Hearts Under Ice

by CS Patra

  “Yeah.” Olivia nodded, glancing at some green liquid in a beaker. “I won’t be going anywhere.”

  “Good. I’ll be back in a second.”

  With Pam gone, Olivia decided to walk around the lab and look at some of the things laying on the counters and desks. While she didn’t try to decipher the printouts, she could see that there were a lot of blueprints. Dr. Vaughn’s name was scrawled on the bottom of them, and she tried to understand what kind of man he was by his handwriting. Everything was clean and organized. He rarely erased anything on the pages, and the lines were all straight. She assumed that his measurements were right. There were also some calculations that she couldn’t figure out, but he had clearly solved them. They had to be correct as well. She had no patience to see if his math was right. Judging from this, she could tell he was very intelligent and confident in work. He wasn’t the type of man to tolerate mistakes. She also knew he was very organized. His notes were not scribbled all over the page, but rather just in the corners. His handwriting was very neat, so he had to be organized in all aspects of his life. Curious to read more, she picked up some of the papers and started to flip through them.

  “What are you doing?”

  She dropped the papers on the counter, causing the mess to fall wildly, all over the place. Gasping, she turned around to find a young man in a lab coat with his arms crossed. “I-I uh, I was—I swear, I touched nothing! I just wanted to see what was written down! Don’t worry, I don’t understand any of it. I made no changes.”

  He blinked, let out a sigh, and she got a much better look at him now. If it weren’t for the unamused look on his face, she would have found him handsome. She was focused on his olive skin, thick, dark hair, and the eyelashes that framed his green eyes. He had some lightly sprinkled freckles across his nose and cheeks. He wasn’t exactly well built, but that was all right. The man worked in a lab, and his intelligence was worth more than any muscles he had. Of all of his features, she was jealous of his lips. They were full and thick, making her thin ones look sad in comparison. This guy had to be another one of Dr. Vaughn’s assistants. He was probably the one who got to work in the lab and find out all the secrets behind what was being made. A twinge of jealousy shot through her when she realized this.

  Taking a deep breath, he went over to the counter and started to collect the papers. “Well, in the future, I would prefer it if you’d tell me before you touch anything. These things need to stay in order, or else I’ll be up all night fixing this.”

  She nodded and tried to help him put them together. “I’m usually not this clumsy. You just scared me. I was fascinated by everything I was looking at. I didn’t touch the chemicals or the machines. I just wanted to see what was on the printouts.”

  “Oh.” He didn’t seem angry by this, but he also wasn’t impressed. “How much of it did you read?”

  “Not a lot. I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand most of it.” She said, waiting to see his expression change. To her surprise, he remained the same, and just went back to putting pages together. “I hope Dr. Vaughn doesn’t get upset over this. Is he a nice guy, or really strict about these things? If he’s the latter, just tell him it’s my first day, and I’m nervous.”

  “So I see.” The young man said, taking some of the papers from her. “The good news is that these are just out of order. It won’t take long to get them back together. The bad news is that there are too many sheets, so we’ll have to check out the page numbers of each one to be sure.”

  “Oh.” Her face fell and she tried to help him. “Let’s look on the bright side—at least I didn’t spill anything on them.”

  As they worked, Pam came back and let out a deep breath. “Oh good, you two have finally met! I was looking everywhere for you!”

  Olivia was confused. “I thought you were trying to find Dr. Vaughn.”

  “Honey, you’re standing right next to him.”

  She turned around and frowned at the young man standing beside her. He lowered his gaze and straightened out the pages he had in his hands. “I’m with his assistant. We’re trying to fix his papers because I accidentally knocked them over.”

  He looked up at that. “You—You thought I was an assistant? I don’t have any assistants in my lab. They aren’t here everyday.. It’s just me from now until I decide to stop.”

  “You—” she stopped herself and realized what was going on. “Oh my God, you’re Dr. Vaughn? You’re like a college freshmen or something!”

  “Actually, I’m twenty-six. I stopped being a college freshman a long time ago,” he corrected her. “I know my appearance throws people off, but I thought you would have known how old I was.” He turned to Pam with a frown. “You told me our new employee knew everything about this place.”

  “I do know everything! It’s just that you look very different from what I pictured.” She blushed, knowing that this was not helping her case. Her first day on the job, and she was already blowing it with her employer. She was very aware of the fact that he was a genius and very young. The reason she had been caught off guard was because of his face. His wasn’t the face of a serious scientist, but some boy who pulled off pranks in college and slept through his exams. She didn’t want to believe that he had come up with all this.

  “It’s okay, honey. It happens to a lot of people.” Pam tried to cheer her up. “I was just showing her around, Dr. Vaughn. I was trying to find you so I could introduce you to her, but I guess you were one step ahead of me.”

  “I just came back to the lab to pick something up.” Dr. Vaughn said, turning to Olivia. “We haven’t properly met, though. I’m Dr. Donovan Vaughn.”

  “Olivia Mendoza.” She shook his hand and was surprised by how warm his palm was. “I’m sorry about the mess. I promise to be more careful from now on.”

  “Just promise not to touch anything, and we’ll be fine.” He said, finally getting everything together. “You can go now, Pam. I’ll take it from here.”

  “All right. Good luck, honey.” Pam waved, and Olivia felt the nerves coming back. She was going to be left alone with this man. She began to curse herself internally for not reading up on him more. Her father had been the one to give her the information, but he had left out the fact that he looked so young. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. It just wasn’t this.

  Once Pam was gone, Dr. Vaughn turned to her. “Well, Olivia, it seems we’ve gotten off to a rough start.”

  “You’re telling me,” Olivia sighed. “I’ll keep my hands to myself from now on.”

  “Good. Now don’t look at me as some kind of monster, Olivia.” He went on, leading her away from the lab. “I might be a stickler for a lot of things, but I’m not your enemy. All I ask is that you be careful with my things. Fortunately, these plans were not ruined, and I’ve managed to get them back in order.”

  “Yes, sir.” She felt so strange calling him sir, as he wasn’t that much older than her. It was also the way he carried himself. He might have been a scientist, but he walked with confidence and pride. It was a quiet pride, and she had to admire him for it. He was starting to seem less like a monster now, but she knew that she could never come up to his level. This man was a genius, and she just had a bachelor’s degree. She was a girl still trying to achieve her dreams, while he was already living out his. It was enough to hate him for it, but she couldn’t. They had just started, and she didn’t want to stay on his bad side for too long.

  “You don’t have to get so formal with me. You can call me Donnie, if you want. Dr. Vaughn makes me sound so old and mature.” He shrugged.

  “Are you saying you’re immature?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t take offense.

  “No, it’s just—I might have a PhD, but I’m still a guy that likes to go out and have fun once in a while,” Donnie explained. “I prefer we stay professional on all levels, except when we’re addressing each other. Besides, the name Donovan Vaughn sounds kind of—terrible.”

  “Oh, I kind of like it
,” she lied. “If you want, I will call you Donnie.”

  “Thanks. Anyway, you got a good look at my lab. What do you think?”

  “Um, it’s—well-organized and spotless.” She said, turning bright red. “I did see some of your blueprints, and they look nice, too. I have no idea what you’re making, but I like the look of it. I didn’t try to read anything though. I didn’t know if any of it was top secret or not.”

  “Nothing’s top secret here,” Donnie promised. “I keep all of that stuff at home. I’m guessing Pam didn’t explain much about my current work, so I’ll do that. Tell me, Olivia, what do you know about time travel?”

  Olivia stopped. “Time travel? I’ve heard about it in fiction, and I’ve read a few books about it, but that’s it.”

  “I figured. Well, I’m trying to do something similar to that. We’re talking about parallel universes here. My goal this year is to cross over into another universe and see what it’s like,” he went on. “That’s why I needed someone to help me keep things straight. I have so much going on with it that I’m losing track on my own.”

  “I can keep things straight. I’m just curious though—why a parallel universe? Don’t you like this one?”

  For the first time that day, he actually laughed. “I’m not trying to run away, Olivia. I just want to explore other realms. Come on. I know you are also interested in what lies beyond this world. In the past, it might have been impossible. However, I think I might have come up with a way to cross over it.”

  It was Olivia’s turn to laugh. “I feel like I’m trapped in a novel now. I swear I’ve read plots like this before. Don’t take that a bad thing. I just—I find it interesting, and funny.”

  “Oh, it’s not going to be like any novel you’ve read. We’re talking about reality here. There’s the possibility that you can move into the same world, but it would be completely changed. Maybe this new universe will be one where animals are a dominant species. It could be a universe where the world never split into the continents we know today. There may be universes where women are dominant over men, or where dinosaurs never went extinct. The possibilities are endless with this!”

  “I see.” She was intrigued by everything he said, but a part of her remained skeptical. It all seemed too farfetched to be a reality. But she didn’t want to dash his hopes. All she wanted was to see this creation with her eyes. “I hope you get that chance to see a new universe one day.”

  “Me too. I can’t do it alone, though,” he went on. “That’s another reason why I needed someone. Traveling through other universes isn’t a one-man job. I need you to keep track of my work, but there’s a little more to this.”

  She gulped. “You—You want me for an experiment?”

  “No, I’m not trying to experiment on you. I need you to keep track of our comings and goings. See if we succeed or fail. It’s not just plain office work but, something that could actually change the world. You could be a part of history with me, Olivia. Haven’t you ever wanted to be someone that stood out? Your name will be one that people will remember. Don’t you want that?”

  “I—uh—” This was a question that she had never expected him to ask. “I think—I may not be the person you’re looking for. I appreciate the offer, Donnie, but this isn’t for me. I’m not really a scientist. In fact, I’m still struggling to pay off my loans before I go to grad school. You’d be better off with someone who has a good idea about these things. In fact, I think you’re rushing into it.”

  Donnie stopped right in front of his office and pushed the door open. “I had a feeling you’d say that. The truth is, you are exactly the person I’m looking for. Another scientist would never be able to maintain an unbiased opinion. However, if I use an everyday person, it’s another story. Your findings and help would be bigger than you could imagine. People can relate to you better than they’ll relate to me.”

  Olivia bit her bottom lip as they stepped inside. His office was just as organized as the lab, with books piled up in one corner and papers stacked neatly on his desk. “I still think you’re asking too much of me. I haven’t even started working yet, and I know this isn’t what I signed up for. However, I do need the money, so I will do the work that I’m given. I just don’t know if I’m ready for such a big leap into history.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry. I need time to think about it.”

  “Take all the time you need. I’m not asking you to go tomorrow,” Donnie said. “In fact, nothing is finished yet. I wouldn’t risk anyone’s life by shoving them into another world haphazardly.”

  “All the same, I don’t want to jump into something like that now.” She said, brushing back a strand of her hair. “I just want to know the basics. What my hours are, when do I take lunch, all of that.”

  “Well, you can start as early as seven in the morning, and you can leave as late as six. You can pick any time between twelve and two for lunch. Whatever you decide, you just let Pam know. She’ll get you on the schedule. The break room is actually across from your office. We have another one closer to the lobby. You’ll get paid every two weeks, like it stated in the job’s description. Tomorrow, Pam will take you outside and show you where we stand if we have a fire drill or emergency. Since this is a working lab, those can happen more often than you’d think. We’re always working with fire, chemicals, and anything that could be considered a hazard. As far as the dress code goes, casual apparel is best. You’ll be going in and out of the lab a lot, so we prefer that you don’t wear anything nice in there. That’s pretty much it. This is a relatively calm place, and we don’t have too many expectations. All I ask is that you don’t go into the lab unless I give you permission, and not to touch anything there.”

  “Sounds good. I know I wouldn’t want people to touch my stuff,” she nodded. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’m not going to try and go into another world on my own.”

  Her mouth was saying that so he could hear her, but deep down, she was thinking about what he said. Her mind went to her dream, where she had been walking around with the stranger. They were moving around in another universe, but the man didn’t seem to be Donnie. This man was taller and more protective. He was the one who was saving from whatever they were running from. He was her guide in this world. While Donnie had the confidence, he didn’t seem strong enough to be the man in her dreams. If she was in trouble, she doubted he could save her.

  You seem nice, but I don’t think you’re a hero, she thought. Still, I want to see if you can actually do this. I’m not sure if I’d be any help. I only want to know if you’re smart enough to bend time and space like in the novels.

  “Olivia?” She noticed Donnie waving his hand in front of her face. “Hey, Olivia! Are you still there?”

  “Huh?” she snapped out of her reverie. This was no dreamland, but her job. Her boss had probably said something, and she just missed it. She found herself staring into those green eyes and counting the freckles on his nose. They were so light that she struggled to see them up close. “Sorry, I was thinking about everything dealing with time travel. It’s an interesting concept, but I still think you should rely on someone with more experience. I’m happy just to do office work right now.”

  Donnie frowned. “That wasn’t what I asked. I just wanted to know if you’re okay with starting at seven in the morning tomorrow. I need someone to come in early and help arrange some stuff.”

  “Oh! Yeah, I’m good for that!” She nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll just set my alarm at night and I should be able to come in at seven! I was actually thinking about making that my start time. I could work from seven to four with an hour for lunch. Does that sound good?”

  “I’m fine with whatever you want. Just tell Pam before you leave.” He turned away from her. “I know you’re still iffy about the whole thing, Olivia. A lot of my colleagues said the same thing. They thought I was trying to play with fire here. A few of them do push me aside because of my age. They probably see me as a kid who doesn’t know what
he’s messing with. The thing is that I do know everything. I’ve read all the books already and I know it’s dangerous. I just want to make that breakthrough everyone else is afraid to make. Do you understand what I mean?”

  “I think I do.” Olivia said. She could see why the other colleagues weren’t taking this seriously. There were so many things that could have gone wrong if he messed with time. She was generally happy with her life so far, and she didn’t want to know what could happen if he messed it up. “Well, I think I’ll go and fix my office space up. If you need me to do anything, just let me know. I’ll be here ‘til four.”

  She didn’t wait for him to try and stop her. He waved her off and she went back to her own office. Pam had already put a nametag up on her door, but the place was still dark and empty. She had a computer, but there was a note on it, saying that someone would come later in the week to fix it up for her. Her shelves had nothing on them, so she decided to clean them and put some things there. She laid out her pictures and the few novels that she had brought along to read. Pam had left her some paper towels and cleaner to wipe her desk with. She began to clean up the area and get rid of all the dust that had accumulated in the space. All the while, she could not stop thinking about Donnie and what he had told her. Was this something he told the other applicants? Judging from his tone, he wasn’t trying to flirt with her. He clearly was excited about his plans, and wanted to share them with someone.

  “I’m that someone. That is all.” She said out loud, throwing the paper towels in the trash. Her office was now cleaned up and she was ready to take on some work. Pam had also left her some papers to file, and those would take up the rest of her day. She was relieved to see that it was something simple and not more time travel related things. “No offense, Donnie, but I don’t think I want to mess with time and space. Things are okay the way they are.”

  She knew she was lying to herself about the last part, but she wasn’t ready for any time travel gimmicks. She was here to do her job, get her money, and eventually have enough to move out and go to grad school with. The scientists could handle the issues with parallel universes and bending time. Even though she was interested in this, she was more interested in Donnie. His age no longer bothered her, but it was the way he spoke and moved. She wished she had done more research on him before accepting the position. There were the rumors about him graduating from MIT at fourteen, but she never questioned anything. She did know that he was brilliant, and that he expected nothing but the best results. According to her father, he didn’t have much of a social life or any friends to hang out with. It had nothing to do with being shy or mean; he just had too many other things to worry about.