Chapter 10: Under the Sea

<- Chapter 9: Lunacy


So Lunie got me to thinking. There is a lot that can be done using four dimensional physics. If you had a two dimensional world, like that of a drawing on a sheet of paper, and folded it, the two dimensional people could not see the fold. They would simply walk across it as if it were still perfectly flat. One can use such a fold to force two points of that two dimensional world to occupy the same three dimensional location. Similarly, our world will always seem the same even if was folded four dimensionally because we cannot perceive a fourth dimension. By folding it, we could create shorter distance between two points in our world four dimensionally.

In theory, by twisting an area to be at the same location as the region above itself, we could create an infinite energy source. By simply dropping an object down the portal, it will fall out the other portal and into the first one infinitely. The object falls infinitely. By putting a gear in the way, the falling object would continuously turn the gear. In this way, the kinetic energy of the falling object is harvestable. The portal requires a lot of energy, but the device yields more result than it requires.

In the process of creating this infinite and relatively safe energy source, another great invention is created. A portal could be used to move large things, like people, from one place to another. The energy cost of such a portal increases exponentially with distance though, and would be risky for anything that might be in either area when the portal closes. If partially through the portal, one would be simultaneously in both places. Once a portal closed, each molecule would be in one place or the other, not both. One wouldn't have to worry about teleporting into a wall though, because there'd simply be the rest of that wall blocking the person from moving into the portal.

A portal could be designed to hold a battery and use it's capabilities to continuously charge it. It would charge at a slower rate than it would drain the battery when used, but the result would be a functional portal. This could also be used to replace some mass transit systems, like subways.

The whole idea got me charged. As soon as I had access to the research group’s library I got to work. I’ve made some major progress. I’m happy with my work so far. The portal can’t go too far yet though. I'm working on a nodal structure that would allow for multiple hops so it will go a longer distance. This requires rerouting stations, similar to a telephone system, and may take longer to transport an individual because of the greater four dimensional distance being traveled. Eventually, I want to try to cut that down as well, but this may even require usage of a fifth dimension.

I arrange to have a few of these portals placed in some of the science museums. It would seem like an arched door on either side of the museum. People are fascinated by the portal technology, which results in increased ticket sales, of which I get a cut. Pretty soon, I get offered money by a few cities that wish to install these portals as a mass transit system. This ultimately gets me expelled from the research group, as they claim that selling the result of my research to a government agency is the same as working for them. This doesn't much matter, because the cities pay me very well for the portals, so I can simply make my own laboratory.

To avoid any issue with anyone, which most of my previous work has resulted in, I decide to build on the ocean floor. I use buoys to warn ships of where the ocean floor might be a bit shallower than before. I create the base using a series of connectable segments, built on land and connected underwater. I'm able to oversee the construction because of those gills I gave myself a while back. Lunie and Feb both need air, so I have them oversee the construction of the individual parts before being brought to the ocean.

The base sprawls out from shore to shore and has a lot of those portals for quick navigation. Lunie sets herself up with cameras and microphones throughout the place, so she can directly monitor the lab's security. My idea of decorating is to simply arrange the boxes from various equipment in random piles. February, however, decides on a better way. We still use the boxes because we're not going to buy hundreds of end tables, but she buys various potted plants and puts directed fire sprinklers above each one. She tells Lunie how often they each need watering, so she can simply activate the sprinklers as needed.

Once everything's all set up, Feb and I continue working on nodal portals. It's really quiet in the lab. I'm used to always having some sort of background noise. After a while this starts to drive me crazy, so I have Lunie download or generate some techno music to play. She plays different tunes in different hallways and rooms, which help make them more distinguishable from one another.

Through all of this, Lunie has kept our old house. She's seeing some guy named Keith. The idea of it doesn't sit entirely well with me, because she's about the same age as a kid. I know she's matured much faster than any human could and is the equivalent of an adult, so I don't interfere. I also wonder how she'll take it when she realizes that he will age but she won't. I'm sure she knows it, but knowing something and realizing it are not entirely the same. She could potentially live forever. I'll never know.


Chapter 11: Intruder Alert ->

 

Copyright 2006 Sean Breslin