Chapter Four: What Was That?
"What are you doing?"
"I am putting the letter."
"But if you put it this way then the main mechanism won't fit!"
"But if I don't put it this way, the letter will look crooked, and no kid will like it."
"But if you put it this way, the toy won't work at all!"
"And since when are you dealing with toys for little children, professor?" Cindy asked in a mocking tone.
"Since I need money to run independent experiments and I've been wanting to try out the 3D projection mode for quite some time. That's why I took this project. Satisfied?"
"3D projection?"
"Well, the title '3D Zoo' is not empty words, Vortex. The device (which you are so rudely neglecting) inside the toy allows kids see the animals' holographic images in 3D mode in addition to hearing the corresponding sounds. The image doesn't move, but only because the device for that needs a lot of additional machinery. It will be used some other time."
"You mean, you already have it?" Cindy asked with fascination. Of course, holograms were not big deal, but moving ones? She could only find him in sci-fi books.
Neutron took out a small box and flipped the lid open. After several seconds appeared a figure of a woman shining from the electronic particles she was made off.
"Hello, Cindy," Aurora greeted with a wave of her holographic hand.
"Holy shit," Cindy whispered, staring at the little figure not larger than twenty centimeters. It looked exactly like Aurora in her lab coat. The voice was the same to the last intonation. "But how?"
"Aurora, in her essence, is a computer program, so she can be easily transferred from one computer to another."
"Neat."
"You can say so," Neutron responded nonchalantly, but his small smile showed he was pleased by the praise. The lid returned to its place, and the box to his pocket.
"What is it, by the way?"
"Remote Aurora."
"Like the netbook you gave me on the conference?"
"No, just Aurora. But she sends everything onto my laptop, or any other laptop I assign. But back to the designs, the toy must be on the production management's table in a month."
Cindy sighed, but turned back to Aurora's screen where the design of the external part of the toy was. It was not difficult to make up the basic idea and the letters; the buttons with animal names were not much trouble too; the coloring… no special gradients needed. But it was so… tiring! Especially with her boss commenting on the wrongfulness of her actions every minute. At least.
"Why can't you do it yourself? This way you will know exactly if it fits or not."
"Because it is not my specialty. My work is with electronics and programming. I simply can't do…"
"Can't do what? Is there even something you can't do?" Cindy teased.
"Artistic stuff."
Cindy noticed there was no shame in his voice, simple statement of the fact. 'Yeah, that's was the main stumbling rock in our 'competition'. Does that mean that with years he learned to admit that he is not the best at everything? Interesting…' "Didn't you tell that Aurora had artistic skills? Or she lost this part after… well…" Cindy was not able to finish the phrase and busied herself with the keyboard. Was it for her sake or his? Did Aurora's death put that of an impact? They were not that close. 'I saw myself dying. That must be it. That's why I can't say it.'
"She does. But she doesn't have something we usually call 'fantasy'. She can make accurate choices to put right things into the room, but she chooses from the things already made. So are you near finishing? I've got other work to do."
"Then why are you standing here? I can work on my own. You have Aurora in your pocket, I am sure she can assist you despite me being here," Cindy shushed the proclaimed genius, but then gave it a thought. Why was he standing beside her? Wish for human contact?
"I don't want you to mess anything."
"If I do, we can correct it later. So no worries. Do you have a 3D model of the mechanism so I could 'put on' the model I am working on?"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? Don't you have anything like it? How can you tell if it fits at all?"
"I just know."
"And I don't. I am sure it will take you no time to provide me with one," Cindy issued a challenge.
Professor Neutron shrugged and walked out of the office. Several minutes later he returned, connected Remote Aurora with the main Aurora and a picture of another model appeared on the screen. It was hard to decipher anything on it, since, firstly, it was only a structural image, and secondly – it was full on tiny details.
It came to Cindy's attention that she had not got even a glimpse of the toy's interior. Was it some big secret?
"Now you can finish it. And as you see," one model covered the other, "I was right. It doesn't fit. So you need to elevate the whole section."
Cindy only grunted in response. 'Always right, dammit.'
"And since I am still standing here, I want to discuss the matter of your payment for the current project."
"Only current project?"
"I thought we've already discussed that. Your studies first, extra credit - on voluntarily basis. Tom will skin me alive, quite literally, if he finds out that I am taking your time. I won't be needing your assistance for some time anyway."
"Nothing artistic to do?"
"Yes, and please stay on the topic. So what do you want?"
"What do I want?.." Cindy drawled, sounding like a child who can't choose a candy. "I can ask for anything?"
"Of course not."
"Can I ask for a personal favor?"
"You are not in my fan club, are you?" Neutron asked with disgust, but mostly fear.
"Hell no!"
"Glad to hear that. So what personal favor can you possibly want from me?"
"Your voice."
"What?"
"There is a selection of voices on the PDA you gave me, but yours is not among them. I attempted to hack into Aurora and get the pattern with your voice that she uses for voice recognition, but she was not polite enough to give it to me."
Neutron chuckled, but then burst into outright laughing. "You attempted to hack into my computer? Are you nuts? You could've been burnt alive! Or crushed by the steel wall! It is my main computer for God's sake! And all for my voice? Ridiculous, Vortex! Utterly ridiculous!"
"So if you are done with insulting me, can I download the patterns already?" Cindy huffed. She knew it was totally foolish to even get near Aurora without her access level. 'Are we in the FBI? Access levels – this is totally ridiculous.' But she didn't want him to know about her… what? Fetish? She just loved his voice, slightly drawling, but edgy. So why can't her PDA have his voice? She did call it Jimmy after all.
"Only if you name the reason."
"You won't like it."
"Really?"
"Really."
"You know, Vortex, this is the first time during many years that I find myself puzzled about a question. I have no idea about the possible reason you want my voice in your PDA."
"You really want to know?"
"Of course."
"But first I will get what I deserve, and then I will answer you."
"Damn, woman! What's wrong with you?"
"Absolutely nothing," Cindy answered, fake innocence all other her face.
"Okay, give it to me." Cindy obliged and after multiple manipulations on both computers, her precious Jimmy was returned to her. "Now tell."
"It helps me get to sleep," Cindy answered and returned to the poor models, biting her lip, not to use her turn to laugh.
…
"I can't fathom how he can be this irresponsible. This is absolutely intolerable, not to mention, simply unprofessional."
"I completely agree with you. I will talk to the rector about the situation. He keeps all kinds if materials, radioactive and the like without any special protection."
"The next explosion in Neutron's lab can make the whole university go caboom!"
Cindy would've completely ignored the heated discussion among two professors in the hall if it had not been for the last phrase. "Excuse me, there was an explosion at Professor Neutron's laboratory?" she asked politely, but her legs were ready to have a quick start on running towards the lab at the other end of the university.
"Indeed. What an irresponsible boy! If you had been in the east wing today, around two a.m. then you could've felt something like an earthquake."
"Oh my God!" Cindy exclaimed, finally letting her feet carry her. 'There was an explosion in the lab, and nobody cares if he is alright! Now that's irresponsible! What if he is hurt? What if he is dying?'
She stopped only in front of the lab to catch her breath. Passing the scanner she hurried to the office. On the way there she looked around, but nothing indicated that there had been a malfunction of any sort.
"Aurora?" she called hesitantly, looking at the completely black screen.
It instantly came alive however. "Good day, Cindy."
"Is everything alright? I heard there was an explosion and-"
"Yes, there was one. So what?" came from behind her.
Cindy swiveled around to see her boss in a dirty lab coat with greasy gloves. "Well, something bad could've happened. A fire, anything."
"If you want to make a good researcher, Vortex, get used to the idea that science is dangerous. A little miscalculation and the experiment goes into the sky taking researchers with it. Haven't you noticed your studying labs have all kinds of protection layers?"
"Yes, but here-"
"This whole laboratory is a huge safe. Steel walls were the first adjustment I made building this lab. Not to mention, fire extinguishing system. You seem to keep your nose too deep into the books, Vortex. To be afraid of something like this is outright silly," Neutron explained in a patronizing tone, that Cindy didn't exactly liked being used towards her.
"I am not afraid of explosions. I've done stuff much more dangerous," she responded defensively. 'Why can't I say it? Why can't I tell him that I was worried about him? We are grownups but still act like children. Why can't we talk about such things? But of course, because he doesn't remember how far/close we were in the first place. Now we are practically strangers.'
"Oh really?" Neutron questioned not believing a word she said. "Since you are here anyway…" He stepped to the main table and took out a box from one of the drawers. "I heard your research is moving into the experimenting stage, also your birthday is in three days."
"Huh?" Cindy stared at the box that was shoved into her hands. It was nothing extraordinary, just a black box, not even wrapped to make it look less like a tiny coffin. Inside it were goggles Cindy noticed him use during working at the lab. "And why do I receive a birthday present from you?" the assistant asked her boss.
"Otherwise you will spend decades on your research. With these you can see everything."
"Everything?"
"The present is not the goggles themselves but the manual for them. They have close to hundred functions. In addition to being unbreakable."
"Thank you very much, I don't know what to say," Cindy mumbled, gazing at the precious accessory in an unremarkable box. "When can my friends buy the same?"
"Those are beyond expensive. There are only two pairs in existence. The one you are holding belonged to Aurora. Before you start protesting on this reason or another; these goggles provide borderless help to any researcher, it is pointless for them to lie on a shelf. You, Vortex, have brains, but this is an ordinary fact. What is special about you is that you have talent – wish and strength to make anything possible. Don't waste it on meaningless things."
….
Cynthia Vortex was feeling marvelous. Her research was going at enormous speed: her group was making breakthroughs almost every day. They decided to work on feet, using dogs as experimental animals because of their relatively big size. They were far from doing any practical tests on real dogs, but their small metallic foot was already pretty active on its own.
Cindy decided to stay over the summer to continue and to get rid of Michelle's nagging, but somehow Michelle became deeply involved in the project too, getting together with the engineer guy of the group.
Fortunately, no-one, even nosy Michelle, didn't ask Cindy about her exceptional glasses that were indeed able to see everything. Built in microscope was only the beginning, thermo- and radioactive layers, seeing through the walls, x-ray and night visions… The list was enough for a three hundred page manual.
All and all everything was great in the life of Cindy Vortex. She was bursting with ideas and applied theories to practice right away. Nothing seemed to be able to darken the situation even a tiny bit. But there is no heaven on Earth, isn't it?
The sirens of the fire squad and ambulances bellowed on the highway, attempting to reach their destination as quickly as possible. The students' body was informed via intercom to remain in their dormitories and stay out of the west wing's third floor since there had been an accident in one of the labs.
Michelle was out of town with her friends when all that happened. She returned to her room to find Cindy's bed still made and snickered. Cindy must've finally found someone to spend the night with. She was very wrong.
"Oh my God," she breathed out, opening the door after hearing a demanding knocking. Before her stood her fan club idol – Professor Neutron in the flesh. Even if she now had no romantic interest in him, she still found him adorable. And now he was standing so near…
"Miss Thompson, sorry for interruption. Is Miss Vortex here?"
"No," Michelle bleated, melting on the spot. "May be I can help?"
"You can."
"I can?" she exclaimed excitedly.
"You can tell me where she is. Did she spend the night here?"
"Not that I can tell… But why are you searching for her? Something happened?" Michelle questioned, jealous that her room-mate was receiving so much attention from the cute professor.
"Haven't you heard? There was an explosion!" Neutron blew up, losing his temper. "Neither her cell nor PDA answers. Blast! Her group's lab is in that area!"
"You mean Cindy could be there tonight? When it blew up? She could be hurt?" Michelle asked, panic in her every word.
"You are finally getting it, woman! Get to the hospital immediately!"
He continued to cry out instructions while Michelle was gathering things, but she couldn't understand anything that he was saying because of all consuming panic and because one thought kept nagging on the periphery of her mind, 'Why did Professor Neutron know so much about Cindy Vortex and why was he so worked up about her well-being?'
…
Cynthia Vortex looked awful. Her glorious blond hair she cared so much about was sprawled on the white pillow of the hospital bed looking practically transparent instead of its usual golden shine. Her face was even paler than the pillow. Fortunately, she didn't seem in pain remaining in a blessed state of unconsciousness.
And Michelle wasn't sure that she will be happy to wake up. Two young women were not best of friends and even best of room-mates, but they were both women and Michelle came to conclusion that her room-mate's life would drastically change the moment she opens her eyes to her new world. The question was, 'What will Michelle do about it? Does she want herself involved in other girl's mess?' And it was certainly a mess. From whatever point of view you look at it.
The patient stirred and opened her green eyes to look around. She was obviously disoriented by her surroundings, but when Cindy's wondering glance stopped on Michelle, the latter was amazed by full rationality of it.
"What happened?" Cindy rasped.
"I don't know the details, I arrived like half an hour ago. There was an explosion on your floor, but I have no idea what happened next."
"Ah," Cindy drawled, turning towards the window to look at the passing clouds. She lay like that for several minutes, indifferently watching the clouds, when she suddenly sat, frantically looking around the ward once again. "Where are my things? My lab coat?"
Michelle joined the search checking out the nightstand where she indeed found Cindy's clothes, including the white lab coat. Cindy grabbed it from Michelle hands and began another search through its pockets.
"Thank God, it was not destroyed," Cindy breathed up with great relief falling onto the pillows, clenching a small leather case towards her chest as if it was a lost child of hers.
"What's up with that thingy? Is it made of gold or something?"
"It's my PDA," Cindy explained, opening the case. "And if I am not mistaken, it's titanium." Before Cindy could shut the sound down, the voice of her boss echoed in the ward, "You have twelve unanswered calls from Neutron."
"Wow, Cindy! How come his voice is in your PDA? You must tell me all about it!" Michelle exclaimed, not knowing how to feel about the fact – exited, curious or jealous.
"It's no big deal."
"Well, twelve calls is one. It was he who told me to come here, you know. Professor Neutron was very worried about you. Even yelled at me."
"It's his usual manner of speech when he wants somebody to do something so don't think about it as anything special. Towards you or… towards me. I think I am going to sleep for awhile." Cindy stretched her body to find a more comfortable position, but then tensed full of panic, "I can't feel my left foot," she whispered, her hands shaking while pulling the covers towards her. Her both legs were bandaged from feet to knees, but her left leg ended a bit earlier.
"You don't have your left foot anymore, Cindy," Michelle announced gravely, looking at her hands on the back of Cindy's bed because she considered it the best choice. The missing foot in question or Cindy's face were choices too dangerous to face them. Mortally dangerous as Michelle found out the next second.
"You knew!" Cindy cried, her previous apathetic state instantly disappearing. "You knew and you haven't told me! And you call yourself a friend?"
"I didn't know how to say it! 'Hey, Cind, they've cut your foot off, you are going to miss the next exam, won't you?' And you've never called me your friend to begin with," Michelle spat defensively.
"Get out of here!"
"I will. Right away. You must be going into shock. I'll call a doctor. Just a friendly gesture, you know."
Michelle turned on her hills and Cindy was left alone with her shock, grieving and anger. She cried and tossed everything that appeared under her hand until she was sedated. In the middle of the night, when her eyes were too dry to cry, she sent a message to a person who knew her best in the whole word. She contemplated to send another one, but decided against it.