CELL PHONE LOG - BARRETT <-> MORGAN

[gluttoning]

Comments

[gluttoning]

Yeah. :-)

I hope you like them. And I hope they like you.

I can probably introduce you to Lucas at the game if you want.

[tablescraps]

Sure. I'll have the time. You said he's the oldest?

[gluttoning]

Yeah. He just turned 27 this year.

[tablescraps]

I guess we're the same age. What does he do?

( like, employment-wise )

[gluttoning]

Senior director of management and finance. [Insert some enormous company in the Sacramento area here]

I think he is gunning to be CFO or something. The CEO is good friends with him and comes to our house for dinner sometimes.

[tablescraps]

Oh, I know that company. He's doing well for someone his age.

( Sounds like the family is in good hands, at least. )

And you mentioned Aiden started his own makeup brand. What do the others do?

[gluttoning]

Yeah. He's worked hard. I don't think he's taken a single day of vacation since we moved away, except to watch us all graduate.

We don't know what Matt does anymore. He likes to invest in weird stuff but he keeps going broke. He just comes back to the house sometimes to eat all my frozen pancakes and ask for money to get him back on his feet.

Levi's studying IT. I think he wants to do other things, but Lucas has kind of had rough talks with him about it.

Damian is out studying... books? I dont remember. He's at a private school by San Diego. He goes to weird events and takes photos with a lot of rich people. He wants to go to a different, better college out of state - maybe for his masters.

Booker's in school with me. We share a room, so we take care of each other. He wants to be a astrophysicist.

[tablescraps]

( The contrast between Matt and the rest of them... )

Does Booker's program require a capstone project? I used to do some work for NASA. I could probably recommend him to someone there, if that's relevant.

[gluttoning]

You worked for NASA?

Hold on

[...

...]

He said he hasn't talked about the senior work yet with his advisor so he isn't sure. We're just freshman right now.



I think he'd really enjoy it, though. Being able to go to NASA, I mean.

[tablescraps]

( Freshmen... )

Okay. When he needs it, let me know.

( They have all the time in the world, surely. )

I was a researcher who studied quantum physics, though at this point I've dipped into some number of adjacent fields. Government agencies, NASA most commonly, would tap me to participate in their research projects.

In my free time, I was studying the principles of teletransporation - or teleporation - to bring it out of the realm of science fiction. I guess I shouldn't really talk about it too much, but I don't know if I'll really return to it, so it might not really matter...

1/2

[gluttoning]

[He just


stares at his phone for a minute.]

/2

[gluttoning]

You're a lot smarter than I could even think of.

I don't get it. I'm sorry. But it sounds really impressive.

I didn't think teleporting existed. Except for Star Trek.

[tablescraps]

It didn't. I managed to demonstrate the first step of the process of teleportation... but my accident happened, so I guess progress is in stasis again.

The science behind it is complex, but it's mostly just indulgent. I enjoyed working it out, like a puzzle. Maybe it's like playing sports for you.

[gluttoning]

I wouldn't call football a puzzle for me. :-) Just hard work.

Would you want to go back and try again someday?

[tablescraps]

Probably not. I lost the desire to continue my work with everything else.

( rip to the investors he ghosted who are probablt very upset right now )

It's also complicated. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but... I think that man probably doesn't want me to continue my research, either.

( He's kind of just... stuck... )

[gluttoning]

What he wants shouldn't matter.

He's never going to be satisfied, anyway.

[tablescraps]

No, he won't be.

But I'm not sure if I want to attract his attention or not. If he does care, then he'll probably approach me. Though... there's always a chance he may no longer care about me at all.

[gluttoning]

Do you think he'd try to do something to you again?

[tablescraps]

He might.

( Or maybe Mithrun just wants to believe he'll care enough to do something about it personally - instead of sending some henchmen to handle things at a flick of his wrist.

There's nothing worse than being angry with someone who doesn't care about you. )

It depends on whoever he's with now. He likes stoking desires in a person and fulfilling those wants. If the person he's with now has business interests that would be hindered by my research...

( ... then he'd do something. How personally, Mithrun can't be sure. But he suspects that has to be the only reason he would've cared to interrupt his research the first time, besides just being done with Mithrun.

Mithrun had run his course, and couldn't satisfy his hunger anymore. )

[gluttoning]

Then do your research in private. For fun. Or whatever it is scientists like to do with their science.

You shouldn't let him touch you again.

[tablescraps]

( He'd probably find out - that's Mithrun's instinct. There was always a risk Mithrun's choices would catch up with him.

But - if they didn't... If he really didn't care - if he was no longer with anyone who wanted Mithrun's research gone...

What was left for Mithrun then? )

Live, do my research, and die old... Is that what you mean?

[gluttoning]

And eat a smurf at least once. Maybe.

And wait until I read Moneyball so I can talk to you about it. :-)

But yeah. That's what I mean. If your research is something that is important to you again someday. Or if you learn you do like the idea of being a chef again. Or an astronaut. Or the guys who drive ice cream trucks. Or just being Morgan and not doing any of that.

You still don't need him anymore.

[tablescraps]

( ...

He still isn't sure, but. )

You said you can cook, right?

[gluttoning]

Sort of. I like eating more than cooking. But I like making nice stuff or barbeque for my family sometimes.

Why?

[tablescraps]

Teach me. At least the basics.

I don't know if I'd become a chef. But maybe I can manage a dish you'd like.