"Abby, Abby, Abby, how many times have I told you, you're too old to enter the science fair?" I asked, sidling up behind her and peering over her shoulder at the gizmo sitting on her lab table, a weird combination of electrical wires and plastic that looked like a bizarre robo-bug some geek kid created out of a flower pot.
"Are you implying that I'm old, Tony?" Abby asked, slanting me a sly look over her shoulder.
I flashed her my most charming grin. "Of course not, Abs. What'cha got here?"
"This," she said, bouncing with excitement as she gestured toward the flower pot thingy, "this is way cool."
"What is it?" I asked, poking at it warily.
"It's a MAV or miniature UAV. You know, unmanned aerial vehicle."
"Thought those were like airplanes," I said, eyeing the contraption dubiously.
"Most are," Abby said, "but they're also huge, even the smallest ones have 4-6 foot wingspans and require at least 2 feet of launching space, not to mention having to lug the things around and needing specialized training to operate. This little baby is a brand new prototype that Lt. Myers and his team were evaluating around the time of his murder. It launches and lands vertically, is small enough to be carried in a backpack, and requires very little specialized training to operate. I've been able to figure it out in just a couple hours."
"So you can fly this thing?" I asked, impressed.
"Yep," Abby said, bouncing happily, eyes sparkling. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Very cool," I agreed. "Show me."
Abby's grin grew broader, but she hesitated. "I don't know, Tony. This thing's still a prototype. I practically had to sign my name in blood to get to examine it. If I get caught flying the thing…"
"Gibbs is up in MTAC with the director," I told her. "They'll be tied up for awhile. Come on Abs, just a short demonstration. You know you want to; I can see it all over your face."