Mental
Total
Ada
25
25
50
Ukko
22
20
42
Deckard
19
15
34
HAL 45.3
16
15
31
Sharks With Lasers
20
10
30
Tiger
17
10
27
Astro Dude
18
5
23
Ozone
11
10
21
“I can’t believe it,” said 10, standing still, talking to herself. “Eight points up on Dalk after day two. Eight points up. Technically, tomorrow, if we win the physical part, or even just come second, or just beat Dalk, then we win. I can’t believe it. I really can’t believe it.”
“I can’t believe how much fun I’m having indoors. Being in a team is awesome,” Li said, walking backward in a circle.
I just kept hugging Ada. “I’m so proud of you. You did amazingly. How did you work that out?” I asked.
“It was all of you who helped,” Ada replied. “Your data sources, AZ; your creative sources, Li; and your challenging philosophical questions, 10. I have also reached my quota of hugs today, though I know Li says I can’t have too many, I have a big race tomorrow…”
The rest of the team joined them on the hall floor with a few more hugs and congratulations.
“Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I’m proud of all of you. Without you, we wouldn’t even have made it to day one. Thank you. I’m just not sure how this day can get any better,” I said.
“Well, I might try,” Katrin said. “I just got a call from the hospital and Matias has regained consciousness. He’s doing fine and should make a full recovery.”
“That’s fantastic,” I yelled, throwing my arms around her.
There was something new here. I could feel it. The sense of wild hope was replaced by a sense of actual belief.
“Technically, we’re only two-thirds of the way through the competition. We should get started on preparation for tomorrow,” 10 said.
“Yes, you’re right. We want to finish strong. Let’s get to work,” I said, and the crew immediately fell into a buzzing flow of activity. 10, Jerel, and Dasan were going to stay in the lab with Ada to ensure nothing happened overnight.
I said 10 should go home for a good night’s sleep, given the work she’d have to do tomorrow, but she insisted on staying with Ada. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep anyway,” she said.
I left the crew and went home to look at the ceiling. I replayed the last two days over and over.
That felt amazing. Did it really happen? Did we really do all that? We are doing it. We could really win this. Forget about the worst thing that can happen. What is the best thing that can happen?
I eventually fell asleep, then woke at 7:20 a.m. to a text message:
Hi AZ, I’ve been a real jerk. I want to explain why. I can’t meet publicly. Please meet at my uncle’s house at the end of Station Road at eight o’clock. It’s important. I don’t want anyone to get hurt again. Dalk
T-Minus Two
I spent a few minutes rereading the text and thinking about what I should do.
He has been stressed. I bet it’s his dad. If there is a chance to avoid another incident, then I should take it. If anyone got hurt again and I didn’t do anything then I’d never forgive myself.
Today’s competition didn’t start until ten o’clock and Station Road wasn’t too far out of my way. I hopped on my bike, rode across town and down Station Road to a big house. The gate looked pretty old and was a bit rusted. I pressed an intercom button and heard a staticky beeeep. After a few seconds of silence, it crackled to life.
“Hello, AZ? Is that you?” Dalk’s voice came out of the speaker.
“Um, yes, what is this about? I need to get to the competition. And so do you,” I said.
“Yeah, I know. But I need to show you something first. It will only take a few minutes but after everything…I owe it to you. Come to the house.” The gate jerked open and the intercom went silent.
I stood for a long minute facing down the long driveway. As a precaution, I enabled tracking on the security app Adewale had given us all. I rode slowly down to a very large, quiet house. The looping driveway was empty of cars. I dropped my bike down and stepped up toward the front door and was about to knock when it opened. Dalk appeared in the doorway, his usual, confident demeanor was gone.
“Hey AZ, I’m glad you came. I’m really sorry for the cloak and dagger. You have no idea what my life is really like. Honestly, all the money isn’t worth all the stress,” Dalk said.
“What is this about? You haven’t said anything but nasty things to me and now you want to chat. I need to be with my team,” I said, not moving.
“I know. Sorry I’ve been so horrible. It’s my dad. He has this thing and, well, it’s easier if I show you. It will only take a minute and then we can get to the competition. But you need to promise not to tell anyone, ok?” Dalk said from the doorway.
“I’m not promising anything,” I said.
“Ok, ok, sure, I understand,” he said, rubbing his eyes and scratching the back of his head.
He’s a mess.
I took a breath and followed Dalk. He opened a door off the hallway to a stairway. He flicked on a light and walked down the stairs. “Seriously, it will just take a minute and it will explain everything.”
This was getting stranger by the minute. I checked my phone; it was 8:23 a.m. and the security app was still tracking me. I sent a beacon notice out. If I didn’t deactivate it within ten minutes, it would alert the team and they would know my exact position. I walked down the stairs.
The room he indicated hadn’t been cleaned for a while and seemed full of junk.
Dalk was standing in front of what looked like an old computer. It was a beige cube, about forty centimeters tall with two thin slots in the front and an old silver sticker, peeling at the corners.
“What do you want to show me, Dalk? This seems really weird.”
“Just read what it says on that sticker. It will make it all clear,” Dalk said.
I took a few steps forward, leaned down, and looked at the sticker.
“ ‘Computer repairs? Call 8—’ ” I started, when Dalk suddenly pushed me from behind. I lost my balance and rolled onto the ground, crashing into the computer and some shelves. I looked up to see Dalk running up the stairs.
It’s a trap! I’m in trouble. He’s going to lock me in here and Ada will be disqualified. How could I be so gullible?
I got up and ran after him. I was halfway up the stairs when the door slammed shut.
Don’t panic. Stay calm.
I grabbed the door handle. Left, right. Left, right, left, right, left, right.
“I’m sorry, AZ,” came Dalk’s voice from the other side of the door.
I let my hand fall to my side, and a feeling of hopelessness swept over me.
I started pleading, “Let me out. Open this door now. D
alk, please don’t do this, I need to get to the competition. Locking me in here is just crazy. You might win but it’s only because you’ve cheated. You haven’t actually beaten me.”
“I’m sorry, AZ. I’m sorry,” Dalk said through the door.
It sounded like he was crying. I’m the one locked in here? Why is he crying?
“It’s not me. It’s not. You don’t know what is at stake. You don’t know what it means. I don’t… I don’t… You just need to stay here a few hours and your team will be disqualified. It’s not your fault, AZ. It’s not Ada. It’s not me. It’s the plan,” his head banged against the door as he spoke.
“Then don’t do it, Dalk. Just open the door. Maybe I can help you,” I said, trying to reason with him.
My thoughts were split. One part scared to death. One part calm.
“You can’t. No one can. I’m sorry,” his voice trailed off and I heard footsteps clip-clop to silence.
I was alone.
Is this really happening? Ada gets smashed, then I’m expelled, and now I’m stuck in the basement of an old house and we’re going to be disqualified. And it’s my own fault for going against my instincts.
No. Questions and rage come later. Action comes now. This was the new me and this is not how it ends.
I hit the door hard with my shoulder a few times. It’s strong. I’m not getting through there.
I grabbed my phone. I had no service or data coverage. It was 8:47 a.m. My beacon should send an alert in seven minutes.
Oh jeez. Deep breaths. Focus your eyes. Focus your mind. What do you see? There are no other doors. There is one window. It’s high. About three meters up. Too high to jump to. It looks like it’s welded shut. It’s still my only hope. What’s in this basement?
Inventory check:
•Brooms
•Plastic and metal buckets
•Tools
•Old house bricks
•Pipes sticking out of walls
•An old computer
•Paint brushes and tins
•Spray paint cans
•Candles
•Metal funnel
•Rags
•Duct tape
•Matches
•A few lengths of rope
•A fire-retardant blanket
•A fire extinguisher
•Piles of garbage
There was one thin pipe coming out from under the window. I climbed onto it and jumped up and grabbed the ledge. The pipe wouldn’t hold my weight for long. The window was welded shut. I needed to open it first. I jumped down to the ground.
Brooms and candles? Not useful.
Rope and spray can? Not useful.
Matches? Not useful.
Think. Think. Think.
Rope…bricks…bricks on the rope, swing the rope, smash the window. Yes. That could work.
I tied a brick with rope. Swing, miss, swing, miss, swing, hit, swing miss, swing hit, swing hit, swing miss, swing smash. Shattered glass sprayed the room.
Keep moving.
I carefully stepped onto the pipe coming out of the wall and reached up to the ledge. I pushed off with my foot to jump up and reached out to freedom.
The pipe snapped off. I fell back to the ground hard. I sat up. The pipe was completely ripped out. There goes my booster.
But what’s that sound? What’s that smell?
Gas!
I could smell gas pouring out of the hole where the pipe snapped off. The room was getting filled with it. That could suffocate me or maybe even ignite.
I wedged a bit of rag into the hole as best I could, but it was still seeping out. I needed to get out of here fast.
Ok, how do I get up there? I wondered. I couldn’t climb now. Nothing would stack high enough to climb on. The ropes couldn’t hold onto anything.
How about propulsion? A fire extinguisher! But is it strong enough? I needed a vehicle, a sturdy one. The metal bucket. A metal funnel to focus the stream. I could sit on the blanket on top of the bucket, then set off the extinguisher, fling myself into the air, grab the window ledge, and climb out. Risks? A lot. It could be a bad angle, there would be broken glass, nothing to cushion my fall, and…ok, enough risk evaluation, there were no other options.
Extinguisher taped to the funnel and bucket. Pull pin out of extinguisher, blanket ready, rags wound around hands. Fail. Couldn’t pull extinguisher trigger. Unwound rope into string, tied around trigger, back onto bucket, back on the bucket, ready. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Ready. Squeeze. “Whoaahh…”
The aim is off, and I shot off backward, into a wall of junk. My head, arm, and back started to throb painfully.
This room is filling with gas. Come on.
I got up and back on the bucket. Breathe. Breathe. Ready. SQUEEZE.
My aim was better, straight up, but not quite there. I was almost to the roof and twisted my body forward to avoid smashing my head against the wooden beams. My back hit it squarely and for an instant I was suspended in the air.
Then I fell. My stomach hit the bucket.
As I fought to not pass out, I realized the gas smell was almost overpowering me.
Clear the area. Put the equipment back together. Step on the bucket. Breathe. Ready. Squeeze.
I got up. I let go of the string, I went up, near the window, I reached out, I grabbed, I scratched, I held.
“Yes!” I actually squealed out loud. The squeal became a scream as the broken glass cut through my fingers and into my hand. My good hand. It released from the edge. Blood dripped to the floor. I was dangling. If I let go, it would be over. I couldn’t hold on long.
“This is not over,” I said out loud.
My foot found a bump in the wall. Small, but just enough to give me some leverage.
I pushed on it, thought of Ada, screamed, and threw myself up with all my will and all of my rage. My hand found an edge outside the window and I pulled. Glass cut me as I dragged myself through the tiny space. Pull. Lift yourself. Pull. Pull. My eyes closed but through my eyelids I saw a dark red light and the smell of roses flooded my lungs as I gasped for air.
That gas could still ignite. I need to get clear of this house.
One more pull and I was out. Dirt mixed with blood. Adrenaline mixed with blood.
I’m out.
I got up.
Get clear. Get safe.
I saw a pond twenty meters away. Risks? Sharp fountain spouts, it could be too shallow. No other options. I ran.
Behind me the house exploded. Panic and stillness. Terror filled my ears and my mind. I jumped and I was in a white-hot wind. My skin and hair were hot. I hit the water and sunk to the bottom. Above me, red and white fire filled the air. The fire was heating the water. I wasn’t fast enough.
I thought of Ada’s hands. Strong and precise. Filled with tiny circuits and endless ones and zeros. That first time Ada reached out with a hand for mine. We didn’t program Ada to do it. Ada wanted to. Ada wanted to hold my hand.
T-Minus One
School Robot Competition
Part Three: Physical
Power: On
Battery level: 100%
BIOS loaded
Initialization tests complete
Condition report: 100%
Ada: Advanced cybernetic robot, powered up
8:37:51 a.m.
10 initiates me today. The previous two days it was AZ. 10 continues to use her laptop to run my unit tests.
“Good morning, Ada. A big day today,” 10 says to me.
“Good morning, 10. Yes, the final day of the competition,” I say.
Li walks in and gives me a big morning hug.
Thirteen minutes and twenty-eight seconds pass.
“Where is AZ?” Li asks.
“It’s not li
ke her to be late. I’ll text her,” 10 says.
Six minutes and nine seconds pass. One hour, nine minutes, and forty-two seconds until the competition starts.
The rest of the team is here now and helping with final preparations. Someone checks the door every 17.85 seconds on average. The team is worried.
“Ada, do you know where AZ is?” Li asks me.
“I have had no communication from her; her beacon has not been activated,” I say.
At 9:04:51 a decision is made to take more actions to find AZ. 10 tries calling her again but there was no answer. Lucia drove Jerel and Maureen to her house. Adewale had checked the security beacons again but nothing has been received.
No one can find her.
It was 9:58. Two minutes to go. The door burst open. Jerel, Maureen, and Lucia walk in. They join the rest of the team in the stands. “Any sign of her?” Lucia calls out, face showing fear.
“No, no sign,” Li says quietly.
I am more worried about AZ than the competition. She is important to me forever. The competition is important to me only because it is important to her and the team.
It is 9:59 a.m. One minute to go. Li has started crying.
“This can’t be how it goes. It can’t be,” 10 says.
I can calculate the sadness.
The door swings open with a crash.
There is AZ. She is dirty, cut, bleeding and, based on her elevated heart rate and rapid breathing, she is very tired. She holds onto the doorframe. She made it.
I stepped into the hall with the little energy I had left. Before anyone could react, I scanned the room and locked eyes with Dalk. The message my eyes sent was crystal clear.
I am as determined as white-hot fire and I will not be denied.
His face looked like it would shatter, until he turned away.
The hall erupted into activity and noise.
Ada and 10 sprinted toward me. Li screamed. My parents ran down the stairs with the rest of Ada’s team. Dalk hid his head in his hands.
She's Building a Robot Page 11
