Capítulo 26: Establishing a Power Source and Communication Means on the Night
My eyes quickly opened up before a faint light around my surroundings. At first, I expected to only see a pitch dark sights around me since it must be already nighttime and there was no light source whatsoever on the station beside the small flashlight that I borrowed from Ryan.
When I raised my body and sat on the bench, I noticed that there was a couple of small lamp lighted at the corner of the platform. In response, I stood up and began to approach the sources of light, and slowly noticing that there were indeed two small lamps radiating light, although rather dimly.
As I was getting closer to the small lamps, I also noticed that there was a young man sitting in front of them, continuously rubbing some sort of a metallic foil to a short tube-like object with both of his hands. It did not take him long for him to realize that I was getting near to him, and so he greeted to me as a response.
"Oh, you have already woken up I see." he said as he smiled a bit while continuing to rub the things on both of his hands.
Just as I was right in front of the lamps and the young man, I recognized the familiar voice and figure. He was none other than Virgil Clint, the science bachelor student. I also saw what he held on each of his hands – a rolled aluminum foil on his right hand, and a short PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe on his left hand.
"What are you doing?" I asked him as I set in front of the lamps.
"Attempting to power up these lamps using static electricity," he said, before continuing again with a satisfaction smile, "to which I seemed to be succeeded."
I took a closer look at the lamps as he finished speaking. It appeared that he had made some sort of an electric circuit. If I was to describe the circuit, it was nothing sort of a highly technological one. Instead of the usual printed one, the circuit board was merely a square-cut cardboard box paper.
I was expecting to see many cables were stick on top of it, but instead there were only several aluminum foil strips pinned on the circuit board by staples, replacing the role of the cables. Two of the foil strips were edging out of the circuit board, and each of them were further lengthened by cables that ended up on the two lamps.
There were also another two of the edging out foil strips lengthened by cables, with one connected to the rolled aluminum foil on Virgil's right hand, and the other connected to the PVC pipe on his left hand. He then also explained to me the concept behind his idea for the power source.
The concept was that aluminum foil and PVC pipe had a very different material properties that rubbing them against each other would create some sort of electric charging, and therefore creating an electrical energy. While cables were almost entirely absent from the circuit board, the foil strips fulfilled their role in passing on the created energy to the lamp. Thus, his improvised electrostatic powered light source.
I was fascinated to know how he could manage to construct a lighting source just from scraps. What intrigued me the most however, was not how he could make the very unique electric circuit. It was how he could think of such a magnificent idea of power source in the first place. The sight of the lamps that kept on slightly dimming and brightening as he rubbed the PVC pipe back and forth against the aluminum foil on his hands was just mind-surprising for me.
"So, this is the alternative power source that we will utilize?" I asked him again in full excitement and wonder.
"For the time being, yes." he said, as he sighed right after, "However, I still have yet to find any simpler method in generating the power though…"
Virgil then explained that the lamps were from the staff office on the second floor, the room in which Jonathan, Ryan, and I found a dead body of a male. He said that while the three of us were going to the museum earlier, he went there and had removed the two lamps installed on its ceiling. It reminded me of the dead body, so I asked to him what he had done to the body, to which he answered by saying that Captain Quentin had taken care of it somehow, leaving only the dried pool of blood on the room's floor.
He then said that he got those aluminum foils from Della. The first thing that had come to his mind just when he had the idea to make the circuit board, was to ask her if she had aluminum foils in her bag that she carried along with her.
His reason for asking her was very simple and logical at the same time. Since he knew that she was a baker, he realized that perhaps she had brought along some aluminum foils for bakery purposes with her.
It turned out, that she did bring along two unopened box of aluminum foils with her. When she was confused on why he was asking, he also gave the same answer he gave to Ryan earlier regarding the antenna.
As for the cardboard box, Virgil said that he found many empty cardboard boxes, as well as three staplers on the office desk, and few cut-down PVC pipes inside the iron drawer there. They were the objects that finalized his decision in constructing his improvised circuit board. He admitted however, that he wished he had the idea sooner before breaking open the train car's electrical compartment since he did not really need to just for few cables.
He also mentioned that everyone gave out a more or less surprised expression when he demonstrated how his electrostatic power source work, except for Jonathan who seemed to be kind of expecting the concept behind his improvisation. Although seemed to look not fascinated by his improvised method, he said that Jonathan was the first one to praise him for his idea.
Since he said both Jonathan's and Ryan's name, I was immediately reminded about them, and asked him where they were, to which he answered that they were all still inside the third train car, with Jonathan trying to re-explain the concept to those who had still not understood it. Apparently, Della and Ryan had still not grasp it well, so Jonathan decided to demonstrate it as he tried to construct another light source.
It made me wondered on how quick Jonathan could at least predicted the methods behind Virgil's improvisation. Then again, he had probably seen a similar form of method when he was in Gdynia, Poland. Just as I stood up again, I could see a faint and dim light from the third train car, which was the furthest from the platform. Just when I decided to go there to see how the rest of them were doing, Virgil called me out again.
"Um, may I borrow the flashlight?" he asked.
"Since there would be no one here to rub these things against each other, I need another source of light to bring the copper tubes that I put down at the other corner of this platform." he plead.
"Oh, are we going to construct the communications system now?" I asked him.
"Yes, I think we should try if the improvised circuit board could also power up the communications system..." he said, before stopping for a while, "...or not."
"But does not that mean we will need another circuit board?" I asked him again, as I handed him the flashlight.
"You should see his circuit board first." he said, smiling as he turned on the flashlight.
When he turned the flashlight on, I noticed that it was a little dimmer than when Ryan first used it back at the fire department. It seemed that the equipment too will run out of battery real soon. Nevertheless, I put aside my worries about it and headed inside the train car.
The first thing that I noticed just as I entered the first train car, was that both the Morse code transmitter and receiver were already lying on the train seat. It seemed that one of them had took it out from the backpacks when I was still resting. I could also hear some faint sounds of people talking when I stepped my foot on the second train car.
"Had a good rest, son?" Captain Quentin asked, as I entered the third car.
"Yes, sir, I did." I responded, smiling a bit.
The rest of the survivors, besides Virgil were there. Kyle was the one rubbing the aluminum foils against the PVC pipe, while Jonathan seemed to just had finished making both Della and Ryan understood the electrostatic power source method. As I was approaching both Jonathan and Ryan, I also had my attention on the larger size of the circuit board there.
At first, I was wondering if the others also needed the comprehension of the concept at all. But as I gave thought about it, it seemed that if I was to assume for a worse situation, such as forced to get separated from each other and each of us need an immediate emergency source of light, the concept would be of a valuable use then. As Kyle was still rubbing the objects against each other, I told both Jonathan and Ryan that Virgil already needed us to begin assisting him in constructing the communications system.
"Jon, Ryan. I suppose we should assist him now." I said
"Okay, coming." Ryan responded, "This light source is also coming with us, right?"
"No, since you do not need light to see in the dark…" Jonathan replied, sarcastically.
I also asked Jonathan where he got the two lamps from, to which he answered that he released them from the restroom's ceiling. He said that he went to the restroom just after Virgil demonstrated his electrostatic power source to the others, and that he had a feeling that not all of them would understand it in a single explanation and demonstration. Since he was also sure that everyone's comprehension regarding the concept would be vital, he had to make sure that everyone understood it.
When Jonathan finished speaking, we decided that all of us would go the other corner of the platform where Virgil was already waiting. Jonathan was the one who carried the circuit board, and Kyle was the one who carried the aluminum foils and PVC pipe since she had to rub them to light our way. Captain Quentin carried the transmitter machine, while I carried the receiver machine. Della decided to bring a handgun and Captain Quentin's shotgun, while Ryan carried Jonathan's rifle and my submachine gun.
We walked carefully until we approached the other corner of the platform, where Virgil was already waiting with a couple of medium length copper tubes, a thin copper plate, and several cables lying on the ground just in front of him. He was also still holding the flashlight on his hand.
As Virgil was lighting us, Kyle released the aluminum foil and PVC pipe from her hands, and Jonathan put down the circuit board slowly and gently on the ground. Jonathan then proceeded to remove the two lamps that was connected to the circuit board cables, and connected the cables to the transmitter machine instead. Apparently, aside from aiming to re-explain the method, Jonathan also already had his mind to make a circuit board for the communications system all along.
Virgil then lighted his right side, revealing another unconnected improvised circuit board, and Captain Quentin connected it to the receiver machine. Just when I was about to ask what the copper tubes and thin copper plates were for, Virgil took one of the copper tubes, headed for the corner of the platform railing and tied the lower end of the copper tube there with a cable, leaving the upper tip exposed to the dark street outside. He then continued by connecting the upper tip with cable to the transmitter machine.
"Okay, so now… I need your help to do exactly the same on the other side of the platform for the receiver machine." he said, restlessly.
Captain Quentin took the receiver machine, before he went with two other persons there. The ones to go to the other side were Jonathan who brought the circuit board lying beside Virgil, Captain Quentin, and me who brought the cooper tube and cables. We started by getting down to the railroad, before climbing up again on the other side of the platform. We did not have any light source whatsoever with us, however Virgil lighted our way there with the flashlight.
He kept on lighting us as we started to tie up the copper tube in the same manner as he did, and connected its upper with cable to the receiver machine. When we were already done, Jonathan gave a signal by gesturing his hand. As Ryan there started to rub the aluminum foils against the PVC pipe, to power the transmitter machine, I did the same to power the receiver machine.
Finally, it was then when everything became more interesting. Jonathan and Captain Quentin paid their attention to the rolled paper tape, just as Virgil had begun to tap something to the transmitter machine.
- ... -
That was what the paper tape showed us. We also noticed that Virgil had no longer tapping the transmitter machine and was lighting at us again. I then cut the paper tape with my hand, before the three of us headed back to his side, leaving the receiver machine behind us, to confirm if he had sent the right message.
"What did you receive?" he asked, restlessly.
"Here," I said, as I showed him the small cut-off paper tape, "That was 'T-S-T' right? Did it show the message that you sent?"
"Yes." He said, with a great satisfaction in his tone.
Nothing could describe our relief of finally having found out an alternative way of power source and communication means at that night, and thus all of us had a good mood for the rest of the night. After a while then, we took our meals from few of the snacks and beverages we had taken out from the vending machines. As the night did not seem to pass away real soon, the rest of us who had not rested yet decided to sleep for the remaining night.
Virgil handed me the flashlight back, after the rest of the others had returned inside the second train car. Apparently, everyone agreed that the second train car would be allocated for resting place. Both Captain Quentin and I headed back to the other corner of the platform, where Della and Ryan had put several firearms there earlier.
I took guard with my submachine gun while Captain Quentin took guard with his shotgun as we arrived there. I lighted my watch, to see that the time was already at 00.20 a.m. The various things that we had done that day made my feeling filled with satisfaction as I began to stand guard while thinking the next moves that we had to take the next day in order for us to survive.
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