What are you doing?
“What are you doing?” James was hovering around the kitchen table where Kevin had set up his laptop. “I’m working on my project.” James rocked back on his heels, his scar on his lip quivering. “I’m done with mine!” Kevin looked up from his computer. “Done?” James seemed excited with a little bounce in his step. “Yep!”
Kevin shook his head. “You have the monetization in place?” James nodded, “Yeah! I just found out today! Wanna know what I did?” Kevin laughed and realized that he DID want to know what James had thought up. The guy had been tinkering in the back barn for the last two weeks. All of them had been restricted from going out there and only now was the guy willing to open up. Random’s rules were pretty clear on the subject, though. “We’re not supposed to share our projects before we present them to Random.” James’ head fell a little. “Yeah, John took that one to heart, too.”
Kevin laughed to himself. John had seemed like a private and quiet guy before, but after Kevin and Bree had explained the rules of the projects to him, he immediately took to his room. This had made Kevin even MORE curious. “Maybe I shouldn’t have shared that rule with him.” James shook his head. “You didn’t. It was Bree that told us. I guess there was some jerk at the last place you guys worked who really burned her.” Kevin felt a little surge of rage pass through him. “Jeffery is like a wildfire. He burns everything in his path. He’ll get his someday.”
Kevin secretly glowed at the news from Valleywag. Jaiku had been bought out by the same company that had bought Zerbitz. Jaiku was hardly any different from Zerbitz. Why would they buy Jaiku? Kevin had talked to Random about it, but the only thing he would say is, “They buy companies for two reasons: eyeballs and engineers.” Kevin made the mistake of asking the obvious question, “Well, why did they buy Zerbitz?” Random had quieted at that thought and their lively conversation died. Just when Random seemed better, something like this could zap him back into a funk. Brilliant move, Kev, brilliant. Still the thought of Jeffery squirming under the scrutiny of the big wigs after the Jaiku buyout was pleasurable enough to keep Kevin warm on those cold days on the mountain.
“…gettin’ alotta packages in the mail?” James had been talking during Kevin’s warm reverie. “What?” James sat down at the kitchen table across from Kevin. “Haven’tcha noticed that John’s gettin’ alotta packages in the mail?” Kevin nodded. “Yeah. More importantly, he’s cleaning that ultrasonic cleaner every day now. I think his project must have something to do with all those little parts he was playing with.” James nodded. “I think they’re pens. The plastic parts look like pens.” Kevin sighed. “Well, it’s none of our business. We’re supposed to concentrate on our projects.”
James squinted his eyes and his scar quivered. “John never keeps a secret from me. We been brothers our whole lives.” Kevin laughed to himself. “Most brothers are.” James stood up, all hulking six feet of him towered over Kevin. “You know what I mean. I know he’s usin’ your computer for his project. Tell me what he’s doin’.” Kevin sighed. “He’s using my computer to order things on eBay. That’s all I know. He wanted to know how to set up an account, so I helped him. I guess that explains the packages. Now, you just leave him alone and concentrate on your own project. Do you have your visuals ready?”
“Visuals?” James’ large figure deflated a little. Kevin pulled up PowerPoint. “Yes, visuals, like these. This was my project from last year. See how I had all of these slides to explain what I was doing? You’ll need something visual so that Random will understand what you’re doing. I don’t know what you have in the back barn, but it sounds horrible. You’re going to have to have something to explain it in words that Random can understand. He’s a computer guy, not a farmer.” James looked lost. “I have to explain it in computer guy language or sumthin’?”
Kevin smiled to himself. “I guess. It’s probably best for you to go to the Office Depot in Emigration and get some of those big boards and make a few of them describing whatever the monstrosity in the back barn does.” James’ scar curled, “It’s not a monster! This thing is so cool and I’m gonna sell it Up North!” Kevin held up his hands. “I know, I know… You just…” He couldn’t think of what to say and then it struck him. “Did you ever have to do a science project?” James’ breathing cooled and he nodded. “Well, remember when you had to present your science project and you had to have a board on your table explaining it?” James nodded again and continued to listen. “Well, Random’s thing is a lot like that. I’m going to do mine on the computer with PowerPoint, but you can do it with a science project board from the store. Understand?” James nodded again and sat down. “I kinda thought I was done.” Kevin smiled, “You’re almost done. All you have to do is finish your visuals now.”
James sighed and Kevin returned to the problems on his laptop. It seemed that everyone had something completed except him.