by Alex Schuler
Lori, Harry, and Nico jumped to their feet and started clapping.
“That’s how you deal with DARPA’s surprises,” Rusty bellowed, finally allowing a smile. He took a few steps forward and cupped his hands around his mouth to project his voice to the operations center at the front of the room. “I don’t want to hear about any deductions due to your faulty test equipment!”
Several people stood up and started applauding. DARPA’s tests and equipment had proven to be cumbersome and error-prone throughout the past three weeks. Arguing with DARPA had been an exercise in futility, and many competitors had developed a disdain for the military’s unwillingness to compromise when requested.
Once DSU completed their run, the competition would be over. You could feel the tension building in the room. Many around the room were on their feet and heading toward the front of the room to get closer to the overhead screens. Where before there had been quiet, it was now buzzing chatter and excitement.
Cyclops slowed to a halt upon reaching the end of the dead-end street. He immediately started to make a three-point turn but slammed into a set of traffic cones behind him. One of them got jammed under the rear bumper. The Humvee paid no attention to the crash and completed its set of turns and aimed for the road ahead. After a brief pause, Cyclops accelerated and began to retrace his course out. The door that had been ripped away lay tattered in the middle of the street. The traffic cone wedged beneath the rear bumper clung fast to the Hummer, digging a path in the sand covering the roadway. The Humvee rolled over the van’s door. The crushed door grabbed hold of the cone, and after being dragged for several feet, yanked it free from the bumper. With the debris safely behind it, the Hummer cautiously made its way through the obstacles that remained between it and the end of the road. Five minutes later, Cyclops exited the street and turned right to head back to the finish line.
The big top erupted in applause. Lori and Harry embraced each other. Nico slapped Ted on the back, sending him and Sam stumbling.
“Quiet down!” Rusty bellowed, his smile completely absent, as he leaned forward at one of the DSU workstations. “We don’t know what kind of penalties DARPA will hit us with. We weren’t perfect. We clipped the rotary. We hit the door. Twice. Not to mention dragging that cone.”
“He’s not much fun, is he?” Sam whispered in Ted’s ear.
“I’ll be so glad when this is finally over, and I can get out from under him.” Ted ran his lips across the top of Sam’s head, taking in her scent, grateful she wasn’t wearing her cap. “It’s been twenty months of hard work and trial and error. I’ve had to put up with a lot of shit to get this far. Win or lose, it was worth it.”
“I should be with my team when they announce the final score.” She gave him a quick kiss. “Good luck.”
Ashton had gathered at the front of the room, along with the other contenders. Ted watched Sam push her way through the crowd to join them. The overhead screens showed Cyclops making the final turn back toward the finish line. All eyes were focused on the leaderboard. The screen had gone dark as soon as Cyclops had exited the dead-end street. It took less than twenty seconds for the monitor to come back to life. DSU was ranked first, one point ahead of Ashton.
Ted, Nico, Harry, and Lori screamed and hugged. Lori could not stop the tears from running down her face. Even Nico found himself wiping the cuff of his shirt against moist eyes. Ted scanned the room to see if he could find Sam, but the entire Ashton team was lost in the throngs of people running up to congratulate DSU for winning. Ted and the rest of the team were greeted with slaps on the back and handshakes all around. Everyone was genuinely supportive and happy for them.
“One point?” Rusty shook his head in frustration. “DARPA is being way too kind to Ashton.”
Ted watched in disappointment as Rusty stormed off toward the operations center at the front of the tent. Lori’s smile faded when she noticed Rusty leaving.
“Where’s he going?” Lori asked.
“I guess there is such a thing as being a sore winner.” When they’d arrived earlier that morning, Ted had placed a small canvas backpack beneath the DSU table. He grabbed the bag and slid the zipper open. “Screw him. It’s time to celebrate.”
He reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of Chivas Regal, along with five faux-crystal acrylic cups. He spread all five out in a row in front of one of the workstations and began to fill them.
“Yes!” Harry said. “You served this when we finished testing along the Allegheny River.”
“Not the whisky again,” Lori said. “You know it knocks Nico on his ass.”
“Make mine a double.” Nico laughed as he grabbed one of the cups. “I don’t have to drive tonight.”
Rusty returned to the table, a frown still pasted across his face. Ted, Nico, Lori, and Harry were all holding their cups. Rusty looked down at the bottle of whisky and the single empty cup.
“What’s this?” Rusty asked.
“It’s sort of a tradition of mine,” Ted replied.
“A tradition?” Rusty picked up the bottle and inspected the label. “Nice choice, Ted.”
Rusty picked up the empty goblet and filled it halfway with whisky.
“You should all be incredibly proud of yourselves.” Rusty raised his cup. “The victory wasn’t as decisive as it should have been. I just tore the director of DARPA a new asshole for their shitty scoring. But it was still a win.”
“And it’s just the beginning,” Lori said. “I can’t wait to see what’s next. We’ve made history today, haven’t we? You guys were the best team to work with. Congratulations, everyone.”
“Cheers to that.” Ted tipped his cup back, savoring the silky amber liquid as it ran down his throat. “Victory never tasted so good.”
Rusty downed his entire cup and let out a long and slow exhalation.
“Good stuff, Ted.” Rusty immediately poured himself another half cup. “Excuse me. I need to go find Vin and ask him how second place feels.”
Ted frowned as he watched Rusty disappear into the crowd. He took another sip of whisky.
“Did I miss him saying thank you?” Lori asked. “Or that he was proud of us?”
“I don’t think he’s capable of that,” Ted replied.
“He’s not.” Nico emptied the rest of his glass and smiled. “I’m proud of us. And all of you. It’s been amazing working together. Really.”
“Same here,” Harry said. “You’ve been like family to me. I can’t believe it’s over. What . . . what happens now?”
All four lowered their cups and as they looked at one another.
“Rusty said the military would get to use the technology that was created.” Ted poured a bit more whisky. “But we get to keep the intellectual property. I think the sky’s the limit. Detroit will be begging to hire us.”
The tent had begun to empty out as the other teams slowly exited. Many called out congratulations as they passed by DSU. Ted smiled once he noticed Sam pushing her way through the crowd.
“Excuse me.” He downed the rest of his whisky and tossed the cup onto the table. He met Sam in the middle of the crowd, took her by the hand, and led her to Ashton’s abandoned team table a dozen yards away. “Hey there.”
“Congratulations.” She gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. “You did amazing.”
“We all did. If that door hadn’t clipped Athena, you could have easily won this.”
“Vin already went up and cried foul. They said we should have been able to maneuver around it. We cut it too close. At this point, it doesn’t matter. All I want to do is get home. I’ve been away from my family for far too long. How about you? What’s next? Fame and fortune, right?”
“Hopefully.” He grinned and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head and allowing his hands to caress her back. “I want to go to Detroit. And I want you to come with me.”
“Detroit?” Sam pulled herself away from Ted. She shook her head, sighed, and sat down in one of the chairs scattered behind the Ashton team table. “I need to get home to my daughter.”
“I don’t mean tomorrow, Sam. But soon.”
“You’re crazy. What will we do in Detroit? The technology is nowhere ready to be deployed.”
“Not yet, but it will be. It’s only a matter of time. We’ve proven the technology works.” He took her hands into his. “I want us to do this together, Sam. What you did with Athena was amazing. I know in my heart we will win over Detroit. Your software. My hardware. We’re good together.”
“The tortoise and the hare?” She smiled briefly before shaking it off. “You’re moving way too fast, Ted.”
“Am I?” He ran his thumbs across her hands and gently kissed her fingers. “Or are you being too cautious?”
“I . . . I don’t know.” She stared longingly into his eyes. “I’m . . . I’m feeling very confused.”
“So, there’s a chance?”
“How . . . how can we make this work? I live in California. You’re in Pittsburgh.”
“That’s not my home, Sam. I don’t really have one. Not anymore. I’m done with DSU. My plan is to go back west and figure out a way to conquer Detroit. I want you by my side when I do.”
“Detroit? I can’t think that far ahead. There’s too much to figure out.”
“Has there ever been a time when you didn’t plan everything in detail?” Ted chuckled as he pulled her against his chest. “You told me you wanted a better future for the world. For your daughter. That won’t happen in some lab at Ashton. GM, Ford, Chrysler, and others need to lead the way—with us showing them how it can be done.”
She pushed him away so she could wipe the tears from her face. The sight of tears initially shocked him. But then he was relieved when he saw a smile slowly form on her face.
“You’re asking a lot of me, Ted. We . . . we barely know each other.”
“I know enough. Take the risk, Sam. I’ll do all the heavy lifting. I’ll get the meetings set up. Figure out the travel. All of that. But we can partner ahead of time on what we want to show them—on how we want to present everything. We can do all of that remotely. Phone. Email. Then we can meet in Detroit once we have our materials ready. You can stay with your family until then.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Sure.” He leaned forward and kissed her deeply on her lips. “Trust me, Sam. Together we will change the world.”
20
Terminal A inside Detroit Metro Airport was hectic for a Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Throngs of business travelers had departing night flights in preparation for Monday morning meetings. Ted struggled to carry his garment bag and two cups of coffee, while trying to keep his laptop backpack from sliding off his shoulder. He bumped and nudged his way through the crowd, feeling irritated at those in his way.
The monitor within sight of Gate 50 showed Sam’s flight from San Francisco as having just arrived, albeit half an hour late, though no sign of any passengers yet. Once he was quiet and waiting, he had a sudden flood of realization of just how excited he was to be seeing her again. An image popped in his mind of arms outstretched, grabbing her, spinning her around, as they laughed together. The DARPA Challenge had ended six weeks earlier, but they’d remained in touch almost daily. Ted’s heart began to race as the door to the gateway opened. He maneuvered his way past several anxious people and took a strategic position opposite the gate.
The first group of passengers to deplane were the first-class travelers. The bulk were white men in their sixties, looking exhausted and perturbed. Ted waited patiently as a mix of ages and genders, some children, filed past. He wondered if Sam would be as excited to see him as he was her.
His wandering mind came to a halt once Sam appeared in the doorway. He smiled as she looked around, a bit confused. She was dressed casually in a pair of black jeans, a black turtleneck, and a bright emerald jacket that matched her eyes. She looked stunning. Even from afar, her eyes sparkled just as he remembered them. Ted felt himself begin to blush as she noticed him and waved.
“Ted!” Sam adjusted her small rollerbag carrying her laptop and quickened her pace. “You’re here!”
Ted held his arms open wide, each hand holding a cup of coffee. Sam stopped a foot before him, dropped her bags, and took one of the cups from him. She was not going to embrace him and his smile instantly faded. Other passengers from the flight were pushing past them, only adding to Ted’s displeasure.
“How, um, how was your flight?” he asked cautiously. His mind raced as he tried to figure out why she hadn’t greeted him with so much as even a hug.
“Long. And the coffee was horrible. Is this decaf?”
“No. French Vanilla. Lori got me hooked on it.”
“Smells wonderful.” Sam took a long sip of coffee. “I know we were delayed. Have you been waiting long?”
“No.” Ted struggled to hide his disappointment. “It’s good to see you. You look great.”
“Thanks.”
He looked right into her eyes. All he could see was the woman he had so passionately kissed weeks ago at Burning Man. He used his free hand to brush Sam’s hair back behind her shoulder and closed his eyes, leaning in to kiss Sam on the lips. She turned at the last minute, allowing Ted to kiss her cheek. He sighed as she pulled back.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m just beat. It was a long flight. I’m not used to flying, remember?”
“I remember. You must be tired. We should get the rental and head to the hotel. Let me help you with your bags.”
“I’m fine.” She slipped her handbag over the handles of her roller and began heading toward the main walkway. “I have checked luggage as well.”
Ted grabbed his garment bag and backpack, realizing she seemed intent on keeping an emotional distance. He couldn’t help but feel rejected but decided not to say anything, chalking it up to her being tired and awkwardness at seeing each other in person after talking so much on the phone.
“Are you ready to take Detroit by storm?” Ted forced himself to sound upbeat. “We have tomorrow to finalize and rehearse our presentation. We talked about making several changes, especially around some of our projections on adoption rates. Were you able to make those during the flight?”
“To be honest, Ted, I spent the flight missing my family. My Dani.”
“Oh.”
“Those weeks at DARPA really upset her. I explained to her that I would only be gone for a week this time. But she’s young. She doesn’t understand.”
“Well, we can make the changes tomorrow,” he said, confusion and more than a little frustration rising. Sam’s cold reception was bad enough. He could push his feelings aside if it at least meant nailing their presentations. “I thought we agreed you’d have things ready by the time you got here?”
“What’s with the attitude?” She stopped abruptly. “I’m sorry you don’t have a family to care for, Ted. This has all been very stressful for me. I thought once DARPA ended, I’d go back to a somewhat normal life. Instead, I dove back into my work at Ashton, and partnered with you on pursuing things with Detroit.”
His frustration subsided as he saw the worry and pain rippling across her face. He instinctively put an arm around her and pulled her close. Relief filled him when she didn’t resist, and instead seemed to welcome it. He closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head, taking in her sweet intoxicating scent.
“I think we’re both stressed.” He turned, keeping his arm around her, and continued heading toward the baggage claim area. “Let’s get your bags and head to the hotel. We can grab a late bite if you want.”
“That sounds nice.”
He grabbed her hand as they made their way through the terminal. They walked together in silence, but Ted didn’
t mind. He was just grateful to have Sam close by his side as they made their way to the carousel for her flight from SFO.
“What’s our schedule?” Ted asked. “Tomorrow is prep, and we leave on Friday. But I can’t remember the meeting order.”
“For being such a brilliant engineer, your organization skills are lacking.”
“I never claimed to be organized. That’s your specialty.”
“I won’t argue with that.” She smirked at him. “Tuesday is Ford. Wednesday is Chrysler.”
“With GM on Thursday. Right. Then Thursday night, we celebrate our new jobs as executives in charge of autonomy at one of them. Do you think they will get in a bidding war over us?”
“Executives?” Sam laughed and shook her head. “Are you planning to move here?”
“Well, of course. Isn’t that the point of all of this?” Ted frowned and shook his head as Sam took a few steps back and folded her arms defensively. He held up the garment and laptop bags. “Almost everything I own is in these two bags. I’m here to convince one of these companies that self-driving cars are the future. And that we have the technology and expertise to lead the way.”
“So am I, Ted. But let’s take it one step at a time. I never once thought of uprooting my life to relocate here. The cold air blasting in through the jetway is reason enough to avoid living in Detroit. I can only imagine what the dead of winter is like.”
“Then what’s the end game, Sam?”
“My family is back in California. My mother is dear to me. She helps me care for Dani.”
“Sam, we’re talking six-figure salaries here. You can hire another nanny.”
“You don’t understand.” She shook her head and turned her attention toward the conveyor belt, now filled with luggage bags. “It’s not about the money to afford daycare. Dani adores her grandmother. My mom is a wonderful role model for her. And for me. I’m just not ready to make that kind of change.”