“Are you?”
“Good God no. I’m a good ole straight guy. Gay is so far from my thoughts you would have to count them in light years,” he told her.
“You don’t like me then?”
“Kelly. Stop it. Sure I like you. I’ve enjoyed working with you every day. But if you’re asking why I haven’t tried to hit on you, it’s simple. I have an opportunity that I never thought I would have. This project is a chance to change my life and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that.”
“Well James, it doesn’t have to get in the way but you don’t have to pretend you don’t at least think about it.”
“Sure I do Kelly. I would have to be blind and stupid to not at least let it cross my mind but then I have to look at the bigger picture and I can keep it under control,” James told her, trying to gauge her reaction.
“Did you ever stop and think that it might be worth it?” she asked.
“Come on Kelly. I don’t have a rich father and I am certainly not model material like you are. I’m going to have to work for a living. I have to make my own way in life. No one is going to look out for me but me,” he told her.
“So I’m just another spoiled brat who has it made in life.”
James didn’t answer. It was a trap. No matter how he answered it would be wrong.
Instead he said, “We all have our pros and cons going for us. You have more pros than most. I have more cons. I’m going to have to work three times as hard to make something of myself.”
“I may have to tell people you are gay since you are essentially saying no,” she said, not smiling.
“Do what you have to do Kelly. If that makes you feel vindicated then do it. I honestly don’t care. I know who I am and that’s the most important thing to me, not what you say or others think,” James said turning and walking off.
“I will,” she shouted after him.
He just waved over his shoulder and kept on walking. He decided she wasn’t nearly as pretty as she looked on the outside.
Abigail was waiting for him when he walked into the lab to change into his lab coat.
“I need a word with you,” she said and stepped into the hall.
“Kelly came to see me. She asked if you could be put with someone else. I assume there is a problem.”
“Not from my perspective.”
“You wouldn’t jump her bones, right?”
James blushed and just nodded.
“That’s usually the case with a male that she doesn’t want to work with. Unless you are a conquest you must be gay.”
“Did she actually say that?”
“No, she never does. She just hints at it.”
“She is something else,” James replied
“Not the brightest person on the project is she?” Abigail asked.
“Not even close. Why is she here? Her dad?”
“Exactly. That’s where a majority of the funding for this project came from. Without his financial support we wouldn’t be working on this.”
“So the little rich girl gets a free ride.”
“James, life isn’t fair. Those with a great deal of money can pretty much call the shots. The rest of us just live with what we can and throw out the rest of it. The strange thing is, Kelly’s father is a very decent man, unpretentious and humble. You would never know he was a millionaire many times over.”
“She certainly makes up for it.”
“Yes indeed. So, I want you to work directly with me from now on. I don’t know how this will affect your schedule. Take a look at it and let me know if there are conflicts,” she told him.
“Wow. That’s super. I can work around any conflicts that crop up. My regular job is pretty flexible.”
“Good. Just let me know of any problems,” Abigail said.
“When does this change take place?”
“Monday. 1:00 o’clock.”
“I’ll be here. Thank you Professor Montgomery.”
“No problem Mr. Erwin,” she said.
The formality was for a student who stopped and was reading a bulletin board across from them. He was obviously listening to their conversation.
CHAPTER FIVE
“As of this week, the Planet X project is going to escalate a couple of notches. The sponsors want to have a progress report within six weeks. What we accomplish during that time may well determine the future funding of the project. I’ve made a few changes so please pay attention.
“Jessica, you are now working with Chloe and Kelly on the spectrometer analysis data we have logged. I want a concise statement, including the supporting evidence of the accumulated data, to date. Lewis, Andy, and Brian will be doing the supporting math. I want your work checked, double checked, and then checked again. Let me know when you think you have something or run into a problem. Ruth and Jeff will be on the telescope every other night. James and I will be taking the other shifts. People, we need to have some supporting evidence that a tenth planet exists or did exist at one time. We need to look far beyond the major asteroid belt. Think outside the box people. Any questions?” Doctor Montgomery asked.
“When does this take affect?” Brian asked.
“Now. James and I will work the telescope tonight and then alternate with Ruth and Jeff. I know six weeks sounds like a long time but trust me, it will be on us before we even realize it. No dogging, I need a hundred percent effort every shift. Anyone uncomfortable with that should come see me immediately. Anything else?”
No one spoke up.
“Good. Then Ruth and Jeff, I want you to come with James and me. I want to lay out the area we are going to concentrate in,” Montgomery said.
She led them down the hall to where the newest telescope was located. They were lucky in some respects. The new version for the Synoptic Survey Telescope had only been online less than a year. It was one of the more advanced telescopes currently in operation anywhere. Using the latest technology in spin-cast mirrors it was a remarkable piece of equipment. A larger one was being developed but was several years from completion.
Dr. Montgomery went over the declination and right ascension parameter assignments for the next two weeks. Every object was to be catalogued and checked against the SkySafari Manual.
“I want you to check them against the Miao Jun Least Square Method of Celestial Body Location. If deviations occur, note them and bring them to my attention. I want facts backed up with supporting data.”
“Holy smokes Professor Montgomery, I’m not even sure I understand the math behind the Least Square method. That’s a little over my head,” Jeff said.
“I know it's daunting but get Lewis…no, better yet, Brian to help you if you get stuck. He can’t stand not being able to figure out a math problem. Pick his brain. He will be like a bulldog with a piece of raw meat,” the Professor replied.
“Do we even have that manual here?” Jeff asked.
She smiled, opened her briefcase and dropped the manual on the desk.
“I thought you would never ask. I’m tired of lugging that thing around. Is everyone clear regarding his or her assignments for the next couple of weeks?”
She got positive assurances all around.
“Fine. James and I will be back in at 8:00 P.M. to relieve you. Make sure you leave everything for us to look over and we will do the same. Write neatly please. I don’t want to have to guess about anything.”
She gathered up her things, said goodbye and left. James wasn’t exactly sure what he should do now. It was just a little after 2 o’clock. Jeff and Ruth flipped a coin to determine who went first on the telescope. Finally James decided to go eat and get in a nap if possible.
CHAPTER SIX
James arrived fifteen minutes before their shift was supposed to start. The last thing he wanted was to be late.