The tension in the air was tangible- as real as the forgotten pens in restless fingers around the room. The stern grey walls, carpet and computers seemed to grow livdi with electric charge. Glazed, intent eyes focused on one glowing screen, distracted only by the numbers and lights that speaks in a language of data. The overhead lights seemed to buzz in their sockets. A steady pulse of seconds, ticking down gave those in the room a common heartbeat, a rhythm of suspense connecting them all to time itself. Everything seemed a vortex, swirling around one moment, set in one screen. 5 seconds… 4 seconds… (never had seconds seemed so infinitely long)…3…2…
A pause, a hush. Even the beat of the clock stopped a moment. Then, clean and confident, an image appeared on the screen. No introduction or preamble- simply a picture of another world, a foreign and inhuman landscape that even in it’s unveiling seemed to speak defiance to those who looked on. The first noise was a choked laugh-sob from the director.
“You- you’ve done it. We’ve done it.’ The room erupted into ecstatic murmurs as another picture, then another, pulsed from space.
One man alone stood speechless, his eyes shining and his lips parted as congratulations seemed to fall unheeded in his ears. Finally, as if coming from a daze, he took a reanimating breath and slowly adjusted his glasses.
‘I… need to call my wife…’ He said, his hand aimlessly patting each pocket in search of his smartphone. Someone pressed into his grasp and he dialed the number. He waited for the waves to connect them across the miles to where she sat in anxious prayer, alone in an airport. She had been delayed by weather from reaching her husband in this of all moments, this moment of giving birth. The room hushed for a moment.
‘Katy? It’s me- it worked, Katy. It worked.’ A pause and then finally a rush seemed to sweep him and his face exploded into a grin. Everyone began to cheer as he laughed his thankfulness to the Creator. And one by one, more images marched across the screen.
xx I didn't have a name for this one. I got the idea from a science magazine I was reading in a waiting room. It was describing the emotional reactions of scientists and I just got ideas :) I'd like to expand but it's sort of self contained... I'm still going to be posting the Q&A video, sometime soon. xx
