Through the Wires

by Amy English

  Silverfish was struggling financially without Frank or the other scientist. Even Jeff Brenner refused to return there. He found work at a small company and was doing well. He apologized to Frank in a long email and asked for his forgiveness. Frank was surprised. Jeff was so disgusted about George’s behavior with regard to his son, that he promised to speak on his behalf in court. But Silverfish would settle before he would get the chance.

  Frank was no longer willing to work for someone else. He took his own advice and worked from home. He expanded his personal lab built inside his basement. It was perfect. He could work undisturbed on multiple projects while staying home. Espanys was being perfected. He worked out the kinks as Dylan reported his findings, paying attention to small details like facial features and other specific details.

  Father and son had a great working relationship. Dylan continued giving exact details of what he saw, felt, and experienced. With each report, Frank was able to fine tune the system. He wanted it perfect when he unveiled it to a company for their own use. He planned on leasing the rights to manufacture the game. It would go to the highest bidder. It would be available internationally and it would entertain and heal. Frank wasn’t sure he was prepared for the celebrity that would follow. He was a modest and simple man. He was sure of his own integrity. And that of his family. And he hoped they would remain that way. He and Claire had done a good job of raising their only child. And Dylan was following in his footsteps. He had begun to show him how he constructed Espanys. How he designed the delicate cables that mimicked human nerve ending. Dylan was intrigued. And he understood. Frank would lead his path. Dylan too would do great things.

  Peggy pulled out of her driveway. She smiled and waved at Josh as he stood in the doorway, held up by crutches. It had been two years since he was given Espanys to play with. Frank was monitoring his progress closely. And Josh was healing at an alarming rate. He was now a senior and was thriving at school. He no longer needed his wheelchair and his legs were getting stronger each day. Frank predicted full use within a year and Peggy allowed Frank to follow her sons progress. Frank and Dylan took Josh to some of his doctors’ appointments. Frank used the opportunity to expand his knowledge of the human nervous system. And Espanys was improved.

  “Go tell your father dinner is ready,” Claire said as she stirred the pot of mashed potatoes. Dylan went into the basement. His father had been locked away in his laboratory for hours. Dylan wanted to meet with Emily. Their friendship blossomed into a close bond and they were now dating. “Pop,” Dylan called out. “Yeah,” Frank replied, as he made notes and looked over papers. “Mom said dinner ready. How’s it coming?” he asked, walking into his father’s special area. It was off limits. But this was a special occasion. The work was complete. The door was open. Dylan knew he could enter.

  “It’s pretty much complete. I was finalizing the City and Safari modes. The eyes of the people and animals have pupils now. The faces are more real. No aggression will result in pain. If you fall, you bounce. So, there will be no problem if you tumble off the top of a building. And if you experience anything that increases your stress past a certain point, the game will shut off. I want you and Emily to test it tonight. I present it to McGregor Monday. If all goes well, they will produce it and it will be available for consumers. They want to sell it internationally,” he said.

  Dylan smiled. His father’s hard work now official. And they were better off because of it. Frank had received a large advance. With the money he received from McGregor and the settlement from Silverfish, he was a rich man. Claire wanted a bigger house but Dylan wanted to stay close to Emily and so the family decided to stay put for the time being. Claire was in no rush. She wanted her son happy and so she would wait for her home off the lake.

  Frank stood up and stretched. He was hungry. He pat his son on the back and the two went upstairs to eat dinner. Dylan sat down and logged on. He could see Emily, Peter and Josh in the distance. He ran to them and changed into a lion. He chased after Emily as she laughed then turned into a tiger. Peter looked at Josh then ran and jumped into the air soaring high in the sky.

  His wing span was huge. He was a beautiful bald eagle. His detail exact. Every feather of his wings flawless. Josh laughed then ran and turned into a bull. The group ran across the plain towards the water. They were anxious to turn into fish and swim the vast ocean. The animals around them ran along side of them. Frank had tweaked the game to make the animals more responsive and more lifelike. It was perfect.

  The four friends played daily and Josh continued to heal. Frank eventually gave Peggy one of the prototypes for Espanys AVM. She logged onto frequently and travelled around the world. She called Claire sometimes to find out if she was going in. The women had been to several countries together. Their adventures the stuff dreams were made of. Frank was proud of his work.

  Claire was reporting to him on the details of her and Peggy’s travels. Peggy emailed her suggestions and any issues she discovered during her times travelling across the world. Peggy was hooked, liked her son. Frank gathered the data and continued his work, perfecting both games for a better experience.

  “What you doing?” Frank asked. “Nothing. Peggy and I want to try Egypt, now that you did the upgrades,” she said. Frank kissed her on the forehead and walk to his office. Claire looked forward to logging on. Her and Peggy planned to go to Japan first. Then close out with a trip to Egypt.

  The game had been improved. The player could now select two modes and select the time they wanted to spend in each. And the units came with two headphones. Claire was thrilled. Her and Peggy had become close friends. Another wonderful byproduct of Frank’s work. Frank could see everyone was happy and getting along. Even Dylan and Kirby had squashed their differences. Kirby was now coming around and playing Espanys with the group. Espanys had become something more than just a game. It was more than a healing machine. People were connecting. Relationships were forming. Strong friendships that would last a lifetime.

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  Amy English