Mondays, the bane of work life .The weekend passed and another greuling work week begins, the rules of survival have changed over the years. First it was about hunting and gathering, moving to wars, revolutions , fights for independence, poetry, art, literature, philosophy, astronomy … while our protagonist on another lovely sunny day in Central City was stuck in his chair, going through another set of glorified tutorials.
"Harold, when does this get fun?" Adrian asked slightly slouching in his chair.
"Aww, already bored, where did that fiery ambition of a budding intern disappear? ". Harold snarked.
"I prefer to do rather than just read. Practical over theory. So When do I get to actually do stuff? " Adrian leaning back and facing Harold.
"Everything you are being told to do is part of the process. We aren't exploding atoms or rediscovering the wheel everyday, like life there are ups, downs and lulls in work as well. You learn , take it slow, analyze , read so one day you can make without having to look at another manual. Wax on wax off ". Harold may have just dropped the best piece of adult advice but all Adrian could think about was>>
"Huh, didn't peg you to be the kinda guy who watched Karate Kid".
"Don't peg me at all".
"What"?
"What?".
Another few minutes of vigorous Computer scrolling , Adrian unsurprisingly gets up .
"I'm going for a walk".
"You have total of 20 minutes of allowed break time, ill start the clock as you leave the door". Harold monotonously threatened.
"I'm going to the bathroom then ". Adrian taunted back.
"Also counted in the 20 minutes , plus a 5 minute wiggle room".
"Fine, I'll just ask my other supervisor if he has some actual work for me".
"Go ahead bucko."
One minute of trying the telecom later Adrian returned .
"Rathaway didn't pick up huh. Must be busy with the particle injector sequence".
Just then Adrian's eyes shot wide, he remembered he had something. He opens his drawer and finds the notes Hartley left him last week.
" I have the schematics and plans for the injector . Harold, write me up a permit to use any and all lab tools." Adrian finally having some energy back in him.
"Sure but what exactly are you going to do with them? " Harold sees his question answered as Adrian holds up a glass tube gadget . "Where did yo.. You know what nevemind, go break a leg junior". Harold lets his little birdy fly. The smile on Adrian's face hasn't been brighter, even more so than when Mrs. Powel came to see him. Harold reminiscing like the SENIOR engineer he was how just a few days ago Mrs Powel came to visit him , the steel-hearted Manager looked like a deer in front of headlights standing by the door looking around nervously. She could just walk in like she was the boss, which she kind of is but instead she drew 3 deep breaths before making up her mind and stepped forward, only to immediately trip and fall on the entrance tiles which is bumpy cause of a heavy machinery prank where everyone tried lifting the heaviest tool while someone not knowing their strength picked the biggest centrifuge and dropped it immediately, luckily she didn't injured herself but the tile was permanently crooked. To be fair only Mrs.Powel has tripped on it since months because she doesn't visit here often unless she has a reason to—
"Ouch" a little thud and a gentle squel. The voice came from the door and lo n behold it was the fallen queen. Her retainers rushed to her head while the minister of Fabrication stood there eyeing the queen's consort hoping he would tend to her needs wothhis naïve charm or whatever she sees in him, alas the lad was too mingled by the machanations of his own wonders to even look at his shining star. The minister had to walk up and gladden the queen for she not to have him banised to the dungeons of Slashed overtime pay.
" Mrs. Powell, fancy seeing you here , again. What can I help you with? ". Harold talks rubbing his hands .
"Harold didn't I specifically asked the entrance to be fixed Last time I was here." Mrs. Powell scowled at him.
" Yes you did, I definitely have contacted the contractor, they must be busy hence the delay". Harold smiled awkwardly.
" How come none of you see this is a workplace hazard and not be bothered by it."
" Well ma'am we are engineers and only new visitors have tripped on it."
" What about Adrian then, how many times has he tripped".?
" Zero . He skips and jumps everyday he comes to work." Both Harold and Rosalind stared at each other in silence for a second thinking the same thing. That kid is preciously enthusiastic. Weird how they are standing there looking at him like he's their kid or something, so they stop and decide to leave him alone at the moment to do what he likes doing.
A few hours pass and its lunchtime, Harold walks up to Adrian but he is not budging, his hunger could not stop his hands all while Adrian barely looked up from his desk. Harold knew Adrian wasn't rude just oblivious and passionate, sohe left and promised to bring him a sandwich. The minutes passed with Adrian walking around the equipment , adjusting voltages and signals, all for just one particle to move. This truly summerises engineering , you rack your brains over n over , with tonnes of equipment , calculations and hours of work for the smallest of changes, but it's the cumulative efforts of multiple individuals make a different small change that comes together to make abig change which could revolutionize the world.
Suddenly a clack of heels echoes through the lab but Adrian was still oblivious until he felt a tap on his shoulders and he screamed like a little girl.
"sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." It was a gentle smooth sultry voice with a hint of warmth, Mrs Powell –
"Rosalind, damn. I wasn't startled you just caught me off guard. Here grab a seat". Adrian said finally looking up. Rosalind still slouching her meek curvy figure , just stands over him.
"I presumed you would be here since I didn't see you in the cafeteria, so I bought you some , they are serving pasta today". Rosalind brings out the plate of pasta she carried all the way to his lab.
"Thank you but I will eat later, I have to figure this out first".
"You can do it later though".
"Im an intern here, I have limited time to perform and prove myself".
aDrian couldn't stop as he appeared to be at the cusp of a breakthrough but Rosalind seemed worried, especially as she knows how workers starve themselves when they are too lost in work. Being his boss she could easily command him to stop and eat so she choses the most logical option and --
"I could feed you, so you can continue working and still maintain calories". Rosalind smiled and raised a spoonful to Adrian's face. Adrian too lost in his work not noticing the importance of this moment, while Rosalind also surprisingly calm feeding him in the intervals he paused and turned his head with a smile.
"Okay, this should work, Rosalind stand behind that desk and take these goggles" Adrian ready for the final test for the particle injector, unlike Hartley he didn't have multiple tubes so he only had one shot at this, one opportunity, could he capture it or let it –
POP, sizzleee….. as fumes came out of the tube , Adrian dropped into his chair.
"Did it work?" Asked the clueless beauty.
"OF COURSE IT DIDN't,… sorry but can you leave". Adrian's frustration was not taken as discourtoues by the kind Rosalind. She turned to leave but stopped. In her heart she knew if she left him as is she would regret it. So she hugged him from the back her gently patting his head.
"If stuff always worked the first time," she finished with a knowing smile, "then success wouldn't taste nearly as sweet."
Adrian looked up, his tear-filled eyes blinking in confusion. "Taste sweet?"
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, tapping his nose gently. "It's like your birthday cake. It's special because you only get it once a year. If you had it every day, it would just be... bread. The struggle, the trying again, the little bit of pouting"—she gave him a playful squeeze—"that's what makes the moment it finally works feel like a party. You haven't failed, sweetie. You're just making the party at the end feel even better."
He wiped his nose on his sleeve, a fresh wave of determination beginning to push aside the frustration. He looked from his mother's warm face back to the jumble of parts on the floor. It didn't seem so impossible anymore.
"So, it's like… this is the not-yummy part," he said, pointing to the mess, "so that the yummy part feels… yummier?"
Rosalind's smile widened. "Exactly. And you know," she said, conspiratorially leaning in closer, "I think all this hard work of almost-building deserves a little taste of sweetness right now, don't you? What do you say we go practice tasting success? I'm thinking two scoops of mint chocolate chip."
Adrian's eyes lit up, the last of his tantrum tears vanishing completely. "And sprinkles?"
"And sprinkles," she confirmed, standing up and holding out her hand. He took it without hesitation, leaving the fallen mess on the floor for another day. It would be waiting for him, but for now, there was a sweeter party to attend.