She looks at me, surprised. “Since when?”
“Don’t look at me,” says Ander. “My best category is Human history.”
“Me either,” says Jillian. “Mine is Earth and Space.” I try to imagine Jillian reading Chemistry files like my mom. Nope. I can’t picture it.
“Hmm,” says Seraphina. “What about you guys? Mare? Jax? Are you guys stuck too?”
“I don’t know,” Mare replies.
Jax gets red in the face.
Seraphina’s face gets serious. “What do you think your best categories are?”
“Math,” says Mare.
“New Technology, I think,” says Jax.
“Then we need you to figure this out, Jax,” says Jillian.
“I’m trying,” he says.
Seraphina shakes her head. “You guys do know that just because you’re proficient in a certain category doesn’t mean you’re the only one who has the skills to use that category, right?”
“Yeah,” says Ander.
“Well, you’re not acting like it. Even if Jax is the best of all of you in New Technology, that doesn’t mean he’s the only one who can figure out how to implement the basic principles of machine programming and building.”
“Well, he always figures this stuff out,” says Ander.
“And why do you think that is?”
“Because he understands it.”
“Maybe,” she replies. “But maybe it’s because he works until he unravels the problem.”
“Nope. I think he’s smart at that kind of stuff.”
Jax’s face turns even more red. Seraphina sits on the edge of the table. “I’m sure he is. But I’m also sure that all of you are too. Besides, have you ever noticed how often Jax is at his computer working?”
None of us answer.
“I’m guessing it’s because he knows the rest of you are relying on him. Think back to Camp Piedmont. You told me how you all came up with the concept for the Ancestor App. It started with one idea—Ander’s idea that he thought up after playing around with technology. Kia, you knew enough about technology to know that the idea Ander had could be made into something bigger. Then, you called in Jax and Mare and Jillian to help you put it all together. You all put the pieces together. Don’t you see what I’m saying? Don’t be so quick to think that you’re not good in a certain category.”
I sit up on my knees. “But what if we aren’t?”
“You are.”
“But maybe we really aren’t.”
“Kia, why would you say that?”
I look at my team. Ander shrugs.
“Why are you all looking so strange?”
Mare leans forward. “The girl on the Michigan team said that there are rumors going around about our team.”
“Like what?”
“She said some kids are saying that the Piedmont Challenge was fixed. That we didn’t all score the highest in New York.”
Seraphina laughs. “Seriously? Well, I know for a fact that isn’t true.”
“See, KK, I knew it.”
“We didn’t believe it at first either,” says Jillian. “But then we all started to wonder.”
“Is that why you’re having a hard time finishing your solution? Are you distracted by this rumor?”
“Maybe a little,” says Jax.
“Well, I’m telling you that there is no truth to that rumor. The Piedmont Challenge was not fixed. Each of you scored highest in New York.”
My teammates smile. They all looked relieved. But just because she said so, doesn’t mean it’s really true.
Seraphina crosses her legs and swings her strappy purple sandals. “So . . . I’m thinking maybe you’d like to know what categories you each scored the highest in.”
“Really?” I ask. Of course I want to know!
“Knowledge is power, and I think it will help you to solve the rest of your task. Who’s first?”
“Me!” says Ander.
“Why am I not surprised? Okay, Ander, you first. You’re incorrect in thinking you scored highest in Human history. You actually scored the highest in two categories: Human history and Communications.”
“I did?”
“Yes, apparently you know a lot about history, and you also perform well persuading people to do what you want, in both verbal and non-verbal ways.”
Ander nods, looking happy with his result.
“What about me?” asks Jillian.
“Jillian, you also are incorrect. Although Earth and Space is a strength, I’m not sure why you thought that would be your strongest category. Art Forms was, without a doubt, your strongest category.”
“Yes!” Obviously that’s what she was hoping for all along.
“And Mare, same deal. Math is not your top category.”
“It’s not? What is then?”
“Earth and Space and Math.”
“Earth and Space too?”
“Now, Jax, everyone thinks that New Technology is yours. I’m here to tell you that it’s not, which clearly proves my point. There’s a difference between being naturally suited for a skill and being genuinely interested enough to become suited for a skill. Your highest category is actually Math.”
He doesn’t look that disappointed, which surprises me because he wants to get programmed into New Technology.
“And finally, Kia. You thought Math? Well, your math scores were exceptional and it was very close, but it appears as though even when you factor in the triple points, Swirl and Spark Recall was your best category. I don’t know what you did to solve that task, but it was the highest in the state.”
I don’t know what to feel about that. I think of my mermaid song and the belt I wrapped around my legs so that I could swim on the floor and sing about swimming with my new friends all summer. I guess I didn’t look like an idiot after all.
“So what that means is that you may be good in things that you may not have thought. Or maybe you are strongest in things you think you are. Regardless, you can be good at something if you want to be and work hard enough at it. So, go on. Go figure out how to make these Satellite Spectacles. I know you can.”
After a few hours in the Work Room, we return to the metal box and stare at the pair of glasses. “Okay,” I say. “What’s the situation with this stuff?”
“Mare and I found the instructions on the air screen to create a virtual reality simulator, so someone can work on that.”
“I will,” says Ander.
“Me too,” volunteers Jillian.
Mare nods. “I’ll work on syncing the glasses to the satellite.”
“I’ll write the program,” says Jax. “Kia, do you want to help me?”
“Sure. There’s probably a lot of math. I’ll try to help you figure it out.”
So, now we know what we have to do, it’s a start at least. The hard part is doing all the stuff we need to do to build these Satellite Spectacles—with just six days left.
THE CRIMSON SYMBOL
We spend the next few days inside the Work Room, creating the programmable chip that will attach to the Satellite Spectacles. We also write the script and song, and make up the dance to go with it. But this time we rotate so that each of us has a chance to work each task. That way we’ll all understand how the box and the spectacles work. The skit is important, but our invention that turns regular eye glasses into a virtual reality assistant—well that’s gigantic, and we all want to be a part of making it. Not only is it an accessory that will eliminate watches, phones, and cameras, but it’ll keep people safe, organized, and on the right path as they walk on the ground or fly through the air!
When we’re almost sure the programming chip is functioning, we attach it to glasses with superglue. Soon we’ll attach the chip on the glasses to a cable inside the box so that it can be synched
and matched up with the satellites. But first we carry it outside because the Work Room is making us feel claustrophobic.
Jillian pulls her hair into a braid. “So after the glasses are synched up with the satellites, they should be ready to test, right?”
“Yes,” says Jax. “We’ve programmed them for Kia, since she’s the one who’ll be using them in the skit.”
“This is going to be awesome. When can we try it?” I ask.
“Soon,” says Mare. “We just need to turn the C5 symbol into an activation button. And that should be easy. We just have to attach it to these wires, and then we’re ready to start syncing.”
Ander tosses the C5 symbol into the air and catches it. “Here’s the symbol.”
“Okay,” says Mare. “Let’s do it.”
I smile. “So the C5 symbol will be more than just a decoration that we have to display at all times. It’ll make the activation process work too. I bet we get extra creativity points for that.”
I hold the box in place, admiring the five colors all swirled together, while Mare grabs the soldering tool. I was just hoping we’d place in the top three at Globals so that the Ancestor App could be built—so Grandma Kitty and everyone else can talk to people they miss. But now that we’re designing the Satellite Spectacles, they could become real too! We’ll make life better for people all over the world just by wearing them! Our team could send two amazing inventions into the world. Wait until Grandma Kitty hears about this one.
“Come here, Ander,” calls Mare. “Help me solder this wire to the back of the symbol. You hold, I’ll solder.”
“Why can’t I hold the solder tool?”
“Because you’re Ander. Besides, have you ever used a soldering tool?”
“Nope.”
“Okay, then watch. I’ll show you how to do it. Just hold the symbol close to the box, right over this hole. We’re going to attach a wire from the inside of the box to the back of it.”
I lean in close to watch. Mare holds a piece of wire near the tip of the solder tool and squeezes the handle. The heat slowly melts the wire. She uses the melted wire to attach the electrical wire to the metal on the back of the symbol. The metal will soon harden, and they will be connected. That way, when the symbol is pushed, the wire will turn the box on and activate syncing.
“That’s really cool,” says Jillian.
“I think you got it, Mare,” says Jax. “We just have to let it cool off and harden.”
“Then can we try it?” asks Ander.
“Yeah, I think so,” says Jax.
“I feel like we’re missing something with this task,” I say. “The competition is just a few days away. Can we go through our checklist again, just to be sure?”
“Again?” asks Mare. “Okay, but I think after this we’ll be done. We’re almost ready to start rehearsing our skit.”
Jillian skips over to the tree and looks at the paper pinned to it. We gather around to follow as she reads aloud:
“The world is full of life-changing inventions. Your task is to take an invention commonly used by people today and re-imagine it. It must continue its current function but also yield a new, life-changing function. Your task solution must be created using skills from all six categories, take no more than twelve minutes to present, and include lyrics to a song.”
I read through our list.
“Invention must involve something commonly used today. Check.”
“Invention must continue its current function. Check.”
“Invention must perform a new, life-changing function. Check.”
“Solution must use skills from all six categories. Check.”
“Solution must include song lyrics. Check.”
“Presentation must be under 12 minutes.”
“Okay, so we’re not sure if our presentation will be under twelve minutes—yet. We need to rehearse first. So let’s rehearse when we’re done testing the object.”
“Finally,” says Jillian. “It’s time for Madam Sparkles to make her encore!”
Ander jumps onto the log. “And Freddie Dinkleweed as well?”
“Of course, Dahling, of course.”
“Do you guys want to practice our lines while we wait?”
“Sure,” says Ander, and he runs to a different spot by a different log. We sit down with him and do our circle read, with our scripts for backup, two times. Then, on the third go through, we set our scripts down. We speak our lines a little slower this time, but we get through them without even looking. We sing our new song too, which sounds a little shaky, but it’s good enough.
Ander jumps up. “Let’s see if the Satellite Spectacle Box is ready to be tested.”
We rush to the table and Jax inspects the solder joint. “It looks good to me.”
“Okay, this is it. It has to work. So what should we do first?” I ask.
Mare steps forward. “All we have to do is attach the chip on the glasses to the syncing cable. The cable is already attached to the activation button.”
Jax opens the box and attaches the glasses to the cable. “Okay, done.”
“Now we close the box, push the button to turn it on, and then it will sync, right?” asks Ander.
“Yes,” says Mare. “Then it should start syncing. When it’s done, the tiny square on the chip of the glasses should light up. That’s how we’ll know it worked.”
“Okay, here it goes.” Ander presses the C5 button on the box. A light illuminates around the button, and a small hum escapes from inside. I watch for something else to happen. Anything. Anything at all.
“How long is it supposed to take?” Jillian asks.
But then the box shuts off. Jax lifts the top of it slowly. The glasses are inside but the square isn’t lit up.
“I don’t think it worked,” says Jillian.
I give her the side-eye.
“Sorry. I’m just wondering if it should have worked by now.”
Obviously it should have worked by now. Jax’s face is red, but not embarrassed red. Like frustrated red. Mad red.
“I don’t know why it didn’t work. It was supposed to!” He stares at the box like the answer is going to jump out at him.
“It’s okay,” I say. “We’ll figure it out.”
I wish I knew how to help. Maybe my math skills can fix whatever the problem is. The problem is, I don’t know what math skills to use.
Ander walks around the table. “Maybe it’s the symbol button. Maybe it didn’t activate it right.”
“What if we take the symbol off and try it again without it?” Mare suggests.
“But according to Andora’s rule, it needs to be visible during our presentation,” I say.
“It’s not the C5 button,” says Jax. “That just turns it on and begins the activation process—and it did do that. The problem is with the instructions, the programming. It instructed the chip on the glasses to start syncing but I don’t think it told it to keep syncing until it was done.”
“Why?” asks Jillian.
“I’m not sure,” says Jax. “I’ll check.”
“Okay, Big Guy, you do that. I’ll go look for some snacks.”
“No!” I say. “We can’t make Jax do all the work. That’s what the Michigan team does. We can’t be like them.”
“We’ll all help you,” says Mare. “We all need to know how to make sure it works anyway.”
“Okay,” says Ander. “But then we need snacks.”
Soon after, when we’re sure the program is right, we try again. “The glasses are attached,” says Mare. “Go ahead and push the button.”
Ander does. We watch the box and wait. And wait and wait.
“Great,” says Mare. “What do we do now?”
“I knew this was impossible,” says Jillian.
A few seconds pass and
suddenly the button lights up and a humming sound comes from the box—louder and longer than the last time—and then it stops.
I open the box. “The square is lit! Does that mean it worked? Did the glasses sync?”
“It worked!” yells Ander
Jax grins bigger than I’ve ever seen him grin.
“Don’t be so excited yet. Now we need to see if the virtual reality part works.” Mare disconnects the glasses from the cable, pulls them out of the box, and hands them to me. When I put them on, a yellow virtual smiley face pops out in front of my face, floats there for a few seconds, and then disappears. “Whoa! A yellow smiley face just popped up in front of me!”
Jax laughs. “Good, it’s working.”
“What do I do now?”
“Tap the right side of the glasses once. That will allow you to take a picture.”
“Okay.” I tap it once.
“Now hold your hands out like a frame. Place them around the item that you want to take a picture of.”
I turn and hold my hands up so that I can see Jillian and Mare. They pose and smile.
“Now blink once and keep your eyes closed for two seconds. That will take the picture.”
I do as Jax says and then open my eyes. The picture I took flashes in front of my face like a ghost—and then disappears. “It was here,” I say. “But where did it go?”
“It’s filed away until you want to see it again.”
“That’s amazing!” says Jillian. “But what if we want to see the picture too?”
“There’s an invisible air screen in front of Kia at all times. All she has to do is push any button to make it appear. Try it, Kia.”
I push an invisible button in front of me.
“So now you should see a keypad. On it is a button that looks like a photo album. Touch that and you’ll see a list of your pictures. Touch the one you want to show, then touch it again to make it turn around. It will appear in front of you so everyone else can see it. When you’re done, touch the picture again.”
I do as Jax says, and the picture I just took appears in front of me. Jillian, Mare, and Ander lean in to see it.
“That’s incredible!” says Jillian. “Not only are the glasses a fabulous accessory, but they take pictures too!”
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