It was my second day of work after returning from vacation. I arrived early at the Police Station and met Officers Zimmer and Tenpen.
“Look who’s here!” Zimmer said.
“Detective, you’re back!” Tenpen said.
“Yeah, I arrived yesterday.”
“Oh, it was my day off. So how did it go?” Tenpen asked me.
“It was great, thanks. As much as I love working here and doing my best for Crimson City, I guess Dad was right: I really needed some time off.”
“That’s great! So, did you hear the big news?” Zimmer asked me.
“What is it?”
“They say Johansson is coming in today with that Electricity Generator of his!” Zimmer said.
“Really? I had no idea. How did you hear about that?”
“Apparently, he sent a letter to the Town Hall. Your father is on his way to receive Johansson and Beatriz right now, I think,” Tenpen continued.
“Why didn’t he call me to go with him?”
“I don’t know. I guess he wanted to surprise you. In hindsight, I might have ruined that for you. Uh… sorry…” Officer Zimmer said.
“Yeah, I guess it was supposed to be a surprise, but don’t worry, Zimmer, I’m actually happy to find out they’re coming today. I can’t wait to see the finished invention,” I said.
Moments later, Johansson showed up at the Station. Zimmer and Tenpen were right, after all.
“Hello there, Detective. Long time no see.” Johansson said.
“Oh, hey Johansson, I’m glad you’re here,” I grinned.
“You don’t seem surprised to see me. I thought you weren’t expecting me.” Johansson said.
Zimmer just looked at us from his desk without saying a word. Tenpen was nowhere to be seen.
“Well I guess I had a feeling that you’d be coming soon,” I said. “So, what brings you to our beautiful town, my dear friend?”
“Great news, Detective Calvin, prepare yourself for what is about to come. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Very well I bring to you Electricity Generator Version 2.0. The brand new machine is ready to go!” Johansson announced.
“Great! I can’t wait to see it in action!” I clapped.
“Then come right outside. Beatriz and your dad are out there discussing the final details.” Johansson said.
We left the Police Station to find a massive crowd of Piglins stationed around the machine, while Beatriz and my dad made the final arrangements for its inauguration.
“Oh, son, there you are. I bet you were surprised to see Johansson show up at the Station out of the blue, huh?” Dad asked me.
“Definitely, Dad. Hey, Beatriz, glad to see you here.” I said.
“Hey, Calvin. How’s it going?”
“Even better now with all of you here,” I replied. “So, how’s that machine now?”
“It’s perfect, Calvin.” Johansson embraced Beatriz with one arm, tapping on the machine with the other. “Beatriz did miracles with this new version. She has managed to come up with an unbreakable code that should prevent anyone from tampering into the machine. From now on, the Electricity Generator is 100% foolproof, and it cannot be tinkered with. Crimson City has nothing to worry about!” Johansson proudly announced.
The Piglins mingling in the area were confused but eager to learn more about the machine.
“What is that thing?” One Piglin asked.
“This, my friends, is the future!” Johansson shouted.
“That’s amazing, Beatriz. How did you do that with the code?”
“She came up with a Redstone-based sequence. I’m telling you, buddy, my daughter right here is a Redstone Wiz. She’s terrific with Redstone contraptions,” Johansson said.
“Oh, come on, Dad, stop it. I’m not that good. I just figured out a way to create a unique sequential code using Redstone, that’s all. Now the machine has a passcode, and only the Mayor shall receive the code,” Beatriz said.
“Sounds great,” I replied.
“Would you also like to know the passcode, just in case?” Johansson asked me.
“No, I would rather not. The less Piglins know about this code, the better,” I replied.
“Okay, it’s your call,” Johansson said. “So, are you ready?”
“Yes.” Beatriz replied.
“Okay. Let’s set it up. Help us carry this beauty to the Town Hall, Calvin, will ya?”
“Sure. Let me call Officer Zimmer for help.”
The four of us carried the Electricity Generator to the Town Hall. Beatriz built a stairway leading up to the top of the Town Hall’s roof. We brought the machine to the rooftop, where Johansson and Beatriz installed it.
“What is that brown thing on top of the generator?” I wondered.
“It’s a Lightning Rod. We had one of these in the previous generator. The Rod protects the machine from any electrical discharges caused by lightning, but I suppose the lightning was the least of our problems back then.”
“I see. This machine looks much safer, from what I can see,” I said.
“And it is. It’s impossible to change anything once the passcode has been inserted. Only the person – or Piglin – with the passcode can change its settings or even replace the source fuel. Anyway, let’s get started Mr. Mayor! Please come over here.”
“Oh, yes. I’m coming,” Dad climbed the staircase.
“Perfect. Just a minute now.” Johansson picked up a Crying Obsidian block and placed it in the Electricity Generator. The machine promptly responded by emitting a powerful electrical discharge that did not affect or hurt any of us.
“Wow.”
“I know, right? You can feel the power,” Johansson said. “Now, Mr. Mayor, I will close the machine, and it will be permanently locked. This is the passcode.” Johansson closed the machine and handed a piece of paper to my Dad. “If anything happens, it’s your responsibility to keep this passcode safe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I do.”
“One last thing; see this button over here?”
“The huge, bright ON/OFF button?” Dad asked.
“Yes. If by any chance, you wish to turn off this machine, you must first insert that passcode into this computer right here. Afterwards, press that button to turn off the machine. Please only do it if there is an imminent emergency, do you understand?”
“Why? What might happen if I turn it off one day?” Dad wondered. “Will it explode?”
“Hahahaha, no, no! Of course not. We would never set up the generator right above your Town Hall if it had a knack for exploding out of the blue, right? No, it’s not that. However, the machine is quite fragile. If it has to be turned off for an emergency, you might not be able to turn it back on again. We’ll have to come here and repair it before it can work. I know it’s not convenient in the least, but it’s the only way we’ve found to deactivate the machine in an emergency. As they say, it’s better than nothing, right?” Johansson explained to us.
“Yes, I understand. Thanks for explaining,” Dad said.
“Very well, we’re all set. The machine is working now. Crimson City is officially supplied with an infinite energy source of eternity,” Johansson said.
We all climbed down to the base of the Town Hall, with the Piglins attentively watching us. Among them, reporters from all over the city waited to shoot the best images of the foreign object standing tall over the Town Hall.
“Detective, what exactly does that machine do?” A reporter approached me on my way down from the rooftop.
“Well, as the name implies, it’s an Electricity Generator. The city of Crimson City can now enjoy the benefits of an infinite energy supply, thanks to the hard work of our human friends,” I replied.
“Isn’t it dangerous? After what happened in Minerland…” another reporter asked me.
“No, this is a new and improved version of the machine. What happened in Minerland is not going to happen here. The machine is perfectly safe and reliable,” I said.
“Professor Johansson! You have been involved with several events in Crimson City, some of them rather controversial. How does it feel like to return to Crimson City with your newest invention?” A reporter asked Johansson.
“You know what, Mr. Reporter, it feels great. I never get tired of coming here. I feel like this is my second home, despite having been made prisoner once. It’s all water under the bridge. There is a bright future – no pun intended – ahead of us. Crimson City can benefit from all the joys of infinite energy. Just think of the possibilities - you’ll never have to pay for energy again.”
“How safe is it really?” Another reporter asked Beatriz.
“It is completely safe. We have installed a safety lock to prevent anyone from tampering with the machine. It’s impossible for anyone other than the Mayor to access the machine now,” Beatriz said.
“What if someone steals the code from the Mayor?” Another reporter asked.
“That won’t be a problem.” My Dad grabbed a Flint and Steel and burned the piece of paper right in front of the reporters.
“Dad, are you crazy?! That was the passcode for the Generator!” I said.
“Don’t worry, son. The passcode is safely stored right here in my head.” Dad replied. He then addressed the reporters in the crowd: “Now, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The Electricity Generator has been installed to provide us with all its amazing benefits. Rest assured that Crimson City will never have to worry about this machine.” Dad said out loud.
“Anyway, shall we go somewhere private to chat a bit? If we stay out here any longer, these reporters will eat us alive!” Johansson joked.
“Absolutely, we really need some time to talk. Please join me in my office,” Dad said.
We entered the Town Hall, leaving the crowds of reporters behind.