Nova Luna

Twenty-seven - Coeus

Tuesday morning, I was back in my office. I was working on the research paper that Nero and I had, coding the regression analysis he was asking of me. I could see why he wanted me to do this. We were trying to model a fraction of Seyfert galaxies in terms of environment. 

But I'd thought of a better algorithm that would make our jobs easier and faster. An idea I didn't bother to tell Nero. Because I caught myself just staring at these digital signals on my screen that looked very foreign to me. I could not understand them, all of a sudden. 

I knew what to do, or what I should do, but I couldn't seem to do it. It was like my whole body was just forcing me to do absolutely nothing.

I stood up in my office chair.

Blurry.

Blurry.

Blurry.

Everything was blurry. Inaudible voice chatters, distorted faces, wobbling desks. It was like I could feel the world spinning around the sun under my feet. 

I felt like I was sleepwalking.

I went out to the cafeteria to grab some coffee. And I was not a coffee drinker, I hated the palpitations and the anxiety that comes after. But I thought I needed it right then.

I was lucky enough to see a vacant table. I walked towards the chair, and I could feel all eyes in the cafeteria staring at me. It felt like they were after me. I got scared, but thankfully I was approached by someone with a big and friendly smile on her face. 

"Sir, sorry to bother you, but are you a physics professor?" A woman hurried after me and called my attention. 

She had short brown hair and thin eyebrows, with big and round eyeglasses. She sounded a little bit like Bea, but with a much more harder and assertive tone. 

She looked familiar; it was like I had met her somewhere before, but I couldn't tell where or when.

"I'm an astrophysicist, but I don't teach. I do research work." I smiled back at her.

"May I?" She gestured to a chair, her way of asking to sit with me. I was not having a good day, but I didn't want to be rude so I nodded.

She sat in front of me. "Uhm, it's kinda embarrassing but, let me tell you something about myself first." She placed her coffee right in front of her then she grabbed some paperworks from her bag.

"My name's Lucy," she continued, "and I'm from the College of Arts and Letters, I mostly teach English and Literature."

"It's nice to meet you," I replied. "I'm Elios."

"Elios, sorry to bother you but I've been trying to write a sci-fi story for a play, and I need a physicist's brain for some advice. I was about to head to the physics department but I saw you leave, so I followed you here."

I smiled. I was on a break, and the last thing I wanted to think about was physics. But I didn't think this would be that complicated. It was a play, how could it be?

"Could you answer some questions for me?" Her assertive tone became more timid.

"I don't see why not," I replied.

She giggled in excitement, and then asked if I would be available later in the afternoon. She invited me for a coffee for developing her story's plot.

"Sure, I'll see you at the College of Arts and Letters," I told her.

I looked forward to that meeting. 

Maybe I should be in the field of arts, knowing how well I could paint, and now, I am about to help a literature professor on developing her story. Maybe I could write my own someday, I thought. I'm still young, and I haven't spent that much time on astrophysics, but I felt more fulfilled in just a couple of months being an artist compared to the couple of years I spent being a scientist

Anyways, other than the weird blurry experience, it was a satisfying day for Elios, the astrophysicist. Everything went smooth with Nero helping me out. I was really grateful for him. I was almost out of focus for the whole day, and I think he understood why. 

I told him all about the old man who mentored me while I was gone. He said he understood, but I promised him that once I felt better, I would do what I did best again. 

I also stopped coding that regression analysis. I told him all about the ideas I had, but unfortunately, he told me that he couldn't do the math. 

I really hoped that I would feel better soon, I still was a scientist after all. I still hadn't earned anything from painting. I had yet to make a living out of the art I made.

Ten minutes before four o'clock in the afternoon, I headed to the College of Arts and Letters. Lucy told me that she worked in the literature department. We would meet at four, but I couldn't wait to get out of my office. Time moved so slow every time I sat in my office chair.

I knocked three times before entering, and I was greeted by a student assistant. I told her I was waiting for Miss Lucy by the reception area. And right after I said those words, a face that I wasn't so sure if I was happy to see just walked out of the department. 

Again, the doors looked wobbly and I was sure that I was still imagining things. 

But I knew it was her. As usual, everything about her was the exact same as before.

Except that now she had faded burgundy red hair. But her wavy midnight-black hair still flowed beautifully underneath her artificial red locks. She had the same province-air scent. It felt like every trace of caffeine in my system fell asleep after seeing her walk past me.

Of course, I followed her outside the department office.

"Excuse me," I called to her. "I'm Elios, from the physics department, I hope I'm not bothering you but you look very familiar."

"Now that you've mentioned it, you look familiar to me as well," she replied.

Almost the same colored hair.

The exact same smile.

"It was nice meeting you, but I guess you have a class to attend."

I don't know what came over me. The other day I wanted her to just stop appearing to me. But now here I was, going after her again with her new name.

And a new profession.

With a slightly different accent.

"Yes, see you around the campus I guess," she replied.

I kept on repeating to myself that it was unprofessional of me to just stop her right there, and go with me and escape from everything. 

I kept on holding back my argument to just invite her to ditch her class for me.

"Uhm, Miss," I called after her. "Do you mind grabbing a coffee with me?"

"Mr. Elios, I have a class to attend, and I don't think you're in our department for no reason either," she said and chuckled

"Yeah, but—" What was I thinking? "You're right, sorry to bother you." I chuckled and scratched my head.

She went on her way and I went back inside the literature department for my appointment with Miss Lucy.