Tangents and Asymptotes

                When Lukas Bondevik moved into his dorm at Linken University of Science, his first and only priority was to get in and get out. He loved the school, he loved learning, but he was ready to leave it all behind to start his work of cosmology.

                Nothing interested Lukas more than the theories of life and the world around him. He wanted to know how to explain the unexplainable events and overall figure out life itself, and the complicated idea of parallel universes. He felt restless through the limits of knowledge in High School, but at least attending college will give him more access before he can create the data he wants to know himself.

                On the first night at LUS, he met one of his roommates; Gilbert Beilschmidt. At first, Lukas assumed he wasn’t going to like him, but after he introduced himself, the two talked for a few hours. Gilbert had driven from a few towns over and was majoring in marine biology. He talked a lot about deep sea life, which fascinated Lukas. They ordered a pizza and celebrated their first night at LUS with beer and a marathon of That 70’s Show.

                In the early hours of the next morning, Lukas woke up three times. First, the door had slammed open. He assumed it was Gilbert was up for his early classes and went back to sleep. The next, it was laughing and the sound of a zipper. Lukas was caught up in his sleepiness and didn’t think much of it. There was still a couple of hours till he had to get up, so he went back to sleep.

                The last time wasn’t by sound; but smell. Lukas was welcomed by the smell of coffee when he finally decided it was time to wake up.

                “Hiya!” Lukas looked over at the man sitting on the bed next to him. “Gilbert told me your class starts at 10, sorry for all the racket this morning,”

                “Who are you?” Lukas asked him.

                “I’m Mathias Køhler,” He told him. “I meant to arrive last night but my flight to Germany was delayed.”

                “Where are you from?”

                “Denmark, but that’s enough about me, tell me about yourself, Lukas. Gilbert sure said a lot of good things about you,” Lukas made a face.

                “What do you need to know about me?” He asked.

                “Where you’re from, what you like, I don’t know,” Mathias laughed. “I’ll give you some coffee if you do,” Lukas laughed under his breath.

                “That coffee does smell nice.”

xXxXxXx

                Lukas eased through the day. Having only two or three classes a day was much better than multiple classes a day. So far, other than rooming with a couple of social guys who smell like beer, college was enjoyable. Lukas didn’t have much to complain about.

                He was about to exit the main building and head for his dorm when he felt a hand lay on his shoulder. “Mr. Bondevik?” he turned around to see his cosmology teacher, Mr. Hendriks. “I need a word with you,”

                “Yes sir?” Lukas asked. There’s no way he could be in trouble already.

                “You had mentioned your interest in parallel universes in one of your entrance essays, am I correct?”

                “Yes sir, you are,”

                “Interesting, I need you to come with me to the west wing, if you’re not busy. We could do this another time if you are,” he looked at the Dutch man bewildered for a second before nodding.