Theodore & The 7 Layers of Space, Book 1: Brick & Bird

CHAPTER 28: Power

There are many forms of energy to be found throughout the 7 Layers of Space. Sunlight, nuclear power, hydro-pumps, plorpgazone, gasoline, governments, yarnitol – the list goes on.

But none, not even the raw energy of a Power Pattern, can compare to the universally coveted Grid Bit.

Put simply, a Grid Bit is the waste left behind by the Ubiquitous Moby. This waste is rare because, if left to its own natural cycles, it reincorporates itself back into The Grid in an endlessly renewable natural process.

But conventionally sentient creatures, in all of their boundless wisdom, have found several ways to destabilize the natural order of things in order to seek more and more power.

And Grid Bits are raw power.

***

In that moment, surrounded by vicious spiders and trapped on a train, Theodore and his friends could really use a Grid Bit.

The frequency and force of the THUDS and hisses created by the assaulting force of hungry and/or angry spiders rose and fell like the ocean to the shore. But with more THUDs. One THUD tilted them at an angle, which got the lights to return to a disturbing flicker.

"We need to get this train moving!" Isobel yelled, nearly tipping over.

"Once again, a Grid Bit is required to start the engine..." The Buddy Bot repeated, still studying the spiders carefully.

"Are we sure there are no Grid Bits around here?" Theodore panicked as he played at the control panel, looking under and around it frantically for something he wouldn't have recognized, anyhow. A series of little lights flicked on at his touch.

"Hey, look at that! Kid's got some captain's blood in him! My turn!" Terrycloth Green lunged at the control panel and knocked Theodore aside, and it immediately went dark again.

"Enough, you two!" Isobel yelled and rolled past the engine and over to the control panel. She grabbed Terrycloth by the scruff and Theodore by the arm, and pulled them back towards the engine, "Focus! Help me out here! There's gotta be some other way to get this thing going!"

"Right. Sorry." Theodore looked back at the control panel, puzzled and overwhelmed.

"Buddy Bot, what've you got?" Isobel barked.

"This acts as an engine. And a heart."

"We get that part. Anything useful?"

"The train is operating at a low level, or we wouldn't have these flickering lights." He paused, studying the engine. "I'm afraid it will take the raw energy of a Grid Bit to ignite the core. Or come equivalent power source, though I know of none that exist."

"Well we're dead, then, cuz if anyone had any Grid Bits, I'd have already stolen them," Terrycloth Green volunteered.

"Dang it there must be another way!" Isobel screamed.

"Iz, calm down, we'll figure this out," Theodore instinctively tuned his own energy down when he saw that Isobel was so agitated. He turned to The Buddy Bot, "Is there any way we can, I don't know, amplify the Power Pattern energy? Some kind of...magic...amplifier?"

"Your theory is not without merit, young Theodore, excellent use of lateral thinking. Power Patterns do share some of the same source and potential energy. However: The Power Pattern is not a source of energy unto itself."

"Ok, well, is there something to that, then?"

"Not without access to The Ubiquitous Moby, no. In theory they are ever-present across Layers... but we would need to... be closer. Aboveground, there are methods for attracting them under proper conditions. But here..." he trailed off, leaving it. "It is a good idea, but I cannot compute a methodology. Though I must say, Theodore, your logic is impressive."