by John Zakour
Polly nodded. “Yep, good old Jack always says, we learn way more from chaos than from order.”
“Why do you talk about him as though he’s still alive?” I asked Polly.
A robot that looked like a dog with small wheels under its feet rolled over to me. It sniffed me. It smiled. “Welcome, Maya! I am ‘K9’, your lab’s security bot dog. I also serve as one of the lab’s human interfaces. You can ask me anything.”
“What’s going on here?” I asked.
"That is an extremely general question," K9 said. "I am designed for more specific questions and answers. For instance, my actual name is K1001, but your grandpa thought while that was a cool reference to his favorite show, Doctor Who, it wouldn't be obvious enough to most people. So instead of calling me K1001, which is 9 in binary, he decided to call me K9."
“Yeah, I get that!” I said. “I love Doctor Who, but a lot of people don’t get the binary or the Doctor Who reference.”
Maya Fact: Doctor Who is a British TV show that started in the 1960s. It's about an ancient time lord who has a device called a Tardis (that he borrowed for the other time lords). It lets the doctor travel anywhere in time and space. The doctor usually shows up when needed, to save the world or the universe or whatever. It's a cool show.
As for 1001, that is binary or base 2, which means representing numbers in all 0s and 1s. The first place is worth 1, the second place worth 2, the third place 4, the fourth place 8, therefore 1001 would be 8 + 1 in decimal or 9. It’s complicated at first, but really pretty simple.
“Perhaps the good doctor should explain this himself,” K9 said.
“Doctor Who?” I asked.
"Kid, you watch too much television!" Polly told me.
A hologram appeared next to me. The shimmering image of my Grandpa Jack appeared.
"Hi, Maya! Welcome to your new lab!" Grandpa Jack's image told me. "I am so glad you came right down here. I mean, Polly and company are fun, but none of them are as close to me as you, my dear."
“Hey! I can hear you!” Polly said.
Maya Message: I'm a scientist. A thinker. I like to think that everything and anything is possible. But this…this seemed to be impossible. Had I fallen and bumped my head? Was I dreaming? There had to be some sort of logical answer to this. That's what my brain said. But my heart said… wow, I hope this is really happening.
Chapter III
My first urge was to gulp and say, “What now?” Instead, I went with, "Grandpa, is that really you?"
The image nodded. "I like to think it is. Though, it's more like a simulated me. Then again, who is to say what's real?" He said with a wink.
“Grandpa, what’s going on? What is this place?” I asked.
K9 rolled up to me. “He told you, this is your lab.”
“She’s a little slow,” Polly said. “I think she needs to eat more crackers.”
I glared at Polly. “I’m not slow! This is just a lot to take in!”
Polly rolled his eyes. “Of course, a smarter person would take this in faster.”
Grandpa’s image patted me on the shoulder. “Honey, this used to be my lab. Now it’s yours.” He spread his arm out to indicate the entire huge complex. “My brain, my tools, my computers, my androids, my company’s resources, and my robots are all yours to command.”
“But I’m just a kid,” I said.
Grandpa's image tweaked me on the nose. Unbelievable…this really was Grandpa! He continued speaking. "True, but you are a very smart kid. You're creative and persistent too, and with science, that's half the battle. Well, that and finding funding. Luckily, I was rich and most of those assets, you now control. Also, my tools are all quite intelligent."
“Are you sure she’s smart, Jimbo?” Polly asked. “I mean, she seems a little slow, and by a little, I mean not at all quick to catch on. You’re looking right at her, yet she is questioning her own eyes and brain.”
“It’s always smart to question something new,” Grandpa told Polly.
Pointing at Polly, I said. “I am smart!”
"Okay, how do you spell…parallel?" Polly asked.
“P a r a l l e l,” I said, then added, “But spelling isn’t a sign of intelligence.”
“What came first, the chicken or the egg?” Polly asked.
“That’s still up for debate,” I told him.
“If Farmer Brown's rooster laid an egg on Farmer White's farm, who would own the egg?" Polly asked.
"Roosters don't lay eggs," I replied.
“What is a billion plus one divided by 0?”
“You can’t divide anything by 0,” I countered.
“Complete this phrase: e = mc…”
“Squared,” I answered.
“What’s a prime number called if it's a prime number forwards and backward?" Polly asked with a confident look on his face.
“Emirp,” I said proudly.
Maya Fact: Prime numbers are numbers that can't be formed by multiplying two smaller numbers together. Examples of prime numbers…2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 (and on and on) to infinity, but not beyond because that’s impossible.
Polly turned to Grandpa's image. “Okay, she's not totally without hope."
Turning back to Grandpa, I asked, “Do Mom and Dad know about this?”
Grandpa’s image shook his head. “Sadly, no. I can’t risk telling them.”
“But they’re good people!” I said.
Grandpa’s image nodded. “True, but the people they work for aren’t as trustworthy. My lab, if it fell into the wrong hands, could be used for bad purposes. I don’t want that to happen. Therefore, it’s up to you to lead my lab in the right direction.”
“Which is?” I asked.
Grandpa shrugged. “However you see fit.” He smiled. “My lab has gardens filled with veggies and fruits that have been improved but can be improved further. Also, I was working on a new biodegradable but super strong plastic. As well, I have some computer implants we've been working on, and I have a great self-driving car.”
His voice rose with excitement. “And as you can see, I’ve made advancements in holographs. I’m working the kinks out of Hypno-glasses and tinkering with an anti-gravity ray and an increased gravity ray. There is also a personal body shield in the works.”
Maya Message: Those last two inventions got my brain firing on all cylinders. I could see how they’d be fun and could help the world. I also saw how they could be misused and why it was so important to keep this amazing place a secret.
“Wow!” I exclaimed.
An android that looked like a crash test dummy walked over to me. “I am Crash,” the android said. “I am your assistant and literal test dummy.”
Grandpa smiled. “Yes, Crash is truly helpful.”
Crash pulled off one of his plastic hands. He showed me the hand and said, “I am here to give you a hand.” He paused. He laughed. “Get it?”
“Yes, I do,” I said. “Funny in a dad-joke kind of way.”
“I wanted to give Crash a sense of humor,” Grandpa told me. “You know how I always loved a good joke or a whoopee cushion.”
Maya Message: Google whoopee cushion, or ask your parents. I’ll give you a hint…they sound like farts…
Looking at Grandpa’s image, I asked, “Is this really you, Grandpa?”
He grinned. “As I said, it depends on how you define real. That’s kind of how life works. But yes, what you see with your own eyes now is me. It is a collection of my thoughts and experiences transferred to a computer. I can still learn and grow. At least mentally or e-mentally.” He held out his arms, and his grin widened. “What you see is literally what you get.”
“Then I can’t hug you?” I noted.
“Not yet,” he said. “But the computer and I have been working on a solid holographic projection. At least a more solid one. For example, I can tweak you,” he said. He tweaked me again. I definitely felt it.
“So cool!” I said.
“Oh, also be aware of Doc
tor Tony Rose,” Grandpa added.
“That name sounds familiar!” I replied.
“It’s because he’s my enemy. He always wants to steal my inventions. He runs a huge business called Mega Max which owns a bunch of other businesses. We used to be friends, but that changed. We both fought over your grandma, and I won. He didn't take that well."
“There’s another reason why the name sounds familiar,” K9 barked. “Tony’s grandson, Dexter is in your class.”
“That’s right! How did you know that?” I asked.
“I’m in security. I need to know things! The more I know, the safer you are. That’s why I have a constant max-high-speed Wi-Fi connection.”
“Okay, good to know,” I replied.
“My point is, my lab is wondrous, and it is all yours, my little Maya. I know you will do amazing things with it,” Grandpa said.
I grinned at him. “Thanks, Grandpa!”
“WARNING!” a computer voice said. “Maya's parents are heading back to her room. I have locked the door, but I believe she should get into the elevator and return.”
“Oh, that's the last member of your team, the computer,” Grandpa explained.
“Hello,” the computer said.
“What is your name, computer?” I asked, hurriedly moving to the elevator that would take me back up to my room.
“My official name is 0011001110001111," the computer said.
Grandpa beamed. “He picked the name himself.”
Maya Message: Binary 1s and 0s are how computers think and process information. But yeah, not a handy way to refer to a computer or a dog.
Stepping into the elevator, I asked, “Can I just stick with calling you Computer?”
“Of course!” Computer told me.
“Nice!” I said.
I arrived in my room a good few seconds before my parents reached my door. I opened the door right before they knocked on it.
Dad smiled. “Excellent timing, honey!”
“Thanks, Dad. What’s up?” I asked.
Mom smiled. “We’ve finished setting up your brother’s room. Aunt May is bringing him here now. We thought you’d want to greet him with us.”
“Ah, sure,” I said. Actually, I wasn't thrilled about having to leave my way new cool secret lab to greet my annoying little five-year-old brother, Marko. But I figured this had to be hard on Marko too. A good sister would be there. I might not have been a great sister, but I certainly considered myself to be a good sister. After all, Marko had just lost his grandpa as well. Or at least, so he thought. Being a good big sister meant I should comfort him the best I could. Since I couldn't tell him what I knew about Grandpa, I'd have to figure out some way to make him feel better. As a big sister, I really should comfort him.
Chapter IV
Aunt May guided Marko into our new home. Marko’s long brown hair hung over his face, but the kid never seemed to mind.
“Welcome to our new home,” Mom said, getting down on a knee and hugging Marko.
“Wait, we live with Grandpa Jack now?” Marko asked excitedly.
Dad shook his head. Dad, being a scientist, always believed in giving us the facts. “Marko, your mom and I told you, Grandpa passed away. He led a long, happy, wonderful life. And now he’s given us his home, this amazing home for us to live in, so we can carry on with him in memory.”
Big tears formed in Marko’s eyes. “But I’ll miss him! I loved him! He was fun! He always told me to pull his finger!”
Mom hugged Marko. “We all miss Grandpa Jack,” Mom told him even though it was only Marko who would miss the finger pulling stunt. I also suddenly found myself hoping that holograms couldn't fart. Surely Grandpa Jack wouldn't have wasted resources on that. Right? No, of course, he wouldn't – I hoped.
“Come on; we’ll show you your room!” Dad said. “All your toys are there.”
“Even my Lego set?” Marko asked.
“Yes, and we got you some new Lego as well!” Mom added.
Maya Message: Marko was really good with Lego. For a little kid, he came up with some amazing creations. I felt pretty sure that he was a Lego genius. The kid had actually made small Lego pieces into giant Lego pieces and made something out of those. I swear he could probably build a livable house out of Lego.
Walking up to Marko’s new room, I could feel my brother’s unease. As different as this was for all of us, I knew he had the hardest time understanding why this had happened. Though, I knew that his Lego set would help. Marko was still at an age where he could be distracted by something he really loved. And Lego was that thing. Ah, if only I were still that young.
Chapter V
I felt glad that the school year didn't start for another week. That gave me a lot of time to become familiar with my amazing new lab. Especially because my best friend, Tina, was still away on vacation with her parents. Our communication was limited to texting, which worked for me. I loved Tina, but I needed time to immerse myself in this lab. I also wasn't sure how I could keep such a wondrous place from her. Of course, Tina was more action girl than science girl. But I figured I could always make a holographic simulation for her. But then again, I wasn't supposed to show anybody my awesome lab.
I spent the next couple of days tinkering in my lab and trying to lift Marko’s spirits. I had much better luck tinkering in my lab. Computer and I created an interactive martial arts holographic simulator that I sparred with. I figured it couldn’t hurt to know how to fight. Grandpa Jack’s image coached me by saying, “A strong mind and strong body go hand in hand.”
The robots and I worked on developing a new type of spinach that Grandpa had started inventing. It grew extra fast and tasted very sweet. Grandpa Jack said, "This is a great source of energy. Popeye knew what he was doing. We need to get kids to eat this stuff." I didn't understand the reference, but I knew that Grandpa’s spinach tasted way good. In fact, it made the taste buds on my tongue dance.
Maya Fact: On average, the human tongue has 2000 – 8000 little tiny taste buds. That’s pretty cool.
I continued having a blast in my new lab. It took my new robot team and me less than a day to convert the gravity control ray gun into a pen-like shape. I had a beaming smile just looking at it. Flip the switch one way, and it would increase the gravity around an object, locking it in place. Flip the switch the other way, and it would decrease the amount of gravity around an object, lifting it off the ground.
“Man, this will be great to help people lift things!” I told Grandpa Jack as I used the gravity pen beam to lift a heavy metal safe off the floor.
“Yes, it will be,” Grandpa Jack said.
“Now, how do we get it to the public?” I asked.
"It still needs testing," Grandpa said. "But once we’re sure it's fairly full proof and very safe, we will send the specs to my cousin, Earl's company. It’s called ‘Lemon Computers.’ Earl may be a bit of a simpleton, but the man knows marketing. We'll say the invention is from my long-time assistant AL. AL and Earl have talked. Earl and I have an agreement. He shares any profits from my inventions with my estate.”
“Who’s AL?”
“Just another hologram of me,” Grandpa said. “Do you want to meet him?”
“I really don't know,” I said. “I mean…Grandpa, I love you even though you're a hologram.”
“My brain is all mine!” he noted.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but one of you is enough for me for now,” I said.
Another hologram appeared in the room. This hologram stood a bit taller than Grandpa. It also had much more hair than Grandpa, and its hair was black instead of gray. As well, it wore glasses and had a mustache. “Why don’t you want to meet me?” the hologram said with a sly grin.
“Because I thought it would be weird, and well, I am right,” I insisted.
“It’s different, I admit,” the hologram said. The hologram bowed. “I am AL, and you can call me, AL. Man, I love that song!”
“I always loved it too!” Gr
andpa Jack’s hologram said.
The two holograms started talking to each other.
“I don’t know why Maya thought this would be weird!”
“Me neither!”
“We are both fine chaps!”
“And fun to talk to!”
“And intelligent!”
“And I am very good looking, hence the reason you use me as your public interface to the world!”
“True that!”
“I guess Maya is only human.”
“True, and even the best and brightest of humans have trouble with things that are new and different.”
“Are we really so new and different?” AL asked.
“You are literally talking to yourselves!” I screamed at them.
“We find ourselves to be good company!” Grandpa Jack said.
“Agreed,” AL said.
They both pointed to each other. “I like the way you think!” They both smiled and yelled, “Jinx!” They both laughed.
“Yeah, this isn’t weird at all!” I said.
Polly landed on my shoulder. “Kid, for once I agree with you!”
“Weird is just a human defense feeling to keep you safe from things you might not understand,” AL remarked. “We are perfectly safe.”
“Yes, honey. I love you!” Grandpa Jack said.
“I find you to be interesting and I am thrilled to be representing your interests with the outside world!” AL exclaimed.
“See, we aren’t anything alike,” Grandpa said.
“You’re the same person, just different versions!” I insisted.
“Different being the key!” AL noted.
“Exactly!” Grandpa Jack exclaimed and then pointed at AL. “He is a younger, less mature, more dynamic version of me; which means different.”