Chapter 4

“Hello! Is anyone here?”

Oh s**t! I quickly throw a sheet over I.C.E. and rush out of my workshop. I find Tyrell standing just outside the elevator, he was looking at my Orrery model with interest. I could tell he just got off work cause he was wearing his construction clothes and steel-toed boots. I could see his dark brown hair under his hard hat and his unshaven stubble of a beard that surrounded his square jaw.

He turned his dark brown eyes toward me and as he noticed me a huge grin spread across his face.

“Lucas!” he bellowed with arms outstreched.

As he wraps me in one of his bear hugs, I happen to squeak out, “Hey, Tyrell!”

He lets go of me and punches me in the arm.

“Ow! What was that for?” I say as I rub my arm.

“That’s fer not calling and lettin me know you were home.”

"Sorry. I got distracted.”

“For three weeks?” He says as he raises an eye brow.

“I see you still don’t shave like normal people, mountain man”, I say as I try to change the subject.

“Yeah that’s the perk of being owner of a major construction company’, he says as he touches his stubble. “And no changing the subject. What are you working on back there?”

“Nothing important.”

He looks down at me with an intense stare. I go from my normal 5’ 10” to the size of an ant and he’s the 6 foot giant. He pushes past me and walks into my lab, straight to the particle accelerator thats covered with a sheet. He yanks the sheet off displaying my work in all its glory.

“What the hell is that? Some kind of sculpture?

“No it’s a particle accelerator.”

“Like in Nederlands?

“Netherlands.”

“Whatever. Why the hell did you build one?”

“I found it, Tyrell.”

“Really?!” His eyebrows raise and he looks at it with more wonder. “How does it work?”

“Well I send two particles really fast around the tubes while they are electrified and when the particles collide they will create a miniture black hole and these tesla coils on either side will send electricity into the black hole, widening and stabilizing it. The computer will lock on a black hole that I chose and basically copy its destination data and send it to the black hole that I created. Hence it will open a wormhole.”

"That sounds dangerous. I know what a black hole is, Lucas. Why in the hell would you do that?

“Well there is some risk involved but that is to be expected.”

“You’re avoiding the question, Lucas.”

I sigh. “Tyrell, you have to understand. This very well may be the greatest discovery of mankind.”

“Or the worst discovery of mankind. Lucas, listen. I know you worked most of your life on this, but I want to swear to me that you will dismantle this death machine and destroy the research. This is too dangerous.”

“What if I…”

“NO, LUCAS! Promise you will.”

I could see the anger and determination in his eyes. I knew I wasn’t going to win.

“Ok. I promise that I will destroy everything after I have studied everything I can to see if it can be done safely. If not I will destroy it.”

“And if there is a safe way for you to do this you will tell me first. Ok?”

“Alright. Alright.”

“Ok, little brother, I’m going to be out of town for a week or two, but I am going to come back and check on you when I get back.”

He walks past me and heads for the elevator. As the doors start to close he looks at me and says, “Don’t you dare turn that on.”

The doors shut and I let out a sigh of relief. Now I can get back to work. I grab a couple of hot pockets and throw them in the microwave. As soon as they are done I put them on a plate and take them to the computer. I open up my favorite and most accurate astronomy program and the program I designed for I.C.E. I do a search for the nearest black hole and copy all the data into the I.C.E. Program. I double check everything, I take a deep breath, and click start.