Are my family's
lives and my life safe?"
"I hope so. If it's possible to connect Earth's
computers to your ship, we have a chance. I do have one question. Can you
provide the alternating electric current I need in the right voltage and
amps?"
Feron may have had a list, but Tommy could find no logic in
the way the pallets were stored in the warehouse. Since he had to divide his
time between helping the translators and examining pallets, he took most of a
week to find the first items he needed. The artisans required an equal time to
install and test the power system he would be using.
After he got the boxes moved into what he now called the
computer room, he spent another day putting a computer together, complete with
every gadget he could stuff into it. When he was ready to plug into the power,
the three artisans who had installed the wall sockets stood behind him, waiting
for something to catch fire.
Tommy smiled and shook his head at the Earth-made fire
extinguisher one of them carried. "You're not very optimistic,"
"The lords expect us to be prepared and to not start
fires in their ship," the man replied. "Please continue."
Plugging the computer into the wall socket was uneventful
except for some lights on the printer and DVD burner, so he pushed the boot
button. As the computer attempted to boot from the C drive, what he read on
the monitor made him grin. "Success. Now, I need you to do the same
thing in the next room. We'll be putting at least nine computers in that room,
too."
The men looked at Valin, who watched apprehensively from the
doorway. "Please do whatever he asks. The lords have said this project
is important," Valin said.
The first real glitch occurred when Tommy installed the
operating system. He had no way to connect to the Internet. For that matter, the
Internet had to be light years away. Registering the software with the
manufacturer was impossible. This operating system would work for a while
without registration, but, when the registration period expired, it would stop.
Tommy felt certain he could hack the registration code,
given enough time. He found the problem so interesting, that he almost lost
sight of what he was trying to do. Maybe later , he thought, if I
ever get a break from all of this. Instead, he went to the warehouse to
search for a different operating system.
Valin had been watching his progress and had been elated
when pictures and words appeared on the screen. He followed Tommy into the
isles between the pallets. "Are you ready to build a computer for me?
Can I help you find what you need?"
"Actually, Valin, the first computer isn't finished
yet. I must replace the software I installed with what's called 'open source'
software. You can help me find it, if you want. We're searching for something
called Linux and Open Office . Here's where they are listed on
the packing slips."
"Why is this necessary?"
"Let's just say the support desk is too far away and
leave it at that. I would have had to find Linux, anyway, to set up a server
network. Might as well be positive."
Because Tommy's knowledge of Linux was limited to the
network at his school in Atlanta, he soon had piles of books on his desk. Late
into the sleep period, he sat with Potter curled in his lap, reading about what
he planned to do the next morning. An accomplished tech would have set up the
network and put a computer on every translator's desk in a few days. He needed
most of a month.
He worked alone in the beginning, but, when Valin overheard
him complaining to himself about having to put connectors on the ends of so
many cables, he was assigned two young men as assistants. Soon, they were
beyond cables and were installing boards as adeptly as he.
On the day everything had been tested, and he was sure the
system would work, he called everyone to Valin's desk for a demonstration.
"The first thing you must do is learn how to type, but
lives and my life safe?"
"I hope so. If it's possible to connect Earth's
computers to your ship, we have a chance. I do have one question. Can you
provide the alternating electric current I need in the right voltage and
amps?"
Feron may have had a list, but Tommy could find no logic in
the way the pallets were stored in the warehouse. Since he had to divide his
time between helping the translators and examining pallets, he took most of a
week to find the first items he needed. The artisans required an equal time to
install and test the power system he would be using.
After he got the boxes moved into what he now called the
computer room, he spent another day putting a computer together, complete with
every gadget he could stuff into it. When he was ready to plug into the power,
the three artisans who had installed the wall sockets stood behind him, waiting
for something to catch fire.
Tommy smiled and shook his head at the Earth-made fire
extinguisher one of them carried. "You're not very optimistic,"
"The lords expect us to be prepared and to not start
fires in their ship," the man replied. "Please continue."
Plugging the computer into the wall socket was uneventful
except for some lights on the printer and DVD burner, so he pushed the boot
button. As the computer attempted to boot from the C drive, what he read on
the monitor made him grin. "Success. Now, I need you to do the same
thing in the next room. We'll be putting at least nine computers in that room,
too."
The men looked at Valin, who watched apprehensively from the
doorway. "Please do whatever he asks. The lords have said this project
is important," Valin said.
The first real glitch occurred when Tommy installed the
operating system. He had no way to connect to the Internet. For that matter, the
Internet had to be light years away. Registering the software with the
manufacturer was impossible. This operating system would work for a while
without registration, but, when the registration period expired, it would stop.
Tommy felt certain he could hack the registration code,
given enough time. He found the problem so interesting, that he almost lost
sight of what he was trying to do. Maybe later , he thought, if I
ever get a break from all of this. Instead, he went to the warehouse to
search for a different operating system.
Valin had been watching his progress and had been elated
when pictures and words appeared on the screen. He followed Tommy into the
isles between the pallets. "Are you ready to build a computer for me?
Can I help you find what you need?"
"Actually, Valin, the first computer isn't finished
yet. I must replace the software I installed with what's called 'open source'
software. You can help me find it, if you want. We're searching for something
called Linux and Open Office . Here's where they are listed on
the packing slips."
"Why is this necessary?"
"Let's just say the support desk is too far away and
leave it at that. I would have had to find Linux, anyway, to set up a server
network. Might as well be positive."
Because Tommy's knowledge of Linux was limited to the
network at his school in Atlanta, he soon had piles of books on his desk. Late
into the sleep period, he sat with Potter curled in his lap, reading about what
he planned to do the next morning. An accomplished tech would have set up the
network and put a computer on every translator's desk in a few days. He needed
most of a month.
He worked alone in the beginning, but, when Valin overheard
him complaining to himself about having to put connectors on the ends of so
many cables, he was assigned two young men as assistants. Soon, they were
beyond cables and were installing boards as adeptly as he.
On the day everything had been tested, and he was sure the
system would work, he called everyone to Valin's desk for a demonstration.
"The first thing you must do is learn how to type, but
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