Chapter X
Last minute, I decided to seek out a project already being developed rather than trying to partner with a new one.
Not one presentation over the past several weeks stood out.
The quickly approaching charity conference is going to be huge, so I need something spectacular.
Especially since I’m the one who will be presenting it.
I’ve had my eye on the Telescope Innovative Science (TIS) department.
My database shows that they’re working on a new telescope model that will be able to provide an image of Pluto clearer than ever before.
It's a project that will wow the crowd for sure. It’s a simple enough device that everyone will understand its function.
And we can test it live, allowing the audience to be involved, building intrigue for potential investors.
With the clock ticking, this project is exactly what I’m looking for.
If it works.
I made a call over a week ago to give them the go ahead at focusing solely on having the telescope and a presentation ready at least twenty-four hours before the conference.
I’m headed down to Alpha Minsley’s lab to take a look at the improvements.
Honestly, as long as we can see Pluto through it at all, the rest can be fabricated for now. But I have faith.
I shrug on my lab coat over my suit, still impressed at the number of pins I’ve earned. So much has happened within the last decade. It seemed like I was on autopilot for many years, and I’m only now grasping the power that rests in my hands.
On the way to my office door, I check myself in the mirror. My jaw has sharpened significantly from the baby face I had when I was younger. I’m not a kid anymore, looking up at the sky for answers. I’m an Alpha, getting those answers and unlocking the universe’s secrets one project at a time.
I look good. Professional. Intelligent.
“Good morning, Mr. Beckett,” my assistant greets me when I step out. I give him a polite nod.
As I head down the hall, I spot Jaimie heading the opposite direction. A very furious Jaimie.
“Hey. What’s up with you?” I ask.
“Some clumsy Omega ran into me for the second time! First, it was his filthy lunch and now this!”
He points up to the sleeve of his lab coat. I’m not sure what the damage is until I spot the little scuff mark. Or is it a coffee stain? I can’t even tell as I squint at the hardly visible mark. Jaimie rolls his eyes and rushes past me with a huff, mumbling something about bleach.
Definitely OCD, I conclude.
A handful of executives and members of my engineering department greet me throughout the massive halls of Comet XI.
Most of them look surprised to see me out and about.
My office has sort of become my comfort space, so I don’t often leave.
Especially not to visit the lower floors.
It’s like a second home. Where I don’t need to think about how lonely I feel even with all these people around.
Business partners aren’t the same as friends.
Walking by the telescope displays near the entrance, I’m reminded of a real friend who was supposed to meet me there someday. I’m ashamed to admit how many times I’ve stood there waiting with my eyes peeled just in case, only to walk back up to my office alone.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I compose myself as I approach the TIS department. Pausing at the door, I bite my cheek, thinking that maybe I should’ve called ahead first. I don’t want to intimidate them by showing up unannounced, but I’m already here.
Since it appears mostly vacant, I scan my badge and let myself in.
“Knock, knock,” I greet an older Alpha who snaps his head up from his desk. It seems he’s the only one in the lab at the moment. “Mr. Minsley, sorry to interrupt.”
“N-not at all, Mr. Beckett. Please, come in.”
Although we’re both Alphas, I tower over him when he stands from his seat to greet me. I’m trying my hardest to be chill and casual Knox, not big scary executive Knox, but his nerves are off the charts. A common side effect of those around me.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to see the progress of your latest project,” I explain while looking around the lab.
“Ah, yes! You see, about that– “
“Is this it over here?” I head toward a covered object in the corner facing a testing window.
“Why yes! We’re still working on some minor adjustments! It’s not quite– “
I remove the tarp as he rambles, revealing an impressive, sleek black telescope, polished and crafted perfectly.
“This is lovely work, Mr. Minsley.”
“Oh, well, thank you, Mr. Beckett. My team will have it completed just in time for– “
I adjust the eyepiece and peer through the scope as Mr. Minsley speaks.
Though, I’m not sure what he’s so jittery and nervous about when I look up at the clear, evening sky.
The telescope is positioned perfectly to spot the glowing dwarf planet billions of miles away.
I’m absolutely stunned at the noticeable clarity.
The images we process from this are bound to be astonishing.
Gone is the blurry ball of light, replaced with a shining circular figure. This is a breakthrough discovery! With this level of innovation, we’ll be able to develop more accurate measurements and discover more about Pluto's mysterious surface.
“This is…remarkable. You and your team have truly outdone yourselves, Minsley. How’d you do it?”
I look away from the telescope when he doesn’t respond. He’s pale as paper and looks as surprised as I am. Pushing his gray-streaked hair back, he looks into the scope himself when I step aside and he lets out a small gasp, muttering, “that’s most definitely Pluto.”
He springs upward, straightening his back.
“I mean clearer! It’s most definitely clearer than yesterday! Yes, one of my technicians must’ve made a recent adjustment. Don’t worry, we’ll include all necessary information in the presentation, Mr. Beckett.”
“Great. Looking forward to it.”