The Darkness of Matter

The Darkness of Matter: Chapter 3

A chauffeured car came promptly at half past six to pick them up. "Fancy," said Carl with a touch of envy as he climbed in. Sophie looked at him in surprise. He usually wasn't the type to care about material things.

The car took them across the river, heading east into a neighborhood that Sophie didn't recognize, and then out into a large unmarked area with little of note besides a nondescript grey building that looked new and otherwise unremarkable. Jonathan stepped out to greet them as they arrived.

"Doesn't look like much," he said apologetically, "but the inside's not too bad."

He pressed a buzzer and the inner door opened, revealing a perforated steel gate at the end of the corridor. Two uniformed men stood behind it, guns very obviously displayed.

"Wow," said Carl, obviously impressed. "Top secret, eh? Is it alright for us all to come?"

"You're with me," said Jonathan simply. He nodded to the men, showed his ID, and they were ushered through a body scanner with a minimum of ceremony. "Follow me."

The lift took them, not upwards as Sophie had expected, but down three stories. A blast of cold air hit them as the doors opened onto a cavernous room with solid concrete walls several feet thick, capable of containing fire and intense radiation. Huge metal pipes ran around the room and down the tunnel, feeding a U-shaped configuration of computers that dominated one wall. Almost dead center in the middle was a transparent hemisphere suspended by nearly invisible wires, like a dandelion spore.

"This entire room has been converted to host a state-of-the-art interferometer that can capture and amplify even the smallest signals," said Jonathan. "Underground we're, shielded from any interference. Beneath this chamber is a system of pneumatic piers that will compensate for any disturbances like vibrations from passing cars. A lot of work. All of it done quietly, not attracting too much notice."

"Nice place," said Carl, obviously impressed.

"Thank you," said Jonathan. "You brought the algorithm?"

Carl patted his pocket.

"Great. Check this out." From a safe, Jonathan took out a white envelope, out of which he removed a paper-thin square of silvery-white metal using tongs and gloves. Sophie's skin prickled, accompanied by a momentary surge of alarm which faded as Jonathan placed it carefully inside the crystal hemisphere and sealed it shut. He turned to face Carl. "You'll never guess."

"No idea," said Carl. "Platinum? Beryllium? Indium?"

"Farther along the periodic table. Think farther. Much farther."

"You tell me."

"Unbihexium," said Jonathan proudly. "Element number one hundred and twenty six. Purely a theory, until last summer."

Carl gave him a sharp look. "I thought that was classified information."

"Come on, Carl. We both know that the Chelonia found it. And face it, it's the perfect amplifier for your algorithm, according to calculations."

"You set this up," said Carl sharply.

Jonathan inclined his head. "Absolutely. You've no idea how many strings I had to pull. Music, they said, that's a stupid idea. But I believe in you, Carl. As you believed in me once. Now here's your chance to prove that we can affect dark matter for once and for all. What do you say? A trial run. Doesn't commit you to anything. State-of-the-art equipment, you'll never get another chance like this."

Carl's gaze swept the room. Sophie could read his acquiescence before he even knew it. "Trail run," her father muttered. "No knowing if it will actually work after all."