Chapter 1

Rubbing his hand over the armrest of an old brown leather chair, professor James (Jim) O'Neal Flowsman sat at his desk early one evening. Taking a moment to look around his apartment he let out a sigh. He took comfort from the familiarity of the things around him, even as he marveled at their age and wear. Still, it gave him a sense of comfort. His home had not changed much in over thirty years. Ever since he had gotten his current position at the college. He reflected for another moment. The place looked as old as he felt. The furniture had last been replaced, when he had first moved in.

He shook off his melancholy feeling, and returned to the task at hand. With any luck, he would be done grading his graduate student's mid-term test papers by 9 that evening.

The memory of grading papers back when he was a teen, crept into his thoughts, that brought a smile to his face. It had been so many years ago, when he had been a child prodigy. His abilities were such that he had received his PHD in theoretical physics at 19 years of age. Compared to his current age of 83 years, it seemed like yesterday to him. Now he was considered the foremost authority in his field, even if his theories were considered 'crackpot' by the rest of academia.

'Odd' Jim thought, 'even science is ruled by politics'.

He took comfort in the fact that the same group of 'politically correct' scientists also once believed the world was flat, and was the center of the universe. It was science based on popular vote.

'Some day' Jim thought, 'another man will prove my theories to be true.'

If only he wasn't so old, now. After all, real technological break throughs were showing up on the market, daily. Personal PC's with the power to crunch numbers, fuel cells that could power household systems, lightweight plasma display units... These were just to name a few. Somehow he just knew that the fuel cell was going to be the real break through, though.

Jim however believed in the truth of his theories. Most of all he knew they were correct. Jim dallied in his thoughts once again; he remembered the time he argued them with the great Einstein himself. That had been nearly 60 years ago, now. He had almost won that debate, if only he could have tested his theories.

Science is based upon observations, first and foremost. Jim's theories could not be tested, until mankind got into space. With the exception of his anti-gravity theories, that is. With that theory, it was the current level of technology that was holding the testing back. The power needs to prove it were astronomical compared to the technology available.

His memory of the two hours alone in debate with Albert Einstein, had caused Jim to lose a lot of respect for the man who had been his idol for many years. There was, after all, nothing special about relativity. It was only a small portion of his theory. The thought then passed into Jim's mind. Maybe that was it. Maybe he had inadvertently challenged the man's ideas. Who wouldn't hold close their own ideas? Understanding finally came to Jim, 60 years later.

It was a shame that life was so short. By the time one figures most things out in life, one runs out of time to practice what has been learned. It is the same old story repeated over and over throughout the ages. Then Jim's thoughts returned back to his theories.

Outer Space. Professor Flowsman had tried to reach it. He had gone so far as to get a job with the fledgling NASA agency at the beginning of the space race. However, NASA's 'political science' had labeled his theories a waste of time. It was the 'Einsteinian curse'. The solution 'E=MC²²²', was one possible answer that Jim saw in Einstein's equation. Everybody else considered it to be the only answer.

NASA was only interested in hard math for their rockets. Jim gave them the hard math they asked for. It was child's play to him, considering thrust to weight vectors on a piece of paper. Escape velocities were simple matters of calculus, who needed a physics professor when any second rate math teacher with a BS degree could calculate it all out. Jim grew more and more disillusioned with NASA each day he worked there.

Why use rockets when anti-gravity would have been so much more efficient? Politicians could be so short sighted some of the time. From Jim's perspective, it was 'all of the time'. Then again, history taught that over and over, as well. The only good politician Jim could remember in all his years had been that Timothy Ford fellow. Well there were exceptions to every rule.

Jim eventually lost his job when he pushed his idea to warp space as a way to travel faster than light. That, plus the fact that they had made him the scapegoat for the Mercury launch failure, had ended his NASA career.

It was probably the best thing to happen for him at the time. Nobody there took him seriously, anyway. NASA's sole interest was for the hard math that facilitated getting into space, now. Jim's other theories were far too advanced for them. No one wanted to listen to him about anti-gravity systems, anymore than they wished to hear about warp drives. Jim had become convinced that mankind was its own worst enemy.

The only high point in his stay at NASA had been the brief relationship he'd had with Wendy. God! He remembered each physical encounter he'd had with her, as vividly as he did his first love, Ann. Ann had been his teacher and his thoughts drifted to when he had been thirteen years old. He smiled to himself thinking of Ann as he graded the test papers before him.

His thoughts returned to Wendy. He had always wished Wendy had joined him when he left NASA. She didn't, but that was something he lived with. She had made her own choices in the matter, and that was something he could live with. Of all his relationships over the years, Wendy had been the longest running and most satisfying. She had been as intelligent as she was beautiful.

Jim was a good teacher. He liked teaching far more than 'playing politics' with the 'brown nosers' at NASA. Therefore, Jim was still teaching at the age of eighty-three.

He still had to grade his own papers most of the time. He had just reached the end of the exam stack. He had only two more test papers left, and then he could sleep for the rest of the night. He checked the clock on the wall; surprised to see it was only 8:20 pm. At least it would mean a good night's sleep for him. There was plenty of time to rest this night. Not too bad, he thought to himself.

He still wished he had that one assistant to help with this. Of course, that young fellow had acted more like a son, than an assistant. Jim briefly tried to recall the young man's name. It had been one that he should have recalled, as the young man always reminded him of himself. He sighed, returned his attention to the remaining tests.

"Ah," he said aloud, "Jennifer Roddenberry's paper."

Then he remembered that Gene fellow, and wondered if there was some relationship there. He began to examine her paper and noted she had even included an attempt to answer the extra credit question. Well, he had promised an 'A' for the year, for anyone that solved the equation correctly.

The Professor sat bolt upright when he realized that it was the only question she had tried to answer. All three pages of her mid-term exam in Creative Astrophysical Mathematics were nothing but his pet question. He looked at the first page.

'Someone looks like they have a chance, ' he thought.

By the time he got to the bottom of the first page, he knew he had found a new assistant, after all these years without. He would offer her the position in the morning. There was maybe one out of every 5,000 students, who could get this far into solving the problem correctly.

He looked at the second page. His heart skipped a beat as he got to the bottom of the page. She had figured it out! The answer, or dare he hope for answers, on the next page should tell him how far she had taken it. He turned the page and scanned it. Three possible answers, he looked at the first one.

Equals: E=MC²²

Ahh! The theory of spatial relativity. Good he thought he would have to give her that "A" he had promised. Now, what were the other answers she came up with? His hart skipped a beat as he stared in amazement.

Equals: C=M²³³*E (or: Speed = Mass Cubed, times energy).

"My lord! She's got the formula for warping space!" he said, then wondered what the third answer could be. He looked at it.

Equals: T=CE²²²

(Noted possibility for more answers. Request private discussion about answers, and about the possibility of Jump Movement)

The aged doctor was up all night looking at that last equation. His student had not only solved for the 'reality' of relativistic speed, she'd solved it for FTL as well. But even more amazing to him, she had introduced him to the possibility of 'jump', and the theory behind it.

The math was correct, but it was something he himself had never seen before. He tested the math over and over again. He was giddy with adrenaline overload. He even had a painful erection in his pants (which was definitely worthy of note, at his age!). Soon it was morning, and almost time for him to go to his first class of the day. That's when he finally looked at the last line on the page.

It was a fourth answer! It was the one that he had hoped he would see some day. It was plainly and clearly stated.

Equals: 'reality' = infinite number of answers.

'My God, ' Jim thought, 'she does get it!'

Jim grabbed the stacks of test papers and left for class. He hadn't slept all night, but he didn't even think about it. He was overcome with joy at finally finding another person who understood his theories, even more than that, the math behind them.

Something was nagging at him as he stepped out in to the chilly fall air. However, he wasn't able to put his finger on it. It was soon forgotten in his excitement, as he rushed to the university. His mind was racing through the possibility after possibility as he drove.

He was so distracted, that he even failed to note the leaves changing colors as he drove. It was most uncharacteristic of him to not take the time to appreciate the natural beauty around him. He didn't even realize he'd run a red light. Fortunately for him, no one else noticed it, either.

As class began that day, he started by having one of the department's grad students hand out the mid term test papers.

He began by saying in a most excited tone, "Good morning, students! It's a wonderful day for your test results."

He was noted for his dry humor, though some would feel he was making fun of them.

He continued, "Every now and then, a student will surprise me, and will actually understand what it is that I endeavor to impart into those young minds of yours."