Sam works on the theocratic world inventions.
The world was about to have anti-gravity and transmutation. The litter and spare parts on my work table, transistors, half-finished circuit boards and the measuring equipment, were in drawers or in the apple crate under my work table. I had all the parts I needed to duplicate the amazing gadgets of the theocratic world.
For the next two hours I assembled (from what details of wiring and I remembered) a Transmat. I was making my world’s first matter transfer device. By connecting my circuit board to a molecular desynthesizer I hoped I had made a simple matter transmitter device. If my assembly was correct I might be able to send a material object across distance by high-frequency radio waves. Too weary to test the device, I stumbled to the cot in the back of my laboratory and fell asleep.
When I woke it was late the next morning. Miss Snifley, my faithful secretary, and Horace, my assistant, had still not shown up for work. Horace was finally courting Miss Snifley. He had grasped the proverbial bull by the horns at last and asked Miss Snifley for a date. I liked them both and I hoped one day soon Horace would bring me happy news of their engagement. I was alone and I preferred isolation for what I was about to do.
Still shaky from the torture I suffered in the theocratic world, I cut myself twice with my razor when I shaved my whiskers. Many of my fellow professors sported beards or mustaches but I liked to be clean shaven. My usual overnight growth of facial hair was much longer than usual. It was like I had not shaved for more than a week. Could the hour I spent in the Wish Machine (an hour that passed occupied nearly three weeks in that other world) have affected the rate of growth of my beard? Was this another law of reality that I was about to confirm; that some bodily functions are effected by the length of time the subject spends in another R-track?
I picked up the dime-sized micro focusing unit I had made and slipped the small part in my shirt pocket. The tiny unit would not be noticed (I hoped) when I placed it next to a bear claw in Molly’s doughnut case. The focusing unit had to be placed within 6 inches of the bear claw I wanted to transport to my office.
The sun was up and the campus was already bustling with activity when I strolled the hundred yards across the mall to Molly’s Bake Shop. That was where I always headed for my morning coffee and a bear claw. Molly saw me coming and she set my coffee and a fat fresh bear claw on my favorite table across from the doughnut case.
When I finished my snack and got up to pay my bill Molly had my coffee to go and a paper sack ready for me. I knew the sack contained another fresh bear claw. I always took one with me back to my office.
On this special morning I planned to have my second bear claw by using the transmat I had made. When no one was looking and while Molly’s helper was ringing up my bill I planted the dime-sized micro matter receiver under the glass where Molly kept her fresh bear claws. Molly saw I was leaving without taking my sack.
“I do not wish to take a bear claw with me this morning, Molly,” I said before she could speak.” I will take just my coffee.”
What Molly didn’t know was that I would have my bear claw after all. My transmat would remove a bear claw from Molly’s pie case; send the bear claw across the campus and to my transmat receiver.
Her brows went up in askance at my refusal. I always took a bear claw with me to my office after breakfast.
“Dr. Candella, why aren’t you taking a bear claw with you to eat with your coffee? You always do.”
“Thanks anyway. Another time, Molly.”
I couldn’t enlighten her more without spilling the beans. Also, I could not pay her for a second gratis bear claw (the one I was about to transmit to my office) without causing more questions. No one must know about the transmat until it was perfected.
Next time: The transmat works — but needs improvements.
Gene Paleno is an author and illustrator living in Witter Springs.
