[Omnipresent Bacterium is writing…]

[I’m in it for the parts. The parts that can be connected to make great things! What kinds of parts you may ask? Parts for society! Parts for technology! Parts for…]

‘Parts for...’ B thought as he drummed his thumbs on his desk as he thought of what a good metaphor with parts in it for his mysterious hacker persona. It wasn’t like this was going to be posted to his hacker blog, it was just him and a client talking. It was hard to keep from going over the top, arrogant, all-knowing hacker in every post, or so he’s been told his hacker persona has been acting like from some commenters and news sites.

Earlier in the night, B had put some more security measures in place for himself and successfully got some login information to some highly classified files to the Proxima Centurions. B felt this big scoop could go to a big player in the tech scene in CrudeOil City. Jormungrand was known for making the closest thing to a company over the oil business and was a new developer of building kits for the mini mobile messenger, or M3 for short. He was known for being a mysterious recluse that didn’t want humans to rely on the Centurions internet and was working on making his own system.

B heard rustling coming from the room above his. His parents’ room. ‘Why would they be up at this hour?’ B thought. He looked over to his clock and groaned. It was almost 4:30 in the morning, and he had the morning shift on the farm today. He didn’t want to get caught up late two nights in a row. He quickly deleted what he had written out on the glowing screen, and had decided to go for a less, mysterious tone.

[Omnipresent Bacterium has posted!]

[I work for tech, blackmail, and raider secrets. For what you want, I’m going to want tech.]

A message came in soon after he sent it.

[Jormungrand has posted!]

[Great. A straight answer. I’ll give you the coordinates to my personal, untouched scrap heap once you give me the security weaknesses in the ship’s life support systems. It’s filled with old world and alien tech.]

B typed as he heard the toilet above him flush and water running.

[Omnipresent Bacterium has posted!]

[I’ll see about that. Coordinates first, then IF I find anything good, I’ll send you the weaknesses. Deal?]

B waited anxiously looking from the cracked screen to his bed.

[Jormungrand has posted!]

[You can only go to these coordinates once, and take out only as much as you can carry. IF you come back to these coordinates again, my men will kill you.]

B heard slow, heavy feet coming down the stairs. Dad.

[Omnipresent Bacterium has posted!]

[Deal]

Cutting it close on time, the nineteen-year-old quickly covered the screen with an extra rag to dim the glow. He didn’t dare turn it off before he could print out the coordinates. He then leaped into bed and covered upright as the door to his room crept open.

B heard a sigh that sounded content but then turned into a groan.

“B…” His dad groan-sighed as he walked to B’s bed. “Get up.”

B slowly stretched his lanky arms and pulled himself from the fake sleeping position he was in with a yawn.

“Mornin’,” B said genuinely groggily from the lack of sleep.

There was a sound coming from B’s desk. A buzzing and sliding sound.

“Can it.” His father moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand and pointing to the printer.

“I know you’ll be working on whatever blueprint you're printing now. Just try not to nap on the job today.” Mr. Prosmith said as he turned around slowly and left the room.

B didn’t know what was worse. Having his dad mad at him for staying up late or accepting him staying up late. Maybe it was the defeated tone his dad used. B thought about it as he added a poncho and cowboy hat to the outfit he wore yesterday. He decided that no one needed to know that he was wearing the same dirty blue jeans and green flannel over his breast binder. ‘I should really step up and be a better son.’ B thought as he grabbed the coordinates from the printer. ‘Once I make that universal remote work like it needs to, he’ll be so proud.’ He smiled as he grabbed a gas mask to wear later for his meeting with Jormungrand’s trash pile.

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B came out of his room to find half his family at the table getting ready for the day. He grabbed some jerky, water, and crackers and quickly stored them in his pockets before grabbing an egg on toast for breakfast. B kissed his groggy, baby sister, Darleen’s forehead as she nursed her milk, before heading out with the toast and egg folded into his mouth. He was quickly joined by his only other brother and second youngest sister, Phil and Jenny, in similar ranching gear.

Phil had his poncho folded over his shoulder to show off his obnoxiously large, old-world, belt buckle. Jenny had her dirty blond hair in twin braids today, most likely due to her not having enough time to wash it this morning too. B thought they and Darleen looked more like their dad than B, and his eldest sister Sue looked like their mom.

They started getting the feed for the ostriches ready when their father joined them.

“Alright, you guys.” Their dad said as he leaned forward against the gate. “Today I want you to take the ostriches out to the prairie for the morning. We’ll send Sue to take the afternoon shift. Make sure they don’t go toward the city but if some do, let them be. Sue and I will take care of them. And remember-”

“Don’t go near the canyons.” The group said in unison.

“Good men,” he said slapping B and Phil on the back of the shoulders, “and Jenny.” He added clicking his tongue at her. This made the boys giggle though Jenny seemed a bit annoyed.

“Oh, B,” His father said as B felt something slip into his back pocket. B pulled it out to discover it was an alien tech walky-talky.

The walky-talky was a hard plastic box with two sliders, one for channels, one for volume. There was a big button you held down to talk, and a smaller button you held down to turn it on and off again. The screen only looked a little worn. In contrast to the back of it. Usually, there were more buttons to modify the length of how far you can pick up signals and what kinds of signals you can pick up, there was a new hardshell which was being held there by only two screws.

“Just in case,” His dad said with a wink. B’s eyes grew to the size of saucers while Jenny and Phil’s smiles grew.

“Only the militia has these,” B stammered out.

“Oh my god! Can we connect to CrudeOil City with those?” Jenny asked.

“I want to listen to the music channel!” Phil said as he reached for the walky-talky. To which, B slapped his hand away.

Their dad chuckled.

“Sorry kiddos, these have been modified so it only works within our little town. Just hold down this button to talk and lift it up to not have your sound come through. Militia wants everyone to have one today. They don’t trust the Fea. Mikey thinks they’re coordinating with some cyber attacker.” Papa Prosmith said without giving an impression of whether he believed it or not.

This made the kids worry, especially B.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” B said shakily pocketing the walky-talky.

“Yeah.” Jenny agreed, relaxing. “He’s always extra cautious.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” Their dad said with a scoff before smiling at them again. “Alright, you guys get going now.” He said with another slap to the boys’ shoulders before going on his way.

B and his siblings went to saddle up the ostriches they rode to keep the other ostriches inline. These guys were bred to hold people on their backs with strong backs and legs and were taller than your run of the mill ostrich. Each teenager went into their respective stall with their ostrich to saddle them up.

“Here’s a thought experiment for ya,” Started Phil much to the protest of the other two, “If the Fae didn’t use magic to make what they trade with us, would they still be considered dangerous?”

“Everyone who wasn’t born here is considered dangerous,” Jenny said.

“Nah! So says Mikey.” Phil reminded her.

“Counter argument. Remember that outsider using the town to sneak water to the raiders?” Jenny replied.

“Well, we don’t know what their magic is capable of,” B interjected. “If we knew their limits, as we do with the Centenarians, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Well, let’s go over what we do know,” Phil said much to the displeasure of the others. “They mostly resemble some sort of animal as well as human, they do things unexplainable, apparently they were here before the aliens, and they want to help.”

“Some do. I’ve heard of some Fae raiders.” B said bringing out his bird to meet the others.

“From who?” Jenny asked as they left the barn and got the flock ready.

“Messenger,” B said nonchalantly.

“Speaking of the messenger-” Spoke B

“Oh no,” Said Jenny.

“You know how you two cover for me when I nap?” B asked.

“Oh no,” Jenny continued to say.

“Instead of napping what if I went to-” B started.

“No.” Jenny snapped. “B you are not going anywhere, do you know what today is?”

“I know. This is why it would be the perfect time to go north while everyone is patrolling around the south.” B said quickly bouncing up and down explaining his plan.

“You’re going north! Through the canyons!” Jenny almost shouted, stirring some birds in the process.

“No! Well, yes, and no. The scrap heap is right on the other side of the canyons but if I go-” B said as he tried to map it out on his hand.

“B I am so telling-” Jenny was interrupted by Phil putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Now wait a minute Jenny. We have an opportunity here.” Phil said slyly. “B, I’d like to make a proposition.”

“Whatever it takes.” B sighed.

“I want a new belt buckle or something like it from the trash heap, and let’s get Jenny... some music on that Walky-Talky.” Said Phil sticking out his hand. Jenny still didn’t look happy.

“Deal,” B said, shaking his hand.

It took little time to get the walky-talky modified again with the tools in the barn. It wasn’t great but they could tune into the radio stations in CrudeOil City.

“Happy?” Asked B.

“One more thing,” Phil said as B got on to the back of his bird.

“What?” B grunted.

“When you die in the canyons, can I have your-?” Phil was quickly cut off.

“Fluffy! Up!” B yelled as he and his bird went out toward the canyons.