As you can probably tell our relationship was on the rocks at the time. We were living apart for practical reasons and
that was also having a strain on our relationship. She was a liberal arts and English language major, and in my limited understanding
of this study I can gather that it has absolutely nothing to do with quantum physics or spacial dynamics.
Of course that's not what this story is about. Finding out that girls like different things than boys was an adventure
I undertook in the second grade. The more easily a thing can maim them, the more a guy will go for it, thus the popularity
of SUVs. It's no coincidence that the most dangerous countries in the world tend to be the ones where women don't have any
rights. Even though Celia wasn't wearing a burqa or anything though, I still didn't listen to her. We tend to disagree on
the subject to this day, but I think I was right to ignore her.
It wasn't long after our angry dinner that I slipped off to go find some support. I was risking more than just being blown
up in this little venture. When a machine that's eaten up hundreds of thousands in private grant money dosn't work, people
ask questions and look at books. I dread to think what might happen if they saw that I spent some of it on Jolt Cola, though
I would argue that it was a legitimate business resource. I put in a lot of late nights.
Coffee was also a necessity, and that's where Matt came in. He worked at starbucks as a nightshift manager, so we got to
be friends during my research, when I'd often pop in to get the life giving fluids he dispensed and a bit of human interaction.
Our early conversations had gone nowhere, since he knew as much about physics as I did about mochas and froths. After we'd
gotten to know about eachother we found out we had more in common, though whenever an awkward pause occured we'd fill it with
banter from our two disparate professions, much like we did as we made our greetings.
"Hey there!" He said enthusiastically, hopped up on a vente some-such as he usually was while he checked over the dining
area.
"Hey Matt, no time to talk now, I've got a magnetic spectrometer to actuate!" I said.
"Oh well that's fine and good for you!" He said with a self important air. "But if I can't get the capuccino machine to
produce caramel flavored steamed milk than sales of our rocky mountain mudslide frappucino are going to be cut in half!"
"That's nothing! If I don't get the temporal distortion unit working soon I'm going to owe some people a whole lot of money
that I've been squandering here on the black coffee you're about to get me." He scurried behind the counter as he replied.
"One day I swear I'm going to get you to try something other than a standard coffee. You might be interested in our new
flavor, 'Trent's Girlfriend's Vagina Cooler'"
"You son of a bitch." I laughed as I set down my money and began to sip at the bitter and strong darkness in my cup.
"Speaking of Trent's girlfriend, how is she? Is she still all pissy about you fiddling with space time?"
"Oh you know Celia, she has this whole moral idea. I thought artsy people were supposed to be wicked atheists but noooo
not her, she's so ethical its a safety hazard."
"You know I think they had one of those ethical hazard drills here yesterday. You're supposed to wrap yourself in duct
tape and plastic or something." Matt said as he took his break and came to sit at my table.
"Oh be serious for a moment!" I scolded over my glasses. "Celia could break up with me for this you know! And then where
would I be? I surely wouldn't have much motivation to work. Everything good men do is only because of their girlfriends."
"What about the declaration of independence?"
"As well worded as that was? I'm almost certain that it got Martha Washington in the mood."
He chuckled a bit at this image before responding. "You were doing well enough before you met Celia."
"No I really wasn't, but in this science business it's necessary to appear as if you know what you're doing, especially
if you don't!"
"Well, do you think it would even matter to her if you showed her that your machine worked?"
"I doubt it. Besides I can't conduct the test without notifying my benefactors and putting safety measures in place."
"Oh come on, there's no bigger turn off than safety measures and old wealthy people. Why don't the three of us try it out?"
"There isn't much to try." I replied while I sipped my coffee. "The only thing it's supposed to do is open a window to
other worlds, not a doorway. And even that window might be dangerous, I'll probably start out with only lab animals in the
room when the window's open."
"Oh yeah, chicks dig guys who put cute little mammals infront of unstable scientific equipment. Face it, the only way you're
going to be able to show her that this thing you built is safe and dosnt eat babies is to let her see it in action first hand."
"But the electro magnetic radiation? The ions? Dear god, the ions!" I cried in fear.
"The ions can stay in salt where they belong." Matt replied cooly. I decided not to take the time to explain the difference
between ions and iodine.
Onward to chapter 3
