The town of Redfield was small enough that everyone knew everyone’s business. And for the last ten years, it had also been big enough to rely on its own emergency communications system—a patchwork of radios and satellite links set up and maintained by two electronics repair shops: Doug’s Tech and Marla’s Circuit Care. The rivalry between Doug and Marla was legendary, a silent war fought with passive-aggressive marketing and undercutting prices. But now, they had no choice.

It was a Tuesday morning when the call came through. The communications tower was down. It was the third failure in the last month, and without it, Redfield had no way to call for help in case of a storm, a fire, or—worse—an emergency.

Doug slammed his phone down, cursing. He couldn’t fix the tower without the rare chips they both needed, chips that were now impossible to find. The global shortage had crippled everyone.

He paced around the cluttered workshop, hearing Marla’s voice in his head: “You’ll never find it. The real parts, the ones that last. I’m the one with the skill to fix this.”

But Marla was no help this time. She had already called him this morning, too. They both knew they were running out of time.

Marla arrived on his doorstep an hour later, her pickup truck pulling up with a squeal. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, and she looked as stressed as he felt.

“Doug,” she said, walking up the steps. “I need the chip that powers the backup transmitter. I know you have it.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You’ve already cleaned out every supplier in town, Marla. What makes you think I have it?”

She shrugged. “Because you’re always five steps ahead. Now, give it to me.”

Doug held his ground. “No. If you want it, we’re working together. I don’t care how much you hate it, but we need that system fixed.”

Marla glared at him, eyes hard. For a moment, it felt like the air between them was thick enough to cut. Then she sighed. “Fine. But we’re not sharing credit for this. You get the usual fix. I get my own reputation.”

Doug smirked. “Deal. But you’ll be thanking me when the town’s not calling you for help after the next emergency.”

They set to work, not speaking much as they dug through old parts and wires, trying to piece together a functional patch that would hold the system together. They bickered over techniques, each determined to prove their methods were the best. The clock ticked down, and the pressure mounted. They both knew that one wrong move could render the entire system useless.

Finally, as the sun began to set, Doug inserted the last chip into the backup transmitter. He held his breath, flicking the switch. The tower hummed to life, the lights flashing green.

It worked.

Marla stepped back, crossing her arms. “You were right. I’ll admit it. But I’m not saying thank you.”

Doug grinned. “I know. You’ll just owe me one.”

She didn’t respond, but there was a small nod—an acknowledgment that for once, their rivalry had actually done some good.

They walked outside together, the tower now fully operational, knowing that Redfield was safe for another storm, another fire, another emergency. The chip shortage had brought them together in the strangest way—two competitors, temporarily allies, bound by a small town’s survival.