There Must Be A Mistake Ch. 31

"No thank you, it would spoil my appetite."

"I don't want to do that. You're getting too thin. When was the last time you had a physical?"

"You're not my husband, so don't start that with me."

"You're absolutely correct; I'm not your husband. I am your employer, and I demand to know when you took your last physical."

"It was a little bit more than two and half years ago."

"Your contract demands you have a complete physical once every year. I will have my secretary schedule a completely invasive physical for you by next Friday. You will be there, even if you have to be gagged, blindfolded handcuffed, and carried to the hospital to be on time."

"Your pain in the ass Dycke."

"I keep telling you that's Bob's job. I don't want to lose you. I will do anything in my power to make sure you stay with my corporation, until you really wish to leave. 'Don't say it Fiona.' I own you for three more years."

"I thought it was two."

"I changed my mind."

"I'm going to read that damn contract."

"Don't you think it's about time?"

"Yes I guess it is."

"It's the same contract you signed since the day you became Chief Financial Officer. Not one word has been changed in the last 25 years. The only thing that has changed is your salary."

"You mean to say I haven't looked at my contract in 25 years?"

"Only you would know the answer to that question Fiona. Let's eat before the engineers and scientists get here to look at Even's design specifications."

************************

(Friday 10 AM)

"Colonel Canyon, this is Maximilian, the chef at the Hyatt Hotel."

"Yes Maximilian, you haven't run into a problem, have you?"

"Absolutely not Colonel, I should always have problems like this. I have just spoken with the future Mrs. Finch. I asked her what type cake and fillings she would like. She is so thrilled that Mister and Mrs. Zabo are attending her wedding she deferred that decision to them. Would you be able to ascertain their preferences, because we are going to start preparations for it today?"

"I see what you mean about a happy problem Maximilian. I will call you back in 15 minutes with your answer."

"That would be wonderful Colonel. Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to speak with me."

************************

152. Faster Than Light

By 11:45 AM, all the scientists, and engineers were accounted for, and in the soundproof meeting room, awaiting instructions from Dycke. He astounded them, when he walked into the room and had pieces of paper handed to everyone. Upon signing up with the corporation, they all had to sign nondisclosure agreements. The paper handed out this morning was another one. This nondisclosure agreement was the most severe they had ever read. Basically, if they broke any tenant of this NDA their lives, freedom, careers, and family lives were over.

Dycke called the meeting to order.

"Those of you who do not want to sign this nondisclosure agreement must leave the room now. You are still employed by my company, but you will have nothing to do with this project. Those of you, who do sign it, will never be allowed to discuss it. I repeat, "You will never be allowed to discuss it. The terms of this NDA will be enforced rigidly to each letter in the contract."

"You now have 60 seconds to sign contract, or use that same 60 seconds to leave the room."

"Dycke can you tell us anything about this project?"

"Yes, we won't know if it works, until Doctor Luck passes Mars. If it does work, and your name is attached to it, they will live on in history longer than the pyramids."

One scientist said, "He's done something with communications again, hasn't he?"

"He's promised to go four times faster than the speed of light in his spacecraft. Maybe he's found a way to go faster?"

"Ladies, gentlemen, your time is up. Sign the NDA or get out of the room."

Some people stood up and looked at their peers, who were signing the documents. They started walking towards the rooms exit. The thought of losing everything they had ever earned was paramount in their minds, because of their families. As they reached the door, and opened it, they looked over their shoulders, and saw their peers looking back at them.

One of them said, "Oh fuck it!" She took out her pen, signed the document, walked up to Dycke, and told him this better be good.

Dycke kissed her on the head, and told her she's going to have to be very fast to keep up with it.

"Bring all the documents to me Cheryl. I will witness them, and you will notarize them. As soon as you are done, leave us, make 10 copies of each, scan the originals into the computer, and put them in the high-security safe. Place a copy in everyone's mailbox. Send a copy of each to legal, and go to lunch. Be back in the office by 12 PM."

Dycke raised his arms to protect himself from whatever was within Cheryl's reach.

When nothing hit him, he peaked. She was smiling at him. "It's nice to have you back boss."

"I'm not there yet Cheryl, but I'll get there."

As Cheryl left the room, and the door was locked, the air was so filled with electricity you could feel it getting ready to snap.

"Now for the moment you've been waiting for, what has Even Luck come up with this time? What magic do we have to perform to make it happen? Ladies, gentlemen, Even knows that his spacecraft is going to move faster than light. He says that so easily he feels it's a given fact. His oldest boy has proven that nuclear fusion does not have to take billions of watts of microwave energy to become a feasible source of limitless power. The young man was 15 years old when he made the announcement, and he made all of us feel like dunces. He made the discovery when he was 14 years old. I don't want to have to go through the list of things the Luck family has managed to do in less than 10 years, but this one is going to blow your mind.

I'm going to ask you a very simple question, "Do you believe Light can be made to move faster than Light?"

"You can't touch light Dycke. How can you possibly move something you can't touch?"

Dycke asked, "Can you touch the wind? Can you capture it in a jar?"

"You can feel it, but you can't capture it in a jar."

"What happens when you deflect a steady wind, into corridors of decreasing size?"

"The wind amplifies in speed."

"In other words, you can take a 30 mile an hour wind, at one end of a tunnel, and at the other end of that same tunnel it can come out at 200 miles per hour. Why?"

"Yes, because your compressing the air into a tighter space."

"Guess what Doctor Even Luck and his family have done with Light?"

"Bullshit, it can't be done to something you cannot feel."

"That is the reason I told you at the beginning, we won't know if it works, until the Good Luck 1 passes Mars. The Good Luck 1 will be transmitting from every instrument on board to Earth in real time. The normal time Curiosity takes to contact earth is 13 minutes 48 seconds. The same holds true on Even's spacecraft.

When they pass Mars, they will fire one of these projectiles towards Earth. It will be transmitting immediately, and continuously from the time of ignition. If his new invention works, it will be heard instantaneously."

"Dycke with all deference to the good Doctor, he's off this fucking rocker."

"I have $10 that says you're wrong. Does anybody want to bet against me? Come on guys and girls I have to be wrong sometime. This is as 'way out' an idea any of us has ever heard of. This is so far out of left field; they had to move the bleachers. Wait a minute, I haven't shown you the blueprint yet."

Dycke turned on the overhead projector, and the blueprint filled the entire wall behind him. He moved so he was not blocking any of it. Before any of his experts could say a word, he filled in, "No, it is not upside down."

His experts started talking to one another in tones that were much more subdued.

"I know he's not asking us for it Dycke, so I shouldn't be concerned right? Where is he getting the antimatter?"

"I like the way you phrased the first part of your question Harvey. Why don't we leave it at that if you don't mind? Let's just build the containment units for it, and if we fall through a crack in the space time continuum, we will know why, and who did it."

"Would you tell our magnet supplier to send us the best magnets he makes boss. We don't want any cheapies for this flight."

"You don't want secondhand magnets for my dear friend the Doctor?"

"I think we would all agree to forgo lunch, rather than have a defective magnet on one of these containment units."

***********************

"Okay, you've had two hours to look at this thing, can it be done by December 23."

Naomi said, "If we don't have to test it, our part can be done in three weeks. I won't be comfortable with it, but it will be done."

"What would make you comfortable?"

"The impossible. Getting it up into space and firing it off. I'm not talking about capturing the light, or finding out where he is getting the antimatter, I just want to make sure the propulsion unit's work. They won't work unless they are in outer space, because they are not air breathers. The tiny one, in the back, that uses lasers and the Vanadium would be disrupted by a one mile per hour wind."

"Go to work, and get this thing done. I'll try to make the impossible possible, if it's at all possible."

"Is it really possible to make the impossible possibly possible?"

"It's impossible to tell if it's possible."

*****************

"Sitting on your ass Maximilian?"

"Chef Meltzer, what an honor. Please be seated, may I get you anything?"

"A bottle of cold water please."

"Yes chef."

"Maximilian, this is your kitchen, you are in command. You are not to treat me any differently than you would any senior chef. I want to watch how the other chef's work together. Most of them won't know me, but this is the way I like to judge who moves up, and who moves out."

"As you wish chef, but how am I to refer to you?"

"Call me by my middle name, Roland."

"Very well Roland, at our meeting tomorrow morning I will tell everyone that you will be floating around helping anyone who has a problem. How does that suit you?"

"That will be just fine Maximilian."

"We have just received the order for the wedding cake, so that is being taken care of now. All the food trucks are in; I have just sent one of my men to buy more fruit. I am waiting for more linen's to come in from Houston. When this evening's rush is over, all the linens will be rushed through the laundry and by 10 o'clock tomorrow morning everything will be ready to go. I will inspect each server, change that, now that you're here, we can share that duty.

We will inspect each server from shoes to nails making sure everyone is appropriately attired. We will have one of the staff barbers on call. Any person who is not appropriately groomed for tomorrow's ceremony will have a buzz cut, or he will go home. Nothing is going to go wrong tomorrow with Mister Zabo sitting at the main table. I have even asked for additional police to be stationed in the hallways leading to the main banquet facility."

"Isn't that overdoing it just a little bit Maximilian?"

"In our day and age sir, all it takes is one lunatic, and your entire life is ruined."

"Your point is well taken Maximilian. I'm going up to my room, and relax I will be down later."

"I will be here chef, I guarantee it."

******************

(3 PM CST)

"No."

"You are a narrow minded son of a bitch."

"You are just finding this out now?"

"Change your mind, or I won't make them."

"Your bluffing."

"My people are worried. What happens if it blows up?"

"Maybe we should put a timer delay on the ignition sequence."

"Gee whiz, you are willing to compromise."

"I will not take my ship into space to test one of these devices. We would have to travel to Mars, send a signal, and return, for the sake of one test. I can't do that because we don't have the water in the exterior shell. We would have no defense against radiation and gamma rays. We would all perish, and you would lose the only hope you have of keeping Payne with you, and happy."

"Do you know how angry I am with you Even, when you are right?"

"Probably as upset as I am with you when you are correct Dycke."

"None of my engineers would take my $10 bet that this thing of yours was not going to work."

"You are only going to lose one bet my friend, and that is on Christmas Day. I give you my word on it."

"I'm bringing along my psychiatrist as an expert witness to testify it reaches your knee."

"I knew you were crazy all these years."

"No one has ever called me 'crazy' for inventing all these off-the-wall ideas of yours."

"I guess that's why I'm leaving this planet in your capable hands, and I'm going out to screw up our universe."

"If anyone could do it to our universe Even, it definitely would be you. Would you do me a favor?"

"If I can, I'll give it a try."

"Come back to us in 30 or 40 years, and tell us what you've seen."

"That would be completely up to the crew Dycke. I won't be around. I've told you that already. Teddy will be in command of the spacecraft, and many things will have to be taken into consideration before a decision like that is made."

"I understand. It would really piss me off anyhow, if you came back looking, and feeling younger than I was at the time. I would have to kill you."

"Get your ass up off the floor, call your psychiatrist, and get to work Dycke. You're wasting my time. My team is in the process of developing a way to slow down the fuel consumption rate of our Sun, while keeping the temperature and speed ratios at the same level."

"Go fuck yourself Even. My psychiatrist is still up in Boston closing up his affairs. I am not laying down on the floor, because my time with him helped me a great deal. I would bet everything I have, except for Payne, that you are whistling out of both sides of your mouth."

"Have your lawyers start drawing up the papers, and put the titles in the names of Holden and Richard Luck."

"I will start that process, the day after it is proven your work has been successful. However, this time you are so full of shit, your eyes are turning black."

"We have five weeks to accomplish this task. Delicious has been looking for something to sink her teeth into, besides Gray for a long time. This should be exactly what she's been looking for. She may finish more than a week early, with Newton, and Teddy helping her. "

"Did I mention, during this conversation, that I hate you Even."

"No Dycke, I believe you left that out of this conversation."

"Oh good, I hate you Even Luck. I was a normal rational human being for all the years of my life, before I met you. Now I have to have a psychiatrist on staff because of you.

I hate you Even Luck. However, I don't think I would be having half as much fun at work without you."

"What a touching sentiment that was. Go to work dammit. Every minute we are on the phone, means a minute wasted on my project."

"Do you really think I'm smart enough to build one of those things Even? That's why I have scientists and engineers working for me."

"You should never try to bullshit a bullshitter. You take one look at those plans, and you know where every nut and bolt goes. You just want to play with your own toys, just like I do."

"I'm going to hang up now. You are distressing me."

"Distressing, is that a new word you learned from your psychiatrist?"

"Yes it is. He said I should use it every time I use the words 'Even Luck.' It is distressing to talk to you. Goodbye Dycke."

"Goodbye Even."

They both laughed, and turned off their phones.

************

Friday Noon

Adam Schiff was in the plumbing simulator, when something began tickling his ear. He brushed it away to continue working on the problem he was trying to resolve. The tickling came back, and he brushed it away again.

The next time it happened, someone was licking his earlobe.

"I didn't know you swung that way Benny."

Laura asked, "Is Benny prettier than I am?"

Adam nearly knocked himself unconscious, when he raised his head, and hit a 12-inch PVC pipe. As his head cleared, he turned to see Laura smiling at him.

"If you are going to do that every time I come to see you at work, I think you should wear a hard hat."

"Very funny baby, why are you here? You never come to see me at work."

"What happens when your shower doesn't work, and you need a plumber?"

"You leave the house to find your friendly neighborhood plumber. What happened to our shower?"

"If I knew, why would I be here talking to you? Of course, if you want me to call another plumber, I will happily do so."

"Is he as expensive as I am?"

"Who said it was a he? I could always try a female plumber."

"You are getting ready to test the waters on the other side of the sexual venue?"

"If my friendly local plumber doesn't fix my shower, I may expand my horizons."

"Can I use my camera as you cavort around?"

"I believe that falls within the rules, don't you?"

"Let's get out of here Laura, you're killing me."

"I think that was the object of this discussion."

"You have succeeded admirably. I will tell my boss I'm taking the afternoon off."

"You don't have to; I already told him you are leaving for the day."

"You are one confident, sexy lady Laura. I love you."

"I believe I can put up with you for a lifetime."

"As of December 25, and you say the words 'I DO', you will have to put up with me for a lifetime, so get use to it. I just realized this is the first time I've seen you in clothes in months. How does it feel?"

"Minimalistic. I'm not wearing anything under this dress."

"Let's get out of here. I need a cold shower."

"You will have to fix it first. It's not working."

"It will be working, and fast."

************************

The SUV's raced them home, and as they turned into his community, he knew there was nothing he could do to fix his shower. The Cities backhoe's and dump trucks were lined up digging through part of the street where a water main burst. He had his driver pullover so he could speak to the city engineer.

"Hi Brian, how bad is it?"

"It's not a disaster, but it's damn close. The main cracked supplying three feeder lines, including your development. Everyone for a mile is without water. This is going to take 6 to 8 hours to fix. I hope it never happens again. The mayor is all over my bosses ass, and I can feel where my bosses teeth bit me."

"Can I make a suggestion?"

"I'm all ears Adam."

"I've been doing plumbing on the spaceship. The plumbing is like nothing you've ever seen before, because it has to work without gravity, and without pressure. Since you tearing up the street anyhow, why not try this. Instead of using one main coupling for all the communities, why not use four couplings separated by 12 feet. Each one will be serving an individual community's on either side of the street. This way if one coupling goes bad, that's the only one you have to replace. You shut down the feeder valve serving that coupling, leaving the other communities with pressurized water. You repair that broken coupling in less than two hours, and you're good to go. Only one community has to boil water until it has been tested clear of contaminants."

"Are you looking for my job?"

"No, I'm getting married December 25. Then I am leaving on the spaceship, the same day. I worked my ass off to get that plumbing job, and it's just something I learned."

"Why 12 feet apart?"