#110: Melvin: No one can multitask

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“Looks like we have our work cut out for us TigerMom.” Melvin said, surveying his charges.



“I don’t see a problem” the voice of the TigerMom’s Dragon Avatar spoke to him. “You’ve taken on bigger challenges.”

This was unusual in the extreme. Normally the TigerMom did not say anything. When she did it was only one word or two. It had something to do with that scar.

“If you mean that guy with the knife” Melvin said. “I only did what anyone would do.”

“And yet it was you and not anyone.” The Avatar said “and you know better. Most men would have avoided the responsibility, peed themselves and run away probably.”

“If you mean that old saw about “save a Chinese and be responsible for him for the rest of his life” well I know better. You’re Japanese” Melvin grinned. This was getting too serious. He had to lighten it up some.

“You know exactly what I mean.” The dragon uncoiled and stretched. “Enough of that. What will be will be. What is written in the stars will unfold in life, or it won’t.”

Melvin stared, then said “Who are you and what have you done with TigerMom? She’s never said that many words in a row even BEFORE she got her throat slit.”

“Yes.” the Dragon agreed. “That body is damaged. It’s in constant pain. I much prefer this one. I’ll be spending much of my time here from now on.”

Melvin sat and thought about that, Damn! he wished that he had a cigar. This was a two cigar problem if he’d ever seen one.

“I didn’t know that.” He said “Pain huh? So the doctor’s didn’t do a good job?”

“What doctors” the dragon practically spit fire. “you mean those butchers? No they did an abysmal job. They were almost as bad as the one you killed. I’m lucky to be alive.”

“ It was an accident.” Melvin said.”He tripped”

“And broke his neck, his skull, four ribs, both arms and poked his eyes out?” The dragon purred. “good touch that last part.”

“So he fell a buncha times” Melvin shrugged. “It was a slippery shower room.”

“Yes it was” The Dragon said “I thought you were going to split his chest and eat his heart for a minute, before the swat team tossed in the flash bangs and puke gas.”

“I’m sure it was your imagination.” Shelby said “so how come this Avatar is doing all the talking.”

“I’d think it would be obvious “ the DragonAvatar said “It hurts when I speak in that body. In this one I have a newfound sense of freedom.”

Melvin had about as much poetry in his soul as a potato. “What are we going to do here? What are our options. Tell me about that Avatar thing.”

“You have one of your own.” The TigerMom told him.”

“Oh yeah.” Melvin said “I do don’t I? Well let’s see here.”

For the next several hours Melvin, his kids, and TigerMom practiced with the Avatars. They practiced with the other forms of SSmoke also, most especially the OmniSuits.

“I won’t laugh when someone jokes about being so uncoordinated that they can’t chew gum and walk at the same time” Melvin said to TigerMom.

“Yessss” She agreed. “Controlling two bodies at one time is very challenging. I’m beginning to wonder about marching troops.”

“What?” Melvin said. That had come out of left field.

“Nothing.” She said “just something that I’ve been thinking about.”

“It’s easy to see why there have been so MANY car wrecks from texting and fiddling with Cell Phones” Melvin continued. He wasn’t used to having her answer back. This would take some getting used to. “Doing two things at the same time is hard.”

“It’s more than hard.” TigerMom said “It’s impossible. You can only pay attention to one thing at a time. When people say that they are ‘multi-tasking’ what they are really doing is paying attention to one thing for a short time, then skipping to another, then another, then another, then back to the first, etc. Everything is done poorly. Nothing is done well.”

“That may be the case” Melvin said “then maybe not. You CAN use your arms and legs at the same time. For that matter you can do two separate things with each hand.”

TigerMom was not convinced.

“It’s a good thing we’re in the water.” Melvin said “ or half the kids would have fallen down just trying to walk and control their Avatar at the same time. Me too probably. I wonder if we can train our selves to move like a school of fish?”

TigerMom thought about that. “ Yes...we can.”

“I have an idea. You and the other kids swim your bodies over here.” She said.”We’re going back to school.”

The protest was immediate when she told the kids. “No silly. Not that kind of school. Melvin mentioned schools of fish and that gave me an idea. Now this is what I want you to do.”

After a few minutes of fiddling around a strange thing floated beside them. All the children had been yoked together by bonds of SSmoke into formation. The omni-suits managed their air so being on the surface or not didn’t matter.

OK.” Melvin said. He knew what she was doing “ The idea is that the lead man runs things. He pays attention. Everyone else is free to operate their drones. He’s the bus driver. Everyone else can text. Let’s try it.”

They did poorly but everyone saw the potential. TigerMom’s earlier remark about marching troops appeared more relevant.

“Ok kiddies” Melvin said “ I think we have something here.”

“I’m hungry” he heard several voices from the group. Perhaps they’d not meant to speak out loud so he could hear them.

“AHA! “ Melvin said “Hungry! Me too. That sweet stuff in the suit only goes so far and I think it’s about gone anyway. We need food. So here’s what we do.”

He began giving directions. Individual avatars swam off in all directions. These children might have been thuglets but they were smart. They learned fast when it suited them. They became expert at drone tele-operation in short order.

“I see a grocery store” one of them said “I”m checking it out”.

“The water is cold” Melvin told them.

“Well Duh” he heard more than half of them mutter.

“What I mean is that the cold water will have prevented the food from spoiling. Especially if it’s sealed up good and and water tight. Look for anything in containers. A canned ham would be perfect. Or sardines. Anything watertight. Any kind of canned or sealed food.”

TigerMom said “Have your avatars eat anything you see made from plastic. Better yet. If you see food that is ruined. Like a box of cereal that’s soaked. Have your Avatar eat it too.”

“What?”,”Ewwww.”, “Yucky”. the expected Chorus of indignation erupted.

“Do as she says” Melvin used his ‘I mean it’ voice.’ “We’ll explain it later.”

“You will explain it won’t you?” He asked her. The kids probably didn’t hear that. Probably. “I don’t understand either.”

“Silly” she said “ Didn’t you pay attention to your mentor? Didn't’ he tell you how the Avatar’s worked?

“You mean Carl? Naw. Me and Carl mostly talked about girls” Melvin said. Of course he was teasing. He knew exactly what TigerMom was referring to. The Avatars had small molecular furnaces and SSmoke Forges built into them. They had all been configured on the Avian phenotype as well. That is they laid eggs. SmokeEggs if they ‘ate’ enough carbon.’

“Hurry up!” Melvin ‘shouted’ to the group of children who’s bodies were floating beside him, but who’s minds were somewhere distant operating Structural Smoke Avatars. “I’m hungry. Someone find me some Bar-B-Que”

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The Next Episode Is
# 111: Melvin - A Man's got to do..what a man's got to do.…
The Previous Episode was
#109: Daniel Freemartin -What to do…
The First Episode was
# 1 : Prologue…
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Book One: SoulStone
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