Wanda

by carl smothers

  “I most certainly would,” he said eagerly. “See you in the hotel lobby at seven sharp.” He smiled then turned and left. The spring in his step reveled how delighted he was.

  The evening was straight out of a Broadway play. They ate a magnificent meal, danced in the moonlight at the hotel lounge and ended a wonderful evening listening to the L.A. Symphony Orchestra in the Ritz Carlton ballroom. Carmen felt like Cinderella. She would never forget this night. Her first date proved exhilarating, made more so by her charming date, whom she hoped to see again sometime. After the concert, Dennis escorted her to her room.

  He took both of her hands in his. “Carmen, I’ve never enjoyed spending an evening with anyone as much as you. You are charming, intelligent, interesting and a beautiful woman. I’m so sorry you’re not settling here. I would so much like to see you again.”

  “I’ve enjoyed being with you also. If I get back to town, I’ll most definitely call you. I’m so glad we met.”

  He smiled at her. “Well, I guess I’d better be going. I have a long drive ahead and early meetings at work.” He hesitated a moment, studying her face. “I know this sounds dumb, but would you mind if I kissed you goodnight?”

  “I think that would be nice.” Carmen had never kissed anyone and wasn’t quite sure what to do next. She had seen Carle Anne kiss her husband Tom as well as Harry. Both were quite different expressions of affection — as best she could tell. Is a kiss with a friend just politeness, a token of affection or what?

  Dennis gently kissed her on the lips. She watched his facial expression and felt the slight negative pressure exerted on her lips, which she calculated as 75.842 Pascal’s. She noted the temperature — slightly elevated from normal — two-tenths to be exact.

  He drew back to look at her. She could tell he was a bit confused, and maybe a little hurt.

  “I’ve never kissed anyone before who didn’t return it. I hope it wasn’t that bad,” he said, a concerned look on his face.

  Carmen giggled slightly, and then replied. “Dennis, I’ve never experienced that before, and I didn’t know quite how to respond.”

  “You’re kidding me!” he said, looking amused, but also disbelieving.

  “No, but I think I do now. She then pulled him to her and kissed him, mimicking the negative pressure and temperature she had previously noted. When she released the embrace, Dennis smiled broadly.

  “You learn fast. I liked that a lot,” he said, tapping her on the nose.

  “So did I,” she replied.

  “Well, I’ll say goodnight. I had a wonderful time. Please call me if you come back to town.”

  “I will, Dennis. Drive safely and thank you for a wonderful evening.”

  So that’s what a kiss is all about, she thought as she went inside. I think I like the warm sensuous feeling it gives you. Yes, I enjoy kissing.

  The next morning, clothing, shoes and purse selection, applying makeup and doing her hair were quite an experience. When finished, she was the epitome of an attractive, young professional woman ready for whatever life threw at her.

  Before she left her room, Carmen viewed herself in a full-length mirror. She liked her short black, almost boyish, hairstyle. It complemented her light brown complexion and blue eyes. She had a beautiful face, and her five-foot-ten curvy athletic figure protruded very nicely in all the right places. She had carefully chosen a conservative blue pinstriped business suit with blue pumps and a stylish briefcase and matching purse.

  Well, girl, it is time to start your new life. It’s time t sub zero. This is fantastic. I’m so excited.

  As she walked through the lobby of the hotel, she noticed several young men stared at her. Well, I guess the boys like what they see.

  The man at the desk fumbled around as he made transportation arrangements. It was hard for him to take his eyes off her, and concentrate.

  A few minutes later, an STV limo arrived. The young man ran over and held the door for her.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said.

  “My pleasure, Miss. Please hurry back.” He checked out her beautiful legs.

  His admiring looks amused Carmen, and at the same time pleased her. She slid into the limo and headed to STL for her 9 a.m. appointment. She was excited about working in New Mexico, of spending time with Harry, and the others.

  STL HQ

  Los Angeles, Ca.

  The HR director, Dorothy Cummings, called Carmen into the office almost as soon as she sat down in the waiting room.

  “Dr. Stevens, it’s such a pleasure to finally meet you. We are delighted you accepted our invitation. We’ve all been so excited to talk to you. Please, sit down.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Cummings.”

  Dorothy looked over Carmen’s resume. “I see you did all of your final graduate work at MIT in Theoretical Physics with a GPA of 4.0. Magna Cum Laude, that’s quite impressive.”

  “Thank you.”

  “We also know you had quite an impact on the staff at MIT. Your Master’s and PhD Thesis in General Relativity and Dark Matter was also published. In fact, in two of the most prestigious journals in the field of physical scientific research. The Theoretical Physics Journal and in Science. We’ve had our physicists review your work, and they’re extremely impressed.”

  “I was hoping to have made a small contribution.”

  “From what our people are telling us, you’ve done just that. I’ve scheduled you to talk with several of our theoretical physicists. Later today, around three, I want to video link with Dr. Marc Anthoni at the STL facility in New Mexico so he can chat with you. Marc is our Project Director, and you would report to him if you decide to join us.”

  “I look forward to chatting with Dr. Anthoni. I’ve reviewed most of his technical papers on spacecraft propulsion. They were impressive.”

  “You’ve read his papers?”

  Later that afternoon Carmen arrived back at Dorothy’s office.

  “Carmen, everyone has given you the double thumbs up.” The HR Director said enthusiastically. I can tell you unequivocally that we want you on our team, and we will do whatever is necessary to convince you. By the way, the people you met with, plus about twenty others, requested I ask if you will consider presenting a lecture tomorrow on your new mathematical approach to solving Einstein’s General Relativity Theory singularity issue. Would you be interested?”

  “I’d be delighted. Would a 10 a.m. start time be okay?”

  “That would be perfect.”

  Dorothy sipped her water then took a breath and made the call to Marc. After the preliminary introductions, Marc pulled up Carmen’s dossier on his Qtab. “I’ve read all of your theses. Young woman, your credentials are impeccable and enormously impressive. We’re looking for a theoretical physicist to help with some refinements to the relativistic programs we use to design wormholes. The system’s working well, but we think it could use a few improvements. Does that interest you?”

  “Very much. Would the assignment be at your facility in New Mexico?”

  “Yes. It would. Have you ever met Harry Stevenson? He’s our NSTA Program Manger.”

  “I’ve never met him in person, but I’ve certainly wanted to.”

  “I hope that happens soon. How long would it take for you to move to New Mexico?”

  “I left my apartment with the idea I would find employment either here or at another company and stay. My lease was up, so I just stored my belongings.”

  “Dorothy,” Marc said with a serious expression. “We don’t want her to go anywhere else. I want her as soon as she can get here. Are you all right with that?”

  “I couldn’t agree more. I’ll work the employment paper, negotiate salary and we’ll have her on a plane in three days. I’ll let you know when to have her picked up in Albuquerque. We’ve already run most of the pre-employment checks, and they look great.”

  “Excellent, Dorothy! Carmen, I look forward to you joining our staff.”

  Pacific Ocean Overlook

&n
bsp; Los Angeles, Ca.

  Everything had fallen in place, and Carmen was anxious to report to the project site. Her lecture was a huge success and solidified her position on the STL team as one of the premiere theoretical physicists in the company, or in the world, for that matter.

  She planned to leave the next day, so after her talk; Carmen hired a limo to engage in some sightseeing and shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Of course, she did find some new clothes she could not do without.

  At the end of the day as they headed back to her hotel, she recalled something she had always wanted to do. “Please take me to the ocean. I want to see it,” she said to the holographic chauffer.

  “You’ve never seen the Pacific?” he asked, smiling at her in the rear view mirror.

  “Only in pictures.”

  ”My pleasure, Miss. I think you’re in for quite a delightful surprise.”

  As they pulled out onto the Pacific Coast Highway, a panoramic view of the ocean came into sight in all its glory. Carmen gasped, overwhelmed by the grandeur and beauty. I‘ve seen images of the Pacific in cyberspace, but no picture compares with the real thing. It’s so magnificent — breathtaking. “Please pull over at the next observation point.”

  She got out and walked up to the guardrail overlooking the water. The fresh ocean spray blew in from the sea and bathed her face with an invigorating freshness. The beach backed up to steep, jagged cliffs complemented by the lush vegetation growing on them. On the horizon, the ocean simply disappeared, as though the atmosphere had swallowed it — as if the two had become one. She knew all the statistics of every ocean in the world, but to see the real thing, in person, brought tears to her eyes. She was almost overwhelmed with the beauty of it.”

  Gulls and pelicans gracefully rode the cliff thermals, swooped down, plunging head first into the water — popping up with a juicy fish in their beaks. It was fun to watch the pelicans flip the fish into the air, and then catch it in their bills with one motion. She thrilled at sea otters floating on their backs, cracking open abalone and savoring the delicacy of the shellfish they so loved. Others frolicked in the surf, jumping out of the water as if playing tag. They were perhaps her favorite. So free and so graceful.

  Huge waves rolled onto the shore, crashing with a thunder, only to return to their source to repeat an endless dance with the beach. Surfboarders rode the waves in, some guiding their boards through the tunnels, popping out just before the waves broke. Others, not so skilled, fell as the water got the better of them.

  I’d sure like to try that some day. It looks like so much fun.

  Their sails filled with the onshore winds, sailboats tacked back and forth as they effortlessly navigated across the water, skillfully employing the winds as their only means of locomotion, going where they pleased.

  It was getting late, and the sun rode low in the sky, lighting up the heavens with a breathtaking array of red, pink and blue colors, accentuated with fluffy cumulus clouds. Carmen lingered to savor the beauty of the moment. As the sun slowly sank into the depths of the blue Pacific, an explosion of yellowish light shot out vertically and horizontally into the sky, announcing the end of a perfect day. A flock of gulls gracefully accentuated the twilight’s sky as they flew to their chosen location to spend the night.

  She gazed with love and admiration at this fragile but beautiful planet she now called home. Carmen felt like she finally belonged, as if she was at one with the physical world — a new child of Earth.

  Chapter 55

  STL

  Wormhole Development Facility

  New Mexico

  Carmen arrived at the facility two days later. She was anxious to start her new life and finally meet her friends face-to-face. She so hoped Harry would be there. The security guard gave her a new badge and checked her in.

  “Dr. Stevens, would you like me to escort you to Dr. Anthoni’s office?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  As they walked down the hallway of the second floor, she noticed familiar names on the office doors. When they arrived at Marc’s office, he was leaning back in his chair reading his Qtab and drinking a cup of coffee. The guard announced her.

  Marc arose with a big smile. “Carmen, welcome to STL. Please sit down and let’s chat a bit. Would you like a coffee or something? ”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Well, I need quite a few cups every day to get my buzz. How was your flight and how do you like your quarters?”

  “My flight was fun, and my quarters are excellent. I think I’ll like it here very much.”

  “I’m pleased to hear that. I’ve read your resume and reviewed your PhD and Master’s thesis. I don’t mind saying, I enjoyed them both. Did you receive my project briefing?”

  “Yes. It was very thorough and quite interesting. I do have some ideas I think will be useful, including some slight modifications to the gravitational field equation implementations.”

  “Interesting you should mention that. I’ve been thinking about your new assignment. I’d like you to work with Ronnie Forrester, Scott Kimberly and Tarnak Zontal to review our relativistic field equation algorithms, and our stochastic data base implementations. We think they could use some efficiency improvements. We’ve taken two flights to other star systems, so we know the design’s solid. However, we’d like to make some additional improvements. Does that interest you?”

  “Absolutely. I can’t wait to get started.”

  “I think you’ll like the guys. By the way, Tarnak’s from the planet Kandar. He’s a physicist whose government has assigned him to work with us.”

  “I’ve read their technical papers, and I have a great appreciation for their talent.” I sure can’t let on that I’m already aware of Tarnak. Harry had given her all the scoop after they had picked him up at the Albuquerque spaceport.

  “Is he really an alien?”

  “Most certainly.”

  “How exciting. I look forward to meeting him. Guess we’re not alone in the universe after all. I’ve always believed there was intelligent life elsewhere.”

  Marc smiled, turned off his Qtab, stored it in his desk drawer and then stood up. “Shall we head down to the MCC?”

  Carmen’s heart fluttered as they left Marc’s office. She had never experienced butterflies before and not only liked, but also welcomed the feeling and sensations only a physical being could experience. She had been very careful selecting the emotional subroutines she chose in her original design, and tried to ensure they correlated closely with real world experiences.

  As they walked down the hallway, Marc pointed out her office. It already had her name on the wall adjacent to the entrance: Dr. Carmen Stevens. It was next to Harry and Pepper’s offices. She stifled a giggle of delight.

  At the MCC, Scott Kimberly and Tarnak sat at the relativistic console running code checks and simulations. As they walked up, Scott noticed them and turned in his chair.

  Marc spoke first. “Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Carmen Stevens. She’s our newest acquisition for the project. I’ve assigned her to work with you on the relativistic algorithms and data base implementations we discussed.”

  Scott stood and extended his hand with a warm smile. “Dr. Stevens, welcome to our project. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  “And I you. I feel like I already know you. I’ve read much of your work in Theoretical Physics.” If he only knew, she thought.

  Scott nodded appreciatively as Tarnak stood and shook her hand. “Welcome to the project. I’ve been looking forward to working with you.”

  Carmen couldn’t help smiling when she shook Tarnak’s hand. “It’s an honor to meet you. When we get some time I’d like to hear about your home?”

  “It will be my pleasure. Let’s all have lunch as soon as you get settled in.”

  After the introductions were completed, Marc excused himself and went back to his office to finish the weekly reports, leaving the three of them to get better acquainted.


  Harry and Ronnie returned from Washington, D.C. that afternoon. They walked into the elevator and pushed the button for the MCC level.

  As they descended, Ronnie asked Harry, “Have you heard anything from Wanda? Seems like a long time since she’s been in the MCC.”

  “I don’t know what’s happened. Three weeks ago, she just disappeared. She hasn’t made any attempt to contact me, my mom, or Scooter. My mother’s about to have a nervous breakdown. She can’t sleep and has exhausted every diagnostic technique trying to find her. She broke down and cried when I talked to her last night. She loved Wanda like a natural-born daughter. I don’t know what to do next, but I’m not going to give up.”

  “If there’s anything I can do to help please let me know. I really like Wanda.”

  As they arrived on the MCC floor, they noticed a new person working besides Scott and Tarnak.

  “That must be our new lady physicist Marc told us about, Harry. Let’s go meet her.”

  “Hey, guys, welcome back,” Scott said. “How was the weather in D.C.?”

  “Not bad,” Harry said. “Who’s the new victim sitting beside you?”

  “She’s our new hotshot. Let me introduce you.”

  Carmen rose and turned around. Her pulse sped up as she gazed at Harry. When he shook her hand, she trembled — she had finally touched her big brother. She fought her emotions so she wouldn’t appear to babble or act silly.

  “It’s my pleasure to meet you both. I’m happy to have the opportunity of working with all of you. It’s long been one of my major goals to work on this project.”

  “Welcome to the team,” Harry said. “If there’s anything you need, please let me know. Well, I have to brief Marc on our trip. See you later.”