Early the next summer, our not so little Violet, we did celebrate her 5th birthday. I guess this new planet had slightly different solar days, years etc., but we didn’t pay any attention to that. It didn’t matter anyway. Daisy and I knew we were not aging (thanks to using the Portal in Equestria(1)), so we didn’t even know, or worry about how old we were. But I guess this didn’t satisfy Violet. She didn’t seem to understand that we were not aging, but she wanted to know how old we were, I guess. After all, it was her 5th birthday; she said she was a big girl now. I smiled, hugged her, then told her I would see what I could find out. Still, it was stinking hot up top, but we spent the afternoon up there, wandering around, really running from one shady place to the next. As we were resting in the shade of one of the few trees in the center of the city, I asked Service what year it was.
[Service supervisory window] “C1103 Service node perceived root uptime 0005:01:01:03:33.016”
Well, I quickly realized from this that our Service node, it started it’s perceptual clock very close to the exact time our little Violet was born. That was just… strange, and got me to thinking, but after some thought, I realized this would not help answer our Violet’s question. “Service, I… Is there any way you can tell us what the date is, or even what the year would be based on our… where Daisy and I came from?
[Service supervisory window] “Please wait…”
Ok, so maybe 300 people in C1103 just started a long vid at the same time, and Service needed to get all that started? I wasn’t in a hurry. Violet had just jumped into my lap, laughing, and I started to tickle her neck. She was trying to tickle me back.
[Service supervisory window] “Current terran equivalent year 2084. More detailed data not available.”
Wow… Just wow… That would make me… There is no way that Violet could make any sense about how old her parents really were. Now Violet was having a tickle fight with her mommy ( Daisy), and I put some words together slowly. This is what came out. “Violet, I don’t think mom and my true age will make any sense to you…”
In the midst of her tickle fight, Violet yelled out quickly “Thats ok dad, we can just say you are 30.”
Daisy looked so lovingly at me, smiled, said “That sounds about right.”
Violet, still trying to tickle Daisy then added “And… Mommy is 25!”
Daisy blushed brightly. “That sounds right too, Violet” I said with a smile. The tickle fight was done, and both of them ended up in my lap as we just hugged quietly for a while. Daisy was sitting in my lap, and Violet was nestled in Daisy’s lap. We could have stayed right there a while, but we were sweating madly by then. We let Violet play in the shower room some (after I made sure it was empty; most up here were still at work), then we headed back to the Service elevator (were totally dry by the time we got there) then down. But I think this satisfied Violet’s curiosity, for now anyway.
Maybe a week later, I was working on a back-up CF box for our Service since Coventry CF box repairs had slowed somewhat. We had done the probing and waiting yesterday, and I had just replaced the part Service said was bad, and Service was now checking the repair via the exerciser. During that, Service alerted me to another project, posting the wiring on my HD. Service called it a Feed Cable, and evidently it allowed Service to access Daisy’s little folding computer. I didn’t ask, but guessed it would be necessary should we ever need to do any trouble-shooting on it. But the plugs on both ends of this cable were special, and it took the rest of the day to locate both of them. Service asked Daisy to come help, but I don’t think us hugging and shivering in stores would speed things up much. And Violet bounced happily from box to box, “Daddy, what is this?” I guess it became a family task, but we finally found both. Daisy carefully described what we were looking for to Violet. Wow her eyes must be better than mine; she found one of the plugs soon after. The actual wires were special too, and very small, but Service already knew exactly where this wire was. In the following few weeks, we worked on that cable on and off when I wasn’t repairing our Service or other CF boxes. Testing my work on that cable became a real pain though. The connectors were so small that getting the probe in the right place on one end, then holding that while trying to get the probe at the other end where it belonged… I think that task tried both my and Service’ patience, so we set it aside.
We had to because a new shipment of CF boxes and more spare parts arrived, and it was a few days of madness getting everything put where it belonged. And now that she was a big girl, Violet wanted to help this time, “really help my mommy and daddy” is what she said. So, as a part of her schoolwork, this is what she and Daisy worked out. Violet would bring me a box and I would carefully remove the side cover, setting the cover and screws together but out of the way on the work table. Then Daisy would coach Violet as Violet carefully vacummed that mound of sand out of each CF box. They would have me then re-attach the cover. Then Violet carefully stacked each already vacuumed out CF box in a different stack, ready for Service and I to fix. Well, this really was a big help, and I guess Service agreed. Violet was absolutely beside herself when Emma the bit lady carefully gave Violet her first 2 bits, one for each CF box she had vacuumed out that day! From then on, bits were just added to Violet’s bit account, but Violet kept careful track how many she had earned. I only tried once to imagine an older Violet vacuuming out cabinets down here for Service, but quickly realized… Oh Ariel… We couldn’t put roots down, anywhere, until we found our other treasure…
A few weeks later, I was working on the 17th box from Violet’s already vacummed out stacks. It was maybe mid-day, and Daisy and Violet had already stopped by for hugs, kisses, food… I was busy probing and waiting while Service analyzed, hoping my Daisy would come back for a few more kisses…
[Service supervisory window] “Remove execiser connector, re-install CF box cover, and set aside. Retrieve feed cable from stores, bin 17-276-13a.”
As I slowly set down the probe, I re-read… “So, we need to switch over to that cable right now?”
[Service supervisory window] “Yes.”
I shrugged, sighed, then pulled the exercisor connector and cable carefully from this CF box, and reached for the cover panel. But I guess Service…
[Service supervisory window] “Just received early warning of global NF power outage from NF System.”
While trying to get tiny screws started in their holes, I had to think here a minute. I had never seen, heard of any power generation things here, and quickly realized our power probably came from elsewhere, maybe this NF place. While I was still trying to get that screw started… “Does that mean our power might go out for a while?”
[Service supervisory window] “No further details currently available.”
I sighed again at that uncooperative screw, not sure… “Don’t you think you should let the rest of the Service nodes know about this?” By the time that sentence slowly came out, I had actually got that screw started, and only then thought about what I had said, what might actually be going on. And it was only then that I began to suspect thousands of angry mobs with no Service content because the power had gone dead… Shaking my head to clear that…
[Service supervisory window] “Done…”
Honestly, I just stood there dazed, not knowing what to think. But I realized that I needed to head to stores to get the feed cable, unsure why Service wanted that… I was about to mention all this to Daisy, but met them on the way to stores. Daisy and I hugged right away, kissed, then I scooped up Violet, hugged her… I was about to explain what I knew to Daisy, when CC153 filled my HD immediately. She did not look or sound pleased. “Shep, what is going on over there? Your Service node just alerted all Service nodes that power is about to go out? We already alerted Oversight teams, but… what…”
Still trying to put everything together myself… “CC153, where does all Coventry power come from?” I honestly had no clue.
CC153 thought briefly, then “We don’t have any native power generation, all our power comes from New France Power Distribution, why?”
I… wow… nightmare scenario developing… I eased Violet over to Daisy, not really having time to answer the quizzacal look on Daisy’s face. “Service can you post the first message for CC153?”
[Service supervisory window] “Just received early warning of global NF power outage from NF System.”
“Oh, my goodness, that would shut all Coventry down…” CC153 said this right away. I knew she was about to ask, but maybe then so did our Service?
[Service supervisory window] “No further details currently available.”
CC153 said “Oh, my goodness” again, then she was gone, our brief discussion was done.
But I guess Service had included Daisy in that loop, and Daisy had already realized… She kissed me again, then said quietly “I’ll go get the computer and meet you at test. Then we are staying together.” And with that I realized… Loosing all power down here would be a nightmare; it would be pitch black… And the elevator would probably not work, locking us down here for however long… As I picked the special cable up out of the bin, I remembered the fits testing this thing, trying to test this thing had given Service and I… I just sighed, then headed quickly back to the test bench. On the way, I said quietly “Service, you may want to send everyone else up top. A power outage will probably knock out the elevator.” I got no answer to this, but found out that is exactly…
Daisy and Violet were already at test. Violet was much quieter, standing almost motionless next to Daisy; I guess Daisy had filled her in on what was going on. I scooped Violet up and carefully sat her up on the test bench. She smiled right away then I kissed her forehead. “Hey… We are all staying together now.” Then I pulled Daisy to me and we all sort of hugged like that.
Violet smiled again, said quietly. “Well, if anything breaks, only my daddy can fix it…” I wanted to chuckle at least, but I needed Service’s help with just about anything I…
Service wanted us to test that cable though, and I was already dreading… Daisy stopped me, looked into my eyes, kissed me.. “What do we need to do?” she asked quietly. I slowly explained the task of checking that cable “end to end” like Service said… Daisy interrupted there, said quietly “Let me do one end.” Like I said, she is smarter than me I am sure. Maybe half an hour later, with Service’s coaching for both of us, we had that cable tested. Service then directed Daisy to open the folding computer (which turned it on), plug that cable from the exerciser plug to some small thing on the side. Service asked us to wait briefly, then… wow… This is what showed on Daisy’s folding computer:
[System supervisory window] “C1103 Service perception instance active on NF Research Notebook 4F57:2322:5D89:1137:CA34. Please proceed to elevator, up, then out, then to mono.”
Well, it would probably be dark up top by now, and we had no mono to go to up there anymore unless our 3 room mono (laugh) was still empty, but ok. As a family we walked to the elevator, together at least, hugging; Daisy was carrying Violet. Once in the elevator, I pushed the button, then sighed, maybe enjoying the last bit of cool for a while… On the way up I sighed again, thinking “well at least we will get out of Service before the power goes–” Yup, the lights in the elevator went out right then, and the elevator groaned to a halt… Our HD’s went dead… I lost my music about ants scurrying around(2)…
Daisy was carrying Violet, and said quietly right away “Violet honey, its ok, I am right here.” It was pitch black in the elevator, so I reached for, found both, and we all hugged. After we kissed, Daisy said quietly “Let’s wait a bit and see if it comes back on.” Well, I knew what was happening up top. A growing crowd of angry ants would probably gather around the top of the Service elevator, wanting their Service back.. Can’t say that I blame them, hard as life was here, but… maybe I wasn’t quite ready to deal with that, and getting stuck in this elevator would keep us safe maybe? We waited, and after a while, I heard… Well a crowd had gathered up top, muted but I could tell it was there. Yup, maybe this was… Daisy asked quietly “Shep honey, do you know of any way to open this door?”
Well that I could do. On occasion after a long day down in Service, with an elevator full of tired ants, the door would get stuck closed, probably by sand. We would have to open it to get out, away, and try to find something else to do with our evenings that would… It wasn’t easy, and there were two parts to the door, but I made slow progress at least, and our cool air turned stinking hot quickly. Once I got the inner part open, the voices got louder. And by feeling, I could tell that there was maybe 3 feet left before the elevator was all the way up. It didn’t matter. When I started to work the outer door open, I heard “Shep’s probably hiding down there…” That made me want to close both doors again… But somehow folks soon realized we were trying to get out, helped us… Once the outer door was open far enough so I could climb out I did, then I had Daisy pass Violet to me; Violet clung to me as soon as she could feel me. It was dark up top, but that was far better than no light at all I guess, and I felt Violet relax right away. Daisy climbed easily out. I directed as some other men closed the outer door so no-one fell in, and that took a few minutes.
Then the angry voices started up again…
I was holding Violet (clinging tightly), and Daisy was next to me, probably thinking about cowering behind… A little louder than I should have maybe… “Ok, that’s enough. Quiet down and listen a minute.” That worked, anyway. Trying not to sound irritated since I was stating the obvious… “In case you haven’t noticed, the problem is not our Service. The power for our city comes from some other settlement here, and they are having issues. So don’t blame me or Service… or Oversight or anyone else.” Well, it was still quiet. “Service didn’t even know how long the power would be off. I suggest we go to the city center and try to find someplace to sleep. All we can do is wait.” I said nothing more, didn’t move… Mumbling, talking quietly together, people began to head off into the city. We followed them; there was nothing else we could do. Carly, her man and their Shirley joined us, thanked us for “talking some sense” into the crowd. I could have said I was sweating bullets, and asking true friend for help constantly, but…
And rather than find a spot on the terraces in the city center, and risk another run-in with… real ants, we headed to our old mono building. Of course there were few there, and the mono manager — no-one would collect bits without Service active. Handing Violet to Daisy, I opened all of the doors across the front of the building. Then we found our old, 3 room mono (chuckle). I think we were all exhausted, but it was still very hot inside. I sort of sat on one of the spring and wire things, leaned against the flimsy wall. Daisy sat in front of me, leaned back, sighed. Violet quickly jumped in Daisy’s lap. Violet fell asleep right away, and Daisy did soon after. I did too, I guess, but I kept having nightmares about being chased, well attacked by these small round floating ball things. I woke with a start more than once, but fell quickly back asleep, back into the same nightmare. Dodging angry floating balls…. It was not fun. The last time I woke up, it was much cool… not near as stinking hot in the mono building. I woke Daisy long enough to move Violet over along the wall, Daisy and I laid on our sides together, and we went back to sleep with me hugging my treasures.
My HD blinked to life way too early, if you ask me.. My music about ants came back… Groggy, I hugged Daisy a little more tightly, then was working on turning my HD off. But…
[Service supervisory window] “New France power distribution resume.”
[Service supervisory window] “C1103 Service Node Perception persistance back into Service CF core resume.”
[Service supervisory window] “NF new Guardians have identical bio-signatures as Shep, Daisy Network Analytics and Repair…]
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Mono is c2019 by Shysage
1. c/tm Hasbro Inc.
2. PC Video Game “Machines” Original Soundtrack, “in game music track 4”, copyright by Acclaim Entertainment
