Chapter 26
Sally stood in front of a podium near the stage at the base of a large amphitheater and it was standing room only for her lecture. The seats were filled with post-grads, PhDs, scientists, professors and island spiritual-types, the last group attending to heckle and debunk her science. Sally’s research in her field and the papers she published were quite influential, particularly her overlapping insight into the sciences of quantum physics, cloning and spirituality. She had been speaking for some time and started to summarize her message before she would open the floor to questions.
“So in a way, we don’t really know what we are doing when we get down to the sub-atomic level. We speak of particles, or electrons, photons, et cetera, as if they were tiny stationary pieces of a larger object, but these particles exhibit properties of both particles and waves, depending on…,” she paused for a moment, “…on our interaction with them. We can predict probable outcomes based on theory. But our attempt to prove these theories and even the very act of observation causes us to alter the outcomes. Heisenberg’s theory of uncertainty states: The uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics means that the more closely one pin downs one measurement, the less precise another measurement pertaining to the same particle, such as its momentum, must become. A bit like our lives, isn’t it? We think we have it figured out, and then something we can’t control throws it out of whack.”
She smiled oddly for a moment and went on, “For you students, I challenge you all to propose and submit to your professors an experiment to prove or disprove Heisenberg’s theory, at a sub-atomic level of course. Pretty sure your professors don’t want any one’s life story laid out in a paper.”
The audience laughed along. “And thanks so much for attending, any questions?”
A dozen hands went up and Sally took a moment to look down and straighten her papers. As she did, she saw her mobile phone vibrating with “private” across the screen, but with a small red flashing signal in the corner. She recognized this as a call from Craig, but it had been more than a month since they spoke last, and from what she understood, he was overseas somewhere.
She raised her hand to the audience and announced, “If you would excuse me for a moment, I need to take this call. I promise, I will return to answer all your questions.
Sally stepped away and out into the hall, first checking up and down the corridor to see if anyone was nearby, then, “Hello?”
“Dr. Evans, this is Craig, Major Craig. We need to talk. Where are you?” Sally provided Craig with her whereabouts. “Stay where you are, I’ll be sending an agent with a sat phone to your location. Give me an hour if you can. Once he delivers the phone to you, just punch Send and we can speak securely.”
“Major Craig, I’m just finishing a lecture, then a luncheon and after I will be heading to the airport for a flight to Kauai. Can’t this wait? Does he have to meet me here?”
“Dr. Evans, no, this cannot wait, but that’s even better, it will make it easier to get him to you. Twenty five minutes, does that work?”
“Yes, thank you. What is it concerning? Can you give me an idea?” Then she remembered they were not on a secure line. “Never mind, forget I asked,” she replied.
“How soon we forget. Let’s just say, we need your help once more.”
Sally now had to figure out how to graciously forego the questions and back out of the entire luncheon; although, this would now make it easier to get to the airport in time fly over to arrive earlier and spend more time in Kauai with Shawn.. That was of course, if what Craig had to say was brief and he didn’t kidnap her to work on some secret project.
After Sally extending her apologies to the University faculty with promises to return, she headed straight out to her rental car. On the drive to the airport she considered that while she might not agree with the military uses of her Sentient, she had a feeling she needed to help Craig I guess I’m trading one type of evil for a lesser evil. Whatever Craig needed, she would do all she could to help him. Well, as long as it had nothing to do with killing.