Dynamic Duo: Gauge & Polly

Chapter 12: Cataclysm

Polly and Gauge flew home after that; they entered their shared attic immediately. Where Gauge once again turned to the file at his desk. "Ugh! Tomorrow can't come fast enough! I'm so ready to see Mom again; I want to show her all my stuff!" Gauge shouted. He jumped on his computer, tapping away at the keyboard. It was an older model, not at all holographic or shiny like the newer models, but that was on purpose. Gauge appreciated what he would refer to as 'retro,' Polly thought it was junk; it couldn't get the latest updates or the latest applications, nor could it connect to Omeocoon's central computer known as The Cosmosis: It was the central database of information, and it interconnected the web of Omeocoon tech. Polly would have to access it on a PDA, and if he wanted a bigger screen, too bad. That laptop was also slow, and the screen had a low resolution. When the mouse went the way of dinosaurs in favor of eye tracking, Polly could barely navigate the user interface without spending 40 minutes to remember how the thing operated before he got to what he was planning to do.

Polly sighed, watching Gauge enthusiastically navigate his outdated computer. "Gauge, I still don't get why you insist on using this ancient relic. It's like you're intentionally making your life difficult." Gauge grinned, not looking up from his screen. "Polly, there's a certain charm to the classics. Plus, this thing has character. It's reliable, and I don't need the latest fancy tech to get things done. Sometimes, simplicity is key."

Polly shook his head in disbelief. "You call this charm? I call it a technological fossil. And reliability? I doubt that. I've seen it freeze up more times than I can count."

"Just because you're all about the high-tech gadgets doesn't mean everyone has to be," Gauge retorted, still focused on his work. Polly pulled out his PDA( not quite the latest model but still superior to that laptop Gauge used) and quickly browsed The Cosmosis. He plopped himself onto Gauge's bunk because it was easier than climbing into his own and held his device up and away at arm's length as he surfed the database for the latest updates. "Well, I'd rather not live in the past. Speaking of which, what are you even doing on that thing?"

Gauge finally looked up, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm trying to find some of my old blueprints and designs. If we're going to be interns at Insight Foundation, I want to impress Mom with some of my own inventions. I've got a few ideas I've been working on, and I think they'd fit right in with what they're doing."

Polly raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "Impress Mom, huh? What kind of inventions are we talking about?" Gauge leaned back, a proud smile on his face. "Well, I've been tinkering with some temporal stabilizers, you know, to prevent those nasty time paradoxes; in theory, a person could observe the timeline without causing irreparable damage. And I have this concept for a subdermal communication device that could revolutionize how heroes coordinate in the field. These are just a couple of things I've been playing around with: oh! And stun grenades."

"That's already a thing; just check the equipment locker on level six," Polly replied. Gauge heard the camera shutter of Polly's device, followed by tapping on a keyboard and then another sound effect as he posted it on the central feed. Gauge sighed and turned his wheelie chair to face Polly. "How about instead of being self-absorbed, you could try to be enthusiastic about working at mom's company?"

"And how about, instead of being delusional, you could be more realistic. Remember, she left us a long time ago."

"If that's how you feel, then why do you visit her randomly when you feel like it?"

Polly stopped to think; he turned away from Gauge to face the wall, contemplating his own actions. After silence, he sighed, "I don't know, Gauge. Maybe a part of me still hopes for a connection with her despite everything. But it doesn't mean I'm gonna get all starry-eyed and excited about working for her. We don't know the full story, and she's been keeping secrets for a long time."

Gauge rolled his eyes, "You're always so skeptical. Mom's work is important, and she's doing groundbreaking stuff. This internship is an opportunity for us to participate in that."

Polly turned back to Gauge, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "It's my job to the skeptical; I'm a strategist. I have to observe all parts of the battlefield. Just don't get your hopes up, Gauge. You're setting yourself up for disappointment. And who knows what kind of experiments and projects she's got going on in that place. We might end up being glorified lab assistants."

Gauge shrugged, undeterred. "Well, I'd rather be a glorified lab assistant at Insight Foundation than be stuck doing routine watch duty for Dynamic Patrol. This is a chance to make a real impact and to be at the forefront of innovation. I'm not passing that up."

"And what about your college application?" Polly asked. Gauge stopped. It had been a while since he worked on that. But he had multiple outlets where he wanted to apply his knowledge... of course, he'd always planned to be a DP hero full-time, but the Patrol encouraged all members to have at least a bachelor's. "You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Gauge glared, "Don't start; you know how I feel about it."

"I'm just saying, MIT isn't going to want a momma's boy." Gauge continued to glare at Polly's back, "You're right. MIT will want someone with groundbreaking ideas and inventions, Polly. And that's exactly what I'm working on. Besides, this internship could provide more opportunities, connections, and experience for my college applications. It's not like I'm abandoning my education. And I get to do some hero work."

Polly shrugged, "Just making sure you're thinking ahead, little bro. Sometimes, your enthusiasm blinds you to the practicalities." Gauge sighed, realizing Polly had a point. "I know... I know. I'll figure it out, Polly. Let's focus on tomorrow. This is a chance for us to do something meaningful, maybe even prove ourselves to Mom. I don't want to miss that opportunity."

Polly nodded, acknowledging his brother's determination. "Fine, just promise me you won't get too carried away with your inventions and forget the bigger picture. We're there to keep an eye on things, not to become the stars of Mom's lab."

Gauge grinned, "Don't worry, Polly. I've got it all under control. Tomorrow is going to be the start of something amazing."