Cassandra By Persephone A family spiralling out of control. A child forced to grow up too fast. Is there any room left for a young girl to find herself? Book Four ‘Relationships’ Chapter 20 – The Project

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Author's Note: This is a rather longer chapter than I originally envisaged, about a third longer than usual and almost enough to make me split it in two. There is also quite a lot of strange technical jargon included; the minutiae of search and rescue procedures plus the esoteric tools and language used by software developers. For a bit of fun I did include a few ‘easter eggs’ in the chapter for those in the industry to try and work out. In a few days I will add a short blog for those who, like me, are obsessive enough to want to know exactly what tools and techniques our intrepid duo actually used.

As you can see there is also an updated picture of Cassie and Hoover. I recently commissioned an artist to take the earlier photo of Cassandra, add five years and include Hoover in his working harness. I hope you like it.

As ever please be tolerant of my failings, and forthright with your criticism. ~Persephone

Current Score: US (and Irish) Readers 18 – 3 UK Author
Artwork © Rik Rawling 2022 and commissioned by the author.
Story © Persephone 2018 - 2022

~o~O~o~

Cassie took a moment to carefully ease her shoulders before sharply nodding her head; her heavy braid bouncing on her shoulder. It had been nearly two years since she had last been on a range, but now, under Michael’s guidance, it was all coming back to her.

“Okay, this is a rapid fire practice. On the command ‘Go’ pick up your pistol, chamber a round, then empty the magazine into the target in front of you as quickly as you can. Ready?”

She scowled at the sinister masked figure on the paper target before her as she recalled the moment that Stanford Hardcastle had stormed into her room back in Block 22.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Ready.”

Michael took a pace back from her side. “Go.”

Ten minutes later Cassie and Michael emerged back into the main gun store attached to the indoor range, clutching a handful of poster sized sheets and her pistol case. They were met by the cheerful owner and a few of his regulars; all eager to share their experience with the pretty young girl who had rented a firing lane. “So, how did the little lady do?” He nodded to the folded targets in Cassie’s hands.

Michael just shrugged. “Not too bad. Just shaking out a few cobwebs.”

“Well, let’s see how you got on Missy” the owner all but demanded.

Cassie gave a tight smirk and let the top half of the target unfold. The image of a balaclava wearing gunman was marred by three small holes; one in the arm and two in the chest. Around her the shooting store regulars just nodded, pretty much what they had expected from a girl. Then Cassie allowed the rest of the target to unfold as she watched her audience.

As one, every man present winced as they took in the shredded remains of the target’s crotch.
“I’ve got it down to a six inch group at ten yards. What do you think?” She asked innocently.

Outside in the parking lot Michael grinned as they loaded everything into Cassie’s SUV. “You really know how to make a first impression li’l sis. That was as funny as the first time you did it back in Oregon.”

Cassie shrugged. “Psychological warfare. If I come back here on my own, I won’t be pestered by a bunch of horn dogs. You taught me that Michael.”

“Yeah, good point. But now we need to get you home and see if Aunt Megan has calmed down and is ready to forgive me for getting you a pistol.”

Cassie shuddered. “Just remember, you only fitted the gun safe last week. If she finds out it has been there since she moved in I’ll be grounded ’til I’m thirty.”

The argument had been simmering ever since Cassie had revealed that she was now the proud owner of a pistol a month after her birthday party.

As a nurse Aunt Megan had seen far too many horrific injuries caused by guns to be comfortable with one nearby, even under lock and key.

“Those things are dangerous!” She had stormed at her niece.

“So are the five criminals we put in jail.” Cassie retorted. “All of who are now out and at least one of them knows exactly where we live.”

“But we already have cameras, locks, those mace thingies and Hoover. Why do you need a gun?”

“Because if they come after Kath, you or me again, you can bet they won’t be carrying just a junior baseball bat.” Cassie let out a long sigh. “Aunt Megan, you saw the look of naked hatred Brian shot at Kath and I as we left the court last year. Do you really think he’s going to stop?”

“But you have that private investigator keeping an eye on him. We’ll know if he is planning something.”

“He knows about the investigator now, so he’ll be careful. Anyway, both Kath and I were secretly watching out for Charlie from inside that man’s home, and they were still able to put him in hospital.” Cassie reached forward and took Aunt Megan’s bird like hands in hers. “I know what an awful thing a gun is. Truly I do. But I also know I made a promise to Mom to keep Kath safe; and that promise now includes you. I will however, make you a further promise. The pistol will stay locked up apart from properly supervised training and will truly be our last resort.”

Aunt Megan took a long look into her niece’s eyes and realized that no matter what she said, that was as good as she was going to get.

Cassandra really was her mother’s daughter.

~o~O~o~

Apart from the drama of ‘the gun’, life and college had quickly settled back into routine. Cassie was still on call with PVS&R and had been on four weekend training exercises and three call outs before the end of her first sophomore semester; though fortunately only one of those had caused her to have to leave a lecture. And, as Professor Cox had been seen rushing out alongside her, the student counsellor had merely rolled her eyes the next day and caustically asked that ‘…next time Cassandra, please make an effort not to disturb the other students in the class if you have to leave.’ Oh, and while she agreed that Mussorgsky’s ‘Night on a Bald Mountain’ was very appropriate as the ringtone for a mountain rescue team, just perhaps Cassandra could maybe put her ‘phone on mute next time she was in class, rather than have it blaring out like her personal movie sound track as she ran for the door?

A properly subdued Cassie winced, and promised that the ‘phone would definitely be on mute in future classes.

The one thing that was increasingly coming to dominate her life was the ‘simple’ little research project that the head of the department, Professor Stone, had innocently dropped on her in her very first week of the course. It had grown from that first short paper into a monster.

The data collection that Cassie and the other volunteers had carried out with PVS&R over the summer vacation had allowed her to validate her original hypothesis. Then, one evening as the team were driving back from a call out, she and Joel Cox started a silly session of ‘what if?’, with everyone offering up both sensible and off-the-wall ideas for a practical use of her base algorithm. With the rest of the team egging her on, Cassandra had reluctantly agreed to extend the original project and see if she could turn it into an application that could be used for real by search and rescue teams; with Joel continuing to act as the project supervisor.

That led to the next victim being captured by the monster just before the Christmas break, even as she was innocently reading a technical journal in the library.

“Kelly?” The auburn haired temptress wheedled as she slid into the chair opposite her target/best friend.

“Huh? What’s up Cassie?”

“You know you’re really getting into the object oriented coding module?”

“Yeah?”

“And you know we have to do a programming project for next year?”

“Uh huh.” Kelly finally looked up from her article. “Isn’t it a bit early to be thinking about that though?”

“Well, you know you wanted an invite to meet all the hunky search and rescue guys?” Cassie dangled the carrot she thought most likely to appeal to her friend.

Kelly lowered her journal suspiciously. “I’m listening.”

“There’s a party at Patti and Sam’s this weekend. If you wanted to come with me, we could butter up Joel when he’s not being Prof Cox and get him to agree that we work together on my search and rescue app. That way you can ogle, sorry ‘meet’, all the younger guys on the team, and have a cool project to work on.”

Kelly narrowed her eyes as she thought about it.

Cassie threw out another lure. “And of course, it has the personal interest of Professor Stone.”

Kelly laughed. “Okay, you win. If we can get Prof Cox on board and the eye candy is as good as you claim, I’m your girl.”

After the Christmas break Kelly soon found herself spending her weekends halfway up the side of various mountains, interning with Patti as PVS&R’s newest communications technician, or sharing the dining room table at Aunt Megan’s, as she and Cassie struggled to turn an ingenious little algorithm into something actually useful. She also, to her dismay, found herself as PVS&R’s latest training aid.

“Oof!”

“Sorry ‘bout that Kel. Won’t happen again.” Jerry, the newest trainee volunteer for PVS&R drawled an apology as he swung the basket stretcher clear of an overhang. “Now don’t you worry none, we’ll have you down lickety-split missy.” He offered the helpless girl a grin, dimples suddenly softening the rugged curve of his jawline, before looking down to check the pitch of the rock below.

Despite the temptation to admire her rescuer, Kelly squeezed her eyes closed as the sky spun above her, helpless in the tight confines of the stretcher as it slowly twisted and dropped down the sheer cliff.

“Jerry” she growled, her eyes still tightly shut. “Why do you still insist on that annoying fake cowboy drawl? We all know you’re a corporate lawyer out of Boston.”

“Well now ma’am, it’s all about putting y’all at ease. Way I see it, I reckon if’n you have to put your life in summ’ns hands you’d feel right better with a cowboy holding the reins than some prissy east coast lawyer.” Jerry answered as he eased the tension off the descender, allowing the basket to slip another ten feet. Kelly tried not to whimper.

An eternity later Kelly felt the basket settle on the ground, moments before something cold and wet nuzzled her cheek. Her eyes flashed open in shock. “Hoooveerrrr! Urgh! Dog slobber!”

“Sorreee, he’s just checking you’re okay.” Cassie chirped as she and Jerry worked with swift efficiency to free her friend from the basket. “Hoover, leave her alone,” she chided.

Jerry finally reached down to offer Kelly a hand up. “So, did it work?” He grinned as he effortlessly pulled her to her feet; his accent once again clipped and precise. “Frank thought it would be an interesting psychological experiment.” His arm slid around Kelly’s waist, offering welcome support for her rubbery legs, even as he noted the narrowing of her eyes. “Hey! Don’t blame me.” he pleaded. “I know I can’t do an accent worth a damn.”

Kelly thought about that for a long moment, even as she savored the feeling of standing on firm ground. “Alright… I’ll let you off,” she murmured as she continued to lean into Jerry’s muscled shoulder.

Cassie turned her face away, unable to hide her grin, as she continued to coil and pack up the ropes and equipment.

By the middle of February Cassie and Kelly had their first prototype almost up and running.

“So what will we call it?” Kelly asked over the table as she cross checked a list of global variable names against their matching SQL aliases.

“Call what?” Cassie muttered distractedly. “Ah hah! Gotcha!” She quickly tapped at her keyboard for a moment and sat back to observe the results. “Uh… why didn’t that work?”

“The program.”

“What about the program?”

“What’ll we call it?” Kelly pressed.

“Dunno. I’ll think about it… Hey Kells, come and have a look at this. I’m trying to get the locus to conform to the DTED overlay as well as the base topography, but the trace keeps on vanishing below the overlay, can you see what I’m doing wrong?”

“That’s it!”

“What? You haven’t looked at it yet.”

“The name.”

“Huh?”

Kelly let out an overly dramatic sigh and shook her head. “Sometimes Cassie… The name for the program; it’s perfect!”

“You’ve lost me.”

“‘Locus’ you idiot!”

Kelly was still bubbling with the new name as she explained it to Kathy and Aunt Megan over dinner that night.

“Well it sounds kinda cool, but what does it mean?” Kathy asked as she snagged another taco onto her plate. Kelly grinned at her partner in crime. “You’re the mathematician, you explain it.”

Cassie rolled her eyes as she hastily swallowed the bite she was chewing. “A locus is a fancy term for a line between a number of co-ordinates that satisfies an equation.” She grinned, “gotta hand it to you Kells, it is pretty appropriate… hey! You little sneak! You got the last taco!”

~o~O~o~

The first field test of ‘Locus’ came when the team deployed for a weekend training exercise up into the Sequoia National Forest on a chilly February morning, only a few miles from Cassie’s ‘adventure’ with Matt Lloyd and family. So it wasn’t surprising that by the time the team bus finally arrived in Johnsondale Cassie was trying hard not to growl at her team mates.

“Enough already!” she finally snapped. “Just remember that we could still be driving to jobs in the old trucks. Remember? The ones where suspension was an optional extra?”

“Ut Oh… someone’s going to miss out on cookies.” Patti chortled, having been very careful not to join in the gentle ribbing Cassie had been subjected to on the journey up.

Before anyone could add another snarky comment the bus door swung open.

Frank briskly climbed inside and rapped his clipboard on the dash to get everyone’s attention. “Okay people, ‘Boots and Saddles’. We have three training exercises to complete today and there’s a low pressure system moving in from the north west. So the sooner we get moving, the less wet we’re all going to get by tonight.” A number of exaggerated groans met his pronouncement.

“Hey! You all know my favorite saying?” Frank grinned. “If it ain’t raining….”

“It ain’t training!” Came the chorus from the bus.

“Okay, exercise one is for the new guys - working with a K9 tracking team. Scenario is discovering a vehicular accident with no pax found immediately on site.” A few muffled sniggers came from the back of the bus. “Your job is to scout the site for casualties without compromising any scent markers. If you feel it necessary, call in for the K9 team and then work with Cookie and Hoover to find and recover any pax.” Frank glanced up from his clipboard. “Patti? You and Kelly can be our rabbits. Any questions?”

Getting none he flipped a sheet. “Exercise two is for everyone less Cookie and Hoover. Same scenario as before but this time without the K9. We conduct an expanding sector search to locate the initial accident site. Assume we have already completed a Mattson consensus to confirm the POA. Then we carry out a creeping line search to find the casualties. Once that’s completed we’re going to try something new and have a chance to play with our shiny new toys.” Frank reached into a cargo pocket and pulled out a ruggedized tablet. “Same as scenario two, but this time we will be following a computer predicted search pattern that ‘hopefully’,“ he grinned at Cassie and Kelly, “dynamically adjusts for changes in AMDR to redefine the effective sweep width. Again, any questions?”

Phil, the other trainee volunteer that year, raised his hand. “AMDR?”

“Average maximum detection range. Goes up and down depending on ground cover, weather conditions, light levels, the victim’s clothing and so on. Got it?” On receiving a nod Frank dropped the tablet back in his pocket. “Okay folks, time’s ticking, let’s get to it.”

By the time the team finally were able to start with the experimental search pattern the rain Frank had promised had arrived. A chill February drizzle that seemed to know exactly how to defeat even the most expensive Goretex rain gear in its mission to soak any humans it encountered. Hoover had quite sensibly deserted Cassandra at the first spots of wetness, and was providing moral support to Kelly and Patti in the snug and dry communications tent.

The exercise did not go well.

During the after action review in the motel dining room that evening both Cassie and Kelly sat as far from the front as possible and slouched low in their seats.

“We missed the dummy twice!” Joel, normally so supportive of his students, but now tired and irritable from the long day, complained bitterly as he toweled off his face and head. “There’s no way we could have seen it from that angle.”

“I’m all in favor of new technology, but there’s a reason the tried and trusted systems are used.” Jerry agreed, not noticing the hangdog looks Cassie and Kelly both sported.

Frank however, did.

“Whoa! Everyone. You really expected a perfect search pattern on the very first time that we trialled a brand new, even revolutionary, technology?”

He made a point of catching the eye of every member of the team and was pleased to see the two girls perk up a little at his words. “First ya’ll need to recognize what went right. We were able to share a search pattern with everyone… in real time across ten square miles. We were able to re-task team members, again in real time, as new information came in. We could track everyones’ location, also in real time, which makes it a heck of a lot safer for us. And when we did finally pinpoint the casualty everyone was aware and we were able to get the right support there fast should we have had to conduct a foot recovery.” He took a gulp of his coffee, then grimaced when he realized it had gone cold. “I’m pretty darned pleased with how it went. Now… let’s lose the grumps and think about some sensible, and constructive, ideas on how we can make it better.”

With that challenge ringing in their ears the team finally put aside their moans and began to offer ideas and thoughts… leading to a long night in the communications tent for Cassie and Kelly. At least until Patti came and forced them to power down and head for their bunks. The trials Frank had arranged for the next day went better, and some of those earlier doubters began, reluctantly, to admit that perhaps, just maybe, there was something to this approach.

It took several further weekends of trials and refinements over the next few months, and a lot of late nights for the girls, before Frank was willing to tell Sam that ‘Locus’ was fit for purpose and would save time and effort over their old methods.

“The team trust it now.” He told the Head of Operations back in the conference room in Pasadena. “Even Mark, and you know how much of a traditionalist he is, grumbled when I made them do a standard expanding square. When I challenged him on changing his mind, he just looked me in the eye and said ‘Old and trusted is good. I like old and trusted. But the girls’ app just saved me eight miles of shoe leather… and at my age I like that even more.’ So there you have it. It’s your call, but I think it’s ready.”

Sam chewed his lip as he considered Frank’s assessment. On the one hand the potential benefits were obvious; as well as the kudos of bringing something revolutionary to the search and rescue community across the US, heck even the world. On the other… they were at the bleeding edge, with all the risks that involved; legal, reputational, and most importantly, the deadly consequences if it failed.

He took a final deep breath.

“Let’s do it.”

~o~O~o~

On the last Friday before the vacation a tired but happy Cassie joined Kelly for a late lunch in the Red Door marketplace; a hop, skip and a jump from Fleming House. Around them a dozen conversations swirled over plans for Spring Break as the day’s earlier clouds broke apart allowing the spring sunshine to lift spirits already high with the prospect of freedom from classes.

“One more class to go.” She sighed contentedly. “I really need this break.”

“You and me sister.” Kelly waved her juice in agreement. “Beach time?”

“On call ’til Tuesday. How about then?”

“That works. Need to get to the mall first though?” Kelly tilted her head and looked hopefully at her friend, pulling a snicker from Cassie.

“Hoover does the ‘puppy dog eyes’ better, but… yeah. What about tonight?”

Even as she spoke her cell lit up and the chilling opening of Mussorgsky’s music started to play. Moments later Kelly’s joined in with a cheerful chirrup.

Their earlier relaxed mood was instantly dowsed as they both snatched up ‘phones, book bags and tablets; Cassie swiftly had her ‘phone to her ear. “Yeah.. yeah… She’s with me… twenty minutes…okay….really? Are you sure? Okay we’re rolling.” She dropped the ‘phone in her pocket.

“Two teens missing up by the San Gabriel reservoir near Crystal Lake,” she advised, hurriedly bussing her uneaten lunch tray, “and apparently we will be using Locus if appropriate.”
Kelly felt a leaden lump suddenly form in her gut and she swallowed convulsively.

Ninety minutes later the team bus was silent as it snaked its way up Route 39. No new information had come in and everyone was watching the darkening clouds as they made their way north. Unthinking, Cassie brushed her fingers through Hoover’s ruff again and again. On the seat behind Kelly stared unseeing at the passing scenery.

As they passed the Morris reservoir the earlier showers became a downpour.

The incident command was obvious from the cluster of first responder vehicles, as emergency lights flashed splintered reflections of red and blue off the puddles spattered across the parking lot. A hasty briefing was offered by a sheriff’s deputy in the Crystal Lake cafe.

“A hiker found a rolled chevy pick-up off of this here fire road… about here.” She jabbed a finger to the map behind her. “When we called it in it came back to a Frankie Guillmont, a high school kid who’d taken off early to get a start on Spring Break. Mom and Dad think he was with at least one other, and according to their Principal Frankie and a class mate, Eduardo Cortez Junior, were seen leaving the school site directly after home room. They were wearing sneakers, jeans and tees.”

“Do either have any hiking experience? Were there any emergency supplies in the truck?” Sam asked.

“We don’t know sir. Frankie’s parents were pretty cut up about it and we weren’t able to get much sense out of them.”

At that point a local ranger took over the briefing. “Ladies, Gentlemen, Met indicates that this rain ain’t gonna ease and we expect ground temp, excluding wind chill, to drop below 29 degrees overnight.” At that the more experienced members of the team frowned. Even uninjured, the boys’ survival chances had just become slim unless they could be found soon.

The ranger quickly wrapped up his part of the briefing. “Twilight is at 2007 hours, with full dark thirty minutes later. It’s now 1614 hours. We have less than four hours folks.”

~o~O~o~

It was gone midnight when Cassie, Kelly and Hoover returned to the apartment, hanging up their sopping rain gear as they passed though the hall. As always, Aunt Megan was up waiting for them to get in. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the state of the two girls as she dropped a beach towel over Hoover, but she kept her tone cheerful and a smile on her lips. “Both of you go and jump in the shower. Cassie, you can use the one in my bathroom. Kelly, it’s too late for you to head back to Fleming tonight. I’ll put the air mattress up in Cassie’s room. There’ll be hot chocolate waiting for you as soon as you’re out of the shower and in your PJs.”

Aunt Megan kept up a stream of quiet chatter as she carefully watched her niece and her friend; noting the subdued voices and thousand yard stares from both; something she had all too often encountered among young nurses when finishing an overlong shift in an overworked ER. Gently, she chased the two to their beds and settled them down, just as she had had to do too many times in her career.

The next morning Aunt Megan was shocked when she emerged from her room to find both Kelly and Cassie already at work; their laptops and folders spread across the dining room table.

“Well! Aren’t you two the early birds?” She chirped. “Breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes, so you’ll need to clear and set the table by then. What’s got you so fired up this morning?”

It was Kelly who looked up, shocking Aunt Megan with the intensity of her stare.

“It almost didn’t work,” her voice quivered with emotion, “it has to work.”

For the rest of spring break it was all that Aunt Megan, Kath and Linda could do to pull the two students away from their laptops. Even walks with Hoover involved long technical discussions and occasional halts as one or the other pulled out their ‘phones to make a note or check a reference.

“Who was the idiot programmer who designed this API?” Kelly snarled from behind her laptop as she tried to get their app to interface with an allegedly ‘open’ third party mapping package.

“Probably the same one who decided that they would put in a ‘premium’ feature to throttle the number of requests a user could make.” Cassie snarked back, struggling with her own challenge of updating their SQL database.

“Girls, you’ve been at it all morning.” Aunt Megan called out from the kitchen. “Time to clear the table for lunch.”

With a heartfelt groan Cassie gladly saved her work and closed down before tilting her head at her partner in crime. “I don’t know about you, but I could really do with an afternoon at the beach later. At least pretend that we are having the ‘Spring Break’ experience.”

Kelly took a moment to roll her shoulders before responding. “Definitely sounds like a plan chica.” She muttered.

“Yeah, me too.” Kath breezed in from her room, knowing lunch was imminent. “As long as you two knock it off with the alphabet soup.”

“Hunh?”

“API this, GIS that, DTED the other.” Kath called out in a sing song voice. “ You know? All those abbreviations you two have been slinging around the table every meal for the last week. Then there’s the really weird comments.” Her voice hitched as she mimicked the two older girls. “‘Kell? Have you put the new Python’s package on Jupiter yet, or is it still running with Selene’s mum?’ ’Sure Cassie, let me just drop it in, update the poster girl’s squeal and we can close this scrum.’”

“We’re not that bad.” Cassie and Kelly protested in unison, only to see Kath, Aunt Megan and Linda Collins all solemnly nodding their heads.

Cassie dropped her face into her hands. “Kell, we definitely need some beach time.”

Aunt Megan allowed herself a small inward sigh of relief at the comment. Kelly in particular had become almost obsessed, having to be dragged away from her screen for meals and breaks.

With the lunch table now unofficially a ‘no programming’ zone, the five women discussed the merits of various beaches along the pacific coast.

“Santa Monica is the closest, and my boys always loved the pier.” Offered Linda.

“Yes, but you have to drive through downtown LA to get there from here.”

“What about Venice beach? It’s supposed to be really cool.” Kelly suggested.

“Too close to Harbor City.” Cassie responded as three of the five ladies frowned.

“Hunh?”

Aunt Megan took pity on Kelly. “It’s got some bad memories for the family dear.”

Next it was Kath’s turn. “How about Huntington?”

“To admire the ocean… or the other views?” Linda gently teased, pulling a blush from the young teen.

“What other views?” Again Kelly was in the dark.

This time it was Cassie who enlightened her. “It’s also known as Surf City. So… lots of ripped eye candy.”

Kelly’s eyes lit up. “No mountains, no freezing rain, hunky surfers and sandy beaches. How soon can we get there?” And with laughter the lunch conversation shifted to the logistics of getting three girls, all their supplies and a German Shepherd to the beach.

Two hours later Cassie and Kelly had just finished setting up their preferred spot while Kath had gone exploring with Hoover in search of the local Dairy Queen. Kelly flopped back on her towel and lay quietly for a minute next to her friend.

“Cassie?” She asked without turning her head.

“Uh huh.”

“Are all the call outs like that?”

“Like what?”

“Super stressful, life and death stuff.”

Cassie paused for a long moment, considering her friend’s question. “I’ve been with PVS&R for two years now; plus another year or so in Oregon with KMM’s SAR. Probably done thirty or so calls.” She opened her eyes, staring straight up at the cloudless sky. “There are four I can still recall every detail of. Last Friday is one of those.”

“Oh.”

Around them the chatter of other beach goers and the gentle susurrus of the waves washed over the two girls; still wrapped in their own thoughts.

Eventually Kelly broke the long silence that had wrapped itself around each of them. “How do you cope?”

When no answer seemed forthcoming Kelly wondered if Cassie was avoiding her question. Then she heard a long drawn out sigh.

“We talk I guess. That’s what things like the barbecues and parties are for. We share with other folk who get it.” Cassie pushed herself up off the sand and hugged her knees. “Then we hang out with friends and family to bring us back from the edge. Keep us grounded.” She looked over at Kelly. “Are you okay with last Friday?”

“I guess.”

“But?” Cassie prodded.

Kelly sat up and mirrored Cassie’s posture. Hugging her knees tightly. “I’ve never been so scared. What if I hadn’t made that call? What if I got the data wrong? What would have happened?”

Cassie wasn’t sure how to answer. She had been struggling with those same questions herself. Instead, she reached over and pulled her friend into a one armed hug as they both stared off towards the rolling surf.

After a long minute Cassie eased back and glanced around her. “I don’t see Kath.”

“I thought she went for ice cream?”

“She did. That was nearly an hour ago.” Cassie reached for her cell and hit speed dial as she stood up and scanned the beach and sidewalk. “No answer.”

“She probably had to take Hoover somewhere so he could have a pee.”

“I can’t see her, or Hoover. And why isn’t she answering?” Again Cassie hit speed dial and jammed the ‘phone to her ear as she continued to scan the beach.

Noting her friend’s unease Kelly joined Cassie on her feet. “Do you know where the Dairy Queen is? That’s where she was going wasn’t it?”

“I think it’s that way. That’s the way she headed off.”

“Try her ‘phone again.” By now Kelly could see the rising panic in Cassie’s eyes. “Look, this is a safe beach. I saw the local PD and lifeguards around earlier and there’s lots of families,” she tried to reassure her friend, “and she’s got Hoover with her.”

By now Cassie was scrabbling in her beach bag. “Damn! I knew I should have packed it. I knew this would happen!”

“Whoah! Cassie, calm down and let’s think this through. I’ll go up to those stores and see if she’s there. There might have been a ginormous queue for all we know. You stay here in case she comes back and keep trying to call her okay?” Kelly soothed.

At her feet Cassie crouched, the contents of the beach bag now strewn around her in the sand. “We need to call 911. He can’t have taken her far.” She muttered to herself as she restuffed the bag.

Kelly frowned. “Cassie! What are you talking about? Who’s taken her?” Her friend’s obvious panic beginning to infect her, she looked up to scan the beach again.

“Is that Hoover?”

“Where?” Cassie’s head snapped up.

“By the volleyball nets.” Kelly’s arm shot out to point.

Cassie was on her feet and staring in a flash. “Um… yeah. That’s Hoover. Where’s Kath?” She demanded.

“Hoover seems to be with that couple. Isn’t that the sarong Kathy packed?”

Cassie didn’t take her eyes off the approaching couple as they walked hand in hand up the beach while Hoover bounded back and forth, joyously retrieving the tennis ball thrown by the young man.

“Hi Sis! Wow… Dairy Queen was miles further than it looked on the map.” Kathy waved the bag in her hand. “I just hope the ices haven’t melted.”

“Where were you? Why didn’t you answer your ‘phone? You should have asked one of us to come with you. Who’s that?” Cassie demanded, staccato, not giving her sister a chance to answer.

Kathy stiffened at the barrage of questions. “Whoah, chill out Sis! Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I said I was going to Dairy Queen.”

“Why didn’t you answer your ‘phone?”

Kath checked her bag, “Looks like it got accidentally turned to mute. What’s the problem?” Her tone now defensive. “I met up with Darren in the queue for DQ. He goes to our dojo. Anyway he had the same idea as us; and when I told him you were here he wanted to meet my famous sister.” She now glared angrily at her sister.

Darren, sensing the tension, stepped forward with his hand out. “Uh hi, you must be Cassie? Kath’s always going on about you in class and that poster is seriously kick-ass.”

Cassie tore her eyes from her sister and took the young man’s hand for a brief business-like shake. “Pleasure to meet you Darren. Are you still in high school or are you at college now? You do know that Kathy is only sixteen?”

The smile on Darren’s face froze. “Yeah, I’m a senior at La Salle. Kath’s in the same class as my li’l sister, Beth.” He glanced apologetically over to Kath. “Well, I hope you enjoy your ices. I’d better get back to the guys. I’ll see you at the dojo on Thursday right?” He asked Kath, then, with a final pat to a panting Hoover, he turned and headed back down the beach.

The inside of Cassie’s SUV on the ride back to Pasadena might as well have been a morgue it was that chilly and silent. Kelly, with bitter experience of sibling spats, decided that today discretion was definitely the better part of valor and asked to be dropped off on campus. Neither sister had said a word since leaving the beach.

As soon as Cassie pulled to a stop at the condo Kath was out and heading for the door without a backward glance.

Cassie closed her eyes and sat for a long moment until a cold nose prodded her hair reproachfully.

“I really screwed up this time didn’t I Hoover?” She whispered.

~o~O~o~

It took a good week before the emotional permafrost finally melted in Casa McCarrick; thanks in large part to the efforts of Aunt Megan and Kelly.

“Kath, I’ve been there. Trust me I know!” Kelly emphasized. “Big sisters never ever get it that we grow up as well. At least you’ve only got Cassie to deal with. I swear Susie and Izzy used to tag team my ass. ‘You’re not wearing that are you?’, ‘What time will you be back?’, ‘Where did you say he goes to school?’, ‘Let me just check your bag’, sheesh! It was like dealing with three moms, except two of them knew exactly what I’d been up to.”

Kathy snickered at the image Kelly had conjured.

“You didn’t see what she was like when she couldn’t get hold of you the first time.” Kelly went on. “She went from calm to nuclear meltdown panic faster than a street racer on Nitro. Muttering something about ‘he’s got her, he’s taken her.’”

Kathy sniffed. “She still should have trusted me.”

“Yeah, she should. But it’s like all big sisters have this overprotective mommy syndrome. It’s just something we little sisters have to live with.” Kelly grinned. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give them kittens now and again, to keep them on their toes.”

“Cassandra, you are a wonderful big sister. Kathy couldn’t ask for better. But you have to remember that you are just that, a big sister, not Kath’s Mom.” Aunt Megan gently lectured her niece as they folded the laundry.

“I know that. It’s just that I made a promise… and that man is still out there.” Cassie grimaced ruefully. “I overreacted, I realize that now. But… she’s still only sixteen.”

“And what were you doing when you were sixteen? I still don’t think I’ve heard the full story of what happened with that Hardcastle character have I?”

Peace finally settled after the two sisters took Hoover for a long walk around the Memorial Gardens. When they returned Aunt Megan could see that Cassie’s almost pathological overprotectiveness was now tempered with a newfound respect for her sister. Then it was time for both girls to knuckle down and start preparing for the final weeks of school and college and their end of year exams.

~o~O~o~

At CalTech, on the morning of their last sophomore year exams and with the summer vacation beckoning, Kelly and Cassie were summoned to a meeting with Prof Cox.

“First of all I would like to say it has been a real pleasure supervising your project ladies.” He smiled as they settled themselves in the cramped confines of his office. “Professor Stone has already been boasting about it in faculty meetings; and, as you know, the results have been impressive.” Joel grinned. “It’s also saved a lot of foot weary tramping for us poor souls at PVS&R who haven’t got a K9 to rely on.”

Cassie snerked at that. The team had definitely been suspicious of the weird search patterns generated by their app initially. By the fifth exercise however, almost nobody had wanted to go back to the standard patterns.

“We also have a bit of a tradition here at CalTech of having an open event at the end of the summer semester to showcase some of the projects our students have developed.” Joel settled back in his chair. “Normally this would be from the Seniors, with an occasional entry from the Juniors. This year, even though you are only sophomores, Professor Stone wants you two to present what you’ve achieved.”

Cassie grabbed Kelly’s hand in shock. “But how…what…” she managed to splutter out.

Beside her Kelly’s eyes were like saucers. “I only did it to get a head start on next year’s programming project.” She muttered.

Prof Cox snorted a laugh. “Hah! So the truth will out!” He shook his head still grinning, “Professor Tillman over in CompSci reviewed your code. He was particularly impressed by both your use of recursive iteration to narrow down your decision trees, and the structure and quality of your documentation. And as it’s his module you would have been completing the programming project for, he’s given both of you a solid pass already; although he hopes you will still take the course to further develop the app and perhaps act as unofficial TA’s for the course? Now, with that bit of good news, are you both willing to present on the seventeenth?”

A week later Cassie and Kelly were stood nervously at the side of the stage, looking out at the sea of faces; friends and families of the students whose projects were being showcased, local dignitaries, faculty members and alumni. Off to one side Cassie could see a little cluster where Kath and Aunt Megan sat beside Kelly’s proud parents.

“Now last, but by no means least, we have two young ladies, both sophomores, who have created quite a stir over the last year. In typical CalTech style they have taken well known and often disregarded mathematical concepts and found new and exciting ways to apply those tools to pressing real world issues. May I present Miss Kelly Terrades and Miss Cassandra McCarrick on a practical application of Dijkstra’s algorithm in n-dimensional non-euclidean geometry.”

Behind them Joel Cox gave both a gentle nudge. “Knock ‘em dead ladies.” He murmured, grinning proudly as his two protégés moved nervously to the podium to a smattering of polite applause.

“…so, ladies and gentlemen, while the dataset for results has, of necessity, been limited, we have seen a mean improvement in search pattern completion times of seventeen percent with a standard deviation of eight point six percentage points.” Cassie wrapped up their presentation. “On that note we would like to thank you for your attention and are willing to take questions.”

She paused to take a sip of water, only to see Professor Stone quickly leading someone over to the second podium on the stage. He waved to the audience. “Before we take any questions, I believe the ladies have been far too modest. To balance that I would like to introduce Mr. Samuel Herbert, the Head of Operations for Pasadena Volunteer Search and Rescue.”

Sam winked at the two students as he stepped up to his mic. The hall quieted as the PVS&R logo appeared on the screen behind him.

“Ladies and gentlemen, earlier Professor Stone talked about the practical application of concepts to real world problems. But, to me, that didn’t fully bring home exactly what these two talented young ladies have achieved. So… I want to tell you a story.” Sam took a sip of his own water as his audience waited in anticipation.

“Four months ago the team got an all too familiar call out. On a bright sunny morning much like today two young high-school boys had decided to take off into the Sierra Madre mountains for a bit of off roading. It was all going well until the rain started. A chill drizzle at first, nothing too serious, but…” again Sam paused to look over his audience, “as all too often in the mountains, the weather turned with frightening speed, unleashing a torrential downpour, so the two youngsters tried to take their beaten up old pick up back onto to one of the logging tracks off from the San Gabriel Canyon road.” Sam allowed himself a deep breath. “Several hours later the vehicle was found on its side down a narrow ravine. There was no sign of the boys and the rain made tracking with a K9 impossible.”

He offered a nod to Cassie as they both recalled the miserable conditions they had gone out in that day. “It was late afternoon by the time we got to the search site. We had only a small window of opportunity before we would have to call off the search and start again the next day. The prospects of finding someone alive, who isn’t equipped for a night in those conditions, are, from bitter experience… limited.” Sam paused as his audience held their breath at his masterful storytelling. “Even as the icy rain hammered down I recall watching young Cassie here calling in on the team radio with the changing variables; visibility range, terrain, temperature, even as she pressed on, searching her own sector under the darkening sky. Back in our command vehicle my wife Patti watched with equal awe as young Kelly feverishly plugged in the new data and updated the search patterns on the fly.”

Sam sighed. “I was within five minutes of reluctantly calling off the search for the night when the last update came through. It sent us off to a scrubby stream bed where the winter’s rains had created a small overhang. An area we would normally have discounted. It was Joel,” Sam grinned, “sorry, ‘Professor Cox’ given where I am,” the audience chuckled with him, “who found the two boys exactly where the update had sent us. Both were already nearly comatose and suffering from hypothermia.” He paused again. “They would not have survived the night.

That… that miracle, ladies and gentlemen, is what these two young ladies have achieved.”

The auditorium was suddenly awash with applause, echoing off the vaulted ceiling, as Kelly and Cassie were each presented with enormous bouquets by the crying parents of the two young high schoolers. In a distant row Aunt Megan sat, supported by Kath, and added her own tears.

‘Oh Marie, if only you could have seen this, you would have been so, so proud of your child.’ She mused, with both sorrow and joy filling her heart to the brim.

Eventually the audience settled and there was a raft of questions for the young students.

“Will this app work in an urban environment?” A voice called out. “Oh, sorry, Daniel Gomez, Pasadena fire department.”

Cassie looked over to Kelly.

“Don’t ask me. I do code, not algorithms.” Her friend responded to the laughter of the audience.

“Err. Mr. Gomez, we haven’t tested it in an urban multi-floor environment other than around the campus here, but technically the issues of variable terrain and visibility would be largely the same. So, in answer to your question, yes it should.”

Mr Gomez jumped straight back in. “How soon will a commercial version be available?”

“We weren’t planning on that just yet, but,” Cassie looked questioningly across at Professor Stone, “with the approval of the faculty, we would be willing to invite you and Pasadena PD to be beta testers over the coming year.”

Professor Stone nodded vigorously at that, with a grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat.

The questions continued; covering everything from the scalability of their solution, to their use of highly modular object oriented code. Both of which Cassie gladly left to her friend. But it was the final question before Professor Stone closed the event that really got Cassie thinking.

“Given the obvious commercial value represented by your algorithm, what steps have you taken to secure it?”

Cassie had to pause for a moment. “I think that we really need to speak to the university’s intellectual property team.” She again cocked her head towards Professor Stone who smoothly stepped up to the mic.

“Here at CalTech we have an exceptional IP management team and they will be fully involved with this ground breaking project going forwards. Now, on that note, I need to draw this afternoon’s proceedings to a close and to thank all of you for your wonderful support of our students’ exceptional work this year.”

~o~O~o~

Aunt Megan insisted on hosting a celebration meal that evening, at Lupita’s of course, before Kelly and her family flew home in the morning. After mutual congratulations and praise for the girls, all of the good work was undone by the sharing of embarrassing childhood anecdotes.

Kelly leant close to Cassie as her mom shared yet another story; this one about ‘the dance recital from hell’ as Kelly recalled it. “Just be glad there’s only one sister here tonight. If Mom had brought Susie and Izzy here it would be a nightmare.” She gave a dramatic shudder and then reapplied what she called ‘the fake smile of long suffering’ on her face as she turned back to her parents.

In the end the stories ran out, the meal was cleared and they all had coffees to hand.

Which was when Aunt Megan asked the difficult question. “So, what happens next?”

“Umm… what do you mean?” A puzzled Kelly asked.

“Well, if that gentleman was right, your app could be worth quite a lot of money. Who owns it now? If you do, is it something you can see yourself selling to a big software company or will you make a go of it yourselves? Do you think other search and rescue teams would want to use it? What about the Fire and Police Departments? Does it need to be changed to suit their needs? How much would they pay? How much would you feel comfortable asking them to pay? Who else might have a need for this technology? And most importantly, how will this impact on getting your degrees?”

Having dropped her bombshell Aunt Megan sat back to take a sip of her coffee, leaving the two girls stunned as they considered what they had started.

Then she noticed a tiny sharpening of Cassie’s eyes as her niece became absolutely still. She smiled inwardly at the tiny ‘tell’ she had seen so often over the years… Cassandra had the beginnings of a plan.