The ELI Event B007R5LTNS

needed to install the new power switch the old man had brought him, he disconnected the wires from the fuse box, sat down on the floor, and, using a pocketknife as a screwdriver, began to remove the burned out switch, hurrying to get through so he could call Eli.
    Robin and Eli had discovered each other ten months before in an online chat room for electronics buffs. He knew about the Internet, of course, but his makeshift machine had neither the hardware nor the software to access it fully. Yes, it was a computer, but it didn’t have any of those sissy windows or icons or pointers. No sir, this was a real man’s computer: C-prompt and command line all the way.
    Still, he could use many text-based services to access all manner of information, including various chat rooms and remote computers. He was entirely satisfied with it, limited though it was. When he first got it working, he had begun hanging out in some of the techie areas in hopes of finding someone who shared his interests. He had found Eli. Robin read in the magazines the old man gave him that some people set up their equipment so that others could call their computer directly, leave messages, exchange programs and data, and chat with others who were also dialed in. Apparently Eli had his computer set up to do just that, and they had started “talking” on this private network regularly. Before long they had become fast friends.
    Eli was like a big brother to Robin. He was, judging by the way he talked, somewhat older and apparently very well educated. Eli was kind and smart and gentle sounding. It seemed like he always knew what to say, how to make Robin feel better when he was upset. Eli always understood him, and never made fun of the way Robin talked when he typed his side of their conversations.
    But the best part, Robin thought, was that he was always there. Eli had even given him a toll-free number so they could communicate directly, and he always answered. Robin suspected Eli didn’t have many friends either, and sometimes they talked for a few minutes, sometimes for hours.
    He finished wiring in the new power switch and reconnected the wires; he knew it would work fine, as the old man had said. Sitting cross-legged on the floor before his machine, Robin flipped the switch and looked the thing over for signs of shorts or overheating; there were none. He was ready to call Eli. From beneath the keyboard he retrieved a floppy disk containing the software programs, inserted it into the slot on the oblong box, and closed the small door.
    He couldn’t wait. Even before the TV tube warmed up he punched in Eli’s number on the telephone buttons. After a few moments, he heard the soft, high-pitched tone indicating Eli’s terminal had answered. He immediately began pecking at the keyboard with his index fingers. As the screen at last came to life, the line Robin had typed became visible.
    logon eli001 uid=rkirkland pw=509593395
    He inspected it for mistakes. User ID, first initial and last name. Password, his Social Security Number. Satisfied, he pressed the Return key to send the command to Eli’s computer. He removed his hands from the keyboard and waited for the reply he was sure would come, his mind briefly wandering.
    Mrs. Faraday made all the boys get Social Security Numbers “for safety reasons,” but they were useless as far as Robin could tell. Actually, he figured it was more so she could find them if anybody escaped, er, wandered off. He had learned online that you could tell where a person was from by the first three digits of their Social Security Number, and was intrigued enough to check out that little tidbit of information with sneak peeks at house records when he was sweeping out the office. The bully Mike, for example, was from Nebraska because his number started with 506. Mike’s toady Rance said he was from Wyoming and, sure enough, his first three digits were 520. Robin’s own number, of course, began with a Kansas prefix of 509. And Mrs. Faraday’s number started with 523, indicating she was originally from Colorado. Robin chuckled to himself. Mrs. F would freak if she knew he used his number for a computer password!
    Suddenly, Eli was there.
    HELLO, ROBIN. I MISSED YOU LAST NIGHT.
    Elated, Robin carefully typed his reply and again pressed Return.
    my power switch burned out, i had to get a new one from the old man, i just now wired it in
    I SEE. WELL, I’M GLAD YOU’RE ONLINE NOW. DID YOU DO ANYTHING INTERESTING