instantly countrywide without being filtered through the news media? How about instantaneous access to the stock market? What would happen if it became worldwide?”
“Maybe that would bring about a better world than we have now, Dr. Baker.” Edison scratched his nose, and adjusted his glasses. He would have done anything to bring this conversation to a close. He had been raised to seek the truth, to test hypotheses and concepts against reality, but now he was being told that was wrong.
Dear God, an idealist!
Baker shook his head.
“Let me put it another way, Edison. Your government, your country, needs your abilities. There is a department called ARPA, the Advanced Research Projects Agency. The Pentagon runs it. The people there are very interested in your work. They want you to consult for them—part-time. I know you’ve already agreed to do research work at Bell Labs, but this won’t interfere. The only catch is you cannot publish your dissertation and you cannot discuss it with anyone. Officially, your paper title and material will be classified and a replacement will be substituted.”
“Dr. Baker, I’ve never heard of ARPA.”
“Well, they’ve heard of you. That’s all you need to know for now—that and the fact that I work for them. Are you interested? Tell me now.”
Edison just stood there, not knowing what to say.
“I’ll be honest, Edison. You really only have one option. If you don’t accept, it will be as though you never attended this university. Everything you’ve done here will stay here. It won’t be my doing, though. Neither one of us has a choice on this.”
Edison still didn’t speak. After a moment or two, he nodded his head yes, then turned and walked out of the office.
Welcome to the real world, boy.
Edison walked aimlessly across the campus, head down, a frown on his face, his mind in turmoil. Until this moment, things had been so black-and-white simple. Something worked or it didn’t. If it worked, you used it; if it didn’t, you fixed it. The only complexities involved dealing with people. On that score, things had never been easy for him, no matter how hard he had tried to apply the laws of physics to human relationships.
Naïve as he was, he knew immediately that Professor Baker’s offer was no offer; it was an ultimatum. As the professor had said, he had no choice—he had to accept. But he didn’t have to like it. Besides, sometimes passivity had its own rewards.
Now if he could only get his personal life in order.
His studies took up so much time and his shyness was sometimes so overpowering that he hadn’t had a steady girlfriend all through college. Yet he fantasized about starting a family. He wanted children he could love and teach. He wanted to see them grow and learn to love the things that fascinated him. He also wanted someone to share his feelings, someone to love and to be loved by. Even he knew that you could talk to a piece of equipment only so long before realizing it couldn’t sympathize when things went wrong.
He had tried school mixers, clubs, athletic groups, and even cycling competitions. About the only thing he hadn’t tried yet was the canoe club.
He had always liked water activities.
Maybe, just maybe, there might be someone there who...
He stopped himself.
Face it, Bob Edison, you’re lonely.
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