space rocks

You walk closer to the round table where the two families are seated.  Professor Jane points you to the seat next to the most handsome young man you’ve ever seen dressed in a formal white shirt.  He looks like a younger more handsome Professor Scot, you think to yourself.

 

“Nice to meet you in person Charlie.  Got to tell you kid, you’ve got some guts.  Did you check the news?  People are going crazy out there.  Some of the underdeveloped countries didn’t believe the second report.  Some civil wars will be breaking out soon, they say.”  Why Jim? Shh, let me marvel in peace, you think to yourself as you feel the blood drain from your face as you try to reach for your chair.  What have I done? you think to yourself.  You see white auras and your knees feel weak.

 

You feel a strong arm wrapping around your waist. “Don’t fall.  Here, take my seat.”

 

“Geez, I’m sorry, kid.  Read you all wrong, didn’t think the news would upset you so much.”

 

“Charlie’s got a heart of gold.”  Professor Scot was sitting next to the handsome young man with a neat blue suit on.

 

The blood starts to flow back to your face slowly.  You turn to see who helped you and almost faint.  It’s him, you think to yourself.  "Don’t worry, I got you.  Here, drink some juice.” He reaches for the jug and smiles at you as he pours you the orange juice.

 

“Thanks.” His hand is still in the small of your back.  You’re brain has never been so glitchy before.  He moves his chair closer to yours. 

 

“I’m Nathan, you saved my dad’s life.”

​

I know who you are, please let me think.  He moves his hand from the small of your back.  But he doesn’t move his chair away, as if waiting for you to move closer.   A young woman dressed in blue brings a cart with the starters.

 

In front a big blue stage has been set up.  A man dressed in a black suit walks up the stairs to speech. "When I first heard about FTL-travelling I was amused, even lightly intrigued.  The teams at NASA spend decades working on a theory that would allow matter with mass to travel faster than light. I never thought it would see the light.  Though we moved forward there always were seemingly insurmountable hurdles in our way.

Then two years ago the project leader, Jacques Du Pont, came to me and said he found the answer we needed in an eighteen year old’s PhD. and that he wanted more funding.  I decided to read for myself and to go to him within a week and say no.  I did not expect to find such a clear answer to solving faster than light travelling in the PhD.  For the past two years we have been working diligently to make the dream of a FTL-ship a reality.  A dream that I did not even think of dreaming a few years ago.  As the head of space-missions here at NASA I was hesitant to send humans into space with a FTL-ship.  But, Charlie’s research provided us with the carrier particle theory, the untainted biological matter probability theory and the formulas to have the two work together.   Even though Charlie made it clear that the calculations had to be 100% accurate, and that it was impossible when you factor in human error, we decided to gather the world’s smartest mathematicians and scientists.  When we first saw the meteorite debris two years ago, we panicked.  But it wasn’t long before we had a mission and a goal ahead of us.  Yes, even a calling.

Thanks to every one of you here, yes even the families who sacrificed precious time with their loved ones, we were able to prevent the largest catastrophic event earth has ever seen.

To all of you here, who worked with us to achieve this great accomplishment, we thank you.”

 

The man stepped down and another man in a white suit walks up the stairs.  He announces that the dance floor is open and that the main course will be served within the next hour. 

 

“Would you like to dance with me?” Nathan tried to read your expression and smiled at you politely. "Don’t worry I’ve you’re not that good I’ll help you.”

 

“Not that good?  Help?   It just so happens that I am a great dancer.  You know, it’s almost just like maths.  Rhythms, patterns, predictions, calculations.” Placing your juice back on the table you use move your two fingers on the table in perfect salsa rhythm as you hum Las Caras Mindas.

 

“Ha, you went to one too many dance lessons, dear lady.  Dancing isn’t mathematics, it is art.”  He grabs your hand from off the table and leads you to the dancing floor.

He spins you around and draws you closer.  Everything he does is a surprise.  The way he laughs when you gasp.  When was the last time I laughed this much? You ask yourself as he changes even the foxtrot into his own dance.  His waltz was flawless, his rhythm perfect.  I’m not the only one who went to dance lessons, you think you yourself.

 

Suddenly he stops in the middle of the dance floor and grabs both your hands.  He holds them in front of him.  And looks into your eyes and laughs in joy. He pushes a strand of your hairr back into its place with a steady hand and smiles again. “Mhhm, yes.”

 

“What now?”

 

“I’d like to marry you.”

 

“Okay.” Okay? Seriously? Charlie, what is the matter with you.  Have you forgotten how to speak? you ask yourself.  He draws you closer to dance again again as the next song starts.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

The main course is brought out and you return to your seats.

 

“I’m glad to see you get along well,” Says Professor Scot as he sees his son laughing with you.

 

“Yes, father, very well indeed.” Nathan smiles as he pulls your chair out and moves it a bit more to the left for you to sit close to him.

 

You take a bite of the lamb stew that was brought to your table.  I think he must be crazy for what he said, but I like him more because of it.  He isn’t like maths at all.  He is like art.

 

The lady brings the desert to your table and you feel your eyes getting heavy as you yawn. “Thank you for a lovely evening.  I think I should turn in for the night."

 

Nathan reaches for your hand and squeezes it lightly. “Good night my lady.”

 

Everyone at the table smiles and chuckles as you blush as you try to say something back.

 

“Scot, I think Penner was right after all,” says Professor Jane as she nods in approval.

 

“Don’t make the poor kid blush even more.   Goodnight Charlie,” says Professor Scot as you make your way to you residence.