A Pause in Space-Time

by Laurence Dahners

  “No problem,” Kaem said, telling Odin to disconnect. He turned back to his studies, but about ten minutes later, he wondered, What if they’re trying to find out the company because the results are weird? He pondered this for a minute, then thought, I’m being paranoid! He went back to studying.

  ***

  Cathy rapped on his door frame. Harris looked up, “What’d you find out?”

  She shook her head, “He says the specimens don’t belong to a company. They come from some private individual.”

  “Him?” Harris looked at the copy he’d made of the intake sheet. “This ‘Kaem Seba’ person?”

  “Um, he didn’t say. Do you want me to call him back?”

  “No…” Harris sighed, “No, we’d better not kick that sleeping dog again.”

  Once Cathy left, Harris googled Kaem Seba. Fortunately, the name Seba was uncommon in the States, though there were a lot of people with that name in Africa. The only one nearby was a mixed-race physics student at UVA. Could some professor in the physics department have created those mirrors? If so, you’d think they’d be doing the testing in the university’s facilities… Maybe, he thought, some professor’s going to try to claim he didn’t invent it at the University because if he did UVA would own a big chunk of the rights. Or, Harris wondered, could they have found those mirrors somewhere? After a few minutes thought, Harris decided “finding them” sounded more like an archaeology department discovery than a physics department invention.

  So, he wondered, what do I do? It doesn’t sound like I can just invest in the company that invented them. But, assuming they can make more of that stuff, and especially if they can make it in other shapes, it’s going to be worth a fortune!

  Harris didn’t want to miss that ride.

  After extensive thought, Harris decided he was going to have to try to talk to this Kaem Seba. Talking to a college student sounded like a waste of his time, but if he applied enough grease to the kid’s palm, he should be able to find out where the plates came from.

  That wasn’t a task he could delegate.

  Chapter Six

  Encountering James Harris

  Kaem and Arya were eating lunch together. She asked, “What do you think our first product should be?”

  “I don’t know. There’re so many possibilities it’s hard to choose.”

  “We can’t build them all. In fact, it’ll be hard to set up even one product for serious manufacturing with Gunnar as our only investor.”

  Kaem gave a little laugh. “I hope you’re not going to tell me you want to sell stock?”

  “Not yet, but we might have to.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “That we might be able to do it ourselves if we start with a really high-value product. One that’s not too expensive or difficult for us to make.” She glanced distractedly across the room and twirled a hank of hair around a finger. “Something with a high enough payoff that we could use that money to set up a real manufacturing facility.”

  “We need the results from the testing,” Kaem sighed. “If the strength and heat resistance are as high as I think they’ll be; we should be able to build rocket engines. Currently, those are really expensive to make because of the need for exotic alloys to keep the engine from melting when you fire it. Even with those high-temperature alloys, their designs are made much more complex because of the need to pump cold fuel through the rocket engine and nozzle to keep even those exotic alloys from melting. If we could mold our mirrors…” he trailed off.

  “What?”

  “Just realizing that we couldn’t get our mirrors back out of the combustion chamber because the opening is narrow. We’d have to break them or melt them out.” He shrugged, “Presumably, that’s not a problem. We probably couldn’t hurt the inside of the combustion chamber with either an explosive fragmentation or a high heat melting solution for removing the mirrors. It’s just that it’ll increase our costs to have to make a new set of mirrors for each engine.”

  “What if we made a couple more 7.5 cm x 15 cm test samples and sent them to Space-Gen? They’re going to want to do their own tests on the material anyway.” Arya broke off at the worried look on Kaem’s face. “What’s the matter?”

  “I’ve been realizing there’re people out there who might want to steal this from us.”

  “Oh.” She narrowed her eyes, “Anything in particular making you worried? Or just the fact that stade’s going to be really valuable?”

  “I got a call yesterday from Harris Laboratories, the people that’re doing our testing?”

  Arya nodded, “What’d they want?”

  “I think it was their admin that called. She said she’d noticed I hadn’t filled one of the blanks on their specimen intake form. Implied she was just dotting her I’s and crossing her T’s.”

  “So?”

  “The blank was the one for ‘company name.’ Because I didn’t want to fill that one, I specifically remember that it didn’t have an asterisk identifying it as a blank that had to be filled in.”

  Arya studied him for a moment, “And you’re thinking someone there wants to know where the test samples came from?”

  Kaem nodded.

  “What’d you tell her?”

  “I told her the specimens came from a private individual and pointed out that their website indicated they do testing for individuals, not just companies.”

  Arya grinned, “Just not that the private individual was you, huh?”

  Kaem nodded slowly.

  Arya gave a little shrug, “It’s probably innocent.”

  Kaem’s phone rang. He turned the display to Arya. It said, “Harris Laboratories.”

  “Are you going to answer it? she asked.

  “I pretty much have to,” he said unhappily. “We want the results we paid for, right?” He told the phone to connect Arya’s earbud into the call, then answer. “Hello?”

  “Hi, is this… Kaem Seba?”

  “Yes,” Kaem said, trying not to sound suspicious.

  “Jim Harris here, owner of Harris Laboratories?”

  “Uh, yes, sir Mr. Harris. What can I do for you?”

  “You brought in some test specimens earlier this week.”

  “Yes, sir. Are the results ready?” Kaem put excitement in his tone. He felt certain the results wouldn’t be ready, but didn’t want to give the man any inkling of his suspicions.

  “Oh, no. Still, a lot of work to do there. But I’ve gotten pretty interested in those specimens. Where’d they come from?”

  “Um,” Kaem said uncertainly. “I’m supposed to keep that confidential. Your website says you’ll keep it confidential too, right?”

  Harris gave a little laugh. One that sounded too hearty for the situation, Kaem thought. Harris said, “Of course, of course. Any chance you and I could meet? Just talk about it a little? I could make it worth your while.”

  “Oh, no,” Kaem said, trying to sound mildly shocked. “I’d be afraid I might give something away. I promised to keep all this completely confidential and I wouldn’t want to break that promise… Um, do you know when our results will be ready?” He winced.

  “Sometime next week,” Harris said. “We’re still doing some analyses.”

  “Okay,” Kaem said, “thanks. I’ll check with Cathy next week then.” He had Odin disconnect, wanting to get off the line before Harris could pursue any other angles.

  Arya looked worried. “Why’d you wince?”

  “I called them ‘our results,’” Kaem said. “I hope he didn’t notice.”

  Arya shrugged, “I didn’t notice it.”

  “But you know they’re our results.”

  “You need a patent,” Arya said. “And a bodyguard.”

  Kaem snorted, “I’m pretty sure those are both really expensive. A little beyond the means of a dirt poor student.”

  She got a serious look. “Let’s talk to Schmidt. Maybe he’ll finance the patent.”

  “So, we’d put all three of
our names on it?”

  She frowned, “I looked this up. Only the person who actually invented it is supposed to get their name on the patent.” Kaem started to protest but she put her hand up to stop him, “Wait. According to my reading, it’s simpler if you get the patent but assign it to our company, Staze. Then we each share in the profits from the patent the same way we share in Staze.”

  “And you think Gunnar’d go for that? His share in the company’s so small.”

  “Yeah, he thinks the profits from Staze are going to be huge. He doesn’t think it matters how small a piece he has, he’s still going to be wealthier than he ever dreamed.”

  “Okay, but do you mind asking him? I’d be embarrassed.”

  “Sure, I’ll call him… Look, I don’t think we should ask Schmidt to hire you a bodyguard, but I don’t think you should go places without me.”

  “What, you’re gonna protect me?”

  She stared at him steadily.

  Kaem blinked, “I guess you already did, right? The day we met and you took down that bully.”

  “Yeah,” she winked, “I’m a lot meaner than I look.”

  Kaem felt uncomfortable. “I don’t think you should be trying to protect me. If… if we run into some really bad guy…” he shook his head, “I wouldn’t want you risking your life. Better to just tell him how to make stades.”

  “Maybe,” she said, then gave him a sharp look, “but don’t get all paternalistic on me. I’ll make my own decisions.”

  Kaem put his hands up in surrender, “No problem. Not paternalistic. No male chauvinist pigs here.” He grinned at her, “Besides, I’m getting to where I kind of like having you around.”

  She narrowed her eyes, “Is that some kind of sexist comment?”

  He put his arms straight up as if in a bank robbery, “No, no, no, no! Not sexist! Just thinking of you as a good buddy! The kind of friend I like to hang around with!”

  She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, “Are baap re.”

  “What’s that mean?” Kaem asked, suspiciously.

  “Hindi for something like, ‘Oh my God,’” Arya said, as if she were in pain. “Mom says it all the time. I’m not exactly sure of the translation, but…”

  Kaem eyed her, wondering. He teased her a lot, and she sometimes teased him back, but if he said something implying that he liked her she usually cut him off. Suddenly he couldn’t take it, “Are your parents arranging your marriage?”

  Her eyes flashed back open to stare at him. “Where’s that coming from?!”

  He shrugged sullenly, “I don’t know. But isn’t that the way it’s done in India?”

  “I’ve never lived in India, you know?”

  “Well, yeah, but it’s your heritage, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, but my heritage’s none of your business, is it?” she snapped.

  Kaem put his hands up again, “Okay, okay. You be my bodyguard. I’ll try to not like having you around. Business partners only.”

  She gave him a surly look, “We can be friends.”

  Kaem gave her his best smile, “I’d like that.”

  Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes.

  They got up and started toward the door. Outside, he turned toward his dorm. To his surprise, Arya turned with him. “Where are you going?”

  “With you. Bodyguard, remember?” she said, pulling out her phone.

  While she mumbled some commands to it, Kaem said, “You don’t have to start now, do you? I mean, I was thinking you were just going to bodyguard me when I left campus. That wouldn’t be too difficult since I hardly ever go anywhere.”

  Arya said, “You have a boyfriend in his 50s?”

  “Um, no,” Kaem said, puzzled.

  “There was a guy who came in right before we left. Looked around, then stared at you. After that, he glanced at you several times a minute. You never noticed?”

  “No…” Kaem said slowly. “I’m not usually trying to figure out whether guys are staring at me or not. I’m not interested.”

  “Oh, shit!” Arya said.

  “What?”

  She held up her phone where he could see the screen. It had a picture of a guy in his 50s with buzz cut reddish hair.

  “That’s him? You took a picture?”

  “That’s him, yes. And, no, I didn’t take a picture. This is James Harris, CEO of Harris Laboratories.”

  Kaem swallowed. “Crap!”

  Arya stopped and looked in a store window.

  Surprised, Kaem looked in the window to see what’d caught her eye. It had a lot of UVA gear, but he’d never seen Arya wearing that kind of paraphernalia. He looked at her. Her head was facing into the store, but her eyes were turned off to the left. She’s looking at a reflection in the window, he thought, starting to turn left as well. Before he’d rotated more than a few degrees, she grabbed his arm and turned him to the right. With a sharp tug, she started them off down the sidewalk in the same direction they’d been going. She linked her arm in his as if she were his girlfriend.

  Suddenly, Kaem got it. “Harris’s following us, isn’t he?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes,” she said. “It’s not much farther to your dorm. If he follows us all the way there, we can talk to him in the lobby. Aren’t there usually a lot of people in there?”

  “Yeah, it’s a hangout. I suppose I shouldn’t turn around and look at him?”

  “No, I don’t want to give him a chance to call out and try to get us to stop and talk to him here.”

  Is it wrong for me to enjoy having her holding my arm even if she doesn’t want to be doing it? Kaem wondered.

  Right after they entered the lobby of Kaem’s dorm the door opened again. Kaem glanced that way and saw a fiftyish man with short red hair coming in. The man’s eyes fell on Kaem and widened with false surprise. “Mr. Seba?” the man said, striding toward him.

  Kaem glanced at Arya and she gave him a tiny nod. He turned back toward Harris, “Yes?”

  The man extended his hand, “Jim Harris. We spoke on the phone just a little while ago.”

  Kaem reluctantly shook the man’s hand. “Yes?”

  “I just wanted to…” Harris looked around, “Can we just sit over here? I’d love to just talk to you for a few minutes.”

  “Um, I’d rather not—”

  “Oh, come on,” the man said jovially. “I just want to talk. Nothing painful.” His hand dipped into his pants pocket and he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. Extending it, he said, “I’ll pay for the privilege.”

  Kaem stared at the bill, wanting the money, but not wanting to talk.

  The man bobbed it up and down.

  Kaem shook his head, “No. What do you want?”

  Harris gave him a sad look. “So mistrustful! I just want to know where those specimens came from. They’re so interesting! I’d love to talk to the person that found them, or created them or…?” He trailed off as if hoping Kaem would fill the gap.”

  Kaem shook his head again, “No. I promised him. Like I told you. It’s confidential.”

  This time Harris’s hand went into his jacket pocket. “I’d make it very much worth your time,” he said, showing Kaem a stack of twenty-dollar bills about a half-inch thick.

  Holy Methuselah! Kaem thought, It’s a good thing the person I’d be selling out would be myself. If it were someone else, I’d be really tempted. He shook his head.

  Harris added another stack of bills to make the wad of cash an inch thick.

  Kaem lifted his shoulders, reluctantly saying, “Sorry.”

  With barely concealed anger, Harris said, “I’m really disappointed.” He smiled, though it seemed forced. “But, if you’d at least pass on a message that I’d like to help? I’d love to be a part of whatever happens with this new… or ancient technology. Whatever it is, I’d love to help it reach its potential. I can see it making people’s lives better and…” Harris sounded a little choked up, though Kaem thought he was putting it on, “I’d love t
o be a part of making the world a better place.”

  Extremely uncomfortable, Kaem said, “Okay, I’ll pass it on.” He glanced at Arya, then back to Harris, “Meanwhile, we need to get upstairs and start studying.” He stepped over to the elevators and pushed the up button. Neither door opened and when he looked up, he saw the elevators were on upper floors.

  Arya said, “We could take the stairs?”

  Embarrassed, Kaem shook his head.

  Harris stepped closer and said quietly, “What if I offered you twice as much as I showed you before?”

  Kaem shook his head again, watching the elevator floor indicators. The one on his right was on its way down. He stepped that way, glad it took him farther from Harris.

  Harris said, “What would it take?”

  “As I said, it’s confidential,” Kaem said, “and I won’t break my word.” The elevator door opened and he ushered Arya in, trying to escape before he had to hear anything else Harris might say.

  Once the doors closed, Arya said, “Why not take the stairs? It’s only one flight.”

  Embarrassed, Kaem said, “My anemia’s bad again. Even for one flight, I’d have to stop one or two times. And, I always have to worry that getting short of breath might make me hypoxic enough to trigger a crisis.”

  “Oh yeah,” Arya said, sounding both embarrassed and sad. “Sorry. That was a stupid, stupid question.”

  “Yeah,” Kaem said as the doors opened, “it was an anemist question.”

  Arya frowned, “Anemist?”

  “Yeah,” he grinned slyly, “you know, like ‘sexist’ but discriminatory against us anemic people.”

  Arya rolled her eyes. “I’m gonna be late for a… an appointment. Is there a back way out of here so I can avoid Harris if he’s still down there?”

  Kaem pointed, “The stairwell at the end of the hall lets out in the back.”

  Arya started that way.

  Kaem watched her go, partly because he liked watching her, but also because he worried his flip “anemist” comment had pissed her off. Again. She probably thinks I was making fun of her for bitching at me about sexism. He sighed, Maybe I was. When am I going to learn to stop making stupid jokes? She never thinks they’re funny.