The four of them are arranged around one end of an enormous conference table in the chancellor’s study at Miskatonic University. The study is quite large, designed for meetings of the full board of directors. This formal room, like so many at Miskatonic, creates an impression of long-standing wealth and influence. Its imposing fireplace is lighted today, but the room is hardly cheerful, scarcely warmed by its soft glow.
Dr. Marianne Christianson, head of the Science Department, slides a manila folder across the table to her boss, the chancellor of Miskatonic University.
Dr. Thomas Mason, the chancellor, receives the folder and asks, “Do you think he’s a good choice, then? Will Dr. Mackenzie fit in here, Marianne?” Dr. Mason is the head of this small review committee and the head of the college as well.
“I think so,” she replies. “He’s smart, young, and eager to make his way in the world. He would make a good addition to our teaching staff. He’s also a writer; his dissertation at UCLA was compelling. Not many people moving into academia add anything to physics research. His dissertation extends Steven Hawking’s early work on black holes in two significant ways. First of all, he calculates the energies involved for creating small black holes in the laboratory. Second, he shows how much Hawking radiation might be produced from them and how we might harness this energy.”
“I read the dissertation,” says Dr. Shyam Gupta, sitting to the right of Dr. Christianson. He’s clearly excited by what he’s saying. “If the hole is stable and sized appropriately, the energy production is immense due to black-body radiation being constantly released near the event horizon. It could be a surprisingly safe and efficient energy source.”
“Safe, unlimited energy—a nice theory,” says Dr. Christianson.
Dr. Gupta continues, “I also saw him present a research paper on creating miniature black holes. The team he was working with at UCLA has made a lot of progress in proving how that might be done.”
“So the boy can teach, research, and write,” says Dr. Mason. “That certainly could get him a graduate teaching fellowship here. But what about our other projects? How does Dr. Mackenzie fit into our long-range plans?”
“The details are in the folder, Thomas,” says Dr. Christianson. “I’ll give you the bird’s-eye view, though, and you can read the rest for yourself later. First off, he’s a lucid, imaginative, and coherent dreamer.”
“And we know this how?” asks Claire Barry. Ms. Barry, the fourth member of this review team, has been quietly taking notes.
“I have a friend who was involved with UCLA’s dream research program,” says Dr. Christianson. “As an undergraduate student, Dr. Mackenzie was one of their paid dreamers. My friend was helping to wind down the research after their grant money ran out. Dr. Mackenzie’s participation was distinctive—that was why my friend first called me.”
“Did he know the purpose of the research?” asks Ms. Barry.
“No. The students were told they were part of a study to compile a dream dictionary of common themes and symbols that dreamers encounter. They were given basic training on recalling, recording, and summarizing their dreams. They were given information on lucid dreaming and some simple exercises to try to enhance the lucidity of their dreams. They were paid for their efforts as part of a work-study program.”
“Is he stable?” asks Ms. Barry. She’s looking intently at Dr. Christianson.
She responds, “A good question given the lucidity and directive nature of his dreams. Yes, I think so. As part of the study, the students were required to have quarterly MMPI and other evaluations to test their mental states. Throughout the two-year project he was fine. His scores show that he’s a bit of a loner, a bit repressed emotionally and sexually, but quite sane. I would say from his profile that he could be taught to transverse. The copies of his dream diaries that I was given show powerful lucid-dreaming states.”
“Transverse potential,” says Dr. Mason, thoughtfully. “Anything else?”
“Perhaps just a curiosity,” says Dr. Christianson, shrugging her shoulders slightly. “I think he might be one of the Kingsport ‘Kings.’”
This gets the attention of the group. Ms. Barry breaks the silence. “And how would you know that?”
“That was an easy one. Our routine background check provides a birth certificate,” Dr. Christianson says. “Although his last name is Mackenzie, after his mother, his father is listed as James King of Kingsport, Massachusetts. Although it’s a common enough name—not in Kingsport. It appears that he’s had no contact with his father since he and his mother moved to California when ‘Mac’ was about three years old.”
“Should we consider this an asset or a liability?” asks Dr. Mason.
“Good question. Ultimately an asset, I think. It helps to explain some of the images in his dream journals and speaks to his potential in that area. He may have some of his father’s capabilities, although heredity doesn’t seem to play a major factor in that.”
Dr. Mason closes the folder that Dr. Christianson gave him. He pushes it back to her across the table. He says, “Let’s send the young man a letter of interest and set up an interview. Do you think we could have him here during Ostara? It would be lovely to have him here with a full moon! We can interview him for his teaching skills and to get an idea of how well he might fit into life at Miskatonic. If things work out, let’s have him teach for a year before we involve him in our greater plans. It would be good to have him think of Miskatonic as ‘home’ before we complicate things.”
Dr. Mason says, almost to himself, “I might have Brown Jenkin interview him as well, to check into the other matter.”
The mention of Brown Jenkin simultaneously elicits a smile from Dr. Christianson and a look of disgust from Ms. Barry.
Dr. Mason concludes the discussion, “If nothing else, wouldn’t it be better to have him here, working for us?”