Tom arrived early for school the next day, he wanted to drop by the computer lab and check it out. It was a square, sparse room with windows on the north side that looked out onto the staff car park. Fifteen computers lined the walls, and in the centre there was a table which held another ten. There was a bookshelf filled with computer manuals and theory textbooks, a couple of printers; it looked like every computer lab Tom had ever seen.
"So much for looking for clues," he muttered.
He turned on one of the computers and it rumbled into life, but when the screen lit up it showed only a message from the hacker.
"Can you hack it?" Tom read aloud.
Who was the message to, and what did it mean? Can you hack it? Could who hack what?
"What are you doing in here?"
Tom spun around to see a short, bald man in a technician's uniform, standing in the doorway. He came into the room, his face like thunder. He looked fierce for a man so small.
"The lab's out of bounds! You kids have messed up these things enough already!" He said; pushing passed Tom and switching the screen off. "What were you doing?"
"Nothing," Tom replied.
"Nothing," the man mirrored, putting on a whiny, high-pitched voice.
Tom clutched his fist, trying to control his temper. Why did this guy feel he had the right to be so rude and disrespectful to people, just because they were students?
"Maybe you and me oughta pay a visit to the principal's office?" The man threatened. "Look's to me like I found the person responsible for all this."
"I had nothing to do with it. I wasn't even a student here until this week," Tom replied. "I was just checking to see if they were up and running yet. I'm sorry, I'll leave."
Tom left the room and hurried to his first period. He met Eddie in the corridor.
"Hey Tom," Eddie greeted him. "What's up? You look like you're about ready to swing for someone."
"I just had a little run in with one of the technicians," Tom replied.
"Let me guess," Eddie said, with a knowing smile. "A short guy with no hair and really bad breath?"
"Sounds familiar," Tom nodded.
"That's Mr Marsh," Eddie explained. "Don't take it personally; he's always on someone's case. The teachers don't even like him."
"He didn't strike me as a very likable guy," Tom agreed.
"He knows his stuff though," Eddie admitted. "No one knows more about the system, but they'll never make him a teacher."
"Let me guess why," Tom said. "Poor people skills?"
Eddie laughed and said; "He's living proof that you can know everything there is to know, but that don't mean you can teach it to others."
Tom nodded in agreement, as they filed into the classroom and headed to their desks.