Chapter Two The No Fly Zone
"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." Albert Einstein
It was around that time of year again when Mrs. Frederic conducted her annual reviews of the Warehouse staff. Unlike Artie's daily updates based on how he was feeling about them, Mrs. Frederic's were a bit more formal and actually based on certain criteria. Yet, they never knew what to expect from the erudite leader.
Oddly enough, it was Pete who was most nervous about them. Suddenly, every infraction and bad joke he ever told came back to him and he was certain the Sage had written them down in his file. Myka tried to point out that if she in fact had done that, Mrs. Frederic would have arrived in a truck that morning to haul the files. "Good point," Pete still taking her seriously and ran upstairs to change his shirt for the third time that morning.
Naturally, the least concerned was Helena. She had come a long way in getting back on track to being a Warehouse Agent and by all accounts, had learned many a tough lesson. It simply was not in her nature to worry about what other people thought of her. In Helena's mind – it was hard for other's to assess her because they didn't always understand her. She came to accept their limitations and simply appreciated their efforts.
Myka was somewhere in between her fellow agents. She was confident in her achievements, but aware that everyone had room for improvement. Yes, even Helena. She was pleased ….no relieved …when the Regents promoted Helena to full Warehouse Agent and was no longer 'the agent under Myka' ….well in the Warehouse anyway, but that didn't stop Mrs. Frederic from asking Myka to take on a more difficult task. "It is not Agent Wells' skills as an agent that concerns me," the Sage confided in Myka months after HG had rejoined the Warehouse. "It's Helena's social skills," she pointed out and then asked Myka to help Helena adjust, not to the Warehouse so much as the 21st Century. All this time later, it would appear that Myka had fulfilled her duties. Helena took a much calmer, less egocentric approach to things thanks to the unspoken lessens of one Myka Bering who simply led by example. HG was a careful observer of human behavior, and she drank in with pleasure the way Myka did things. In exchange, Myka discovered a fount of self-confidence whose very roots sprang forth from Helena's encouragement.
The youngest member of the team just wanted the review to be over with. She accepted anything that Mrs. Frederic had to say, but the whole process reminded her of school, so she just gritted her teeth till the end. Just tell me what to do was what she would say to Mrs. Frederic, but the Sage believed that the best way to learn something was to discover it for themselves. She may have given them instructions, but she rarely told them what to do.
The Sage took her place at the head of the table which caused a domino effect of people shifting around when displaced out of their usual seat. Mrs. Frederic watched with a grin as she observed her highly qualified agents deal with something as simple as sitting in someone else's seat. She waited patiently as the proverbial Goldilocks phenomenon took place as people sat, then moved, then settled in. The oddest sight at the table was Pete sitting as erect as a fifth grade school boy in Catholic school.
"At ease Agent Lattimer," Mrs. Frederic finally said and Pete let out a breath.
"Before the annual reviews begin….," Mrs. Frederic started and Pete unwittingly let out his first - "Oh God here we go." Mrs. Frederic stopped and looked down the table at him. "Oh now she's gonna add that!" he murmured and withdrew back into the chair. Myka reached over and patted his hand to calm him.
"As I was saying, before the reviews begin, I have an announcement. Agent Wells, your most recent work on nanotechnology has caught the interest of a Harvard professor by the name of Damien White," Mrs. Frederic started.
"The Damien White?" Myka asked and explained that she had recently read an article about the advances the university's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences had made in robotic insects. "They have invented a robotic insect that is half the size of paperclip," Myka added and only Mrs. Frederic noted Helena's quiet eye rolling.
"Tell us more, Agent Bering," her boss asked.
"Well, Professor White and his team have spent the last twelve years trying to develop all the materials that would allow for such a small object with sub millimeter scale anatomy and two wafer like wings that flap 120 times per second to fly. It's been a top-secret project until recently when their RoboBee was unveiled and took flight," Myka reported with accuracy.
"Exactly, Agent Bering, which is why the team wanted to know how their technology came into the hands of one of our agents," Mrs. Frederic put forth and all eyes turned to Helena.
"You can't be serious," Helena said when she knew damn well her boss was nothing but serious. "I believe the better question is how this charlatan engineering team would even know that my work had any similarity to their pedestrian invention," HG said indignantly, and then quickly added, "with all due respect."
Myka tried to suppress the smile she felt coming by pulling her lips in. God, how she loved that accent even when it was wrapped around sharp words.
"That's a very good question." Pete said hoping to keep the spotlight off of reviews for as long as he could. "How did they know HG was working on …..what are you working on exactly?" he asked her.
"Agent Wells apparently also has been working on nanotechnology, isn't that right Agent Wells?" Mrs. Frederic asked.
"I don't think you can compare my work…," was all HG would say.
"How did they even know Helena was working on it?" Myka asked and her mind was one step ahead. Helena had been working on the invention secretly on her days off and Myka believed she was the only one who knew about it.
"Remember the trip to Boston you took last week, Agent Lattimer?" Mrs. Frederic asked.
"Wait –what?" Pete said wondering how they were back to him already.
"Although the manifests show that you made that trip alone, I believe that isn't entirely true," the Sage said.
"No, I was alone," Pete said nervously. "I mean, you know except for Alex."
It had been an impromptu trip he made over the long weekend to visit an 'old marine buddy' he told them. In reality, his buddy Alex was a former female marine who served with Pete for a short time. She had friended him on Facebook and the two had been chatting for weeks. She asked if he was ever in Boston and he said he had business there soon. He then made it his business to be there soon. As Pete recalled the rekindling of the old friendship, a smile stretched across his face and his eyes wandered up to the ceiling as recalled the delicious moments. It was a perfect weekend except for the oddity of …..
"HG! What exactly are you working on?" Pete said as a couple of dots started to get closer together.
"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Claudia asked out of frustration because she thought she was about to hear something technologically amazing.
"Agent Wells, would you care to share with your team your latest work?" Mrs. Frederic said.
"How much is this going to cost?" Artie asked already worried about expenses.
Helena drew in a long breath and decided that annual review day was not the day to argue with your boss. She smiled her concession and said – "Righty-o-then."
"I have developed a rather ingenious microrobot that is no larger than a house fly," HG said grinning obviously proud of her work. "I designed it myself."
"And what does it do Agent Wells?" the Sage inquired.
'Well, it is capable of flying a distance allowing the sender to scan an area via a tiny microprocessor chip and camera…," HG said.
"Get out!" Claudia squealed with Inventor's delight. Oh how she admired her mentor's skill and imagination. "What did you do for the wing propulsion?" the young agent asked as questions formed in her mind.
"Actually, I used …." HG started to share with equal enthusiasm.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Claudia interrupted her.
"I wanted to see if the thing could travel and it did!" HG said losing all sense of who was with them hearing this news.
"How far can it transmit?" Claudia asked over Artie's plea to get back to business. The two inventors were locked in the verbal exchange now.
"1561 miles," HG confirmed.
"Helena, your microbot flew over 1500 miles?" Myka asked incredulously.
"Well, it did have a bit of help," HG confessed eyes cast away from meeting anyone else's.
"Yes, I believe we have Agent Lattimer for unwittingly helping you, don't we Agent Wells?" Mrs. Frederic pointed out.
"Wait, how did I help?" Pete asked.
"You took the insect with you," Mrs. Frederic answered.
"No I didn't," Pete said and laughed nervously again.
"Agent Lattimer, unbeknownst to you – Agent Wells' invention hitched a ride with you," the Sage had figured out.
"The insect? What are you talking about?" Pete said slowly remembering a really pesky fly in his room, but …no!
"No larger than a household fly," Mrs. Frederic informed him.
"You mean the fly in my room – that buzzed all around – that we ..I mean I couldn't kill? HG! You were spying on me?" Pete asked.
"No! Not spying actually… there was no transmission …well no video transmission coming back. Only coordinates actually yes, but I thought you killed it because it went dead," HG answered.
"It would see that Agent Lattimer's friend is an entomologist at Harvard," Irene said knowing more than the sum of the facts.
"She's an ento-what?" Pete asked.
"Wait, Alex is a she?" Myka chimed in with a grin.
"Dr. Chase has her PhD in the study of insects," Mrs. Frederic said.
"Oh, I knew that," Pete said. "So, what does - wait – what?"
"Wait, Alex is a she?" Myka repeated, the grin getting wider.
"OK yes, Alex is a she. You satisfied?" Pete asked.
"I believe the more appropriate question is 'were you satisfied?" Claudia asked and the table cracked up. Except for their boss, whose expression did not change.
"HG, if you videotaped me, I will … I will," Pete said worried now.
"Not to be concerned, Agent Lattimer, Agent Wells' device did not record, isn't that correct?" the Sage asked HG.
"It did not," HG confirmed, but offering anything further.
"Well I don't like the idea of you putting your fly in my personal business," Pete said annoyed by the whole idea.
Claudia lost in and had to drop her napkin on the floor so that she could excuse herself to pick it up and let out the laugh erupting inside.
"I do apologize, Pete. My Musca domestica was merely an experiment in distance transmission. It was in no way there to encroach upon your seclusion," HG said apologetically.
"Your domestic music what?" Pete said frustrated.
"Musca domestica – housefly," Myka explained. "Helena, I think Pete is feeling his privacy was violated, even if it was in the name of science."
"Oh, yes well I do apologize if little Artie caused you any concern," HG said sincerely.
"Dude, you named the fly Artie?" Claudia gasped. She had just come back to the table and bit her lip hard to keep from laughing again.
"You named the fly after me?" Artie said not at all flattered.
"Maybe because the fly is buzzing around and annoying and…" Pete stopped his explanation.
"Oh I am sorry. No - it's A.R.T.I.E - short for 'A redundancy transmission in exoskeleton'. Its acronym is an unfortunate coincidence," Helena fibbed.
Myka looked over at her knowing fully well there were no coincidences in Helena's work.
"Well your work has earned you a trip to Boston, Agent Wells. Doctor White is quite anxious to meet you," Mrs. Frederic announced.
"Maybe I should go with her?" Pete said not quite sure how he would explain that outburst.
"And miss out on your review?" Artie asked.
"The reviews …. Well, let's just say that this trip is the priority, Arthur. Yes, Agent Lattimer I think it's a good idea if you go with Agent Wells to Boston," Mrs. Frederic stated.
Helena didn't like the idea of going to Boston. She detested the idea of having to discuss her work with anyone. The only thing that would have smoothed that over was Myka accompanying her, but that wasn't being offered.
"And what exactly will Agent Lattimer's purpose be?" Helena asked as if hoping to point out there was no purpose.
"I have my reasons," the Sage answered.
"She has her reasons," Pete reiterated bothered by Helena's question.
"I don't think it's necessary …," HG started to point out, but one look from her boss told her it was not open to discussion.
"Road trip!" Pete yelled out.
No one at the table shared Pete's exuberance. Pete and Helena together were like oil and water. It might look like they were mixing, but within seconds, they would separate and go their own way. What would it be like without Myka to run interference for them? That was exactly what the Sage wanted to know.
Although no one knew it, the reviews had already begun.
Thanks for reading along. Always appreciate your comments and thank you in advance for posting any and all.