The God Wave by Patrick Hemstreet Page B

She shook her head. “Maybe it’s because I don’t understand the computer side of the equation. I only understand the computer operator’s side. You’re asking me to direct the computer’s internal processes, but I don’t understand them well enough. If that’s how your interface is supposed to work, then even someone with my experience and training won’t be able to use it. That’s not a warmware problem, Dr. Streegman. It’s a technology problem. Your technology problem.”
    Matt opened his mouth to reply, but thankfully Tim forestalled whatever he’d been about to say.
    â€œSo how’ve you been doing what you’ve been doing so far?” the programmer asked. Hands in the pockets of his blazer, he lounged against a nearby worktable.
    Sara explained her work with triggering the track pad and keyboard and how she lost it every time she pulled her attention away to consider the workspace.
    Tim wandered over to the test machine and wiggled the mouse. The pointer did a wild jig on the screen. “So you’ve been interacting with the input devices and trying to use them to make stuff happen.”
    â€œThat’s what I just said, isn’t it?”
    Chuck winced. He hated it when people got short with each other, and there had been a lot of that this day.
    â€œOkay, so that’s what you’ve done,” said Tim. “What’ve you been trying to do?”
    Sara made a frustrated gesture at the computer. “Draw a damn cube. A stupid, simple, three-dimensional object. I can’t manipulate the input devices the way I normally would to create it.”
    Tim shrugged. “Then don’t manipulate the input devices. Manipulate the input. Use the Force, Luke.”
    Sara blinked at him, her face going red. “What?”
    â€œDidn’t you ever see Star Wars ? Use the Force. Obi Wan Kenobi says that to Luke Skywalker when he’s trying to save the day, and he shuts down his onboard computer interface and just shoots. Bam! One dead Death Star. A little too easy, if you ask me.”
    Sara glared at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This isn’t a movie, Troll Boy. I am not shooting swamp rats or vampire squirrels or whatever it was Luke was taking potshots at on Tatooine.”
    While Tim congratulated Sara on knowing what Tatooine was, Chuck stared at the wide, flat computer display and had a quiet epiphany . . . or a gift from the elves of invention. “No, Sara, he’s right.”
    â€œWhat?” Sara said.
    â€œWhat?” Matt said.
    â€œTold you,” Troll said, although it was clear he didn’t know what he was right about.
    But Chuck did. “I’m serious. Don’t think about manipulating the interface. That’s not what you want to do. Just draw something. There’s a CAD/CAM in your head. Use it.”
    â€œWhat?” Sara said again, and everyone else in the room—except for Tim—stared at him as if he’d spoken in Swahili.
    Chuck took a deep breath. “I know it sounds crazy, but trust me. Think of it this way: Before you interact with the physical interface of your CADware, you form a mental model of an object. You instinctively draw the thing in your head a split second before you draw it on the screen. I think what Tim is saying is that you don’t want to interact with an input device at all. You want to interact with the software directly.” He glanced at the programmer, who shrugged.
    â€œYeah. I guess that’s what I’m saying. Make the thing in your head, and let the software interpret those impulses instead of using the track pad as a go-between.”
    Sara let out a breath of pent-up air. She thought about it, calculating—if Chuck had to guess—whether or not Tim was trying to pull a fast one on her. But Chuck gave her an encouraging nod, and she nodded back. “A go-between. Sure. Sure, why not?” She