Restricted Access

by Victor Appleton

  I was feeling much better about everything when Rowan and I met up with Sam, Amy, and Noah at lunch.

  Amy still had Otis with her. But since the cat was out of the bag, so to speak (or the dog out of the sweater), she didn’t try to hide him anymore. It turned out that Otis was sitting in a small pack against Amy’s chest. It was strapped over her shoulders like a little backpack, but in reverse.

  “What do you think of our school?” Sam asked Rowan.

  His face lit up. “It’s really cool. I hope I get to come here someday. Do you really get to invent stuff?”

  “All the time,” said Noah. “That’s what tonight’s lock-in is all about.”

  “What’s your invention?” Rowan asked.

  Noah pulled his phone from his pocket. “I came up with this app that maps the inside of buildings in real time.” He turned on his phone and pulled up the app. “It uses the camera to photograph the hallways, stairs, and even names on doors.”

  “What for?” asked Rowan.

  “Well, if you do get to come to the academy, you can use my app to find your way around,” he explained. “All you have to do is walk the entire building, taking pics of everything. Then, later on, you can tell it you want to go to… say, physics class. Then the app will tell you the easiest way to get there.”

  “He’s already mapped the entire school,” Amy added.

  “Several times over,” said Noah. “But I want to map the hallways of Swift Enterprises. I don’t know that building as well, so it should be a good scientific test.”

  “But I thought there was top secret stuff in there,” said Rowan.

  “My dad had everyone lock away any ‘proprietary developments,’ as he calls them,” I explained. “That way, all the kids can have access to the equipment without stumbling across secret stuff.”

  “What’s your invention?” Rowan asked Amy.

  She told him about her plans to use the Swift Enterprises 3-D printer to help some of the shelter animals.

  Rowan reached over to pet Otis. “I bet he’s going to love that.”

  “I hope so,” said Amy.

  “What about you, Tom?” asked Rowan.

  Noah made snoring noises. “Snoozefest!”

  “Hey,” I said. “It’s an important part of the process.” I went on to explain how I would spend my time printing circuit boards for various inventions I had going.

  “What kind of inventions?” asked Rowan.

  “Well…” I thought for a moment. “Here’s one. But you can’t tell your dad. I don’t want the whole world to know about it yet.”

  “Okay,” said Rowan. He reached to his chest and pressed a small device poking out of his shirt pocket. Since both the device and his T-shirt were black, I hadn’t noticed it until now.

  “Dude, what is that?” Noah asked, pointing at Rowan’s chest.

  I shook my head. I knew exactly what it was. “It’s his dad’s body cam,” I replied.

  Sam straightened up, her eyes narrowing. “You’ve been recording us this whole time?”

  Amy immediately looked to her lap.

  “It’s for my dad’s story,” Rowan replied.

  Noah grinned and patted down his hair. “So we’ll get to be in the story too? Cool!”

  Rowan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  So much for Rowan being the focus of the story. Mr. Kavner wasn’t going to tell it from his son’s point of view. Instead, he just sent along a little cameraman to record my every move.

  “So, what’s the invention?” asked Rowan.

  “It’s… uh…” I’d lost all enthusiasm. “Well, one of them is an alarm clock where you have to solve mathematical equations to shut it off.”

  “I told him I could help him make an app for his phone that would do the same thing,” said Noah.

  “Yeah, but I don’t get to burn my own circuit boards for an app,” I replied.

  “It sounds hard,” Rowan said.

  “You get multiple-choice answers,” I explained. “But you have to solve three equations in all, and they get harder as you go. Makes sure you’re wide-awake by the time you’re done.”

  Amy grinned. “I’d buy that.”

  Noah shook his head. “You better build in shockproof housing, because I would so fling that thing across the room.”

  Rowan turned to Sam. “What about your invention?”

  “So I built…” Sam began. She paused as Rowan pressed the switch on the body cam. “You’re just going to turn that thing back on like it’s no big deal, huh,” she murmured.

  “Oh.” Rowan glanced around. “Is yours top secret too?”

  “No, I mean—I don’t know,” Sam stammered. “I’m just not comfortable being recorded all the time.”

  Amy nodded in agreement.

  Noah leaned closer to Sam and flashed the camera a peace sign. “Come on, Sam. You’re no stranger to fame.”

  Sam had her own brush with fame when she invented a new water-sourcing method for drought-ridden areas. She had been interviewed multiple times and even got a scholarship to the academy because of it.

  “Yeah,” I agreed with Noah. “It’s no big deal, right? Just rip that bandage right off.”

  Sam shot me a look before taking a deep breath. Then she told Rowan about her new skates and how she planned to test them on the company’s indoor track.

  “Cool!” said Rowan. “Can I try them?”

  Sam shrugged. “Okay. I was going to try them out in the gym before the lock-in.”

  We dumped our trays and headed down to the gym. Sam detoured to the front hallway to grab her rolling plastic tote containing her skates and equipment. Once she was back, she handed out the safety gear to Rowan.

  “Have you been on roller skates before?” asked Sam.

  Rowan nodded his head vigorously. “And Rollerblades, and ice skates!” He began strapping on the pads.

  “Better be careful,” Noah warned. He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Tom found out the hard way that we don’t have safety gear for everything.”

  Rowan sat on the gym floor while Sam knelt and strapped the skates to the bottom of his feet.

  Amy glanced at me nervously. “Will you get in trouble if you break him?” And I swear, Otis gave the slightest of whines.

  Noah and Sam each took one of Rowan’s hands and helped him up. “Be careful,” Sam warned. “Just start off slow.”

  “And remember, when you feel the skates self-correcting, don’t fight it,” Noah added. “Isn’t that right, Tom?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want to hear it, Noah.”

  Noah and Sam let go of Rowan. He wobbled a bit but smiled anyway. Then he began moving forward. Slowly at first, he kicked one foot out and then another. The wobbling stopped and he glided smoothly across the gym floor.

  “Great job,” said Sam.

  Amy let out a sigh of relief.

  “This is so cool!” Rowan shouted.

  Noah walked back over to me and grinned. “You really don’t like this kid, do you?”

  “I really don’t like this kid,” I replied.

  5 The Conduction Introduction

  OKAY, THAT WASN’T TRUE. I liked Rowan just fine. He seemed like a great kid, and we even shared many of the same interests. I just didn’t like the idea of him being around recording my every move. And him being better than me with Sam’s skates was just the cherry on top of a melted ice cream sundae.

  “He’s even better than I was on my first try,” said Sam.

  I smirked. “Yeah, that’s great.”

  A long tone blasted from the school’s intercom.

  “Attention, Swift Academy seventh graders,” Mr. Davenport’s voice echoed out of the gym speakers. “Those going on the field trip, please make your way to the front of the school.”

  Rowan stripped off his skates and gear and we helped Sam pack everything into her tote. We left the gym and joined the steady stream of students flowing toward the front of the building. Everyone picked
up their bags, backpacks, and supplies from the main hallway and poured out into the front parking lot.

  The teachers who were chaperoning the lock-in did their best to keep everyone gathered together. Mr. Edge from engineering and Mrs. Scott from robotics seemed to take the lead. I also spotted Mr. Kavner standing with the rest of the teachers as my dad predicted. It wasn’t long before the organized chaos shepherding that many students was a bit more organized and less chaotic.

  “All right, everyone,” said Mr. Edge. “Let’s move out!”

  The group funneled into a wide line and crossed the street. Since it was a private road shared by the academy and Swift Enterprises, there was no traffic to worry about. And since the offices were so close, there was no need for a cramped bus ride for this field trip. We marched toward the looming office building like an army preparing to storm a castle.

  Everyone entered through the many glass doors and filed into the huge reception lobby. Luckily it was big enough to hold everyone, but just barely. The students crowded in among gleaming marble columns and walls.

  Just under the high ceiling, the Swift Enterprises logo hung above everyone’s heads. My mom had helped design that logo. It was a giant SE, but the E was shaped like a wing, giving the logo a sense of motion.

  Several company employees were scattered about, awaiting our arrival. Each of them held up a sign labeling their department.

  “Okay, peeps,” said Mrs. Scott. “You know the drill. Find your division and get in line.”

  “Whoa,” Rowan said, glancing at all the signs. “There’s a wind tunnel here? And a robotics lab?”

  “Pretty sweet, huh?” said Noah. He held up his phone and made a wide, sweeping motion. “And with my new app, you’ll soon be able find your way around this vast scientific citadel.”

  I gave him a look. “Since when do you use the word ‘citadel’ ?”

  Noah shrugged. “What? All the time.” He glanced at Rowan and I understood then—he was playing it up for the body cam.

  I shook my head and pointed to a woman holding a circuit-printing sign. “There’s ours,” I told Rowan. I turned to my friends. “I’ll swing by and check on you later.”

  “Okay, good luck,” said Amy. She snaked her way toward a man holding a 3-D printing sign.

  Sam started heading to a woman holding a test track sign.

  “I’ll hang with you guys until it clears out,” said Noah. He tapped the screen on his phone, bringing up his app. “I’m going to start in the lobby anyway.”

  “Is there a bathroom here?” Rowan asked.

  I pointed to the opposite end of the lobby. “It’s over there. Don’t forget what line we’re in.”

  After Rowan had disappeared into the crowd, Noah nudged me. “Are you trying to get him lost?”

  “He’ll be fine,” I said.

  At least, I hoped he wouldn’t get lost. Even though I wasn’t thrilled about him tagging along all night, I wouldn’t want to lose him in the huge facility. I don’t think my dad would be happy about that.

  Once most everyone had been divided into groups, a thin young man wearing a shiny blue suit and red tie appeared and slid a chair toward the large reception desk. He hopped onto the chair and then stepped onto the desk.

  “Hello, everyone, and welcome to Swift Enterprises!” the man shouted.

  There was a smattering of applause.

  “I’m James Brodigan from the public relations department.” He scanned the crowd. “Now, when I suggested this lock-in to Mr. Swift, I wanted him to be the one welcoming you today. Unfortunately, he was called away to a special meeting and will be back later. What kind of meeting, you ask? Well, I could tell you…” He glanced around suspiciously. “But I’d have to kill you.”

  A few chuckles escaped the crowd. Mr. Brodigan glanced around expectantly.

  “Just kidding.” He gave a dismissive wave. “No, he delegated this auspicious task to me. Even though I’ve only been with the company for two weeks and I can’t stand children.”

  Everyone glanced at each other, confused.

  “Kidding! I’m kidding. Another joke,” the man said. “I’ve actually been here three weeks.”

  This time everyone laughed.

  “Now, a couple of things before you’re off on your adventure. Even though this is a highly secure area, you may have noticed that you weren’t made to give up your phones.”

  He was right. Usually visitors had to leave their phones at the front desk to keep someone from photographing top secret projects. I had personal experience when it came to this. Even the boss’s son didn’t get excluded from that rule.

  “I know how much you kids can’t live without your phones. So, the good news is we’ve locked away all sensitive material. Feel free to take as many selfies as you like.” He held up a finger. “But the bad news is… you’ll have to wait until you leave before posting them or sending them to friends. The entire building is shielded so no signals get in or out.”

  That meant no texts or calls. There was some rumbling in the crowd at that.

  “And the last thing…” Mr. Brodigan waved his hands with a flourish. “I got my hands on the boss’s corporate credit card, which means… all-you-can-eat pizza for dinner!”

  Everyone applauded. Noah jammed his fingers in the corners of his mouth and gave a loud whistle.

  “Now go have fun!” Mr. Brodigan finished. He climbed off the desk as the students began to file out of the lobby.

  The groups who had business on the second or third floor took the stairs. Some of the larger groups headed toward the service elevator in the back. The rest of us who would work on the fourth or fifth floor waited in line for the regular elevator.

  I noticed Mr. Kavner looking my way, but he kept his word and didn’t hover over my shoulder. He ended up filing out with one of the other groups. Of course, there was no need to hover; he had Rowan to keep an eye on me.

  Speaking of… I craned my neck to look past the remaining students. I couldn’t see him anywhere.

  “Okay, I’ll see you later,” Noah said as he raised his phone. The crowd had thinned enough for him to begin photographing the lobby.

  “Ooh, our first spy!” Mr. Brodigan said as he drifted over. “What’s your name?” He glanced at me, winked, and then pretended to block his mouth so Noah couldn’t hear. “So I’ll know what to tell the FBI.”

  “I’m Noah,” said my friend. “And I’m working on a mapping app.” He explained how his new invention would map the Swift Enterprises facility.

  “Well if you need a beta tester, call me,” said Brodigan. “I could use something like that.” He shook his head. “I’m still getting lost in this place.”

  Noah chuckled. “You got it.”

  Mr. Brodigan turned to me, eyebrows raised. “And you are?”

  Wait a minute… he didn’t know who I was. Everyone at the academy and most of the company employees knew my name. It felt weird being anonymous for a change, but definitely not in a bad way.

  “Uh…” I extended a hand. “My friends call me T.”

  Noah gave me a weird look but didn’t blow my cover.

  Mr. Brodigan shook my hand. “Well, T, glad you could make it.” He turned to leave. “You kids try not to blow up the facility. I hear it’s quite expensive.”

  After the man was out of earshot, Noah leaned forward. “What was that all about?”

  I replied, “He doesn’t know who I am.”

  “Who doesn’t know who you are?” asked Rowan. I almost jumped. The kid had snuck up on me.

  “One of the new employees,” I replied.

  “Why does that matter?” asked Rowan.

  I tried to explain to Rowan how I didn’t like special treatment at the school or from my father’s employees. Actually, most of the employees treated me just fine. But there were a couple who fawned over me because I was the boss’s kid. It was sickening, really. It was as if they could earn points with my dad by making me like them. I know I had just me
t the man, but Mr. Brodigan definitely seemed like fawner material.

  “Why wouldn’t you want special treatment?” asked Rowan.

  “Forget it, man,” Noah said, shaking his head. “I ask him that all the time.”

  The elevator dinged and opened ahead of us. “Our turn,” said Mr. Smith, our group’s leader. McKee Smith was a stout older man with a bushy gray mustache and had been with my dad’s company since the beginning. I liked Mr. Smith. He definitely wasn’t one of the fawners.

  “See you later,” I told Noah as we boarded the elevator with the rest of our group.

  Noah gave a wave over his shoulder as he continued to photograph the lobby.

  There were only six of us in our group, so the elevator ride wasn’t crowded at all. When the doors opened on the fifth floor, we followed Mr. Smith down a long corridor.

  We turned a corner and Rowan nearly tripped over one of the company’s bright yellow robots.

  “Whoa,” he said, coming to a stumbling stop.

  “Oh man, I should’ve warned you about those,” I said.

  The robot was the size of a small backpack, and slowly backed away from Rowan’s feet. It was also shaped like a backpack, with a sloped, rounded front, square back end, and a black stripe crossing its center.

  “What is that?” asked Rowan.

  “That’s one of my dad’s B-bots,” I replied. “They constantly vacuum the floors. And late at night, they wash and buff them too.” I motioned for Rowan to step away. “Watch this.”

  Once we had moved away from the robot and its path was clear, it rolled forward. It turned the corner and continued its cleaning pattern down the hallway.

  “Cool,” said Rowan.

  “They can sense when their path is blocked and stop.” I pointed to a nearby opening in the wall. It was shaped like a half circle and looked like an oversize cartoon mouse hole. “They go in there to recharge and dump their dustbins.”