Chapter 3
If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
-Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
Talk about a mixed reception. The geeky kid backed away from me, eyes darting every direction like he was looking for somewhere to hide. The three young men who looked more like marines than uni students wolf-whistled and cheered. Jen and Dave Hopkins exchanged startled glances. And Zac rubbed his fingertips along his lips as if pondering a conundrum.
“Hi. I’m Maya,” I said, addressing Jen. “Apparently you’ve got room for me in the singlemen’s quarters.”
The three amigos erupted into unruly laughter and clapped Zac exuberantly on the back. Jen looked flabbergasted.
“You were expecting me weren’t you? The hotel in town’s fully booked out by a bunch of Japs.”
A flicker of interest in Zac’s eyes. Even the three amigos seemed interested. Dave and Jen glanced at Zac.
“Yes. We’ve been expecting you,” said Zac diplomatically. “Come on fellas. Don’t just stand there like you’ve seen the UFOs. Jake - grab a box of groceries and take them inside for Jen. Dale, Brendan, Pete - you three help Maya take her luggage into the single-persons quarters and settle her into a room...”
Ω
Zac picked up a box of groceries and walked into the homestead. Jake shadowed him with another box. Inside, Jen and Dave were on the verge of a quarrel. Tyson was oblivious to their feelings and trying to tell Dave about their eventful trip. Zac sat the groceries down on the bench and approached Jen.
“I’m so sorry Professor. I can’t understand why Cheryl didn’t tell me it was a woman needing accommodation when I said we had some rooms left in the singlemen’s quarters.”
“Wouldn’t have done any harm to ask!” growled Dave.
“Hey you two... Don’t spat about it.”
Zac’s voice was like soothing balm.
“I generally only run same-sex-only workshops, so my participants aren’t distracted by the opposite sex. But things don’t always go according to plan in life. And when they don’t, I amend my plan... Look on the bright side. At least your extra guest speaks English!”
“Very fluently,” supplemented Tyson.
Zac’s eyes twinkled.
“I know. I saw her in action at the airport when we arrived... Have we got everything in out of your ute?”
“Yeah. Except for the cameras we took the UFO photos with.”
“You took photos on more than one camera?”
“Yeah. Her ladyship’s got a bag full of fancy cameras. We had to bring ‘em in out of the hail.”
“You were caught in the storm?” asked Jake with mounting interest.
“Yep. So were the UFOs. The hail made ‘em look like little round balls of fire.”
“Electro-magnetic plasmoid,” murmured Jake, glancing fleetingly at Zac.
Zac nodded in agreement. Inside he felt triumphant. He was almost certain now that he had a way to connect with the diffident teenager.
“Pop the kettle on Jen,” he said softly. “This sounds quite a story.”
Ω
The exterior of the singlemen’s quarters was ordinary. Sea container style ordinary. Or more accurately a wagon wheel arrangement of sea containers. Inside however, the singlemen’s quarters had an artistic designer’s touch. Handmade pottery and a polished cedarwood table in the central meeting area. A comfy looking couch with a couple of bean bags strewn around for informal seating in the lounge area. A compact, delightfully decorated cottage kitchen, with an expensive coffee making machine. The bedrooms were similarly agreeably decorated with handmade curtains and scented candles.
“You sure have a lot of bags,” smiled Brendan, as he steered Maya towards the empty room next to his.
“I’m loaded up with work gear.”
“What do you do for a living that needs this many bags?”
“I’m a photo-journalist.”
“Really? What are you photo-journalising in Laverton?”
“The earthquake they had here last night. I was just gonna stay a couple of days and interview witnesses, but I’m thinking of staying longer now.”
“Why?”
“Because there was something really unusual about that storm we got caught in on the way here. Unusual enough to hang around and investigate...”
Pete and Dale exchanged almost imperceptible glances.
“What makes you so sure the storm was unusual?” asked Dale.
“Because I have a degree in meteorology. And as well as being a photo-journalist you could say I’m a professional storm-chaser...”
Ω
The barbie meat was succulent. The salads tasty even without dressing.
“Raised here... butchered here...” explained Dave.
“Same with our fruit and veggies,” added Jen. “Heirloom varieties and pesticide free.”
“So this is an alternative lifestyle B & B?”
It was the first time I’d heard the nerdy kid say anything. He was surprisingly articulate.
“We consider it a lifestyle not an alternative lifestyle!” chuckled Dave.
“And we don’t grow everything...” added Jen. “For instance it’s too much hassle trying to grow avocadoes here.”
“Especially if you get freaky weather like I saw today. I’ve been all over the world and never seen hail fall out of blue skies when the sun’s shining.”
Dale caught Zac’s eye.
“Maya was telling us that she’s a photo-journalist,” he reiterated. “With training in meteorology. And an interest in storm-chasing...”
Zac nodded in silent acknowledgment. He pushed himself to his feet and stretched noisily.
“You sound like interesting company. We must catch up later when I’m not so busy.”
“Are you heading off already?”
“Yeah. I need a shower and I haven’t properly unpacked yet... Gentlemen... you have another hour to yourselves, then we’ll all meet in the lounge for our introductory session. Pete... Interested in assisting me tweak tonight’s session?”
“Okay.”
“Good. Follow me over and I’ll fill you in.”
I dreamily watched both men walk off.
“I thought you said you had nights to yourself?”
“We had them to ourselves on the other workshop I went to,” shrugged Brendan. “Maybe this one’s different.”
“You’ve been to more than one Young Geoscientists Development workshop?” asked Jake.
“I’ve been to a few. You?”
“No. This is my first.”
“Zac’s an interesting bloke. It should be fun rooming in with him.”
“Yeah... I might get going. See you in a while.”
Ω
“What’s this impromptu session tonight anyway?” asked Pete curiously.
“It’s part of my plan to draw Jake out of his shell. I need a volunteer with a hairy chest and chunky pecs.”
Pete screwed up his nose and grinned shyly.
“I’m serious. Can you handle Jake staring at you without your shirt on?”
“S’pose. Pity it’s not Maya.”
Zac’s eyes danced at the quip.
“Can you handle giving me a massage?”
“I can handle it. A better question would be to ask me if I’m any good at it.”
“You don’t have to be good at it. You just have to look relaxed about dishing it out...”
“...in front of Jake, right?”
“Ten points. How about the reverse? Can you handle me massaging you in front of Jake?”
“Bordering on disconcerting, but serves me right for volunteering.”
“It’s not too late to un-volunteer Pete.”
“Yes it is. You’ve got me curious about this plan of yours.”
Crunching footsteps.
“Hmmm... Jake’s on his way over. Thanks for tag teaming with me Pete,” said Zac, stripping off his shirt. “Meet me back here in about twenty minutes after we??
?ve both had a shower...”
Ω
Zac grabbed his towel and washbag. He unzipped his brown suitcase and left the lid temptingly ajar. Jake walked in as Zac was walking towards the en-suite. His eyes took in the room in seconds and fixated on the papers on top of Zac’s suitcase. Jake whistled softly.
“Reprints of Tesla’s original research notes on howitzers and shields! You’re kidding?! I’ve been wanting to view a copy of these for years. I thought you had to be military to have access to them!”
“We’re using them later this week in the workshop. Have a gander if you want,” said Zac casually, as he closed the en-suite door.
Zac cranked on the shower and savoured the pounding drops of water. He was pushing off jet lag and caffeine-derived tremors. He’d lost count of how many hours he’d spent travelling in the past fortnight, but all of the intelligence gathered by his teams suggested this flyspeck on the map of the world would be one mighty hot place in the coming week. In theory the assignment was straight-forward enough. Observe... investigate... report findings... The essence of the scientific method.
In practise however it was knot-in-the-stomach stuff. There was the pressure of knowing that several world powers were poised on knife edge between paranoia and mania. According to Maya, a consortium of Japanese had arrived and booked out the Laverton hotel. That type of behaviour was often associated with AUM Shinrikyo. Was Osaka University involved again? Like last time...
Zac had read the investigative reports. Independent researchers had claimed that Osaka University’s Climate Engineering Department had been conducting their “greening technology” and “anti-desertification” research in the area back in 1993 when the other quake had startled Laverton residents. And Japanese investigative journalists like Yoichi Shimatsu had claimed that the university department was really a cover for Japanese E/M weapons research for years.
Now there was evidence which suggested a resurgence of climate change experiments in this immediate area. Hail falling out of blue skies and sightings of plasma balls following a quake. As for the apparent absence of other world players like the Koreans, the area was just too vast to monitor from either satellites or the ground...
Girlish laughter drifting through the bathroom window interrupted Zac’s train of thoughts. He thrust a bare arm through the gap in the shower curtain and slid the window shut. Ms Maya Gregory... Was she a plant? Possibly. But on the balance of probabilities she was probably who she said she was. A photo-journalist who’d been given an assignment by her Perth-based boss.
Last time ‘round a curious geologist - Harry Mason - had meticulously researched the Laverton fireball and earthquake incidents and suggested E/M weaponry as one explanation for the data he’d collated. Harry’s articles had sparked the Alaskan effort to put an end to the misuse of E/M weapons in their country and beyond their borders. Zac had never met Harry, but Gordon’s crack taskforce - whoever they were - had taken a keen interest in his published research.
Was Maya Gregory going to be the chief civilian investigator this time ‘round? No two ways about it. She was going to be a complicating factor. She didn’t seem to know about E/M weather modification, but she was curious and tenacious. One of those women who looked drop-dead gorgeous even under ridiculously stressful conditions. With the exception of Jake, the rest of his team had only met her two hours ago. But already Brendan was like a cat in a cream factory. Dale was purring as well. Even Pete was mooning at her. As for Jake, he was just plain overwhelmed by her...
Time to pull the team together, mused Zac, as he turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his lower half.
Ω
Zac returned to the room refreshed and whistling cheerily.
Jake stared at him. Panicky... ready to run.
“Are you gonna grab a shower before we join the others in the lounge room?”
“I’m having second thoughts about participating in your workshop. I... I was thinking of heading back to Perth tomorrow.”
“You’re free to go of course. Want to tell me why you want to leave though?” asked Zac, towel-drying his hair casually.
“Because I have a healthy sense of self-preservation. And we both know that you’ve brought everything you need to build a bare bones E/M weapon into the country!”
“Is that right?”
“Are you a Muslim?”
Zac belly laughed.
“Nah, I’m a Christian.”
“Are you a terrorist?”
“No. I’m a scientist.”
“Well I consider myself a scientist too. Except I don’t carry a home-built handgun around, with a label attached to it that says it’s a remnant from Skylab. I can’t believe they let you through customs with that thing!”
Zac flipped the lid of his case.
“I see you didn’t touch it. Have you used a gun before?”
Jake shook his head cautiously.
“Well if you decide to stay on, we’ll have to find some rusty cans for you to shoot tomorrow.”
“W... Why?”
“So you know how to use a gun.”
“Why?”
“In case we need to protect each other’s backs. Like you, I have a healthy sense of self-preservation.”
“Your passport says you’re from Alaska.”
“You have been snooping while I’ve been in the shower!” grinned Zac.
“Are you from the HAARP facility?”
“Definitely not.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes. When I think you can handle it.”
“That’ll be never,” sighed Jake miserably. “I dunno what’s on your real agenda, but I know I’ll cause problems for you if I stick around, so I’d better leave.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not who I made out I was!” blurted out Jake. “If I could turn back time, I’d have never hacked into Professor Macca’s computer.”
“You did what to whose computer?”
“I hacked into a Californian geoscientist’s computer. His name’s Gordon Macca. Have you heard of him?”
Zac’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yeah.”
“I hadn’t heard of him until six months ago when I came across this paper entitled, “How to wreck the environment.” He presented all this evidence suggesting the military and the government have been using Tesla and E/M environmental control technology for years for political gain. Anyway, I wanted to examine his views on geophysical warfare in greater detail so I hacked into his personal computer and browsed through his unpublished research articles. That’s how I found out about the Young Geoscientists’ Development Workshops actually. He had a copy of the assessment test in one of his folders.”
“You cheated on the assessment test?”
“Only on the personality questions. I read through the guidelines and I knew straight away that I was too much of a dork to get a look in. So I consulted some psychology books and tried to make myself look like I had a fantastic personality... Like the other post-grads have got.”
A noisy sigh from Jake.
“Except I didn’t think about the consequences of making myself out to be someone I’m not. You know - actually having to relate to other post-grads with enigmatic personalities...”
“... not to mention flawless complexions and golden-proportioned bodies.”
“Don’t remind me,” murmured Jake glumly.
“Want to know a little secret Jake? You failed the personality test.”
“Even cheating?”
“Yep. But Gordon Macca still chose you out of a field of over 200 other Australian applicants.”
“Gordon Macca has something to do with the YGD programme?”
“Gordon heads the programme. It’s his baby.”
“Are you saying Gordon chose me even though he knew I was wallpaper?”
“Yes. And he asked me to personally mentor you one-on-one as well.”
“He doesn’t norm
ally ask you to do that?”
“No. I’ve known him for ten years. And worked for him almost as long. He’s always been my friend and mentor. But this is the first time he’s ever asked me to mentor a student before.”
“But fitting in with them is going to be impossible Zac!”
“The Wright brothers flew right through the smoke screen of impossibility too, remember?”
Jake looked indecisive.
“Weigh it up Jake... One of the cleverest scientists on the planet wants you to benefit from this workshop because he can see your potential. How about having the same amount of faith in yourself that he has in you?”
Two quick raps on the door. Pete walked in.
“Good timing Pete,” said Zac softly.
Ω
“Hey Jake. Pete and I were about to do a practise run for tonight’s session. Want to join us?”
“What do I have to do?”
“Just sit on the bed and watch us until I ask for observer comment... Pete. I’m fighting jet lag. Would you mind giving me a quick massage?”
“Sure,” said Pete casually.
Zac adjusted his towel and sat back-to-front on a chair. He smiled faintly as Pete started massaging his shoulders.
Pete wasn’t kidding when he said he knew nothing about massage. Then again the request must have been off-balancing for him. Pete wasn’t the touchy feely type. And he was pretty protective about his personal space.
Zac glanced clandestinely at Jake as he rested his chin on the back of the chair. His expression revealed a lot about what was going on in his head.
“Thanks Pete,” said Zac a couple of moments later.
“Observer comment Jake?”
“Um... Nothing special... I observed him rubbing your back... I noticed a scar on your shoulder...”
“Fair enough. You made empirical observations. But a whole lot more was happening than what you observed with your eyes. For instance Pete was reluctant, hesitant and a bit nervous about massaging me... I could feel those vibes coming out of him and I had my back to him. So you should have been able to observe at least a couple of the tell tale signs... As for you, you were mortified and embarrassed by our behaviour.”
“How do you know? You had your eyes shut.”
“Hubble once said, ‘Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.’ Even with my eyes closed, I could smell your b/o; hear your rapid breathing, and feel you squirming on the bed like I was asking you confronting questions about your sex life. And of course when I opened my eyes I could see your red ears!”
Zac made eye contact with Jake.
“It’s time you started making scientific observations of with all five senses Jake. Because the difference between a talented scientist and a giant is mindset.”
“A giant?”
“Yes. Isaac Newton said - ‘If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.’ Take Thomas Edison... he was a man of giant tenacity and persistence. Instead of curling up in a ball in the face of failure, he said, ‘I haven’t failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.’ And Ignaz Semmelweis was a giant rebelutionary... Where would medicine be today if he’d recanted in the face of peer ridicule? And then there were giants like Kepler, Kelvin, Faraday, Herschel, Riemann, Joule, Maxwell and Tesla. How far behind would our field of research be if they’d been mediocre instead of giants?”
“But I’m just a teenager. How can I be a giant anything?”
“Your mindset is being limited by today’s zeitgeist. The word teenager only entered the English language after World War 2. Before that, children were considered young adults as soon as they started doing adult things. Two hundred years ago it was the norm for young adults of twelve to be sea captains in command of their own ships. It was the norm for fourteen year olds to lead armies into battle, run family businesses or run the family farm... Whereas these days Western society has low expectations of young people. And if they drop out, deal drugs or drink drive they say that’s just being a teenager...”
Jake risked eye contact with Zac.
“I’ve always felt that I’m a misfit... But I s’pose it’s wrong to feel a misfit, just because you don’t fit in with society’s low expectations... Edison and Semmelweis didn’t fit in with their low expectations either...”
Zac could see the cogs ticking over.
“Now you’re catching the vision... Let’s get back to preparing for tonight. This time use all of your senses to observe. And think of some questions you can ask about what you observe... Actually Pete, I’ll massage you so Jake’s got something different to observe.”
Pete casually removed his shirt. He could sense Jake peering at his abs and chest.
Lucky Zac had warned him in advance. Swimming or surfing with mates without a shirt on felt normal. But having a bloke stare at your body felt... gross. What did this have to do with getting ready for tonight anyway?
Pete glanced fleetingly at Zac. Zac’s eyes reflected back their silent reassurance.
Okay... Fair enough. Zac’s in control. And you agreed to this. Even after Zac gave you the option to bale out.
Pete steadied himself with a deeper than usual breath. He didn’t always see eye to eye with Zac but the team’s code of conduct was resolute. Trust their leader. Trust Zac.
Hands closed around his shoulders and squeezed his shoulder blades. Pete was surprised how soothing it felt. He’d actually felt stretched when Zac had asked him if he could handle a massage. But now he was experiencing it, it didn’t feel all that invasive. In fact it was less invasive than having Jake peering at him.
Fingertips slid around his neck, removing the tension that had built up. Pete rolled his neck appreciatively. He could feel the stress draining away. Zac was tenderizing his back muscles near his ribs. It tickled a bit, but still felt nice. It reminded him of that night on the beach with Kate... That had been some night! Pete grinned at the memory... Savoured it for a long moment then pulled his focus back onto Zac.
Zac’s hands moved down a little lower, briefly near his stomach then back around to his spine and up again to his neck. Pete felt completely relaxed. Zac could have been the older brother he’d secretly always wanted. In fact if Jake hadn’t been there and it was just him and Zac, he might have even risked spilling his guts about what he’d being chewing over lately. Not that he’d ever really talked heart-to-heart with Zac before. Maybe he’d seek him out some time during the week and chat. Maybe...
“Over to you Jake...”
Pete drifted back from musing land.
“Ask some observer questions.”
“I’ve got to ask more than one question?”
Jake sounded pained.
“Well... start with one...”
“Um... Okay... Are you two gay?”
Pete looked taken aback.
“Yeah. We’re two of the happiest people on the planet!” joked Zac. “An observer question should be relevant to your observations by the way Jake.”
“It is relevant... If you two aren’t gay, how come he’s got a lump in his pants?”
Pete was swamped by self consciousness. Zac felt Pete’s back muscles tense under his fingertips.
Whoah... Words are like an arrow Jake. And yours just found their mark... Come on. Take the question in your stride Pete. You know you’re not gay.
“Face down in your arms Pete so I can get to your neck muscles. I’m handling the observer questions. Let’s see Jake... remember the conversation we had earlier, when you said how overshadowed you felt by the other post-grads’ appearance?”
“Yeah.”
“Well one of the downsides to having a body like a centre-fold is that you have to develop coping strategies for dealing with your high testosterone levels.”
“I’ve never looked at the way I am as being an advantage before...”
“It’s time you did. Having low to mid range testosterone levels makes life muc
h more straightforward. You can be sitting next to a girl like Maya and be oblivious to her and just keep working on your planetary motion calculations. Whereas guys like Pete can forget they were even doing planetary motion calculations if someone like Maya walks past a window. A random thought, or a mere brush of the hand is enough to arouse them unless they stay on their guard.”
“Um... Can I ask Pete something?”
Pete looked up; his heart rate reflecting his awkwardness.
“Um... What do you have to guard against most Pete?”
“Er... Mostly memory lane rambles.”
“Memories?”
“Yeah. Otherwise what happened before happens... You know... Zac was massaging me and I thought about this girl... she was hot... her name was Kate... and off I went rambling down memory lane thinking about this good time we had together one time... before she... um... died... and then I went off on another tangent... and then you asked your question... And talk about mega embarrassing when I realized what had happened... All I can say is, I’m glad Zac did this workshop practice run of his in front of you, not Maya!”
Zac hid his grin.
“Yeah. That happening in front of a girl would’ve been awful... Actually I observed your heavy breathing... and I observed you smiling so I s’pose that must’ve been when you were thinking about Kate... Except I didn’t want to ask you about those observations in case they were too personal. So I asked a question that included Zac ‘coz I thought it’d be less personal. It was, wasn’t it?”
“It was less personal, but more unsettling.”
“Sorry I unsettled you in front of Zac.”
“Not your fault. It’s Zac’s. For demanding you think up questions about your observations. Don’t worry. We’ll get him back later!”
Zac laughed roguishly.
“Hmmm... well you two seem to have broken the ice. Think you can handle more of the same tonight while you get to know the other post-grads Jake?”
“Yeah. Maybe it won’t be impossible to fit in with the other post-grads after all... Maybe it’s just gonna take lots of work.”
“Now you’re starting to think like a 19th century giant instead of 21st century mouse. ‘Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.’”
“Thomas Edison!” said Pete and Jake in unison.
Zac laughed.
“Speaking of which, it’s probably time I got dressed. Particularly since there’s a young lady lurking in our midst… Why don’t you quickly hit the shower and wash away the day’s tension Jake? Pete and I will wait for you...”