-Salt Lake City, Utah-

1996

Fiddling with the bland white card some more, Alan sighed to himself before dialing the hastily written

Number. I guess I'll just let em' off easy, he muttered to no one in particular, before he heard,

"Hello, this is Doctor Harving Cereal on the line."

Alan squeezed his Startac phone a little, before sighing again and starting. "Hi, Harving. It's Grant."

"Ah! Doctor Grant! Have you decided to help?"

"Well, Mr. Harving, not exactly. I hate to do this,-"

"Wait! Wait, let's talk about this at lunch," Harving exclaimed, obviously trying to delay Alan's answer for as long as he had the capability to do so.

Alan smacked his lips. "Harving, I'd like to decline-"

"Wait! I can pay. What do you like, McDonald's?"

McDonald's? Alan thought. Helluva lunch spot.

"Doctor Grant? Are you still on the line?"

"Harving, I'd like to tell you my answer by phone."

"Yes, yes, but please, how about over lunch?"

Wasn't this guy listening? Alan muttered to himself.

"No, Harving. By PHONE. P-h-o-n-e. Phone."

There was a momentary pause, Harving obviously caught off guard by Alan's sudden rudeness.

"...Doctor Grant, I have something to give to you, and I'd rather do it over lunch, not by Email."

Email? The hell was Harving talking ab

"Harving, are you just Foolin' with me?"

"No, Grant. I'm not. If you want some green, meet me over lunch at McDonald's. Okay?"

Alan scoffed. "Are you trying to BRIBE me?"

Silence. "...listen, just come meet. Okay?"

"Why would I? I barely even know you."

"...I...I don't...you know what, N-never mind."

Alan walked over to his Chesterfield again, picking up the yellow piece of Newspaper that had been left before sitting down on the white Sofa.

Flipping through his Newspaper, Alan fiddled with the phone. "...Listen, Harving," Alan began as he glanced at his old and worn wristwatch. "You know by answer by now, do you not?" "I do." Came the quiet, somber answer. There was another silence.

"I can see that lunch is unrequired."

Alan shifted his position on the sofa slightly.

"Yes, it would seem so. It would seem so."

Alan heard a sharp exhale of air from Harving.

"...well...I know that it's futile to continue my

Requests. But, our plane arrives tomorrow at 6."

"Okay. Good to know. Goodbye."

As Harving hung up, Alan leaned back on the Chesterfield, staring at the bland white celling.

After a moment, Alan rose from the Chesterfield again, clutching the newspaper as he walked over to his Windows 95 computer that sat nicely on a desk. Pressing the power button, he sat down on the old wooden chair he placed by the computer,

Drumming his fingers idly as the computer started.

Seeing the Windows Login interface pop up, he entered his Password: 'Password2678'.

Chuckling to himself for thinking that up, Alan clicked on AOL. Logging into the system, he went to the chat and opened the chat window before clicking on the name E_Sattler564.

"Offline. Damn," Alan muttered as his mouse hovered above Sattler's profile. Opening the newspaper, Alan flipped through the gathering of papers once again, ignoring the fact that the newspaper was over a week old by now.

After looking over an ad for 'Big Bill's grill' for the eight time in a row, Alan folded up the paper and stuffed it into a small recycling bin before turning his attention back to his Windows computer.

Ignoring the fact that Sattler was offline, he

Began typing away on his keyboard.

Hey, Ellie. Grant here. I'm having thoughts.

Alan pressed enter, before typing again.

I know I shouldn't pester you, but...

Pressing enter again, Alan stared quietly.

Do you really think I shouldn't help them?

Alan pressed enter for the third time before rising out his worn chair and sliding it under the desk.

Leaving his computer running, Alan walked over to a large shelf by his Computer desk, and thumbed through all the book titles in front of him.

Scanning the book spines for the one he was looking for, he pulled out a book that read:

On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin.

He hadn't touched this little book often.

Most of the time, the books he read were books left from Ellie Sattler, such as Botany in 230 Mya

Or Basic Flora that can be found in Missouri.

Opening the book he held in his hands, Alan leaned against his book case, thumbing through. If he was going to wait, he'd rather be doing something while he waited.

Sighing, Alan began reading Darwin's book.