***
“Where are my keys, Sweetie?”
“On the bench, where you always put them.”
“That’s where I’m looking and they aren’t there.”
“Well I didn’t take them.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“Where else would you find them, Honey?”
Rorkon jerked awake, fully alert. “That’s it. Of course, it’s so obvious.” He looked at the time. It was only three-thirty in the morning. What was he going to do now? He was sure he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep again.
Scythia stirred, “Stop moving. You’re waking me up.”
“Sorry.”
Rorkon got out of bed and went downstairs. He made a hot chocolate drink and sat on the lounge thinking. How was he going to modify the accelerator to do what he intended? He got his data tablet from his bag and brought up the machine design drawings for the accelerator. He brought up the details of the target area closest to the control room and studied the design. The target plate was sandwiched between two flanges. He needed to remove the plate. The end of the tube that the plate was in had a clear glass lens to look into the accelerator when the plate was removed. ‘Perfect.’ The beam, being in a different dimension would pass right through the glass. He went over it all again in his head to satisfy himself that he had everything planned. He sat back content. Scythia was right. He just needed to sleep on it.
Rorkon slowly woke feeling cold. He had fallen asleep on the lounge. He stood and stretched to get the kinks out of his muscles and bones. He looked at the time and it was six-thirty; time to get ready and on his way to carry out his plans. He had breakfast, showered and kissed Scythia as she slept. “See you, Sweetie.”
“See you.”
He drove to the office and went straight to the accelerator room. He removed the metal plate from the target tube and made modifications to the sequencing program, placing a timer module in it at the stage in the sequence where he needed it. He stood and took a deep breath. He was ready. This was it. This would work. He would finally find the elusive Emotons for which he had been searching for so long. He started the accelerator and stepped through the start up sequence until it was humming on Ready. He took another deep breath and pressed the Proceed button on the screen. The timer started its countdown. He moved quickly to the observation window in the targeting tube where he had removed the plate and faced it with his head directly in line with the tube axis, waiting for the timer to finish. He tensed in anticipation, his palms sweaty, his heart racing. The timer chimed its completion. A flash of light momentarily appeared as the accelerator particles passed through Rorkon’s head, colliding with his Emotons and…he felt nothing. His palms dried, his heart rate returned to normal and he felt nothing.
Rorkon robotically walked back to the control room and looked at the screen. He replayed the recorded file and saw the Emotons appear on the screen and then disappear again as they were destroyed by the accelerated particles. He noted that he had done it but felt no exhilaration, no satisfaction. He should have been jumping up and down, congratulating himself but he felt no emotion at all. He had discovered Emotons and destroyed the ones that resided in him, the ones that produced his emotions, in the process. His face was completely blank. His being was completely devoid of any emotion at all. He shut down the accelerator, collected his possessions and went home.
He entered the front door to be greeted by Scythia, “Hi Honey, you’re home early. Did something happen?” She kissed him.
Rorkon made the mechanical moves to kiss but had no emotion to place any meaning or love into it. They parted and Rorkon mechanically said, “I just discovered Emoton particles. I’m going to lie down now.”
Scythia looked after him as he walked lethargically to the bedroom. She was puzzled…and frantically worried.
***
Rorkon died a month later. He didn't have emotions anymore. He had destroyed one of the quintessential elements of what a human being is and just lost the will to live. Rorkon died. His research died also; Scythia made sure of that.
About the Author
John Wegener grew up in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. He has decided to express his imaginative dreams and start engaging in writing after a 34-year career as a Chemical Engineer in the steel industry, which has taken him to many countries and allowed him to experience many cultures. John currently lives in Wollongong, Australia with his wife and children.
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