Another Kind of Magic
by Birgit Staebler
The room was mostly dark, smelled faintly of ozone, and
though it was really big, only a small part was occupied by a horseshoe
shaped console and a chair. A gigantic screen was covering the walls, stretching
all around the circular room, but only a part of it was in use right now.
The chair was occupied by a thin, red-headed boy, who was deftly hacking
away at the touch-pad keyboard. The clear, gray eyes were glued to the
screen as symbols, numbers and letters danced over it in an exotic dance.
The boy's name was Cosmo. No last name. He was thirteen,
a street kid, a thief, and one of the best hackers in his age group. Maybe
even the best the street had. At least he had an incredible talent with
computers and he had used that talent to get himself what he needed: money
and food. Now he was working on one of the most sophisticated and secured
computers this side of the Pacific. Its name was Angel and while Angel
was on the best way to becoming an artificial intelligence, she wasn't
there yet.
When Cosmo had hacked into the system the first time,
copying the CPU programs, he had seen that some stuff was missing. The
links were there, they just weren't in proper use. He had slowly but determinedly
changed that.
Cosmo sat back and stretched, feeling his shoulders protest
slightly. He had been working for almost four hours straight and except
for the soda he had carried into the computer center, wisely not placing
it onto the console, he hadn't had anything to eat or drink. When he was
hacking, or programming, it was like an addiction. He couldn't stop and
the greater the challenge, the more he forgot the world around him.
This 'world around him' was a gigantic train called Magic
Express, home of one of the most famous people in Electro City. Ace Cooper,
magician and showstar. And now on the best way to become Cosmo's guardian.
His stomach did a little flip-flop and Cosmo paused.
Foster care. Away from the terrible place that was his real home. Away
from the father he hated so much, the father who had nothing but harsh
beatings and even harsher words for his son. He had joined a gang to escape
this nightmarish world, only to end up in more nightmares. Ace Cooper had
pulled him out of it, had not let him fall back, and Cosmo was clinging
to this newly found safety with every bit of strength he had.
Cooper had done a lot for him in the last weeks. He had
a room of his own. Just to himself. Complete with a TV screen, a bathroom
and a large bed. He had clothes. More than he had ever had before. Now
he was on the best way of finally severing all ties with his old life,
his hated father, and he was feeling a mixture of dread and happiness inside
him.
He sighed and turned back to the computer console. He
was almost done and if it worked out as planned, he could finally start
paying back Ace for the generosity, for all the money he had spent.
"Angel?"
A gently glowing, purplish prism shaped like a multi-edged
diamond popped into existence, rotating slowly. "Yes, Cosmo?"
"Secure all files Angel One and download to back-up,"
he ordered.
Angel, normally accepting only voice commands from Ace,
did as ordered. Cosmo had actually hacked into her again to do what he
had planned, but this time his intentions were not on stealing but on fixing
things. While hacking away at the CPU, Cosmo had installed a few commands
so he had easier access, including the voice command function.
"Angel One files secured. Ready for update," Angel now
told him.
Cosmo grinned. Okay, phase two.
"Angel, access new file Angel Two. Update."
There was a momentary pause, then Angel went to work.
Cosmo watched the process on the big screen, feeling more and more pleased
with himself. It was working! As far as he could see, it was really working!
Not that he had had any doubt..... but it worked!
He was so lost in his appreciation for his own skills
that he didn't hear the door open behind him.
"Cosmo?"
The voice startled him. He jumped backwards, the chair
hitting the floor, and he moved away as if something had just bitten him.
His eyes were wide and panic welled up inside.
No....!
Ace had spent most of the afternoon running around, from
social services to the court, then to the police to visit Vega, and back
to the court again. He was slowly getting somewhere, but only slowly. The
whole guardianship process was slow and difficult, and it didn't help that
people regarded this as a publicity stunt for him. He had talked long and
hard to one of the social workers, explaining to him that this wasn't for
fame or headlines in the news. This was for Cosmo. He had the distinct
feeling that the man had hardly believed him at all.
He sighed.
Now he walked away from the parking spot of the Magic
Racer, inside the Magic Express' hangar, and climbed the stairs to the
exit door. Cosmo had been left on his own in the train. Ace trusted him
not to do something stupid, and he probably had spent the day cleaning
the fridge from food and watching TV. Ace had never seen anyone eat so
much in so little time. Cosmo was inhaling food!
When he hadn't found the boy in the living room, nor
in his own, he had walked to the computer center. He didn't know why, but
it was like instinct told him that this was the most likeliest place Cosmo
could be. He had complete faith that the teen hadn't left the train.
And Cosmo was in the heart of the Express.
The moment he entered and called the boy's name, Cosmo
jumped up like bitten, stumbling back. His eyes were wide, face paling
dramatically, and fear was most prominently reflected in them. Cosmo moved
back and bumped into the control console, stammering.
"I... I.... didn't...."
Ace's eyes traveled to the large screen and he frowned
as he read 'Update Angel Two Running' on it.
"What are you doing?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral
enough.
Cosmo wouldn't hack into his computer. He just wouldn't.
Ace had complete confidence in the boy. But whatever was happening, it
had all to do with Angel and Cosmo doing something to her core programming.
"I didn't break it!" Cosmo almost cried. "I didn't! I
didn't touch anything! Really! I was just adding something! I.... it's
nothing bad! Please, believe me! I'm not stealing....!"
Words tumbled out of his mouth and when Ace took a few
steps closer to the console, the teen threw up his arms and ducked. It
was almost the same he had done the very first day when Ace had come too
close. He had been afraid to be hit, beaten... to be punished.
"I didn't break it!" Cosmo whimpered, trying to bury
himself in the console. "Didn't...." A sob tore over his lips.
Ace stopped, his heart aching with the pain the boy radiated.
He felt the hatred he knew so well by now well up inside him; a hatred
solely directed at the father of this child who had so severely abused
his son. Cosmo was insecure, he backed off quickly, always nervous when
it came to his own achievements, and he expected a beating whenever he
did something wrong in his eyes. Ace had tried to make him feel safe within
the confines of the Express' walls, but as it seemed, it was hard for the
boy to let his guard down.
"Please don't hurt me," Cosmo added in a desperate whisper.
Ace drew in a shaky breath. Hurt him? Why would Cosmo
still believe that? Why? He felt tremors race through him and tried to
get control of his reactions to the silent plea.
"Cosmo." His voice was gentle and warm, but still Cosmo
flinched. "I won't hurt you. I would never beat you. I would never yell
at you. Please...." He reached out with one hand.
The boy curled up more, almost sliding to the floor.
Tears were falling freely now and wide, gray eyes searched Ace's face.
He was expecting brutality, physical violence, because he had never known
anything else. The magician stepped closer, trying not to be too imposing,
too towering, his face showing nothing but gentle friendliness.
"Cosmo?"
He sniffled.
"Please? I didn't mean to startle you. I didn't mean
to scare you. I was just wondering what you were doing."
Cosmo sniffled again, swallowing. "I.... it was.... supposed
to be... a surprise...." He evaded Ace's startled eyes.
"A surprise?"
"Kinda... like payment." Cosmo scrubbed a hand over his
eyes and wiped the wet palm on his jeans. "For everything...." Another
sniffle.
"Cosmo, I don't expect payment from you," Ace explained,
stunned. "What I do is given freely. I told you that. No strings attached."
Cosmo swallowed again, daring to look up. Ace smiled
at the shaky expression.
"Really," he reassured the teen.
"Oh...."
"Now, what was that about a surprise?"
Cosmo hesitated, then glanced at the screen. Whatever
had been running there, Angel Two, it was done. Ace watched the teen expectantly
and Cosmo hesitantly reached for the key pad. When Ace didn't stop him,
he inched over and slowly entered some commands. His typing became faster,
more secure, after a while and Ace could only marvel at the boy's talent
again. Cosmo was a natural and wherever he had learned to use computers
like this, it hadn't been in a school.
"Angel?" Cosmo suddenly called, voice still heavy with
the remainders of the tears.
"Yes, Cosmo?"
Ace was surprised. Angel reacted to the boy's voice commands?
He gave Cosmo a friendly frown. The teen looked up and fear raced through
his eyes once more. Ace cursed himself. He had to be careful around Cosmo;
very careful! He misinterpreted almost everything.
"I can change it back!" the boy stammered. "I didn't
do anything to it!"
Ace smiled again, warmly. "I believe you. And we can
keep the feature if you promise not to abuse this access, okay?"
He stared at him, eyes wide. "You...would...?"
The magician nodded. "I would. Now, the surprise?"
Cosmo stared at him a second longer, then forcefully
turned back to the waiting hologram of the Angel computer.
"Angel, activate Angel Two. Run."
Angel's prism faded out of existence and Ace felt something
akin to fear for a second. Then she reappeared, still the same purplish
diamond-shape.
"Angel Two running," a soft, definitely feminine voice
said. "Reprogramming completely integrated."
Ace's felt his jaw drop. That didn't sound like the Angel
he was used to. The formerly computerized and flat voice now had a sultry,
very much female sound, and it touched Ace on a gut deep level. He turned
to Cosmo, who was smiling proudly, totally unaware of Ace watching him.
His eyes were sparkling with the pride and Ace felt the same inside him.
"That's quite a surprise," he now said softly.
Cosmo flinched, as if he had forgotten about Ace for
a second. "You.... you like it?" he stammered.
Ace nodded. "This is amazing, Cosmo. You are talented."
The teen evaded his eyes and stuffed his hands into his
pockets.
"You did very well. I'm proud."
That got a violent reaction as the red head snapped up
and Cosmo stared at him again, eyes wide. Ace smiled more, face open, telling
Cosmo that it was true.
"Thank you for the surprise, but I won't take it as payment.
Not as a down payment either."
Cosmo bit his lower lip.
"But I'd accept it as a gift."
The boy blinked, then shrugged.
Ace tried to catch his eyes. "Cosmo?"
"Okay," the teen breathed.
The older man smiled. "Then I want to thank you...for
the gift."
Cosmo blushed faintly. "'twas nothing, really," he mumbled.
"I'd call this something, even if you had to hack into
Angel to pull it off." Ace grinned to take the edge off his words.
Cosmo still ducked his head. The magician leaned against
the console beside him, leaving enough room between them not to crowd his
young charge, and continued smiling.
"I know you meant well and I like the new Angel. She
sounds very real."
Cosmo stared at the floor and shrugged.
"I was thinking... do you have any other ideas on what
could be changed for the better? Make her run optimally?"
That drew another startled reaction. "Me?" Cosmo stuttered.
"Yes, you. Between the two of us, I think you're the
computer expert." Ace raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to hear your ideas,
Cosmo."
Cosmo gaped. Apparently no one had ever encouraged the
boy to speak his mind when it came to innovations.
"And I think we can best discuss this over some ice cream...."
Ace baited. "I have some in the freezer... if you haven't devoured all
of it yet."
Cosmo blushed deeply now. "Nope," he answered.
Ace laughed. "Come on then."
They left the computer room, Ace leading the way. Pride
was the most prominent emotion inside of him now. Pride of Cosmo, who had
shown what he could really do. The teen was highly talented and if steered
in the right direction, could achieve a lot. Ace would take care of the
steering part. And he had been serious about wanting Cosmo's input, as
well as leaving him the voice access. He trusted him that much and he was
confident that his trust wouldn't be betrayed.
If asked why, Ace wouldn't have an answer.
Instinct?
Gut feeling?
Maybe even magic?