PESI - 3. Chapter 3

When I walked into the office, John looked at me. “Well, stranger, I’m glad to see you again.”

“Come on, John, it has been only a few days. I had some personal issues to deal with. How’s the project?”

“The server has provided the parts we need.” Buying complete electronic hardware and then dis-assembling it to get the parts we wanted, kept our work secret. John and I have a few secrets between us, but I have one, Pesi. John knows that Pesi exists but doesn’t know what Pesi can do, and I want it to stay that way.

“John, has that monitoring order been received from the New York governor’s office?”

“No, they asked for a modification, and I’m working on that. “

“What did they want? Our proposal was fairly complete.”

“They wanted the unit to notify several people besides the police. We proposed only the governor and police. They just added more people, which requires a telephone directory. I think I’ll give them some software so they can add phone numbers in the future.”

“Be sure to put a virus in it in case someone tries to copy it. The virus should destroy the software.”

That may sound harsh, but this technology is protected. A smart hacker could hack it and get the software, which would allow them to install it on any computer they have hacked. Pesi assisted in developing the virus, and believe me, no hacker will ever break into any system with the virus. Also, Pesi can access any of our systems worldwide.

I called my lawyer for an update on the boy’s parents. It seems Marcus was the easiest. The lawyer said, first they said they had no son, so he showed them the school transcript with their name listed as parents. They hemmed and hawed for a while and then signed the papers. Robby’s parents were in a different situation. They told the lawyer that their son had runoff, and they would be glad to take him back. The lawyer had a paper for them to sign saying that their son had run away from home, and they would pay all expenses to bring him back home. When the father saw that and the estimated costs, he said ‘hell no’ and signed the paper. His wife was in tears, but his father was quick to sign and told her to stop crying. He was a wimp and no son of his.

“What’s next?”

“Apply for adoption.”

I looked at the mail. There were three quotes for surveillance systems and one for personnel security. “John, have you seen these last requests for quotes?

“No, Doc, they came in today’s mail, and I was hoping you’d be in to look them over.”

“They are routine and not a lot of new technology. I wonder why so many firms are looking at personnel security?”

“I think those firms aren’t interested in the security of the personnel but rather the security of their information. By monitoring their personnel, they can check on who goes where and who talks to who.”

“Maybe we should be monitoring these companies. Companies that monitor personnel generally have something they are hiding. I’ll think about this, and maybe we can insert a lead.”

I worked on the surveillance quotes. We had a standard package, and then we’d adapt that package to the job’s specifics. By late afternoon, I was ready to go home.

“John, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m going to take these requests home and work on them this evening.”

As I walked to the car, I noticed a few young men looking at it. One of the guys came and stood in front of it, taking a picture. I whispered Electra start the engine.

When the engine roared, the young man jumped back and fell on his ass. His friends laughed at him, and then I felt sorry for him. “Here, let me help you up. I’m sorry you were scared when Electra started up.”

“This is your car?”

“Yes, it’s an intelligent electric vehicle, the only one in existence. Would you like a ride in it?”

“I’m with these other two. If they could come, I’d love a ride in your car.”

“Electra, open the doors, please.”

As Electra open the doors, the guys all got in. As soon as they sat down, Electra had them strapped in. I gave her the address, and she took off. I spoke to the guy in the front seat as we moved through the traffic, not paying attention to the traffic. One of the guys in the back seat yelled, watch out. I turned to look at the road in front, and Electra had just managed to miss a truck backing up. “Electra, that was close. Our friends were worried

“There was only a 2 percent chance of being hit, Doctor.”

I thought the guys were going to lose it just as we pulled up to their address, “Thanks for the ride, Doctor. If you ever want to sell this car, look me up.”

“Electra, please open the doors so our passengers may leave.” I watched as the passenger doors opened, seat belts retracted, the guys got out of the car, looking back at us as the doors closed. They waved goodbye as I told Electra to give a short toot on the horn. “Electra, let’s head home.”

As we drove home, I took out a pad and began to write some notes. I wanted to talk to Pesi concerning monitoring our clients and also the virus. I wondered how the boys did today without me being there.

Pulling into the garage, two boys were waiting to greet me. “Hi guys, how was your day?”

“It was good, Doctor. We saw your hothouse and picked a few tomatoes from your garden. I hope you don’t mind?”

“No, the animals might. What we don’t pick, they will.”

“I’ve got some good news or bad news. It all depends on how you feel about your families. I had my lawyer draw up papers to have your parents relinquished all rights. This means that there is no way anyone could ever make you go back to your parents. What would you say about being adopted, both of you?”

“I don’t think you can do that. We are too old to be adopted.”

“No, you can be adopted till you reach the age of 18. That’s when you are considered an adult with limited capabilities.”

“Limited capabilities, what does that mean.”

Smiling, “You can’t buy alcohol till you are 21.” They both laughed.

“Think about being adopted. Just let me know, one way or the other, what your decision is. It’ll not affect you staying here till you decided to leave. Now I need a shower, and then I’ll start supper.”

Walking to my room. “Pesi opened my door and started my shower.” Showered and dressed, I was heading downstairs when Pesi spoke, “Doctor, the boys made a phone call today to a friend. They informed the friend that they were being taken care of and not to worry. I checked the call, and it seems that the friend was Jerry Cummings. Checking the school records, Jerry went to the same school as the boys. I suspect he was helping them in some way.

“Let’s see if the boys say anything tonight. Did you start testing them for their academics?”

“Yes, they did very well on the mathematics test. They were able to grasp concepts beyond their school level. I suspect they’ll do very well in mathematics.”

“Good, once all of the testings have been completed, let me know so we can determine a course outline for them. I want to keep them at the same level unless one of them shows an outstanding capability.”

That night at dinner, “How’s school coming along?”

“Pesi gave us a math test today. It was hard, and there were several concepts we didn’t understand.”

“Pesi said you did very well. I wanted to see how far you could go, so we’d know where to start. Pepsi will do that with each subject, don’t become discouraged because you don’t know the answer. Answer as best you can. There is no pass or fails in these tests.”

I got the smiles I wanted. “Besides raiding the tomato patch, anything else happened today?”

“Yes, we called a classmate and told him not to worry about us.”

“Who is this classmate?”

“Jerry Cummings, he’s our best friend.”

“Our only friend.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Marcus. Was school that hard to make friends?”

“Yes, Robby and I were considered outcast. Some of the kids went to my parents’ church, and when they kicked me out, I tried to go to school. Jerry was the only one who gave me clean clothes and bought my lunch. Robby did what he could, but his dad didn’t give him money to buy lunch, and his mother would give him a lunch bag when his father wasn’t around. It was hard, and Jerry was a good friend.”

“What did Jerry say when you told him?”

“He was happy for us and told us if we ever get the chance to look him up and to keep in touch.”

“Maybe after everything settles down a little, you could invite him for a visit, or you could visit him.”

Dinner wasn’t anything special, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a cucumber-tomato salad. The boys cleaned everything up. I used 2 1/2 pounds of meat in the meatloaf, and it was all gone. I forgot how teenagers could eat, “Pesi, make adjustments in our food order to take into account, hungry teenagers.”

We cleaned up the kitchen, and I was glad when the boys chipped in. “Doctor, the freezer will be delivered tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks, Pesi.”

I went to my office to work on the proposals from the office. The boys said they were going to the family room to watch a movie. “Pesi, we have a request from the governor’s office to expand the software so that if anything happens, more people will be notified. John and I feel that by expanding this unit’s reach, a possibility of a hacker getting in would increase. I need a virus that can detect any hacking and then destroy the software. That way, we’ll be called in and may be able to locate the hacker. Will you do that, please.

“Certainly, Doctor, just let me know when you want it. Bring the software home, and I’ll insert the virus.”

“Thank you, Pesi.”

It seemed I just got started when the boys knocked on the door and asked if it was ok for them to get a snack. “There is ice cream in the freezer. Help yourself.”

I decided it was time I turned in, “Pesi, please wake me at 6:30.”

I was mentally tired and not physically tired. Laying in bed and trying to relax as I read one of my detective novels, I could hear the boys going past my door.

“No, Marcus, wait till we’re in our room.”

“Come on, just a kiss.”

“Yea, it starts as a kiss, and then you keep going further south.”

“Come on, just a kiss, I promise.”

“I think you want the Doctor to catch us making out.”

“No, I don’t think he’d like that. Don’t you think it’s strange that he doesn’t have a wife or boyfriend?”

“Maybe, but I think he’s probably too tech for a woman, and I’m not sure there are any men who could keep up with him intellectually. You know some people are asexual.”