THE GREAT WHITE RED ALERT

Tyler was waiting. And worrying. And thinking. The waiting was the hardest part. Alena had never been in so much trouble. Dangerous dives, sure. But they’d always been together. They were a team. Each one was there to help the other. Tough tests at school. Yeah. But they were great study partners. He drilled her on what she didn’t know and vice-versa. Well, maybe she helped him a little more than he helped her. But, the thing was, they were in it together.

Until now.

Would the pirates communicate? Would they bargain? What was Alena going through? When would he see her again?

His questions were interrupted by the sound of the computer beeping. It began downloading the files he had requested from the Foundation.

The waiting was over. Now the work began.

Tyler opened a file and found himself looking at 3-D drawings of a Zubr hovercraft. He could rotate, pan, and scale the drawings, checking out the inner workings of the ship in perfect detail from any angle. Along with the 3-D drawings were plans of the ship’s mechanical and electrical systems.

He studied the files and plans for hours, making lots of notes. He talked out the complex ideas with Brutus — a habit he had when he was trying to solve hard problems. And this was one of the hardest he’d ever tried to solve: it might mean Alena’s life.

He forgot the time. He forgot his dinner. He even forgot the dog’s dinner. Brutus forgave him. He seemed to know how important this was.

Finally, after he’d done all he could, Tyler closed the files. He smiled for the first time in hours. “Come on Brutus. Here’s how we’re going to do this…” He headed for the A.I. lab, grabbing the TV remote control on his way.

Brutus perked up his ears and wagged his tail as Tyler explained the plan.