Linkage: The Narrows of Time

Chapter 2

Friday, December 21

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona





FOUR DAYS EARLIER .. .



Dr. Green had calledhim a “reckless hack.” Sure, Lucas’ paper on inter-dimensionaltravel stretched the envelope a bit, but that was the whole point ofhis submission to the popular online magazine, Astrophysics Today.Someone needed to challenge mainstream science occasionally;otherwise, breakthroughs would never happen.

He could accept thatSimon Green hated his theory on inter-dimensional travel, but thesenior editor didn’t need to blast him publicly. A traditionalrejection letter would have sufficed—Lucas would have saved it withall the others, using it as motivation to push his research evenfurther.

It was obvious thepaper triggered something in Green, otherwise, he wouldn’t havereacted with such fury. Even so, the retired physicist crossed theline when he wrote in his blog that Lucas was “Reckless.Undisciplined. Arrogant.” And condemned his theory as “Purespeculation founded on nothing more than adolescent fantasy.” Tomake matters worse, Green posted the entire thesis, entitled “TheLaws of Physics Are Merely a Suggestion,” then highlighted andfootnoted the sections that amused him.

Lucas secretly likedthe idea of becoming famous, but certainly not this way. Hishumiliation was now spreading across the Internet faster than apolitician sidesteps the truth, coursing through the veins ofcyberspace and swallowing his career. If he had to do it over, henever would’ve pressed that damned SEND button.

He wondered if Greenthought he was doing him a favor by tearing him down in an effort tokeep him grounded in reality. That ploy might have worked with otherwide-eyed physicists, but not him. Truth was, he was a resilient,twenty-one-year-old orphan who was hard-wired differently than most.The more Green attacked his skills, the more it fueled his fire.

He had dealt with hisshare of bullies over the years, but never one that walked with acane and wore inch-thick glasses—Green was pushing eighty, but therenowned scientist was still a formidable opponent. Green was one ofthose self-righteous prima donnas who never had an original thoughtin his life, but had made a name for himself in the scientificcommunity by berating the work of others.

Normally, Lucas wouldnever back down from a fight, but he decided it was best to let thisone go. Responding now would only fan the flames, sending hisdisgrace into orbit. If he later changed his mind, he could alwayspen a follow-up paper, which, of course, he would send to Greenfirst.

“Probably shortcircuit the old geezer’s pacemaker,” Lucas muttered, as a smilefound the corner of his mouth. “Too bad I can’t tell him aboutour anti-gravity project. He’d blow a valve for sure.”

Deep down, Lucas knewhe would survive this mistake professionally, but what he couldn’tstomach was embarrassing his boss, Professor Kleezebee. He just hopedhis mentor hadn’t caught wind of the paper. If he did, there wouldbe repercussions.

Lucas lay on his bedwith the edge of the covers just below his chin, trying to get backto sleep, when he felt something crawl across his shin and down theinside of his right calf. “Holy shit!” he screamed, tossing offthe covers.

A brown scorpion thesize of a hockey puck sat on the sheet, with its venomous stingerarched high above its back. It had crawled into his bed, searchingfor prey.

Lucas grabbed one ofhis foster brother’s sneakers and smashed the creature with suchforce that he jammed his right wrist, but the beast was still aliveand coming his way. “Die, you sucker,” he shouted, whacking theinvader three more times until its front claws, stinger, and eightlegs stopped moving. He hated the stealthy night crawlers almost asmuch as his adoptive father did, and would’ve gladly used a bazookato kill it.

“Did he owe youmoney?” Drew asked from his neighboring bed, rubbing a terryclothtowel across his hair, then his chest and shoulders.

Lucas used thecardboard backing from one of his notebooks to scoop the carcass offthe bed and into a plastic cup. “God, you’d think on the thirdfloor we’d be safe.”

“Not with the waythose things can climb. They’re relentless.”

“I would giveanything to have a few of Dad’s sonic pads to spread around.Goddamn EPA.”

Lucas dumped thecreature into the bottom of the toilet and gave it a middle-fingersalute. He saw a two-inch black cockroach lying on its back next tothe tub, with one set of legs still kicking. It crunched louder thanhe expected when he stepped on it with the heel of his left foot. Heused a Kleenex to pick it up and toss it into the toilet. He used thesame sheet of tissue to wipe the creature’s runny blood and gutsfrom his foot.

“We’re stuck livingin this shit-hole because of them,” he said loud enough for Drew tohear in the next room.

“Still, you can’tbeat the price.”

“Maybe so, but cheaprent doesn’t make up for it.”

Lucas flushed the john,sending the pair of mangled carcasses swirling around the bowl andinto the sewer. He flushed the toilet a second time for good measurebefore returning to the bedroom. “A couple of yappy dogs died andthe investors go running for the hills. What a bunch ofbleeding-heart pansies. All Dad needed was a second chance.”

Drew nodded.

Lucas moved Drew’swheelchair closer to the bed, waiting for his brother to slide hisfrail legs over the edge and onto the floor. “Need any help?” heasked, already knowing the answer that his younger brother would givehim.

“No. I got it. Justgive me a minute.”

Drew used a handle barhanging from the ceiling to prop himself up against the side of hisraised bed. He could stand for short periods, but could not walk, atleast not without assistance. He turned around and sat in thewheelchair.

A shiver ran downLucas’ spine and he wrapped his arms around his nude body. Hewalked four steps to the end of the room where the in-wall HVACsystem was installed, and rubbed his hands over the output vents.“Hardly anything coming out of this piece of crap.”

“What’d you expect?That thing’s probably older than Sputnik.”

“Even so, you’dthink Kleezebee’s Super could find a way to keep this thingworking. We could hang meat in here.” Lucas slipped on a pair ofnavy blue boxers and a faded, long-sleeved red t-shirt.

Drew pulled out aneatly rolled pair of socks from a custom-built dresser compartmentunder the bed and tossed it to Lucas. They had raised theirmattresses four feet off the ground using 4x4 redwood posts and birchplywood from their dad’s workshop.

Lucas walked to hisdesk to see what yesterday’s mail had brought them. Three envelopeswere sitting on top of the last pile, face up, with fresh postmarksand fingerprints. All three were from someone in the medical field.“More bills for Mom? Are you kidding me?”

“They’re likecockroaches. They keep multiplying.”

Lucas opened the firstenvelope and almost puked. “Twenty-two grand for three days inurgent care?”

Drew rolled next toLucas at the desk. “Good thing you had them send the bills here. IfMom finds out, she’ll have another heart attack.”

Lucas’ opened thesecond bill—it was even more. He slammed it onto the pile, facedown, along with the third envelope, which he didn’t open. “Youcan bet if Mom knew the insurance company was going to deny herclaims, she would’ve just told the docs to pull the plug. End itright then and there.”

“How are we going topay for all this?”

Lucas sighed as he puthis elbows on the desk, resting his face in his hands. He didn’tknow how much they owed in total, but the number had to bestaggering. He wished he had told his foster brother and adoptivemother the truth—that he’d forgotten to mail the check for hismother’s insurance premium, which is why the claims departmentdenied the coverage. But he didn’t see the point of coming cleannow—what would it accomplish? He figured he could pay the bills offafter he proved one of his theories and sold the rights to a defensecontractor or to NASA. “I don’t know. We’ll think ofsomething.”

“We could always askKleezebee.”

“Borrow money from myboss?”

“Why not? He’sloaded. Besides, he might just give us the money.”

“No f*cking way.We’re not gonna take handouts. We’ll figure it out on our own.”Just then, his mind played a vision of him walking into a crowdedgrocery store with a ski mask, gun, and brown paper sack, only to beshot dead before he reached the cash register by some weight-watcherflunky in a wrinkled security guard uniform.

A short minute later,Lucas looked at the clock. “Damn, it’s almost nine. We have tobust nuts if we’re going to make breakfast with Trevor atnine-thirty.”

“Uh, yeah, it’sFriday. Trevor’s probably already there, waiting for us.”

“I hope he fixed thatcomputer glitch in his code. I want to run a few more system checkstonight in the lab, while we still can. Are you doing your workouttoday?”

Drew looked at theclock above the dresser. “Not enough time. I’ll do my pushupstomorrow.”

Lucas stood in front ofhis brother’s closet. “What shirt do you want?”

“It doesn’t matter.Something with long sleeves as long as it’s—”

“Blue. I know, it’sFriday,” Lucas said, retrieving a pullover shirt from a hanger. Heremoved it from the red hanger and gave it to his brother. He wascareful to put the hanger back in the closet precisely where it was,exactly two fingers away from the hangers on either side of it.

Drew slipped the shirtover his head and used his fingers as a comb to control his wavyblack hair.

Lucas handed hisbrother a wallet-sized leather pouch that had been sitting on thenightstand next to the bed. “Don’t want to forget this.”

“No. Never.” Drewopened the straps and put them around his head and neck. He tuckedthe pouch inside the front of the collared shirt.

“I’m gonna take aquick shower,” Lucas said. “Let’s try to leave in ten minutes.I don’t want to be late again.”

* * *

Lucasand Drew were headed east on one of the sidewalks bordering thegrassy Mall. The entrance to the Student union   was only half a blockaway.

“You can always tellwhen Christmas break hits. The minute finals are over, this placereally empties out,” Lucas said, missing the abundance of stunningeye-candy that typically blanketed the mall. It was his favorite partof the day.

“I like it this way,”Drew said. “I hate it when I have to dodge everyone on the Mall.Those Frisbee football players always find a way to hit me when I’mcrossing.”

“That’s because youcut right across in the middle of their game.”

“Well, that’s wherethe sidewalk runs, and I don’t wanna have to go all the wayaround.”

Lucas stood behind Drewas his foster brother effortlessly wheeled himself up the steepincline to the building’s main entrance; Drew reached to open theglass entrance door, but a tall, blond coed beat him to it. She wason the inside and held the door open for him, giving Drew a rainbowsmile as he rolled past her.

Lucas couldn’t seeher eyes through her sunglasses, but the woman’s body languagesuggested she knew his brother, or possibly, was attracted to him. Itwas common for women to be intrigued by Drew’s boyishly handsomegood looks. If it weren’t for a car accident that mangled his legs,Drew surely would’ve been a world-famous Italian underwear modelinstead of a PhD candidate. Then again, if not for that accident,they never would’ve met in the orphanage and been adopted togetherby the Ramsay family.

Before she looked hisway, Lucas checked that his shirt was tucked in and that his fly waszipped. He rubbed his tongue across the front of his teeth to makesure nothing foreign was attached.

The girl finallyglanced his way, but her smile faded. Lucas wasn’t surprised. Womenwere often put off by the jagged scars on his face, which obscuredthe dimples on his cheeks. Years of living in state-run facilitieshad taken its toll, leaving him looking more like a villain than ascientist. Despite her reaction, Lucas thanked her for helping Drewwith the door.

The cafeteria lineextended outside the entrance and past a pair of vending machinessitting in the hall. Two dozen students were waiting in line beforethe buffet closed its doors until lunchtime. Most were chatting witheach other, but a few were rocking on their heels, listening toheadphones.

Lucas recognized theelderly woman walking toward him with a cane and swollen ankles.“Would you like to go ahead of us, Professor Atkins?” he askedher.

She smiled, but hersaggy skin camouflaged most of the grin. “Why, thank you, youngman.”

Lucas moved his brotheraside to let the woman waddle past. It took her a good thirtyseconds, giving Lucas plenty of time to sample her aroma: a powerfulcombination of hair spray and Bengay. All she was missing was bluehair and support hose.

Lucas waited for her tomove ahead before whispering into Drew’s ear, “I wonder if sheknew Columbus?”

Drew smiled through apartially held-back laugh, then said, “Maybe one of usshould go find Trevor and let him know we’re stuck in line.”

“I’m assuming thatsomeone is me?”

“Wow, that’sawfully nice of you, brother. I’ll stay here and keep our place inline.”

Lucas found theirSwedish lab assistant, Trevor Johansson, sitting at a table near theback of the dining area. His 6’ 7” friend was wearing aweightlifting belt and workout clothes. Trevor’s wet clothesclinged to his well-defined body, reeking of perspiration.

Lucas saw four platesoverflowing with fruits and vegetables sitting in front of Trevor.“Having a little snack, are we?”

Trevor responded, hisSwedish accent thick. “Ja, hungry. Vawnt some?”

“No, thanks. I’mnot a big fan of fruit. I’ll grab something else.”

Each time Trevor took abite, his biceps came alive as the twisted cords of muscle and veinstretched the skin to the point of eruption. Drew was the only otherperson Lucas knew with arms close to that size.

Trevor opened an issueof Olympic Coach magazine and turned to the table of contents.His healthy-sized fingers struggled with the periodical’s thinpaper.

“You’re notthinking of leaving us, are you?” Lucas asked.

“No. I stay here.”

Trevor flipped to anarticle with photos of two male wrestlers.

“Are any of your oldfriends still on the team?”

“Ja. They dovell. Two gold medals and silver.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Ja, verymuch.”

“Did they everapologize for botching your drug tests?”

Trevor stopped chewingfor a moment. He looked upset.

Lucas scrambled tochange the subject. “Uh, did you order your tickets yet for thetwenty-fifteen games in Orlando?”

“Tampa Bay. Ja,tickets ordered.”

“Sorry, my bad. Showsyou how much I know about the Olympics. I might have to actuallywatch some of the events this time, since our country’s hostingit.”

Trevor only gruntedbefore scooping up another spoonful of mixed fruit.

Lucas had known Trevorfor almost two years and had eaten with him countless times. He knewit was pointless to try to carry on a conversation with his labassistant once Trevor started replenishing his calories. Trevor wason the other side of thirty, but there certainly wasn’t anythingwrong with his appetite; a byproduct, no doubt, of his over-chargedmetabolism.

Trevor had started hisacademic career late but held twin doctorates in physics and computerengineering. Lucas was intimidated by his friend’s sheer size andwould take odds that Trevor was probably the largest scientist on theplanet. Even though Trevor was assigned to their team as hisunderling, Lucas never really felt comfortable about it. Trevor wasalmost nine years older than he was, and he often wondered how hisSwedish friend felt about working for—as some of the otherresearchers called him—a grubby-faced youngster. Trevor never gavehim any indication there was an issue, but Lucas was cautiousnonetheless.

“Okay, then. I guessI should get back to Drew. I just wanted to let you know we’rehere, but it may take a few minutes to get through the line.”

Lucas returned to thecafeteria’s door and saw that Drew was surrounded by three burlystudents wearing rugby-style shirts and socks. Each stranger was atleast six feet tall and carried twice his muscle mass. The talleststranger, who sported a Mohawk-style haircut, grabbed the handles onthe back of Drew’s wheelchair and shoved it with force toward theback of the line. The chair wobbled to the right as it shot acrossthe floor, sending the upper half of Drew’s body over the leftarmrest