He saw how his friend was struggling to find a solution. He did everything to help him, but all this was way to far away from his skills. He never would have come to the assumption that this was something like a mathematical equation.
"Here look at this. When we see this symbol in green, the blue code gets resolved or at least it loses four lines. But then we have this symbol and a new group of lines is added and these two symbols have the same meaning only for the green code." He was stunned. How was this boy able to figure out this that fast?
"This means what to you?" He kept on.
"I don't know. Maybe this is something like calculus of probability, but I'm not sure."
"Why?" Maybe if he started to get Neil into deep thinking he would get the point.
"Uhm…see these symbols as factor of probability. It occurs frequently, but not exactly the same time. Sometimes it needs ten lines, sometimes nine or even twelve."
"Okay, I understand. The probability of this symbol to occur affects the probability of this code to decrease." Kurt pointed at on symbol. 'C'mon dude. I know that you're close to a solution, just strain your brain.' Neil sighed. The boy began to be nervous. No wonder with such a pressure in his neck. He would freak out.
"I need to get the probability of all four symbols tend to zero."
"But then we have a stand-off." He added. They needed a final solution nothing which would give them peace for a while. Who knew how fast these sentients were able to develop.
"Not necessarily. When I know how I can let these codes tend to zero, I probably know how to let them tend to minus infinity." This was smart. As long as these codes tended to be positive they existed. But negative? Quantities in a negative field couldn't exist on earth.
"Do you know how to do that?" Chuck intervened. This was his first sentence in this game. He never had watched Chuck being quiet like that.
"Maybe. I can't promise anything." Neil looked at his father. He was looking for confirmation. All knew in somehow that this was their only chance. If this was a wrong decision, they all would die the whole earth would stop to exist.
"Neil, you're well prepared for this. Believe me." Dr. McQueans's wife began to encourage Neil. Another earthquake followed. They had become worse.
"Okay." Neil said and then started to work on the codes. He worked on a mathematical equation, only using his head. This was more he ever had thought Neil was able to. He had underestimated him. But this didn't matter anymore. The only thing which was important now, was how this boy managed to save the earth. He listened to the frequently sound of the keys Neil was tipping on.
It took very long, at least this was how it felt. He was intensely looking for something he could do to help his friend, but he was useless in this case. He hated it to be useless. Nobody said a word. They were waiting for something to happen. What it was nobody was able to predict. He saw how Chuck and Paige stood there as one unit. He had his arms wrapped around her waist, he hold her tight. Only now he had realized that Angela was in his arms. He wasn't sure, when he had taken her into his arms, but now she was there and he felt her warm body. He became a little calm again. No matter what would happen next, he was with her and this was the most important thing for him. He had won her back, whether they would be able to save the earth or not. At least he had saved his relationship to her. He saw how she stroke with her hand over her stomach and then looked at her. There was an unknown glance in her eyes. No, no unknown glance. He only had seen it once. After they had come back from Paris, when his book tour had been finished… 'Oh my God! No, it matters that we save the earth. This…oh my God.'
"Are you sure?" He whispered only audible for her. She nodded and gave him a slight smile. 'Neil my friend, you'd better know what you are doing.'
They still waited. Nobody dared to move.
"Okay, I've done everything I can." Neil said out into the silence. How long did it take him to finish his job? It seemed as if it had been hours.