by M J Kendrick
They chatted and joked about Carlton’s swim the night before and how drunk their parents would be later that night. For all intents and purposes, they were two innocent kids having fun on the water.
Once Carlton was happy that enough time and distance had passed and once they had rounded the second island, he stopped his labored rowing and searched in his bag for a small pair of binoculars. Taking them out, he began a long slow sweep around the boat. Lucy watched him as he scanned the water. At first, she thought he just wanted to check out something that he had seen, but she soon became aware that he was being a little too systematic and methodical as if he was searching for something.
“What is it, Carlton?” she asked, showing mild curiosity.
Seeing nothing, Carlton carefully placed the binoculars back in his bag and looked intently at Lucy.
“I wanted to make sure we’re not being followed,” he said with a serious face.
Lucy gave a half-smile, “I don’t think our parents would go that far, they’re way too wrapped up in their own stuff to worry about what we’re up to. Besides, we’re all growed up now,” she added in a baby voice.
Carlton retrieved the oars and, looking deadpan, he said, “It’s not our parents I’m concerned about. There’s something vitally important I need to tell you, but not here, wait until we’re on the island, and we can talk freely.”
Lucy was looking a little worried and started to speak, “But why, what’s... ?”
Carlton interrupted and put his index finger to his lips, “Not here, Lucy,” was all he said.
As Carlton started rowing again, he could see Lucy noticing that he was different. He was aware that his expression was perhaps more serious and commanding, especially as he was now rowing like a professional. Lucy was obviously concerned about what had happened, and he wondered if he was right in thinking that she looked like she was actually admiring a side of him she hadn’t seen before.
Twenty-five minutes later, Carlton guided the boat towards the small beach of an inlet on a small, steep, heavily wooded island. He had chosen this one because there was only one access point, and it was too steep to be considered by most as worth a visit. Carlton had been here before with his father when he was much younger, so he knew the pretty island well. Once the steep climb from the only beach had been tackled, it opened out to a beautiful tree-covered glade with huge half-buried boulders and dappled sunlight.
Lucy had been mesmerized watching the water as the little boat cut quickly and smoothly along, kicking up a small wake. As the boat ground to a halt on the small stony beach, she looked up and said, “Wow, this place looks great.”
Carlton helped her out of the boat and passed her the bags and picnic things. He dragged the boat up and covered it with some leafy branches that he found around the edges of the inlet.
When the boat was covered and hidden, he said to Lucy, “It’s a bit of a climb, but trust me, it’ll be worth it. If you can take the small bag, I’ll bring the rest—come on, it’s this way.”
Ten minutes later they were at the glade. Lucy was looking around at the tall trees and checking out the large rounded boulders.
“It’s so beautiful here. How do you know about this place?” she asked.
Carlton was kneeling on a blanket, laying out the picnic things, “I used to come here exploring with my dad when I was younger. I love it here too. It’s always so peaceful.”
Lucy came and sat down by him. “All right, Sherpa Tenzing, why all the intrigue? What’s going on?”
Carlton smiled at the reference to him carrying the majority of the stuff they had brought with them. He poured two glasses of squash and handed one to Lucy.
“Okay,” he said, going back to his serious face, “what I’m about to tell you could be dangerous and I have to insist that you tell no one, not even your parents. I want to emphasize that no one must know, do you understand?”
Lucy was a little shocked at how forcefully Carlton was making the point. She knew this must be serious.
“Yes,” she said quietly, “I understand.”
For the next two hours, Carlton explained everything to Lucy, from his early interest in the accident at his father’s lab, his discovery, the implications and ramifications of what the discovery meant, the plans that he and William had been secretly working on right through the government takeover of Omni and his suspicions about being followed.
When he had finished, Lucy just sat digesting what he had said, the enormity of it stunning her to silence just as it had done to William and himself. After a few moments, Lucy began slowly nodding her head.
“I just knew there was something going on with you and William, but I never imagined this. I can’t even begin to think how you must have felt with all this going on. This is life-changing.”
Carlton agreed. “Honestly, Lucy, it’s been unbelievably difficult. I wanted to talk about it, especially to you, but the more William and I explored the possibilities and realized the dangers, we decided it would be safer for you to not get you involved, not yet anyway.”
Lucy understood, but the full implications were still emerging as she thought further about Carlton’s discovery.
“Why me especially?” she asked.
Carlton felt as though he’d backed himself into a corner; perhaps subconsciously he had done it on purpose.
“Lucy,” he said quietly, “I have grown very close to you, more than I think you realize. I want you in my life, to share in my discovery and work with me on our own research and development of dream projects. I hadn’t planned on letting you know how I feel—we both have so much going on at the moment at MIT, and then there are your plans to continue your stasis pod research after MIT at ACR. But this recent news could have a strong bearing on that and may cause you to change your plans and go elsewhere. I couldn’t take the risk of you not being around. I don’t know how yet, but I’d like us to be together on this and if possible, bring the others in too, but for now I want you to have all the facts and think about everything I’ve told you. Believe me, it takes a while to sink in.”
Lucy was smiling gently. “I will think about everything. It will take me a while, and I don’t suppose we’ll be able to talk about this until we’re back at Wakefield, but, Carlton, you are wrong, I do realize how close we’ve become. And continuing my research at ACR wasn’t the only reason I wanted to be in Gainesville. It was mainly because that’s where you would be.”
Chapter Twenty
When Carlton returned to the house in Wakefield, he felt refreshed and relaxed. After confiding in Lucy, they had both agreed to put the whole matter out of their minds as best they could, purposely making no reference that their conversation ever took place. The holiday continued with everyone having fun, although their occasional sneaky glances at each other didn’t go unnoticed.
Carlton had arrived back two days before the other Smarties so that he could make a start on his experiments before his first lectures at MIT began.
After Lucy and her family had returned home, Carlton had had plenty of time to work out exactly what he was going to do and how. His plan was simple. While he was studying at MIT, he would concentrate solely on refining the iridium energy output to a point where it would be useable in certain applications, which he’d thought long and hard about. Any of the potential uses would all rely on masses of electrical power, so generating that would be where he’d eventually have to start.
In its current form, the exerted energy was crude despite being powerful, so his first task would be to develop a method to focus the produced force by using his molecular bonding theory to a point where it gave a 60 percent or higher transition between the iridium and the ideal composite and acted as a lens. He knew that would take time to develop, but it would allow him to test the energy-producing combinations in much smaller quantities.
Next, he would have to replicate a set of triple-walled iridium Alloy matrix ingots.
He knew the method, but he wanted to vary the rare
earth metal alloy mix to better suit his needs, as the version he wanted to use wouldn’t need to have the same tensile properties that his father’s tether alloy had.
He would need to run a series of tests using a gamma source under different conditions to further irradiate and amplify the energy-giving properties of his version of the iridium alloy-based triple-walled nanotube composition. He decided to call that version the “enhanced power composite”, or EPC, which he hoped would be the stepping-stone version that he could use to create his first viable product, a compact, high output electrical generator that used next to no power in its function.
Carlton had thought long and hard about how to make use of the discovery whilst keeping below the radar, and a generator with extremely high output was something that he could use to provide a profit-making service of some kind without raising suspicion and at next to no cost.
As soon as he had taken his last set of finals, he hoped to have found some suitable premises that could become the Quantum research and manufacturing base.
He figured on completing all of these things in just over one year when he would hopefully walk out of MIT with his four PhDs, ready to start work at Quantum with everything in place.
It was a tall order, and he would be relying on William’s help.
As to when he would tell the others and ask them to join him, that would depend on his progress with the vital first stages and how successful his experiments would be.
Whenever he thought about involving the Smarties, he was at his weakest and would begin to question his abilities. If they were to come in with him, then he had a responsibility to make it work. If he failed to replicate or achieve any of the results he needed to proceed, the plan would most likely fail, and he would have to drastically revise what he would do. He would be letting them down, and they were a far too important part of his life for that, and that made him cautious and struggle with when the right time would be to broach the subject.
He put that thought out of his mind. He wouldn’t fail. He already had enough to make it work, and he had faith in his own abilities. His own level of knowledge and research around the discovery gave him strength and confidence and the determination to succeed.
Carlton spent the next day making his casting molds. He needed forty small wooden frames that would contain two three-inch molds in each. The molds only needed to be one inch wide and a quarter of an inch deep—that way he could cast small batches that were easy to handle and would cover the number of experiments and trial compositions on his agenda.
Every inch of space on Carlton’s workbench was covered with his casting trays as he lined them up so they could set hard.
He had just finished pouring the last mold when his phone rang. It was Lucy.
“Hi Lucy, what’s up?” he asked as he cradled his phone on his cheek, awkwardly trying to wipe the excess casting plaster from his hands.
“Hi Carlton, nothing’s up, I’m at the airport just waiting for my bags to come through and I wondered, if you weren’t too busy, could you come and get me?”
Carlton’s face lit up; this was perfect. He would have a chance to talk to Lucy on the way back.
“Sure, I can be there in forty minutes, just wait by the drop-off area, I’ll leave right now.”
***
Exactly forty minutes later, Comet pulled up at the beginning of the drop-off area to an awaiting Lucy sitting on her three bags.
“Right on time,” she said with a smile.
Carlton stepped out of Comet and looking over the roof said, “Your carriage awaits, milady.”
As he moved round to open the trunk, Lucy jumped up and gave him a kiss, whispering, “Thank you,” in his ear.
Carlton was a little taken aback but undeniably happy. He was still smiling broadly as they drove off.
As soon as they left the airport, Lucy was the first to speak.
“Carlton,” she said, “I’ve been thinking very hard about everything and what it means, or I should say, what it could mean to me. I just don’t want to be involved in any government research. That was something I had dismissed even long before MIT, so you were right in thinking it would change my career direction. I have only ever wanted to be in private sector research. Omni would have been my perfect choice, but now, that’s not an option.”
Carlton was listening intently, trying to build himself up for disappointment.
Lucy continued, “My parents are always asking me what I want to do after MIT, especially after we got back from visiting you. They know I would never work for the government, but the good thing is they will support whatever I choose.”
Carlton was nodding. Anyone who knew the Rondstats could see how much they adored their daughter and would do anything for her. He wasn’t surprised they would support whatever choice she made.
“Have you made a choice yet?” he asked, expecting the worst.
“Yes, I have. Actually, you made the choice for me.”
“I did?” said Carlton, thinking, Here it comes.
“Yes, back on the island, although I didn’t know it then. I would like to carry on with my research and work on developing my own adaptation on stasis pod design for deep space applications. It’s what I originally intended to do at ACR, but now I’d like to do it at Quantum if you’ll have me.”
Carlton let out a long sigh; he had been holding his breath without realizing it.
“Oh Lucy,” he said, “I hoped you would say that. Of course I want you with me at Quantum. From the moment I realized the potential of what can be achieved with the discovery, I have been trying to find a way for you to be involved. It’s going to be a little tough at first, though, but I have a solution. Let me tell you the plan.”
For the rest of the journey, Carlton went through what he had planned and how he was going to pull everything together to begin when their time at MIT came to an end. Lucy was smiling and bouncing in her seat, getting more excited as he explained each stage. She’d already said on many occasions that she wanted to be an integral part of something from the start. With this, she could shape her own career surrounded by the people she cared about and who cared about her.
As Carlton pulled on to the drive and turned off the engine, Lucy touched his arm and said, “I hope you haven’t forgotten the conversation we had that first time you showed me your loft lab when you said, ‘If I build it, you can get us there.’”
Carlton just looked at Lucy, and with a wry smile on his face, he opened Comet’s door and got out without saying a word.
William had already arrived back and was in the kitchen. As Lucy and Carlton entered, William saw Lucy let go of Carlton’s hand that she had been playfully holding and swinging as they walked into the house.
Pointing at their hands, William smiled and said, “Well, it’s about time!” and they all laughed.
After Lucy had taken her bags up and unpacked, the three sat around the table drinking coffee. Carlton brought William up to speed on all of the developments. Lucy told him of her intention to join them, and after they had discussed Omni’s sellout, William said, “I have to say it doesn’t surprise me, anything as big as some of Omni’s projects meant it was only a matter of time. Now you see why we have to keep things under tight wraps.”
They both nodded. Carlton told William about developing a high-output generator using the EPC as the first Quantum project, and William agreed that it offered the best way to use the technology to fund further development without giving up its secrets. He had several good ideas as to how to go about it.
Lucy had listened eagerly to William, and when he had finished, she looked at him and then at Carlton and said, “Look, you guys, it seems clear to me that William has the wherewithal to make this work. Let’s face it—neither Carlton nor I have the first clue when it comes to stuff like this.”
She looked at Carlton. “You need him on board 100 percent.”
Carlton nodded. He knew she was right. He looked at William and said, “Would you co
nsider joining us full time at Quantum after MIT?”
William smiled. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he said quickly.
Lucy smiled. “Now we are three.”
***
Calisto was the last to arrive very late the following day. Everyone had long since gone to bed, so no one saw her until the usual morning rush and panic in the kitchen as everyone scrambled to grab coffee and toast before leaving for MIT.
Carlton, Lucy, Haru, and Miles were chatting wildly about their summer break exploits when Calisto dumped a heavy cloth bag down on the table in front of Carlton with a thump.
“What’s this?” he said through a mouthful of toast.
“Open it and find out,” said Calisto as she headed for the coffee pot.
Carlton untied the chord at the top and opened the thick cloth bag to reveal what looked like half a bucket of shiny grey metallic nuggets. Iridium!
“Oh my god,” he exclaimed, “you got it!”
Calisto joined them at the table, “Yep, ten pounds of South Africa’s finest. Don’t say I never give you anything.”
Carlton leaped around the table and hugged Calisto. “Thank you, Cally. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Smiling and playfully pushing him off, she said, “I’m beginning to. I know how much it means to my dad, though I practically had to sell my soul to convince him. But, luckily for you, he loves me,” and, as usual, they all erupted in laughter.
***
After three weeks, it was an open secret about Carlton’s and Lucy’s growing affection, even though they tried to act as they always had around each other. Eventually, the Smarties all ganged up on them and told them to stop trying to hide it as it was becoming embarrassing. Carlton and Lucy felt better that it was out in the open, and, once again, they all soon settled into their intense schedules.
