Quinn's Code - Cafe Geekdale Part 1

Sunday, October 17, 2005

It was quiet in downtown Lawndale.

Too quiet.

Then the Alt.Lawndale.Com Cybercafe was broken into. The theives make off with computer equipment as an alarm rings. They manage to get away before the police arrive...

Quinn's Code (A Daria AU)

Installment 3: Cafe Geekdale

Monday, October 18, 2005

Quinn Morgendorffer grabbed the morning paper as she entered the kitchen. “Break in at downtown Cybercafe!” she exclaimed.

“Gaaaahhhhh! I thought this town was safe!” her father, Jake, exclaimed as he came into the kitchen.

“Daddy, the crime statistics for Lawndale are much lower than those for Highland,” Quinn said.

“They are?” Jake asked.

“Yes, the statistics for Highland are twenty times higher than those for Lawndale,” Quinn's sister, Daria, said as she approached the kitchen.

“Oh!” Jake said.

“What's this about a break-in?” Daria asked.

Quinn read from the paper; “Late last night, the Alt.Lawndale.Com Cybercafe was broken into and Computer equipment stolen, police sources say. This is the ninth break-in at a Lawndale business this year.”

Daria grabbed the paper from her sister and looked at the article herself. “Interesting,” she said.

“What is?” Quinn asked.

“It says here that the Cybercafe is jointly owned by the Carter County School District and Lawndale State University,” Daria said.

“That is interesting,” Quinn said.

“Are you saying that a cybercafe is owned by the educational institutions?” their mother, Helen, asked as she came to the kitchen.

Daria handed the paper to her mother.

“Oh, my! A break-in. That never happened to a cybercafe in Highland.”

“I don't think there are any cybercafe's in Highland,” Quinn said. “At least, I never heard of any,” she said.

“You do have a point there,” Helen said, after some thought.

“If there was, they would have been broken into almost as soon as they had opened,” Daria said as she put some bread into the toaster.

Both Helen and Quinn had to admit that was a correct assessment of that town.

“Well, this probably not the last time we're going to hear about this,” Helen concluded.

Quinn met her friends Kristen Bell and Cindy Robinson-Brolsma halfway to school, near Cindy's street.

“Hi, guys.” Quinn said, coming along side them.

“Hi, Quinn,” Kristen said, brushing her dyed red, bangs out of her eyes.

“Morning, Quinn,” Cindy said, as she pushed her trapezoidal glasses up her nose.

“Have you read the Sun-Herald this morning?” Quinn asked.

“I haven't, I usually read the paper after school,” Kristen said.

“This is about the Cybercafe, right?” Cindy asked.

“Right, it's bad that people break into places, but that is low. I mean some people can only get access to the internet at a cybercafe,” Quinn said.

“You're right, but that wasn't the only cybercafe that Lawndale has. There are a few others, and more in Oakwood and elsewhere in the county besides,” Cindy said.

“Oh,” Quinn said. 'Of course there would be more in town. Lawndale's almost a city afterall,' she thought.

“Mr. Fun's Games, Cafe and Internet is a particularly good one for instance,” Cindy said in remembrance.

“That's because you spent most of seventh grade playing Counter-Strike there.” Kristen said.

“Good times,” Cindy said.

'Counter-Strike? Eeeewww!' Quinn thought. Then again, she did play Halo on her X-Box. 'But that has a story.' “So that place is still open?” she said.

“Definitely!” Cindy said.

“With the VR-simulator and a 32 PC LAN, it is the most popular venue for multiplayer gaming in Lawndale,” Kristen said.

“Cool,” Quinn said.

“That is understating it,” Kristen said.

They continued talking about the many Cybercafes in Lawndale as they continued on their way to school.

“Class, I thought today we'd take a break from the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to discuss the real life tragedy that happened last night here in Lawndale. Let's share our feelings of violation following the loss of our beloved cybercafe alt.lawndale.com,” Mr. O'Neill said to the Sophomore Language Arts class. “Who would like to start.” He looked at Kevin. “Charles? Charles, did you hear me?”

“You mean, Kevin?” Kevin said confused.

“Kevin, heh. I'm sorry. You uh, look like somebody else. What do you have to say about last night's horrible event?”

“I was home all night. You can ask my parents. Besides we have a computer,” Kevin said,

“No, Kevin. I mean, how did the theft make you feel?” the teacher asked.

'You're asking the wrong person!' Jennifer Burns thought. She thought that the break in at the Cybercafe was the action of people who should have known better.

“Um, sad?” Kevin finally said.

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Mr. O'Neill asked.

“Angry?” Kevin said.

Mr. O'Neill was in thought, then he asked Jodie Landon what she thought about the cybercafe break in.

“I think the cybercafé served one very particular segment of the community, but it still pisses me off when people take what isn't theirs,” Jodie said.

“That's how I feel!” Kevin broke in.

'Oh, Kevin, Kevin, Kevin!' Jennifer thought, knowing that the QB was a lost cause. 'Why does he have to focus on football so?'

“Thank you, Kevin. Jodie, about that word, 'community.' Isn't that the whole idea of a cybercafé? To jack us into the global community? I think what's most disturbing about this crime is the symbolism involved. Don't you agree, Jane?”

“No,” Jane Lane said.

“Suddenly, we're cut off. We can't hail our friends across the globe and say, '"It's a beautiful day in the cyberhood.' They didn't just take a few computers. They took the symbol of our virtual community. To visit alt.lawndale.com was to come together with the planet!”

'Cyberhood! I am sure Cindy, and a few others, would be pleased to correct you about that!' Jennifer thought.

“Oh, come on,” Daria said.

“Yes?” Mr. O'Neill asked.

“Come together with the planet? By staring at a screen for hours? Sitting in a room full of people you never say a word to?” Daria said.

'Very good point, Daria,' Jennifer thought.

“Hmm, Interesting point, Dorian,” the teacher said.

“It's Daria!” Daria exclaimed.

'Easy, Daria!' Jennifer thought.

Jane looked at Daria as if to say “What brought that on?”

“Sorry, Uh! Damn spiders. Daria, you believe that while connecting Lawndale citizens to our global neighbors, the cafe was alienating us from each other.”

“I'm saying if you really miss the place, put a Mr. Coffee in the computer lab,” Daria said.

“So, in your opinion, what we really need is a return to the traditional coffee house of yore, where you'd watch some performers and share a cup with your friends, face to face.”

'Uh, oh!' Jennifer thought.

“You're a visionary,” Jane said sardonically.

“The coffee house! We'll plan it, locate it, raise the money, and open it!”

Daria blanched “Would that qualify as an extracurricular activity?”

“Of course,” Mr O'Neill said.

“Then I'd like to register as a conscientious objector,” Daria said.