‘What memories,’ she uttered, lost in her own little world, her demeanour oozing delight.
Lucian wasn’t too sure what to make of the comment. ‘You like my ship, I take it?’
The woman caught her breath and then turned her lovely smile his way. ‘I do believe it is the most magnificent idea I am ever likely to witness come to fruition,’ she replied.
Lucian was so elated by her claim that he could only smile in puzzlement a moment.
‘Dr Taren Lennox.’ She held out her hand.
‘That would explain it then.’ Lucian had never believed in the supernatural, yet something inside him had known in advance that this meeting was fated. ‘Very pleased to meet you, doctor.’ He took hold of her hand and from their point of contact he was startled to feel a rush of energy surge up his arm and straight to his heart, where it exploded like fireworks. What is going on with me today? It wasn’t like him to be so distracted — not by his emotions; most people wondered if the professor in fact had any personal feelings at all. Don’t blow this!
‘You received my client’s message, I take it?’ she replied, as she politely and gently tugged her hand out of his possession.
‘I did.’ Lucian’s embarrassment was quickly overcome by excitement, as he realised what this meant. ‘And from your comments just now, I can only conclude that you believe your client might be interested in investing in our project?’
Dr Lennox only smiled in response at first, and then pulled a business disk from her pocket. ‘Call me, and we’ll set up a less public meeting.’
‘Tomorrow?’ Lucian didn’t want to sound too eager, although his heart was pumping nineteen to the dozen.
‘The sooner the better,’ she agreed. ‘As my client has asked that you not sign up any other potential investors before speaking with me … especially those of the government variety.’ The doctor glanced to the gathering of officials from the University of Esponisa. ‘My client is only interested in investing in the private sector, for obvious political reasons.’
‘I understand,’ Lucian confirmed. ‘Shall we say ten a.m. at our office?’
‘I’ll be there,’ she granted with a grin that left the professor wading in a wave of euphoria in her wake.
‘No!’ Swithin came racing toward his brother as they witnessed the white woman leave through the ballroom doors at the top of the stairs. ‘That’s him … I mean her … Dr Lennox.’
‘I know.’ Lucian grinned.
‘Then why did you let her leave?’
‘Because we’ve got a meeting tomorrow morning,’ Lucian advised, playing with the business disk she had left him.
‘Yes!’ Swithin was well pleased, and gave his brother a chug on the shoulder. ‘She’s quite a looker, isn’t she?’
‘I hadn’t noticed,’ Lucian lied.
‘So I guess your pause mid-sentence when she walked into the room, was just for effect then?’ Swithin teased and Lucian felt his cheeks heat up.
‘It was a long pause then?’ Lucian did not really want to know the answer, as his brother was very amused.
‘You don’t know?’ Swithin laughed out loud. ‘It’s a good thing I’ll be at that meeting tomorrow, as clearly you’re going to be completely useless.’
Lucian took offence. ‘Hey! Who booked the meeting?’
‘Point taken.’ Swithin held up his hands to concede. ‘That being the case, I’ll allow you to attend.’
The look Lucian shot Swithin made him laugh all over again. ‘Sorry, I just never thought I’d see the day that you were bowled over by a woman.’
‘I guess that would be a first for both of us today.’ Lucian shot back at his brother and the comment served to sober Swithin’s amusement somewhat, as other interested investors began to close in on them.
Waiting for the morning to come, Lucian was transported back to his tenth birthday — the last time he recalled being so excited he couldn’t sleep. He’d been anticipating receiving his first telescope the following day, which had fuelled his interest in astrophysics — his first and only love.
The professor kept trying to tell himself that, as a scientist, he didn’t believe in anything as nonsensical as love at first sight, but that fact did not quell the excited feeling in his gut that was keeping him awake. In his mind’s eye, Lucian kept reliving the touch of Dr Lennox’s hand and the feeling it had ignited in him made his heart swell to bursting point every time.
‘This is just business,’ he reasoned further, but the memory felt better than any drug he’d experimented with during his university days and was clearly far more addictive.
‘Enough, already!’ Lucian had made it to dawn and, having relived meeting Taren Lennox for the thousandth time, he felt he should really get over it. He still had four hours until the scheduled meeting, and they were going to be the longest four hours of his life!
Lucian fronted into the office half an hour early, by which time his lack of sleep was starting to catch up with him. He made the grave error of taking a seat on the office lounge, with the thought of catching forty winks before the meeting. However, this was becoming less of a nice thought and more of a necessity with every second that passed. Swithin was bound to be along at any second, Lucian reasoned to himself; he just had to rest his eyes for a moment …
The virgin planet is steaming with moisture from the warm rain teeming down upon his head. Tall shoots of vegetation dwarf him in size, as they reach up into clouds alive with colourful, electrical activity. Where am I?
Through the thick steamy mist Dr Lennox wades toward him, thigh deep in water — her white dress rendered see-through by the teeming rain. ‘On a planet that you’ll discover in about nine years from now.’
‘I’ve been here before,’ he replies, his desire snowballing into an intense feeling of coming home.
She reaches out to him and gently slides her hands up and around his neck to draw him closer. ‘Then you’ll know what happens next,’ she murmurs and as her lips engage his, the energy rush sends his consciousness soaring out of the top of his head!
His awareness returns to his body, only his body is not where he left it.
He is seated at a table, on the back porch of a very grand lake house. Dr Lennox is seated across the table from him, every bit as becoming, only her hair is dark. ‘I want you to seduce me,’ he tells her. ‘I promise you, you’ll get away with it.’
‘I already did,’ she replies and, leaning across the table, she kisses him.
When their lips part, he is laying naked on a bed in a magnificent underwater bedroom, where watery reflections from the portholes around the circular ceiling dance upon her naked body straddling his.
‘I don’t want to go back to being strangers.’ His heart sinks into an empty hole in his chest, as he pulls her naked form down to his. ‘I don’t want to go back to being ignorant and used.’
‘Stop worrying about your marriage,’ she assures him. ‘I’ll destroy it, I swear to you!’
Her kiss again transports him, this time to a small, indoor amphitheatre. Some people are arguing close by, but as her eyes engage his, the rest of reality fades into the background.
‘I love you,’ she whispers, on the verge of tears.
‘Never give up on us,’ he implores her, but her weak nod is not convincing. ‘Promise me,’ he pleads again, knowing the odds against them achieving their perfect union again are insurmountable.
‘I promise you, on my life,’ she vows, her voice hoarse with sincerity, ‘that you will always be my primary objective … so long as I live.’
This is their last kiss and the fact is tearing him apart inside.
She steps away from him, and with one last mournful gaze, vanishes into thin air.
‘Professor? Professor.’
Lucian felt himself shaking. He rolled over and woke with a start as he hit the carpet. He was most perturbed to be dragged from his vivid and emotive dreams. ‘What in the name of science —’
He’d dragged himsel
f up to a seated position to find Dr Lennox, in another chic white outfit, crouched down beside him, repressing her urge to laugh. ‘I’m so sorry, professor, I didn’t mean to startle you.’
Her smile was entrancing, and Lucian wondered if he was still dreaming.
‘Hello?’ The doctor waved a hand before his eyes.
‘Sorry.’ He shook his head, whereupon his consciousness fully returned to the present and he moved to raise himself.
‘Here, let me give you a hand.’ She took hold of his arm.
The energy that Lucian had felt surge through him upon making contact with her yesterday seemed doubly evident today. Immediately his vitality returned, his head cleared and he realised what an embarrassing situation he was in.
‘I really must apologise, I thought my brother would be —’
They both noted the sound of someone running toward the office and within seconds Swithin was panting at the door, wearing his suit from the night before, which looked slept in. ‘Oh shit,’ he uttered, forcing a smile as he realised he was too late to save face.
Lucian just wanted to curl up and die; asleep and late was definitely not the first impression they wanted to make on their best private investment prospect.
Fortunately for them, Dr Lennox was taking these events in good humour. ‘Look, obviously you gentlemen are still recovering from last night’s big event, so why don’t I go get myself a cup of coffee and meet you back here in half an hour.’
Both brothers released a sigh of relief at the suggestion. ‘That would be most appreciated,’ Lucian spoke up, trying not to grit his teeth as he served his brother the evil eye. ‘I really do apologise.’
‘It’s fine, really.’ She waved off the inconvenience and left them to organise themselves.
As the door closed in the wake of the president’s envoy, Lucian covered his face with his hands and finally allowed his vivid dreams to reoccur. He wanted to remember every detail, although the accompanying mood was one of great loss and sadness.
‘Sorry I’m late, but I stayed up a little later than I —’ Swithin noted his brother’s mood was not as furious as he’d expected. ‘What just happened here?’
‘Nothing happened.’ Lucian had no explanation for his apparent emotional distress. ‘I just need a minute.’ He held closed his tear ducts with his thumb and forefinger to prevent creating a scene. ‘I didn’t get much sleep either, and so our potential investor just arrived to find me asleep on the lounge.’
‘Not good.’ Swithin dumped his case and jacket, and headed straight back to the door. ‘I’ll get coffee.’
Lucian released a huge sigh of pained relief upon finding himself alone and he allowed the built-up moisture to drain from his eyes. What has gotten into me today? He truly felt like he was on drugs and operating in an entirely different level of awareness. He didn’t want to be fantasising about his potential business partner, but it seemed, for the first time in his life, he had no wilful control over his thoughts or feelings. He’d never known a dream to overhang into his waking state like this. But it was a dream nonetheless and conceding this, the professor managed to put it aside and embrace reality, which was rather more positive and exciting.
‘What happened to you last night?’ Lucian asked, as Swithin returned with coffee.
Swithin could only grin. ‘I could ask you the same thing. How did you end up so tired, when you left at such a reasonable hour?’ He queried, intrigued. ‘You didn’t meet up with our potential investor last night —’
‘No!’ Lucian insisted very strongly. ‘I barely met the woman.’
‘Okay, I believe you.’ Swithin held up his hands in mock defence. ‘So, how interested was she … in the project, I mean?’
Lucian served his brother another dirty look. ‘I suspect they do want to be involved … or a least before this morning’s performance they did.’
‘How involved?’ Swithin probed, sipping his coffee.
‘They seem very determined to keep the project in the private sector.’ Lucian knew that much and Swithin smiled broadly, until a knock on the door nearly made him spill his coffee.
Clearly, they were both a bundle of nerves this morning, so the sooner they got this meeting under way the better. Lucian moved to open the door and greet their guest formally, just as he’d hoped to do in the first place.
‘Dr Lennox, welcome.’ He invited her into their modest office with a nice campus view, and managed to avoid making contact with her, which he was now cautious about. ‘This is my brother and business partner, Swithin Gervaise.’
‘Very pleased to meet you.’ She reached out and shook Swithin’s hand and his brother could not keep the delight from registering on his face.
Lucian felt a twinge of pain, which he quietly suspected might be jealousy; this was a new sensation for him, that he didn’t like much.
‘A sterling first impression we’ve made on you,’ Swithin commented as he offered Dr Lennox a seat on the lounge next to him.
‘Last night’s presentation was a very sterling first impression,’ she stated in their defence, choosing to take a seat in the armchair.
Lucian liked her comeback; she was very relaxed and confident. ‘You’re too kind.’
‘One of my many virtues.’ She grinned. ‘I won’t beat around the bush, gentlemen — we would very much like to fund your project.’
‘All …’ Swithin squeaked and cleared the shock out of his throat. ‘… All of it?’
‘That’s right,’ she answered pleasantly.
Lucian could not wipe the smile from his face. ‘But not even we are sure of the final cost at this stage.’
Dr Lennox opened her bag and pulled from it a thick document. ‘It’s going to cost twenty million USS.’ She handed them her costing to look over.
‘But the budget will change depending on where we decide to base the project?’ Lucian didn’t want to seem argumentative — twenty million USS was a lot of money!
‘The budget has been costed based on a build and testing on Frujia, where my client was given an island by Chief Matan-tu-hoo,’ she explained.
Lucian’s heart was nearly pounding a hole through the front of his chest; was everything about this woman a wish come true?
‘We will not be permitted to build on the island, but we are allowed to put AMIE through her paces there, away from any prying eyes. We have already obtained permission to lease some waterfront land on the main island outside of Kotan Bathaar. There, we would be permitted to base the build site and ground operations office, and we would have access to Frujia’s space pod launch port.’
‘What’s the catch?’ Swithin’s sceptical nature kicked in.
‘No catch,’ she assured.
Swithin rephrased: ‘What’s in all this for you and your client?’
‘Ah,’ she conceded that he had asked the right question. ‘I would like a position on AMIE to conduct my own research.’
Lucian’s interest was sparked, as this was an opportunity to discover a little about her. ‘I understand your field of research is biophysics and quantum theory, Dr Lennox?’
Her smile broadened. ‘I am looking for a Grand TOE,’ she explained, whereupon Swithin frowned, thinking her joking.
‘A Grand Theory Of Everything,’ Lucian explained, most intrigued to find this beauty also had a very impressive ambition.
‘That’s correct. I have just patented two pieces of equipment I am developing to aid my future research. One is to measure the light emitted by any given subject, photon by photon, and the other is to measure anomalies of chaos or order in quantum fields.’
‘And it was for these inventions that you were awarded your doctorate?’ Lucian inquired.
‘Indeed.’
Lucian’s mind was ticking over; this was exactly the kind of forward-thinking research he’d been hoping to attract to this project, although his brother still appeared lost. ‘Such research would be more than welcome aboard AMIE.’
‘Then I think that t
here is a very good prospect here for a partnership, gentlemen.’ She closed her bag. ‘Please, contact me once you have thought through our proposal, and if you would like to proceed, we’ll discuss contracts and development funds.’
‘That’s it?’ Swithin was wary; nothing was ever this easy. ‘You don’t need to consult with your client?’
‘I speak for my client, who wishes to remain a silent investor,’ she advised as she stood, Swithin and Lucian doing the same. ‘All the financial decisions regarding this investment are my call, and will continue to be, for so long as we are involved with your project.’
‘We’ll get back to you presently,’ Lucian assured her, feeling like he’d just won the interstellar lottery!
‘I look forward to it.’ The doctor found her own way to the door and departed, leaving the brothers Gervaise with their mouths hanging open from the shock.
‘We’ve got to be fucking dreaming,’ Swithin muttered. ‘That couldn’t have possibly just happened.’
‘If there is a more attractive investment deal out there, I’d be very surprised indeed.’ Lucian found it difficult to suppress his excitement.
Swithin raised both brows as he nodded to agree, and then smiled broadly. ‘Do you think it’s too soon to call her and accept?’
2
ZEVEN GUDRUN — STARMAN
The Timekeeper was about to cut him loose — Zeven knew it. Once the Gervaise brothers took Taren up on her investment offer, they would have secured their future operations base. So what was he, AMIE’s future pilot, going to do for the next five years while they built the mobile institute?
‘So what are you going to do with yourself after this, Bob?’ asked President Anselm, who was covertly meeting Taren here, in her apartment, to learn if she had closed their deal with AMIE. Bob was Zeven’s code name on his last mission and he was still undecided if he wanted anyone to know his true identity.