CHAPTER THREE
Alina
YEAR: 2012
The lab always seemed slightly creepy to Alina when she was there all alone, even with all the lights on. The fluorescent lights flickered periodically and pipes clank, clank, clanked at random intervals. And the concrete walls seemed to suck in all the light. It is just a normal building, she had to tell herself. And a normal room with no outside windows.
Alina stared at her computer screen through thick-framed glasses. She dragged the mouse across the desktop to open a spreadsheet and enter some numbers. She looked over at the glass window taking up most of one wall — Motega’s office. The machine was behind a door on the opposite end of the room. Waiting. Alina’s desk faced the exit, like a receptionist.
Cecilia, the lab tech, closed the door to the lab and walked over to her, flicking a letter in her fingers. “Look what I’ve got,” she sang.
“What’s that?” Alina asked, deliberately not looking up at her, both anxious and fearful at what it would say.
Cecilia placed the letter on her keyboard. “It’s from the U.”
“I’ll look at it later,” Alina said, tossing it on top of a pile of bills. She adjusted the thick frames on her nose.
“No, no. I want to see what it says.” Cecilia waited and hovered over her. Alina clicked at her keyboard, trying to wish her away. “If you don’t open it, I will.”
“That’s a federal offense,” Alina said halfheartedly. “Now go away, I’ve got to finish these calculations before lunch.”
Cecilia ripped the letter open with a squeal. “Dear Alina Bol,” she read. “We are pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted and we would like to set up an interview.... You’re in!”
Alina wrinkled her nose. “I’m in,” she said, not sounding very enthused.
“Well, don’t throw a party or anything,” Cecilia said, dropping the letter back on the desk.
“It’s just.... I don’t know if I’m going to go or not.”
Cecilia rolled her eyes. “Oh my goodness, Alina. You cannot keep doing this to yourself over him.”
“It has nothing to do with Motega,” Alina said, though she did wonder what he thought of her big, frumpy hair and quickly grabbed a binder to tie it back.
She turned back to her computer and once again tried to silently wish Cecilia away. She had been her best friend for a long time (Alina had even gotten her this job) but right now she was just not letting her think. “And what would I do about you? We wouldn’t be able to work together anymore.”
You mean you won’t be able to work with Motega, she chided herself.
“We’ll be fine. You will once again find me another job in your department, or not. It doesn’t really matter, Alina. You won’t be more than twenty minutes away. Motega will find himself another assistant.” She held a finger up to stop a protest. “A male assistant. I’ll make sure of that. Perhaps a handsome young guy for me. And everyone can just move on with their lives.”
Alina frowned. “I don’t know.”
“All right. You know what? None of my business,” Cecilia said, throwing her hands up. “But you have got to make a decision for yourself. Motega or your career. Gosh, you guys are not even dating — He’s always so wrapped up in his work anyways — but you are just.... No, I’m going. Just let me know what you decide.”
They both jerked up as the door creaked open and her eyes went to the letter. “Am I interrupting anything?” Motega asked as he stepped in. He stood tall, and bulky, like a football defensive lineman, though he had never been into sports. He wore his hair long and, although third generation Native American, one could still notice the distinctive features in his face. Which makes him that much more handsome. A stray thought, but it made Alina’s heart flutter. She stuffed down any evidence of her thoughts. She grabbed the letter and stuffed it in her desk drawer.
Cecilia grinned at Alina and just shrugged. “Nothing at all.”
Motega stepped over to his office. “Well, I’m done with my errands. Just dropping off my briefcase. Either of you up for lunch?”
Alina pushed herself away from her desk and got up. “Actually, I had an appointment in town, over lunch. I’m just going to grab something quick afterward. You two have fun, though.”
“And I’ve got to go over the QED again,” Cecilia said. “We can’t be too careful, can we?”
***
Alina’s appointment was a visit to the eye doctor to get rid of her unsightly, thick-framed glasses.
“I have to warn you, Miss Bol. You will see significantly worse with these contacts.”
“That’s okay,” she said, taking off her glasses. “I’m just tired of always wearing them, you know?” Alina sat in her eye doctor’s office, an array of glasses on the wall beside her, holding her first pair of contacts.
Tired of Motega dismissing you, she thought. Disgusting, thick black frames. I’m sure he always sees the glasses, not me.
But I’m leaving, aren’t I...?
“Can I try them on now?”
“Certainly,” the doctor said. “There’s tissues here. And don’t forget to use the solution.”
“Of course, thank you.” When the doctor left the room she opened the little contacts case tentatively. After messing with them for a bit, and dropping one of the lenses which called for a frantic search, Alina finally got the contacts into her eyes. The whole process of nearly touching her eyeball she found more than a bit disgusting, but Cecilia and the eye doctor had assured her that she’d get over it.
When she finally got them in, she sized herself up in the mirror. She looked... Wonderful. She looked and felt... good about herself. She could finally see her eyes, a deep, dark brown. Ugh, there was still the matter about her hair, though.
The doctor came back in after a couple minutes. “How do they feel?”
“Very nice,” she said, still evaluating herself in the mirror.
“Would you like a spare set?”
She held up her hand. “No, thanks. I’ve really got to be going.”
“All right. It was good to see you again, Miss Bol.”
Alina got up and shook his hand. “You, too.”
“We’ll send out a reminder in another year to come get your vision checked again. Have a good day.”
“Bye.” Alina stepped out the door and looked around. Everything did look a bit worse, a bit of blur around the details, but she felt so much better for being able to keep those glasses in their case.
***
After the eye doctor’s Alina grabbed a quick bite to eat and went back to the lab. Motega still wasn’t back from his chat with Dravin, an FBI agent she and Motega had run into earlier. She grabbed the letter from her desk and stuffed it into her jacket pocket. Winter temperatures had been degrading so fast she was wearing her thick down jacket.
Stepping out of the lab, Alina went over in her mind again what she planned to say. After the experiment tonight everything would change, one way or another. So she wanted to tell Motega now; she wanted him to at least know, to put it all on the line.
I really value our friendship, Motega, she said in her mind as she walked up the stairs. And I don’t want to ruin our working relationship, either.... She shook her head, not really knowing what to say.
The lab was in the basement of a squat brick office building. It shared the lease with a local law firm and a dentist’s office. There was parking in the alley around the back, but Caribou, where Motega and Dravin were having their little chat, was just a couple blocks away, so she slipped on her hat and a pair of stretchy gloves to brave the winter cold.
Thankfully, the walk was short. She ran into Motega and Dravin at the entrance. Dravin looked fierce, and serious, and walked with a determination in his step. “Hey, Motega,” she called out as they approached. “Could we talk?” She glanced at Dravin. “Alone.”
“Don’t mind me,” Dravin said, punching past them and into the building.
Alina rubbed her hands together. Motega looked so cold, with a thin autumn jacket and not even a hat. He just waited patiently as she froze. “Can we talk inside?” she said finally. “It’s freezing out here.”
“Sure,” Motega said, opening the door for her. They stepped inside so they could share the awkward moment in relative warmth. “What is it?”
Motega, I want to have your baby, she thought, gazing into his gorgeous green eyes. No, no. Much too forceful. “Motega, don’t take this the wrong way,” Alina said.
Ugh, that’s a terrible opening. But she forged on anyway. “I... I applied for a job at the U of M,” she stammered. And now that secret was out. “I just got the acceptance letter today. It’s a teaching position, and they’ll fund some of my own research. I know you rely on me here, and if you tell me no, I’ll understand....”
Motega smiled, and put his hands on her shoulders. That just raised her anxiety another step. “How could I take that the wrong way?” It felt like a high. She wanted to run, escape the anxiety, escape the gaze of his inviting and caring eyes, but she also wanted him to keep holding her. Hold me closer.
“This is great news,” he said, and her heart sunk. “Tonight, after the experiment, we’ll have two things to celebrate. I know how independent research has always been stressful for you.”
No, she thought, but her face smiled. “Yes, thank you,” she said, at the same time wanting to pummel him. He was supposed to be upset. He was supposed to say how much he liked her and couldn’t bear to see her leave, or any other number of sappy romantic things. But he just congratulated her, happy to see her go.
Because he has no idea you like him, her inner voice told herself again. Was it really just some childish fantasy? Like a teenage crush?
He smiled again. “Sure. Well, let’s finish up in the lab and we can talk more later.” He motioned to let her go down the stairs first, always the gentleman. She glanced outside; it was really dark out. The days were getting so short now. Well, she took a breath and let out a sigh as they descended the stairs. I told him.
THE EVENT
Alina got behind her desk and clicked away on the keyboard. She logged in and brought up an array of charts and statistics on her monitors. A few graphs were most prominent — average charge of the ions in the test gel packs, temperature, spin of the particles — but she had a wide array of variables to monitor, if she chose to. But really the experiment should be a non-event. No sudden flash. No explosion or sound. The only change would be displayed in these few graphs on her monitor.
“Monitoring ready,” Alina reported.
The door to the machine room was propped open now. Dravin stood in the opposite corner, leaning up against the door to Motega’s office. He tossed his coat jacket over the back of a chair, casually displaying his side holster for all. Cecilia was checking the connections, the power to the machine.
Motega, tall and handsome in his white smock, stood at the QED, tweaking a couple of the dials. He really wasn’t your typical science nerd or geek. He was only one quarter Native American, but the traits flowed smoothly across his face. If she didn’t know him, and without the smock, she might have guessed that he was an athlete, in football or wrestling, with his thick and solid upper body and strong arms.
Forget him. He doesn’t like you that way, she berated herself again.
Motega rechecked his notes on a chart on his clipboard to verify that they hadn’t missed anything. “Okay,” he said finally. “We should be good to go.”
Alina looked sideways at their visitor. “Dravin? Anything else you need?”
Dravin Davidson, ever the cool FBI agent, just shrugged. “This is your show. I’m just here to watch.”
Turning back to her monitor, Alina muttered under her breath. “Here to verify we’re not stealing the government’s money is more like it.” She glanced back at him, but he didn’t act like he heard. “All right, well, that’s it. Let’s flip the switch.”
She watched the monitors. The graphs stayed steady, normal. She heard a click as Motega pressed the button and another click when the button switched off.
The overhead lights flickered and went out, replaced by the red glow of emergency exit lights. Her computer, too, lost power, saved when it switched with a click to battery backup. Must have blown a fuse, she thought, ignoring the lights and concentrating on her computer readouts. The graphs fluttered, then normalized, now to rest at two complementing levels. All the indicators looked positive. The device seemed to have properly entangled all the particles in the two gel packs.
“Who are you?” Motega said.
Alina jumped to her feet, staring and gaping at a teenage guy with spiky brown hair standing next to the Quantum Entanglement Device in the machine room.
“I...” the kid said, looking just as astonished to see them. The door to the lab sat wide open. Wasn’t that shut just a second ago? she thought. A loud noise like a rush of wind thundered in from outside.
Before anyone else mustered up the wherewithal to speak, the kid rushed out the door and around the corner. “What’s going on?” Alina wondered aloud, but Motega just shrugged. Did they... could they have... teleported a kid to their lab? It seemed silly, but she couldn’t think of anything more plausible.
Dravin snapped out his cell phone and tried dialing a number. He cursed; no signal down here. Cell phone in hand, Dravin rushed out of the lab.
Suddenly, their world changed.