“Yes. Harold.”
“What?” Cheyenne asked, laughing.
“Well,” Riddhi said, surprisingly straight-faced, “Everyone said FAD454 was a terrible name, so I asked Sebastian to name this one officially, and he called it ‘Harold.’”
“Then a Harold Magnet it shall be,” the scientist said, tossing up his hands. “I just wish my name was Harold, but it's Clarence.”
When the attention turned back to Hal's final confirmation from the catch, Lucas leaned forward and quietly asked Jane, “They’re serious about shooting into space next season? I mean, I know we wrote that in the proposal as a long-term objective, but…” He made a low whistling sound.
“Well, we're ahead of schedule,” Jane replied.
“That must be why they’re insisting on no furlough this year, why they’re sending us straight to the labs at Brookhaven,” he said, wrinkling his brow.
“Jane, are we ready?” Cheyenne asked.
“Yes,” Jane replied, leaning back up to face her monitor. “Good by me.”
“Trevor?”
“Yes.”
“Ok, Albatross, be advised, we are go for launch. Ana, let's do it. Launch at your leisure,” Bonnie said.
Ana counted down according to protocol and added her signature line, “Wait for the bang.”
Jane's eyes closed for a moment and her lips fluttered just a bit as she squeezed Lucas's fingers.
Chapter 47
Four days later, Jane curled around her pillow, sighing to release her pent up energy.
How will I ever sleep? she wondered. What a day.
Lucas was still undressing and his shadow crossed and recrossed her face. Finally, she sat up and asked, “What are you doing?”
“What?”
“You keep walking the room,” she said. “Take your clothes off, and get in here.”
“You’re a little eager,” he replied.
“Sorry, I just want to settle, and you won’t hold still. Long day of travelling tomorrow.”
“I’m coming,” he said, sitting on the side of the bed but not relaxing. “I’m still a little… jittery or something. I’m looking for something, but I can’t remember what.”
“You’re getting old, Lucas,” she said, putting her head back on her pillow.
“That I am.”
She waited in silence but he still didn’t lie down.
“Keys?” she suggested.
“Keys to what? We don’t lock anything down here.”
“Tablet?”
“In my lab, charging.”
“Something you left on in the lab? Something getting dangerously hot or dangerously cold?” she suggested.
“No…”
“You hungry? Thirsty? Have to pee?”
“Amazingly, Jane, those are all feelings I am familiar with,” he said with a smile.
“I’m trying to help,” she said, hiding a smile. “Turn on an alarm?”
“I did that. I think I was supposed to – wait! Breakfast! It’s my turn to get breakfast tomorrow before we vamoose. I was going to set up the coffee makers and defrost some stuff,” Lucas said as he snuggled under the blankets and sighed.
“How did you pull breakfast duty for our last day here?”
“Just unlucky, I guess.”
After several moments in the dark, Jane said, “So are you going to do it?”
“No way, not now that I’m in bed. It’s warm in here.”
“What?” she asked, sitting up again. “You finally remembered, and you’re not going to do it anyway?”
“Sorry, love, it was bothering me, but now I’ll just get up early and take care of it tomorrow. MILO, update my alarm to 40 minutes earlier than normal, please.”
The wall panel chirped to confirm.
“You’re crazy, Lucas.”
“I’m not going to scoop coffee now, Jane,” he said. “I’m tired. I just needed to remember what I was forgetting so I—”
“Could not do it anyway?” she teased.
“So I could relax. This is perfectly normal behavior, Dr. Whyse.”
“Only for a mad scientist, Dr. Whyse.”
“Which I am.”
“Fair point. By the way,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. “What did you do with that little USB adapter for Sebbie’s laptop?”
“I haven’t seen it, why?” he said. “I thought you said he didn’t use it.”
“Right, no, I know, I was just thinking there’s no back-up for all his hard work, so I was going to try to download his saved games,” she lied.
“His games?” Lucas repeated.
Jane was annoyed when he didn't offer any suggestions.
“Ok, I’ll look for it in the morning myself,” she said, rolling her eyes.
He grunted and flipped his pillow over, punching it slightly with his fist to rearrange the stuffing.
“Jane?” he said a few minutes later.
“Yes?” she replied.
“Are we losing our project?”
The silence hung for several minutes.
“Jane? Did you fall asleep?”
“No, sorry,” she said. “I don’t know. What do you think you aren't involved with?”
He rolled over onto his back, folding his hands under his head. “It was our little pet experiment for so long. And now suddenly it’s… so much bigger,” he said.
After the success of their jump with the antiferromagnet, their final days in The Dome had been filled up with meetings to bring DARPA leadership and newly recruited science partners up to speed. Funding discussions, timeline planning, satellite specifications… I’m out of my league, she’d thought again and again. She felt disconnected from this world of impressive-sounding titles and contract negotiation, particularly after four months in Antarctica.
“Somehow Split Horizon’s going to space, for real,” she said.
“It was always NASA funding,” Lucas mused. “I guess I just thought they would get their actual, real-world application in two generations with Sebbie’s prodigy child at the helm, and we’d have a new form of space travel named after us posthumously.”
Jane smiled. “But now,” she said, “it’s next season, and it’s still us.”
She paused and stared at the blackness above their bed.
“I’m not worried about losing control of the Split Horizon idea,” she finally said. “In fact, this year, having Bonnie in charge has been good for me. But I worry that all this additional funding comes with all these new strings attached.”
Lucas didn’t say anything, so she continued, “Are we going to get pushed harder to perform? What if we hit a roadblock? I mean, suddenly today there were another dozen new faces in that room, all waiting to get their fingers on magic technology that we are supposedly to create and have battle-ready in two years.”
“Battle-ready?” Lucas interrupted.
“Well, ok, maybe flight-ready, space-ready, civilian-ready, I don’t know,” Jane said. “Whatever was spinning in each person’s head was a way to use this technology for their own purpose. We set out to achieve something, and now that we have, I’m starting to sense all the applications.”
“It feels like a big responsibility,” Lucas agreed. “I wonder if we didn’t really think we’d do it.”
Jane’s heart pounded in the dark. And what if I can go beyond FTL and make this insane idea happen? she asked herself, her palms sweating as her mind reviewed plans made in secret.
“I felt like a mouse this week. The second James confirmed the encyclopedia downloaded properly after the jump, everyone in the DC room was making phone calls,” Lucas said, interrupting her thoughts. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was grateful for the dark.
“It was like they had a hundred people waiting to see if we could do it,” he continued, “and once it really happened, the leadership ordered, ‘make the bombs!’ or ‘build the spaceship!’ or whatever. Like we had unleashed all their dreams into reality. We were making something they’d thoug
ht was impossible come true.”
“I think we are,” Jane replied. “And I think that scares me.” She thought of her clandestine work on the side and wondered, Am I trying to be god?
Lucas rolled over and brushed her hair gently. “Well, we have seven, almost eight, months at home to get to know these new leaders,” he said. “And we have all the time we want to decide what our involvement will be. I’m sure you’ll feel better when you meet them. Maybe they aren’t building bombs, fighter planes, or spaceships. Maybe they’re building an amazing new medical device or some incredible communications tech that will change the world.”
“Yes,” she said, “I guess you never know what this technology could really do, in the right hands and with the right motivation.”
Lucas drifted off to sleep as Jane stared at the ceiling, feeling personally, morally, patriotically, and spiritually conflicted.
Chapter 48
MILO Personal Dictation: Trevor Fox
You know what's even better than being stuck in Antarctica for four months? Being stuck here for a week when everyone hates you.
Or being officially told that you'll never get stuck here again.
Idiots. They'd rather spend time and money finding another propulsions engineer and get him up to speed than bother everyone with my presence. The official paperwork says I've been promoted to a more pressing project, but I've been at the Split Horizon meetings this week. It's a who’s who of science and government. If there's a more pressing project out there, there must be time travel or mind-reading aliens in the Middle East or something.
I screwed myself by becoming too replaceable with James and Julie following my every move and enabling savior Rich to come back for the right price. Maybe his right price will be to kick Bonnie off. That would be justice. We'd both be gone: the social outcasts replaced with nicer, but less intelligent versions of ourselves. I hope the part of the new Trevor Fox is played by Channing Tatum, and he gives it to Candace three times a day.
I'm supposed to leave ‘copious notes’ for the next department head, but I'm out of luck trying to delete all my work since stupid MILO has apparently been wired to detect sabotage from a departing colleague. Worthless computer.
Look at you, transcribing me making fun of you. Hey, MILO, you're a lil’ wench. Haha.
Jane came by this afternoon to tell me she'd just heard about the transfer. Apparently she wants me to be sure I know she didn't request it. I told her I was sorry I couldn't tell her where I was going, since it was top secret, and couldn't keep in touch if they needed help. She said she and Lucas wished me the best.
Sure.
Ladies and gentleman, presenting the sanctimonious Doctors Whyse in all their glory. Good luck next year.
YEAR THREE
Semotus Base, Victoria Land, Antarctica
Personnel Roster
December 10, 2024
SCIENCE TEAM
Dr. Bonnie Chapman . . . . . . . . . project leader upon late arrival, physicist
Dr. Jane Whyse . . . . . . . . . physicist, temporary project leader
Dr. Lucas Whyse . . . . . . . . . chemist, crystallographer
Dr. Ana McDell . . . . . . . . . physicist
Dr. Richard Chapman . . . . . . . . . engineering lead upon late arrival
Julie Reidenbaugh,
and James Gregg . . . . . . . . . engineering assistants
Dr. Riddhi Bidell . . . . . . . . . experimental metallurgist
Nine lab technicians
SUPPORT STAFF
Pilots Hal Turner,
Simeon Sokolov,
and Peter Young . . . . . . . . . transportation and maintenance
Cheyenne Marx . . . . . . . . . base administrator
Candace Hartwell . . . . . . . . . nurse and tutor
Dr. Ian McDell . . . . . . . . . medical doctor
Two security specialists
One housekeeping / kitchen manager
OTHER
Colonel Keith Edwards, Supervisor, Project Split Horizon, temporary rotation on-site
Sebastian Whyse, age 5
Dámaris McDell, age 12
25-29 Total Base Occupants // Four-month season
Respectfully Submitted,
Colonel Keith Edwards, Supervisor, Project Split Horizon
Department of Defense Liaison
NASA Science Mission Directorate
Chapter 49
“Hey look! It's Doctor Ana McDell!” Hal yelled with a wave. McMurdo’s summer crew was just arriving, and Split Horizon’s expanded staff was also appearing on various transports for quick layovers at the continent’s largest base before their final flight to Semotus.
“Doctor Ana McDell? Where?” Lucas said as he approached the helicopter his friends were exiting.
“Doctor Ana McDell is here?” Jane joined in.
“Ok, everybody, thanks,” Ana said, smiling despite her embarrassment. She ducked her chin into her jacket in a teasing attempt to hide her face from the McMurdo staffers who were starting to stare.
“Yes, I finally have that pretty piece of paper,” she said, giving Jane a hug. “And the extra letters I wanted. The little remaining sanity is certain to leave me this season, though. Another four months down here! What are we all thinking?”
Ana hugged Sebbie while Hal commented on how tall Dámaris had gotten.
“I guess I look more like my dad now,” the twelve-year old said.
“You'll be taller than me in no time!” the pilot said, holding up his hand above his head to indicate how high he imagined she’d reach. “You make me feel like an old man.”
“Speaking of your dad, when can we expect him?” Lucas asked, looking around the hanger.
“Ian's in?” Cheyenne asked, walking over to the small group.
“Yep, it's official,” Ana said. “Home from the sand and into the snow.”
“So, what does being a physician at McMurdo General Hospital really mean?” Lucas continued, opening the door for the group to enter one of the many buildings.
“Direct medical care, whatever people need. There’s almost a thousand people here all summer,” she said. “He's eager for a break from IEDs.”
“I can't even imagine. I'm so glad it worked out,” Jane said. She used both hands to steer Sebastian, who was reading Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping on a hand-held tablet, into a seat since he wasn’t looking up to walk. Once he was safely on the couch, she turned back to her friend and lovingly rolled her eyes.
“Well, thanks,” Ana continued, “You're most of the reason it did work out.”
“Not at all,” Jane said, shaking her head. “He is an incredibly qualified candidate! They only take people who are qualified for emergency care, and he certainly is.”
“Of course,” Ana agreed, “but with your, um, highest recommendation, Edwards made sure he was picked.”
“It's good for morale,” Cheyenne said. “Come and sit down, everybody,” she said, directing their little group to some couches arranged around a small table.
Ana sighed as Dám asked to go get some coffee.
“Decaf,” she called as her daughter wandered off. “Oh boy,” she continued. “I’ll be glad Ian’s here this year.”
“Good to have him close again?” Jane asked.
“Yes,” Ana said. “One thing I’ve learned with all this world travel: home isn’t a place, it’s a person. I hated the thought of him finally being in our house and me being away. With the personnel number increased, some acronym organization in charge of the base requires an MD on-site. Or, at least, he will be in a few weeks. They’re making him do an orientation at Mac-Town first.”
“Well, when he gets here, there’ll be an additional ‘family unit’ member for them to study for their space colonization research,” Jane said.
“Oh, right. It always slips my mind that they’re doing that,” Ana said.
“Do you keep a video diary at home, too?” Cheyenne asked.
“Maybe I vlog,” Ana said
with a wink and a shrug.
The group caught up Hal and Cheyenne on all the off-season goings-on around DC, including their work at Brookhaven National Laboratory and private use of NASA’s impressive facilities.
“They're really staring, aren't they?” Jane said to Lucas as she looked over at the MacTown crew silently observing their reunion.
“Indeed,” Lucas nodded. “It's almost like Candace is here.”
“She's already come through,” Cheyenne said as Jane chuckled. “But come on, Split Horizon's big news now.”
“Big news is relative,” Ana said. “We are in Antarctica again.”
“Well, people might not understand what we're doing,” Lucas said, “but the project name has made the news.”
“Maybe science news, or government news. Not real news,” Cheyenne teased.
“Come on, at least to other people here, we're basically celebrities,” Lucas said.
“Science celebrities aren't like real celebrities,” Dámaris said as she came back with a steaming mug. “And ‘Antarctic celebrities’ is an oxymoron.”
“Thank goodness,” Jane said, putting her arm around Dámaris' shoulders. “You are our voice of reason.”
After about an hour, a crew member from McMurdo came in and announced their choppers were ready for another flight.
“When will Candace be here?” Sebbie asked, finally looking up from his book.
“She's already at The Dome, Seb,” Hal said as the group walked back outside and toward the helipad. “She'll meet you when we arrive.”
“It is so much bigger?” Sebbie asked, excited.
“Oh, yeah!” Hal said. “You'll hardly recognize it, buddy. We thought the work-out room was a big deal, but now there's two more buildings for all the new people to live and work in, an extra storage unit, plus sheds for all the new vehicles, and a new launch bay that shoots INTO SPACE.”
“And did we get a slide?” Sebbie asked, appearing unimpressed.
“A slide?” Hal said, looking at Jane with raised eyebrows.
“I thought maybe they'd give me a slide,” Sebbie said with a teasing tone as a smile appeared on his face.
Going Back Cold Page 16