Chapter 2

When my odyssey began, I was driving home from overtime at work. I'm the head of a small research team that specializes in physics and metallurgy. We are in the middle of experimenting with metals and alloys to create a metal that has twice the strength of carbon steel but as versatile as plastic. We have made some breakthroughs one of which is why I was pulling overtime that night. We had quite by accident made a metal that conducted electricity with such ease that we were dumbfounded. It carried a electrical charge so well, that if you picked a piece of it up in your bare hand, it would conduct the bio-energy running through your hand and give a good shock to whomever you touch it to. It was that sensitive. From our preliminary analysis the resistance of the metal to a electrical current is almost nonexistent. To say we were dumfounded was a monumental understatement of the century. We thought, and it was well known that this was impossible. Imagine what you could do with this alloy if you made all the circuits and transistors in a computer with it. The computer would run at least 500 to a 1000 times faster, and what if you did the same to a solar panel and the wiring you could power 20 city blocks with about 2 to 3 acres of panels. For you car enthusiasts you could make a solar powered car that can go from 0 to 60 just as fast as a top of the line street racing car with all the extras. It was that useful. The night in question we had just finished a test of the new alloy in a processor that we had constructed with it and we were ecstatic of our findings, the processing power of the processor went up so much that we were almost unable to calculate its speed. It was up to around the speed of 2 super computers put together, without overheating. I had just let my team go home to rest for the weekend, they deserved it.

"See you later Doctor."

"Yeah, see you next week."

"You guys have a good time, you deserve it for all the work you did tonight."

"Thanks Doc, you have a good one too and watch out on your way home, it's raining cats and dogs out there."

"Thanks Steve, and thanks again."

"No prob' Alex, see you."

"Bye." With all my colleagues out of the lab, I shut down all the systems, locked all the doors and windows, set the alarm system, and left for home. I tuned into the local weather channel, because it was really pouring out here, I didn't want to get caught in a flash flood sure enough there it was.

"Warning to all drivers in the San Fernando Valley be advised the emergency services have issued flash flood warnings for the following areas(). Ah shit, that's directly on my route home. Shit I hope I can make it.

"Sir! We have found a candidate for first contact."

The Captain gets out of his seat and walks up behind the Ensign.

"Thank you ensign, who is he?"

"Sir he is thirty planetary-years old, and is a laboratory researcher in a portion of their planet that they call California. He meets all of the requirements. He is of sufficient intellect, has the strongest latent Gift we could find, and he will not be missed for quite some time if we make first contact with him. His name is Dr. Alex Winsler; he is currently leaving his lab in the San Fernando Valley."

"Good, monitor his movements and make first contact with the subject when you deem it advisable ensign."

The Captain returns to his chair in the middle of the bridge where his first officer is seated.

"Yes Sir."

"Sir, the subject is entering a danger zone."

"Elaborate ensign."

"Yes Sir. The subject is operating a ground based vehicular transport in a zone that is currently under a great influx of water. Their support system is not adequate to withstanding the onslaught. And, flooding will commence in the area in which the subject is currently traveling."

"Thank you ensign. With the first signs of trouble, teleport him to transport 2 and notify me immediately. You have the bridge, Sergeant."

"Understood, Sir."

"Oh shit!!!!"

"Commence transport now."

"Commencing transport."

"Notify the Captain."

"Yes Sir."

"Captain, the subject has been transported (teleported) to transport 2 as you commanded."

"Thank you Ensign."

"You're Welcome, Sir."