Comet! (an Ell Donsaii story #5 )

by Dahners, Laurence

Ell said, “No!”

  Emma pulled her hand back and let her finger off the button.

  “It’s opened about 25 kilometers up now. The hissing is air flow into the low pressure up there at that altitude. I didn’t want you getting your finger sucked into the port. Remember, each pop is the port closing and reopening.” She raised an eyebrow. “If your finger was in the port when it closed again it’d be sheared right off!” She frowned, “Well, that’s what I’m assuming would happen anyway. We need to test it.”

  Emma said, “It’s not buzzing like the first one. The intermittent pops mean the port’s staying open longer right?”

  “Yeah, I think it’s staying open about a second each time. I sure hope we can do better than that.” Ell turned, “Can you grab us a dowel or something, Manuel. It has to be smaller than 10 millimeters in diameter. Straight.” Manuel turned and jogged back into the building. Ell began adjusting the power supply again and mused, “A pencil would work…”

  Ell had them tip the port to just above horizontal and peered past it to make sure it was aimed above the horizon. Manuel arrived back with a quarter inch oak dowel. Ell placed the end of it against the metal disk of the closed port and pressed lightly. She nodded at Emma.

  When Emma depressed the switch and the port popped open there was a flash about a meter beyond the port. A little bit of dowel slid into the port and it appeared in the air where the flash had been. Their eyes were all drawn to the dowel appearing in mid air. When the port popped again the small fragment of dowel fell to the ground and a little bit more dowel appeared in mid air at another flash, a little farther away. They let this happen about 20 times and saw the tip of the dowel appear anywhere from about 60 to 140 centimeters away, though most of them appeared in the region of 110 centimeters out.

  After Emma released the switch they looked at the dowel fragments laying on the ground scattered around that 110 centimeter distance. “It looks to me like the distance they are coming through at forms a ‘bell shaped’ curve. We need to repeat this above a ruler so we can see exactly how far they’re coming through.” She lifted up the end of the dowel to look at it and thoughtfully ran a finger over it. “Wow, this is polished smooth.”

  Manuel took it from her. His eyebrows rose, “That’s amazing. Can I use this to cut pipes?”

  Ell snorted, “If you want to have the cut ends of your pipes falling in random locations.” After a moment’s far away look she said, “But you should be able to use a two ended port to cut stuff. Just turn the port on, slide your pipe in to the spot you want cut and turn the port off.”

  Manuel’s eyes widened. “That could be a great tool for the shop, these cuts are perfect.”

  “Cool. Pick up a port from the Portal Tech guys and try building yourself a cutter. But right now let’s go out for lunch and celebrate! We did it guys!”

  ***

  Candela looked around the room in some frustration. Despite the agreed upon urgency the people in the room had fallen into their old and comfortable routines of bureaucratic infighting. It happened in any major organization but he had idealistically believed that it wouldn’t when they were all staring into the barrel of a cannon. A cannon aimed at their entire world! Instead each wanted a piece of the “unlimited spending” pie for their shop. Suddenly Candela’s gorge rose and he slammed a fist down on the table. When they had all jerked their attention his way he pointed at Jordan, red faced, “You! Are in charge of getting us rocket motors for a two metric ton vehicle. They’ve got to be able to burn all the way there.” His finger traversed, “You and your shop will build a vehicle capable of holding a 1 metric ton weapon.” He pointed again, “You will get ports from D5R on a priority basis and bunker fuel for the trip, remembering this vehicle is going to burn the entire distance.” His finger moved, “You will plot orbits to get us there and determine which way we want to push that monster when we get there.” The finger moved again, “You will coordinate with DOD…”

  ***

  Ell pulled her little Chevy truck into the parking lot at Emma’s apartment complex. She was dressed as “Belle” and when Emma got in her eyes widened. “Another ‘secret identity?’”

  Ell blushed as the car pulled away, “Hey, you didn’t like going out with me as ‘Ellen!’”

  “I was OK with it. You were the one who was so dowdy you had to have Aunt Emma find a ‘wingman’ to dance with you!”

  “Well this is my ‘Belle’ identity. It’s the one I use when I go to my Astronomy and Biology classes.”

  “You’re going to class?” she frowned, “Online?”

  “UNC. Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. I like to attend the actual classes on campus. That’s why I’m late those mornings.”

  “Hah, I just figured you were a lazy boss.”

  Ell glared at her. “No! I’m just trying to better my uneducated self so that I can keep with all my PhD waving friends.”

  Emma snorted, “Yeah, right.” She reached for Ell’s cheek, “You’ve got some lumps in that makeup you need to smooth out.”

  Ell dodged Emma’s finger, “It’s supposed to be lumpy. It’s supposed to look like I’m trying to cover up a bad complexion.”

  Emma barked a laugh, “You must be kidding!”

  “Anyway, I met the band’s lead singer as “Belle,’ so if I’m going to go support him I want to go as someone he knows.

  “Wait a minute! Is this the band that was playing at the Cat’s Cradle the night you got all up in the news as ‘Ell’?”

  Embarrassed, Ell shrugged, “Yeah.”

  “So then, doesn’t he know you as ‘Ell’?”

  “He knows who ‘Ell’ is. But ‘Belle’ is a friend. He used to be in my Astronomy class and that’s where I met him as Belle. He invited me to a party at his place last semester and I first heard his band there. When I was at the Cat’s Cradle I had to keep reminding myself that he didn’t know me...I mean he didn’t know ‘Ell.’ It was kinda weird.”

  “So why do you wear ‘fat pants’ when you’re dressed as ‘Belle’?”

  “Well I’ve got to look different than I do as ‘Ell.’ And last semester I wore regular pants but then at the party at Gordon’s house one of the guys got in a fight over me. I decided this platinum hair was attracting too much attention and thought that if ‘put on some weight’ this summer it might not be such a problem.”

  “You must be the first girl in history who thinks she looks too good!”

  “I don’t! I don’t think ‘Ell’ looks all that great but people sure do act bizarre around her. I think it’s just because Ell’s a little bit famous as ‘that Olympic gymnast’ girl.”

  “Trust me girl. Everyone wants to look as good as you do when you’re Ell. Famous has nothing to do with it.”

  “I think you’re crazy. But, anyway, I can’t go out in public as Ell, people act too weird.”

  Ell and Emma drove up to the “Lincoln.” Ell looked over at the parking deck as they pulled up and her little truck dropped them off. She could see the small SUV that her security team usually took, parked up on second row. She and Emma got out and went to the entrance. While they were waiting to check in and get wrist bands Emma said, “Hey, I like this song!”

  Ell grinned, “Good, I think you’ll like more of their songs. I think most of them are pretty great. I need a Coke!”

  Just inside the door, Ell spotted Joe Chan dancing at the edge of the dance floor. Well, calling it “dancing” was doing him a charity. Grinning she walked up behind him and bumped into him. “Oops. Sorry!” she shouted to be heard over the music, “Hey! You’re handsome! Can I be your friendly girl?”

  “Belle!” Joe beamed at her. “You stole my line!” His face morphed to a frown, “I thought I was already your boyfriend?”

  Ell grinned at him, “You’re my ‘friendly boy,’ remember?”

  “Is that better than ‘boyfriend’?”

  Ell tilted her head, “Could be.”

  “Hey, Gordon’s playing, did yo
u know?”

  Ell glanced at the stage where Gordon was singing. “Kinda hard to miss.”

  Joe stepped back to look at her. “Hey, you’ve been putting on weight!”

  Ell punched him lightly on the shoulder, “Hey yourself! You’re supposed to pretend you don’t notice! I might have to fire you from your position as my ‘friendly boy.’”

  Joe shrugged. He didn’t look the least bit embarrassed, “Let’s dance.” He moved one step farther onto the dance floor, took a wide stance and began moving jerkily in a fashion that somewhat approximated the rhythm of the music.

  Ell glanced guiltily around for Emma but she wasn’t to be seen. She stepped out on the floor with Joe and started dancing freestyle. By the time the song finished, Emma had returned with drinks for both of them. Ell pulled Joe off the dance floor, “Joe Chan, this is my friend Emma.” She turned to Emma, “Joe knows the band.” She raised her eyebrows.

  Emma smiled at him, “If I’d known that, I’d have brought him a drink.”

  Joe smiled broadly, “Don’t need to do that! I’m alcohol dehy… dehydrogen…ase deficient,” he waggled his eyebrows, “know what that means?”

  Emma shook her head.

  “Means I’m a cheap drunk. You can start taking advantage of me now! No need to ply me with any more drinks than the one I had already.”

  Ell punched him on the arm again, “Some kinda ‘friendly boy’ you turn out to be. Are you trying to put the moves on my friend?!”

  Joe looked balefully at Ell, “She might promote me to actual ‘boyfriend.’” He draped an arm loosely around Emma’s shoulders, “I like Emma.” He looked at Emma out of the corner of his eye. She’s pretty.”

  Ell laughed, “Here, Joe, have my Coke. I’ll get another while Emma’s stealing my ‘friendly boy’ from me.”

  Joe took the Coke and Ell headed to the bar. She waved down a bartender for a Coke. A deep voice next to her said, “Belle?”

  Ell looked up to see Vic, the guy who’d been drunk and started the fight at Gordon’s party. “Vic?” she said apprehensively.

  Vic winced at her tone. “I am so embarrassed and sorry about how I acted at Gordon’s party. I’m a ‘bag of ass’ when I’m drunk.” He lifted his cup and slanted a glance at it, “Root beer.”

  Ell grinned up at him, “Good to hear.” She raised her Coke at him, winked, and headed back to the floor.

  Emma and Joe were dancing when Ell got back to that area. Ell had to smile at Joe’s enthusiasm. He didn’t let his poor coordination from the drink he’d had, nor his complete lack of rhythm, nor his lack of knowledge regarding dance styles or steps interfere at all with his joyful exuberance on the dance floor. Ell felt a touch on her shoulder and looked up to see Vic standing just behind her. She raised her eyebrows at him.

  Vic pointed his chin toward the dance floor. “Dance?”

  Ell shrugged and led Vic out onto the floor. Like the other people in the bar Vic started swaying and shuffling his feet in time to the music. Ell matched his steps but found herself longing for the more exciting dances that people had done at “Tres Locos” out in Las Vegas. Or even the club she and Emma had gone out to here in Raleigh. No one in the Lincoln was line dancing or even touching each other while they were dancing. In fact, she realized, a lot of the people were dancing by themselves, not with partners at all. Vic did have rhythm, though Joe still looked like he was having more fun than anyone else in the bar. Ell glanced at Emma who was grinning at Joe’s antics.

  The band took a break and Joe immediately said, “Emma, Belle, let me take you back to the dressing room.” He looked at Emma, “I’ve got to introduce Emma to the band.” He narrowed his eyes at Vic, “Vic? Are you sober?”

  Vic nodded and held out his root beer for Joe to smell.

  Joe sniffed, then said, “Belle, do you think he’s sober? Gordon doesn’t want him around if he’s been drinking.”

  “Yeah,” Ell shrugged, “he’s OK tonight.”

  Joe studied Vic a moment longer but then led the way backstage through a side door. Ell pictured bouncers ready to stop them or ask for passes, but apparently that wasn’t a problem in a small venue like this. They walked up a few stairs and found Gordon and his band reclined on some beat up furniture in a shabby little side room.

  “Belle!” Gordon got up and threw his arms around her for a big hug. Then he tensed. “Vic,” he said darkly, “You sober?”

  Elle looked back at Vic. He had his hands up as if in surrender. “Root beer only. Gordon. I’m stayin’ clean from now on.”

  Gordon grinned at him, “Good, see that you do.” He looked around, “How are you guys liking our sound?”

  “Great!” Ell, Emma and Joe chorused.

  Gordon lifted his chin at the frowning Vic, “Come on Vic, out with it.”

  Vic dropped his eyes to the floor, “Too much reverb. It‘s making your sound muddy.”

  Gordon looked concerned. The drummer said, “That’s bullshit. It sounds great in my monitors.”

  Gordon turned to the drummer, “Vic really knows his sound. Let’s listen to him. Well, listen to him when he’s sober,” Gordon grinned at Vic, “he could be a lot of help.” Gordon turned back to Vic, “But I agree, it does sound good in our monitors. What do you mean ‘muddy’?”

  Vic grunted, “Your monitors are earphones that don’t let the sound from the club back into your ears. The room here has hard walls that are really reverberant. You’re not hearing the mess of echoes it’s adding to your sound. So you’ve all got reverb units sweetening your own sound to make it sound good in your earphones. Then this ‘reverb heavy’ sound is going out to the club’s engineer and I’ll bet he’s adding even more reverb at the console ‘cause he doesn’t know any better. He hears a muddy sound and tries to sweeten it the only way he knows. Then it goes out into this hard walled room where it echoes around even more. The end product is reverberating so much that all the sounds bouncing around muffle each other. ‘Muddy.’” He turned to Ell, “I’ll bet you’ve been having a hard time understanding the lyrics, right Belle?”

  Ell tilted her head querulously but nodded.

  Gordon tilted his head, “What can we do?”

  “Turn off your own reverbs. Tell the club’s engineer to turn his off too. This building is still going to have too much reverberation even without you adding any electronically. They need to add sound absorbent materials to the walls and ceiling but they ain’t gonna do it tonight. So, play a little simpler to try to keep your sounds from stomping all over each other.”

  Gordon grinned and raised his eyebrows, “Is that all?”

  Vic shrugged, “There’s a big slapback echo in the club because the room’s so long.” Vic looked at the drummer, “If you listen to it you can try to adjust your tempo a little so the beat matches the slapback.”

  Ell stared at Vic, not sure whether what he’d said made sense or if he’d just made stuff up. She looked around. Everyone else looked dubious or confused.

  Vic raised his hands palms up, “Just one man’s opinion.”

  The drummer said, “Where’d you learn this stuff?”

  “My dad’s a recording engineer.”

  “Can you take me out and demonstrate this slapback echo?”

  Vic shrugged, “Sure,” the two of them got up and headed toward the stage.

  Ell turned to Gordon, “So how’s the tour going?”

  “Great so far. Our manager laid out this plan for us to tour mostly the same 15-20 cities in heavy rotation, trying to build a following.” He laughed, “We haven’t been around them all once yet, so I have no idea how it’s working.” He shrugged, “This is our first Saturday night gig. ‘Til now we’ve only been getting weeknights ‘cause we’re not well enough known to draw the kind of weekend crowd the venues want.” He laughed, “What we need is for Ell Donsaii to show up to some more of our gigs. When she showed up at the Cat’s Cradle it got us great publicity.”

  Emma grinned at Ell.

  Joe
said, “Gordo, Emma here works at D5R where Donsaii works.” He turned to Emma, “Do you ever get to see her?”

  Emma caught her lip between her teeth and nodded.

  “Do you know her?”

  Emma nodded again, widening her eyes at Ell.

  Joe turned back to Gordon, “Maybe she could talk Donsaii into showing up at some of your gigs?”

  Gordon turned to Emma, “Really?! You know her?”

  Emma chewed her lip and nodded, eyes sparkling with amusement.

  Gordon said, “Wow, I’d really love to meet her! Do you think you could talk her into coming to a show or at least introduce me to her?”

  Emma shrugged, “I’ll call her, I have no idea what she’ll say.”

  The recorded music the club had been playing between the sets cut off out in the big room. They heard the kick drum thump out on the stage. Gordon got up and said, “Better get back out there.” Even in the dressing room Ell could faintly hear an echo that she assumed was the “slapback” echo Vic had been talking about.

  As she and Emma went out the door to the main room the kick drum started thumping regularly. Ell could tell when it got in synch with the echo because suddenly the sound had more “punch.” The snare came in and then the hi-hat. Even through the wall, Ell thought it sounded cleaner.

  Gordon stood on the stage, one of his earphones hanging loose, staring into space as he listened to the sound in the room. He turned back to the amp for his guitar and adjusted something, then nodded to the bassist and keyboard player who also adjusted their rigs.

  Gordon began strumming his guitar to the rhythm.

  Vic turned to him and said something.

  Gordon changed his strum so he was only striking the higher three strings for a lighter sound.

  The bassist came in and Vic said something to him also. Ell could tell he was playing more simply, or at least playing fewer notes.

  The keyboard player began playing a simple arpeggio using a piano tone, Vic just nodded at him.

  Ell looked at Emma whose eyes had widened. The sound did seem a lot cleaner. Gordon leaned to the mike and started singing. Ell and Emma glanced at each other eyes widening... the lyrics were clear and easily understood now!