The Cronicles of Life
Chapter One: Charlie
Author: Double the Fun
Disclaimer: We do not in any way, shape, or form own Numb3rs. But we sure wish we did...
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There are times in life when Man finds himself facing unimaginable danger, caught in between making the right decision and the easy one. Times when life seems to be against him all the way, intent on not granting him even the slightest relief from the forces of evil, when he must either lay down his pride, or perish. Times when he must ask for assistance or suffer the results of his own failed attempts forever.
Charlie glared at the microwave.
He couldn't figure out what was wrong with the damned thing. It just wouldn't cook, and when it did, it didn't seem to want to shut off. Other than just putting it out of its misery with a blunt object, he really had no idea what to do. Calling Don was out of the question, and while buying a new one seemed like a good idea, every single one he saw in the store had more buttons and gizmos than spaceship.
Charlie wasn't about to give up just yet, but at the moment, his infallible math seemed to be… failing him. Everything he tried had backfired or flat out not worked at all. He had gone as far as taking the back off and peering at its internal do-hickies and thingy-ma-bobs, and that just confused him more. He had forgotten to unplug it, and touching one of its wires resulted in a nice little introduction to the world of electricity.
When Charlie regained consciousness (he now had a new respect for the patients of electro-shock therapy), he gave the microwave wide berth on his whilst making his escape, seriously considering procuring a crucifix or a clove of garlic to protect him from its dark powers. He wasn't going to touch it again, not without unplugging it first, which thus required him to touch it again- not going to happen. He called a temporary cease-fire and retreated to the dinning room table to think.
He tried every possible solution he could think of and still didn't have any answers. What was going to do, call Don? Not a chance, by the time his brother finished laughing he could've made significant progress towards solving p vs. np. He could go back into the battle arena and take another crack at it…
He didn't like the thought of touching it again, but as he re-evaluated his options, he realized there was no way around it. He swallowed his pride and walked back into the kitchen, pulling on his fathers thick leather gloves that he used when working with power tools( like buzz saws). He carefully unplugged the microwave and looked at it, praying to God that he hadn't accidentally made things worse.
It was then that the microwave decided to unleash its most deadly weapon. It exploded.
Charlie stood less than a foot from it, and because of that he received a face full of plastic, metal, and fiber glass. He jerked away from the now flaming wreckage, felt his voice reach a pitch that eluded him since he was about twelve, and ran for the phone. He was just about to call Don, when he realized that by calling him, he would be giving up. And Don would never let him live that down.
After about twenty minutes, he finally had the flames under control without calling the Fire Department. He surveyed the damage done to his kitchen, and knew there was no way he'd be able to fix it on his own. Though he felt pretty damn manly having triumphed over the appliance from Hell (winning by default was still winning), he finally stuffed his pride and picked up the phone.
"Hey Don? Yea, about lunch..."
fin