Linkage: The Narrows of Time

by Jay Falconer

  Lucas spent a minute reviewing the calculations. “You’re right. But why?”

  “I have no idea. But this may have caused the failure.”

  “It certainly would explain the conflicting data.”

  “We should use our original equations and run it again.”

  “Do you still want to use full power?”

  “Yes, definitely,” Drew said, plowing forward on his keyboard to enter the correct calculations.

  They spent the next fifteen minutes reconfiguring their experiment.

  “Okay, we’re ready,” Drew said.

  “Then make it so,” Lucas replied, using a decent imitation of Captain Picard’s voice.

  Drew pressed the green READY switch to fire the charged neutron beam, listening for the beam to pulse. Once it did, he sat back to watch the steady stream of data fill the center monitor.

  At first, everything went according to plan, but then a few of the readings changed, then more of them did. Something wasn’t right. He wasn’t sure what at first, until he looked closer at the data values in the column farthest to the right. His heart skipped a beat. The reactor’s internal mass readings were low—much too low. No, this couldn’t be.

  Maybe the monitor was malfunctioning. That would explain the change in numbers. He scrambled to enter commands into his keyboard, trying to validate the readings. But the checksums validated—the numbers shown on the monitor were correct. He sat up and leaned in close to the screen, looking over the data values one final time, making sure he was not misinterpreting the results. He wasn’t. There was no denying it—the mass inside the reactor had dropped by almost a hundred percent.

  He changed the screen to show the video feed from inside the core. He was afraid to look, but did anyway. “Oh, no!”

  “What’s wrong now?”

  Drew pointed his finger at the screen. “Look, it's gone!”

  “Could you be a little more fucking specific?” Lucas asked with a snarl, scooting his chair closer to Drew’s station.

  Drew wished he had his brother’s cuss word vocabulary so he could respond in kind. Instead, he kept quiet. He used the frame-by-frame mode to replay the video recording from inside the chamber. They both saw that just before the E-121 and its container disappeared, an instantaneous flash had filled the core. It had originated as a microscopic point of light near the center of the container, before expanding vertically and then horizontally like a four-pointed star. A few frames later, the brightness subsided. The E-121 and its receptacle were gone.

  “Where the hell did it go?” Lucas asked.

  Drew zoomed in the camera. “Beats the shi—snot out of me.”

  “What’s that shit covering the base?”

  “Looks like some type of black film.”

  “I need to get in there,” Lucas said. “Prep the chamber.”

  Drew flipped several riser panel switches to power down the reactor’s subsystems.

  Lucas rushed to get into the safety gear, before snatching two electronic devices from the equipment cabinet, and a plastic sample container from the supply cabinet.

  He stepped inside the chamber, completed decontamination procedures, and rushed back to the reactor. He hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening the core’s protective shield. When he looked inside, he confirmed the reactor was empty. There was no sign of E-121 or its container, only the black residue remained.

  He used the portable multi-spectrum analyzer from storage to scan for all known forms of radiation, but found none. He turned to Drew and gave the thumbs down signal. Next, he used the Radon detector to check for signs of the toxic gas. He held up its sensor probe while walking the length of the chamber. Once again, he gave the all clear signal to Drew. He opened the plastic container and used his glove-covered finger as a scoop to retrieve a sample of the black powder for Drew. He left the reactor with the specimen in hand, completed decontamination procedures, and changed back into his clothes.

  He put the sample container on the desk in front of his brother. “Here, don’t say I never gave you anything.”

  Drew picked up the plastic container, held it close to his eyes, and shook it gently. “What do you think happened to E-121?”

  Lucas leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck and shoulders. “I have no clue. Do you think we used too much power and vaporized it?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “Kleezebee’s going to be royally pissed.”

  They spent the next hour checking the available data logs, instrument readings, and video feeds.

  “The answer has to be in here somewhere.” Lucas flipped through the final few pages of data on the computer screen. He sat back in his chair, yawned, stretched, and then rubbed his watery eyes. When he looked back at the computer screen, he noted a single, nonconforming data value just below the top edge of the screen. He had almost missed it. He scrolled back a page and found another strange value just above it. He was suddenly wide-awake.

  “Holy shit! There was a massive power spike inside the reactor.”

  “How massive?”

  “According to the readings, about a trillion times the level we were using at the time.”

  “That’s not possible. You must be misreading the values.”

  “Hey, all I can tell you is what the log says. Somehow, the reactor was hit with a huge power spike.”

  Drew tilted the computer screen toward him and stared at it for good minute, before flipping through several of the data pages. “You’re absolutely right. The spike’s timing does seem to coincide with E-121’s disappearance.”

  Lucas had intended to see if they could recreate the accident. However, with the discovery of the unknown energy spike, it was going to be difficult to do. He handed the black powder container to Drew. “Go see if Griffith can identify this stuff.”

  “Why me?”

  “It’s your turn,” Lucas said, smiling. “Have fun, little brother.”

  * * *

  Forty-five minutes later, Lucas was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed when he heard Drew come through the lab door. “What’s the verdict?”

  “It doesn’t exist.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  Drew gave the container to Lucas. “It doesn’t register at all. Griffith ran it through his mass spectrometer, but it didn’t detect any chemical or biological compounds. It’s as though the stuff wasn’t even there.”

  “So I take it this stuff is safe?” Lucas asked, not waiting for confirmation before opening the lid. He retrieved some of the black substance and rubbed it around between the tips of his fingers. It felt smooth, almost like baby powder, but heavier. He held his fingers up to his nose and took a whiff. “Kind of smells like . . . oranges.”

  “So what’s next?” Drew asked.

  Lucas reattached the container’s lid and cleaned off his fingers with a paper towel. “I don’t know about you, but I’m spent and can’t think straight. It’s been one brutal night. Let’s close up shop and come back tomorrow to see if we can figure this out before DL gets back from Washington.”

  “Did you forget about the mainframe’s servicing tonight?”

  “Oh, shit, that’s right. Okay, we’ll come back Sunday, then.”

  Lucas backed up their instrument readings and data logs onto a USB flash drive in case he wanted to review it later. He unzipped Drew’s backpack and put the thumb drive and the black powder container into it.

  The brothers followed established shutdown procedures for their equipment, before returning to their apartment.

  Chapter 8

  Saturday, December 22

  Lucas stepped out of the oversized shower stall in their apartment, wiping himself off with a beige, terry-cloth towel from the towel rack. He slipped on his boxer-briefs and a pair of ankle-high white socks.

  He stood in front of the cracked mirror and watched his hands lather up his face with shaving cream. “What do you wanna do for breakfast?�
� he yelled to Drew, almost smearing some of the cream into his right eye.

  “Hang on a minute, I’m on the phone,” Drew answered from the other room.

  Lucas scraped the five-bladed razor across the middle of his chin, trying not to cut open one of his childhood scars. The blade pulled and ripped at his stubble, reminding him to buy replacements at the on-campus drugstore. When he finished, he rinsed off his face, toweled it dry, and then waited for signs of blood to appear. There were none. He ran a blast of hot water through the blades and tapped the razor twice against the edge of the sink.

  Drew rolled into the bathroom, squeezed past the back of Lucas’ legs, and positioned his wheelchair between the sink and the toilet. Their apartment had an oversized handicap accessible bathroom, its only redeeming quality. He put his shaving kit on the edge of the sink along with a can of air freshener. The can was shrink-wrapped with a price sticker on its side.

  “Round two?” Lucas asked.

  Drew laughed. “I should’ve known better than to have those onion rings yesterday.”

  “Can you hold on a minute? I just need to brush my teeth.”

  “Sorry, can’t. Something’s peeking already.”

  Lucas handed him an extra roll of toilet paper from under the sink. “Here, you might need this.”

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Lucas was on the couch when he heard the toilet flush and smelled the air freshener. Lucas went into the bathroom and stood next to Drew, who was washing his hands in the sink.

  “I think you need to use more of that spray. It’s hard to breathe in here,” Lucas said, holding the shirt collar over his nose.

  “I don’t smell anything.”

  “You never do.”

  Lucas dodged his brother’s left arm as Drew removed his pajama top. It was all part of his brother’s shaving ritual. After that, Drew would spend a good ten minutes brushing each of his teeth twenty-one times.

  “Damn, how many push-ups did you do today?” Lucas asked, seeing Drew’s pumped up biceps.

  “Three hundred seventy-five, a new personal best.”

  Lucas looked at his physique in the mirror. “I’d be lucky to do fifty. Plus it would take me all day.”

  “I had a lot of extra energy today.”

  “Maybe you should think about wearing a short-sleeved shirt, to show off those guns to the ladies.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Lucas flexed his right bicep while looking in the mirror, but it was barely noticeable. “I know I would if I had your guns. It seems like no matter how hard I try, I can’t put on any weight. I still look like I did in eighth grade.”

  “Except you’re a foot taller.”

  “Seriously, dude, you should think about it. I see major hotties checking you out all the time.”

  “I doubt that. Besides, I don’t care about them. I figure I’ve found the only girl for me.”

  “Who?”

  “Abby.”

  “The chick from the lab?”

  Drew smiled.

  “Granted she’s smokin’ hot, but you just met her. She could be a bunny-boiler for all you know. Besides, how do you know she’s even interested?”

  “Because she gave me her phone number yesterday and I just called her. We’re meeting this morning for coffee at the Wildcat House.”

  Lucas was impressed by his brother’s initiative, especially since Drew did not drink coffee. His brother was more of a milk and cookies kind of guy.

  “Am I invited?”

  “Sure, if you want. But I think she’s only expecting me.”

  Lucas was hungry, but coffee was not his first choice for breakfast. “Maybe I’ll just grab something here.”

  “It’s up to you. She probably won’t mind if you join us.”

  “No, you go ahead. I’m going to make some cinnamon oatmeal. Maybe even fry up a slab of bacon,” Lucas said, trying to flex his chest muscles in the mirror. “You might want to bring her a gift.”

  “What kind of gift?”

  Lucas smiled. “Like a dozen red roses wrapped in a big yellow bow. She obviously likes flowers since she wears them in her hair.”

  “I don’t know. That sounds expensive. Can’t I just get her something small?”

  “Maybe a box of chocolates?”

  “I’ll think about it,” Drew said, thumbing through the dust inside his wallet. “When Mom calls later, be sure to find out what the cardiologist said.”

  “Do you really think you’ll be gone that long?”

  Drew grinned. “You never know.”

  * * *

  Drew waited for the shuttle driver to retrieve his wheelchair from the bumper rack. After getting in his chair, he thanked the driver and tipped him a dollar, not knowing if gratuity was appropriate or if the amount were sufficient. Lucas normally took care of fetching his wheelchair from the rack, so tipping the driver was uncharted territory. Either way, the buck was all he could spare.

  He made his way along the sidewalk next to the science lab. To his right was a flower garden flush with mums, pansies, petunias, and some other flowers he did not recognize. Perhaps the botany department was experimenting with some new type of flora. He strolled next to the flowerbed, reached down, and snapped off one of the more radiant red flowers. He placed it across his lap, then un-tucked his shirt and used it to hide the gift. He resumed his trip, entering the west end of the Student Union where he rode the elevator up two levels and found Abby sitting at a table near the front of the Wildcat House restaurant. She was wearing a low-cut pink sweater and jeans. In front of her were two jumbo-sized Styrofoam cups of coffee and a plate of chocolate chip muffins.

  She smiled when they made eye contact. Drew blushed. She stood up and walked over to greet him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders for a tight hug. Drew wanted to hug her back, but missed the opportunity when she let go before he could act. She looked into his eyes, as if he needed to say something. “Wow, it’s nice in here,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear—not what he expected his lips to say.

  “Haven’t you been in here before?” she asked.

  “No. We always eat in the cafeteria on the first floor.”

  “Well, then, I guess it’s up to me to show you all the hot spots,” she said, handing him one of the cups of coffee as he reached the cozy, two-person table. “I love this place.”

  He put the cup on the table before sliding his wheelchair under the edge. He was sitting directly across from her, only an arm’s length away. He wasn’t sure if the time was right, but couldn’t wait any longer. He reached under his shirt to retrieve the red flower, then gave it to her. “This is for you.”

  “Oh Drew, it’s so beautiful. Thank you sooooo much. Nobody has ever given me flowers before.”

  Drew smiled but didn’t respond.

  “What kind of flower is it?”

  “I really don’t know. But when I saw it, it made me think of you. It’s breathtaking.” He wasn’t sure where those words came from, but he actually sounded smooth and charming, as if he’d done this before. Lucas would be proud of him.

  Abby gently hugged the flower across her chest. She stood up, came to his side of the table, and then hugged him again, though this time she lingered much longer. A second chance, he thought. Don’t mess up. He wrapped his arms around her, finding her tiny body soft and inviting. The warmth of her sweet breathe caressed his neck and her perfume was intoxicating. He was in heaven. He prayed she’d never let go, but she did.

  Drew wasn’t sure what to say next, so he just smelled his cup of steaming java, hoping she might continue the conversation. The coffee blend had an enjoyable aroma. If it tasted as good as it smelled, he might actually like it. He took a sip. God, it was nasty. He wanted to spit it back into the cup, but didn’t. Abby loved this place—he needed to play along. He smiled at her, then sucked in another mouthful. The java was scorching hot, burning the roof of his mouth.

  “Do you like it? It’s my favorite,” she said
.

  “Yes. It’s delicious.” He tore open and dumped four packs of sugar into it. He took another drink, wondering if he could ever get used to the disgusting taste. “Hmmm. They sure make good coffee here.”

  “Yeah, I come here all the time. It’s always packed. Did you have any trouble getting here?”

  “No, I took the shuttle. It dropped me off a block away.”

  “Lucas didn’t drive you?”

  “No, we don’t have a car. But the shuttle’s pretty handy. Not expensive either.”

  “Do you live close by?”

  “We’re just north of Speedway, in an old apartment building that Dr. Kleezebee owns.”

  “He owns an apartment building? I never would have guessed that.”

  “Don’t let his appearance fool you, Kleezebee’s loaded.”

  “Seriously? Dr. Kleezebee?”

  “It’s true. Have you’ve seen those BTX Enterprises signs all over town?”

  “Yeah, they’re everywhere.”

  “Well, Kleezebee owns that company.”

  “Isn’t BTX building the new Atlantis World Mall, halfway between here and Phoenix?”

  Drew nodded. “I can’t wait to see it. It’s going to be the world’s largest indoor mall. Kleezebee told me they’re building a really cool science exhibit for the kids, too. I hope it includes a telescope for some decent night viewing. The kids will love that. I just wish it was closer.”

  “Is your apartment nice?”

  “Not really. It’s old and small. But Kleezebee let’s us live there for free.”

  “That’s very generous of him,” she replied with a surprised look on her face.

  “He does that for a lot of his staff. Bruno and Trevor live in our complex, too. Kleezebee even keeps a place there, though I’m not sure why. He’s never there. I think he sleeps in his office.”

  “He wears a wedding ring. I take it he’s married?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but I don’t think anyone’s ever seen her. I’ve been in his office and his apartment, but there’re no photos of her anywhere. I’m not sure what the deal is.”

  Drew looked beyond Abby at the checkout counter along the back wall of the Wildcat House. A broad-shouldered man with a Mohawk haircut was standing in line, talking to two female students in front of him. Drew recognized him. It was the tallest rugby player from the altercation in the cafeteria—the same one that shoved his wheelchair across the room. His heart raced and he started to sweat. Not now, he thought. Not in front of Abby. He should have insisted that Lucas join them for coffee.