Red Reefer With A Berth

28 years ago, U.S.-40 West - Somewhere in Missouri

Natalie was making incredible time in the middle of Missouri on her way to Los Angeles. The sky had just gotten dark, and it was raining hard. Nat was going to try and push a little further.

At some point, she wanted to stop for the night and go to a roadside motel for some sleep, a shower, and then a fantastic breakfast somewhere, which she could not stop thinking about. A girl can only get so far on Slim Jims, Dr. Pepper, and convenience store burritos.

Leuze was standing on the shoulder of I-40 West with her thumb out when a tractor-trailer rig announced itself with a hissing airbrake and pulled over close to one hundred yards further ahead of Natalie. Trucks had been lucky all day for her, and she moved toward it.

The first trucker who picked her up earlier in the day was a good guy. The trucker gave Natalie sound advice about places to stay on her journey and where to find a delicious breakfast.

The fast girl started hustling toward the truck while holding her pack in one hand. This made for an awkward gait, and about three-quarters to the truck, she slowed down to begin checking out the cab and trailer.

The rig was older than the last one that picked her up. The red and white logo on the side said Super Apple Trucking. The cab was elongated to accommodate a sleeping compartment in the rear. 

The trailer that it was hitched to was a Reefer or refrigerated carrier.  The sleeping compartment behind the driver is called a berth. Natalie had learned about the different types of rigs over the years from her Mom’s friends. The trailer was from a popular supermarket chain for which Natalie had seen commercials.

This feels safe, she thought, 

An arm pushed the passenger-side door open, and Nat stepped on the sideboard and looked at the driver. He was short, maybe in his mid-thirties, with a head full of hair.  

“ Hi, I'm Frankie, and I’m heading for Oklahoma. Hop in and get out of the rain.”

“I’m Natalie from Kentucky, and I’m going to California. Thank you for stopping. It’s been a long day.” “Sorry if I'm getting your seat wet.”

The cab was filled with cigarette smoke, and Frankie said, “You can smoke if you want.” “I have Camels if you'd like one.” 

Natalie thanked him and took what he offered. Reaching over, he lit Natalie’s camel. Then Frankie put the rig in gear and started down the shoulder, building up speed while watching out the side mirror.

The wipers were slamming side to side in an overtime fashion, the heat was blasting, and the radio was on low, playing country music.

“What are you hauling?” she asked.

“We have a load of mostly fruits and vegetables.” “Gotta keep 'em chilly, you know what I mean, Willy?”

Natalie gave him his attempt at humor and laughed, adding, “That’s a big 10-4 good buddy.” Frankie started laughing.

Frankie added, “If you hear what sounds like a bear in the back, it's my brother Steve snoring." "We split the driving, and it's his turn to snooze." "You'll meet him in an hour."

The cab was comfortable, and it seemed okay. "Frankie, would you mind if I slept for 20 minutes?"

Frankie said, "Relax," and he chuckled.

It was warm, the music was soft, and the cab was comfortable. The wipers kept a rhythm.

Natalie fell asleep, thinking that Frankie could use a shower or two.

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

Ben Mason assembled a team to study the surveillance camera Allston brought to him and the three of them were in a room that looked ​much like an operating room in a hospital.  Strong overhead lighting and a camera on a robotic arm that took close-ups were above the field.  The tools laid out on neatly folded cloths ranged from micro level to normal sizes for nuts, bolts, and tiny screws.  There was a notebook, a tablet, and metal bins to put parts in.

TEXT ALLSTON: How Many Margaritas Do I Owe You? TEXT EVE: You don't have enough fingers and toes to count that high. TEXT ALLSTON: I can count to 21. TEXT EVE: You don't have any extra fingers or toes? TEXT ALLSTON: Eggplant Emoji.

Mason and the team were ready, standing over the table draped with a blue poly towel. This was a clean room, so the air was exchanged through filters. Before placing booties on their shoes, the team stepped on a sticky surface that pulled dirt particles from the bottoms of their shoes. They each wore disposable overalls tied in the back and a face shield with an electronic magnifying lens attached so they could see things close up. 

As they began, Ben summarized basic information about the piece of equipment. "You all know the basic components of an electronic camera. There is a lens and electronics for processing and transmitting digital images. 

"This camera was coupled with a ground sensor that caused the lens to aim at a target near the sensor."

 "This is nothing unusual, but this camera was communicating its images and audio by satellite to whoever was monitoring it."

 "So, it took analog images, digitized them, and sent them to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit about 22,300 miles above the Earth."

" Again, there is nothing new here, folks; that is how the World Cup or Super Bowl is seen worldwide."

"What is new is the small form factor and the integration of the whole package, which enables it to withstand the elements, be controlled from anywhere, and then transmit what it sees in real-time."

Ben continued, "Notice how small it is." 

"We think the barrel housing protected the camera from the elements and acted as a dish for transmitting and receiving."

"We need to determine the capabilities and origin of this remarkable integration."

"Are you ready?"

The takedown and cataloging took six hours. The summary took another six hours.

Ben Mason had never seen anything like it, and this is the kind of stuff that makes a nerd happy.

Ben was giddy.

Ashland, Kentucky, The Home Of Natalie Leuze

Anthony and Natalie's mother sat at the kitchen table eating salad and pizza, a Friday night tradition since Anthony had latched on. It was the closest thing Natalie had ever had to a normal existence as a type of family. Even the fact that Anthony was banging both the mother and her daughter did not factor into the ​picture of a semi-family sitting down for an evening meal.

For Natalie, it had been the favorite part of each week since Anthony was around.

Natalie was gone. 

When she got up around three in the afternoon, Louise Leuze played the message on the answering machine. 

She was not concerned for her daughter but more concerned with how fast Natalie could get to L.A. and start making real money that would make a difference in life in the trailer.  

Anthony had different emotions.

He had grown to like Natalie and their illicit relationship. 

Her leaving the trailer now had interrupted his real plan: to go to L.A. with Nat and then ride on her coattails with all the good benefits. 

Anthony also planned on getting his money back. This created what amounted to a suck fest in the trailer with just Louise.

He would watch TV alone, rubbing Louise's gnarly feet and counting the minutes until morning when he could go to his job as a Union Pile Driver. Anthony's parole officer had arranged that lucky job for him, which was a blessing.

He liked the job.

This would be a long, lonely night with just Louise.