"The X-Advisors..."

"The X-Advisors..." Part XXVIII...

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's...

Part XXVIII...

"So...Just as the particle stream through a semi-solid is affected at the quantum level..." Leonard, contented expression as the group listened, Howard having joined for a bit after Penny had left. Sheldon exhibiting exaggerated symptoms of boredom...

"The thixotropic effect at the quantum level, what a...'breakthrough'..." he hissed to Amy.

"Shh..." she frowned. "Let our patient have his moment of indulgence..."

"...So the energy required to create a transitory wormhole can briefly be reduced by the changing state of the matter composing the point masses if the said matter can undergo the same transition from 'spongy elastic solid' to vicous liquid...And thanks Amy for shutting him up." Leonard concluded. "Doctor?" he turned to Francis. "Just how low do you think the energy requirement can be for the transition?"

Xavier smiled. "If we're right, and the transition of the matter causes micro-wormhole formation, the actual energy needed could be as low as that needed to say, melt and inject a thin aluminum sheet."

"About the energy of a small smelter..." Howard, fascinated. "But the energy of the wormhole is taken from the transitory conversion of matter to energy to matter, right?"

"Essential..." Xavier nodded. "But it's only theory...Leonard's effort here will provide the practical proof."

"Hardly a new concept..." Sheldon frowned.

"It's never been spelled out in any practical form, even a solid theory, Sheldon and you know it." Howard eyed him. "This is big and we all know it's big, as in Nobel-big."

"The committee gives Nobels away like candy these days..." Sheldon glared.

"My God..." Raj shook head. "With the right setup, this is quantum teleportation/interdimensional travel at a fraction of the energy thought needed. If you two are right, interstellar travel, even time travel could become a practical possibility."

"Years away and requiring far more power..." Xavier shook head. "And yet..." grin. "Not bad for a couple of experiment jockeys, one an old duffer." Smile at the frustrated Sheldon.

"This is all your baby, Doctor...I'm just proud to have a chance to work a little on the proving end." Leonard insisted.

"Well, we're a long ways from proving it yet...Shall we fire it up and boldly go, young apprentice?" Xavier beamed at Leonard.

"I'm ready..." nod.

"No, I'm ready..." Howard insisted, moving to the chamber in which an aluminum sheet rested, donning safety goggles and waiting. "Penny insisted I press any buttons having to do with particles and foamy stuff when she stopped by my office on her way out. Don't worry, I'm not requesting co-authorship..." he raised finger.
"Fine...But I'm running the X-ray camera..." Leonard insisted.

"Dr. Stein should be credited, though..." Sheldon noted suddenly. "He made some of the early theoretical constructs on this, I remember from our days together."

"He made some moves along those lines...And abandoned them as impractical and moved to more promising fields..." Dr. Francis eyed him. "Don't worry, Cooper. I won't fail to cite him if any of his work coincides."

"It's the whole underpinning..." Sheldon began as Amy nudged...Howard having started the laser used to melt the sheet area inside the furnace/smelter unit.

"Ok, camera on...Sheet approaching the melting point, injector channels open..." Leonard scanned the equipment. "Dr. Francis?" he turned to Xavier who nodded.

"Full power to the laser, Mr. Wolowitz! Make it so!" he called, smiling.

"Laser at maximum, sheet is...Melting and injecting..." Howard observed.

"Ready with the field sensor..." Leonard turned to controls on the bench.

"So if there's a variation in the electromagnetic field in the unit when the sheet becomes liquid...'Liquidy'." Amy looked at Sheldon...

"Then we have possible microwormholes..." Howard beamed, listening.

"And..." Francis, watching the chamber, now also wearing goggles. "There we go, sheet is moving in semi-liquid state into the channels. Leonard?" he turned to him.

"Bingo." Nod, slow smile breaking. "We have a variation at the moment of transition."

Cheers from Raj, Howard...Amy beaming...Sheldon somewhat perturbed.

"Experiment one...Roaring success." Francis returned smile to Leonard's...

"Gentlemen and Lady..." Howard beamed. "Behold the dawn of a new era...Congratulations, fellas, it was an honor to turn on that laser."

"Long way yet, Mr. Wolowitz...Still, very encouraging..." Xavier nodded.

"So when do we teleport to Proxima Centauri or time travel to 1857 to overturn the despotic rule of the English overlords?" Raj asked.

"Long way, as Dr. F says." Leonard noted, pressing buttons on cell. "Sweetie? I'm fine...Tell her?" he turned to group.

"I still say..." Sheldon hissed to Amy... "This was largely derived from Dr. Stein's theory on..." Amy putting up hand...Later...

"He's fine...!" Howard, Raj, Amy...Sheldon, with nudge from Amy, joining in, a moment later.

"...And experiment number one, successful. Yeah, the foamy metal stuff worked, no we didn't blow up the universe."

"Nice to hear..." the voice of Susan Stein, in the lab doorway...She regarding the group with friendly smile.

How does she always manage to keep white clothes so clean? Amy frowned, eyeing the white casual dress...

And yet always seem so...Ready to be dirty.

.....

"Mrs. Hofstadter..."

"Dr. Stein?" Penny stared at the white-haired man standing in her office doorway.

"Hope I've not come at a bad moment...?"

"Well, not really...Just catching up on paperwork. Not like your regular drugs, these puppies...You gotta document everything." She stood up at her desk. "Did you...Need something?"

Hopefully not me...But given that "Creator" rep Howard went on about the other night...

"Mrs. Hofstadter..." hesitant pause. "I wanted...I felt I should...Warn you. For your sake and your husband's..." Stein sighed. "You needn't be caught up in all this... I hate to see two innocent people so clearly in love..."

"What?" she blinked nervously. "Was I right? Is that particle stuff dangerous for Leonard?"

"More than you know...Or he does..." Stein shook head.