Chapter 12: The Armored Chariot and the Medford Expedition
Location: The Cooper Garage / Medford Streets
Date: November 15th, 1980
Status: Mobility Expansion
As the triplets approached the ten-month mark, the limitations of infant biology became a bottleneck for my operations. I could control the house from the attic, but Medford was a data-rich environment I couldn't yet reach. I needed a way to move through the world without being a "blob in a blanket."
I chose the Adventure Path. While Sheldon was content with his wooden trains and Missy was perfecting her "dada" for extra cookies, I began the construction of the [Mark I Super-Stroller].
The Sign-In: The Grease Monkey's Sanctuary
George Sr. was busy celebrating his mid-season winning streak at the local pub, and Mary was at a church bake sale. Georgie was "babysitting," which actually meant he was in the living room trying to get the TV antenna to pick up a grainy sports broadcast.
I crawled into the garage.
[DAILY SIGN-IN PROTOCOL: AVAILABLE]
[LOCATION: THE COOPER GARAGE — WORKBENCH]
[ACTION: SIGN IN?]
Sign in.
[SIGN-IN SUCCESSFUL!]
[REWARD: +10 TO KINETIC ENGINEERING]
[REWARD: NEW TRAIT: 'STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY' (Everything you build is 3x more durable)]
[REWARD: SKILL: 'SILENT PROPULSION' (Ability to move machinery without noise)]
[REWARD: COMPONENT: 'NASA-GRADE CERAMIC BEARINGS' (Zero friction)]
The [Kinetic Engineering] boost allowed me to see the "bones" of the old triple-wide stroller. It was a heavy, steel-framed monstrosity with the aerodynamics of a brick. I pulled several components from my [Miniature Fabricator] in the attic—parts I had printed over the last three nights.
Using [Mechanical Aptitude], I swapped the squeaky rubber wheels for the [Ceramic Bearings]. I installed a hidden lithium-ion battery pack (a 2026 design) into the hollowed-out frame and connected it to two brushless DC motors I had "borrowed" from George's broken power drills and optimized.
The Midnight Maiden Voyage
"S-S-Speed?" Sheldon whispered as I dragged him and a sleeping Missy into the garage. He looked at the stroller, which now featured a low-profile carbon-fiber undercarriage and a silent, motorized drive system.
"Not just speed, Sheldon. Autonomy."
I activated the [Silent Propulsion]. The stroller didn't just roll; it glided. We slipped out of the side door and onto the quiet, moonlit sidewalk of Medford.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: VIBE DETECTION — WIDE SCAN]
[OBJECTIVE: LOCATE KEY STRATEGIC NODES]
We moved at a brisk 8 mph, virtually silent. We passed the Mayor's house, the hardware store, and the Medford Bank. The System began to overlay the town with a Financial Grid. I saw the neglected infrastructure, the high-interest debt patterns of the local businesses, and the untapped real estate value.
The Discovery: The Silicon Seed
We stopped in front of a small, nondescript electronics repair shop: Miller's Radio & TV. My System pinged a [Legendary Resource] alert.
[NOTIFICATION: RARE TALENT DETECTED]
[TARGET: ARTHUR MILLER (Proprietor)]
[REASON: Miller is currently prototyping a primitive 'Packet Switching' device in his back room.]
In this timeline, Arthur Miller was a genius who would die in obscurity. In my timeline, he was the missing link for my early-access internet.
"Sheldon," I whispered, looking at the shop. "See that man inside? He's trying to make machines talk to each other. We're going to help him. But first, we need to secure his lease."
Sheldon stared at the flickering neon sign. "M-M-Machines talk? Logical."
[QUEST STARTED: THE SILICON SEED]
[REWARD: UNLOCKS 'RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT' WING]
[BONUS: 100% INCREASE IN TECH PROGRESSION SPEED]
The Return and the Close Call
As we glided back into the garage, Georgie was just turning off the TV. He walked toward the nursery, yawning. I pushed the stroller into its spot, deactivated the drive, and we crawled back into our cribs with three seconds to spare.
Georgie poked his head in. "Still asleep. Boring."
I closed my eyes, but the System was buzzing. The [Toddler CEO] fund had just hit a milestone.
[ETHAN COOPER - STATUS REPORT]
Intelligence: 22 (Pre-College Level)
Kinetic Engineering: 15
Wealth: $42,000.00
Inventory: The Mark I Super-Stroller (Upgraded)