Chương 45: Book 2 - Chapter 11 C

Dr Rice left the room, but when I turned back to Dr Maytubby he was still in a flustered state.

"How do we do this?" he asked.

"You probably need to get Dr Thompson to advise you," I suggested. He called Dr Thompson while I sat at the lab computer with my new software and revised the paper I had written. Dr Thompson arrived just as I had finished the revisions.

"Hey, I'm ready to print the paper, can you review it and give me feedback for further revisions. I'll print two copies, one for you and one for Dr Rice."

"Good job, John. I need to discuss patent and publishing issues with Dr Thompson."

"Hi Dr Thompson, I hope you weren't called away from anything important," I told him.

"It's fine John. I heard 'groundbreaking superconductor,' and I remembered what you told me when I met you last year. I rushed right over. What have you created?"

"I've got a new theory on how superconductivity works, and I used the theory to produce two new superconductors."

"He's down playing it Dean. They are high temperature superconductors!" he told Dr Thompson.

"How high?" he asked.

"Over 100 kelvin, and they are made using copper!" Michael said excitedly.

"There's actually a third," I interjected, "But its performance isn't very good."

"What is it made of?" Michael asked.

"Lanthanum Barium Copper Oxide."

"What temperature did it achieve?"

"Only 35 kelvin." Michael turned to him.

"Dean, I think I need to call James back for a conference."

"You call him, I'll call the University President," Dean said in reply. Dr Thompson got off the phone, and asked a question.

"Can we apply for a patent on the three superconductors?" Dr Rice responded immediately.

"No, they are covered either as a scientific discovery, or as a natural material."

"You can patent the production process," I told them.

"That will be a priority, Dean. These will be very important patents."

"It's because you can make flexible tapes out of bisco that it matters. It'll make some awesome particle accelerators."

"What's bisco?"

"B. S. C. C. O. Bismuth Strontium Calcium Copper Oxygen. It's a copper based superconductor. Depending on the amounts of each material and production process it has a superconducting range of 20 to 110 kelvin," I said. The room went quiet.

"John," Dr Rice asked, "How many patents do you think are involved with these three superconductors?"

"Long term, hundreds. Only people who have licensed the production patents will be able to make and sell it. For me, I probably only have about thirty for production processing. Some are already obsolete because they were early attempts, but they should still be patented." The University President arrived as I finished.

"Good day gentlemen," he greeted us, and every one responded with a respectful, "Hello, sir."

"I heard what you said just now, and I got a description of the discovery over the phone. I asked Karl to meet us in the conference room, so if you'll follow me, we can have a short meeting."

"I am really hoping it's short, I'm ready for dinner," I told him.

"I'm starving. I've been in the lab most of the day."

"If it's not short meeting, I'll have it catered," he said in reply.

"You'll have to call my Mom if you keep me too late," I told him, as he led us down a hall to a conference room where the Dean of Mathematics, Dr Karl Gunner was waiting.

"Dean Thompson, why don't you begin by laying out the issues for us," the University President said as we got seated.

"John Cook began the 1984 fall semester in the undergraduate program pursuing a double major. Mathematics, and Chemistry. He has completed or tested out of 34 of the 40 required courses. Lately he has been testing out of a class almost every Wednesday. Only because Wednesday is a convenient day for him. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"I have reviewed his work in multiple fields. You have reviewed his work in Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science. I have also asked for an examination of the software he wrote by the Dean of Engineering. It is publicly available and in fact selling quite well.

"It is that Professor's opinion that it is PhD level work, and that John should also be in our Computer Science program.

"So, undergraduate degree incomplete. Work in Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science that is at a PhD level if not yet quality. Does he have anything outstanding in Mathematics Dr Gunner?"

"Not to my knowledge. Anything special, John?" he asked.

"I hate to bring it up, but I solved Fermat's last theorem."

"What?" he shouted disbelieving.

"It's the modularity theorem, the Taniyama–Shimura–Weil conjecture regarding elliptical curves, it implies Fermat's theorem. I proved it for all semistable elliptic curves. That in turn proved Fermat's theorem. It also required proving the epsilon conjecture first. I'm almost done with the proofs for all cases of the Taniyama–Shimura–Weil conjecture. Once that's done, I'll have proof of the entire modularity theorem. I've got it all in my notebooks. There are about 40 of them.

I work on it Mondays and Fridays and when I can't sleep."

"Mein Gott!" he exclaimed.

"But I just wrote a computer program that will allow me to type it all up using standard Mathematics notation, so it will be much easier to read when I'm done. I was hoping to finish it during the summer break," I explained. Dr Thompson smiled.

"Gentlemen, what do we do with him, 4 potential PhD projects, but he's only seeking a double undergraduate degree." The University President turned to me.

"What do you want to do John?"

"I was hoping to go home and have dinner, sir," I reminded him.

"What do we do with your research and work?" he asked, rephrasing the question.

"I don't really feel like putting in the effort to do more than two finals a week, so I'm happy with my schedule. I really need some training on writing scientific papers for publication. I'd like to get my work on graphene patented and published soon. It has been three months and that's still not done. I'm keeping the lab locked up, but I have materials being tested by the Engineering department right now, and I'm worried there will be a leak or theft.

"Dr Thompson thinks that Masters level work will be just as easy for me as the Bachelor Degree work. I haven't seen it, so that has me cautious. I like working in the lab, but I really need these patents filed so I can move on to other applications. I've got ideas I want to explore for making large sheets of graphene and I just can't do it while I'm here doing lab tech work because we don't have patent protection yet. It's not safe for me to do anything else."

"Go have dinner, John," the University President said.

"I'll call you Friday. I'll find out where the patent hold up is and get it hammered through. Security will now be guarding your lab. Meanwhile these gentlemen and I will discuss your future degrees, and come to a solution. Hopefully by Monday we will have a plan we can present for your approval."

"Thank you, sir. I must be growing because I've been starving for the last few days." I met Matt outside the lab. He looked at me and asked, "Do you need me to carry you to the car?"

"Please. I'm exhausted. I've been working non-stop. I also need food. Hit a drive thru on the way home, anything but Taco Bell." I closed my eyes as the van moved through the parking lot. Ten thousand futures where my patent filing went wrong flashed through my mind. I knew it would be okay, but I also knew that that in too many futures the patents would be denied, stolen, or otherwise keep me in court for decades. Decades of court battles. Not even for ownership, but just the right to use my inventions.

The stress of it was burning in my guts. I had only been living with knowing the future for a short time. A pinprick of time compared to the infinite lifetimes I could remember. My confidence in the immediate future was hampered by knowing just how unbelievably wrong it could all possibly go. These weren't just valuable patents. These were the foundation of everything that came next. I had to have them because next year was the first hammer blow on the timeline.

By the time I was home, I was stuffed with cheeseburgers and curly fries. I had the energy to make it to my room on my own, but I went straight to bed. I awoke to the sound of distant voices, and sunshine. I climbed out of bed, discovering I had slept only in my underwear. I dressed and went to the bathroom. Deciding I needed a shower, I went back and undressed. After my shower I was thinking clearly again. I dressed again and headed to the kitchen. There, Mom gave me a big breakfast.

She didn't berate me for working hard. After breakfast I gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry for wearing myself out. I've been worried about so many things. I've just kept working and never asked myself why."

"It has been a year since you got up from a nap and told me that you dreamed about playing piano. Have you played the one upstairs?" she asked.

"No I haven't," I told her.

"Let's go play something," she suggested.

"I can't, I'm waiting for a phone call."

"Yes, your University President called. I told him you would not be available until Tuesday. I told him as your Mother I had decided you had overworked yourself and were on a rest regimen. He thought that was a very good idea, and shared some of what you've been doing."

"Did he say anything about the patents?" I asked, knowing he had, but desperately needing the confirmation.

"Yes, they were filed two months ago. Someone thought that you had to wait for it to be granted, and was sitting on the information."

"Yes!" I cheered.

"I've been stressed out for months waiting to hear about that."

"So I was told. Did you realize that your airplane was still unassembled? You have only been shooting with Matt twice. You have not been for a bike ride for months. And when were you going to tell me you had my Mom buy you an airplane!"

"Mom I want to play piano with you, but I really must make one phone call first, five minutes tops, then I'll do anything you ask until Tuesday."

"One phone call. I'll be here, use the extension in the kitchen so I can watch." I picked up the phone and dialed.

"Jennifer, John Cook. The patents were filed two months ago... nobody bothered to tell me... I need you here on Monday... call Matt and tell him what time you arrive he'll pick you up... You'll stay at the hotel of course... Thank you Jennifer I know you won't let me down." I hung up and gave Mom a smile.

"Let's go play. I've spent too much time working and not enough time having a life worth living."