A Far Sun: Forsooth and Alas

In reviewing my first couple posts I realized I left out the important opening scene between Adam and Jane. I did manage to set up the situation, but in my zeal to get past this part (I had written the opening scene back in October, but not much else) I completely left it out.

So therefore, I present it here. I have also updated the first post, but you don't have to go back to it to catch up with things. Here is the missing scene, from the beginning.

Click for moreOur world, 1979. Nuclear tensions are mounting worldwide. Story begins in a laboratory located in secret fifteen-hundred meters below the quad of a large Midwestern university. A high speed elevator whisks researchers down to the self-contained laboratory from the basement of the physics building. The facility is powered via nuclear power plant and also houses one of the most powerful computers on the planet. Of course, everything is top secret.

Adam and Jane are two post-doctorate researchers working in the facility for Dr. Hamden Marsden (Jane's father). They are good friends, almost best friends who have worked together for a couple of years, from the time Jane joined her father's project. Adam's best friend Brian, who originally brought Adam onto the project, is Jane's fiancé, though this detail only of minor relevance to the plot.

The project involves a kind of "suspended animation" achieved via interactions between subatomic particles while in the presence of certain strong fields. (This is obviously "rubber science" strictly for the purposes of setting up the story.) So far, all trials have succeeded, but they have not tested the "SA" chamber at full power. The full-power test is scheduled for the next day.

We open on Adam and Jane, walking briskly down the center of the university's "quad" (large oval central park crisscrossed by concrete paths leading to and from various campus buildings). It is mid-afternoon in late October, and the weather has turned cool and windy, with leaves blowing about as they walk. Adam and Jane are arguing about the upcoming experiment. As they pass a small group of students, we overhear the radio they are all huddled around: 'The President, in an emergency news conference just an hour ago, said that the Soviet Premier has issued an ultimatum ...' We do not hear the rest, as Adam speaks:

"I'm worried about the situation in Europe."

Jane turns to Adam, but doesn't slow her walking, "I'm worried they're going to cancel the experiment."

"Yeah," says Adam, barking a humorless laugh, "war will do that."

"That's not funny, Adam," says Jane, scowling.

"And I didn't mean it to be," he replies. We then follow them from behind as they quickly reach the end of the quad. They turn and walk up the steps to a large, gray limestone building, and we see the name: 'Wilbur Physics Laboratory' as they pass through the glass front doors.

Their pace doesn't slow as we follow them down a corridor to their right. About midway they come to a heavy steel door, where they stop. So far, there haven't been any words exchanged since the quad. There is a ten-key keypad next to the door.

Jane hesitates. "What's the damn code?" She swears to herself. "I can never quite remember it."

"Dyslexics untie," says Adam, making a joke, and he taps in the correct six-digit code. Jane merely scowls, but she watches the numbers as he types.

There is a loud clunk, and the heavy steel door opens a crack. Jane hauls on the door to pull it open, and without further commentary, goes in. Adam follows, and they march right up to a small foyer-looking area. A set of wide elevator doors are in front of them. We hear the door seal closed behind them with a hollow clanking sound. It sounds very permanent.

"Well," Adam says, "are you gonna press the button, or should I?"

"Just press the damn button, all right?" Jane sounds clearly irritated.

Adam complies, doesn't quite understand why Jane should be upset. "What's wrong, Janie dear?"

"Nothing," she says. "And don't call me that."

"What? Janie, or dear?"

"Either one, thank you." The elevator doors slide open to reveal the comparatively cavernous size of the elevator. "Just be glad I don't make you call me Ms. Marsden, like I do the others."

Adam laughs, "They only call you that because they're afraid of you."

"Hah. Did you ever think there might be a good reason?"

Adam grins. "You're really quite harmless, despite the teeth."

Jane rolls her eyes, "Very funny."

Both enter the elevator. The elevator doors whisk closed and the elevator starts down. Lights on the elevator side walls whip from floor to ceiling, indicating the elevator is rapidly descending. The number of lights and their increasing speed indicate the elevator is going down a very long way, and accelerating. Neither seems to notice the elevator's speed nor the fact they become momentarily weightless--in free fall.

"Did my father tell you we're changing the protocol?" says Jane, smugly, turning toward Adam who stands a respectable distance away.

"Yes," replies Adam. "It was me who originally suggested it."

"He didn't tell me that," she says.

"Do you know why we're changing it?"

"I would assume it's because of things with the Soviets."

"Exactly. We don't want to be stuck in the middle of a three-week cycle, with all the costs involved, if things are uncertain."

"So that's why we're going to a twelve-hour cycle."

"Right," says Adam.

"OK," says Jane, and she turns to watch the lights streaming upward. We get the sense that she, once again, has been caught not quite being completely 'in the know'. She doesn't like it.

Day of the trial ...