“Not a bad fit,” Mrs. Carefree stated as she eyed the gauntlet all over. “I’m guessing there is some type of prototype method of flexing the fingers to activate its firing mechanism, sweetie?”

“Uh, yes!” Harriett nervously replied. She was not in the least bit surprised that her mom understood how the gauntlet worked. After all, Harriett had to get her technological prowess from one side of the family. “The gauntlet currently works by balling your fist to replicate the prepping of a finger on a gun’s trigger. Then, depending on how one’s fingers extend out will determine the effect that the gauntlet produces. I’m currently brainstorming a mental device meant to replace the primitive aspects of flexing your fingers, but it’s still a work in progress. Oh, and the gauntlet only has a firing method programmed into it. I still have to brainstorm on alternate methods in which the gauntlet can perform in order to better suit the need of the moment. In fact, I---.”

“Harriett!” Harriett’s mother suddenly interjected.

“Uh, y-yes, mom?” Harriett asked, already knowing what was coming.

“You don’t have to monologue your ideas every time someone asks. I know you get excited about this stuff, and that’s good. But not all of us think as well as you do.”

“Hear, hear,” Feron added and also gave off a fake toast, drawing a glare from Mrs. Carefree that immediately shrunk him back onto the bed.

“Anyways,” Mrs. Carefree continued, “So you just ball the fist and then direct your fingers to fire?”

“That’s the gist of it, mom. Although it currently doesn’t have a power source. And unfortunately, since the block is strangely without power, I can’t hook it up to a power supply and show you what it can do.”

“Oh, I think I can manage without utilizing man’s electricity for once,” Mrs. Carefree replied. She then looked to the closest spirit orb and gave it a nod. The spirit orb twirled once before floating over to the gauntlet and disappearing into it. Suddenly, the gauntlet turned from black to light blue. Mrs. Carefree gripped her fingers together tightly and closed her eyes to concentrate. After several moments, she looked up to the light that had blown out and directed all five of her fingers at it. An intense stream of spiritual energy emitted outward and into the broken light. Within a matter of seconds, the power about the basement (And the entire neighborhood, for that matter.) came back on.

Seeming to be satisfied with her spiritual prowess, as always, Mrs. Carefree patted her gloved hand against her other hand before tapping the gauntlet twice with two fingers, causing the spirit orb to wiggle its way back out of the glove. Then, all of the spirit orbs zipped back up the staircase and out of the basement.

“Uh, m-mom?” Harriett tensely stated to her mother.

“Hmm? Yes, Harriett?” Mrs. Carefree replied to her only child as she removed the black gauntlet and placed it back in the holder Harriett had removed it from.

“How… how did you know the gauntlet could do that?” Harriett asked. Truly, her mother was a master at the spiritual arts. But to know how to instantly combine her own spiritual prowess with S.A.M. technology, well… Harriett just couldn’t fathom it. Out of the corner of her eye, Harriett could see that even Feron’s facial expression appeared to be set to shocked as well.

Harriett’s mother simply smiled at her daughter before patting her once on the head. “Motherly intuition,” she kindly stated. “Now, make sure you both clean all of this up. And, Harriett, no more testing tonight, okay? Dinner will be ready in ten.” And with that, Harriett’s mother left the basement, leaving Harriett and Feron dumbfoundedly staring at the staircase Mrs. Carefree had just gone up.

For a full minute, Harriett and Feron continued to look back and forth between the gauntlet and the basement staircase, but neither could think of a solid answer as to how Harriett’s mother had been able to utilize the gauntlet in such a way in which it wasn’t programmed yet to do. Finally, Harriett threw up her hands in defeat and sat down at her desk.

“Got nothing, huh?” Feron asked as he too put his hands on the back of his head and laid back down, his mind easily moving away from such a complicated topic. Unfortunately, Harriett’s mind wasn’t capable of letting go that easily. She liked to thank her anxiety at times like this.

“On the contrary,” she began as she turned in her chair to look at her gauntlet. “I’ve got at least several hypotheses that I want to try out in order to see if I can determine just how she did it.”

“But… she said no more testing, right?” Feron stated.

Harriett didn’t turn to acknowledge that she had heard Feron. However, she simply retorted with, “Yeah, but science would have never gotten anywhere if it had listened to their mom. Now come on and help me try some things. Maybe, if we use your energy instead of mine, we can replicate what she did.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Feron truthfully chimed.

“But… is it a bad idea?” Harriett asked, causing Feron to disappear into his own head in contemplation. Finally, his usual smirk returned to his face. “Well?”

“Well you got me on board now,” Feron gleefully stated as he stood up and glided over to Harriett’s work desk. “Just make sure that I don’t regret this too much.”

“What? You, regret possible chaos being caused by me and my antics?” Harriett chided, causing their smirks to grow. “You’re right, I would never make you regret that.”

“Good,” Feron happily replied as he pulled up another chair and sat down while Harriett turned and grabbed her gauntlet.

It probably wasn’t hard to guess that Harriett and Feron caused the power to go out again. And this time, it also probably wasn’t hard to guess that when Mrs. Carefree sent the now red-lit spirit orbs down into the basement, Harriett and Feron were most definitely not getting off scotch free. And, once more, a low laugh emitted deep in Harriett’s mind.