Inversion Page 5

  Nick looked around the room. There was no one else around. He debated whether or not he should tell Carson what was on his mind. Nick decided against it. There was no telling how he would react and it was a long drive to the museum. He didn’t want it to be an awkward one.

  Carson sat on the bench next to Nick. “So how have you been? I haven’t talked to you since. . . I can’t even remember when.”

  “It has been a while,'' Nick agreed. He thought about the past three years that they had stopped talking. Three years. Four months. Seventeen days.

  There was so much that he wanted to tell Carson. So much that he couldn’t. Nick shook his head, trying to free up any good memories that he could share. Nothing came out.

  “It’s been good,” Nick lied. “Just busy getting ready for college.”

  “That’s good,'' Carson said.

  An awkward silence hung in the air. Neither one of them knew what to say to the other.

  Luckily the sizzle of the speakers at the front of the room broke the silence.

  “We are now loading the buses going to the Aldridge Museum. If you are in the building please make your way to the busses. Again. . .”

  “I guess that's us,'' Nick said. He threw his backpack over his shoulder.

  “Do you want to sit with me,” Carson asked him.

  Nick blushed. “R-really?”

  “Sure. We can use the time to catch up.”

  “I’d love to,” Nick grinned.

  The bus struggled to get up to speed as it merged onto the highway. The trees outside passed by in a blur of browns and greens. Augusta was more than an hour away from Bishop Bay which gave Carson and Nick more than enough time to catch up.

  Carson shifted in his seat so that he could face him.

  “So besides preparing for college, what else have you been up to?”

  “Nothing really. Just school and piano. There’s not much else to do.”

  Nick sat low in the seat, his knees pressed up against the seat in front of him. His feet swung back and forth, tapping against the leather.

  “Are you excited or nervous?”

  “Excited,” Nick answered. “I’ve never been to a museum before.”

  “Really? How come?”

  “No one to take me,” Nick said.

  Carson didn’t understand. “Couldn’t you just get your parents to take you?”

  Nick’s expression hardened. His excitement quickly disappeared. His feet stopped tapping.

  “My mom left. Remember?” His voice was so low that Carson had barely heard him.

  “I’m sorry. I forgot.” He kicked himself for not remembering all the arguments that he had heard whenever he was at Nick’s house.

  “Don’t worry about it,'' Nick mumbled. He reached up and grabbed the seat to help himself sit up. The long sleeve of his shirt pulled back, revealing a dark purple bruise that circled around his wrist.

  Curiosity got the better of Carson.

  “What happened,” he asked Nick, pointing to the thin lines.

  “Nothing,” he said, quickly pulling the sleeves back over his wrists.

  “Those don’t look like nothing.” Carson slid closer to Nick. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Did your dad do that to you?”

  “N-No,” he stammered. “I got it a while ago. In gym.”

  Carson didn’t believe him for a second.

  “It’s nothing,'' Nick said.

  “Nick. . .”

  “I said it’s nothing!” Nick’s voice rose above the noise of the rest of the bus. Everyone’s eyes were on them.

  Carson held a hand up. “Sorry,” he said.

  Nick moved to the edge of the seat, determined to put himself as far away from Carson as he could. The rest of the bus ride went by under a heavy silence, Nick only speaking when the museum finally came into view.

  “Wow,” he uttered mostly to himself. He leaned over Carson, trying to get a better view through the window.

  The pointed spires of the Aldridge museum reached high into the sky above them. Thick vines of green wrapped around the dark bricks. The building easily took up an entire block. Carson welcomed the feeling of nostalgia. He could easily remember the last time his grandfather had brought him to the opening of one of the exhibits. Carson couldn’t remember which one it was for. All he could remember was how excited he had been. Carson was now feeling the same sense of excitement.

  The busses emptied out into the busy parking lot. Nearly every spot was already filled with a mix of cars and people. When it was their turn to get off Nick jumped out of the seat without saying a word to Carson. Outside, the teachers and the few parents that were forced to volunteer to chaperone split the students into groups. Carson made his way towards the teacher that he had been assigned to. She was a tall skinny woman with long grey hair. Carson had seen her plenty of times around school before but couldn’t remember her name. In line, he searched through the crowd for Abigail and Jacob. He was disappointed to find that they were placed into other groups. The only person in his group that he really knew was Nick, who stood next to him with his arms crossed. He still had yet to speak to him.

  Once everyone was where they needed to be, Mr. Underwood spoke to the group. His voice barely carried over the sound of the traffic passing by.

  “Alright everyone. In just a minute we’re going to go into the museum and watch a special presentation that will be given by the famous Robert Aldridge. For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Aldridge is a world renowned archaeologist as well as the curator of the museum. After his presentation we will all split off into our separate groups and tour through the exhibits.”

  He eyed Jacob suspiciously. “Leave the news reporters alone. You are all representing Bishop Bay High. You are all responsible and mature young adults. Please act like it.”

  The group moved together as one towards the entrance of the museum. Anxiety started to creep into Carson like ice on a lake. There were too many people around for comfort. Carson had hoped for a quiet, peaceful day but it didn’t look like it was going to be. He wondered what his grandfather was really doing. Why the need to invite so many people?

  To calm himself he started to distract himself, picking out details from the building in front of him.

  The Aldridge museum didn’t look like any other museum that Carson had ever been to. While others looked like any other old building, this one looked more like a castle. It was more than three stories tall with pointed towers built into each of its four corners. It was easy to see how the ancient castles of Scotland influenced his grandfather’s decisions when he was building the museum. Despite its foreboding look the landscape around it was bright and cheerful. Bushes and flowers of all sizes and colors lined the pathway that led up to its main doors. The inside of the museum was even more elaborate. While the exterior was more square and jagged, its interior was more circular and smooth. The majority of the first floor had been cleared out to make way for the presentation. A thick round tube made of glass had been placed in the very center of the floor. It stretched straight into the ceiling above them. Carson stared at it curiously. The tube hadn’t been there the last time he visited.

  A group of scientists wearing dark red lab coats stood huddled around a set of small computers. Carson paused in front of the tube as his group passed it. He watched them to make sure they hadn’t noticed he fell behind. He pressed his hand against the glass. It felt warm, a small vibration coming from somewhere inside of it. Carson circled around it, inspecting it.

  “A curious mind makes for a fantastic person,” someone said behind them.

  Carson whipped around to see his grandfather watching him.

  “And fantastic people are always insatiably curious,'' Carson said, finishing the words his grandfather would always say to him when he was a kid. Robert liked to say things like that to him. It made Carson feel like he had a special place in the world. Most people had secret handshakes or inside jo
kes. They had sayings.

  Carson wrapped his arms around his grandfather.

  “I’m glad you came,” he said, embracing his grandson. “Is your mother here?”

  Carson shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t ride with her but she said that she was going to come.”

  Robert looked hopeful. “I hope so. This is a big day for me. For all of us.”

  “Anyways,” he said, changing the subject. “How has everything been? I heard you're graduating soon.”

  “It’s been good for the most part. Graduation is in two months.”

  “Well I’m sure you’re going to go on to do great things,'' Robert said.

  “I’m looking at a school on the west coast.”

  “That's great,” Robert exclaimed. “Make sure you keep in touch.”

  “I will,” Carson said. He was glad to have at least one person supporting his decision to leave Maine. Carson motioned to the giant glass tube. “So what’s this thing,” he asked.

  Robert placed his hand on the glass. “This? This is my life’s work. I spent over twenty-two years perfecting its design.”

  Robert’s dark green eyes sparkled. “It’s going to change the world.”

  “You think so?''

  Robert grasped Carson’s shoulder and gave it a firm shake. “Absolutely. You’re going to be a part of the history that’s going to be made here today.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  |||||

  WORD HAD GOTTEN AROUND about the famous Robert Aldridge’s newest invention. It was rumored that it was going to save the world from collapse. Excited chatter filled the air. The anticipation was building. Everyone was impatiently waiting for the presentation to begin. Scientists in dark red lab coats hurried around a setup of computers, pressing a variety of flashing buttons. Reporters stood around the outer edge of the circle, working diligently to ready their equipment. Giant T.V. monitors had been set up on the railing of the second floor. Carson watched the slideshow that was being shown on their screens. They showed pictures of different famous archaeological places from around the world. Carson recognized some of them; the pyramids of Giza, the Mayan temples in Mexico, and Machu Picchu in Peru. His grandfather had taught him about them all.

  “Is it about to start,” Nick asked, startling Carson.

  “I think so,” he replied. Nick seemed even more excited than he had on the bus. His entire attitude had changed completely. He looked as if he was about to rocket off into the ceiling at any second.

  “Hey,” Carson said. “I just wanted to say sorry. About earlier. It wasn’t my place to say anything.”

  “It’s fine. Just don’t bring it up again.” Nick sounded stern. Carson had never heard that from him before.

  “Got it.”

  Nick watched Carson out of the corner of his eye. Of course he had forgiven him. How could he stay mad at him? Feeling light-headed, Nick wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. His heart felt like it was going to explode. This was it. After years of waiting, he was finally going to tell Carson how he felt. Nick opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a loud pop that came from the speakers set up around them.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Robert said into a microphone that had been clipped to his expensive suit. Everyone’s attention turned to the center of the room.

  Robert continued. “Good morning and welcome to the Aldridge Museum. I, along with the Solaros Foundation, would like to thank you for joining us on such a momentous day.”

  Robert walked along the edge of the crowd as he spoke. Dozens of cameras moved quickly to keep him in their frames.

  “For all of recorded history, humanity has always relied on a greater power to ensure their survival. The sun gave way to fire, fire evolved into electricity, and now electricity has been replaced by nuclear power.” As Robert spoke pictures showing what he was talking about flashed across the screens above them,

  “As humanity has evolved so has its ability to capture, harness, and create energy. But right now we find ourselves at a dangerous crossroad. If we continue the way we are, if we refuse to evolve any further, then we will not make it into the next century. Our planet is dying. Our resources are diminishing. Without taking the next necessary step it won’t be long until we find ourselves back in the Dark Ages. Trust me, that’s not somewhere you want to be. That is, if we even survive the collapse of society as we know it.”

  Robert walked over to the tube and touched it longingly. He looked at it like it was a long lost child that had finally come back home.

  “Today I am attempting to do just that. You see, the natural world is governed by a set of laws. The Law of Conservation of Energy is just one such law.”

  Robert paused for a moment. He knew that if he spoke too fast then no one would understand what he was saying. He needed them to understand.

  “In layman's terms this law states that energy can’t be created or destroyed. All of the energy that is present in this universe has been here since the beginning of time, and will last far longer than we will. The amount of energy we have is finite and we are currently learning that truth the hard way.”

  Carson heard murmurs of agreement behind him. Robert heard them too. The room reacted to every word that he said. He soaked in the spotlight that was shining on him.

  “Today I am excited to reveal to you the next step in our evolution. Your desperate cry for help ends today. Without further ado, I present to you, the God Complex.”

  Robert thrusted his arms towards the glass tube. As he did so one of the scientists, a woman with fiery red hair, pressed a series of buttons on a flashing console.

  The floor of the museum vibrated. A bright light shot up through the tube, filling it with an ominous blue glow. Surprised gasps were drowned out by its loud buzzing. Seconds later the beam was focused into a thin blue line. The air in the room felt charged with electricity. The hairs on Carson’s arm stood on end. The monitors changed to show a live feed of the lab below them. Carson could barely make out a small black object in the middle of a glass room. The strange device gave off the same glow as the beam that was in front of him, the light enveloping it like an eerie fog. Robert continued his speech all the while the audience was staring up in awe.

  “Carson,” he called to him. “Would you mind helping me for a minute?”

  Carson shook his head. There was no way he could do anything with this many people watching him. He could already sense the cameras turning, their eyeless bodies staring at him. Robert’s expression changed slightly. He grasped Carson’s shoulder and softly pulled him away from the safety of his group.

  He felt hundreds of eyes following him as he was brought out into the center of the room.

  Robert’s voice still sounded deep despite the ringing in Carson’s ears.

  “Everyone, I would like to introduce you all to someone very special to me. This is my grandson Carson. He has walked with me through the halls of this very museum ever since he was a kid and I thought it would be fitting for him to help me demonstrate the incredible power of the God Complex.”

  The applause made Carson swallow hard. He fought hard to not run back and hide. Looking around the room he found his mother. She gave him a smile and nodded, the blue light reflecting in her eyes.

  “Carson,” Robert said. “Could you please pull out your cell phone?”

  Carson pulled the thin black rectangle from his pocket. His arms felt like they were heavy.

  “What do you notice that’s different about it,” Robert asked him.

  Carson looked it over for whatever it was his grandfather was talking about. It wasn’t until after he flipped it over a few times with trembling hands that he noticed the small green light at the top of the screen. Just to be sure he wasn’t seeing things he unlocked it and looked over the small white symbols that lined the top of the screen.

  “It’s charging,” Carson said.

  “Louder,” Robert whispered to him.

  “
It’s charging,” he said again.

  The crowd pulled out their own phones to see it for themselves. Confused excitement rang out from the crowd. Every phone in the building was being charged. Robert gave Carson a tap on his shoulder and motioned for him to go back. He was more than happy to oblige.

  “The God Complex is a unique energy source. While activated, it creates a one-of-a-kind electromagnetic field. Any electrical devices within that field can be powered indefinitely. Of course, this Complex is only big enough to power everything within the museum. The larger the Complex is, the larger its energy field will be. Pending approval, Solaros and I have plans on testing one that will be able to power an entire city.” Robert flashed a grin towards Ellie. He had kept his promise.

  “Our future is here,” Robert shouted.

  The audience broke into a deafening cheer. Nick joined in, screaming as loud as he could.

  “That was so cool,'' he exclaimed. “Do you think you could introduce me to him?”

  Robert excused himself from the reporters and joined the scientists. He looked back and forth between the monitors and the icy blue light. His face contorted into a worrisome expression.

  “Maybe later,” Carson said. “Let’s go meet up with the group.”

  Robert whispered orders to his people. Two of the researchers stayed behind while the rest of the group hurriedly followed Robert to a nearby elevator. The scientist with red hair was right on his heels, reading something to him from a tablet. They piled into the elevator, Robert pressing the door close button repeatedly. Just as the heavy metal doors slid shut the monitors above the room went black.

  CHAPTER TEN

  |||||

  ON THEIR WAY BACK to the rendezvous spot Carson and Nick ran into Jacob.

  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,'' Carson said to him.

  “Dude! That was amazing,'' Jacob said, high fiving Carson.

  “It was pretty cool,” Carson admitted.

  Nick tapped Carson on the shoulder.