Ch 15

Predictably, Melmat was eventually told he had the finest weed in the land if he expected Ronnie and Chad to believe the Uke-A could anchor objects from other dimensions to the material universe. Melmat had even constructed his argument to invite that criticism. Despite that, he still managed to convince Ronnie to make the repairs needed on the spot.

“Librorum,” Melmat said aloud into the empty lab “Could you play that song for me? The one with the piano.” In response, a rich music filled the air, Librorum stimulating his senses and putting on a concert for him and him alone. “Thank you, dear,” he said, returning his attention to the darkened lab. Though it was two in the morning and the lights were out, his vision was nearly perfect; night vision giving him the outlines and Librorum manually filling in the lighting and color, allowing him to see as well as in the day. Some people would be worried, giving someone else total control of and full access to their senses; Melmat would tell those people to grow up.

Under his arm, he held a blue, wax sealed shipping tube, and in his hand he held several padlocks. Setting the tube next to the repaired Uke-A, Melmat locked and padlocked every door in the lab. He closed all the blinds and turned off the electrical breakers. As he walked back, his foot hit something hard, and he nearly tripped and swore.

“Whoops,” Librorum said, generating a generic red cube in the place of the unknown obstacle, never breaking the flow of music. Melmat sidestepped it and continued on his way.

The music changed, Librorum sensing the shift and flow of his emotions and adding in a powerful violin accompaniment as he broke the wax seal and emptied the tube. A rolled up blueprint came out, and Melmat felt sweat break out across his back and forehead. Carefully, very carefully, he unrolled it and placed weights on the corners to keep it in place. Before him was a black rectangle, he had never seen the contents of this before and thus Librorum could not pull it from his memories.

With a feather light touch, Melmat ran his hands along the paper and felt the tiny, braille like lines across his fingers and palms, leaving behind bright lines as Librorum recorded and translated the information into visual phenomena.

“Knowing the master,” she said, slightly in awe “There's a different blueprint for each sense.”

When he was finished, he saw a blueprint for a device very similar to the one Ronnie had built, labeled as the Uke-A Mk-3. Melmat couldn't help but smile at the small, brilliant changes that would transform the device from a novelty into something so much more. With a thrill of fear and excitement, he got to work modifying the device.

--

The next day, Melmat showed up for work in the lab and began his first normal, uneventful day. Ronnie really wasn't a bad scientist, all things considered. That he had even discovered the Uke-A spoke volumes about his intelligence and curiousity, to say nothing of the fact that he'd succeeded in building one.

The work he was doing on free energy, in Melmat's informed opinion, was likely to generate a working prototype within two years. Inside of four years, he would be able to produce a finished product, a device which could bring about a new era of prosperity and pea-

“Oh please,” Librorum said, giggling like a little girl, peals of laughter that almost made Melmat embarrassed “Please, I can't take anymore!”

Melmat couldn't help but crack a grin. In reality, Ronnie would generate his working prototype inside of two years, and then he would hit The Wall. He would find that no respectable scientist would associate himself with his work; he would find himself mysteriously cut off from all further funding; he would find himself branded as a kook-inventor who had only the most tenuous grip on sanity. If he persisted in his work, friendless, penniless and openly mocked, he might get A Call. Mysterious men representing some vague and menacing organization would take him out for lunch at a restaurant in which a typical meal cost upwards of fourteen thousand dollars. They would tell him, in no uncertain terms, that his device was real, that it was a threat to social order, and that they were willing to pay him a great sum of money to keep his yap shut about it. If he was smart, he would accept the offer.

If he was foolish. . . Melmat expected that Ronnie would be found to have committed suicide by shooting himself in the back of the head twice with a shotgun.

“You're spacing out a little. Too much?” Chad said, making a smoking gesture and sucking sound and framing the action as a question.

Melmat laughed, giving the impression that he was indeed high and thought it was hilarious. In truth, he was enjoying playing a fool. He might even take up smoking marijuana as a gag, though Librorum would render all mind altering substances impotent. Melmat made sure to make a positive impression on Ronnie and Chad, along with the two other nameless undergrads he hadn't been introduced to yet.

Melmat had entered the MIT scene in the middle of the week, and his first real day fell on a friday. After work, he had been invited to join the group, who were collectively impressed with their hardworking and brilliant stoner, for bad movie night. Before Melmat was able to agree, they insisted that he attempt to bring a bad movie for the event. Melmat said he would try.

Melmat, back in his room, laid on top of his bed and closed his eyes. With a feeling like falling, he left his body behind and began to wander the interior of his mind, which was currently a black void textured with the vaguest hints of color. Librorum appeared to him as a leather-bound book about four feet long, pages yellowing and leather well polished.

“I've compiled all the movies you've ever seen or heard of,” she began, opening up and releasing several hundred windows that each displayed a different movie “And naturally, most of them don't fit the bill for bad movie night.”

“Naturally,” Melmat said, voice distant.

“So, lets just,” Librorum said, and most of the windows were drawn back into her, “There, that's a little more organized.”

“Organized,” Melmat repeated dully.

“Really,” Librorum continued gamely, “the best options are laid out here. And the best of the best options,” she said while Melmat morosely repeated, 'the best', and collapsed into a heap on the ground “would be bringing your copy of 'The Eternity Gap', by Rudy Copperfield. That movie's so dense with symbolism even the master enjoyed it, and normal people generally seem to like it as well.”

“No,” Melmat said, voice muffled as his face pressed against the soft, velvety ground “I'll just bring some pizzas. They'll be happier with pizzas than a movie anyways; go ahead and take the wheel and give them a call, tell them to pick their favorite and I'll bring the food." Melmat seemed morose, sitting in silence. "Besides, Eternity Gap is what me and Suzana watched at our bad movie night, when we met.”

–

Bad Movie night was hosted not quite in their lab, but in a room adjacent to it. Melmat arrived with four boxes of pizza and two bottles of strong liquor. He was greeted with the cheers only made by hungry college students presented with free food. Melmat couldn't help himself, and shouted.

“Let's get this party started!”