CHAPTER 9: THE MODEL TRAIN TAKEDOWN
The air in Leonard and Sheldon's apartment was thick with the scent of plastic and the low, frustrated muttering of frustrated men. A sprawling mess of model railway parts covered the entire living room floor, from the coffee table to the edge of the dining room. Leonard stood in the middle of it all, his face a mask of passive-aggressive panic.
"So, just to be clear," he said, holding up a small piece of track. "This is going to take up... this much space? For how long? Are we going to be able to use the couch again? Will we be able to walk from the kitchen to the bathroom without stepping on a scale model of a caboose?"
"The space is irrelevant, Leonard," Sheldon said, a laser-focused look in his eyes. He was meticulously cleaning a tiny model train with a Q-tip. "This is not about the consumption of space. This is about the creation of a miniature universe, a world of perfect order and logical precision."
[SYSTEM: FUN FUND: NOTIFICATION. BALANCE: $1,300.52. RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY: TEAM-BASED COMPETITION WITH HIGH SOCIAL INTERACTION. RATIONALE: OPTIMIZING GROUP COHESION.]
"Don't worry about it, Leonard," Aron said, a quiet smirk on his face. He was sitting on the floor, surrounded by a mess of wiring and a soldering iron. "I'll make sure it's perfect. And it's all on me. I've got you covered."
"Aron, you can't be serious," Howard said, his eyes wide as he looked at the huge box of expensive parts Aron had bought. "This stuff costs a fortune!"
"It's the natural byproduct of a mind unburdened by archaic social rules," Aron said, deadpan. He winked at Raj, who just giggled.
I have no idea what that means, Aron thought to himself, but it sounded good. The System had a way with words, even if they were a little bizarre.
He leaned over the wiring, his fingers moving with an effortless grace. The System's "Nerd Cred Booster" was working overtime, providing him with a flow of information on model railways, from the different gauges of tracks to the complex wiring of the signals. He was a master of a hobby he'd never even considered before.
Sheldon, who had been watching him with a growing sense of annoyance, finally spoke up. "Aron. You have never, to my knowledge, expressed any interest in the field of miniature rail transportation. How do you know so much about the track alignment?"
Aron looked up at him, a calm expression on his face. "Observation, Sheldon. It's the first step in the scientific method."
"Don't be glib with me, Aron," Sheldon said, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "The alignment of the tracks is a complex, multi-dimensional problem that requires a deep understanding of physics and engineering. You cannot simply 'observe' it." He pulled out his own laptop. "I have a few questions for you. What is the optimal voltage for a HO scale train engine? What is the ideal angle for a 30-degree curve? What is the ideal height for a tunnel? Answer me, if you dare."
Aron just smiled. "The answers, Sheldon, are a matter of public record." He then rattled off the answers, flawlessly, without a second's hesitation. He even added a few notes on a subtle wiring problem that he had noticed.
Sheldon's face was a study in sputtering outrage. He was speechless.
"Dude," Raj said, looking at Aron with a new sense of awe. "You are like... the train god."
Leonard, on the other hand, was less impressed with Aron's skills and more worried about the state of his apartment. "Guys, this is getting a little out of hand. I can't even get to the kitchen. I'm going to have to do a high-wire act just to get a glass of milk."
Aron, still on the floor, just smiled. He pulled out his phone and opened the "Apartment Automation Suite." With a few quick taps, a section of the track near the kitchen began to retract, a low whirring sound filling the room. The track was a clever, retractable design that Aron had paid for with the Fun Fund.
Leonard's eyes went wide. "What did you just do?"
"Just a little home automation," Aron said, a smug look on his face. "I've optimized the space for maximum human-to-kitchen access."
Leonard stared at him, a look of genuine awe on his face. "You... you have a phone app that does that?"
"It's a work in progress," Aron said, a small, knowing wink.
The group was in a state of amused chaos, with Howard and Raj still playing with the trains and Leonard still worried about his living space. Sheldon, however, was in a corner, glaring at Aron with a new, intense suspicion. He was muttering to himself, his fingers flying across his laptop keyboard.
Aron knew what he was doing. He was trying to find out about him. He was trying to find out about his past, his hobbies, his life. But Aron was a clean slate.
Sheldon's laptop screen showed a blank page. The System had erased any trace of Aron's past, his hobbies, his life. Aron was a clean slate.
He watched Sheldon's frustrated face, a smug look on his own. He's trying to find the man in the machine. He doesn't know the man is me.
Aron looked at the model train set, a masterpiece of order and logic, and felt a strange sense of pride. He had created something beautiful and baffling, and he had done it with the help of his new, strange friend. He had a secret, a power, and a group of friends who were just as baffled as he was. The next time, he knew, Sheldon's obsession with a "third variable" would only intensify, pushing their friendship—and Aron's secret—to the brink.
Love [ The Big Bang Theory IT Guy ]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story!
Dive deeper into the world of [ The Big Bang Theory IT Guy ] with exclusive access to 35+ chapters on my Patreon, plus new fanfic every week! Your support starting at just $5/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [Grimm, Teen Wolf ,blacklist,Game Of Throne ,MCU and Arrowverse].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!