Immersion Playground
Book #3: Flight to Paradise
Chapter 17
"You ready Professor?" Mac asks.
"I don't know," Everett says looking at Mac. "You're sure this flying antique will make it all the way?"
Mac chuckles. "Yes, Professor. You of all people should know that just because you're old doesn't mean you can't get the job done."
"Touché," Everett chuckles. It's the first time he's ridden in the cockpit of an airplane and he has to admit he's looking forward to the flight, even if Mac did stiff him on the beautiful hostess with long legs to wait on him hand and foot for the trip.
Mac watches Everett out of the corner of his eye as they lift off and begin their climb to altitude. It's going to be a damn long flight, the longest single flight he has ever made in the
Beauty
, longer even than the flight from his home in California to Hays. He's filled the tanks to brimming before taking off, and if he can catch some favorable wind, he
might
be able to make it all the way with just two stops, but that's going to be cutting it fine, damn fine.
"We're into the cruise, Professor," Mac says twenty minutes later. "Feel to get up and move around if you like. The seats in the back are more comfortable, and there are drinks and food in the fridge if you want it."
"There's a fridge in here?" Everett asks, looking to the back of the plane.
"Yep. Bottom of that center cabinet," Mac says nodding to the back of the plane.
"Bathroom too?"
"Uuuh... no. For that one of us will have to drink one of the waters," Mac says with a grin. "But we're going to have to stop for fuel about every three hours so..."
"Good thing I went before we left. But if it's okay with you, I just as soon sit up here with you. In case you need help or something," Everett says with a smile.
"No problem. I'd enjoy the company."
***
Twelve hours later Mac touches the
Beauty
down in Dallas. He had run out of nerve and made a third fuel stop with less than an hour to go in the flight. According to his calculation he could have made it, just, but he decided he'd rather make the extra stop than sweat bullets the last few hundred miles.
After the second stop Everett had moved to the back of the plane, since there is nothing to see in the dark anyway, and has slept the last leg of the trip, his headphones on, but unplugged, to cancel out the drone of the engines.
The plane secured, Mac touches Everett on the shoulder. "Everett?"
Everett jumps at Mac's touch. "Jesus. You scared the shit out of me. Wait, who's flying the plane?" Everett asks, and then pulls his headphones off, trying to shake off the fog of sleep. "We're here?"
"We're here," Mac confirms. "Welcome to Love Field. Greg is waiting to take us to your apartment."
"I still think I could have stayed in a motel," Everett grumbles as he gets up, Mac offering a steadying hand as he wobbles on his feet.
"Cheaper this way," Mac says before hopping out of the plane and setting the steps down for Everett. "I think you're going to be here a while, if this startup goes anything like most."
Mac helps Everett off the plane, and carries his two bags, as they amble toward the terminal where Greg is waiting.
"Greg," Mac says as they approach, "Professor Everett Dill. Professor, Greg Ryder."
Greg extends his hand. "Nice to finally meet you Professor," Greg says, shaking the man's hand, careful to not squeeze too hard. Mac has warned him that the Professor is in failing health and will need to be handled gently.
"Nice to meet you, Greg. But we are going to have to get one thing straight. My name is Everett. I let him," he says with a head nod to Mac, "call me professor because he's too damn big to argue with."
"Yes sir, he is," Greg says with a smile at Mac. "I have a wheelchair here, in case you want it," he adds sheepishly.
"How about it, Everett?" Mac asks. "You want to walk or ride?"
"I've been sitting all day. I think I'll walk."
"Very good. Lead on Greg," Mac says hefting the bags. As they walk Mac notices that Greg lets Everett set the pace then moves out to slightly front, weaving slightly, clearing a path, putting a bubble of space around Everett, Mac doing the same from the rear, using his size and the two bags to force the faster moving people to detour around. Ten minutes later they arrive at a new Chrysler that Greg unlocks before opening the trunk for Mac.
"This your car, Greg?" Mac asks, remembering the Toyota Greg was driving the last time he met him.
"No sir. This is the pro... Everett's car. I thought he'd be more comfortable in it than my beat-up POS. I left my car at his apartment."
Mac chuckles. "Understood. Good thinking," Mac says as he swings the two bags into the trunk, mentally approving of Greg's forethought.
Mac squeezes in the back, sitting sideways behind Everett with his feet on the floor behind Greg, as Greg drives them through the evening traffic. "Here we are," Greg says forty-five minutes later.
"How far are we from the office?" Mac asks.
"About ten minutes, depending on traffic. I did a run when I came to get Everett's car and it took about fifteen minutes, but that was during rush hour. I didn't even know this place was here until Dana pinged me and asked if I could collect the keys and stuff," Greg says before looking at Everett. "Your daughter, she's, uh, very good at her job."
"Yes she is," Everett says with a smile.
As Everett unpacks, Greg catches Mac's eye. "May I speak with you for a minute?" he asks, leading him outside into the small backyard.
"What's up?"
Greg clears his voice and shuffles his feet briefly before launching into the spiel he's been practicing all evening. "It's the professor. I was just thinking that maybe it would be helpful if he had some help," he says in a rush. "Strange town and all, and considering his health. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe it would be helpful if I, uh, moved into here with him. There's two bedrooms, and I could, uh, help, you know? I'd be happy to help with the rent and..."
Mac breaks into a smile as soon as he gets the drift of Greg's proposal and begins to wave his hands in front of Greg to trying to get him to stop.
"Greg," Mac begins when Greg finally stops for a breath. "That's very generous of you, but you have your own life. I'm not going to ask that of you."
"Mr. McMillan, let me tell you about my life. I live for school and work. If I'm not at school I'm at work, and if I'm not at either of those two places, I'm at home, living with two other guys, one of whom I don't care for very much. I have no girlfriend and I have no social life. Trust me when I tell you this, moving in to help the professor will be a huge improvement."
Mac looks at Greg, thinking over his proposal. It'll be a huge weight off his mind to know that someone will be around to help look after Everett. Everett isn't so feeble that he can't take care of himself, but as Greg points out, this is a new situation. If nothing else, Greg can help keep Everett from working himself to death.
"Are you sure about this?" Mac finally asks.
"As sure as I can be. I've been thinking about it for the last few days. It'll be nice to have someone to talk to that's interested in something other than hunting, football, or women."
Mac chuckles. "Are you not interested in any of those things?"
"No," Greg says with a shy grin. "Well, not football or hunting anyway. But even still, there are more things to talk about than that."
Mac smiles. He really likes Greg. "Okay. We need to run this by Everett, if you're sure. You realize that this is strictly temporary, right? Just until we get the lab up and running and the professor goes back to Oregon."
"I understand," Greg says. "But I don't have a lot and maybe by then I can afford a place on my own, or at least find some better roommates. Maybe I'll keep this place and have someone to move in with me. I don't know, but anything beats what I have now."
Mac smiles at Greg as he takes him by shoulder and steers him back into the apartment. "Let's see what the professor has to say."
***
Over the next three days Greg gets himself settled into the extra bedroom. Since the apartment is furnished, he only has to move his personal belongings. With Mac's help, and the use of the rented Chrysler in addition to his Toyota, he manages to get everything in one trip. He and Everett also begin the task of setting up Dana's new home. Mac helps where he can, mostly fetching and holding, but working together the three have Dana's new home assembled, if not powered up, in just one day. Greg expresses curiosity over why they need so much computing horsepower. Everett attempts to deflect him by explaining how the software they will be running has a lot of overhead because it runs a large number of probability scenarios simultaneously. The explanation sounds good to Mac, though he isn't entirely sure Greg is buying it, but Greg doesn't press the point.
By Wednesday evening the computer center is wired and live, though Everett still needs to load the interface software that allows Dana to live on a computer, and then begin the task of replicating the DANA code to the site. Those tasks are so far over Mac's head he knows he will be of no help at all so over dinner Wednesday night he announces his intention to leave the next morning.
"You don't want to stay and help with the software install?" Everett teases after Mac announces his plans. "What if we run into problems?"
"If you want it to work tomorrow, the safest place for me to be is
anywhere
other than in that room helping you," Mac says with a smile. "I felt pretty comfortable holding a computer while you plugged stuff in, but that's about the extent of my help."
"Don't kid yourself," Greg chimes in. "For what we've done to this point, you were as much help as any of us. Starting tomorrow, when Everett starts loading the software and configuring the servers, that's when it's going to get complicated. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does."
Mac is about to remind Greg that there are some things he isn't going to be privy to when Everett begins to speak.
"I don't know how much good it'll do you to watch, Greg. The first thing I will be doing is loading a custom operating system, so it isn't going to look like anything you've ever seen before, nor will see again, probably, but you're welcome to watch if you like," Everett says. "After that I will download the software from my test server in Oregon. That's going to take a while. Then I'll just need to check and make sure the software installed properly. Pretty boring stuff actually. While I do that, I might have you begin testing the robotic arms. We may need to tweak their interfaces a little to work with our software."
"Whatever you need Everett," Greg says cheerfully. "I've done some of that, but I'd like to do more."
"I'm sure you'll have the chance," Everett says with a smile before he looks to Mac. "What are we paying him?"
"Ninety-six," Mac says.
"After we get this place up and running, he'll need a raise or someone is going to hire him away. I'm just warning you," Everett says.
"I understand Professor. Just keep me in the loop."
Greg smiles. He's not going to say no to more money, but having Professor Everett Dill as a personal tutor is worth a lot more to him in the long run than changing jobs to make a few extra bucks. "I promise I won't accept any offer without telling you about it first," he says to Mac.
