Rix doesn’t come by. No one else does, and I stop looking. Two more days are needed, and then it’s all together.
Unfortunately, I don't have the means to test it unless I want to try it out on myself.
Which is crazy.
Because I want to use the device to lift machines, metal. Not organic compounds. No. I don’t have the calibrations worked out for anything organic, and while that might be the next step, I would need a lot more equipment for that, namely protective equipment to keep me safe in case something should go wrong.
It’s risky, so very risky, but I have a hope and a prayer that I’ll be able to do what my device is intended for. Maybe I should’ve just given into Rix. Maybe then I would have access to the centuricar again. Not that I should use Rix to get what I need. Plus, I shouldn’t just take someone’s centuricar and try to see if my device will work on it because if it doesn’t…
But I need to see if this will work, and I carefully place my instrument into a wagon and wait for the rain to end.
Unfortunately, the drought is over big time, and the rain lasts for hours. It's dark now, and I'm not about to risk relying on a flashlight to maneuver the wagon around the puddles.
The next day, it’s still a bit wet out, so it’s a week total since I’ve seen Rix before I make my way to the scrapyard. I’m so giddy with excitement and anticipation that my fingers mess up the inputs, and I have to try again.
And then I wait.
And then the centuricmobile, the beat-up one that doesn’t drive anymore, levitates.
Success!
Now, the tricky part. Bringing it back down again.
The landing is a bit rough, and I grimace. If this had been a brand new centuricmobile, the owner would not be too happy about that.
Again and again, I try until I can get the landing to be gentler.
There. I’m as ready as I can be. First thing tomorrow, I’m going to see about setting up a meeting with the general.
Yeah, scoring that meeting is a lot harder than I wanted it to be, but finally, after waiting almost all day, I'm in front of General Spencer Moore.
The general eyes me. “What’s your name again?”
“Ava. Ava Kyle.”
His gaze flickers to my hair and then back to me. I just grin. Yes, I dye my hair. Yes, it's colorful. I don't care that women are only just starting to dye their hair color again after everything with the Grots. For a time, women had only their natural hair color. They had to go white or gray because there just wasn't any hair dye to be had. As for me, I make my own, and I love it. The purple is so very me because I don't live life like others do. I'm not normal. I'm me, and I'm proud, and that's all there is to it.
The general rubs his chin. “And you requested this meeting why?”
I step aside so he can see my wagon. “I would like the meeting to be more of a demonstration, sir, if that would be possible.”
“A demonstration?” he repeats. “A demonstration of what exactly?”
I grin. “It would be easier to show you. Can we go somewhere a bit more…”
He scowls.
“Outdoors?” I finish.
He blinks a few times, and I grimace. Did he really think I would ask for a place that’s more private? We’re in a tent, and people are walking about outside the tent, the flap wide open, but no one else is under this particular tent.
“I suppose,” the general says, “but this is highly irregular, and I must say I don’t have a lot of time for this, whatever this is.”
“Sir, this is a game changer. You’ll see. It’s going to change the way we live,” I say excitedly.
He grunts and strolls out of the tent, and I follow behind him. My arms are getting a serious workout from dragging this wagon everywhere. The equipment isn't light, but maybe I can figure out a way to lighten it later, down the road, once everything's been perfected.
It doesn’t take us long to reach a spot away from the tents, and the general starts to slow down. I glance around wildly and then grimace.
“Sir, do you think you could have a centuricmobile or centuricar brought around?”
“Why would we need that?” he asks dryly.
“For the demonstration.” My hands are clammy, and I want to wipe them on my pants. Oh, great. These pants have an oil stain on them. I don’t have any dresses or skirts, like I told Rix, so I don’t have anything fancy to wear for the meeting.
“I don’t think—”
“Sir, it’s necessary,” I say firmly.
He grimaces and shakes his head. “I’m afraid, Ava Kyle, that I’ve heard about you and your tendency to, ah, profit from others. How do I know that this isn’t an elaborate scheme for you to steal a vehicle?”
I grit my teeth. So he knows about my record. At least he allowed the meeting in the first place. I guess I can’t be too unhappy about that, all things considering.
“Now, I really don’t have the time—”
“I can make do,” I say in a rush, and I hurry to lift the levitation device from the wagon. “Give me one moment,” I mumble as I recalibrate the equipment. It’s meant to lift something much heavier, but the wagon will have
