(Okay, let’s try it again at 50% output.)
As I think this, I drag a finger across the touch screen, pulling the slider towards the halfway mark. Then reaching for the large lever to my right, I flip the circuit breaker to the “ON” position.
Instantly, the hum of electricity fills the room, and I watch with bated anticipation as hot plasma begins to surge through the pair of quantum pylons, illuminating two hollowed out glass archways, revealing intricate weaves of copper traces etched along the surfaces. Seconds later, purple orbs start to appear in the centers of these structures, pulsing into existence, swirling as they coalesce, like the gaseous formation of a star, and, for a moment, the pair of quantum bridges seem like they just might stabilize.
But then, as so many times past, the quantum field begins to collapse in on itself, sputtering in purple sparks, before finally fizzling out all together, leaving nothing but the air of disappointment behind.
Though the idea was a longshot, and my expectations low, I can nonetheless feel a frown tug at my lips, and I think:
(Hm, if only there were some way to modulate the frequency. That would prevent the resonance and allow the bridge to stabilize-)
“-!”
Suddenly, something touches my shoulder, catching me completely by surprise, and I involuntarily jump before quickly pivoting around. There, I find a woman, blonde hair tied into a ponytail, looking in her mid-twenties. She seems somewhat familiar, memories of shared pleasantries coming to mind, in the form of simple greetings made in passing, but I can’t quite place a name.
(I think she’s from the biology division-?)
As I take out my earbuds, I see her give me an apologetic glance before saying, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, Klaus.”
Her voice triggers the recollection of her name.
(Right, she’s-)
I shake my head, “-Rachel, no, no, you’re good. No worries. I was just too absorbed by this problem I’m trying to solve.” And indeed, a quick glance at the clock on the wall shows I’ve completely lost track of the time, with the hour well past the normal working day, the sounds of my team members’ farewells, as they departed for the night, floating vaguely through my memories.
Turning back to Rachel, I catch her smiling at me as she looks past, pointing and casually asking, “So, what are you working on? Are you allowed to say?”
At this, I happily return the smile, always excited to engage whoever might listen, “Sure, you see these two glass pylons? Well, basically-”
And so I begin to delve into the inner workings of the LUNA system my team and I have constructed. Halfway through, however, I notice Rachel starts shifting her weight side-to-side, her eyes breaking contact and wandering around the room. Clear that I’m losing her interest, rather than continue, I quickly wrap up by saying, “So, in effect, it’s a quantum entanglement based communication network. By observing entangled particles across two synchronized pylons, we can create a way to send messages between them without any preexisting cabling infrastructure, across any distance, and at, theoretically, faster than light speed. I, uh, hope that makes sense, Rachel. Sorry if I was rambling.”
Rachel takes this as a cue that I’ve concluded and speaks up. “No, no, that was all very fascinating. What you’re doing here sounds incredible, Klaus.”
While not insincere, I can tell from her tone and expression that there is something else on her mind. “Right, well, anyways,” I shrug casually, “So what’s up, Rachel? What brings you here? Something I can help you with?”
Immediately, I sense I’ve struck to the heart of the matter, as Rachel noticeably brightens, seemingly finally given the opportunity to bring up what she has come here to say. “Right, well,” she begins, mirroring my cadence, “a few of the other members of the biology department are heading over to Einstein Bar, you know, to celebrate Hector and Gloria’s engagement, so, I was wondering if, you know, if you’re not busy, if you wanted to... join me, I mean, us?”
The question comes as a surprise, since I rarely get invited to outings, but I don’t let it show on my face. Instead, I shoot a quick glance over at the quantum pylons, thinking:
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
(Probably won’t make any more progress today... so, why not?)
I reach for the circuit breaker, powering the system off, the plasma in the glass dissipating as I turn back to Rachel and say, “Sure, I’m kind of a lightweight, but yeah, sounds like fun. I’ll be happy to accompany you.”
My statement draws a big, obvious smile to her face, and, together, we exit my workshop, passing through the maze of whitewashed hallways comprising the military research complex, as we head towards the parking lot. In the interlude, I begin making smalltalk to fill the space.
“Hector and Gloria, huh? That’s awesome. How long have they known each other for?” I ask enthusiastically, not that I particularly care, given I don’t even know who the couple are, but rather for the sake of conversation.
“Just three months, if you can believe,” Rachel replies.
“That’s crazy, but I guess it’s like they say, ‘If you know, then you know.’ True love and all that, right?”
“Y-yeah,” Rachel replies, and though I’m not looking at her, I can sense a hesitation in her voice, before she continues, “So, Klaus, um, are you seeing anyone?”
The question strikes me as odd, but I don’t think too deeply about it, chalking it up to the fact that we’re already on the subject of marriage and love and such. Shrugging casually, I say, “Nope, guess I haven’t found ‘the one’ yet. What about you, Rachel? You seeing anyone?”
I turn, just in time to catch an expression of relief transforming into embarrassment as Rachel quickly shies away, muttering, “No, no one.”
(Whoops, is this like one of those “Don’t ask a woman her age” kind of things? Should I have not asked? Maybe it’s a sore subject for her?)
Trying to ameliorate the situation, I offer, “Well, if you want to find someone, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. After all, you’re kind, smart and beautiful.”
Somehow, this appears to only make the situation worse, Rachel tensing and fully turning away, and we fall into a brief awkward silence, before I decide to change tactics, hard pivoting away from the topic. “So, Einstein Bar, I’m not familiar with it. Maybe I should look it up first, just in case we get separated on the drive there?”
As I go to pull out my phone, I hear Rachel say, “I, um, I can text you the address, if you, um, give me your number, you know, if you want.”
“Sure, that works,” I reply, and shortly after we exchange numbers, I feel my phone vibrate, with a text from Rachel indicating the address of our mutual destination, which I save, along with her contact information.
As I do so, I hear her say, “Oh wow, is that the new Orange Universe VII?”
I hold out my phone and nod, replying, “I’m surprised you know about it. It’s kind of a niche device.”
“Just a coincidence. It’s featured in this upcoming tech expo happening at the Javits Center,” Rachel quickly explains, “They were saying how it uses ‘wave destruction’ or something to boost processing power-”
“-!”
Hearing those words, I’m hit with a sudden inspiration.
(Wave destruction! Destructive interference! Of course!)
“- go together if you’d like -”
(If I use a counter-resonance, that should cancel the frequency response and stabilize the field!)
“- or not, if you’re busy, I totally get that. Um, Klaus?”
The sound of my name snaps me back to reality, and I realize that I’ve stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. Looking up, I see that Rachel has turned around, a concerned look on her face. I quickly offer a sheepish smile, apologizing, “Sorry, yes, tech expo. I’d love to go with you, Rachel.”
“Really?!” she asks, face lighting up.
I nod, then apologizing again, say, “Sorry, I just remembered, I forgot something in the workshop. Can you head to the bar first? I’ll meet you there.”
Her face still bright, I see her nod in assent, after which I pivot, backtracking with haste and excitement to the workshop to implement this new idea.
Fully absorbed, I have no clue how much time passes, before I’m finally done tinkering with the system. Then taking a deep breath, I say, “Well, here goes nothing.”
A flip of the switch and, once more, purple orbs begin to appear. This time, however, the field remains stable, and full doorways appear, shimmering in each of the glass arches. Having failed so many times, I can hardly believe it, my body abruptly breaking into a dance, my fists pumping into the air as I shout, “Yes! Yes! Look guys, I-!”
My eyes fall upon the empty workshop, and suddenly, despite the success, I’m hit with a somewhat sombering vibe. “I did it,” I finish, but what comes out is not a shout, merely a whisper. Staring vacuously at the pair of purple portals, I find my hand reaching into my pocket, pulling out my phone. The time indicates that a full two hours have passed, a single text from Rachel asking if I’m okay.
Not sure why, but I find myself dialing her number, her voice across the line immediately answering, “Klaus? Where are you? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry, something came up, but get this, that problem I was working on before, I think I might have solved it, and it’s all thanks to you-!”
“Unbelievable,” Rachel's voice interrupts from the other end.
“I know, right, destructive interference, I mean, who would have thought-!”
“Stop! Klaus, just stop! God! Why didn’t I listen to my friends? They said not to bother with you, that beneath the pretty face, you’re just a-”
I don’t catch her next words, as suddenly, my attention is drawn towards the panel by the quantum pylons, where readings are spiking beyond anything I’ve ever encountered.
“- are you even listening, Klaus?”
“Sorry, Rachel, I’m going to have to call you back.”
“Klaus, if you hang up on me, I swear-”
Rachel’s voice cuts as I toss my phone aside, and I rush forward, slamming the circuit breaker to shut off the power. To my utter confusion, however, the purple portals persist. And that’s when I see it-
What can only be described as a pair of glowing eyes, peering out beyond one of the archways, staring directly at me.
“What the-?!”
But my words vanish, for in that instant, a ghastly hand bursts forth, grabbing me by the neck, dragging me into the center of that pylon. Suddenly, I’m falling, surrounded by light, plasma coursing through my veins as my body is violently torn apart, atom by atom, dissolving like mist.
The last thing my conscious mind perceives is a voice, robotic and monotonous, which says:
Quantum signature within acceptable parameters. Intercepting...
Capture successful. Initiating DUNGEON CORE PROTOCOL...