginative. It's kinda like a chess match for me...this is just my latest attempt, and hopefully my last."
"Sounds frustrating," Callen said.
Felix tapped his rig's interface. "Not anymore." A low electrical hiss came from the tube and a slight haze formed around the strange spider-like bug. With a snap-fizz, the bug pulsed dull blue and fell off the card and Felix caught it. He slowly looked over the card. "And my scan reads no damage. I'd say we did good."
"Great, now we built a bug zapper to deal with a minor problem that you have been basically ignoring for years," Callen said sarcastically. "I guess a minor problem is more important than..."
"Yee of little faith, and much impatience." Felix sighed. "Just you wait." He turned towards the stairs. "Now, come on." Felix started to climb the stairs.
"Alright, what's next a pedicure machine to add to..." Callen started to mumble, but something shiny in one of the cracks in the stone floor caught his eye. He bent down and picked it up. "Wait, Mr. Longwood, what's this, did you drop something?" He held a strange spur gear that looked handmade with little precision.
"I have found parts like that around the place before. It was probably just a part that got stuck in my shoe a few years ago. That happens to me all the time. I drop a screw or something and it rolls somewhere. Then you forget to pick it up because you just grab a new one." Felix said. "Besides, this place is a mess. I just wish I had time to organize it. That might actually be half my problem with whatever is installing these bugs. This place's such a hodgepodge of mainstream technology and our own work..."
Callen nodded and inspected the gear. It was an interesting looking gear. It was scratched, rusted, and was heavily scarred on one side. It reminded him of an old penny. "Tails...dark side...you're lucky, I keep you." He flipped it in the air and caught it as he walked up the stairs.
He returned to the bench and sighed as he glanced at the coin. He turned towards one of the material analysis devices that sat next to him. The part was out of place for the workshop and looked like it was old. He reached over to power up the X-ray fluorescence imaging. He placed the rusted spur gear in the device and began a composition scan.
The scree
n next to him blinked, which surprised him because the material analysis would take time, but it was Felix's image on the screen. "Alright." He said. "I've updated your access, Callen. You'll find the files you need to begin your next assignment on the system."
"Alright," Callen said.
"Pay careful attention to the how the materials respond to the signals sent from the software as you work," Felix said. "When you finish each schematic, and process recipe, I'll look over them...we'll go from there."
"Sounds good..." As the x-ray machine buzzed, Callen returned to work. The materials he was designing were, in a sense, alive. He began looking at each part as an organ, the CPU as the brain, and the total assembly was like an organism. He lost himself in the complexities of a crystalline material that was built with different layers, like those of a cake. The layers were very adaptive and each responded to specific programs that he began editing or he wrote from scratch. It was like he was a baker that could shift the layers of the cake from chocolate to vanilla to strawberry to whatever flavor he wanted in whatever layer he wanted as someone enjoyed the cake.
After a few hours and over another cup of coffee, he remembered to check the composition results of the strange gear he found. He minimized the design programs and looked over the results. He shook his head in confusion. This metal was a proprietary alloy that was used in navy ships back in the early 1900s. He pulled the gear out of the x-ray machine. "A coin-like gear from over a hundred years ago in a sci-fi secret basement for demon slaying dwarves?" Callen said to himself. "Can this place get any weirder?" He shrugged and tucked the gear into his pocket and returned to his work.