{"id":3997,"date":"2021-02-23T19:09:37","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T00:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/?page_id=3997"},"modified":"2022-12-18T22:31:32","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T03:31:32","slug":"no-man-is-an-island","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/tikatus-corner\/one-shots\/no-man-is-an-island\/","title":{"rendered":"No Man Is an Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong> Brains doesn’t do well living alone.
\nFandom:<\/strong> Thunderbirds<\/em> TV-verse
\nCharacters:<\/strong> Brains, John Tracy
\nRating:<\/strong> K+
\nOriginal publication date:<\/strong> February 23, 2021
\nStatus:<\/strong> complete<\/p>\n

Notes and disclaimer:<\/strong> It’s comic book canon that Brains met John during university and Brains met Jeff at a conference in Paris. The prompt came from the AllUnwritten community on LiveJournal.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t create them; Gerry and Sylvia Anderson did. I don\u2019t own them, ITV\/Granada does. I’m just writing about them.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNo man is an island.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even if he lives on an island.<\/p>\n

Especially if he lives on Tracy Island.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s always someone around, even when the Tracy sons are out on a rescue. Mr. Tracy is here, directing them from the lounge. Mrs. Tracy is likely in the kitchen and if Kyrano isn\u2019t there with her, he\u2019s out in the garden. Sometimes Tin-Tin is in the lab with me. There\u2019s never a time I\u2019m totally alone. Never a period when there\u2019s no one to turn to if I need someone.<\/p>\n

This is a good thing. I get enough time to think and work. Enough quiet to satisfy me. Enough time to get immersed in whatever I\u2019m creating or whatever repair I need to make. But I can\u2019t stay alone for long.<\/p>\n

I did once. After I finished my third doctorate, I rented a two-bedroom apartment. One was to sleep in and the other\u2014well, let\u2019s just say it became a workroom for me. I had enough money to live alone, money I made from various patents I\u2019d sold. Living by myself seemed to be a good idea. I could eat when I wanted, sleep when I wanted, and work the rest of the time.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what happened. I ate when I wanted\u2014when I ate at all. I slept when I wanted\u2014after days going without. I worked the rest of the time.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m usually a bit of a clean freak, at least as far as my workspace is concerned. But I was so absorbed in my newest invention (a water desalination plant for the single-family home) that keeping the place clean wasn\u2019t a priority, nor was shopping for groceries. The place smelled and vermin began to show up.<\/p>\n

My landlord was not pleased.<\/p>\n

When he showed up, scowling, I had no idea what he was talking about. He dragged me into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake a good hard look. I\u2019m opening a window!\u201d<\/p>\n

I have to admit I was gobsmacked at the mess. Dirty dishes everywhere. Pots filled with mold. Glancing into the fridge, I realized it was bare, except for a tub of wrinkled round fruit that had been blueberries and a half-gallon of milk. I really hadn\u2019t noticed; I was too much in my own head to actually see what was in front of me. I also realized I\u2019d been eating cereal for several days straight.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you see what I mean? The flat upstairs is complaining about the smell and the flat downstairs is having trouble with bugs!\u201d He shook his head at the kitchen mess. \u201cWhat are you doing all day?\u201d<\/p>\n

I would have shown him but he didn\u2019t seem to be the type to be interested. \u201cI-I\u2019m inventing s-something.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rolled his eyes. \u201cOh, you\u2019re one of those. The science geek who can\u2019t get out of his own head long enough to see the world.\u201d His lips drew into a flat line. \u201cAre you a student at the University?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI w-was. I finished my Ph.D. in M-May.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cEven more reason to be a hermit. You don\u2019t have any classes to attend or office hours to keep.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cThe guy upstairs is the same, Has his telescope out every night. I\u2019ve had to chase him off the roof more than once! Can you imagine what would happen if he fell! The insurance premiums would go through the roof!\u201d<\/p>\n

As the landlord went on about the upstairs tenant, I began clearing the sink. The dishwasher, fortunately, was empty and I wondered when I had last run it. I bunged as much as I could inside, dropped in a soap tab, and started it on heavy-duty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s a start.\u201d The landlord stuck a finger in my face, \u201cYou have a week to get this place cleaned up and to take care of the critters, too! I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if the owner will want to raise your rent after this!\u201d He stalked to the door. \u201cI\u2019ll be back on Monday to inspect it. It had better be spotless!\u201d<\/p>\n

He left, just about slamming the door behind him. I stood in the kitchen and sighed. \u201cBetter make a list. Prioritize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three days later, I was nearly done. While working, I dictated notes on my design when I thought of changes but I stayed out of my lab. My clean cupboards and fridge were full after a sizable grocery delivery. Laundry, another task I\u2019d let go too long, was washed and dried, waiting for folding, I even cleaned the bathroom, which made the whole apartment smell of bleach.<\/p>\n

As I worked, I caught glimpses of both insect and mammalian pests. Setting out poison bait or traps was anathema to me; even small creatures deserved to live. So, I started researching other means of ridding all three flats of the vermin without killing them. I finally decided on small ultrasound units. The units would plug into the outlets and drive the vermin from the building. I even ordered units for the basement.<\/p>\n

The basement was the easiest level to do, there was no one to talk into letting me into their apartment. Talking with others, especially those I didn\u2019t know, was my most hated chore. But this needed to be done as part of cleaning up after myself. I brought the critters in, I had to get the critters out.<\/p>\n

With a deep breath, I knocked on the first floor\u2019s door. There was a long pause. I raised my hand to knock again and a voice came from the electronic peephole. \u201cWho are you and what do you want?\u201d The voice sounded old and quavery.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, I-I\u2019m Hiram H-Hackenbacker. I live uh-upstairs. I\u2019m here to get rid of the bugs.\u201d I held up one of the ultrasonic plug-ins. \u201cI don\u2019t have to c-come in; I can g-give you the devices and t-tell you how to use them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The door opened. The woman wasn\u2019t as old as I thought she\u2019d be. Her hair had more dark in it than silver, and she glared at me through rimless glasses.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you\u2019re the one responsible for the roaches and mice?\u201d Her voice was nowhere near what it was before; it was deeper and had a definite Southern drawl to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cY-Yes, ma\u2019am. I\u2019m s-sorry for letting things get so bad. I promise it won\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can come in.\u201d She stepped back and I entered. \u201cIf they\u2019d been Palmetto bugs, I wouldn\u2019t have blinked. But these are German roaches. They multiply like\u2026 well, faster than rabbits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPalmetto bugs?\u201d I plugged a unit into an outlet behind the front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig roaches.\u201d She held her fingers roughly one and a half inches apart. \u201cAmerican roaches. They grow big. Easier to find and kill.\u201d She followed as I made my way to the kitchen. \u201cWhat have you got there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUltrasonic pest d-deterrent.\u201d I plugged one into an outlet above the countertop. \u201dI looked into it qu-quite thoroughly. These should drive the pests from the building.\u201d I moved to the second bedroom. \u201cI\u2019ll p-put one in each room and t-two in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

She folded her arms. \u201cWon\u2019t that drive them into the basement?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve b-been down there already.\u201d In the bathroom, I put the final unit then stood and gave her a slight smile. \u201cI didn\u2019t get your n-name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t give it.\u201d She took the unit out of the bathroom outlet. \u201cI\u2019m going to take a good look at this. I don\u2019t know you and, though I don\u2019t doubt this is on the up and up, I\u2019ll admit I\u2019m a bit paranoid about my security.\u201d She brandished it. \u201cFor all I know, this is something to listen in on whatever I\u2019m saying and doing here.\u201d<\/p>\n

My mouth dropped open. I had never known anyone quite as paranoid as this woman seemed to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean you didn\u2019t think of that when you went looking for this pest solution?\u201d She chuckled and shook her head. \u201cAnother clueless nerd. Just like the guy on the third floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

I left her flat totally nonplussed. Did I really not understand people? Was I really a clueless nerd? Well, I\u2019d cop to the ‘nerd’ but clueless? Thinking over my recent behavior, I began to think she was right.<\/p>\n

Now I found myself outside the apartment on the third floor. I almost didn\u2019t knock, afraid this encounter would be more of the same. Taking my courage in both hands, I finally knocked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe right there!\u201d<\/p>\n

I had no idea if the young man (by the sound of his voice I thought him to be young) looked through the peephole or not. But it was just a minute before he flung open the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s you!\u201d He was blond, with a lock of hair nearly covering one eye. And, yes, he was young, roughly my age. He wore jeans and a NASA t-shirt. He also looked vaguely familiar. \u201cCome on in!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo we know e-each other?\u201d I asked as I entered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell we haven\u2019t formally met,\u201d he said, taking my box of devices from me. \u201cBut we had a class or two together. Professor Chronotus\u2019s course on the history of space travel, I think. And Dr. Liz Shaw\u2019s class on nanotechnology.\u201d He put the box down on a coffee table and extended a hand. \u201cJohn Tracy\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Hiram Hackenbacker.\u201d I recognized him now. He was one of Jeff Tracy\u2019s sons, a genius by all reports, and itching to follow his father into space. I shook his hand firmly. Here, perhaps, was someone I could talk to.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do we have here?\u201d John pulled out a vermin repeller. \u201cUltrasonic repeller?\u201d He shot me a glance. \u201cAre you the source of the smells and critters?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe landlord thinks so and, sadly, I concur.\u201d I took the device from his hand and found that outlet behind the door. \u201cI have been cleaning my flat up and hopefully the vermin will depart if each flat has some of these.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you just call an exterminator?\u201d John was fiddling with his phone, taking a picture of the devices and doing something with the photos.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would kill the creatures.\u201d I shrugged. \u201cEven things like this deserve to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

John stared at me for a moment then nodded. \u201cAn unusual philosophy. I like it.\u201d He gestured for me to enter the kitchen. \u201cI could tell you were cleaning. The smell of bleach in the bathroom was pretty obvious.\u201d He leaned up against a clear, clean counter as I chose an outlet for the device. \u201cPlus I saw you taking trash bags out to the dumpster. That\u2019s how I knew you were the one who lived beneath me.\u201d Folding his arms, he asked, \u201cHave you met Ms. Parsons on the first floor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes. She acted very strangely, She thought these devices could spy on her,\u201d I brandished one, moving to the bathroom to place it in an outlet there.<\/p>\n

John laughed. \u201cParanoid Parsons! When I moved in, she thought I would be reporting her to my dad.\u201d Before I could ask why he continued. \u201cHe owns the building. He figured it was the best way to ensure I had a secure place to live while I\u2019m at university. It also gives him or my brothers a place to stay when they visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u201d I stepped into the second bedroom and stopped. The room looked more like an office than a bedroom. An impressive, state-of-the-art telescope sat on a tripod near the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a Murphy bed built into the wall over there. When my family comes, I work and live in here while they take the bedroom.\u201d John followed me to the outlet I\u2019d selected. \u201cWhat do you use your second bedroom for?\u201d<\/p>\n

I stopped, looking at him quizzically. \u201cWhy do you want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged. \u201cJust curious, I guess. Ms. Parsons keeps calling me a nerd. A clueless nerd, to be precise. You seem like someone I could get along with.\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled. \u201cShe called me that, too. Mentioned that you were the same. I\u2019d like to have someone to talk to, someone intelligent.\u201d I put the last device in place. \u201cActually, I\u2019m using it as a design lab.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh! That accounts for the stink!\u201d He guided me out of the office.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It wasn\u2019t that.\u201dI rubbed the nape of my neck and looked down. \u201cThe stink was from neglect, I\u2019m afraid. I\u2019m not working on anything chemical; I\u2019m an engineer. I\u2019m trying to develop a system for desalination that could be used in a single-family home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d John\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cThat\u2019s a great idea! How far along are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

I could feel my face flush. \u201cAbout halfway, I think. Coding is complete, as is a basic schematic. Testing to scale will be difficult. I obviously can\u2019t do that in my apartment. But in concept, yes. I believe I have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow! Can I see what you\u2019ve got so far? My younger brother, Virgil, is an engineering student at Denver Institute. He\u2019d love to talk with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was getting complicated. How deep did I want to get in with the Tracy family? \u201cI\u2019ll think about it.\u201d I indicated the office with my head. \u201cWhat are you working on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy Ph.D. in laser communication. I\u2019m also writing a primer on astronomy–at least, that\u2019s what my publisher calls it. My dad has had a lot of input, especially with his journeys to the moon and founding the lunar colonies,\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember your father\u2019s lecture in Professor Chronotus\u2019s class. Very informative.\u201d I took that moment to glance around as if checking my work. \u201cWell, that seems to be it. Let me know if you have any more trouble. I\u2019d like to see if these work properly. The science behind them seems sound enough\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

John could tell I wanted to leave. \u201cI\u2019ll let you know if there are any issues.\u201d He walked me to the door. \u201cCan I come down and see what you\u2019re working on sometime? I don\u2019t have to drag Virgil into it but it\u2019s a great idea and I\u2019m really interested. Believe it or not, my dad has an island chain. Small atolls, mostly, but one of them is large enough to live on if he could find a way to produce potable water. There\u2019s some available, but not enough for a household,\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeff Tracy might have use for my invention? Didn\u2019t see that coming. And I wanted a friend. John here might be one. \u201cSure. Let me give you my mobile number.\u201d<\/p>\n

We exchanged numbers. \u201cI need to go. Still have some cleaning to do and laundry won\u2019t fold itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeh. I gotcha.\u201d John held open the door for me, \u201cGreat to finally meet you, Hiram.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice meeting you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The door shut behind him and I headed down the stairs, empty box in hand. I shook my head. John seemed as eager to make a new friend as I was. He must be lonely so far away from his family.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, what he said about his father\u2019s atolls sparked an idea for my project! I hurried down the rest of the stairs, unlocked my door, and headed straight for my lab. I had to get this down before my train of thought derailed!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Brains doesn’t do well living alone. Fandom: Thunderbirds TV-verse Characters: Brains, John Tracy Rating: K+ Original publication date: February 23, 2021 Status: complete Notes and disclaimer: It’s comic book canon that Brains met John during university and Brains met Jeff at a conference in Paris. The prompt came from the AllUnwritten community on LiveJournal. I didn\u2019t create them; Gerry and Sylvia Anderson did. I don\u2019t own them, ITV\/Granada does. I’m just writing about them. \u201cNo man is an island.\u201d…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":612,"menu_order":14,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3997","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P8AOo6-12t","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3997\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tikatu.com\/musemoves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}