Discovery: Proton Field #1 Read online

Most interesting was the fact that, by Vinn’s calculations for proton field strength, he thought even a weak, low-current field in the high terahertz range would achieve small amounts of fusion if hydrogen was fed into the focus.

  He was already picturing a lead covered steel sphere with a focal point at its center and a hydrogen feed leading into a small central cavity. Since each centimeter of lead shielding would cut the emitted gamma radiation in half, ten centimeters or four inches of lead around the focus would cut the radiation by more than a thousand times. Six inches would cut it by thirty thousand. If they set the focal point to fuse the hydrogen from the feed, the sphere would be able to heat a home pollution free.

  Or it could generate steam to run an engine.

  Nick, one of the techs who’d been helping him, broke into his thoughts, “Dr. Saigler? It’s five o’clock.”

  Vinn wanted to snap something about how they couldn’t quit in the middle of something so important, but mindful of Dr. Miller’s urging that he work on his interpersonal skills, he cheerfully said, “Quittin time! And it’s Friday night, we’d better get out of here before someone else drinks all our beer.”

  ***֎֎֍֍***

  Myr looked up at a knock on her door. She wasn’t doing anything particularly secret, so she thought she’d left the door unlocked. “Come on in,” she called out.

  The door opened and she saw Arlan Miller standing there. She waved him in with a sense of trepidation. Generally she liked talking to Miller, but late in the afternoon on a Friday? She always worried that he might be bringing bad news.

  Miller sat down and eyed her for a moment, making her even more nervous. “So, you know it’s terribly important to me that you and Vinn get along.”

  Much as she wanted to roll her eyes, Myr simply nodded.

  “I’ve been talking to him about his personal interactions.” He shrugged, “For most of my employees, when they’re having trouble dealing with others I just send them to a lady I know who does some coaching, but to me, the two of you are really important.”

  Miller had stopped and seemed to be waiting for something from Myr, so she slowly said, “Okay.”

  “I could send you to talk to her if you’d like, but I’m willing to put in the time with you myself because of the potential I see in you.”

  Myr suddenly realized that he didn’t think Vinn was the only one with a problem. Miller’d generally been very supportive and she felt surprised to find out how hurt she was to realize he wasn’t happy with her… disposition. Or whatever the psychobabble people would call it. Though she really would have preferred being counseled by a stranger, she tried to maintain an upbeat attitude, saying, “Go ahead. How can I do better?”

  “I was kind of blind to it at first. I’ve been talking to Vinn like he’s the biggest part of the problem. I’d been thinking he says something rude to you and you just bite back.” Miller shrugged, “Even he admits that he was pretty rude the first day I introduced you two. But he’s pointed out that, even though you’ve agreed to work with him, you’ve remained pretty hostile ever since.”

  Tilting her head, Myr said, “Yeah, I really don’t like him. I am working with him though.” She said this last as if it were a triumph of her character over a perfectly reasonable reaction.

  Miller sat looking at her pensively, as if trying to decide what to say next. Finally he said, “Vinn tells me you call the two techs assigned to you, Tech-one and Tech-two?”

  Myr shrugged, “Yeah, I’m not so good with names, especially when I’m focused on other stuff.”

  Miller gave her an unhappy look. After a moment, he said, “this stuff you’re working on, it’s going to change the world, right?”

  Myr nodded, feeling pleased that he saw its potential.

  Miller leaned back, “I can guarantee you that changing the world is going to require, not just a brilliant invention, but serious leadership skills. That is, if you want to be the one to bring your vision to the world.” He looked at her inquisitively, “Can you grasp that?”

  “Sure,” she said with a shrug.

  “That means that you need some ability to get people to love you enough that they’ll follow you. And one of the first things a real leader needs to be able to do is to remember people’s names.”

  Myr shrugged in a helpless fashion, “I can understand that, it’s just that I’m not any good at it. Actually, I’m not good at memorizing anything.”

  “What you really mean is that you just don’t care enough to put in the effort.”

  At this sudden criticism, Myr jerked back as if she’d been slapped, “I’m not good at names!”

  Miller shook his head. “Granted, you aren’t. But you could be if you cared, I’ll guaran-damn-tee it.” He sighed, “I’m sending you a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People. It’s a really old book, but I want you to read it. The principles of getting along with people are the same now as they were a hundred years ago.”

  Wide-eyed at being given an assignment at her age, Myr said, “I’ll try to get to it but I’ve got a lot…”

  Miller interrupted her, “If you can’t get to it on your own time, read it Monday. But I don’t want you doing anything else on the job here until you’ve finished it.”

  Myr did roll her eyes at that, but then thought to herself that he’d never really know whether she’d read it or not. “Okay,” she said, managing not to sound sullen.

  He lifted an eyebrow as he got up to leave, “And don’t think I won’t be able to tell whether you’ve read it.” As he walked out the door, he left a parting shot, “We’ll talk more later. I can give you some other things to read if that’s not enough to improve your interactions.”

  Damn! What is he, some kind of mindreader?

  ***֎֎֍֍***

  Though Vinn had actually hoped to go out for a friendly beer with his two technicians, they’d treated his invitation like he’d been joking. Instead, he found himself back at the gym on another Friday night, looking to play some pick-up basketball. “Scotty,” he called out as he passed one of the half courts where groups often faced off. Scott was a pretty good basketball player who Vinn had shot around with a few times. At present, Scott looked like he was playing a game of two on three. The guy Scott was guarding fed the ball to the unguarded third man on his team who made a quick layup.

  “Aw, man!” Scott said disgustedly as he turned to see who’d called out to him. “Vinn! Hey, wanna play third man on our team here? We’re getting our asses handed to us.”

  “Sure!” Vinn said, setting his ball on his towel and trotting out onto the court. He’d love to meet more players and get something regular going.

  Scotty and his friend Mark were a little bit better players than the three guys they’d been playing against. With the addition of Vinn the balance of power suddenly shifted and they started catching up. They’d been down quite a bit though, so even though the final score was pretty tight the three other guys did eventually win.

  It turned out that the five guys Vinn had joined were pretty good friends. They switched off players for two more three-on-three games that Vinn really enjoyed. At the end of the third game, Mark said, “Hey Vinn, we’re thinking of forming a team to play in the league, you interested?”

  “Oh, yeah! I’d love to have a regular game.” Referring to the league’s requirement that you had to have at least seven players, he said, “Who’s your seventh?”

  Scott said, “Don’t have one yet, still looking. Know anybody who’d like to play?”

  Vinn shrugged, “Nope. I’m new in town so I haven’t met many people yet…” He trailed off as his eye caught on Myr. She was over on the court where people typically just shot around. Some guy was talking to her. She took a shot, putting up a clanger. Is she trying to shark another guy at H-O-R-S-E? he wondered. “Um, that girl over there,” he said, indicating the court with a jerk of his head, “she’s pretty good.”

  The guys turned to look just as Myr put up an air-ball. Mark turned
to Vinn and said, “Oh, come on. I’m into charity just as much as the next guy, but we want to win a few. We don’t know you well enough to give that up just so you can make time with the pretty lady.”

  Vinn grinned at Mark. “I’ve got a hundred bucks that says she and I and Scott can beat the four of you in a game of three on three,” he said, waving a hand at Mark and the other three.

  Mark snorted derisively, “You and Scott are pretty good, but you’re not even close to that good!”

  “You guys up for one more game then?” Vinn asked, looking around at them.

  “Sure,” Jimmy said, “long as I can get a hundred bucks of that action myself.”

  Steve momentarily lifted his hand, saying, “Me too.”

  Scott said, “Hey Vinn, you’re covering those bets yourself, right? I don’t want any part of that action.”

  No one had said they wouldn’t play, so Vinn said, “Sure, I can use the extra cash. Let me go get her.”

  Vinn trotted over to the other court, “Hey Myr.”

  Myr turned, giving him a little warning shake of her head, even though she said, “Hi Vinn,” in a pleasant enough tone.

  Vinn jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the other guys, and spoke in a low tone, “Hey, me and the guys there are thinking of forming a team to play in the league. We need a seventh, you interested?”

  “Sure you are,” Myr said quietly, rolling her eyes, “Why don’t you not waste my time?” Louder, she said, “Me and Henry here are just starting a friendly game of H-O-R-S-E.”

  Myr started to turn away, but Vinn leaned in after her, whispering fiercely, “You bitched about how none of the guys would invite you to play on their teams. Here’s your invitation. Are you turning it down?”

  Myr turned back to him, eyes flashing. She opened her mouth to utter an angry retort, but then closed it and looked over at the guys Vinn had indicated. She looked back at Vinn and said, “Yeah sure. Those guys said they’d be happy to have a girl on their team.” She lifted the corner of her lip in a sneer, “What are they thinking, that I’d be their cheerleader?”

  “No. They don’t want you, just like you said. But I told them that you and I and Scott, that’s the tall blonde guy, could beat the other four in a half-court game of three-on-three. You ready to prove yourself?”

  Henry, the guy Myr had been playing H-O-R-S-E with, evidently thought that Vinn’s tone was a little too hostile—or that Vinn was horning in on his action. He stepped closer and said, “Look buddy, why don’t you leave the lady alone?”

  Myr lifted her left hand with the middle finger extended. “Piss off Henry. I’m gonna go school some boys on the finer points of how this game is played.”

  Plaintively, Henry said, “But what about our game?”

  Myr reached in the pocket of her shorts, pulled out her little wallet and peeled off a ten. Holding it out to Henry, she said, “You won. Now, piss off.” She started toward the other court, walking like she was stalking prey.

  Vinn walked with her, saying, “Why do you play H-O-R-S-E with those guys anyway?”

  “I just come down here to shoot. Some asshole always comes by and offers to ‘give me a few pointers.’ ” She flashed Vinn a little grin, “I like putting assholes in their places.” Her eyes tracked ahead to the guys they were about to join, “Just like I’m going to enjoy this.”

  When they arrived at the other court, Myr started introducing herself to the other guys, starting with Scott. As she moved on past Scott, he turned to Vinn and leaned close to his ear, “You know we don’t have a freaking chance, don’t you? She didn’t make a single shot while we were watching and she wasn’t even under any pressure.”

  Vinn couldn’t help giving Scott a grin. With a smirk he said, “Just wait and see.”

  Then he started worrying about whether her victory a month or so ago had just been a fluke.

  Myr’d finished introducing herself to the other four guys. She stepped back over to Scott and Vinn, crooking a finger to get them to lean in. Quietly she said, “I’ve hardly ever played on teams, mostly just one-on-one or H-O-R-S-E. I’ve watched though, so I think I pretty much know what to do.” Vinn looked up at Scott and saw his new friend giving him a disgusted look. Myr was continuing, “Why don’t we just get started. You can tell me if you’d like me to do anything different after we’ve played a point or two.”

  Mark’s team of four granted Vinn’s team of three the right to bring the ball in first. Scott brought it in to Vinn even though Jimmy’s coverage of Myr was very loose. Steve, on the other hand, was all over Vinn. Vinn tried to get past Steve, first on the left, then on the right, but without success. Scott was calling for the ball over near the basket, but Steve could obviously hear him and was defending against passes in that direction. Vinn stumbled and picked up his dribble. With Vinn pinioned at his pivot foot, Steve was practically on top of him.

  Then Myr drifted by behind Vinn. He passed her the ball, though he had the feeling she’d have stolen it if he hadn’t. Having brushed off Jimmy as she went by, she immediately shot.

  It rimmed out. Vinn’s heart sank when Mark grabbed the rebound. As Mark dribbled out beyond the arc to mark the change of possession, Scott shot Vinn a look that said, I can’t believe she took that shot!

  As Vinn turned to guard Steve, the next thing he worried about was that perhaps, having missed her first shot, Myr would get nervous and, either be afraid to shoot, or would force shots but have a cold hand and keep missing.

  Out beyond the arc, Mark fired a bounce pass to Jimmy. Vinn’s heart fell when he realized that Myr’d lagged behind, letting Jimmy get between her and the basket. As soon as Jimmy got the ball he’d have a completely free drive to… Vinn’s worldview stumbled when Myr took a lightning step and stole Mark’s pass. The pass that everyone else on the court, including Vinn, had thought she had no chance at.

  Vinn was near the arc, so he took a couple of steps to get outside of it, then turned to look at Myr. The pass she’d thrown before he even finished looking her way hit him in the hands so hard it stung. He caught it, but it was a near thing. Blinking in surprise, he brought the ball back across the arc.

  The entire evolution had caught Steve by surprise as well. That left him a few steps out of position. While Steve desperately tried to catch up, Vinn drove for the basket, making an easy layup.

  Steve grabbed the ball and immediately inbounded it to Jimmy. Vinn suspected they were pushing the pace of play, expecting to tire Myr out. With four players they could sub any time any of them got a little tired. His hopes that they might cut Myr a little slack were gone as Jimmy hustled out behind the arc with Myr trailing behind. Vinn was dogging Steve pretty hard and Scott was tight on Mark so Jimmy brought the ball back across the arc by himself.

  Myr stole the ball from Jimmy.

  She was back outside the arc before Vinn had really caught up on what’d happened. This time she fired the ball to Scott with a hard bounce pass. Vinn thought the pass was going to be too close to Mark. Instead it was just far enough away that Mark stumbled while stretching for it. With Mark off balance, Scott easily took the ball to the hole.

  We’re up by two! Vinn thought. Even though he’d so confidently bet $300 he felt really surprised

  When Mark stepped off the court, Ed subbed in for him. Vinn had hoped they wouldn’t be so obvious about trying to wear his team out, but if he’d been down two, he’d have done the same. Ed brought the ball in to Steve and Vinn trailed Steve out to the arc. Steve turned and shot a pass to Jimmy. Apparently he’d taken to heart Myr’s ability to catch the pass that had been meant for Jimmy. He sent his pass to the opposite side of Jimmy from Myr. Jimmy turned to look for the basket…

  Myr’d reached in from behind and stolen the ball again! She dribbled casually back out toward the arc, but Jimmy lunged after the ball trying to steal it back. Jimmy overreached and stumbled. Myr crossed the arc and, finding herself all alone, turned and put up a high arcing shot.

  It dropped
through the hoop without touching the rim, giving them two more points since she’d shot it from beyond the arc.

  “Jesus Jimmy!” Mark shouted from the sideline, “Stay on her!”

  Jimmy shook his head in frustration.

  “Time for me to sub in for you anyway,” Mark said, stepping over to the baseline under the basket and grabbing the ball.

  “Be my guest,” Jimmy said in an irritated tone as he trotted off the court.

  Mark brought the ball in to Steve. Vinn had left Steve poorly guarded while watching the byplay. Steve quickly took it out beyond the arc and turned back toward the basket. By then Vinn was back on him tight.

  Mark set a pick that Steve used to brush Vinn off. Steve turned toward the basket as Vinn watched helplessly, hoping he’d miss.

  Steve never made the shot.

  Myr, who’d been guarding Mark, transitioned seamlessly to Steve and stole the ball while Steve was focused on putting it up! She was almost back across the arc before the three guys had come to grips with what’d just happened.

  Myr turned and made another of her effortless shots from beyond the arc, drilling it for two more points.

  Holy crap! Vinn thought. We’re up six—zip. She’s way better than I thought!

  They finished the game at twenty-one to nine. Mark, Jimmy, and Steve sullenly transferred a hundred bucks each into Vinn’s account while Scott crowed as if he’d expected to win the whole time.

  Vinn said, “You guys ready to take her on as our seventh player for the league team?”

  To Vinn’s astonishment, despite the way she’d played, they looked at one another uncertainly. Steve said, “Um, there’s a lot of difference between half-court three-on-three and full-court five-on-five play. I wouldn’t mind it if we had enough players to sub in for her when she got tired but…”

  Myr interrupted, stepping into Steve’s personal space, her eyes flashing up at him, “Put your money where your mouth is Bubba!” She waved toward the side of the gym, “I’ve got another hundred dollars says you can’t keep up with me, ten sprints the length of the court.”