The Continuing Adventures of Cyber Security Sam: Time Out

By Rich Owen

Time Out is a mystery, in which a bright high school boy named Sam helps investigate curious inconsistencies in his school's computer system. Sam befriends a new student, Jim. At a basketball game, they discover that the shot timer allows more time to their school's home team that to the visiting team, though it does not indicate a difference in the countdown. Sam asks his computer science teacher for help with this puzzle, and the teacher gives him administrative access to the school-wide system so that Sam can investigate it from home. Meanwhile, smaller mysteries seem to present themselves: the buses seem to arrive late to bring the students home, and students feel rushed in their classes. Sam's first unlikely suspect is the language arts teacher, who seems to have used her computer access to alter the timing system for the basketball game and to shorten the duration of all the classes. Ultimately, the authorities are called, and, with Sam's help, they determine that Sam's friend, Frederica, had stolen the teacher's password (which had been written and kept in an unsecure desk drawer), changed her status to ADMIN, and altered time programs and grades. Though the complete motivations of the guilty student are never spelled out, it is clear, by the end of the book, that she wished to increase her grade, bolster the chances of the basketball team, and shorten the school day—perhaps also increasing the time she could flirt with her crush on the basketball team as they waited for the bus at the end of the day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098320058

Book preview

Friday Night at the Basketball Game

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…

Everyone is on their feet as they are counting down with the game clock.

Four, three, two, one! BUZZ.

The gymnasium goes wild. This is the third straight home win for the Salem Wolverines. We are undefeated at home this year. There goes Frederica running out on the floor to give Bobby, the captain of the team, a big hug.

That was another close but exciting game, says Amanda to Cole.

Yeah, somehow we pulled it off again. It is great to see the team doing so well and see the school support them. We have not been known as a basketball school. Say, my parents aren’t picking me up until 11. Want to go to Betty’s and get a float? asks Cole.

But we may as well take our time. With this many people, there is likely to be a line just going across the 68 Bridge.

Good point, Amanda. Maybe we should not only take our time but go cross the street on the south end of the Physical Education field.

Great idea.

We find our way through the crowd to the exit. It appears that we are correct: most people are headed to the 68 Bridge. We begin our walk across the PE field. As we get to the intersection, we notice that other people, mainly couples, decided to take this longer but less congested path. We make our way to the park by going between Frank’s Franks and Close Shave. There, we see a long line at Betty’s. We decide to just have a seat on one of the benches in the park.

Well, Amanda, do you have any plans for this weekend? asks Cole.

Regretfully, so!

What do you mean? asks Cole.

Well, tomorrow I have to go with my parents on a family outing with their old friends.

What? I don’t understand.

Well, my parents have had friends that they grew up with here, and, at least once or twice a year, they get together to talk about the good ole days!

Sounds boring, says Cole.

Mostly, it is. Tomorrow, they are having that reunion at Smith Mountain Lake, so I have the added pleasure of a long car ride on each end of the event. Lucky me!

Smith Mountain Lake? It seems that I remember hearing my parents talk about that place. Did they make a movie or something there?

"Oh, yeah. My Mom talks about that all of the time. They made the movie Dirty Dancing there, and, to hear her talk about it, you would think that she was in the movie. Speaking of my Mom, there she is. It looks like I need to go."

Okay. Try to have some fun, Amanda. I’ll see you on Monday.

Monday Morning

The school is all a buzz about the basketball victory on Friday. Several people are gathered with members of the team. Some members of the Pep Club are taking down last week’s banners and hanging new ones in anticipation of playing the reigning state champions this Friday. Most of us are just heading to our next class.

For me, I am headed to my computer science class. That is not just my favorite class but the only reason that I am in this school. I am only 13 and still should be in the eighth grade. Because my skills with computers were noticed and my other grades were okay, I was allowed to attend this special school. I have just finished building a computer. Well, it is not like my mom or granddad did back in the day. For me, it was mainly a matter of buying the computer and loading the operating system onto it. I remember hearing my granddad talk about connecting chips together to make a computer, but, in all fairness, his computer was not as good as mine. In fact, the computer that I have at school is nothing compared to my water-cooled monster that I have at home.

After class, Frederica sees me and says, Hey Sam!

Hi Frederica. Where is Bobby? You rarely see one without the other.

Oh, he is down in the gym with his teammates planning for the game Friday night.

Well, I am off to science and then math. I’ll catch you later.

The rest of the day is a blur, just another Monday. I just go to the bus and head home.

I don’t know how I would have gotten through the day if it had not been for the computer science class.

Tuesday Morning

As I enter room 103, a smile naturally comes across my face. There are several groups of students gathered around and talking while we wait for the teacher. There is a group by the window apparently talking about plans for Halloween. There is another group that is just hanging around at the front of the room, close to the teacher’s desk. And, of course, the jocks are in the back of