James is going through his father’s things and finds the signal receiver he was making.  He decides to keep it and puts it in a safe place.  The next day, Nexus Healthcare confiscates all the rest of his father’s inventions because his father hadn’t noticed the clause in his contract saying all his inventions belonged to Nexus.  They don’t know about the signal receiving equipment so James pretends he himsel invented it to make sure no one takes it away.  He then decides to continue his father’s work on it out of curiosity.

The rain outside rapped on the attic window with a gentle patter as the grey light cast from the overcast sky shown on the monochrome tarps covering various inventions. James's hair was still wet from standing in the rain at the funeral that had concluded mere hours ago. His mother had been so heartbroken that she had suffered a breakdown. His uncle had taken her in so that she could recover, leaving James with the whole house to himself. Now it was up to him to sort through his father's belongings. There were many he had seen before, and a few his father had never shown him, but all of them hit James with the novel nostalgia that comes with the loss of a loved one. Not all the inventions were up in the attic, but James had been avoiding that room.
After finishing in the attic, the 19 year old stood quietly at the entrance to the basement.  He didn’t want to go down there, but he knew he had to. With a heavy heart he made his way down the steps. The small vista of the workshop was illuminated before him as he pulled the cord of the single lightbulb. In the middle of the room was the old signal receiver the two of them had worked on together the night his father had died. He could still identify the last little bolts and screws and wiring they had installed in the device, tracing his fingers along the crafted wood casing as he fought the tears welling up in his eyes. A sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Such a memory shouldn’t be left to rot.
With gentle hands, James put the signal receiver in a case and took it out of the basement. After looking for a place to put it, he decided to put it in the trunk of his car. There was a lab room at his college he could use to work on it more. Perhaps he would finish it, for science's sake. The thought of his father’s smile at the completion of the invention soothed James’s heart as he closed the trunk, wiping a stray tear from his eye.
The sound of vehicles approaching pulled his attention. He looked to see three black SUVs pulling up with a black box truck in tow. Out of them stepped strong men with rough hands and unpleasant expressions. One of them walked up to James, towering over him. “Are you the only one home right now?”
James was very intimidated. “Who the heck are you guys?  Hey!” he exclaimed as he witnessed three of them bust through the front door.
The man handed James a search warrant and showed him a badge. “We’re here to confiscate property that rightfully belongs to your father’s workplace.” He showed James a paper with his father’s signature, pointing to the fine print. “This clause states any and all inventions made during his employment at Nexus Healthcare belong to Nexus Healthcare and will be confiscated in the event of him quitting, being fired, or in this case dying.”
James’s face turned red as he waved the paper out of his face. “What the heck!  That’s so unfair!”
“Well your father probably should have thought of that before signing. Do not interfere or you will be arrested.” said the man before turning and helping the other thugs transport every last invention of Jame’s father onto the box truck. They cleared out the attic, and then the basement, before they even rumaged through his father’s personal belongings. Once they were finished, the officer handed a piece of paper to James. “Here’s your father’s severance package. My condolences.” but his tone clearly indicated that he didn’t care as he left James standing there with a check and broken memories.
Once they were gone, James went inside. The attic that once held the countless achievements of his father was now bare and empty. The only items that weren’t taken were the family heirlooms and seasonal decorations. The basement wasn’t much better, and the thugs had taken everything that even resembled an invention James’s father had made. Well, not everything.
James made his way back out to his car and opened the trunk. There was the wooden case still containing his father’s last invention. He looked at the check in his hand and his eyes widened. The large number on the check was a bitter blessing, opening doors to allow James to continue his father’s work while at the same time devastating his memory. In that moment, James resolved to reinvent his father’s inventions in order to preserve his father’s memory through himself. He would use the check to take care of his mother, and continue his college. He would become a great inventor and make something better of this pain. Not for the money. Not for the fame. For science.

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