SUNGLASSES AND ROCKETS Part 1 : New Moon

AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY

We were thrown into the air. We smashed against the wall and ouch! We fell like sandbags on the floor.

"Hey, Darwin?" I could ask, after a silence; I was still flat-out. "What did you forget to tell me?"

"That...the doctor told me that we weren't to touch absolutely anything in the garage," Darwin said in a shaky voice, "except the I.K.Y."

"What?" I growled, jumping up to my feet. "And how did he think we were going to find the I.K.Y.!"

My sight fell upon a pair of glasses with a heart-shaped frame. They were sitting on the work bench in front of me. Having charged into the laboratory like a pair of wild horses, neither one of us had paid any attention to the things that were on the benches.

I picked up the glasses and shook the dust off them.

"Darwin!" I gasped, turning around. "I have the I.K.Y.! How do I use it?"

Four bookshelves that had once formed a passageway were now overturned. My friend was nowhere to be seen. I detected movement in the area that had to be the place of the explosion; from there came the voice of Darwin:

"You just have to observe the resonance pulses."

"Perfect!"

I walked quickly towards the laboratory door. It was closed shut. I took a look at the tiny windows high up on the walls: none of them had suffered any damage. Perhaps they were explosion-proof...

I looked at my watch. Nine ten! Oh my God! I absolutely had to leave! I had to escape!

I sped over to the blue-tinted acrylic cabinet. I saw the same green button and I pushed it, at the same time letting out a "Please!" The noisy motor sounded again. The door started to open. Thank heavens! I threw myself at the exit.

Just a moment. I should check out the state of the lenses. I paused, mid-stride, before crossing the threshold. I got the glasses and pressed the tiny switch on the frame. Wow! On a screen inside the left lens, a menu of measurements appeared: thermal resonance mode, electromagnetic resonance mode, movement analysis...it was a long list of indicators that determined personal resonance. On one side, on the right lens, there was a graph. Probably to show resonance waves. Let's see if it works, I told myself excitedly.

"Darwin, you're the best!" I shouted.

Before Darwin had said anything, a little peak took shape on the graph.

"The emotional maximum!" I breathed, fascinated. "I just gauged friendliness!"

"Did you say something?" my friend asked, interested.

He appeared from amidst the depths of the workshop, his face covered in dust.

"You're a slob!" I told him, with a laugh.

The resonance peak disappeared. In its place appeared an enormous valley: personal dissonance, or dislike. Confirmed. The lenses worked!

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Darwin," I clarified, smiling, "I wasn't serious about the slob thing. It was a test! The I.K.Y. works perfectly!"

"Gordo," Darwin answered back, "You have to come and see this..."

I got ready to leave.

"Do me a favor!" I begged him, "Take care of tidying up the laboratory!"

The resonance pulse that had risen once more disappeared. Disregarding the readings on the screen, I dared to step outside.