Chapter 13: Launches

IT WASN’T UNTIL the first weekend of April that Henry and Carol could spend quality time together. Spring Carnival opened on Thursday, but neither one could spare the time away from classes to go that day. They agreed to spend the rest of the weekend just having fun.

Henry had been recruited to help set up the robot races as part of the sponsoring department team. He helped map out the course in the quad outside the Computer Sciences building. That amounted to measuring and painting a two-inch white stripe through the half-mile course, complete with trick curves and dead-end branches.

While many of the robots that would compete came from the robotics department, a part of computer sciences, many also came from alternate programs on campus and even a few industrial competitors from around the area. The civil engineering group, mechanical engineering, physics groups, and even a couple of fraternities entered the two-phase event. Robots had to follow the course while making decisions regarding path directions and overcoming obstacles.

He worked with several other people in the department to map the route and paint the stripe on Tuesday and Wednesday nights before watching the qualifying races Thursday morning to observe if any corrections needed to be made to the course. The number one rule was that once the robot was started on its path, there could be no interference from humans directing or correcting it. They weren’t ‘remote control cars.’ They had to be ‘self-driving.’

Carol joined him for the final races Friday morning. After the track set up and overnight adjustments, Henry had no active responsibilities when the race was being run.

“You mean the robot has to make decisions as it travels the course?” she asked when she saw the first contestant speed around the track.

“I understand it gets harder each year,” Henry said. “Look. The next contestant is from the pros. American Robotics Development Corp., right here in town. ARDC won the professional division last year, but Edison Robotics is putting up a real challenge this year.”

They watched the ARDC robot zip down the track, stop at a fork in the road, then proceed to the next obstacle.

“So how are these things different from a Roomba?”

“Mostly, a Roomba just wanders around sucking up whatever is in its path. It doesn’t have a set course around the house and doesn’t go back and forth in a pattern like a person might vacuum. If it bumps into something, it changes course. These robots actually have to read the signs—which are simple, but we’re talking about robots, not people—and decide which path to take based on the information given. Look! It’s come to the detour I created last night. If it ignores the detour sign, it will fall into a puddle of water. The robots don’t often function well in water.”

The robot came to a stop at the “Bridge out” warning and chose to follow the detour. It had to slow down because the detour route was less clearly marked than the main route. It made it around the hazard and sped on.

After the races, Henry and Carol were free to head for the midway, held in the north parking lot. Some 50 booths were set up in the parking lot, some as much as three stories high! Every Greek society on campus and many of the larger organizations had booths. Each booth had games, food, or entertainment for the people walking through the “American Revolution” themed midway. Some of the booths also sold various crafts, but just visiting the booths was free.

“We should have worn costumes,” Henry laughed. “It’s like a 1776 Renn Faire.”

“Too much work. Finals are in four weeks. You would not believe how much crap the professors are piling on us as we move toward the end of term,” she answered.

“I understand. In fact, we need to register for fall classes next week. I’ve already registered for my summer classes.”

“About that, Henry. The festival is exciting and all, but can we go someplace private for a while. I need to talk to you in an environment that is very private.”

Henry got the distinct impression that Carol was far more interested in getting personal with Henry than being entertained. That suited Henry just fine. They walked to his car and he drove to his house. His parents were still at work. They went directly to his bedroom.

Carol was almost frantic in her desire to get undressed and into bed. Henry responded just as rapidly, losing his clothes and diving into the bed with her. They kissed and touched each other. Carol pulled him to her and nearly had him in her before he grabbed a condom and got it on.

That seemed to turn Carol on even more. She pulled him into her and drove up to meet his thrusts. They hadn’t had quite such a raw rutting together since their golf trip. By mid-afternoon, they were exhausted and sweaty. They showered and Henry brought their favorite soft drinks to his room so she didn’t need to dress. They cuddled together on the bed, still caressing and kissing.