Everyone was in the hall except for Moll Enor. Jayme was instantly panicked. “Where is she? Did she come back last night? We have to call the medics–”
“Calm down,” Titus told her, grabbing hold of Nev Reoh’s wrist to show everyone that he held a disc in his hand.
“Moll sent me a message,” Reoh told them, finally able to speak when the rest of them shut up. “She’ll meet us at the review board.”
“Then shall we proceed?” T’Rees suggested, ignoring Jayme’s relief.
“Proceed away,” Titus told him with a sigh. At least T’Rees wouldn’t be held back a year along with them. Titus had been angry after their spelunking disaster that Moll, Reoh, and Starsa had gotten a Quad reprimand when all they had done was save Bobbie Ray and Jayme. T’Rees hadn’t done a thing andhe didn’t get punished.
Titus had petitioned Admiral Brand to review the matter, thinking it wasn’t fair, but she had denied his request to remove the Quad reprimand from the academic records of Moll Enor, Nev Reoh, and Starsa Taran. Not for the first time, Titus was grateful T’Rees hadn’t been involved. Even having to repeat the year wouldn’t be so bad without that Vulcan in their Quad.
Moll was starting to think her quadmates wouldn’t arrive by the time the review board convened. But they tramped in together at the last minute, looking as glum as any set of cadets she’d ever seen.
Only Jayme seemed happy to see her, anxiously asking, “Are you all right? Where were you last night? I looked all over the Database.”
“Oh,” Moll said softly, wanting to hit herself when she realized what she had done. She had run off alone again instead of working with the group like they were supposed to. No wonder they were all looking at her like she was a freak.
Before Moll could tell them what she had discovered, Admiral Leyton’s aid was standing at the door of the conference room. “Quad #64C. Are you ready to present your project?”
“Yes, sir,” T’Rees said for them.
They filed in and stood at attention in front of the review board: Superintendent Brand, Admiral Leyton, and Professor Chapman, since they had submitted their preliminary designs and requested an engineering specialist on their board.
“Quad #64C, at ease.” There was a hint of warm humor in Brand’s voice. “How nice to see you all together under more auspicious circumstances.”
The other cadets shuffled and murmured, while Jayme held up the carryall in her hand. “Umm . . . we had a little trouble with our Quad project–”
T’Rees interrupted, acting as their spokesman as they had agreed, “Quad #64C attempted to create a proton chain‑maker. I believe you have the specs we submitted.”
“We have gone over your proposal,” Admiral Brand agreed. “An intriguing idea.”
Jayme shook the bag, letting the sound of broken components tinkle out. Chapman and Leyton began to look concerned.
Moll realized she would have to present her material first in order to get the most impact out of it. The others could add whatever they had discovered afterward. It wasn’t the right way to do it, but her mistaken approach made it necessary.
“That is the waste material,” Moll said, pointing toward Jayme, who obligingly held the bulging bag a little higher. “Theseare the components that tell us what happened.”
Moll set the cracked spin velociter and part of the lead‑chamber with the gas indicators down on the table in front of the review board.
“You have the proposal containing the original intent of our Quad project,” Moll reminded the review board. “However, we discovered a new process, whereby a controlled, deflagrating explosion can be chemically created using a pure proton chain.”
Bobbie Ray’s mouth was hanging open, a sure sign he knew nothing whatsoever about their Quad project. But then again, last year, one of Moll’s quadmates had questioned their project as if he was part of the review board–and they had still managed to pass.
Professor Chapman had his chin cupped in his hand, and Moll wasn’t familiar enough with him to know if that was a good sign or bad. But Brand was looking interested.
“Usually molecular chains are used in detection chambers,” Moll explained, “for studying the deflection and dispersal properties of various molecules. With our proton chain, we were able to do the same thing on a subatomic level.”
“But what about the uncertainty principle–” Starsa started to say, but was nudged into silence on both sides by Titus and Jayme.
Professor Chapman glanced at Starsa. “I agree with Cadet Starsa Taran–what about the uncertainty principle? It is impossible to specify or determine simultaneously both the position and momentum of a particle.”
“That’s nullified by the deflagration, the explosion, which freezes a microsecond in the sample mass.” Moll gestured to the pieces in front of them. “Unfortunately, we weren’t expecting to create the potassium nitrate that caused the explosion, but four things came together in our experiment: the potassium hydroxide in the base gas with protons effused from sulfur atoms, along with the nitric acid in the lemin stalk that was catalyzed by the carbon of the cut edge.”
In the pause, Nev Reoh added helpfully, “There are unusually high levels of nitrogen in lemin stalks.”
Jayme started rummaging in the bag. “I have a piece of the carbonized metal where the proton‑chain made contact. If you want to see it.”
Professor Chapman held out his hand. “Yes, please.”
Moll Enor waited until Jayme had handed over the bit of metal. “If the same combination could be used in strictly controlled levels of chemicals under a stasis field, then a detection chamber could be created that offers a new window into the nature of subatomic particles.”
The members of the review board were nodding, fairly impressed. Even Professor Chapman spoke as if to a colleague. “Brendenson has been working on something similar on Maxum V, but it’s a highly theoretical and innovative approach.”
“It’s way out of our field,” Moll Enor agreed. “We discovered this purely by accident. And, now, if my quadmates would like to add anything.”
As a group, the other cadets pulled back slightly, shaking their heads, trying to deflect the attention of the review board.
T’Rees must have realized the flustered picture they made, because he smoothly interjected, “Thank you, Cadet Enor, I believe you have adequately summed up our project.”
“That was beautiful,” Jayme agreed fervently.
“I must agree,” Brand said, smiling as she stood up and came around the review table. “I think there’s a certain irony in the fact that your Quad project failed, and yet you generated useful and insightful information from that failure.”
“Yes,” Professor Chapman agreed. “I recommend you send your research to Maxum V. It’s a fine thing for cadets at the Academy to be able to contribute to cutting‑edge science.”
Brand shook Moll Enor’s hand, since she was the closest. “I’m glad to see your Quad has learned to triumph in the face of adversity. Your Quad project has passed.”
“Congratulations,” Admiral Leyton said, and for the first time there was a slight easing of his normally stern expression. “May your next year at Starfleet Academy be as successful.”
Moll Enor smiled along with the rest, shaking hands next with the Admiral, then the professor. But she couldn’t help hoping that next year she would do better than she had this year.
The next day, Jayme still hadn’t gotten over the miracle Moll Enor had accomplished with a tricorder and one night’s work. The rest of the Quad had jumped on Moll the moment they were outside, with everyone asking questions at once. Moll had explained that her eidetic memory had allowed her to instantly make associations and connections across the engineering disciplines. Jayme confirmed that it would have taken her a week of computer analysis to reach the same facts, and even then, she might not have seen the new use for the proton‑chain that Moll had discovered.