7 Dreyfus Tech

There are thousands of Mechanics employed by Dreyfus Technologies & Manufacturing. Some work in the assembly division. Some specialize in different types of mechanics. Others are part of what are called Troubleshooting Teams. That's the category I fall into.

"Hey, Claude!" My voice reverberated inside the giant generator. The cavity I was in was just big enough to hunch down and cross my legs.

"Yeah?" His muffled reply came from the opposite side of the bay.

"Would you bring me the short-handled bolt cutters please?"

"Why can't you come get them?"

"Because I'm holding this panel in place, so it won't crush the fan under my elbow!"

The Troubleshooting Teams are made up of a Mechanic, an Engineer, an Electrician, and a Programmer. Our supervisors delegate project concepts to each team and we create the product.

Claude and I are three-quarters of an LSS Team, or Life Support Systems. Claude is an Engineer and an Electrician. He's also employed by both Dreyfus Tech and Campbell Health. Dreyfus handles the physical aspects of creating LSS products while Campbell Health holds the rights to the designs. Therefore, Claude is an Engineer for Campbell and an Electrician for Dreyfus. Trippy, I know.

I like to tease him about being an overachiever. He gets fidgety and usually gives me a dirty look.

We basically invent and build the machines that run the filtration and sanitation systems in apartment complexes, hospitals, and other buildings. Visors and Orises also fall into the LSS category but we specialize in larger projects, like generators.

"Alright, fine." His stool scraped against the concrete. "The bench is a mess! How am I supposed to find them?"

"If you didn't have to lay out your schematics all over the place, then I would have more room to organize!" I rolled my eyes. The panel slipped an inch. "Claude, hurry up!"

"Where are they?"

"They should be next to the acetylene torch," I grunted. The steel plate was heavy and only fastened by one remaining bolt in the bottom left corner. There was a fan placed just to the right of the panel and if I let it slip the fins of the fan would be crushed.

Claude's shoes tapped on the rungs of the ladder as he climbed up the side of the generator. "Here." He dangled the bolt cutters just above my head.

I pivoted to the side, shoving my shoulder against the panel. I grabbed the cutters and clipped the last bolt with a grunt. The panel slid to the floor. I handed the cutters back up to Claude.

"That one looks like a pain," he said.

"Ya think?" I grumbled, pulling the panel out. "Will you grab this if I heft it up to you?"

"Sure." He set the bolt cutters aside and extended his arms down into the generator. "Who says 'heft' anymore?"

"Apparently I do." I wiggled the steel plate into position beneath the opening. "Ready? It's pretty heavy."

"I think I can handle it." Claude wiggled his fingers at me. "I do work out, you know."

"Yes, I am well aware."

I shifted into a cramped crouch, took a quick breath, and lifted the panel just high enough for Claude to grab its sides. He pulled and I pushed from the bottom until we could plop it down on the generator's roof.

"Holy moly! If you're going to keep asking me to do these kinds of things, you better start tipping me. This stuff is not in my job description."

"Haha, very funny." I blew a rebellious strand of hair out of my eyes and folded my arms on top of the generator. "You wouldn't have to help me with these things if you found ways to adjust mechanical issues without pulling apart the heaviest, most awkward sections of the machines."

"I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. I analyze the problem and deduce a solution based on the long-term efficiency of the machine."

"Yeah, but you could design it to be more practical when it comes to maintenance."

"Everything we are tasked to design, and build, are supposed to be maintenance-free once complete, so that's irrelevant."

"You could still make it easier on me in the meantime."

Claude shook his head. "Cal, we've had this argument how many times?"

I huffed. "A few. I'm sorry, Claude." I stared at my grease-smudged arms and filthy fingernails. "I know your designs are more user-friendly than any other Engineer."

"What's wrong? You've been off all day, stomping around the bay and slamming things louder than usual." He yanked the handkerchief out of the chest pocket of my coveralls and scrubbed at a spot on my cheek.

"This weekend was a nightmare."

His hand stalled. "What happened?"

"Mel and I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time." I took the handkerchief from between his fingers and stuffed it back in my pocket. "I wanted to ask you about someone."

He stood up straight and shifted his feet on the ladder. "Who?"

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. "Do you know anything about a Naked Face named Leon?"

Claude looked like I had slapped him. "Dark blond hair, black slacks, and a leather jacket over a white dress shirt?"

"That is oddly specific…"

"You really should keep up on current events more, Calyx."

"Whenever I look at the news all they talk about in what great things the Immune are doing, like the rest of us don't count. We're the ones actually creating progress, but they take and the credit."

"I know it's frustrating, but that's beside the point." He pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "If you just looked at the news feeds once a week then you would know who Leon is."

"Please just tell me!"

"Alright." Claude started to back down the ladder. "It sounds like you had the pleasure of meeting Leon Ambross."

My mouth went dry. "Like Ambross Construction, Ambross?"

"Yep." His feet hit the floor and brushed his hands together.

I hoisted myself up out of the generator. "Are you sure?" I said, sliding down the ladder rails.

"That's the only Leon I know who is an Immune." Claude wandered back to his workspace and started rolling up schematics. "So, what happened to you and Melody?"

I leaned against the cold aluminum rungs of the ladder and bit my lip.

"Well?"

"I don't know if I should tell you."

"If you're worried about involving me in a risky situation, don't be." He carefully stacked the rolls in his bag. "I already know the encounter happened, which is just as dangerous as knowing the details."

I watched him for a few moments. His hair fell around the sides of his face as he bent to adjust the contents of his bag. His movements were smooth and deliberate. Claude was precise and efficient. He was a strong man, but that didn't mean he couldn't get hurt. He would prefer to know why if it came to that though.

"We walked up on Leon and his cronies trying to get something from a man named Howard," I said. "I guess Mel and I distracted them enough that Howard got away. Now Leon wants something from me."

Claude zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He leaned against the work bench. "What about Melody?"

I shook my head. "They slapped a tracker on her and said I would never see her again if I don't cooperate."

"She's okay though?"

"Yeah, she went to work like normal today."

"Good. Are you holding up alright?" Claude squinted at me.

I scraped the toe of my boot through some oil on the ground. "I'm frustrated…and worried. I'm nervous about what the Naked Faces will ask me to do. What if I can't keep Melody safe? She's the only family I have left."

I heard his huffed exhale from across the room. His footsteps tapped on the concrete. I looked up as he stopped in front of me. He dropped a large, elegant hand on my shoulder.

"I'm here too, Cal," he said. "I'm only a phone call away."

My jaw went slack. I stared up into his warm, dark eyes as a response died on my tongue. "Thank you. That means a lot," I said, my voice rough and squeaky.

The corners of his eyes crinkled. "Anytime. Now, can I give you a ride home?"

"Huh?"

"It's almost six o'clock." Claude jerked his chin at the open bay door. The gray hues of twilight had shifted the deepening shadows around the buildings to a dark purple. "Even though we're on a damn good salary I would rather not work twelve hours on a Monday."

"Lugnuts! I'm so sorry. I totally lost track of time. Give me just a minute to organize for tomorrow."

"No problem. Need any help?"

I ran around the bay, spinning in circles, consolidating paperwork into piles and shifting tools into their proper places. "That's okay. You know how particular I am about where things go," I called over a shoulder.

He shrugged and wandered outside.

The mess I had created throughout the day gradually came back to some semblance of sanity. My usual tornado of activity never did function quite as well in reverse. Five minutes later I shrugged on my backpack and trotted to the door. The lights faded out with a snap of my fingers and the sectional bay door started to slide down just as I stepped into the open air. Claude leaned against the building, his hand on the scanner.

"Are you trying to crush me or something?" I said as the door hit the ground with a thud.

His eyes glinted. "Of course not. You know I couldn't stomach being paired up with any other Mechanic."

"Sure." I jerked my head to the left, in the direction of the closest parking lot. Parking areas were spaced around the compound, approximately one for every ten buildings which translates to about six acres. "Let's go."

"After you, milady." Claude bent at the waist, one hand crossed over his chest and the other sweeping outward.

I made a snorting sound and shifted my backpack. "I don't think there's much ladylike about me."

"I would disagree."

My heart leapt into my throat. Claude fell into step beside me, his eyes trained on mine.

"Are you going to see Ollie?" I said quickly, warmth flooding my cheeks. I stared at the line of parked cars up ahead.

"Not tonight. I'll go see him tomorrow after we test the changes to the generator."

Ollie was our Programmer. Claude designs the projects, I build them, then assist Claude with running all the electrical, send Ollie the specs, test everything, then rinse and repeat until the project is complete and runs without a hiccup. If the projects were purely mechanical, I could complete them on my own, but all the smart sensors and computer inserts make it impossible. That's Ollie's job. He tells the computers and sensors how to run the machines.

"Hey, do you want to go for a walk somewhere? It's a nice evening," Claude said. He looked up at the white wisps of clouds drifting across the sky.

I chewed on my lip. The conversation with Melody from that morning popped into my head. "He's only dreamy because he's the only man who understands you as well as I do," she had said. Whenever Claude walked into the room my stomach did a goofy little twitch, but was that just because we understood each other? Was it just because I felt comfortable with him? I wasn't sure if I wanted him to be anything more than a friend, and I doubted he wanted that either.

"Raincheck?" I gave him an apologetic look, my heart hammering.

His head bobbed up and down in a short, quick nod. "Sure. Just let me know."

"Maybe we can go running on a weekend or something," I offered. "You've always wanted me to go with you."

"That would be great!" His eyes lit up. "There's a great trail near Old Town that I think you would love and…"

Claude talked about jogging trails the entire ride home. We both grinned like idiots the whole way. He loved the outdoors and adventures. I loved listening to the carefree way he talked to me. By the time I stepped out of his car in front of Lena's I wished I had agreed to the walk.