Science, Eternal Life, and a Traveling Circus |1|

Chapter Ten

"It was in October, a good forty—no, forty-one—years ago when we first met, Alyn. We go way back, believe me." Elliot flicked the reins and tied them off. They perched, side by side, on the moving wagon's driving bench. Hughes snored in the back. Behind, Tim drove his and Elliot's painted wooden caravan. "Tim and I were fairly new to the country, then, and in our four years, neither of us had managed to find work. We were down on our luck with money, and Tim had a habit of trading what we did scrounge up—he still does this, and it's maddening—for more animals for his experiments. Humane experiments, of course. He loves them more than people. But, we absolutely couldn't afford to keep so many critters. We stumbled across your master in our search for funds."

2774

Elliot had spent his four years in the States studying to become a proper medicinal alchemist, taking courses in psychiatry and alchemy. His job in England had gotten him nowhere. With fencing being an expensive sport, there had never been much business. Besides, even when people could afford it, no one had the time for recreation. As an assistant to an instructor, young Elliot had earned little—just enough to scrape by and purchase a ticket to the new world.

Tim, nine years older, had been working on perfecting the nanotechnology in the blood of his lion, Bwenzi. Elliot knew little of where he came from or what brought him to the country, but he enjoyed the man's quiet company and unmistakable genius. Alas, the scientist had been no help in keeping the pair afloat. His focus was never on the world around him.

With the way things were going, he likely wouldn't be able to perfect any of his mysterious experiments before they went broke.

But, Elliot had an idea.

Scientists are a novelty these days, he thought, and worth a lot.

"Tim!" Elliot clapped the man on his back one day. "What do you say to looking for a sponsor?"

Tim, of course, did not understand. "Tim?" He questioned. He knew this word to be his English name. He had 'lost' his English translation book shortly after arriving in the country and discovering the unnecessary loudness of the people.

Elliot did not need an answer from Tim, because he knew the man to be very passive. As long his his animals were happy, Tim was happy. Elliot brought in the money for feeding and caring for the animals, so Tim stayed close.

The Englishman soon had his friend traveling to venues of all manners to advertise his companion's abilities. Elliot acted as a spokesman, while Tim showed off what Bwenzi—the favored animal of his collection—could do. Donations were consistently scarce, and Elliot's confidence in achieving sponsorship started to wane as the pair took to rationing all that they had.

Until, that is, a sponsor appeared.

A wealthy one, at that.

("Have you ever heard of gambling, Alyn?" Elliot asked. "Well, we went to a casino in Wyoming, where everyone gambles, where everyone wastes away their money, and we finally found our sponsor. And who could it be? None other than your Master Hughes. Much has changed since we first met, so mind the description.")

October 17th, 2774

Near the middle wall of Pint's Casino, Elliot stood tall and waved his arms. He advertised—a task he had grown used to. Tim sat behind him with Bwenzi and quietly spoke to the lion.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Elliot began, and burst into the regular ramble. 'Science is advancing', 'technology isn't lost', 'animals could be talking sooner than you think', 'nanotechnology is the future'.

Elliot hadn't been aware of the controversy around nanotechnology in the United States. Ban-Ken's walls towered only a few states away. Most of the people in the casino knew of how there was a plague in the city. They knew it was killing the people, there, and they knew it was caused by the radiation of failed science endeavors and nanotechnology.