Jump to content
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Shuffle off to Buffalo - 5. Prompt 5 - The Time-Warped Mirror

Writer’s Toolbox
Protagonist - Bill the paleo-climatologist
Obstacle - Fred the monster
Goal - Young again
Action – Learns to drive

Prompt 5 – The Time-Warped Mirror

 

“Rick”? the white-goateed man asked, looking up from his computer. “Can we get those ice core estimates from around sixty-five mil on screen?”

“My name is Bill,” the other man muttered, annoyed that the old codger was being especially rude and dismissive. Professor Thomas Rutledge’s haughty attitude and mannerisms grated on the late thirty-some year-old assistant professor. Just because he wasn’t a full professor didn’t make him a lackey on this departmental project.

He duly loaded the data and it filled the wall screen, populating the wall-mounted white board with mathematical equations. “That’s Fred for you,” he added, watching the old man’s reaction carefully.

“Are you being rude again? I told you not to call it by that name,” Rutledge said, puffing with anger. “It’s undignified to call an atmospheric development something like that.”

“It looks like the data shows a dip in temperature, not a rise.” Bill responded, ignoring the professor’s tone and words. Fred may have generated so much particulate in the atmosphere, plant life was severely and negatively impacted by lack of solar radiation.”

“Stop calling it that,” Rutledge growled. “There may have been a meteor, but it was enormous volcanic eruptions that increased temperatures. Lower temperatures were only a blip on the radar screen of pre-history.”

Bill Samuelson grinned behind the mask of a computer monitor. “My bet’s on Fred the Monster squealing in from the beyond the Kuiper Belt and slamming into Mexico.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Rutledge thundered. “I’m taking a break.” The older man stormed off through the doors into the break room beyond without a glance backwards.

The younger man brushed back his wispy blond hair and grinned. He entered the new iridium concentration numbers from the crater into the program. This new analysis tool would more completely estimate the size of the meteorite that slammed into Chicxulub crater on the Yucatan peninsula. This could break the field of paleo-climatology wide open.

“C-c-can I h-help?” A voice behind him asked. Bill jumped and turned around. The gentle, staccato baritone voice belonged to a student intern. A young guy, in his early twenties, by the name of Smythe or something. He was bright enough. Seemed to ask good questions. He was at every class. They had said something about a new intern. Obviously, this kid was it.

“I’m entering in data. There’s not much else to do with this. Perhaps you could weigh some of the samples from the second batch? Those haven’t been measured for analysis yet.”

The young man breathed in sharply while he nodded slowly. Bill looked back to his monitor and was about to begin when he heard the guy clear his throat.

“Yes?” Bill asked, swiveling in his chair.

“I-I’ve neee-ver used the I-i-i-i-CPeeee-MS mmmm-ethod befafa-ore,” the young man stuttered. “I’m s-s-sorry, Dr. S-s-s-amuelson.”

Bill then looked at the guy. His head hung a little low. The student’s eyes were downcast, but there was a set to his jaw that was determined, and almost defiant. He was a little overweight with skin reddened with acne, and indifferently managed hair.

Bill was taken aback. He felt like he was looking in a time-warped mirror, and his heart softened. Smiling up at the young man, the assistant professor then nodded after catching his eye.

“I’ll show you then,” he said, standing up and gesturing toward the back of the room. He heard, rather than saw, the young man followed him. Bill moved rather quickly, but the student didn’t seem to struggle to keep up.

“Down this hall is the equipment we’ll need to use. You see, we will be analyzing the sample rocks using chemical tests not radiation markers. This is a rather new way to determine the concentrations of iridium and possible size of the initial object.” Bill felt like a bloviating fool at first, until he heard the student respond.

“I w-w-wondered how we d-d-id this process-s-s here without t-t-t-treating with r-radiation f-first.”

The kid had paid attention in class. Hell, the young man must have been reading his last published papers as well since some of this was way beyond the scope of the classroom.

Bill felt his chest inflate just a little more fully, and he stood a bit more erect. “Yeah, we found this chemical test worked as well and, in some cases, even better, than other methods.”

The kid beamed at the attention.

“Your name again?” Bill asked. The young man’s face deflated, but then the professor continued, “I believe your last name is Smythe, correct?”

“My first name is Adam,” the student responded quickly, his face reddening slightly. “I really enjoy your Paleo-climatology class. I volunteerrrr-ed for this.”

“Really?” Bill said, fascinated. “So, you want to learn about what Fred the Monster did to earth over sixty million years ago?”

“Um,” Adam swallowed hard, “yeah. I think the mass extinctions are incredibly fascinating. I mean, to think there are creatures who lived for millions of years and in a geological instant, disappeared. It’s crazy.”

Bill smiled and noted young intern lost his stutter during the exchange. He also could feel the excitement bubbling from within the guy’s being. Adam was brimming with enthusiasm for this work. It reminded him of someone familiar.

A young William Samuelson had felt the exact same way. He didn’t struggle with stuttering, but instead an intense and almost pathological shyness that would freeze his brain and lock his jaw tight. That time-warped mirror was becoming clearer as the moments passed.

They reached the door to the geological laboratory and Bill paused and turned to his student. “How would you like to drive the ultra-gamma-spectrometographer?”

The kid stopped in his tracks. “I-I couldn’t,” he said in surprise.

“Not at first, but with a little practice,” Bill said. “You’ll be running the show in no time.”

Those words echoed in his head from not too long ago, he suddenly realized.

Please check out Valkyrie's Prompting from Valhalla post "Climate Change" with the same prompts. You''ll be surprised how similar and yet different in the end they both are.
Thanks,
Copyright © 2019 Cole Matthews; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 8
  • Love 3
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
You are not currently following this story. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new chapters.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments

Dismissive bosses are very frustrating when you actually do know your job better than they do. Especially when their poor opinions reduce your potential pay raises or promotions. I had more than a few of those. Fortunately (or not), they frequently get promoted quickly and leave to frustrate someone else with their stupidity…
;–)

Link to comment

Loved the subject matter. Nice the way Bill warmed to Adam by way of his own reflection. :)

Rutledge is slightly an ass. Been there, knew them.

  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Link to comment

Self-important expert is out standing in his field or he should be. One day Adam too will look at a young student and see himself and remember Bill's kindness. Paying it forward requires very little effort and reaps unanticipated rewards. Lovely little tale, thanks.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
22 hours ago, droughtquake said:

Dismissive bosses are very frustrating when you actually do know your job better than they do. Especially when their poor opinions reduce your potential pay raises or promotions. I had more than a few of those. Fortunately (or not), they frequently get promoted quickly and leave to frustrate someone else with their stupidity…
;–)

 

Here's a question, was the older man in the same place as Bill at one time?  Is Bill destined to become Rutledge and will Adam become Bill?  There are Adams to come and Bills will need to help them find there way.  

 

Thanks for the insights!

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
22 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

Loved the subject matter. Nice the way Bill warmed to Adam by way of his own reflection. :)

Rutledge is slightly an ass. Been there, knew them.

Yeah, Rutledge may or may not be exiting.  However, what was Bill to him at one time?  I'm fascinated by the idea of succession in the workplace and in civic work.  There is a progression to this process.  What is our role and where does it fall?

Thanks for the encouragement and the delightful comment!

  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Link to comment
11 hours ago, dughlas said:

Self-important expert is out standing in his field or he should be. One day Adam too will look at a young student and see himself and remember Bill's kindness. Paying it forward requires very little effort and reaps unanticipated rewards. Lovely little tale, thanks.

Thanks so much because that's exactly what I wanted to convey.  I appreciate your support and generous comments.  

:)

  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Link to comment

I like this; your characters are distinct and well drawn. I get an emotional connection to Bill and Adam easily. These are people I know and like. Maybe Adam will gain more confidence and add understanding to the field - it wouldn’t surprise me at all. 

  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Link to comment

We all need mentors in life, and someone to give us a helping hand. You could almost think Bill was a little mean to Rutledge, who sounded defensive to my ears, but then you see his kindness to Adam, and get a better sense of who he is. This was a great example of the emotions involved in the changing of the guard in the workplace. I'm sure the old man is feeling the pressure from these younger and more agile minds. Good job, Cole. :) 

  • Like 2
  • Love 1
Link to comment
On 8/16/2019 at 9:51 PM, Parker Owens said:

I like this; your characters are distinct and well drawn. I get an emotional connection to Bill and Adam easily. These are people I know and like. Maybe Adam will gain more confidence and add understanding to the field - it wouldn’t surprise me at all. 

Thanks Parker, I'm glad you like Bill and Adam.  They are people I know too.  It's fun to watch the succession play out.  

Thanks also for joining us!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
On 8/17/2019 at 12:53 PM, Headstall said:

We all need mentors in life, and someone to give us a helping hand. You could almost think Bill was a little mean to Rutledge, who sounded defensive to my ears, but then you see his kindness to Adam, and get a better sense of who he is. This was a great example of the emotions involved in the changing of the guard in the workplace. I'm sure the old man is feeling the pressure from these younger and more agile minds. Good job, Cole. :) 

We need mentors and we need to be mentors.  It's hard putting yourself out there.  It's equally as hard to watch as a new group begins the process.  It's also so important because teaching is one of the best ways to learn more deeply about your work.  It really fascinates me.

Thanks for the wonderful comments.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..