14- New Beginnings… chapter fourteen

Lynn trotting down from the loft called, "You awake, Walter? It's druggie time!" She went into the kitchen, got his dose of drugs and a bottle of water. "Walter…. YO, O'BRIEN!" she called going into the back bay as Walter was emerging from the bathroom shirtless.

"Oh sorry, should be slower to enter your space," she said turning to go back to the kitchen.

"Not necessary, I'm not naked, just wanted to wash up before changing shirts," he said putting on a button down shirt while walking into the kitchen. "I know I'm not doing anything, but like to shave and clean up a bit."

"Here are your drugs," Lynn said. "Breakfast in a bit."

"Thanks." Walter said taking his antibiotics. "Before you leave could you tape up the incisions so I can take a shower?"

"How about we do that now. That way, while I'm fixing breakfast you can shower while I am here- don't need to slip and fall or something while here alone. I come in from work and find you X-eyed on the floor of the bathroom." She got the plastic wrap and tape from the counter next to the medicine bottles and put it on the table.

Walter stood up unbuttoning his shirt, taking it off and turned his back to her. There was no movement for some moments. "Is there something wrong? Incisions infected?" he asked. Still no movement behind him. "Is there something wrong?" he asked turning to her to see her staring wide eyed and immobile.

"Lynn?" Walter stepped forward to put a hand on her arm. When he touched her, she flinched with a gasp, backing up to bump into the counter behind her. "Lynn, are you OK?"

She raised her eyes to his face, blinked and took a deep breath. "Sorry, sorry. Turn around again so I can tape you up. No, no infection, all looks good." Walter turned again as she opened the box of plastic, pulled some out and tore it off. Holding it against his back he could feel her hand trembling. He reached back to hold one end in place while she got the tape and taped it up. Turning to the sink, while washing her hands she said, "You know to make the shower a quick one, right? Don't steam the bathroom up and scrub too hard. Get going I have to fix breakfast and take off for work."

Walter grabbed a couple towels from the cabinet and went to take his shower. He did make it a quick one and felt better when he emerged from the bathroom…. fully dressed this time. Before putting his shirt on he had pulled the plastic off rather than ask Lynn to remove it.

"You all nice and clean? Breakfast is on the table so come and get it." When he came and sat down, she said, "Running a bit late. You have to clean up or leave it and I will after work." She grabbed her purse and keys and headed to the back bay to open the roll-up door, pulled the car out to the front, came back in, closed the roll-up door and walked through to the kitchen where Walter was finishing his breakfast.

"I will call a couple times from work. Nuke a chicken pie from the freezer for lunch. Remember, take it easy, take your drugs and stay off the stairs. Just one more boring day- your laptop should be delivered tomorrow. See you tonight."

Walter cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast thinking of Lynn's odd behavior. Men think nothing of being bare chested in public- her reaction was obviously due to some past experience. Richard said to 'tread lightly' and 'be careful' with Lynn, that she had personal issues that were 'deep and harsh'. For such an out-going individual 'harsh personal issues' seem foreign. But then Richard did say to 'think long and hard' before getting involved so he knew her history.

Finishing up, he thought of doing a search… like Sue had done of him to find out all kinds of information, but thought better of it. Far better to gather information from the source. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him. Time will tell, but he now knows to be more careful in his behavior around her. He is getting to know her and is finding her an interesting individual.

He went to his desk and continued research into metallurgy. In time his back started to ache so got up to walk around the garage, checked the time and the note board in the kitchen of drug schedule to find his next dose was in an hour, so he decided to stretch out for a while. He dozed off when his phone buzzed, seeing it was Lynn he said with a smile, "Good afternoon, Walter O'Brien speaking, how can I help you."

"Wow, O'Brien, that how you answer the phone all the time?"

"When I just said O'Brien you said the same thing. Make up your mind; never thought you would be so difficult."

"Just called in case you were snoozing to remind you to take your drugs. How is it going?"

"Yes, I was stretched out dozing, so thank you for calling. Up now and on my way to the kitchen- which I cleaned up by the way- to take my drugs. How is your day going? Once again you do not sound bored like I am."

"No, not bored, running some more tests with the little APU. Can't be bored when it is running- like I said, it's a screamer. Was wondering what you would like for dinner tonight- just by luck everything I got so far you ate without complaint. You really liked everything or just too much a gentleman to complain?"

"I was thinking of ordering a pizza- easy to eat while playing chess…. if you are up for another game. I understand not many are into playing often."

"You know, I told Sue about our game last night- she did another search on you. Geeze, you went from one of the masses on-line to move up to play the master of the nation? I forget the chicks name, but a world famous Grand Master. Good grief, you were being a gentleman letting the game go so long, huh?"

"No, you saw two moves ahead the war was lost to you. You played exceptionally well- why I am looking forward to another game. Been a long time since I have played, even longer since playing a real challenge. And tell Sue to quit doing searches on me, she may not like some things she finds."

"OK, order any pizza as long as there are no anchovies on it, and you are on for another game, buster. Take your drugs, stay off the stairs, nuke a chicken pie. See you tonight."

Lynn brought the car in and shut everything up. "So when the pizza getting here? No anchovies, right?"

"No, no anchovies. Should be here in a half hour or so."

"In the meantime, here's your evening dose of drugs. I got to thinking, you might be going stir crazy here, come my weekend when I have all day off, how about we go spend time at my place? That way I can do my laundry, check on the place. Will give you a different four walls to look at. Plus a pleasant, not overly long drive in the convertible to air your head out a bit. Have a downstairs guest room and bathroom all set up with a comfortable bed- might even give you a better night's sleep than that adjustable."

"I fully understand your need to check on your place. You really have been going out of your way staying here, and I greatly appreciate it, so OK, sounds good if you wish. Much as I like the garage, a change of venue will be nice."

"Let me go up to the loft and shower, be back down ready to take you on in a few minutes. Prepare yourself for serious war over pizza." She went up to the loft.

The pizza was delivered before Lynn came back downstairs. When she came down Walter was setting up the chess board. He laid down on the adjustable bed and raised it for a good reclining position. She brought the pizza box in from the kitchen table with a hand full of napkins and two bottles of water.

"All set up for a fun, exciting evening at home," Lynn said. "When I saw your library upstairs I knew you were just going to be a bundle of laughs."

"When I am fully mobile, I do walk the beach, hike different trails around the LA area- the park, the mountains, have even been known to take in some lectures, enjoy drives along the coast, and I periodically get into experimentation on one subject or another. I own the garage, now and am thinking of opening the dividing wall to make the entire structure usable. Have rebuilt cars and have been known to do some street racing, launched a rocket. Am thinking of possibly getting some interesting vehicle to cruise the back roads again like I did before the Datsun was totaled. Take in a museum or two not to mention made a point of seeing the corpse flower bloom, sit on the roof with telescope, or just lay up there to look at the stars and think. Any of that sound interesting for a bundle of laughs?" Walter asked. "Plus there are the fun evenings at the whiteboard doing theoretical mathematics and the ever enjoyable time spent working code for hypothetical business models for future usage." Walter seriously. "However, I am open to suggestions for more entertaining fare."

"Do you hear yourself? Notice an underlining theme to all your ideas of fun and games?"

He looked at her while she took two pawns, put her hands behind her then let him pick- he got white again. "No, big difference between hiking a mountain trail and rebuilding an engine, so what 'underlining theme' are you seeing?"

"Everything that can be done alone," she said putting the pawns on the board. "Here you are, a hermit in the middle of LA."

"Not exactly a hermit- I spend time with people….. you are here, after all," he said taking the napkin and pizza slice she handed him.

"Yes," she chuckled. "You one funny man. Make your move Attila, the fight is on."

Again, Walter won but again took about an hour.

"OK, how many attempts against the grand master that gave you the carved chess set were needed before the win?" Lynn asked.

"One hundred four matches over five years."

"What had you learned in those one hundred four matches that gained you the win?"

Walter glanced at her with a smile, "methodology. Over time with enough input trends will develop. Those trends in the fullness of time will be observable thus predictable."

"So, all I need to do is pay attention to YOU to observe the inputs that develop into trends and thus predict your play?"

"Interesting."

"How so?" "Lynn asked.

"Will be an interesting experiment to play knowing you will be looking for trends of play. I would also have to be aware of that developing trend and change methodology before the trend is observable." Walter said with a slight frown. "Sounds like trying to deliberately inject chaos theory over a chess board. But, the mathematics proves the patterns even in that which appears to be chaos." He looked up at her. "Probably the most Interesting conversation I have had over a chessboard, leading to a lot of contemplation over the theoretical equations that may develop from it. Thank you."

"Yes, you one funny man."

"What am I missing this time?"

"Ever hear the saying 'over think the plumbing'? A very wise engineer named Scotty was the first one I ever heard it from."

"How can one 'over think' a system, or anything for that matter?"

"The idea is when one adds too much to a system to predict solutions to problems that may never happen. Add too many unnecessary components to a system guarantees one will cause a problem when the system will do what it is supposed to do without that component. All that blather comes down to 'keep it simple, stupid', an engineering maxim."

"I do not understand how that equates to my being 'one funny man' as you say."

"I make a simple statement about observing for trends in your chess playing and you are off and running about chaos theory. Have to admit, that is quite a leap, thus 'funny man', see?"

Walter smiled, "You do think different, and do not see how profound that is."

Lynn laughed, "only profound to the one person in the whole wide world that would listen to a simple statement and over think it into mathematical patterns of chaos… thus, you one funny man. Time for your drugs then I am off to bed. Stay put, I will bring it in." She put the chess pieces in the box and went to the kitchen to get his drugs and a bottle of water from the fridge. "Here you go, and try to get some sleep. Chaos theory math can wait for tomorrow. Good night, Walter."

"Good night, Lynn. And thank you."

She paused to look at him with a slight lifting of her brows then headed to the loft. Walter laid back thinking for most of the night.

In the morning Lynn trotted down the steps. "Walter, you awake? It's druggie time!"

"Yes, awake." Walter replied. "Been up for some time." He said as he walked into the kitchen to take his drugs then went to his desk to check the delivery tracking.

"Ah, anxiously awaiting your express delivery laptop? I can imagine you feel like a part of your psyche has been missing. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Sitting at his desk the delivery tracking shows it is on the way, so he brought up the security feed. "Should be here at any time this morning."

"How long to get all the goodies into it so it is an "O'Brien Special' super-duper, one of a kind, laptop of excellence?" Lynn asked from the kitchen.

"Should it get here before you leave, should be pretty much done by the time you come home," Walter said. "Have everything here that is necessary if they made the case and internals as I ordered, with the new chips will be even faster. Would be nice to get the old one from the police."

"What could you possibly glean from that busted up, blood spattered laptop?"

"It has memory cards, internal and external ports with mini flash cards, SD cards and the like all filled to the brim with computer goodness- countless amounts of data just waiting to be called forth to make whatever is the problem at hand all better. Probably a lot of those have not been contaminated or damaged so possibly usable or at the least contain recoverable data."

"Wait, wait, you consider your blood CONTAMINATION? That laptop probably was in seventh heaven ingesting blood from its lord and master creator." Lynn laughed. "Matter of fact, you best see if you can recover it or it will sit in a box in the deep dark recesses of the police evidence room and morph into a replicant and emerge to look for you…. turn into a Colosses. Here I am scrambling eggs for the genius responsible for the end of the world."

Walter looked to Lynn, "Oh gods, I am lost again. What ARE you talking of this time? Are you even speaking in English?"

"Replicants are pseudopeople from Bladerunner, The Forbin Project the people controlling computer - Colossus, or Joshua of War Games. Computer programs causing death and destruction."

Using the desk to help stand up, hand on his side with broken ribs, with alarm Walter exclaimed, "what, wait….. I have gone out of my way, risked my life to PREVENT conflicts, save others. Why would you even think I would do anything to possibly do harm to anyone? It was how the GOVERNMENT used my program that caused the deaths, I was LIED to. How did Sue find out? Where is that information accessible, HOW DID SHE FIND IT?"

Lynn, on her way from the kitchen with his plate of breakfast froze midstride staring at him.

Walter sat back down hand over his eyes. "Gods, I knew she would find it if she kept researching. Gods, gods, gods, as if the nightmares aren't enough, all I have done to atone…. all for nothing."

Lynn hurried to his desk, put the plate down, and hunkered down next to his chair. "Walter, I was talking about sci-fi movies, not reality. Sue just found Scorpion exploits in the news and your chess playing."

Walter leaned back in the chair put his head back and closed his eyes. "You need to go to work." He rose and went to the back bay to lay down on the adjustable bed in the dark space.

Lynn watched him go. Holy crap, she thought, talk about hitting a raw nerve by accident.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX