Karen D. Badger - Yesterday Once More (24 page)

“Either in the hardware design or in the software algorithm. This implant is smaller, but are there any fundamental changes in the hardware compared to the original?”

Kale thought for a moment before answering. “We can pull out the blueprints and do a point by point comparison. I believe the basic structural design of the implant is the same—just smaller.”

“You were able to use the same basic hardware, but a smaller version of it?”

Kale frowned. “Exactly. Why the twenty questions?”

Jordan turned her attention to her computer screen. “I’m sorry. I’m not doubting you. I just need to be certain we’re looking in the right place for the malfunction. I have a hunch. Give me a few minutes.”

Kale waited as Jordan called up line after line of algorithmic code. Twenty minutes later, Jordan froze and stared at the screen. “Hmm… I wonder…” she murmured, paging back several screens.

“What? What did you find?”

Jordan looked at Kale. “Before I change anything, we need to record the rats with the current configuration of the implant for comparison’s sake. Then, I want to spend some time reviewing the baseline until I either confirm or deny my hunch, okay?”

“You got it.” Kale turned to the technician who was recording their observations on the rats.

“Chuck, turn on the video. We need to create a baseline behavioral record of the test subjects.” He turned back to Jordan. “Come on. Let’s get a coffee. I’ll go out of my mind if we stand here and watch them for the next twenty minutes.”

“No, you go ahead. I want to do a little more research into this algorithm. There’s a lot riding on this. You can bring me back a coffee though. And say hi to Andi for me while you’re at it, and if that should take longer than twenty minutes, I’ll understand.” Jordan winked.

Kale blushed and shook his head. “You know me too well. However, Andi is at the institute this afternoon, so I’m shit out of luck. I’ll be back soon.”

Kale handed a coffee mug to Jordan. “Any luck?”

“Actually, yes. I’ve viewed the tape several times, and I think I’m on to something.”

“What do you think the problem is?”

“Significant digits,” Jordan replied.

“Significant digits? Can you elaborate?”

“Sure. As you know, the algorithm supplies current alternately to each side of the injury. It appears the code which controls the timing for current delivery has a different number of decimal points for one side of the injury compared to the other. Because of that, there’s a pause between the pulses. It’s that pause that’s causing the jerky movements.”

“Hmm, I see,” Kale said. “So all we need to do is change the line of code to reflect the correct number of significant digits and it should deliver a continuous current.”

“Exactly. If you’re ready to test it, I’ll change the code right now and try it out.”

“Go for it.” Kale gave Chuck his instructions while Jordan made the algorithm changes and downloaded the updated software.

“All right, ready when you are.”

The newly-programmed memory chips were placed in the rats, and the rats were positioned in their “starting gates” at the far end of the test field. Kale watched the table closely. “Okay, Chuck, open the gates and let them out.”

Kale and Jordan held their breaths as the rats emerged from the gates. One by one they made their way across the table at an even, steady gait. All spasmodic movement was gone. Kale took Jordan’s hand and squeezed tightly as the results spoke for themselves.

Kale couldn’t stop grinning. “You did it! How the hell did you know?”

“It pays to be a computer geek.”

“You’re a genius! This is a momentous breakthrough. You, me, and Andi should celebrate tonight.”

“I’m always in the mood to party. What did you have in mind?”

“Maybe dinner out? How does that sound?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“My stomach hurts. Why did you let me eat so much?” Jordan whined as Kale carried her back into the house and placed her on the couch.

“Like I was going to stop you? Every time we go there, you tell me not to let you eat so much, but you do it anyway.”

“I can’t help it. I love Indian food.”

“It was really good,” Andi said. “That was a first for me. I grew up in a meat-and-potatoes kind of family. Indian wasn’t something I ever thought of eating, but it was fantastic. Thanks for suggesting it, Jordan.”

“You’re welcome. How about a nice warm drink while we wind down for the evening? I make a mean Kahlua coffee if anyone is interested.”

“Tell you what. Kale, I’ll give Jordan a hand with the drinks if you start a fire,” said Andi.

“Sounds fair. One fire, coming right up.”

Andi helped Jordan into her chair and followed her into the kitchen. She set up the coffeepot while Jordan poured a shot of Kahlua into the cups.

“That algorithm error was a huge discovery this afternoon. You should be proud of yourself for finding it.”

Jordan was embarrassed by the praise. “It was nothing. I’m sure someone else would have found it eventually. No big deal.”

“It certainly is a big deal, and I’m not so sure someone else would have found it as quickly as you did. That algorithm had been in use for several weeks, and no one even questioned the awkward movement of the test subjects. I think it may have cut weeks off the testing. We may be closer to implanting it in you than we thought.”

Jordan was suddenly nervous. Andi reached for her hand. “Are you okay?”

Jordan looked down at their entwined fingers and squeezed gently. “I won’t lie to you and say everything is great because I’m nervous as hell that this may not work. But if it does, the possibilities are staggering. There is so much going on in my life right now that depends on this. I’m not fooling myself about the time travel thing. I won’t do it if I can’t be completely mobile.”

Andi smiled. “Kale and I are in your corner. We want only what’s best for you.”

The timer on the coffeepot beeped. Jordan smiled. “Fill ‘er up!”

* * *

Jordan lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. “Damn caffeine. I shouldn’t have had that coffee so close to bedtime.”

Just then, the door to Jordan’s room opened and a lone figure slipped in. Through the darkness, Jordan couldn’t quite make out the person’s identity, but it was unmistakably a female form. The figure quietly glided across the room and disappeared into the bathroom. The light shone from beneath the closed door, disappearing a few moments later as the door was opened. The figure moved into the bedroom and approached the side of Jordan’s bed.

The woman pulled back the covers and slipped beneath the sheets. She smelled of patchouli and freshly-washed hair. Jordan froze as she felt an arm encircle her waist, and the woman’s body mold against her. Very gently, the woman kissed her cheek and then burrowed her face into Jordan’s neck, bending her leg to rest her knee on Jordan’s abdomen.

“Good night, my love,” the woman whispered in her ear.

“Maggie?” Jordan whispered.

“Hmm. I’m sorry I woke you, love. Go back to sleep.”

“It’s okay. I wasn’t sleeping.”

Maggie kissed her cheek again. “Are you okay?”

Jordan inhaled Maggie’s heady scent. “I’ve never been better.”

“I’m sorry it took so long. Unfortunately, bookkeeping is not one of my favorite things to do. Balancing the books might be easier if I did it more often. Maybe I can get you to help me. You’re so much better at it than I am.”

Jordan smiled. “Maybe I could write a computer program for you to keep track of all your accounts. One that you could balance with the push of a button. How does that sound?”

“It sounds wonderful. How is it that you’re so good with computers?”

“Living nearly one hundred years in the future helps,” Jordan joked. “In my time, I was known as the queen of significant digits.”

Queen of significant digits... significant digits…. significant digits….

Jordan snapped awake. “Kale! Kale,” she shouted.

Kale burst into Jordan’s room, followed closely by Andi. He flicked on the light switch. “What is it? Are you all right?”

Jordan struggled to sit upright. “Oh, my God! I’ve got it. I know why the boot came back altered.”

Kale took Jordan by the shoulders and shook her gently. “Jordan, wake up. You’re dreaming.”

Jordan shook off Kale’s hands. “No, no I’m not. I know the answer. I know the answer. Significant digits!”

“Jordan, its 3:00 a.m.”

Andi placed a restraining hand on Kale’s arm. “No, Kale, listen to her. Let her talk.”

Jordan looked at Kale and then Andi. “I know why the boot came back altered. Significant digits. Don’t you see? Being off by even 0.001 seconds in time, multiplied by the difference in years between Maggie’s time and ours, returned the boot to us that much younger.”

Kale sat down on the edge of Jordan’s bed.

“Think about it. If we were off even one one-thousandth of a second, it would make all the difference. Think about what that would mean multiplied by the number of seconds in a year, and then multiplied by the number of years between 2018 and today. No wonder the boot came back changed. It’s all about significant digits, Kale. That’s the answer. Don’t you see?”

Kale stood and began to pace back and forth across the bedroom. As he paced, he held his hands in front of his mouth as if in prayer. Finally, he stopped and faced Jordan. “How exactly do we test your theory? We’ll need a test subject that will allow us to determine its age before and after each trial.”

Jordan frowned.

“Why not use a newspaper?” suggested Andi.

“Great idea,” Kale said.

Jordan threw the covers off her legs and shifted to the side of the bed. Kale stopped her from reaching for her chair. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

“To the lab.”

“Jord, it’s the middle of the night. Surely this can wait until morning. You need to sleep.”

“I have to agree with Kale on this one,” Andi added. “With yesterday’s breakthrough on the implant, it might be ready sooner than any of us anticipated, so you’ll need to do whatever’s necessary to speed your recovery. That means getting plenty of rest.”

Jordan released an exasperated sigh. “All right. You win. But I’m working on it as soon as the lab crew calls it quits tomorrow afternoon.”

“Deal,” Kale replied as he lifted her legs and swung them back onto the bed. “See you in the morning.”

Alone again, Jordan sighed deeply and stared at the ceiling. Soon, she drifted off to a place replete with images of red hair, green eyes, and a warm feminine form molded against her.

* * *

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Jordan replied as she looked up at the rafters of the barn. “What I think I’m looking for might no longer be here, or if it is, it might not be obvious. To be honest, I’m not sure I’m even looking in the right spot.” Jordan scanned the barn roof for a few more moments before giving up. “I was hoping I’d see more in daylight, but I guess not.” She turned to Andi. “Maybe we’d better get our butts into the lab before Kale sends out a search party.”

“Good idea.” Andi kept a hand on Jordan’s chair as they crossed the livestock section of the barn and into the lab where Kale and Peter were viewing the videos of the test subjects.

“Peter, I’m surprised to see you here,” Jordan exclaimed.

Kale walked over and lifted Jordan from her chair. Carefully, he laid her on the bed and wheeled it over to where Peter was viewing the videos. Peter turned his attention to Jordan.

“I understand congratulations are in order,” he said. “That was quite a discovery, Jordan.”

Jordan could feel the heat of her blush. “I’m not sure why everyone is making such a big deal about it. It was a minor timing adjustment to the algorithm.”

“As a scientist, you’re aware that some of the world’s biggest successes were accomplished through baby steps. I would venture to guess that the implant will now be ready for human testing in a couple of weeks.” Peter took Jordan’s hand. “How are you feeling? Do you think you’ll be ready for the implant by the time it’s ready for you?”

“I am so ready to be out of this bed,” Jordan replied. “I feel great, and Andi says the wound is healing nicely.”

Andi agreed. “Yes, it does look good. It stopped seeping a while ago, and it’s pretty much scabbed over now.”

Kale made a face. “Eww! I’m so glad I’m not a hottie,” he exclaimed.

Peter raised his eyebrows as Jordan and Andi chuckled.

“Trust me, Peter , you don’t want to know,” Jordan said.

Peter retrieved his jacket from the back of the chair. “On that note, I guess I’ll head back to the institute. Jordan, don’t forget your checkup the day after tomorrow. We can talk then about scheduling the implant surgery.”

He slipped on his jacket and walked toward the door before turning once more to address the group. “Oh, and by the way, there’s a staff meeting at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon to review the overall status of the implant testing and the development of the self-charging energy storage unit. I’ll see you all there.”