The Cube
Before Ellie noticed it, Owen got his tobacco pipe, older than Ellie, into his hand and started puffing out a thin white cloud that smelled like licorice. This pipe was one he'd made himself from some kind of hardwood with an orange-colored stem; it had no bowl or mouthpiece but only a hole at its end to catch the smoke as he drew in on it. The air seemed filled with little particles of dust and pollen, so she could feel them swirling around inside her nose when they passed through her nostrils. It looked like there were millions of tiny white feathers floating all over him whenever he puffed. Owen's grey hair was just the same color as the puff clouds coming off this pipe now. His beard too glistened faintly with these specks of light. He didn't look much different today from any other day except for those two small blue veins showing here and there across the back of each eyelid, as if someone had drawn lines connecting dots along both sides of his eyes.
"So, you ever saw this guy, Samuel, before?" Ellie asked.
Owen took another long pull on the pipe and let it go out slowly between his lips. Then he exhaled, making sure not to inhale again until the last bit of smoke was gone.
"No. I didn't. However, I think he is the greatest discoverer in the world until now. The pity is he can never know that, maybe for this life."
She could feel how important this discovery must have been for Owen because it meant something to him personally, whereas most discoveries were merely matters of fact. But what did Owen mean, exactly? That, she was about to find out then, curiously.
The scientist, a friend of Robert, in the National Lab, was familiar with such cases: to scan, test, or do whatever they could, depending on the material or purpose, then prepare a report for a conclusion.
At first, this scientist just took it as a normal job, after all, any person in his position would, sooner than him, become numb after tens of years of repetitive work. So he thought nothing more of it.
But he later found himself more confused than ever. The cube was too perfect, too beautiful, and too well-made. There was nothing else in nature that came close to its perfection, and more than that, it showed none of the flaws of human design. In short, the cube was absolutely unique among all things. And this puzzled the man deeply. How could a thing be perfect and still appear as if it had evolved naturally? The scientist tried to imagine the process that created this perfect object, and couldn't come up with anything. After many hours of pondering, he decided to call a colleague at the lab to discuss the matter.
If it weren't for the rare animal fossil inside, they even wanted to beak the rock and get that cube out of it. After days' work without any clue, they finally submitted this case to their upper scientist and said: "I am stumped. Something new has come into existence. A completely unknown phenomenon."
It was at this moment that the higher scientists began to get interested. They knew very little about the Cube, too, although they had seen many similar objects from time to time during the past decades, most of which, however, were mere prototypes designed for testing purposes by various research teams scattered throughout the country. Some of those models turned out to be extremely useful for future experiments, while others ended up being scrapped entirely. For the Cube though, it wasn't clear whether it might prove itself helpful or harmful. On the one hand, it appeared to have the potential of a scientific breakthrough, since it represented a whole new branch of knowledge. Yet, it also posed numerous questions regarding the laws of physics and the principles of evolution. If the Cube were manufactured, then who made it? Where did it come from? What were its true properties and capabilities? These were just some of the issues raised by the team.
They called in experts from several fields including mathematics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, geology, and physics. All agreed that the Cube should be studied further and that the results of their findings ought to be published for the sake of science. It was simply too unusual.
Afterward, they began to analyze the Cube, trying to determine what it really was and why it existed on earth. To this point, nobody had any idea where it came from or how it managed to survive for so long without decaying or breaking apart until their efforts produced no results except two decisions that they all agreed on:
a. This Cube was manufactured, not naturally formed;
b. It was manufactured hundreds of millions of years ago.
Only once they reached this stage, could they move on to the next phase: to build a unique device capable of analyzing the Cube.
Mr. Smith, the head of the department in National Lab, fifty-five years old, a tall and lean man with dark brown skin, had spent half his life in his department. He was a genius and considered to be one of the top three researchers working for the National Lab. He specialized in theoretical research and had written several books on the subject, which earned him respect throughout the scientific community. In addition, he was an excellent organizer and administrator. He managed everything in the department smoothly and efficiently, leaving everyone feeling satisfied with the way things were going.
Most of the staff here were men, with only a few women. The men were mostly scientists, and engineers while the women were assistants or engineers. Each department was led by a scientist. The labs were organized according to their respective subjects, such as physics, chemistry, biology, and so forth. Here, the physicists worked alongside the chemists; and the biologists worked side by side with the ecologists.
Although Mr. Smith possessed excellent mathematical skills and a profound understanding of physical sciences, he lacked practical experience, especially in experimental research. When it comes to designing devices based on theory, he often relied heavily on his subordinates, whose expertise far surpassed his own.
His office was located deep within the bowels of the National Lab building. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the smell of chemicals wafted toward them. Inside the room, the walls were painted white and yellow. The ceiling was covered in thick metal sheets. Two windows faced the outside world, but neither offered much sunlight due to heavy curtains hanging behind them. This was an office no one came to visit until it was inevitable.
He was an impatient man when communicating with anyone but his scientist. He would rattle off instructions and comments at random intervals, sometimes interrupting his own train of thought to chastise people who disagreed with him. There were times when his words seemed to be aimed at his own mistakes, rather than the faults of others. The staff members did their best to avoid their visits to this office for fear of being reprimanded. Even though he was a well-liked boss, they feared the repercussions of his harsh criticisms. This was because Mr. Smith had little tolerance for mistakes and incompetence.
At the time of then, Mr. Smith, like a grumpy little stallion, was scolding, or say, instructing one of his staff.
"What's their names again?"
"Mr. Robert and Mr. Samuel. Sir!" The young man in front of Smith was very upset, knowing his boss's bad temper.
"Yes, them. Then, why do you come to me again?"
"At first, they wanted the report, but now, after months, they just want their 'stuff' back either with a result or not. They keep harassing me on the phone."
"Yes, right. Remember this, young man: it is your problem, not my scientist's, or mine. So you stop harassing my scientist, or me. So, tell them, Robert and Samuel, the report will be ready soon and let them wait for it."
"I told them so a million times, " the man explained.
"God damn it, young man! You listen, and you don't talk back in front of me! Understand?"
The young man nodded nervously.
"This is something very important, how could we let go of it before we figure it out?" Smith went angrier when he saw the young man get more and more upset, so he stopped a little and said, "Why am I wasting my words here to explain anything to you? What do you know? You know nothing. Now, get out of my office."
The man bowed his head and left the room. He walked down several halls, trying to calm himself and cool off.
Smith sat down alone at his desk. He picked up a pen and wrote a few numbers on paper. He folded the sheet of paper, put it inside his pocket, and pulled out his cigarettes; then, after a moment of thinking in the smoke, he picked up his phone on the desk. "I want to see Dr. Jones in my office," he said.
Jones, a tall woman with a large chest and big hips, appeared in a few minutes. She had a nice smile and a pleasant voice. Her skin was a creamy brown, and her hair was long and straight, reaching almost to her waist. Although she worked in the same department as Smith, he hardly spoke to her directly unless necessary.
"Dr. Jones, please sit down," he instructed her politely. When she settled herself on the chair opposite his own, he continued: "Any good news for me today?"
"Not yet, Sir."
"What about the scientific research project of that Cube?"
"They haven't approved yet."
"Who is in the way? That little fat dickhead old man?"
"Ye...s, I guess," Jones could never get used to her boss's way of talking, so inappropriate.
"I knew it. That old man on the committee is like a dead fly in a bowl of soup." Mr. Smith paused for a minute. "Ok. Let's try it this way: you go talk with the scientist who is in charge of that Cube and get more details for your new application. We will submit an application for the same project this month again."
"I understand, Sir," Jones answered.
"Write that application well. Write it so damn good. Write that old man's ass off his chair. However, before you submit it, let me check first. Then, if they deny it again, I will come to them myself. Ok?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Here, take this." Smith took out the paper he wrote numbers on, and hand it to Jones.
"What's this for?" Jones was confused.
"I had a friend in the CIA, and I need you to call him and set an appointment for me. Some people are harassing me about the Cube, so I need to talk with him about it."
As soon as she stepped outside the door, she felt a wave of relief washing over her. 'Thank God!' she thought, 'Finally!'
She passed through a couple of offices and labs before out of the main entrance of the lab building. Outside, the sun shone brightly above the sky, casting shadows across the ground. Several people were walking around, carrying bags full of documents and papers under their arms. Many of the workers were rushing home after their shift, probably looking forward to spending some quality time with their families. Others seemed lost in thought, staring blankly ahead at nothing in particular. Jones headed towards her office without stopping.
In a few minutes, she arrived there. The secretary greeted her and asked what she needed.
"Bring me all the documents for that Cube," she replied.
"Oh yes, Dr. Jones. Your application about that Cube has been approved, and the director wants you to start immediately."
"Really? That, that's great! What a relief!" She smiled happily.
She entered her office, sat at the desk, and began typing away. Once finished, she printed out five copies of the document and handed them to the secretary along with a stack of files. She asked the secretary to bring them all to Mr. Smith, and then she grabbed a cup of coffee and got back to work.
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