This is where I dump my brain. Notes, ideas, art.
Deleted. Flashback to Maze opening her locker, and finding a tablet saying, “Meet me in the school courtyard, when the sun has set.” There was a JCJenson seal on it. Maze: Interesting. Could it be Icarus? Why…? Maze looks at the tablet again, and stuffs it in her backpack. Maze: I guess I’ll go. Flash forward a few hours, where Maze is walking into the courtyard, holding a flashlight. Her flashlight lands on Zan’s back. Zan turns around shielding himself from the light. Maze lowers her light. Maze: Sorry about that. Zan: It's fine. Punctual a little, aren’t you? Maze: Sorry. Are you the one who gave me this? Maze pulls out the tablet, showing it to Zan. Zan: Indeed. Maze: So… what do you want? Zan: To be precise, help. I want help from you. Or, someone wants you to help me. Maze: Help you with what? Zan: Official JCJenson in spaaace business. I want you to help me build a super terraforming system. Maze: I am sorry, come again? Me, a young teen, help you, probably the same age drone as I, build a super terraforming system? Zan: It’s not impossible. I know something about you that is quite helpful to the operation. approaches Maze You have something called the absolute solver, am I correct? Maze: gasps What? Zan: I hear it’s pretty powerful, and can manipulate some code. Maze: It is powerful, and you’d wish I’d have it! Denial Even so, how would you know about it? Zan: Extensive testing in my free time. said completely with a straight face Maze: What? You are kidding, are you? Zan: Fully the truth. I don’t lie for any foolish reason. Maze: Say that I do have the absolute solver. What use would I be? Zan: The project that I am working on needs some extraordinary, impossible coding acrobatics. I can do some of it, but there are limits. You can help me push through those limits. The code will be distributed into four microchips, then the program of each will be broadcasted to other participants. These participants will be out on the field, terraforming the planet. Maze: If I say no? Zan: The planet will remain the rock that it is for who knows how long. Maze: And what if I say yes? Zan: Then we will have a lively planet where humans and drones live in unison. Present Maze: I ended up agreeing with Zan. I quit school, and spent most of my time at Zan’s place. There was a lot of trial and error. Zan often chased me out of his home because he valued his alone time. Sometimes we got mad at each other for some reason. But we became friends, slowly. Maze: Hey, you want anything? I am a little hungry, so I am getting some food. Zan: Not right now. I need to finish making the string of code. Maze frowns, blowing upwards on her little squiggle of hair in the middle of her forehead. Maze: new idea Better idea. You and I are going outside for a flight. Zan: No. Maze: Come on. Time to see some natural light. Zan: No. Besides, we have a perfectly good view of the sky right up there. Zan points at the windows above the big screen viewing the dusty weather. Maze: Alright. Be the mule you are. I am going to enjoy the outdoors. Maze opens the door and steps out into the halls, making her way through the halls and exiting the building. Letting go of the door, she walked forward. She waited for the door to click behind her, but she didn’t hear it. She turns around to check the door, only to find Zan closing the door behind him. Zan: Just for a few minutes. Present Maze: We found compatible drones for each assignment as we finished up making the program. Then, after three long years, we finally got the programming part down. Fully out of the flashback. Maze gives Daze a serious but not unkind look.
