re: INITIATIVE [Detective Fiction]

[#05] Kazuro's The Initiative

THE CLUBROOM was silent for a short while.

They all started to think, although as Chris said, there was no pressure. It wasn't a life and death issue, no one's life was in danger - except for the fact that a lot of LeoTech workers might be fired off due to workforce reduction were the impact of the convention to drastically drag the company rock-bottom - but that's in the long run, and also assuming that the failure of the event would cause that much of an earthquake in a very stable established company.

"You can assign four nodes to A and six nodes to B." L answered, though for them to understand, he needed a little bit of explaining to do.

"After which, as Joshua previously suggested, we can then run a .bat file to reverse the states of all the nodes in core node string B."

Chris did not think twice and did not take any more time before speaking his mind out loud.

"I understand the solution, but I don't quite understand how it would work..." Chris commented, as if doubting L's answer. Of course, one would only end up doubting a proposal if it wasn't clearly understood.

"There are a lot of possible scenarios on this solution, but the result would be one and the same: the two core node strings are bound to have an equal number of inactive nodes." L replied, and clearly, much more explaining had to be done for them to understand his solution.

"One possible outcome would be this: the four nodes assigned to A might turn out to be all of the active nodes, while the six on core B might turn out to be the inactive nodes. After running the .bat file on core B, both strings would have zero inactive nodes, and thus equal." L started to explain, while the rest of them listened.

"Another outcome might happen: out of the four nodes assigned to core A, three of them might turn out to be the inactive nodes. This would mean that the other three inactive nodes occupy core B along with three active ones. After running the .bat file, core B would remain having three inactive nodes since the three actives are switched, and thus both strings would still be equal." L said. It would've been clear by now, but the clubroom was still silent, so L decided on stating yet another possible outcome.

"Okay, here's another possible outcome. On core A, one node might turn out to be inactive, and thus the remaining five inactive nodes must be in core B along with one active node. After running the .bat file on core B, the active node simply becomes the inactive, and both strings A and B would have exactly one inactive node each, despite having four and six nodes respectively."

"I see. I think I get it." Joshua replied. L sighed a breath of relief.

"This is remarkable," Chris whispered to himself.

"I might have to cancel my appointment with the consultant programmer, after all." He said.

And with that, he stood and bowed an expression of gratefulness, and started to walk towards the clubroom door.

"Impressive," Ardee commented.

"I might not be as impressive as him. He's currently the acting manager of their company, am I right? I don't think I'd be ever as impressive as that."

"Wow, how'd you know?"

"Just an intelligent guess. I knew from the acquaintance incident that he was an heir of a prestigious company. It didn't occur to me then, since I never got to be up close with him, but seeing his nature today made me conclude that he might be the acting manager of their company. His gait was overwhelming with discipline, and when someone was to be bound by the chains of strict principles, one can only be ultimately disciplined - or become an ultimate delinquent. Seeing Chris falling towards the former, I'd say his father would trust him enough to heighten the standards even more, and thus would lead to my conclusion."

"That sure sounded more complicated and well-thought than just an 'intelligent guess'," Joshua softly spoke.

"You know, Chris started handling LeoTech management since he was ten years old." Said Ardee.

"Hold up - ten years old? Seriously?" Joshua gasped in disbelief, while L only looked at her intently. He'd probably also figured that out, so it wouldn't have been a surprise for him.

"Yep. He's the only son, and his father couldn't afford losing the company to someone not related by blood."

She seemed to have known Chris for a long while, judging from how enthusiastic she was when she said anything about him.

The echoes of their discussion filled the whole clubroom, though quite frankly, it was lonely. Inside a classroom designed to accommodate around forty-five students, there was only the three of them.

During their silent moments, L subsides to reading a paperback, Joshua goes to continuing his programming projects, and Ardee...

Well, she had always been the mysterious type. Sometimes she'd stare into the clubroom windows, into the blue skies and the effusive noises that would radiate beneath them. Though Ardee basked in the ineffable noises the whole school made, it didn't exactly invoke schadenfreude. Part of the noise was probably caused by students hurrying off somewhere to do something because of some deadline around the corner - in other words, stressful students flooded the place, but Ardee here doesn't exactly take pleasure in their suffering.

Athletes on the track and field could be heard training by the activity period, shouting energetic chants to endure their activity. Baseball players too, caused resounding pitching and batting sounds that could still be heard from afar. Inside the school gymnasium, the squeaks of the shoes of students playing basketball are to be heard, among the frequent explosive noises of basketballs bouncing. For sure, these squeaks and bouncing sounds are only multiplied by students also playing volleyball inside the gym.

The «Glee» club could be heard practicing on the next two rooms. L once noticed a poster stating of a musical competition to be held in school, so it's only natural that these clubs would start practicing. The ceiling on top of them constantly vibrated, because the room directly above them was the «Classical music club», also presumably practicing for the incoming event.

When not indulging in the school atmosphere that surrounded them, Ardee would sometimes cross her arms on top of the table in front of them, and would rest her chin on top of it. Sometimes, she'd even stare blankly at L, or sometimes at Joshua.

After a while of silence, a knock was heard from the clubroom door.

"Come in," Joshua called.

The door opened, and a familiar face entered the clubroom.

Professor Yasuda Kazuro.

He was the moderator of the math club. L had talked to him weeks ago. They all have.

This professor was someone whom you'd mistake for a college student. He was thinly, having a levitating pair of spectacles on his nose, much like Joshua's. His jet-black eyes were hard to miss. His thin brown hair covered a small fraction of his forehead, and his gait was quite slouchy, like a sickly teenager. However frail he looked, he always had a smiling face, and he wasn't rude, too. He was obviously a math teacher, but his students weren't afraid of him, due to his meek character. Apparently, he'd only visit the club room when announcing something important. The first time he went into the club room was when he held an orientation for the three of them, how the Math club operated, rules and regulations, goals, and such.

What did he want that time?