fell back against the wall, sliding to the floor and struggling not to throw up. The feeling passed as quickly as it came and shock took its place. What the hell had that been? And what had caused it? His last thought before the pain had been the book on carbon. Had that triggered it? Mitchell glanced cautiously towards the bookcase, feeling nothing new. He knew nothing about carbon, except that it was an element. Was it something to do with his work?
Mitchell scrambled to his feet and scanned the room, bracing himself for more shocks. There were none, only files and a computer. The only personal items were pictures of Karen and Emmie. He was in some of them, smiling proudly, hugging them for the snap. He had a happy marriage, or as happy as the woman in the elevator implied. He sat down and rubbed his temple, trying to remember more, but nothing came.
A manual lay open on the desk and Mitchell flicked quickly through its pages. They were covered in equations that he didn’t understand and he broke out in a cold sweat. But they told him something; he wasn’t a medical doctor, he was a scientist. Mitchell knew right then that he was screwed; he would never be able to understand all this. He could bluff the social side of life, but work was another matter, especially work this complex.
Just then Devon entered the room, carrying two coffee mugs. He put one in front of Mitchell then sat down, starting to talk. Mitchell sipped his drink and listened, watching the young man’s enthusiasm as he talked about their work. If Devon asked him any questions he was in trouble. He needn’t have worried. Devon talked in jargon for ten full minutes without drawing breath. Mitchell nodded as if he was listening, grateful for the chance to gather his thoughts.
He was a scientist; his subject was some sort of biophysics, judging by the equations. And he was successful at it - the boss of this floor. They were researching something important; now he just had to find out what. Devon’s soft tones broke through Mitchell’s reverie.
“It’s all very well duplicating results once we’ve achieved a breakthrough, Jeff, but so far we haven’t. What do you think?”
Mitchell startled, realising that he was expected to speak. He sat forward authoritatively, instinct telling him that half the bluff was in the delivery.
“OK. Let’s go back to basics. What is it that’s stopping us achieving it?” Whatever it was.
Mitchell fixed Devon with a challenging look that he knew no deputy could resist. He wasn’t disappointed. Devon re-started, while Mitchell wondered where he’d learned how to bluff so well.
“OK. We know Graphene is just another form of carbon, with the atoms bonded together a different way. Just another allotrope, like diamonds or graphite. Yes?”
Mitchell nodded as if he understood. Graphene; the title of the book. So that was what they were researching. The name rang a distant bell, as if he’d heard it on the news, but that was as far as his knowledge went. Devon was still talking.
“OK, so what do we already know? We know that in diamonds the carbon atoms are arranged in a tetrahedral lattice, whereas in graphite, they’re arranged hexagonally and in sheets. Graphene’s just a sheet of graphite one atom thick, but that gives it special properties; it’s light and conducts electricity very well.” Devon shook his head, dejected. “But hell, the whole world has known that since 2004 and everyone everywhere is working to make money from it, including us.”
Mitchell snorted derisively, deliberately goading Devon for more information.
“So you’re saying that for ten years, no-one’s come up with anything new on carbon?”
Devon shook his head impatiently. “No. No, that’s not what I meant. We both know there are people out there doing brilliant work, like the research on T and D-Carbon. But that just means we need to go even further to make our mark.”
Mitchell pushed his luck hard. “OK. So, two
Mitchell scrambled to his feet and scanned the room, bracing himself for more shocks. There were none, only files and a computer. The only personal items were pictures of Karen and Emmie. He was in some of them, smiling proudly, hugging them for the snap. He had a happy marriage, or as happy as the woman in the elevator implied. He sat down and rubbed his temple, trying to remember more, but nothing came.
A manual lay open on the desk and Mitchell flicked quickly through its pages. They were covered in equations that he didn’t understand and he broke out in a cold sweat. But they told him something; he wasn’t a medical doctor, he was a scientist. Mitchell knew right then that he was screwed; he would never be able to understand all this. He could bluff the social side of life, but work was another matter, especially work this complex.
Just then Devon entered the room, carrying two coffee mugs. He put one in front of Mitchell then sat down, starting to talk. Mitchell sipped his drink and listened, watching the young man’s enthusiasm as he talked about their work. If Devon asked him any questions he was in trouble. He needn’t have worried. Devon talked in jargon for ten full minutes without drawing breath. Mitchell nodded as if he was listening, grateful for the chance to gather his thoughts.
He was a scientist; his subject was some sort of biophysics, judging by the equations. And he was successful at it - the boss of this floor. They were researching something important; now he just had to find out what. Devon’s soft tones broke through Mitchell’s reverie.
“It’s all very well duplicating results once we’ve achieved a breakthrough, Jeff, but so far we haven’t. What do you think?”
Mitchell startled, realising that he was expected to speak. He sat forward authoritatively, instinct telling him that half the bluff was in the delivery.
“OK. Let’s go back to basics. What is it that’s stopping us achieving it?” Whatever it was.
Mitchell fixed Devon with a challenging look that he knew no deputy could resist. He wasn’t disappointed. Devon re-started, while Mitchell wondered where he’d learned how to bluff so well.
“OK. We know Graphene is just another form of carbon, with the atoms bonded together a different way. Just another allotrope, like diamonds or graphite. Yes?”
Mitchell nodded as if he understood. Graphene; the title of the book. So that was what they were researching. The name rang a distant bell, as if he’d heard it on the news, but that was as far as his knowledge went. Devon was still talking.
“OK, so what do we already know? We know that in diamonds the carbon atoms are arranged in a tetrahedral lattice, whereas in graphite, they’re arranged hexagonally and in sheets. Graphene’s just a sheet of graphite one atom thick, but that gives it special properties; it’s light and conducts electricity very well.” Devon shook his head, dejected. “But hell, the whole world has known that since 2004 and everyone everywhere is working to make money from it, including us.”
Mitchell snorted derisively, deliberately goading Devon for more information.
“So you’re saying that for ten years, no-one’s come up with anything new on carbon?”
Devon shook his head impatiently. “No. No, that’s not what I meant. We both know there are people out there doing brilliant work, like the research on T and D-Carbon. But that just means we need to go even further to make our mark.”
Mitchell pushed his luck hard. “OK. So, two
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