“Who could have done this?” Sue asked panicking.

“Sue, please calm down.” Archibald begged. He turned to Mr. Hague, “When did that happen?”

“After we checked the power control booth and the engineer came up here, I decided to look on the Mother CPU. After all, I know that the damage in the power control booth is too minor to destruct the performance of other school buildings.” The teacher replied.

“We can do this,” The engineer said after a short silence. “I can recommend that the chip be replaced. Because, I know those kinds of chip. They fit into any CPU even in my Android™. So, someone else is actually controlling the school power from his own device as we speak. If we replace the chip, he can no longer do that.”

“How fast can we get a replaceable chip?” Edgar, who was focused on finding solutions asked immediately.

“I can have a courier bring one in two hours. But it will be a temporary one. Because of these theft problems, you’ll need your unique FIT MEGA SIXTY.”

“What’s fit mega sixty?” Archibald asked.

“It’s just another chip like the one we inserted in the mother CPU Archibald.” Edgar explained and turned to the engineer. “Engineer, call your supplier.” He turned to Archibald. “Archibald, have the students clear the buildings to their dormitories and summon all the staff in the theater for a meeting.”

“But, Edgar, if we alarm the students, it would only bring chaos.” Archibald noted.

“At this point we can’t avoid chaos.” Edgar said rising.

“Archibald is right Edgar. They can leave classes early but, we can’t call for an emergence break right now. Trevor has already made them think that everything is fine.” Sue said.

Edgar nodded and then turned to Mr. Hague. “Let’s go see that CPU.” With that, they left the room.

The engineer departed to a corner to call his subjects and Archibald shifted to a seat next to Susanne. “Everything’s going to be fine.” He coaxed.

“Thank you Archibald.” She said to him forcing a grin. She took support from his words. “I don’t know just what I would have done without you.”

“No. don’t say that.” He took her hands and suddenly realized that, they had begun  ageing with time. She was forty three then and unmarried. Hamerton was the center of her all world. He looked at her pale blue eyes now glittering with tears. “Your father left you five in my care and I have keep to the promise that I made by doing so.”

Her face folded slightly as if snapped from a bad dream. “You were with them when they died Archibald.” She said.

He drew back, releasing her hands.

“Archibald.” She called. “Why don’t you ever want to talk about that day? I know that you were with them that night.” She paused. “That’s how you lost your right leg.”

“Sue. It’s a painful memory. Your father was my best friend. Your mother was like a sister to me. I don’t want to remember how I lost all of them in one day. Please?”

She sighed and nodded.

“It’s coming.” The engineer interrupted.

Susanne turned to him, “thank you.”

who took the chip from level 16 & why?

Stay tuned in the next chapter of #HAMERTON The Calculator...