Tangents and Asymptotes

                “I’m not in a hurry,” Lukas told him.

                “Excellent, this shouldn’t take too long at all,” Lukas followed his teacher to the west wing of the school. Mr. Hendriks opened the door to room 358 and turned on the light.

                “For years now, since this school was built, numerous students and a few teachers have been working on the research of parallel universes.” Lukas walked into the room and observed the several desks, computers, and a large screen standing near several boxes towards the back of the room. “When I replaced the old cosmology teacher eight years ago, they hadn’t even started building the screen.”

                “What exactly is going on here?” Lukas asked.

                “We’re trying to reach footage of parallel universes, Bondevik.” Mr. Hendriks responded. “I looked into your interests and research. There’s many mechanical engineers recruited on this project this year, I think we could finally get it done.” Lukas mouth was wide open with surprise.

                “Are you serious?”

                “Of course, Lukas,” Mr. Hendriks assured him. “Are you interested?”

                “I am, of course I am,” Lukas couldn’t believe it. He had to be dreaming.

                “We’ll start catching you up, then. Come back at 6.”

                “I will.”

xXxXxXx

                “Hey Lukas, where have you been? It’s only the first week of school, you can’t be that busy,” Mathias interrogated as soon as Lukas walked into the dorm room at 1 a.m.; it was the third night in the row he had stayed late with Mr. Hendriks and the rest to work on the project.

                “Exactly, I’m starting out the semester with busying myself.”

                “You should chill and have a beer with us,” Gilbert suggested.

                “No thanks, I’m going to bed.” Lukas walked to his bed and lay down.

                “Take it easy a little, Lukas, you don’t want to die of exhaustion before you finish your first semester here,” Mathias called after him.

                “I’m not the one staying up so late,” he snapped back.

xXxXxXx

                By a month in, Lukas was caught up on the research and studies. He became acquainted to most on board of the project and more construction had taken place. He began staying after more; running tests and considering the countless theories they were presented with. His roommates started to progress in making him take a break and go out somewhere with them. He always declined.

                One night Mr. Hendriks sent everyone home early after a full weeks work and plenty of progression, he came back to see Gilbert was the only one up.

                “Mathias went down early tonight?” He asked.

                “He has been, headaches and shit,” Gilbert answered. “Working too hard, I think,”

                “Chemistry is a lot to take in, so much memorization,” Lukas muttered as he walked across the room and got into bed.