Odd Goes to the Factory

Ulrich and Odd go gown to the sewers, the latter with his skateboard. Near the ladder stands Yumi's skateboard, as left by her the last time. Ulrich takes the board.

Odd: (spins the skateboard before leaving it on the ground) Let's go!
Ulrich: Yeah… Gimme a few minutes, it's been a while since I last rode one of these.
Odd: All the time you need, buddy. I can help you review some of the stuff, if you want.
Ulrich: Thanks, we'll see if there's a need for that.

Ulrich steps on and starts propelling himself, trying to keep his balance. After about one minute, he manages to feel safe enough to speed up a bit.

Ulrich: Odd, I think I'll speed up.
Odd: Great, I was starting to get sleepy here.

Ulrich rolls his eyes and propels himself to go faster. Odd follows him without problem.

The boys arrive to a small steel bridge, with stairs at both ends. Ulrich gets off his skateboard to cross. Once he gets to the other side, Odd follows him, without getting off his. He jumps with his skateboard, skipping all the stairs at the beginning; he then does the same at the end.

Ulrich: Impressive.
Odd: That's what they called me in the streets.
Ulrich: I can imagine that. Anyway, it's straight down there until the end. If you want, you go first, I don't wanna spoil your fun. Wait for me at the end.
Odd: Don't worry too much, but I'll accept your offer.

Odd passes Ulrich and starts speeding up a lot faster.

Odd: Wohoo!

Odd does a few tricks through his trajectory: jumps from time to time, making his board spin; other times, he leans the board against the sewer wall, which is somewhat curved. Ulrich follows him at his own pace, getting further behind as time passes.

At a moment, Ulrich sees Odd coming back to find him.

Ulrich: ¿What's up?
Odd: I got bored at the end, it's a bit lonely. I'm here to keep you company.
Ulrich: Alright.

Both kids ride their skateboards at Ulrich's speed.

Odd: Once again, thanks for trusting me and letting me join your club.
Ulrich: No worries, you actually deserve it, to be honest.
Odd: You flatter me, Ulrich. I'm excited to meet the origin of Sissi and her gang's curse.
Ulrich: Yeah, well, we don't have the causes clear either, we just know where they come from.
Odd: Sure, sure. I'd take it as just karma, but I guess things are a bit more complex than that.
Ulrich: Probably.
Odd: By the way, today Sissi was pretty nice to you after what happened in her room. Maybe this curse is making her reconsider.
Ulrich: Hmm, we'll see if her altruistic attitude holds.
Odd: She's a very pretty girl, have you ever been interested in going out with her?
Ulrich: No, no way! Didn't you hear how he treated Jeremie today? He's not the first and won't be the last person with which she's that awful. Besides, she manipulates those big guys, Nicholas and Herve, so that they do what she says. Such a person can't be attractive, to me at least.
Odd: Hmm, of course. You have very clear principles, I guess that's good.
Ulrich: I'm pretty sure that going out with her would be a nightmare.
Odd: It's likely. (raises an eyebrow and smiles with one side) And what about Yumi?
Ulrich: (taken by surprise) Uhh… What do you mean?
Odd: I'm making the same question: is she of your liking?
Ulrich: (hesitant) Well… it's not that I've known her for too long… but she's nice, and smart all in all… She has a certain wisdom that surprises me sometimes. She fights pretty good as well… But it's too soon to say anything!
Odd: (sarcastic, but playful) Of course, of course. What about Jeremie?
Ulrich: …Are you asking me if I like him or if I know his romantic interests?
Odd: I was asking for the latter, but tell me both anyway.
Ulrich: No, I don't like Jeremie, we're just good friends. About the second thing, honestly it's something we don't really talk about. His interests are… somewhat abstract, I'd say.
Odd: It's not something you talk about? Are you sure you're good friends?
Ulrich: (frowning) Jeremie knows about a hundred other topics, several of which are interesting, actually. We don't need to talk about his romantic longings to have something to talk about.
Odd: Okay, calm down, I'm just messing with you. I've talked with Jeremie and he seems nice.
Ulrich: (sighs and lowers his head) Yeah, I get it. Sorry, I usually react that way when I'm pushed. It's nothing personal.
Odd: Well, that's okay. Although, does that mean I can keep messing with you without you taking it personally, or you'd rather I didn't?
Ulrich: Good question. Jeremie says I take everything too seriously, so maybe it's a good thing you go a bit over the edge.
Odd: That's cool, but I wouldn't want you to be annoyed all the time, really.
Ulrich: Maybe we can find a middle point. I guess we'll find it on trial and error.
Odd: Famous last words, but I'm willing to try. Hey, I see we're there!

Strategies for Energy Conversion Without Loss of Structural Complexity

Waldo Schaeffer
PhD thesis at University Pierre et Marie Curie

1990

Abstract

The conversion of energy within a system often implies the dissipation of part of it, due to an increase in its entropy. However, in the context of non-equilibrium matter, it is possible to establish an external control of a system so that the complexity between the input and output energy is preserved. Our work investigates four different strategies for external control of a system by injections of transformed energy, which guarantee that the structural complexity of the energy type remains unchanged. Theoretical analysis guarantees that at least one of these methods, based on high-frequency x-ray emission, works, and we propose an experiment to test it in conversions of atomic mass energy into electrical energy. We argue that the postulates in this research have a particularly interesting application in the realm of information theory, opening up the possibility of storing complex material data structures without the need to resort to abstractions or approximations.

Jeremie: Well, virtualization is proof that his hypothesis was correct. Impressive…
Aelita: Pretty impressive. I hadn't read anything about my father's thesis until now.
Yumi: I didn't get anything of what it says, except something about energy conversion at the beginning.
Aelita: Basically, my father found a method to move energy without significant losses (in form of heat, for example). That's the basis of the principle that allows virtualization.
Yumi: Oh, I see! Thanks for the abstract's abstract.
Aelita: (chuckles) It's nothing.
Jeremie: I already took a look at the introduction and it looks fascinating. It's possible I don't sleep tonight due to the reading.
Aelita: Wish you a good evening tonight then, Jeremie.
Jeremie: (smiling) Thanks. Changing topic, with respect to what Odd has told us, there's at least two and possibly three incidents where Sissi's involved. I find it at least curious.
Aelita: Sissi's the principal's daughter, right?
Yumi: That's right.
Aelita: Hmm, could still be a coincidence, or maybe she has a vector device with her.
Jeremie: It's likely, but shouldn't the device also infect other devices? Meaning, "others'" devices?
Yumi: Maybe that's what happened in the principal's office.
Jeremie: Yeah, you're probably right… But I'd think that she should've contaminated a lot more devices. Telectric is not limited to computers and mobile phones.
Aelita: Hmm, we might have to wait and see. And keep an eye on Sissi, of course.
Jeremie: Yeah.

Ulrich and Odd arrive to the factory.

Odd: Wow! This place is ideal to practice some skateboarding. Empty, quiet, flat floor… Do you have a use for this space currently?
Ulrich: Not really.
Odd: Then it's settled! Next season: le Tour d'Odd, a spacious track with an industrial atmosphere.
Ulrich: In any case, we didn't come right here; we're going to a room that's a bit more hidden.
Odd: Ah, of course, an "introverted" room, we could say.

Ulrich rolls his eyes once again, but then sighs and relaxes.

Ulrich: Yeah, you could say that.
Odd: I never expected less from you all. Let's go!

The boys descend through the stairs that lead to the storage room. Ulrich knocks before entering.

Jeremie: Come in!

Ulrich and Odd enter. Odd looks around quietly.

Yumi: Welcome, Odd!

Odd keeps looking around; he takes a while before answering Yumi.

Odd: Uh… Thanks, Yumi. Wow, I definitely didn't expect this.
Yumi: I can see that, the surprise deprived you from your joking demeanor.
Ulrich: Maybe he spent all of his daily joking doses on his way here.

Jeremie and Yumi laugh. Odd focuses on the conversation once again.

Odd: Don't worry, I'll come back with more.
Ulrich: (sarcastic) Can't wait.
Jeremie: Well, Odd, what you're seeing is the computer we told you about. Believe it or not, the most surprising thing about it is not its structure, but rather what it contains.
Odd: I imagine it has some surprising things, the power to melt electronic devices at a distance is not a common happening.

The other three look at each other.

Jeremie: (pointing to the main screen) Odd, may I present to you Aelita, our pen-friend, as we might call her.
Aelita: Hello, Odd!
Odd: Hello, Aelita. (flirty) I've been talked a lot about you.
Aelita: (rolls her eyes) Is this really your new friend?
Odd: Well, I'm definitely not good for first impressions with members of this group.
Yumi: You should've brought Kiwi for that.
Odd: Absolutely right. Next time.
Jeremie: Anyway, Yumi and Ulrich are going to visit Aelita now, do you wanna join them?
Odd: Okay, where is it?
Ulrich: In the computer.
Odd: How so?
Yumi: Aelita is "inside the computer". We're now going into it to visit her.
Odd: Wait, wait. Did you say you were going "into" the computer?

Jeremie looks at Yumi before answering.

Jeremie: Look, there's a few details we said we can't yet tell you about. The reason is that, if told without context, they sound ridiculous. But don't worry, we don't need to make you believe anything: we'll show you.
Odd: …Okay?
Jeremie: Guys, to the scanners.
Yumi: Yessir!

Yumi and Ulrich go to the scanners.

Ulrich: In position, Jeremie.
Jeremie: Good! Virtualization in process.

CONSOLE
IN: virt (0 yumi, 1 ulrich)

The doors of both scanners close and Odd hears the startup noise. Ulrich and Yumi are virtualized and show up on the screen.

Odd keeps looking at the scanners. These open, and Odd becomes astonished as nobody is inside them.

Odd: Wait, what happened?
Jeremie: They were virtualized. Look at the screen.

Odd looks at the screen.

Yumi: Odd! Can you see us?

Odd opens his eyes and raises his eyebrows.

Odd: Whaaaat? Wait, are those really you?
Yumi: That's right! Crazy, isn't it?
Odd: Certainly! How did that happen?
Jeremie: As I understand it, thanks to the radiation that fixes their bodies' entropy, while it transforms their atomic mass energy into digit…
Odd: Okay, okay, let's leave it at that!
Jeremie: Whatever the case, you can experiment it yourself if you enter one of those scanners.
Odd: (scratches his head, face still of amazement) Wow. This looks like taken out of a sci-fi story.
Jeremie: That's right! Isn't it fascinating?
Odd: I dunno, but it's at least impressive. Anyway, I've made up my mind: I want to enter.
Yumi: Very good, Odd!
Ulrich: We'll wait for you then.
Jeremie: Go to the scanners, and please enter the rightmost one.
Odd: Right on, Einstein.

Odd does what Jeremie asked.

Odd: Jeremie!
Jeremie: Yeah?
Odd: Does it hurt?
Jeremie: Not at all.
Odd: (sighs in relief) Okay. I'm ready.

Jeremie makes a gesture of confirmation.

CONSOLE
IN: virt 2 odd

Odd feels himself lift from the floor while the light around him starts feeling brighter and whiter. At the final instant, he closes his eyes.

- END OF CHAPTER 16 -