Foundation

by M J Kendrick

  ***

  Carlton was in bed when the Smarties returned. They had all arrived separately but within three hours of each other. Carlton knew this because each time one of them entered the house, it was the same routine. Thumps of dropped bags by the front door, frantic rifling through the piles of mail and a loud whooping as the results were opened and showed nothing but high score passes.

  It always woke Carlton and he would trace their movements in his mind until, smiling, he would drop off to sleep again.

  It was four days before Carlton finally had a chance to catch up with Lucy and William. Their schedules had been manic from the moment they had returned to MIT, and they had been like ships passing in the night.

  William was keen to bring Carlton up to speed on his premises search and told Carlton that he thought he may have found four very strong possibilities. All were disused small airstrips and completely isolated and had outbuildings in various states of repair, but the good news was that none of them had been advertised anywhere and were not on the open market, so they could be open to private offers. Carlton was excited. They needed to plan some road trips in order to check them all out, and Lucy wanted to organize that, so she arranged with William to go over the details.

  Carlton gave them the excellent news of his progress. They were stunned when he also told them about Per being on board now, which Carlton could see had pleased them both. He had been a little worried about not talking to them first, but the opportunity was there and he knew he had to start being more assertive if he wanted this to work. He hoped they would understand. He also spoke at great length about Miles, Haru, and Anton.

  Lucy was as unfazed by his actions as William was and even looked happy that he had taken the bull by the horns. She said that she thought Anton had a soft spot for Calisto but agreed that both he and Haru might need some persuading. William suggested they quietly sound them out over the coming weeks, “they” really being Lucy. Girls always had a knack for getting the nitty gritty and far more information than the boys ever could.

  They tried to cover everything in as much detail as they could. They knew it would be difficult if not impossible for them to all meet up again for many weeks, especially with all of their PhDs looming. They would have to resort to late night visits to Carlton’s room whenever there was news. William’s rolling eyes told Carlton that he had spotted Lucy smiling at that thought.

  ***

  Very soon all thoughts of Quantum had been pushed aside as the Smarties became engrossed in their studies. Their PhD final dissertation defenses were all coming around so quickly now that their schedules left no available time.

  For three months the house was silent as the Smarties absorbed vast amounts of knowledge and produced reams and reams of dissertations and papers.

  Carlton would be the last Smartie to defend his dissertations and Calisto the first, followed by William, Haru, Lucy, Miles, Per, and Anton. As Carlton was sitting four finals, he wouldn’t finish until two days into the summer break. All of the Smarties had agreed to stay at the house until Carlton had finished his last defense so they could all enjoy a celebratory meal before heading home, which was something that Carlton was especially looking forward to. He really missed his parents and was excited about seeing them again. He relished the thought of seeing their happy faces when he brought them up to speed on all the things that had happened. He just knew they would be over the moon

  For some, it may well be their last meal together at the house, and they were all a little saddened by that thought. Lucy had managed to keep Carlton very closely updated on everything as both her and William’s schedules weren’t quite as demanding as Carlton’s. They had managed to cover everything that was needed. Lucy had been caught on more than one occasion sneaking out of Carlton’s room in the early mornings. Even William had figured out that updates never took that long!

  Lucy had learned that both Haru and Anton would be worth confiding in. She felt quite sure that they would be amenable to joining them in Quantum and the post-finals dinner would be the perfect opportunity.

  ***

  In what was the blink of an eye, the ten days of finals were upon them. The Smarties had all received good luck calls from their parents and had confidently set about sitting their dissertation defenses.

  One by one over the next nine days, as the Smarties each sat their last defense exam, they would return to the house brimming with confident smiles until only Carlton remained, with just one dissertation left to defend.

  Carlton’s last defense was one of his favorite subjects, metallurgy. He felt super confident about passing his PhD, and, as expected, he didn’t find the lengthy defense challenging in any way. He had completed his last paper in his usual record time and again, as usual, would have to sit and wait.

  He’d been concentrating hard from the moment he began and barely took any notice of the invigilator other than his faded, threadbare bow tie and the irritating reflec-

  tion of the overhead light on his balding head. So he was a little surprised when, on seeing him finish, he came over with a very strained expression on his face and quietly asked him to report to the professor’s office.

  Carlton immediately felt worried and nervous. This was unusual and, judging by the invigilator's tone, was something serious. His mind raced—his discovery must have been found out. Or, worse, leaked, and he was about to face the consequences.

  He nodded and, feeling a little shaky, stood and just left his things on the bench to head towards the professor’s office. He’d never been in trouble before, and the experience was making him feel a little panicky. He briefly stopped to take a couple of deep breaths and to try to think of a cover story. He had to protect the Smarties and do everything possible to keep them out of it.

  As he continued walking, he passed his quantum physics professor, who immediately backed up against the stone corridor’s wall and looked down to the paved floor to avoid looking him in the face. He felt a lump in his throat, a sure sign that he was to be disgraced.

  He took a deep breath and entered the professor’s office, where he was met by a middle-aged woman and a clean-cut, suited younger man. Before Carlton had a chance to speak, they identified themselves as Detective John Woodman and Detective Ellen Carver.

  Carlton never had a chance to even consider his hastily prepared explanation because Detective Carver immediately said, “Mr. Reese, we’re here to tell you that there’s been a terrible accident at Advanced Cryogenic Research and there has been a number of fatalities.”

  Carlton just stood and looked incredulously at the detective as she spoke.

  “I deeply regret to inform you that both of your parents have been identified as being amongst them.”

  All of his previous thoughts evaporated in an instant as the words began to sink in. He felt his legs give way, and he crashed on to his knees, breathing frantically. The words rang loud in his mind as his shoulders began to convulse uncontrollably. His skin erupted in cold sweat and tears started to pour from his eyes. His body was overwhelmed with shock. He looked around but didn’t see as his mind hazed over with dizziness and the world around him suddenly darkened.

  He passed out.

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, he came to. He had been laid out on the sofa that was in the professor’s office. Detective Carver was gently wiping his forehead with a cool, damp towel.

  As the realization of what he had just been told began to set in, the tears started flowing again. This couldn’t be happening. He was still feeling giddy, and his head was pounding as though it was about to explode. Seeing the two detectives standing over him brought a lurching feeling in his stomach as he remembered the sickening news they had delivered. He started to retch and attempted to prop himself up, only to be gently pushed back down by Detective Carver.

  “Slowly, take it easy. Gather yourself together. You’ve just had a major shock. Here, drink this.”

  She handed Carlton a glass of water and a ti
ssue. Carlton slowly sat up and drank deeply. After a few deep sighs and wiping his tear-ridden face, he quietly asked, “What happened?”

  Detective Carver handed him another tissue to blow his streaming nose.

  “There was a gas explosion, a propane cylinder from a large barbecue. There was a function going on in the grounds of ACR.”

  Carlton couldn’t stop his tears or nose from running. He didn’t care. All he could think about was his beloved mother and father. His eyes welled up again as the realization of what had just been taken from him took hold. He would never see them again.

  Then he thought about what the detective had just said.

  “It was the annual teddy bears picnic. I was supposed to be there with them. They’d planned a special dinner for me because I couldn’t make it home in time.”

  Detective Carver looked sad, feeling his pain. “They must have been standing by the barbecue when the explosion happened. It would have been instantaneous. We’re deeply sorry.”

  Detective Carver carried on explaining as sympathetically as she could, but it fell on deaf ears. Carlton had shut off everything around him in his overwhelming grief. After an eternity, he heard Detective Woodman say, “I’ve been in touch with your housemates. One of them will be here shortly for you.”

  “In the meantime,” added Detective Carver, “if you need anything, anything at all, even if you just want to talk, then please just call me. Here’s my number.”

  She handed Carlton a card which he just held, and continued looking at the floor still in a state of shock.

  A few moments later, Lucy rushed in with tears streaming down her face, and, barging past the two detectives, she grabbed Carlton in a quivering embrace. She was crying hard as she cradled him tightly in her arms.

  “I’m so sorry, so so sorry,” was all she could say as they sat together crying.

  The detectives knew it was time to leave them to grieve in peace together. Detective Carver looked at Lucy and quietly said, “It’s a lot to take in, he’ll need some time. You both will. In a few days, someone will come and see him with more details. Stay with him. He needs you.”

  With a courteous nod, they quietly made their way out of the room and gently pulled the door closed behind them.

  After an hour, Carlton felt well enough to stand. Lucy kept an arm around his waist for support.

  She very gently and softly said, “The Smarties were there when the feds called, so they already know. You don’t need to feel you have to talk to them about it. They know you’re going to need some space.”

  Carlton slowly nodded. He could barely hear, let alone speak. He was numb and felt completely dead inside, but he understood what she had said. He just wanted to be away from here and be close to her and his friends. He put his arm around her and again welled up as he realized that she and the Smarties were now all the family he had left.

  He held her tight and quietly said, “Please take me home.”

  They walked out of MIT, never to return.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  When they arrived back at the house, Carlton and Lucy were met by a throng of Smarties gathering around them, showing their undying support. Carlton appreciated the fact that he had his friends behind him; it helped.

  For two days Carlton remained withdrawn, dealing with the tragic loss in his own way. On the third day, he emerged from his room in a more collected state of mind and ready to deal with the detectives that had been waiting for him with Lucy in the kitchen.

  The other Smarties had all reluctantly left for their homes the previous day, promising to be back for him in two weeks.

  Detective Carver met Carlton with a smile. She was accompanied by another woman this time, whom she introduced as Detective Margaret Joiner. She was a specialist bereavement officer and had come along to advise Carlton of the procedures.

  The meeting was still very hard for Carlton, but he managed to keep himself together. He was informed that a closed coffin funeral service would be in Gainesville in one week’s time. His parent’s wishes were that they be cremated. There were no real surprises other than Detective Joiner informing Carlton that, because of him being away at MIT, the arrangements had been taken care of by the appointed executor, Mr. Simon Pope, who would be in touch with him in a few days.

  Carlton waited until after the detectives had left before he brought the subject up with Lucy.

  “I had no idea that William’s father was the executor. That surprised me a little,” he said.

  Lucy had been sitting beside him at the kitchen table, clutching his hand. “I know our parents have all become very close friends since we’ve been here,” she said, in way of offering a possible explanation, “Maybe they asked him because he seems quite organized in these kinds of things? And he’s savvy. We know that from William.”

  Carlton gently nodded and, seeing the worry in Lucy’s eyes, forced a smile, trying to stay positive. “Yeah, probably. I’m sure he’ll tell me when he calls. Anyway, is there anything to eat? I’m starving.”

  The smile felt a little brittle, but the relief from Lucy was instantaneous. She eagerly jumped up and said, “I’ll make us some bacon and eggs.”

  After they had finished breakfast and cleared the table, they both stood at the sink, Lucy washing the dishes and Carlton next to her with a dish towel. As Lucy handed him a wet plate, she smiled and said, “Look at us, we’re like a regular married couple.”

  Carlton, realizing how the situation must have looked, started laughing and the mood suddenly lightened as they began making small jokes about taking over from Calisto as den mother. As they finished and sat down with fresh coffee, Lucy brought up the subject of Quantum.

  “With everything that’s been going on,” she began, “William asked me about the situation with Anton, Miles, and Haru. We didn’t feel comfortable about talking to you about whether to just go ahead and ask them, but because we knew we’d probably never have a better opportunity, William, Per and I approached them and went ahead and filled them in on the plan and asked them for you.”

  Carlton looked a little surprised, unsure of how to take the news, and he felt a momentary flash of anger. No one could present the offer as he could, so why would they do it?

  He paused for a moment and thought about the big picture and how everyone was treading carefully around him. Admitting to himself that he had to have trust in their judgment, he quickly composed himself and with a slightly forced smile asked, “Really, how did they take it? What did they say?” He was keen to find out.

  Lucy raised her eyebrows, and with a slight smile she said, “Funnily enough, Haru jumped at it straight away and was absolutely up to join Quantum. Anton also agreed quite enthusiastically, but Miles was a little reluctant at first. Per had a quiet word with him, I don’t know what he said, but whatever it was, it worked, and he is 100 percent on board.”

  Carlton’s mind was racing, partly because he knew exactly what Per would have said to Miles and partly because he felt guilty with himself for doubting his friend’s abilities. He thought about them asking Per to intervene and was glad that they had.

  “I had thought about talking to them, but I’ve so many questions going through my mind at the moment, I just feel as though I want to punch someone. I just didn’t feel up to it.”

  He couldn’t help his anger and was aware that Lucy was looking frightened at his clenched fists. He put his head back and, closing his eyes, took a deep breath to calm himself.

  “Sorry, I’m a bit mixed up.” He composed himself and asked, “What about Calisto?”

  Lucy put on a brave smile and touched his arm, “Calisto is fine, she was with us when we asked the others and wished she could be part of it, but, just as you thought, her responsibilities and commitments to her family’s mine negates any chance of her joining us. Her parents want to retire, and she’s destined to take over, so, for now, her future is all mapped out. I know she’ll always be in close contact with us, though, and we can trust
her to keep Quantum and the discovery a secret.”

  Just then, the phone rang. Lucy picked it up, and after a moment handed the phone to Carlton saying, “It’s William’s father, that detective woman just called him.”

  Carlton spent forty-five minutes talking and listening to William’s father, Simon. When he had hung up, he looked at Lucy and said, “You were right, my parents had been in touch with William’s father. From the time of the government takeover of Omni, he’s been advising them ever since. Apparently, William’s father has been talking to all our parents, and they’ve all arranged for our wellbeing should anything ever happen, and it seems that my parents have already made sure of my future, financially anyway. It makes you wonder if their accident wasn’t such an accident after all. Maybe they suspected something?”

  Carlton already had his suspicions, but saying it out loud made his stomach lurch at the sickening thought. His parents had sent the coded message saying it wasn’t safe—he hadn’t misunderstood its meaning—and now they were dead. He felt his anger rise again but forced himself to keep control, conscious that Lucy was watching his every action.

  “William and I discussed that. William said that, as unfortunate as it is, we shouldn’t assume anything as being a coincidence. I want to think he’s wrong, but I have to agree with him.”

  Carlton was nodding. He didn’t want to frighten Lucy by telling her about his parents’ fears and that he suspected William’s father might know more about it than he was letting on. He decided to switch tack.

  “Either way, there’s nothing that can undo what’s happened and if I start throwing accusations around that could risk exposing the discovery—and that is something my parents definitely didn’t want me to do, not, hey even stressed, under any circumstances.”

  He knew that if someone was behind their deaths and he began asking questions, he could make himself a target, which would mean whoever was behind this would probably watch him. He thought back to how they were followed to the lake before the government takeover. He’d already had a taste of how far they would go. He just couldn’t take the risk. Not with his friends now involved.