Core Beliefs - Chapter 51 - Uninvited Guest

Core Beliefs – Chapter 51 - Uninvited Guest

A spring day in 2011, Eldridge Coblentz cruised toward home down the county road, feed for his critters piled in his pickup bed. A peppy Gather’s gospel tune filled the truck cab from a new CD his boy, Elvin, had bought him. Eldridge hummed along, tempted to join in the song, but mostly listened to the guitars pickin’.

An unexpected flash of light caused his left eye to wince. His head twisted, looking for the source. On his neighbor’s land, across the road from the plot that the silo sat on, two men stood at the edge of a thicket, one of them holding big binoculars in front of his face. They seem to be looking towards the silo.

Eldridge got home, unloaded the truck, and rang up his neighbor to ask if he knew about the two. The neighbor said they were from the government, checking on some birds that were supposed to be migrating across the state. Eldridge thanked him.

Eldridge stepped back out and walked out into the fields, scanning the sky. He saw birds, but every one of them looked like the ones he’d seen all his life. When Elvin got home from school, Eldridge sent him to the silo to tell Chris and Suchet.

***

Chris popped open the internet and did a quick search for migratory birds. It seemed April was not the time of year for birds to be flying north or south. After a week of the men showing up in the same spot, it became obvious the silo was under surveillance.

***

Matt got an encrypted email from Chris and responded, warning everyone to be careful. In particular, Matt cautioned about anything said in public or on the phone. They should communicate sensitive information in accordance with the highest protocols.

Matt wrestled with the surveillance. The men’s appearance had come too soon after the incident at the waste clean-up site. Matt needed to know if the government had targeted their activities. After deliberating, he decided to make a call.

***

In June 2010, Ling had treated a young man at the Neurology Clinic, and as with most of her cases, the young man’s injuries had involved severe head injuries. It seemed he had lost control of a motorcycle, and though the helmet saved his life, his skull was a mess. The head of neurology at one of the local hospitals referred him to the clinic. The doctor had told the father, Senator Saulman Coldwell, that no better place existed to treat his son.

Matt remembered Ling staying all night with the boy for several days. Matt had brought one-month-old Timmy to the clinic to see his mom. Ling had just finished the fourth surgery that morning, and for the first time, the young man was awake and able to recognize his mother and father.

Ling invited the senator and his wife to meet her husband and son. The women slipped into a separate room. Ling nursed Timmy, and the two women talked.

Matt sat with the senator in the lobby. The politician knew well the name Matthew Lehman and thanked him for creating and keeping jobs in Missouri. They chatted for about an hour on different topics.

Matt emphasized that he didn’t have much use for politics. His main concern was not being overrun with regulations and paperwork that made it hard to produce the items they supplied to hospitals and doctors around the world.

The senator listened and asked if Matt would come to Washington to speak before one of his committees. Matt said he would but wanted to understand the goal of such a meeting.

The nurse came out and let the senator and his wife know that their son was asking for them.

The senator gave Matt his card with his private cell number. “If there is anything I can ever do for either of you, just call.”

***

That was the card Matt held in his hand, and that was who he was calling. The phone rang three times before Senator Coldwell answered.

“Senator, this is Matthew Lehman. Have I called at a bad time?”

“Mr. Lehman, it’s a delight to hear from you, but I am wrapping up a meeting. Can I call you back in ten minutes?”

“I would greatly appreciate it,” Matt said.

“Mr. Lehman, just ten minutes and I will call back, and that is a promise.”

They hung up, and Matt continued to organize his thoughts further. Nine minutes passed. The phone rang.

“Thank you for calling back, Senator.”

“Mr. Lehman, after the miracles your wife did with my son. How could I not return your call? This is my pleasure.”

“How is your son?”

The senator carried on for five minutes on how well the young man was doing, including that he was excelling at school.

“But, Mr. Lehman,” the senator said, “I think you probably have another subject you wanted to talk about?”

Matt appreciated the man’s ability to get to the core of an issue.

“Senator, I think you are aware that I own the majority interest in several corporations.”

“Mr. Lehman,” the senator interrupted, “after our first meeting, I had my staff run a complete review on you and your companies. I will tell you that you are, without doubt, one of the most outstanding businessmen I have ever encountered, and more so, one of the most amazing individuals I have ever had the privilege to meet.”

“Thank you, sir; I appreciate that sincerely. That is why I’m a bit confused.”

“Confused about what?”

“Well, sir, it seems that men from some government agency have been staking out one of my facilities for the last few weeks, photographing and recording activities. Senator, if they want to know something, why can’t they just come and ask?

“I can assure you that there is nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical at any of our facilities, and as I said earlier, this has me a bit befuddled.”

“Where is the facility?” Coldwell asked.

“It’s on a farm outside of Wichita, Kansas. In fact, Senator, I invite you to come and tour it anytime. We are doing various R&D on that site to keep it secret from competitors.”

“I understand,” said the senator. “Will you let me investigate this and give you a callback?”

“Senator, you have my appreciation and thanks.”

They hung up. Matt felt sure the senator would go looking. He hoped he would at least find who was responsible and the motivation for the stakeout.

Thinking about his invitation to the Senator, Matt emailed Chris to ask if they could create a setting at the silo that would hide the advanced technology and instead feature benign experiments and show-and-tell, if perchance they had guests.

Chris emailed back that they could, but it would take a couple of days. They would move the advanced stuff to the new spaces.

Matt understood the meaning of Chris’s words.

“Proceed as if you are going to have uninvited guests,” Matt advised. “I will send some materials and R&D from St Louis to enhance the effect.”

“It will be done,” Chris replied.

Matt rocked back in his chair at home and pondered the scenario. He knew they couldn’t keep the discoveries a secret forever but had hoped it might be a while longer before someone pried into their activities.

Chris was right, and more than ever, Matt realized the discoveries made by the Fantastic Four could, in a breath, be turned into weapons with horrible consequences. Matt swore to do everything possible to nip any encroachment in the bud.

When Ling got home, Matt told her what had happened and asked if she had seen anything unusual around the Neurology Clinic. She hadn’t but would pay more attention. They spent the evening playing with Timmy.

It was four days later, on April 19th, when Matt received a call from Senator Coldwell. The senator had made some inquiries, but none of the agencies would confess.

“Senator, I will do a little counter-surveillance and let you know what we discover.”

Matt called Marcus and had him set up a face-to-face with the head of the security firm that handled gate and plant security in St. Louis.

Matt met Marcus and Giles Coleman for lunch at a small restaurant. Matt explained to Giles that he had another facility in Kansas and that recently some men had been observed staking it out. He asked Giles if he thought he might be able to look into things and find out who these men were and what they were doing. Matt emphasized that the men must not know they were under surveillance.

Giles had two men whom he thought might be right for the job. One was an employee who had recently retired from the Army Rangers as an instructor. The other was a private investigator whom Giles used when he needed surveillance to remain discreet.

That afternoon, Suchet verified that the sensitive materials had been moved to a secure area.

Matt had items shipped from Myoplex to Wichita for the silo.

Chris emailed two days later that they had the new materials prominently displayed. He said Ellie had gone so far as to make two of the systems operational.

Chris confirmed that the mystery men continued to observe the facility. They had moved locations several times, but between Chris and Eldridge, they’d spotted the men almost every day.

***

Two weeks passed. Matt received routine reports showing a pattern. Finally, the break he had been looking for occurred. On a Friday afternoon, one of the two men drove to Kansas City and went to the Federal Building. According to Giles’s report, his destination was the Homeland Security office. The security agency had photographs and some audio. Apparently, Homeland Security had decided to watch Suchet and everyone he contacted. Matt called Giles and thanked him and asked him to continue the surveillance.

“Mr. Lehman,” Giles said. “We think highly of your business, sir, but I don’t want to get crosswise with the government. Is there any reason for me to be concerned?”

“No,” Matt replied, “I wouldn’t put you in a position like that.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Giles said.

Matt called Marcus and asked if he could confirm that Suchet’s papers were in order. Matt knew from Charlotte’s original work-up that Suchet had no terrorist ties and that there was no justification for surveillance.

Matt emailed Suchet and Chris and advised Suchet to play it cool, particularly if approached by either of these men.

***

A week later, Matt had names and enough other information to go back to Senator Coldwell.

“Hello, Senator, this is Matthew Lehman.”

“Hello, Mr. Lehman, I was wondering when I might hear from you,” the senator’s cheerful voice carried from the phone.

“Well, Senator,” Matt responded, “I have some information that you might find interesting.”

“Matthew, tell me what you know.”

Matt relayed the basic contents of the file, including the department the men were reporting to, their names, and that they were private contractors for Homeland Security.

He could feel the senator’s anger through the line.

“Matthew, Homeland Security was one of the specific offices I inquired with, and they swore that they had nothing working in that area.”

“Senator, it seems that this agency does not care very much about the rule of law or the Constitution.”

Matt could almost hear the sizzle at the other end as the senator internally vented and was not surprised when the senator came back. “Matthew, you invited me to come and see your facility. Is that still a valid offer?”

“Anytime you like.”

“I will arrange to bring some friends to visit those responsible for this. Let me call you tomorrow with details.”

“Senator, I appreciate your help and look forward to us having a chat.”

True to his promise, Senator Coldwell called the next day with specific arrangements. They would meet on Monday. The senator had a very good friend at the regional FBI office, Camden Hart, and another close acquaintance at the Kansas State Police.

Even though he was a senator from Missouri, he was indeed well-connected across the region.

Early Monday morning, a team assembled at a parking lot in Wichita, a few blocks from where the men had rented rooms.

The FBI had obtained search warrants, and once they confirmed the men were on the hill, the raid on the hotel rooms took place. In less than thirty minutes, they searched the rooms, finding interesting documents and memos, including instructions to place unauthorized wiretaps on Suchet’s home. They packed the men’s belongings, and the lead agent informed the hotel manager that the men would not be returning.

At about noon, the FBI team effectively surrounded the hill, blocking all escape routes. Camden Hart gave the signal. The agents and the State Police closed in. The two men surrendered without incident.

Matt and Senator Coldwell sat in an FBI SUV, waiting and listening to the radio reports.

Once the agents and police secured the scene, Matt and the Senator were driven to the hill. The senator asked Matt to remain in the car. Matt gladly let the senator take the lead.

It took about twenty minutes. FBI agent Hart and the Senator collected names and authorizations. The men explained every detail of the operation. Apparently, they were contracted by Homeland Security, not actual government employees. Their instructions were to observe a suspected terrorist and collect all possible information.

The FBI put them in a car and drove away. Senator returned to the FBI SUV and asked Matt if the tour was still available.

“Senator, let’s head there now.”

They arrived at the silo at about two in the afternoon. Matt showed them into the facility.

The senator recognized what it was immediately. “This is an old Cold War missile silo, right?”

“Yes, we wanted a place that was completely out of sight and relatively remote.”

Matt invited the two FBI agents to join them with the senator. Agent Hart was not among them. He had gone with the two detained men.

They proceeded to the control room, greeted by the “Fantastic Four.” Matt introduced everyone and asked Suchet to show the senator and agents the facility.

Suchet explained that they were working on new data-transfer systems that would enable faster, more accurate information sharing between hospitals.

“We hope to provide a means for doctors at one facility to monitor and interact with doctors and patients in a remote facility. Suppose we could send real-time, high-resolution data, including all vital patient monitoring, from a clinic to a hospital via satellite. In that case, we could have specialists and experts at regional locations assist in diagnosing and prescribing care for patients, even in the remotest places on earth.”

He showed the senator a binder filled with data and said they were ready to execute their next test, and if the men wished, they could observe.

Matt recognized this as a variation on the NASA experiments and wondered if Chris had developed something new.

Doug and Ellie manned their stations, and Chris turned on three monitors showing the silo.

“This is where a Titan II missile would have been housed,” Matt said, “but the silo was never commissioned, so no missile or hardware was ever placed at this location.”

Chris picked up, “We first started this experiment for NASA using another design, but it was a bust. It wasn’t until Miss Coblentz proposed using specific ultra-frequencies to carry the data that we developed a plausible research track. Since several of the companies back in St Louis manufacture adaptable components, it gave us a good start. Our carrier frequencies are as fast as light waves, but much denser. Perfect for satellites. The issue is the volume of data. It takes a lot of bandwidth, and it’s not practical to tie up major communication satellites at this time.”

“Ready to start?” Suchet asked.

There was a pause as Ellie tapped through several display screens on her terminal.

“Ready,” Ellie said.

“Initiate,” Chris said.

Doug tapped the enter button on his keyboard.

Chris had pointed out that they were sending the signal from the top of the silo to the bottom, where the receiver would collect the data. Then, the computers would analyze and compare the transmitted and received bundles.

There was no beam of light on the video from the silo screen or any other indication that anything had happened. Conversely, activity on the computer screens flashed as data scrolled rapidly.

“Looks like a lot of information,” Matt asked.

“Very perceptive, Mathew,” Suchet said. “The mass of the data is roughly equivalent to the Library of Congress.”

“What?” Senator Coldwell gasped.

“From a data perspective,” Chris said, “not all that much. That’s about the same as five feature-length movies in HD.”

“Data received,” Doug announced.

“Running comparisons,” Ellie chimed in.

They were matter-of-fact in their approach, and it lent to the professionalism of the operation.

The seconds ticked. The computers began refreshing the screens with the results.

“96.2% accurate,” Ellie said, “3.2% scrambled, .6% lost.

“Very well,” Suchet said, “that is progress, but not nearly good enough for our requirements. We will start reviewing data tonight and reprogramming for another test tomorrow.

“Will you two be out-of-school tomorrow?” Chris asked Doug and Ellie.

“We’re done with classes,” Doug said, “and get diplomas this Saturday.”

“Graduate?” Matt apologized. “I will be there to cheer you two on.”

“You are students?” Coldwell asked.

“Yep,” Ellie said.

“What fields are you going into?” Coldwell inquired.

“Medicine,” Ellie said.

“Physics and engineering,” Doug advised.

Suchet interrupted. “Let’s show our guests some of the other projects we have in process.”

“Hold just a moment,” Matt said. “Senator, the reason this facility is here is that we do not want any of our competitors to have any knowledge regarding what we are working on. Do you each understand that it is expected that what you see will remain secret?”

The senator smiled, “Mr. Lehman, you have my word that nothing we see today will be divulged. Isn’t that correct, gentlemen?” The senator turned toward the agents.

Suchet showed them several other experiments in tissue growth and new wearable scanners. He finally got to the neuroimager, which the senator recognized.

“I’ve seen this before,” the senator jumped in. “This helped save my son’s life.”

“A significant part of this equipment was generated right here,” Matt said. “Doug and Ellie wrote the programs that analyze the signals from the hardware; Ellie came up with the idea of using fiber optics; and Dr. Kumar and Chris both had major input into the overall project. The bottom line is, Senator, your son is alive because of these four. Now you tell me. Do you see any terrorists?” The words snapped from Matt with anger he’d never intended, but he quickly realized he wasn’t alone.

The senator’s temples pulsed.

The senator spun on the two agents. “Well, gentlemen, do you see any terrorists here?”

They both shook their heads.

“Matthew,” he said, “this has been most enlightening, and I assure you that what we have seen will be held in confidence. I still want you to come to Washington and speak sometime.”

The senator paused, and Matt could sense his anger edging higher.

“When I leave here, we will be escorting the men from the hill to Kansas City, and by the time I am finished with them and their superiors, they will probably be mowing grass.

“I am a United States Senator, and I do not take kindly to agencies deliberately lying to me. As far as Dr. Kumar being subject to any suspicion, I will personally see that put to rest!”

He and Matt shook hands, along with the rest of the crew.

“Sometime in the future, I would like to have a chat with you about some other topics,” Matt said, “but until then, I want you to know that you have restored my faith in at least one part of our government.”

They again shook hands as the senator got into the SUV. He and the agents were gone. Matt and Suchet stood and watched until the SUV was out of sight before returning to the control room. Everyone sat quietly for several minutes.

“Was that data beam real or a hoax?” Matt asked.

“Very real,” Suchet replied.

“Shall we show Matt the new additions?” Chris chimed in.

“I think that’s a great idea!” Doug jumped up.

They were off through the tunnels to the silo and descended to the fifth level on the elevator.

Chris stopped the lift and opened the door to the outer circle. They walked halfway around, and all Matt could see were concrete walls.

He was beginning to wonder.

“I’ll get the door,” Ellie said.

She stepped to a section of the wall with a couple of large, rusty bolts protruding from the concrete. Chris and Suchet stood behind Matt, and Doug stood opposite Ellie, watching.

She grasped the bolts, and with a groan and tremendous pull, an eight-foot wide by eight-foot high, ten-inch-thick section of concrete came out of the wall. Matt was shocked. The little lady held the entire slab by those bolts.

“Shouldn’t someone help her?” Matt yelled.

Laughter erupted.

“It’s Styrofoam!” Ellie grinned. “The whole piece weighs less than twenty pounds.”

Matt joined in the laughter. The piece was marvelously camouflaged, blending perfectly with the wall. It was then that Matt saw what the Styrofoam had concealed. Behind it, a tunnel ran straight into the earth.

Doug grabbed an extension cord and plugged it in. The lights came on. Matt found himself awestruck. The tunnel had a flat floor about seven feet wide, with outward-curving walls that finally sloped inward to form a domed peak about eight feet high in the center. The entire tunnel was made of shiny metal, and the surfaces were glass-smooth.

Matt looked questioningly at Suchet.

“Titanium,” Suchet said, “it was the strongest material we could think of that we could generate ourselves.”

As they walked down the tunnel, Matt had a sense of stepping into a science fiction movie, half expecting aliens to pop out at any minute.

About eighty feet down the passageway, they came to an opening going to their left. Again, Doug located an extension cord and plugged it in. The lights came on, no longer a tunnel but a room, a large room. Round, fully forty feet in diameter, with outward-curving walls and a rounded domed ceiling.

Matt estimated the ceiling had to be 20 feet high. He found himself frozen in wonder.

“You’ve done all this in just a few months?”

“No,” Chris softly laughed, “this is not all. Would you like to see the rest?”

Matt smiled. These people continually blew him away with their ability to turn mountains into molehills.

“Lead on,” he said.

“Let’s show Matthew the new control room,” Suchet said, “and then he can see our toolbox.”

Doug hustled ahead, and they entered a room almost 60 feet in diameter with 25-foot ceilings.

“All are made of titanium.” Suchet said.

They had relocated the critical equipment from the old control room to this one and added dozens of new pieces of gear Matt had not seen before.

There were chairs, monitors, and even a conference table to one side. As they strolled about, Suchet and Chris were explaining some of the new hardware. Matt followed, staggered by what he heard.

“Doug,” Chris said, “let’s show Matt the toolbox.”

They headed into yet another passageway and, after almost a fifty-foot walk, entered a smaller room, only twenty feet in diameter. In the center, a strange unit, about four-foot-wide, six-foot-long, and five-foot-high. It had small, rubberized tank treads for propulsion, and at one end, an oddly shaped lens made of an extremely clear material. The unit had several electronic modules on the sides and a hinged box on the back.

Matt walked around it several times and finally looked up, “Ok, what is it?”

“This is an automated molecular reconfiguration unit,” Suchet said. “In one process, it will bore into the earth and form the walls you have seen or rooms. It uses the latest beam generator, tuned specifically for the required task, and is able to be operated remotely or via onboard programming.”

“Matthew,” Suchet smiled widely, “what Chris has done with the technology for the beam generator is phenomenal, and yet we are scratching the surface only!

“I would also like to point out,” Suchet continued, “most of the unit’s assembly was by Ellie and Doug, who also shared the programming responsibilities.

“With this tool, we can create cities. There is little limit to what can be accomplished,” Suchet beamed.

Matt was duly impressed and thought once again about making molehills out of mountains.

“There is one other thing about this unit,” Chris jumped in. “This is the first system we have equipped with the upgraded power supply.”

Chris walked to the back and unlatched a panel. Matt saw what looked like a titanium cube about twelve inches square.

“This power module has five times the capacity of the old one,” Chris said.

“Chris designed the whole thing,” Doug said, “and we all built parts of it. The neat thing is, if we programmed the unit to burrow a tunnel from here to England, it could do it. Plot the coordinates and turn the toolbox loose. You check back in a few months, and it’s done.”

Matt once again stepped around the unit. “Gentlemen, we need to talk, not just about this, but about the future.”

They strolled back to the new lab and discussed a wide series of things for several hours before breaking up.

***

Doug and Ellie’s graduation day was May 14th. There was full support for both graduates. Though they did not graduate as the top two students, they did graduate as the fifth and sixth students with identical GPAs. Matt was extremely proud, but not nearly so as Eldridge and Marcy, who were ecstatic.

Less than a month later, on June 11th, they were married. The wedding for Doug and Ellie was fabulous, and Matt sent the two off to the same South Pacific resort where he and Ling had honeymooned.

***

The newlyweds arrived back. Charlotte noted they had changed. Their relationship grew deeper, and they were learning how to live together, truly be themselves, and yet be one.

Charlotte and Ellie had several chats. Ellie needed to talk to another woman, not her mom, about life and marriage. It seemed that being married carried a lot more complications than either Ellie or Doug understood.

Charlotte reminded Ellie that marriage, like school, was a constant learning experience filled with compromises and sacrifice.

She sat the newlyweds down for her special counseling, reminding them that the one most important thing was that each morning, they needed to remember and remind each other that they loved one another and that there was no one on earth with whom they would rather spend the rest of their lives.

It seemed to help, and Charlotte watched as the newlyweds continued to grow.

***

In July, three people flew to Wichita from Wheatley University: two professors and the Dean of the School of Medicine. They thought they had come to interview two prospective students. It was a surprise when they stepped into the conference room at Wichita State and not only were Ellie and Doug there but also Dr. Lehman and her husband, Matthew, Dr. Suchet Kumar, and Dr. Christopher Martin.

It quickly became clear that the university was being interviewed. Chris asked about the facilities. Ellie was headed for medical school after completing pre-med, and Doug was going into engineering and quantum physics. Both had the qualifications and grades to enter.

Matt was the one who rocked the boat. “Here are the terms you’ll need to meet for these young people to attend your university. Both are working on graduate-level courses, and these will be focused on facilitating learning. We will pay all tuition, books, and fees. There will be no need for scholarships or grants.”

The Wheatly representatives’ faces showed their shock.

“There will be times when schedules will need adjusting to allow their participation in other research,” Matt continued. “Anything they develop on university time belongs to the University. Anything they develop outside of university time belongs to them and, by contract, to one of my corporations.”

One of the interviewers, the only woman, a professor in the Engineering school, stood, outraged that a university like Wheatley would even consider such terms. She all but demanded that the school representatives leave, but the dean, an older man, asked for patience.

“Ellie,” the dean asked, “I understand you have already been involved with medical research?”

“Yes,” Ellie replied, “I’ve been privileged to participate in the development of advanced instrumentation used in medical applications, primarily in the field of neurology. I’ve been active in research into tissue growth, as well.”

“I believe that the two of you,” The Professor continued, indicating Ellie and Doug, “were involved in developing the software used in the advanced neuroimager, which is now the cornerstone of our Neurology research department, as well as Baylor Medical Center.”

Dr. Lehman spoke, “They did not participate. They conceived and authored the software and are also responsible for the ongoing updates that are issued twice a year.”

“What other areas of expertise do you bring with you?” The other male professor asked.

“We both have extended experience in electrical, electronic, ultrasound, and power systems,” Doug said.

“These two are part of a team that has made phenomenal discoveries over the last several years,” Matt said. “They could stay where they are and have salaries well in excess of what professors make, but I believe that if these two continue their education, they have a chance to contribute to the world beyond what any of us could imagine. The question is, are you the school that will let them fully develop their potential?”

Matt’s challenge ruffled the Wheatley Representatives.

“Distinguished professors,” Suchet spoke before they had a chance to rebut. “I think it is important that you understand that we are expressing the terms you have heard, not to be, as you would say, hard asses. “These two are not only important to our ongoing research, but they, as individuals, are very precious and very much loved by each of us.”

His words defused the stress in the room.

Suchet continued, “We are primarily concerned about their welfare and will do anything in our power to assure their well-being. I will tell you, after teaching advanced physics for fifteen years, that I have never had students with the ability to function at extraordinarily high levels, such as Douglas and Ellie.

“I also have never had two students with the innate ability to find solutions, particularly where the answer lay outside the known parameters of science.”

He paused; his soft voice carried even more emotion.

“We care about their lives and want them in a program that will foster their creativity and their spirit, as well as their education.”

Time seemed to stop. Nine people sat silently, gazing at each other. One of the Professors suggested they take a few minutes to confer.

Ellie and Doug sat quietly, a little stunned after hearing Suchet speak. They had always liked him, but to hear him talk about their welfare as he would his children was emotional and meaningful.

The Wheatley professors returned and sat. The Dean took a couple of minutes to organize some papers.

“I have taught at this university for twenty-one years,” he said. “In all that time, I have never once had students, or their representatives, try to dictate terms, much less terms such as we have heard here today.”

He paused, glancing at Matt, “My concerns are twofold. One is that this sets a precedent with potential future ramifications. Even more, though, it is our honest belief that if these two go on to study elsewhere, it will be Wheatley University that loses. I therefore believe that we agree to your terms and would work with you to ensure that this is indeed a win-win situation for all involved.”

It was time for the fine print. Ling handed the representatives a hundred-page document that outlined Ellie’s medical studies and added, “I will serve as her tutor and mentor during these studies.”

Chris likewise handed a hundred-plus-page document to the representatives, outlining Doug’s studies. He also added that he and Dr. Kumar would be serving as tutors and mentors.

The meeting ended with handshakes, and Ellie and Doug hugged their friends, particularly Suchet.

***

True to his word, Matt had located a house for Doug and Ellie about twelve blocks from campus in an upscale neighborhood. It was purchased and upgraded, including state-of-the-art technology. He told Doug and Ellie they could go furniture shopping when they got there. Matt knew they didn’t have much to move.

Charlotte arranged for a moving service to handle the items they couldn’t get in the SUV.

July 30^th, Doug and Ellie loaded, ready to leave. Ellie had a panic attack, but with support and encouragement from her mom and dad, got control of her emotions.

Doug, for the first time, realized Ellie had never lived away from home and knew he would have to be extra patient and understanding while they adjusted.