Chapter 4: Commandeered Coffee
Location: Outside White Hall (followed by Blue Ridge Coffee)
I didn't make it three steps outside of White Hall's heavy doors before I felt a presence behind me. "I believe you were supposed to pick this up after class, Miss Patricks."
"I didn't drop it. You stole it," I said, reaching for it. My heart was still doing its 'Plus Ultra' impression against my ribs.
Julian pulled his hand back and showed me the back side of my phone, which had a "We'll Cross that Einstein-Rosen Bridge When We Get There" sticker on the outside of the phone case. "Just how many of these 'physics quips' branded items do you have?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you were wearing the 'Fold Space, Not Laundry' t-shirt when we first met. Today's shirt is 'Running on Negative Energy.' And when I held up your phone to the audience, I couldn't help but notice the sticker," Julian explained.
"You are oddly observant."
"Let's go get that after-lecture coffee you promised, and you can let me know who your supplier is," he said while walking away.
"It's not like that," I protested as I caught up. "I think people don't know what to give me for birthdays and things, so they get me stuff like that."
"What you're saying is that most people only know you study some type of physics and that you have a cat," Julian said as he shook his head.
"They wouldn't be wrong," I said nonchalantly.
Julian looked as if he was considering something and said, "Is that so…"
Before I knew it, he had led the way to the coffee shop. I looked at him suspiciously and said, "If you already knew how to get here, why did you need me?"
"Entertainment," he said flatly.
"I see," I said as I headed toward the door to leave.
"No." He grabbed my sleeve and ushered me over to a small, round table in the corner near the baseboard heat. "Sit."
I am definitely going to say something to him about treating me like a pet in obedience training, I thought as I sat and stewed.
When he finally joined me at the table, he looked even more amused than before. I thanked him for the coffee and noticed it was exactly how I would prepare it for myself.
"Now someone knows you study physics, have a cat, and how you take your coffee," he declared triumphantly.
"I don't understand you," I confessed. "You want me to go and work for you, but treat me like a pet. Is this how you are with your subordinates? How you are with Marcus?"
Julian tilted his head a little as if he was processing something. "Of course not. That would be an obvious HR nightmare." Julian took a sip of his tea as if I was crazy for even suggesting such a thing. "And as for Marcus, I don't think he'd really enjoy that."
I could feel my eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "And you think I do?"
He smiled.
"I've only ever been in academia, but is this really how you convince people to work on a project in the private sector?"
"I don't need to convince you, Lonna. You've already decided," he said with complete confidence. "Someone is already preparing a place for you in Agonwood."
"Wh..? how..?" I sat back in my seat in frustration and huffed. "Why are you so confident?"
"Because you have a terrible poker face," he admitted.
I looked at him in stunned silence.
Julian chuckled. "You did ask." He took another drink of his tea. "Lonna, is it so terrible to spend a couple of days with me before I fly back? Who knows when or if I'll be able to come back again. Don't you want to show your home state to a future coworker?"
"Depends on who that coworker is," I mumbled.
"Harsh. But fair," he chuckled as he stood and buttoned up his coat. "Now, introduce me to your cat." He walked outside and waited for me to join him.
"You want me to take you to my place?"
"When you say it like that, it sounds salacious," he grinned. "But we do need to talk about some things without someone overhearing. Though, I suppose I could take you back to my hotel room instead."
"That sounds even worse," I said, resigned.
Location: Apartment above the noodle shop, Morgantown, WV
"There are some coat hooks on the wall by the door," I said as I put my puffer jacket in my room. When I re-emerged, he was looking at things around the apartment.
I stood next to him, hoping to see what it was he saw. "You really know how to make me feel self-conscious, don't you?"
"I suppose I do," he answered earnestly.
"Why?"
He gave me a warm smile like the one he showed when Marcus first introduced us. It came across as genuine and comforting. "You'll know the answer to that when you figure out who you are."
I walked to the couch but sat on the floor in front of the coffee table out of habit. "I wonder if I'll eventually get used to you being cryptic."
"It would only be a shame if you did," Julian said as he sat cross-legged on the floor opposite of me. "Shall we?"
He unfolded a display device that ended up about the size of a tablet. "For security reasons, you'll also get one of these devices once you move to Agonwood. It requires old-fashioned manual information transfer and has no wireless, blue-tooth or cellular capabilities." He pushed the display in front of me. "I've been authorized to show you the following data. Take your time to review it and ask any questions."
I looked at the display where a quick summary was given about a smart-home testing facility in Agonwood. All of the homes were synchronized with cesium atomic clocks, which are accurate to up to one hundred quadrillionths (10-16 ) of a second, but clusters of devices would temporarily go out of sync 10-5 of a second.
"Is this time dilation? Was there a frequency pattern?" I knew I was speaking quickly, but this was the closest I had ever seen to something that could possibly be a space-time leak. "Why is there no data more recent than a year ago?"
Julian removed the display device, put his hands on top of mine and pulled them toward him across the coffee table. "Lonna, would you like to answer those questions in person with me?"
I found myself nodding automatically.
"Lonna, if we sent our security company to move all of your belongings later, would you get on a plane with me tonight?"
"To here?" I said, pointing at the now-closed display.
"To there," he said, still holding my hands.
"Let me pack a few things for myself and Nephy. I can take Nephy, right?"
Julian smiled and nodded. "We made arrangements for her to fly with us."
I pulled back my hands and stood up to grab my suitcase from the hall closet and set out the pet carrier. "Us? Don't you have other things you were supposed to do here?" I was yelling the questions from my bedroom.
"I was prepared to stay here until you came back with me," he said leaning against the doorframe to my room. "But it seems I'm five days ahead of schedule."
I continued to shove things into my suitcase and said, "I'm too excited to get upset at your blatant manipulation."
Then I grabbed a legal pad and a pen and shoved it in his hands. "That said, I want it in writing."
"Which part?"
"That I'll have access to the Agonwood cul-de-sac and all data related to this project. Oh, and the thing about the security team moving the rest of my stuff… and add the guaranteed housing."
I grabbed some stuff from the bathroom that was travel-sized and shoved it all into a sealable bag. "And I need it in triplicate."
"What?" Julian asked, watching me speed around the apartment.
Seeing his distraction, I tapped the legal pad to get him to focus. "One for you. One for me. And one for insurance, in case I'm never heard from again."
"Both impulsive and yet, somewhat prepared," Julian laughed.
After I had everything I intended to take with me next to the door, I sat next to Julian and helped finish out the other two written agreements. "The rest of my stuff will be there in about a week?"
Julian nodded.
We signed the papers and each took one. I took a picture of the third and left the hard copy for Ellie to hold onto. Then I attached the picture to a text for Dan and Ellie both that said: "Moving to California tonight. See you when you get there."
I put Nephy in her carrier, and we were on our way.