The woman’s footsteps fell lightly on the plush carpeted floor. With arms crossed, and eyes glued forward, she paced the length of the hall. An ebb and flow of excited murmurs snaked past the heavy curtains separating her from the main stage.
“Anything?” She turned to her partner.
Seated in a cozy corner of the hallway, a tall woman with light hair tapped the arm of her chair. She looked composed, save the heaviness in her eyes. Her neatly-pressed dress shirt and high-waisted pants afforded her a distinguished air. The insignia of a golden beetle carved into an intricate brooch sat snuggly in the clasp of her layered bow tie and gleamed under the cold lights of the hallway. The light-haired woman stared at her reflection before unlocking her phone.
“They said noon, Vidya,” she replied, “give them time.” Her eyes lingered on the long list of unanswered emails she had been avoiding. With a stifled shudder, she put the device away.
“I should call them,” Vidya said. The physicist sat next to her partner, searching for the doctor’s number.
“You’ll do no such thing,” the light-haired woman said, snatching Vidya’s phone. “You’re up in a few minutes, and I can’t have you thinking about this now.”
“Adaline, how—”
“Welcome, one and all, to this momentous occasion!” An announcer’s voice rang across the arena. It was met with an equally loud applause from the crowd. “The Vichaar-Lace Foundation has been kind enough to share something truly special for this year’s conference.”
“How can you be so calm about this?” Vidya continued once the cheering had quieted down.
“Because there’s no changing it now,” Adaline said. She buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath. “And because, I’m tired of thinking about it.”
They held each other’s gaze. A shared silence. Comfortable. Numb.
“I’m sorry…” Vidya whispered. She ran her fingers gently through Adaline’s hair. The physicist’s eyes teared up and she looked away. “I just… I don’t want to do this alone. Any of it.”
“And you won’t.” Adaline took her partner’s hands in hers and smiled, “we’re going to fight this. But right now…”
“Now, I don’t think this woman requires an introduction,” the announcer began. “We all know her for her tremendous contributions in the advancements of molecular stabilization…”
“Yeah…I better get ready.” Vidya said, wiping her tears and clearing her throat.
“…and who could forget the case of the missing tangerine…?”
The door opened to let through a roar of guffaws from the crowd. A teenager, with deep hazel eyes and a determined step, slid into the hall as the door slowly closed behind her.
“Hey, it’s almost time—” she began, but stopped, looking between the two somber faces. “What’s with the doom and gloom…?”
“It’s—”
“Nothing, Xer. Mama’s just nervous,” Adaline interjected. “Are they ready for her?”
Vidya looked over at Adaline, who shook her head slightly.
“Everything okay…?” the girl asked, looking at Vidya. “Mama…?”
“Yes, my love. Let’s go,” Vidya followed her to the right wing of the stage.
“…may I now call to the podium, the brilliant, the one and only, Dr. Vidya Vichaar!” the announcer said as he pointed at the wing.
“Good luck!” The young girl leaped in for a hug, “I love you.” She held her mother tight, like a cub lost in the forest. They stayed, holding each other. A moment. Then another.
And then… before Vidya could say a word, Xernia let go. With a quick peck on the cheek, her daughter was gone. The physicist took a deep breath, before making her way to the stage. Through a wave of hurrahs and clamor, Dr. Vichaar saw the crowd for the first time. Smiles and waves all around. A sense of hope glimmered from their brilliant young faces as their eyes followed her every move. She had grown fond of that familiar gaze. She felt at home under it. After a moment’s pause to drink it in, she began.
“What an honor it is to be here,” she looked back at the gigantic white cloth draped over her ship. “And what a journey it has been.”
She turned back to face the audience and, with a smile, continued.
“Everything you’ve heard about this ship is true…” she said as she walked over to the hidden vessel. “Especially that bit about the missing tangerine.”
On the edge of their seats, the crowd roared and hooted.
“What say we see what’s under this, shall we…?”
The question was met with thunderous applause, and with a flourish, Dr. Vichaar revealed the Caper-5000.
But it wasn’t the marvelous ship that the papers had been talking about. The large cloth had concealed under it a blocky cardboard replica of the ship that was strangely detailed around the rim of the wheels. A few knowing nods and a growing number of confused looks filled the auditorium.
“Alright, alright, I’ve had my fun.” Dr. Vichaar laughed, “And yes, Xernia and I did spend our summer getting the wheels right.” She walked over and undid the clasps holding the pieces of cardboard together. The cutouts fell with a soft thud and a short burst of air. And there it was, the sight the crowd had been waiting for.
The ship was massive – almost twice the height of the physicist. The red and white panels were layered across the frame like sheets of paper. If someone saw it from a distance, it’d bear an uncanny resemblance to a medicine capsule. With copper-plated wheels, counterbalance canisters, and streamlined propulsion chambers the ship was a sight to behold.
Large bold letters marked, C-5K, rested squarely on the polished glossy finish of the metal. Stage lights danced and reflected off the ship’s surface in a spectacular array back onto the excited attendees.
“I’ve always been a big fan of pressing the big red button,” Vidya finally said, holding a remote with a prominently bright red button. “I wonder what this does…” She turned to the Caper-5000 and pressed the button gently.
With bated breaths, the audience waited.
A burst of air pulsed through the auditorium, and a large sound like that of lightning in a blender whirled around until finally, there was a blip, and the Caper-5000 was nowhere to be seen.
Dr. Vichaar walked over to the platform, where her ship had been, kneeled, and picked up what could have been confused for a toy.
On the large screens around the arena, the audience could see that she was, in fact, holding the Caper-5000.
It had shrunk!
Whispers suggesting the impossible and, gasps acknowledging the unseemly grew until, finally, there was deafening applause and cheers all around.
Adaline sat, beaming at her wife on stage, who grinned and winked back at her.
There was a buzz, and she knew. With a deep breath, she opened the email from the hospital.
…tested Positive.
A moment of weakness, and then… She put her phone away and joined the crowd in their ovation, because, in that moment, everything could still be okay.