Chapter 1

It had all started when I met Blake. It was a simple repair job or at least that is how it began. He was a Rigger who was having some problems with a circuit interface on his Rigger board. I was a student doing post graduate work at the University of Washington, good ol' U Dub. My major was Electronics, centering on computers with a minor in programming. I was also studying their repair, to work on the boards, building and modifying computers you learned some and I wanted to know more. By knowing how to repair them you learned what made them tick and knowing that I thought you would know better how to improve weaknesses and eliminate problem areas. You could as they say, Build a better mousetrap! I had set up a small shop in the apartment next to mine and did minor repairs for the students who needed them but couldn't afford the prices charged by the more normal repair shops. I took a lot of my price out in trade for things that I needed as well as time payments. Someone had turned Blake on to me as he was unhappy with the person who had been doing his repairs. I took his board into my shop and went through it. Whoever had set the thing up had done a real hashed up job. There were a lot of cold solders mixed throughout the board and it was a piece of junk. I told him that I could fix the problem he was having right now but that he would continue to have problems until he replaced this piece of drek and got a decent board. He looked stunned.

"I just paid mucho dinero for that thing. It worked fine when I first got it," he said.

Placing the unit under a large magnifying lamp I started pointing out the problems. Even his unskilled eye could see what I was referring to. "Let me guess, you're having feedback problems. Especially when it becomes highly stressed or when you are trying to also control your peripheries while driving? Even when the problems are not apparent you have a headache after each run? All because this is a hash job. You need a new board."

"Man, I don't have the bread right now to buy another board at least not a hot board like I need. Can you just fix it?"

"Blake, I can fix it but you'll be back soon for another repair. I could build you a new board cheaper than it would cost for the repairs on this one."

"Make the needed repairs on this one and start building me a new board. I can't pay you much right now. My money is tied up in other things but I can pay you a little at a time and that way there'll be no out of pocket cost for you."

I took up pen and paper and started to question him about what he wanted the board to do. Was he running drones? How many ports did he want or feel he needed. What about remotes? With his answers I began to get a feel for what he wanted in a board and what he wanted it to do. Knowing he worked the streets I asked about some 'specials'. One thing he didn't do was fly so I didn't need the fine tuning that an aviation interface would call for. Controling aviation drones didn't call for as sensitive controls as actually piloting a craft with YOU inside it. When I quoted him a price he only smiled. My price was a little more than half of what he had paid for this broken piece of drek.

I made the repairs, cleaned and repaired some of the immediate problems I saw with his board and sent him on his way. I then started to make a list of the parts I would need for a new board to meet his requirements. It was fun. I was building a custom interface for someone who was paying me and it was not just a class project or a simple repair as I had been doing.

One afternoon after paying me some on the account Blake asked me to join him. We went to a small neighborhood bar and took our beers to one of the booths in the back.

"I have been meaning to ask you, what kind of name is Brian Whitefeather?" he said.

"Why you dumb paleface. I am a Cascade Crow Indian. What kind of name should I have? John Smith?"

"Well, you have the high cheek bones and long hair like an indian but I never met an indian with brown hair and hazel eyes. And while you don't smile a lot and have that stone-faced stoic look your complexion is lighter than most indians. I didn't know so I asked," he stated matter-of-factly. "The long braid with the feather and raccoon tail in it does look indian. What's with them anyway?"

Chapter 2 »