The Lightning Code

How many times a day do you flip a switch to power up one of your magical devices?

Television, video games, your smartphone.

This is test 84 of the atom particle liberator.

None of it will be possible without this guy.

Well... Sort of.

He changed the way we harness energy.

His name was Nikola Tesla.

And he was one of the greats.

But he never achieved his ultimate goal.

Capturing lightning.

If only I could harness it into a consistent beam,

we would have perpetual, limitless power.

A lot has changed since then.

You and I aren't the only one's powering up our devices

and it takes a lot of energy to keep the magic going.

Energy that we're running out of.

There just isn't enough to go around.

The whole world is on low power mode.

But fear not.

I have a plan.

I just need a few key components and a little faith.

I'm going to finish Tesla's work and harness the power of lightning.

My mom saw this crisis coming.

That's why she worked so hard to complete Tesla's design all those years ago.

She went missing before she could solve it.

Now I have to finish what she couldn't.

And when I do finish it, I'll finally be the hero she thought I could be.

One of the greats.

Hello, home. Hello, Miles.

Hello, mouse poop.

Shall I play upbeat music to encourage a productive work day?

I'm not really in the mood for music right now, bud.

Jamie? How did you get in here?

I'm small and sneaky.

Squeakers.

We need a better alarm system.

We don't have an alarm system.

Well, then research one. Preferably with an electric shock wire.

I must first research legality.

I'm kidding.

What's this?

Expensive, no touchy.

Jamie, I don't have to play today, okay?

I don't want to play. I want to help you with the machine.

It's not exactly safe.

Does it exactly work?

You've been working on this mystery machine forever.

How? Piper, what are you? Like Catwoman?

Batwoman, actually.

Batwoman, a superheroine known for stealth and

intelligence, was Batman's primary love interest.

Sure would be a shame if someone were to complain about

you illegally siphoning power to a foreclosed building.

Sure would be a shame as someone found out you've been

hacking government websites and shutting down employee logins.

For real?

How did you...

Thanks a lot, Newt.

I am not programmed for discretion.

It was payback for the administration shutting down student protests.

It's called 'hacktivism'.

You say tomato, I say cyber felony.

Fine.

You've got dirt on me.

I've got dirt on you.

So spill the tea.

How does it work?

And what is it?

It's a sustainable energy machine based off of Tesla's concepts and my mom's design.

It uses a small amount of energy to excite the atoms in the air and then uses induction

to pull that extra energy into the machine with frequency multiples of 3-6 and 9.

Kind of like a wireless charger.

You are blowing mind right now.

Tesla's design pulled the energy from all over like this.

Mine will pull it in like this.

But does it work?

Not consistently, not yet.

My mom ran into the same problem before she went missing.

Right now it just holds energy for a few

seconds and then outputs to the nearest battery.

Just need funding, but Luxos won't even take a meeting with me.

So just go show it to them?

I can't just go drop it on their doorstep.

I can just go drop it on their doorstep.

Who could you show it to?

Thanks, Mike.

Luxos Energy stock prices continue to plummet as investors

lose confidence in the conglomerates renewable energy programs.

There seems to be no end in sight to the worldwide

supply chain bottlenecks and raw material shortages,

which are further exacerbating Luxos Energy's struggle to find...

Kennedy Blake

Kennedy, we're rerouting your flight and relocating you to headquarters.

For how long?

Tesla's designs for that atom particle liberator were incomplete,

so we're still struggling for a consistent power source.

Your time is running out.

Threats are not solutions, Vigo. We will execute on schedule.

I want this just as badly as you do.

I hope so. I make promises, not threats.

Think he means it?

I think my daughter has her work cut out for her.

Kennedy.

Were those the project Daybreak backers?

Is it still on schedule?

Not at all, but that is why you were here.

I want you to take over as head of technological development

and lead the energy efforts of Daybreak.

I won't let you down.

Good.

Because everything that we are

rides on the success of this project.

Now, Neil has your credentials and will handle your relocation.

And... this whole pantsuit thing...

No more.

I'd like to see you in pencil skirts from now on.

Pencil skirts.

Good to see you too, Mom.

You have a lunch meeting with the engineers.

This will catch you up.

Good morning and welcome to Luxos Energy,

leading the world in creating sustainable energy for all.

Miles Fletcher...

here to see your head of development.

One moment.

Real cliffhanger, huh?

Yes, actually.

You're not on Miss Blake's agenda.

Oh, I know, but I'm sure she'll want to see me.

That's not how this works. Call her and schedule an appointment.

Oh, and grab yourself a juice box on the way out.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Alkenest.

The Alkenest is a revolutionary, sustainable energy device.

If you'll check your phones, you'll see they're powering

up from energy my machine is pulling from atoms in the air.

If Luxos will fund this project, together we can take free energy to the world.

Sorry, it is...

- What the... - Sorry.

It's still in beta.

Please don't taste me.

Let's go.

Come on.

Come on, guys.

If I could just talk to Miss Blake.

You can make her your one phone call.

From prison.

Prison?

Access granted to Kennedy Blake.

That's enough.

What is going on here?

I was hoping to work for you, actually.

So you thought you would just fry our lobby with an EMP?

Okay, it's not an EMP.

It's a perpetual energy machine.

Right. Well, if that's true, and it's not a bomb,

then the Feds will have no reason to hold you.

Call this in.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...

I just wanted to show you my work.

I saw.

Come on, I had to cobble together the atom particle liberator from third-hand parts.

All I need are better parts and funding.

The principles of atmospheric induction are solid.

If not, then...

How did this happen?

If you had better funding,

who's to say you wouldn't blow up the entire block next time?

My mom.

She knew this would work.

Luxos believed her.

She used to work here.

Yeah, I know.

I saw her when I ran your ID.

But that was ages ago, okay?

And we need real solutions now, not junkyard thermal coils.

This is proof of concept for a sustainable

energy machine that needs further development.

Just let me show you this can work.

Show me more than five seconds of induction without blowing anything up.

Then maybe we can talk about a deal.

Thank you. You won't be disappointed.

I look forward to seeing some updates.

And we sent the Wonder Machine back to your house.

My house?

- You owe me a phone. - You owe me a juice box.

Dad, I can explain.

What is this, Miles?

It's a machine I've been working on.

Which does?

Well right now, it's a pyrotechnic mechanism used for blowing up cell phones.

Cut the crap, Miles.

This your mom's work?

There are a thousand things that you can make. Why this?

This was her whole life.

And look where it got her. Luxos killed her.

That makes no sense. She was their best engineer.

So what? She just disappeared?

She's up and walked out on us.

They are an energy company, Dad. There's no big plot.

Oil spills.