Future Fiction

What Could Go Wrong? (SciFriday challenge 13)

Lars stood in awe at the monstrosity of his creation. Two metallic, hollow cylinders sat in front of him on the opposite side of the room, nearly reaching the ceiling.

"Are you ready to die today, Doctor Jordan," a voice coming from the side of the room jested.

"How many times have we been through this, Alex," Lars sighed as he shook his head. He looked to his left and found a small bit of his assistant's hair peeking over the hoard of computers, monitors and cables that powered the ominous creation. "I wont die. I'll just be... in transit." Whether Lars really believed what he was saying or not didn't matter. This was for science! All the tests leading up to this point were successful. The rock, the ant, the tree, the cat: all were completely transported from one cylinder to another with absolutely no side effects. The possibilities of his machine, if it were to be a success, were endless.

"Call it what you will, Doc," Alex responded as she popped her head above the mountain of processors and wires, "but I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing". Her expression was almost one of pity for Lars and his inevitable journey.

"You worry too much, Alex," Lars assured her. "You were there for all of the tests right? The only difference now is that I'm bigger than the cat," he laughed.

"I'm telling you, something is different about that cat," Alex countered. "The other day when you sent me to observe it, I swear it looked like it was plotting on how to kill me."

"Alex, come on now. We are about to achieve the next step in teleportation technology and you're joking around? Besides, Paws has always looked like he wanted to kill you!" The two glared at each other, unflinching for a moment, and then burst into laughter. Lars appreciated Alex's light-hearted approach to everything. That's why he tracked her down to come and work for him after he was fired from his job as head scientist for the Global Teleportation Research Cooperative.

After his termination, he continued to do research and experiments in a warehouse he rented with his own funds. He had spent so much time and was so close to completing the project when he left GTRC that he couldn't fathom giving up. He needed help, however, and after having worked with Alex for a few years, he had grown fond of her and couldn't imagine doing the project without her.

"I think it's time," Lars said after they had both calmed down.

Alex looked back down at the computer. "I know," she replied.

He walked towards the chamber on the left. As he drew nearer to the teleporter, his heart began to beat faster and his adrenaline started to flow.

The machine's door was now in arms reach. Lars paused to take a deep breath before reaching for the hatch. As he grasped the handle, a trembling voice spoke from behind him.

"You don't have to do this today."

Lars turned his head around to see Alex, who was now standing right behind him. Tears were beginning to well up in her light grey eyes. Compassion surged over Lars and he did the only thing he felt was right. He embraced her. This was the first time that the two had ever shown any form of affection towards one another. They had been known to flirt in conversation from time to time, but that was the extent of anything that resembled a relationship.

Lars let go of Alex and focused on her eyes. "You worry too much," he reassured her. "And there's no one better to have watching over this operation than you."

Alex looked down and nodded, then went back to her computer. She looked back at him still standing in the teleporter's doorway and struggled to speak. "I..."

"Tell me when I get to the other side," Lars interrupted. He swiftly opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior of the teleporter was purely white, and a control pad with a monitor was mounted near the door. Lars looked through the small window on the door at Alex, who was now completely focused on the task at hand. He smiled as he watched her at work but noticed something startling.

He wasn't afraid anymore.

He was awestruck at his new condition. Did that hug really do that for him? "Did it do the same for her?" he wondered. He continued to ponder as he watched her work, but his contemplation was soon interrupted by her voice coming through the intercom inside the chamber.

"Everything is ready out here. It's all you now."

Lars began to put the sequence code into the control pad. On the monitor, he was able to see detailed charts and graphs of everything related to the teleporter. He checked the machine's power levels as well as interference and other major components necessary for his success as he input the final parts of the sequence. He finished prompting a light on the monitor to turn green and it began to count down from twenty.

"Twenty," a synthetic voice began to count from inside the device.

Lars still felt no fear. He felt as if he couldn't anymore.

"Thirteeee...," the machine unexpectedly stuttered as it finished the number and then continued.

"No, not now!" he exclaimed as he looked back at the graphs. As he read the data, the dread that was absent before began to flood back into his head. The machine was built to power down under any unfavorable change of circumstances during initiation, but for some reason it wasn't! The power to the machine had been interrupted somehow and the power levels weren't going to reach high enough to send him across!

He slammed his palm into the emergency stop button, but it didn't respond. Instinct overtook the doctor and he began to pound on the door for help. He watched the horror in Alex's face as she realized if she didn't get to the latch before the timer reached zero, Lars was doomed.

"Seven," the remorseless voice continued.

Alex frantically tried to maneuver her way around the wires and computers and ran to open the latch.

"Three."

Alex reached for the handle and pulled with all of her might.

"One."

The teleporter's hatch flew open as the two went tumbling to the ground.

"The door is ajar. Teleportation has been cancelled."

Lars couldn't believe it. Panting, he asked "What happened?" to Alex who was now laying flat on her back.

"I couldn't do it," she replied, staring into space as if she were in another world.

Lars paused, and in confusion asked, " What do you mean? What couldn't you do?"

Tears began to run down her face. "The GTRC has my sister... They told me I had to change the code on my end during your teleportation and kill you. After that I was supposed to bring the research back to them so they could take credit. Then they'd release my sister. I'm so sorry," she continued, "and when the power surge happened I couldn't just watch... that power surge wasn't supposed to happen. It saved your life because otherwise I would have just... "

Lars was stunned at her confession as he looked back into her eyes. He had known her long enough though to know she was sincere.

"I forgive you," Lars ensured her.

Alex was clearly shocked and almost completely calmed at his willingness to forgive her but as she caught her breath she felt compelled to ask, "What do we do now?"

Lars looked at the doorway of the warehouse and said, almost confidently," I guess we have to go get your sister."