Inception - Ascension Paradox, Book 1
Copyright© 2023 by L.R. Thornton
Chapter 26
Jillian walked alongside Jackson as they turned the corner to see Professor Lawton talking with Ray.
“I wonder what he’s doing here.” Jillian said in an aside to Jackson.
“Probably has questions for the professor just like we do. Although,” Jackson lifted a blonde brow, “the more I keep looking at this guy, the more I get the feeling that I know him from somewhere.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, look at him. Doesn’t he look familiar? Like you’ve seen his face on TV or on the side of a bus?”
“The side of a bus? How remarkable could that be?”
The professor and Ray started walking back their way. Upon seeing them, Ray lifted the hood up of his jacket. Which seemed pointless to her. They’d already seen his face. What was the point of hiding?
Men. She’d never understand them.
“Jillian. Jackson,” the professor greeted them with a smile. Then he looked past them and an odd, leery expression came over his face. “C. A. D. I.”
“Hello, Professor Lawton,” C. A. D. I. answered from behind them. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise.” His eyes lingered on C. A. D. I. Jillian looked back to study her reaction but C. A. D. I. did nothing more than meet his stare. What went on in that brain they assembled?
“I’ve notified the Dean of your generous offer. He was delighted.”
Jillian had the distinct impression that the professor’s words were the understatement of the year. The Dean of the university wouldn’t have just been delighted. She suspected had he been there before them, he’d get on the ground and kiss their feet.
“I’m sure.”
“Well, let’s get started, professor. We’re anxious for you to take a look at C. A. D. I.”
“Uh, Professor?”
The deep voice of Ray had them all turning their heads. “If you can just get me that information that I asked for?”
“I haven’t forgotten.” Professor Lawton gestured to them. “Come in and meet Dino.”
“Dino?” Jackson mimicked. “You’re not talking about a prehistoric dinosaur, are you?”
The professor’s eyes lit up. “Maybe.”
They all went in the laboratory and Jillian’s mouth dropped opened. The last time they were here, they’d been unable to appreciate the professor’s facilities, much more pressed to tell him part of the story with C. A. D. I. than anything else. Now she had to time to look over the man’s equipment and it was like walking into a roboticist’s paradise.
Motion lights turned on the further they entered the room. The size and sophistication of this facility made even Horizon Bionix labs seem like third grade science rooms. Racks of tools and parts, open spaces to move large equipment, robotic arms of different sizes gave each area a specialized place to work.
“Our whole apartment could fit in here,” Jackson as he went over to a robotic arm and caressed it like a lover. Jillian went in the other direction, seeing separate laboratories designated for chemistry and hazardous materials. Other areas held projects encased in bullet proof glass to contain various levels of explosions or to prevent gases from escaping. For the father of modern robotics, as some of the industry professionals had called the professor, every contingency for the workmanship to create artificial life had been put into place. It was like something you’d see in a pharmaceutical company combined with an automotive factory.
“Professor,” she said with awe, feeling like a child in wonderland. “It’s beautiful. You can think in a room like this.”
“Thank you,” the professor said. “I’m happy with it.” He glanced around the room, maybe seeing the facility through their eyes and she saw his chin lift in pride. “A thousand of mistakes are here. A million drops of sweat and tears. Despair hangs in the corners with the cobwebs. And yet, here we are.”
“How poetic for a scientist,” Amy Benson came forward. “Are you waxing poetic in your old age now?” The hint of laughter in the girl’s eyes let everyone know it was a joke.
“I could spin hours here,” Jackson as he came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “Couldn’t we?”
“Would you like to meet Dino?” The Professor asked.
She and Jackson spoke the same time. “Yes!”