Dawn of the Epoch

Chapter XXXIX - The Laboratory

Tiyana felt an overwhelmingly pleasant sense of familiarity. She enjoyed hiking, exploring, and wild-goose chases with Hunter. On this chase, however, they had apparently found exactly what they were looking for even though it was not what they expected. Still, she always felt comforted to return to her natural element, the laboratory. She had a new and exciting project. This project was far more interesting than the synthetic food work that she had done back in the old days. This project could change the course of science. The chemical analysis that Tiyana would soon perform had, as far as Tiyana knew, never been done before. The experiments that she was about to do would make her a pioneer. The sense of pending achievement gave her a rush. Tiyana had not only a rock made of a new element, but also a cryptic white powder and a hunch that it was more than just pale dirt.

Tiyana started with the powder since she had already had time with the stone. She bombarded the powder with X-rays and mapped out the arrangement of the molecules. She smiled as she mapped. She got a funny feeling that the molecular structure would turn out to be unique for whatever element or alloy comprised the powder. Next, she used a spectrometer on the powder. She ran test after test. She worked all day. The cool air conditioning and the sterile, quiet environment soothed her. By the end of the day, she felt well-rested. The mystery of the unknown and the Himalayan trip took a lot of energy out of her, but the cool science of the laboratory where the math always came out right and the experiments always yielded reproducible and predictable results restored her spirit.

Tiyana worked through lunch. Around 4:00 p.m. she still had not eaten and had not noticed that she had not eaten. She was too wrapped up in the strange properties of the powder to take a break or think about her bodily needs. The powder exhibited strange electromagnetic tendencies when it came into close proximity with the lapis stone. The stone seemed to activate a resonance within the powder. When they came close, the molecular structure of the powder would shift and oscillate. Under heat, the tiny crystals making up the powder seemed to grow.

A couple hours after midnight, Tiyana stumbled half-asleep back to the digsite. She had not eaten a thing since breakfast. She found Hunter still up. He was intently studying the patterns of characters on a golden goblet from the labyrinth.

He smiled when he saw her, “Heyyyy, there you are. Come here, I haven’t seen you all day.”

She walked exhaustedly over and sat on Hunter’s lap. Then she embraced him and let her head collapse onto his shoulder.

“I had such a big day. Huge breakthrough.” She mouthed the words into his shirt.

“I think you are exhausted.” Hunter said as she trailed off at the end of her sentence.

“Let’s get you into bed.” With that, Hunter picked her up gently and laid her down in their plush bed in their cutting-edge, military-grade tent. He took off her belt, shoes, and watch. Then, he tucked her in, brushed his teeth, and went to bed himself.

• • •

That night Tiyana dreamed about her studies at the National Australian University. She relived one of her undergraduate chemistry classes.

Dr. Fiona Cresswell taught Introductory and Advanced Chemistry and, on the side, performed radiocarbon dating via accelerated mass spectrometry. As an accomplished geochronologist, she also did substantial research. She had an enviable publication record in rigorously peer-reviewed academic journals. She also became Tiyana’s first real mentor and role model.

As class came to an end, the low murmur of books slamming shut and papers rustling in anxious fingertips filled the room. It was Friday and the pent-up excitement about the approaching social-event addled weekend created a vibrant stir in the air. The stir briskly followed the students out of the room, leaving a distinct stillness behind. In this stillness, Tiyana approached her mentor.