Simon's Point of View
The project itself wasn't very hard to build. Being as small as I was, I had to use materials that normally wouldn't be customary in a machine, such as switching most of the metallic parts to plastic, but I was able to pull it off. The only problem was Alvin. He's been following me around ever since our… heist and it's been getting really annoying, to the point of him getting on my last nerve. It started off with him just watching me work on my project, but it quickly escalated to him asking questions and just getting in the way. Everywhere I went there he was going, "Hey, Simon, how's the project going?" Why would he care? He never showed any interest in me or science before so what was it that got him so gratified by my science fair project? Did he not get enough satisfaction in knowing he could hold the fact that we stole together against me for the rest of my life? Was that what this was, a joke?
I kneeled in front of my project, working in our room with Alvin right behind me and the vial of the chemical beside me. It was starting to get downright creepy; he was like a little kid following his mother except in this case it wasn't anywhere near as cute. I worked from the sweat of my brow; the room was HOT! Even with the window open letting a small breeze, our room burned hotter than black metal in August. Although I guess it didn't help that I wore a blue hoodie all the time. The project wasn't big enough to fit in our room without moving our triple bunk bed, but my brothers graciously accepted sleeping on the reclining chair in the living room for the next few days.
Science was never Alvin's thing, anyone who knew him could tell you that, but his curiosity seemed to get the better of him this time around. When -after following me around for a week and getting in the way of the project, purposely trying to get me to mess up- he finally just asked to watch me build, I non-verbally gave him permission. Was it the smartest idea I ever made? Nowhere near, but at least it got him off my back, even if only somewhat.
"Simon, what does that remote thingy do?" He asked, gesturing to the remote panel beside me for the fifth time in the past half hour. I've told him each time he asked, but like always, whenever I talked he barely paid any attention and therefore learned nothing. Why was he so irresponsible? Why couldn't he just listen to me the first time?
"As I've said time and time again," I sighed, "That's what operates the machine, the neuro-transmitter." I silently laughed at the pun my project was named after. A neurotransmitter was a chemical in the brain, which was kind of the main topic my project was about.
"What's the neuro- er, what's the machine do?" He questioned as I finished putting together the second compartment, the second pod, of the thin plastic-materialed project. I hated being too small and too weak to use metal, the standard material used on a MACHINE! I ignored him and stared brightly at my creation. Six feet high (it had to fit a standard human) with two cylinder columns, pods, for the subjects to stand in. Dozens of wires connected the columns from the top, protected by rubber-like tubes and at each end, the wires connected to a metal object. A neuro-helmet. Stuck in between the pods was a small container that physically connected them. It had two holes in it, two sections. One for the generator attached behind it so the transmitter could work, and one for the chemical to go into. This machine would be a huge scientific creation once I presented it at the fair next week, I just knew it! "Simon? Hello?" Alvin waved his hand in front of my face, but I was too mesmerized by my project to even care.
"What?" I whispered, still focused on the transmitter, wondering if there were any little tweaks I could make so it would function better.
"I said, what does the machine do?"
"Oh," I snapped myself out of my trance, "You sure you really want to know? You won't fall asleep while I'm explaining again, will you?" I really hated it when he did that. It made me think I was boring or that he just didn't appreciate the knowledge I had to offer.
"I'm almost sure I'll give you my full attention," He said, "Just tell me!" Looks like I had no choice. He wouldn't stop bugging me until I told him and even then I'd get no respect from him. I spoke while I admired my work and I spoke with passion. What scientist wouldn't?
"Okay, well one subject steps into that first pod, "I began, pointing to the left column, "and another subject goes into the other. Each subject then attaches the neuro-helmet to their head so it's snug. Using this remote control panel, or RCP, I wait for the chemical to charge up in its container -you'll know the machine is ready to be used when the light on the RCP flashes "Ready to Use" and then I simply push the green button to start." I took a deep breath as I continued, "The pods close and the generator sends an electrical current to the neuro-helmets and therefore to each subject's brain. The current -carrying the chemical, which is kind of like the fuel- flows through each subject's brain and through the synaptic gap inside it, adding in the special chemical with the others already taking their role inside your brain. This chemical interacts with your motor and sensory neurons -more so your sensory neurons-, as well as your thoughts and feelings, including the five senses; touch, taste, scent, sound, and sight. Then, with the neuro-helmets, those thoughts and feelings flow through the tubed wires and are played out in the other subjects' head." Proud of my work, I paused, hoping to add a dramatic effect to the amazement of what I'd created, before I heard a loud rumble. I turned around to see my brother's reaction to my speech and puffed heavily. That egotistical, short attention-spanned little lying munk was snoring! Somewhere along the lines of the answer to his question, he crawled over to Eleanor's bed, the bottom bunk of the Chipette's triple bunk bed, and fell asleep! I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't heard a word I said. "Ugh, Alvin!" I screamed, jolting him awake.
"Aah, yeah, that's really interesting, Si." He snorted and stretched his limbs and fluffed his fur.
"You didn't hear me at all, did you?" I accused him, knowing full well he didn't have a valid retort.
"Um, no. Something about our brains, right?" He considered this an answer, a way to make up for falling asleep on me again? "You know, I asked what it did, not how it worked. Maybe you should work on your listening skills better." I ignored his last comment, suppressing the urge to slap him.
"Hmph, close enough." I scoffed and then corrected his answer, "This has to do more with our thoughts. To sum it all up; if we were the subjects, with this machine, we'd be able to read each others minds and feel each others feelings."
"Cool, can we try it out?" He jumped up and over to the first pod. I didn't consider this for very long. The answer was obvious.
"I don't think so," I answered, "You'll likely mess it up."
"Oh come on, man!" He begged, "Please? I really want to see what you put so much on the line for. Besides, don't you need a test dummy?" For once I thought about what he said deeply. He was right, I needed to test the transmitter to make sure it worked properly. And he was the perfect dummy.
"Okay, fine." I agreed, "Just don't do anything unless I tell you. I'll be right back, I need batteries for the RCP."
"The what?" He asked, "Wait, you need batteries to operate this thing?" I nodded, "After all the work you put into this, you still need BATTERIES?!" He raised his eyebrows and I knew it was kind of sad, but he didn't need to hear that from me.
"Yeah, so what?" I asked him rhetorically and left to find some batteries.
I returned with a double A battery in each hand; amazingly, that's all the RCP took, and I dropped them as soon as I entered our room. My brother was near the machine and I knew he touched something. Even the littlest thing out of place could be hazardous!
"Alvin! You better not be tampering with the transmitter!" I quickly pushed him away and tripped over an empty vial as I did so. "What… Did… You… Do… With… The… Chemical?" I clenched my teeth to keep from attacking him.
"What, the stuff we stole?" He said, "I put it in the machine so you wouldn't have to."
"You what?!" I yelled, suddenly alarmed at what he'd done, "What section did you pour the chemical in?" I dashed over to the container and looked down at it. It was one of the only parts of my project that was metal and the two slots in it were drenched in darkness. No way could I see if anything was in either of them. There was no way to tell other than to trust Alvin. I was doomed…
"That one." He pointed to the section closest to me and I blew a sigh of relief. That was the one meant for the chemical, it looked like he came through after-all. The other one was for the generator and I had no idea what would happen if the chemical mixed in with it improperly. "Mm, wait, which one was it supposed to go into?" I nodded to the one he pointed to and he gave me somewhat of a grin, "Yeah, that's the one I put it into." I guided him inside the first pod and set the neuro-helmet on him properly. It was time to test my project. If it worked, I had no doubt in my mind that I would win. If it didn't, I prayed that nothing lethal would happen. I willingly stepped into the second pod with the RCP and placed the batteries inside it. I guided the neuro-helmet onto my head so it fit snug. Once everything was set, I waited patiently for the light on the RCP to light up, which only took a minute or so.
"Here we go." I whispered and pressed the green button. Immediately after I could feel the shock waves, the way they seeped into my skull and judging by the way Alvin was acting, he could feel it too. The tubed wires lit up with various shades of red and blue and at first I felt like I was being drained of all my energy. I had no control over my body as it occasionally jerked, it was like I was numb all over from anesthesia. I could hear nothing but the static of the electrical current as it passed through mine and Alvin's brains.
"At least, I think it was that one." I heard suddenly, "Oh well, no harm no foul." No ones mouth moved and that certainly wasn't my own thought… It worked! I was hearing Alvin's thoughts! "I wonder if Dave will find the broken bowl under the mat, jeez this thing is boring. I doubt it even works." Ha! No way! Wait, did he just undermine my experiment? I watched my brother as his eyes went wider and he snickered. "Aw, dude, if you want to ask Jeanette out, just do it already. Your thoughts are sad." He said. I gasped, forgetting that he had access to all my thoughts and feelings. Always, even at the worst times I had at least a little piece of my mind on Jeanette… "Ha! That's really sweet, bro." Dang it! Okay think of something different… Box of puppies…. Box of puppies… "Aw, are you embarrassed?" He mocked, "Because I know that isn't me, that embarrassing feeling must be coming from you! That's how you fe- Oh, now you're mad. This is fun!" Ugh! Two could play this game, I tried peering into his thoughts, his feelings. Wow, he had his issues.
"You're very insecure." I stated as a retort, reading his thoughts and he instantly became as embarrassed as I was.
"Shut up, Simon!"
"Maybe that's why you're so scared to be near Brittany."
"I said shut up!" He yelled, "I'm not that insecure." He thought. After a few minutes of this, I decided the experiment was a success and I was about to turn it off when I smelled smoke, and I instantly looked over to the generator. Sure enough, it was rattling! Forgetting I could hear his thoughts, Alvin worried me. "Uh-oh, maybe I did put it in the wrong section… Oops." And the look on his face confirmed it. He reacted as he felt my fear, panicking as his own built up. Having to fear personalities would not make this any better. "Simon, what's wrong?" A bright light from the generator flashed several time before hearing a loud noise, making the zap in my head hurt even more. One last flash was my last feeling, and hoping everything would be okay was my last thought. I had no idea if Alvin heard it, all I knew was I could no longer sense my brother.