Chapter 1: Power Grid Guardian
Jett lived near the massive Taurus Solar Array, a sprawling farm of photovoltaic panels that powered most of regional South Australia. Jett was a Junior Grid Monitor, a role given to select fifth graders who used advanced drones to check the arrays for efficiency and damage.
One blazing hot afternoon, Jett was piloting his drone, ‘Scout’, over Sector Delta. He noticed a bizarre anomaly. One cluster of panels was reporting near-zero energy output, yet the drone’s visual scan showed no physical damage. “That’s statistically impossible,” Jett muttered to Scout’s AI. “The sun is direct.”
Chapter 2: The Gliding Shadow
Jett decided to switch Scout from visual mode to thermal imaging. On the thermal screen, the non-producing panels glowed cool blue, but in the centre of the cluster, Jett saw a faint, dark shadow that moved. It wasn’t hovering; it seemed to be gliding stealthily across the array.
This was far too complex to be a bird or a cloud. Jett initiated an automated alert to the main facility, but he knew the response time would be slow. He felt a sudden spike of adrenaline. He decided to follow the shadow closely, lowering Scout to just above the panels for a better look.
Chapter 3: The Mechanical Pest
As Scout got closer, the shadow stopped at a joint between panels. Jett zoomed the camera to its highest resolution. The shadow resolved into a tiny, flat, six-legged drone—a ‘Vampire Bot’. These were illegal pieces of technology designed to attach to solar circuits and slowly drain energy without triggering common security alarms. It was industrial espionage.
Jett needed to capture it, but Scout wasn’t equipped for physical retrieval. Jett quickly toggled Scout to Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) mode—a feature only used for cleaning dust. He knew the small surge might disable the Vampire Bot, but it might also damage Scout’s own delicate sensors. It was a calculated risk.
Chapter 4: The Standoff
Jett directed Scout to hover directly over the tiny drainer bot. He took a deep breath. “Activating EMP in three… two… one…” ZZZAP! The screen flickered violently. Jett watched the thermal image: the Vampire Bot went from a cool shadow to a bright red spark, then a cold blue dot—it was deactivated.
Jett quickly piloted Scout to retrieve the inert, tiny machine with its magnetic grapple. He had secured the evidence, but the bigger issue remained: who was behind the sabotage? This was clearly a highly sophisticated attempt to destabilise the Taurus Array.
Chapter 5: Security Upgrade
Jett took the damaged Vampire Bot to the lead engineer, Ms. Alvarez. She was amazed by his sharp observation and quick thinking. “You just prevented a major power failure, Jett. These bots are hard to track.” She explained that a rival energy company was likely testing the new sabotage technology.
Jett’s quick actions led to a complete overhaul of the array’s security system. Ms. Alvarez used the bot’s data to design a counter-program that would instantly track any future energy ‘vampires.’ Jett was given a permanent position as the “Array’s First Line of Defence.” He realised that sometimes, the smallest tool (his drone) combined with the sharpest attention can protect the biggest asset.
Exercise: Character and Conflict
- Identify the Conflict: Was the main conflict person vs. nature or person vs. technology? Explain your choice.
- Character Trait: What character trait did Jett demonstrate by using the EMP mode?
- Meaning in Context: What is industrial espionage?