I Found A Knife
A Story site from EldonHughes
Willie & Frank--
Shakespeare?
In Nano-Time
Chapter 13 -- Mouse Clicks
And so I slept, fitfully, in the lab with Willie and Frank. And forgot to set the alarm. When I woke up, there was a lot of scurrying around on both sides of the curtain. Out in the lab there were people moving about. Which threw me for a minute. The semester was over. All the other experiments in the lab had been finished or “put to bed” for the upcoming break.
What
the heck are these people doing here?
Behind the curtain Willie and Frank were taking turns scurrying across the touch pad.
JAKE. JAKE. WAKE UP. JAKE.
JAKE. WHEN YOU READ THIS. WE NEED A BELL. OR BUZZER. OR A STICK ON A SWITCH. SOMETHING TO WAKE YOU UP
“Sorry, guys,” I muttered and sat up. Then I reached for the keyboard.
SORRY. I OVER SLEPT.
YOU THINK? GET MOVING AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON PLEASE.
Frank finished typing and looked up at me. I'd swear he was tapping his front right foot.
“All right, all right,” I raised my hand to show my protest. He must have gotten the message. He turned away and began chirping at Willie.
At least I didn't have to worry about getting dressed. I'd slept in my clothes. And my mouth felt like I'd slept with my sweater in my mouth. Charming.
I tapped the keyboard.
I'M GOING TO GO LOOK AROUND. I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
I went around the curtain, still rubbing my eyes. It was kind of funny, seeing a half dozen people react while trying not to look like they were reacting; sideways glances, little stutter steps. Oh well, at least, if they are going to pretend to be subtle, I can, too.
“HEY, JAKE! About time you woke up.” Jennifer was on the other side of the lab. And her voice carried just fine, thanks. And, of course, since Jennifer showed everybody that it was ok not to ignore me, they all decided it was ok to give me grief, too.
“Nice hair. Is that where the mice slept?”
“Yeah, I always thought my t-shirts looked better the second or third day on, too.”
“Hey geek boy, shoes are required in this lab!”
Ok, that wasn't just razzing me. I looked sheepish and went back around the partition to get my sneakers.
WHO IS OUT THERE? Willie was standing on the question mark.
LAB PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE. I answered. NO SIGN OF THE WEASEL.
I waited a moment. Then typed:
JENNIFER IS HERE. I AM GOING TO ASK HER TO STAY HERE WITH YOU WHILE I GO GET SOME NEW CLOTHES.
WHAT ARE CLOTHES? Willie typed.
Wait. What? It just hadn't come up, I guess. Huh.
I held the t-shirt up off my stomach and showed it to them.
WE WEAR CLOTHES. THAT WAS A T-SHIRT. THE BOTTOM PART IS CALLED PANTS.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT. BECAUSE YOU HAVE NATURAL CLOTHING. YOUR FUR, TO KEEP YOU WARM.
I thought about it for a moment, then added:
I GUESS, IF YOU WANTED TO, WE COULD FIND YOU SOME CLOTHES TO WEAR.
Willie typed, NO, THANK YOU. THEY LOOK U N COMFORT ABLE.
YEAH, SOMETIMES THEY ARE.
Frank was typing,
THAT EXPLAINS SOME OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN ON TELEVISION. LIKE THE TIME THE MAN AND WOMAN WE...
NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NNOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW OW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW
What
the...
Willie was on the 'Now' key, bouncing up and down. He was.... laughing.
I had to wait until he stopped to ask why. It probably would have taken a lot longer but Frank gave him this loud series of chirps and squeeks that brought Willie to a sudden stop.
WHAT'S SO FUNNY?
He took a deep breath and moved around the keyboard.
I GET THE JOKE.
WHAT JOKE?
FROM THE T V THE MOVIE. THE GUY STAND ING BY THE CAR. HIS SHIRT WAS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR AND THE CAR DRIVES OFF. THE SHIRT IS RIP PED OFF AND HE IS STAND ING THERE WITH OUT IT. I GET IT NOW. THAT IS WHY THERE WAS LAUGH ING.
YEAH, I typed back. HE IS EMBARRASSED, AND OUR REACTION TO EMBARRASSMENT IS USUALLY HUMOR AND LAUGHTER.
I GET THAT NOW. BEFORE I THOUGHT HIS SKIN CAME OFF. AND THEY LAUGH ED. THAT WAS KIND OF SICK.
I shook my head.
OK, I AM GOING TO GET SOME DIFFERENT, CLEAN CLOTHES FOR YOU TO LAUGH AT.
Frank typed. AND BATHE.
YES, AND A SHOWER, MISTER SMARTY MOUSE.
THANK YOU.
I went back around the curtain and found Jennifer.
“Hey, all my stuff is at home. Can you stick around while I go change?”
“And shower?”
“Yes ma’am, and shower.” Sheesh everyone’s a critic.
“Sure, I can stay around for a half hour or so. I need to do the usual weighing and feeding and stuff, anyway.”
“They might not be up for the usual drills today,” I said.
She nodded her head. “Maybe not. Wouldn't blame them. I'll talk to them. See what they think.” I think she started to kiss me, but she pulled away at the last moment. I figured she was shy because we were in the lab with people. Wrong.
“Maybe you should shower twice. You smell like sweat and stale beer, and I think you swallowed a sock.”
I took a giant step back. “Sorry. I must have sweat a lot last night.”
“Was it that hot in here?”
“No, that cold. I woke up shivering four or five times. I never realized how cold it got in this place at night.”
“huh, I wonder if it bothers the mice,” Jennifer said. “I'll ask them.”
I went down to my office and checked messages. Nothing special going on. I stuck around long enough to reinstate my access rights, then headed over to my apartment. A quick shower and shave, a really long session with a toothbrush, and fresh clothes and I was a new geek. I took a moment to pack stuff to last the next few days. If the guys didn’t calm down by then I could always get someone to cover for me while I made another run. On the way back I learned something new: The mind is not stronger than the mouthwash, at least not that icky yellow medical grade stuff. I chugged a shot of it on the way out the door and figured to keep it working all the way back to the lab. Here's a tip: If you are thinking of trying this some time? Don't. The burn doesn't stop, it gets worse, much worse. And, at some point? Say when you are driving down the interstate, boxed in by a couple of eighteen wheelers, and you remember that your driver's side window doesn't roll down anymore, you have to make a choice between the floorboard and your tongue. By then that stuff doesn’t smell any better outside than it did in. And once it's subjected to the car heater, it becomes really toxic. My eyes were burning by the time I got off the highway and pulled over. I opened all the doors and walked around for a minute or two, until I could see clearly again. Then I made the rest of the trip to the university with the three windows that worked rolled all the way down. My fingers and my nose were frozen by the time I got inside the building. I have GOT to find my gloves.
I and went back to hang out with Willie and Frank for the rest of the morning. Shaun called and said he'd come by and relieve me for a bit over lunch time. In the meantime, I hung out while the guys held court for a bunch of research assistants. They must have come from every corner of the building to talk to “the amazing mice”. And they all seemed to have the same stupid questions.
“How do you feel?”, “Are you hungry?”, “Read any good books, lately?” Ok, that last one was mine. Even Willie didn't think it was funny.
WE HAVE BEEN A BIT BUSY WITH OUR OWN STORY. THANK YOU.
Oh,
yeah...
AND HOW IS YOUR BOOK COMING?
I had to ask. I really hadn't been paying attention. For some reason, once everyone else was reading their screens, I stopped. Maybe because their stuff wasn't 'just mine', anymore. I should have been paying more attention.
Frank moved around the touch pad.
IT IS FINE. WE HAVE BEEN SLOW ED DOWN BY THE EVENT S OF LAST FEW DAYS. AND BY A LACK OF INFORMATION.
INFORMATION? I asked.
YES. WE NEED TO GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SURROUND ING AND THIS SCHOOL.
I thought about it for a moment and then almost slapped my head. The new touch pad.
I THINK I CAN HELP YOU. REMEMBER THE NEW TOUCH PAD WE DISCUSSED? I THINK I CAN HAVE IT FOR YOU LATER TOMORROW, IF YOU WILL LET SHAUN STAY WITH YOU FOR LITTLE WHILE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
I NEED TO GO TO MY OFFICE AND BUILD WHAT WE NEED.
Willie moved across the touch pad.
WHY CAN'T WE GO WITH YOU?
WELL, BECAUSE.... Wait a minute... They're on wheels... Why not?
YOU CAN'T DURING THE DAY, I typed. BUT IF I WAIT AND DO THE WORK TONIGHT YOU CAN.
THAT WOULD BE BETTER FOR US Frank answered.
BUT I STILL NEED TO DO MY WORK IN THE OFFICE DURING SOME OF TODAY. IS IT OK IF I DO THAT? I WILL MAKE SURE SHAUN OR JENNIFER STAYS WITH YOU WHILE I AM GONE.
THAT WORK S ALSO Frank typed.
~~~~~~~~~~~
When Shaun showed up I went to my office and checked the trouble logs. I went out into the lab to battle the blinky lights for awhile, then went looking for Doctor Kyle. I found him in the third floor hallway, heading back to his office.
“Doctor Kyle, have you got a moment, please?”
“Sure Jake. How was your night's sleep, by the way?”
“Cold,” I said, truthfully. “I had no idea how cold it got in this building overnight.”
“Did it bother the mice?” he asked. “That is, did they complain about the cold.”
“No sir, they don't seem to mind it. It's probably just me. I figure I'll scrounge up a blanket for awhile.”
“Yes, well, obviously you sleeping in the lab is not a long term solution. Not just because it is awkward for you and the mice, but because we have to get ready for the next stage of experiments.”
The next stage.... that's what those folks are up to in the lab....
“What is the next stage?” I asked.
“With the obvious success we've seen with Willie and Frank, we've abandoned most of the other approaches for intelligence enhancements we were discussing. Most, but not all. We are planning to move a dozen pairs of white mice into the lab, to share the space with Willie and Frank. Some will be undergoing the same therapy program that was applied on Willie and Frank. For the others we'll be looking at some of the other possible methodologies. It is my hope that, having others of their kind around them, Willie and Frank will feel more comfortable. Perhaps, once Willie and Frank realize they have nothing to be nervous about, they will relax, and you will be able to leave for the evenings.”
“That's my hope, too,” I said. Although I really hadn't thought that far ahead, yet. “In the meantime, since Willie and Frank are on wheels, and there isn't anyone studying them or asking them questions at night, would it be all right if we moved back down to the basement, or maybe just down the hall to my office at night? There isn't as much room, but it is comfortable enough, and a bit warmer. My office would actually work better for me. I can do some work to fill the time.”
He thought about it for a moment, but not long. “I don't see any reason why not. And your office is a shorter trip than all the way to the basement each night. You'll have to make sure that they are back in the laboratory each morning, of course.”
“Of course,” I nodded. I started back down the hall.
“One more thing,” Doctor Kyle called after me. I turned to look at him. “Just so we're clear. No road trips out into the community. Willie and Frank do NOT leave the lab. Agreed?”
nuts... why didn't I think of that?
“No road trips,” I raised my right hand and made the Boy Scout Pledge. “Scout's honor.”
~~~~~~~~~
After hours in the lab building, most all the lights are out, except mine. Willie, Frank and I were at my workbench, playing school. Sort of. It had only taken a few minutes to hook up the small seven button ruler sized key pad to the side of their existing word pad. Run the USB plug back to the computer and presto! A big, flat mouse for a.. um... mouse.
WHY DO THEY CALL IT A MOUSE. Frank asked.
I THINK BECAUSE OF THE SHAPE.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A RULER. WHY NOTCALL IT A RULER.
YOURS LOOKS LIKE A RULER. MOST OF THEM LOOK LIKE THIS. I held up a standard computer mouse, and turned it around a few times so that they could see the angle and shape. Then I put it on the cart next to the cage.
Frank walked back and forth in front of it a couple of times. Willie typed:
IT DOES NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE YOU.
Frank nodded. Then Willie said.
WELL. MAYBE THE LONG TAIL.
I THINK IT MAKE S ME LOOK VERY THIN. Frank typed.
OH YEAH, I said. POSITIVELY SVELTE.
S V E L T E. WHAT IS THAT.
IT MEANS THIN, I said.
WHY NOT JUST SAY THIN THEN.
“Oh, never mind,” I said out loud, then typed:
LET ME SHOW YOU HOW YOUR MOUSE WORKS.
Willie suddenly danced across the touch pad.
LET ME SHOW YOU HOW MY MOUSE WORK S.
And then he bopped up and down on the ledge, weaving and hopping this way and that.
WHAT IS HE DOING? I asked.
HE SAW SOME THING CALL ED SOUL TRAIN ON T V. HE SAYS THIS IS DANCE ING.
All
righty, then.
While Willie danced in the corner, I showed Frank how to use the button mouse. It was a simple affair, really. One button opened and closed an internet browser. There was another button to function as the traditional left mouse button, and one for the right mouse button. The there were buttons for left, right, up, and down. I showed Frank how to use it, then watched as he practiced for awhile. He entered the university's website, after I showed him what it was, then he clicked around on a few things, opening pages and closing them. Then I showed him the world wide web.
ANY THING I WANT TO FIND IS IN HERE. He asked.
ANYTHING AND MOST EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF TO LOOK FOR CAN BE FOUND THERE. YOU CAN TOUCH MOST ANYTHING IN THE SCHOOL. YOU CAN ACCESS THE LIBRARY, THE ARCHIVES, WHATEVER. IF YOU GET TOO WARM WE CAN EVEN CONTROL THE THERMOSTATS, OR JUST OPEN A WINDOW OR TWO. AND THAT IS JUST THE SCHOOL NETWORK.
I showed him how to access internet search engines.
FROM HERE YOU CAN TYPE IN AND SEARCH THE WORLD FOR MORE INFORMATION ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. BUT BE CAREFUL. THERE IS A LOT MORE STUFF THAN YOU REALLY WANT OUT THERE. CAREFUL IS IMPORTANT.
CARE FULL. He looked at me curiously. CAN SOME THING COME OUT OF THIS TO HURT US.
NO, BUT MOST PEOPLE WHO SPEND TIME SURFING THE WEB FIND THINGS THAT THEY WISH THEY DID NOT KNOW. SOMETIMES USELESS STUFF. SOMETIMES DISTURBING STUFF.
OK. WE WILL BE CARE FULL.
I showed him how to use a search engine, and how to bookmark things he might want to look for again, or show someone else later.
YOU MEAN I CAN CLICK THIS AND COME BACK TO IT. AND PEOPLE CAN COME LOOK AT IT LATER. He asked.
YES. IT KEEPS YOU FROM HAVING TO REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE YOU SAW STUFF.
I SEE. THAT IS GOOD TO KNOW.
The last thing I did was explain to him about pop up ads. He was on a machine behind three different anti-virus and firewall systems, but who knew where he'd wind up on the web in the middle of the night?
Or
what might be waiting for him out there?
After all, some of the biggest rats on the planet masquerade
as perfectly normal fourteen year old kids on the web.
THERE IS NOTHING FREE IN THE WORLD. ANYTHING YOU SEE ON HERE THAT SAYS IT CAN MAKE YOU TALLER, SHORTER, SEXIER, STRONGER OR RICHER IS A TRAP. DON'T CLICK ON THE LINKS.
Frank moved around the touch pad for a bit.
FROM MY FIRST FATHER S AND MOTHER S MY KIND HAVE SCROUNGE D FOR FOOD. BARGAIN ED FOR SHELTER, WARMTH, LIFE ITSELF. WE KNOW IN OUR BLOOD THAT NOTHING IS FOR FREE. AND WE KNOW ABOUT TRAPS.
Ok....Didn't mean to strike a nerve there, dude.
OK, I'M GOING TO MAKE MYSELF A PLACE TO SLEEP OVER HERE IN THE CORNER. YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME.
OK. GOOD NIGHT JAKE. THANK YOU. SET AN ALARM TO WAKE UP.
YES, MOTHER.
YOUR MOTHER IS NOT HERE.
NEVER MIND. IT IS JUST AN EXPRESSION.
CAN SHE HEAR YOU.
WHO?
YOUR MOTHER.
NO. SHE IS NOT HERE.
THEN WHY DID YOU SAY YES MOTHER.
Aaaargh.
NEVER MIND. GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT. SON.
I fell asleep to the incessant sounds of mice clicking a.... mouse.
Up Next: Meet the New Neighbors
Available Tales
--"Willie & Frank"
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