Chương 35: Book 2 - Chapter 8 A

Saturday, November 17th during breakfast Dad cleared his throat and stood.

"If I can have your attention, everyone?" he said, dramatically.

"I have an important announcement." The room went quiet as we all looked at him.

"I'm pleased to announce that the Family Level is complete. We can move in starting today." Everyone started clapping and Mom stood to give him a big kiss. Then she sat back down, a gleam of determination in her eyes.

"Okay, everyone," she said, eyes passing over everyone at the table.

"We've been waiting for this moment. We are going to do it in an organized way.

"After breakfast we will go up there and verify out which apartments and rooms everyone wants. Then, and only then, can we start moving the boxes in storage and the stuff from our rooms up."

"Very good plan, Mary," Grandma praised.

"I'll be buying new furniture for our apartment. The stuff here can go in one of the extra apartments on that floor for guests."

"The goal is to be moved and settled so we can celebrate Thanksgiving in the big Family Dining room," Mom said, laying down our marching orders.

"I thought we already decided," Grandpa said.

"I know I've always just looked at the same apartment Beth wanted when I go up there."

"Last chance to change your mind, Dad," she replied.

"Who knows you might like the view better from a different room now that everything is complete." I turned and looked out the window, the rain drizzling down outside.

"We're not going to see much while it's raining," I offered.

"I know what I've wanted," she replied.

"But I'm taking the time to double check." We rode up in two elevators after breakfast. Excitedly talking as we moved through the space.

"I like that we have the Family Entertainment room and the Family Dining room right off the elevator lobby," Grandma said.

"Mr Benz did a wonderful job creating a buffer space between visitors and the more private space of our actual apartments."

"I found my room!" I announced, standing in a corner bedroom with an en suite bathroom. Mom followed the sound of my voice and looked around at the empty space.

"Why this room?" she asked. I pointed out the window.

"I can see that same beautiful building with the green roof from here. It gives me a great spot to put a nice reading chair."

"Something for the shopping list," she said, noting down a reading chair on a small pad of paper.

"Your same bed is coming up. Other than the bookshelves and computer table, what else is coming up or that you need?"

"Grandma got me the two table lamps down there so I don't hurt my eyes using the computers in the dark." She flipped a page, and made another note. Then walked into the bathroom and started writing down what would be needed there. We were completely moved up to the 15th floor by Wednesday. Finals rolled around, starting December 4th, and ran until the 13th. I had only three classes that I hadn't opted to finish early. Then I was done with my first semester of college. I had completed fifteen classes.

More than double the number of classes I had started the semester with. I now felt I had the qualifications and credits to be respected in the Chemistry Lab. My Mad Science project would help with that as well. For what became a new family tradition, we went out for pizza to celebrate after my last day. Every semester would begin with a trip to a steakhouse, and end with pizza, even when Mattie went to college. This story originates from a different website.

Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. On the 14th, I announced at breakfast: "I'm going to be working in my Mad Science Lab until school starts in January."

"At least you'll be off that computer," Mom grumbled.

"It'll be important that I'm not disturbed."

"Just what are you going to be doing up there?" Dad asked.

"I've got a special project. I've been collecting the parts and now I'm building something special."

"Will you need any money?" he asked. I pointedly ignored Grandpa as I answered.

"Everything's covered."

"You can't just lock yourself away," Mom objected.

"I'll spend all of Christmas Day with you," I countered.

"Christmas Eve too," she insisted.

"Agreed, but really I can't take time to go constantly running and answering the door if you need something."

"No working overnight," Mom said, laying out the rest of the rules.

"You must have breakfast with the family every morning and be here for dinner too. The kitchen down stairs is almost operational. When it is, you'll be able to order room service for lunch, or make your own." I looked at Dad for a possible reprieve but he refused to budge.

"Yes, Mom," I told her.

"Good, one violation, and I'll be pounding on your door and ending your special project." I nodded and turned to Matt.

"I just need to see you in the mornings, so we'll chat just after breakfast. I might have an errand for you to run, like to go get something at RadioShack for me."

"No problem, boss."

"That means afternoons and evenings are going to be free if you want to get out and do something, at least until school starts back up." He nodded, and everybody looked around. Dad spoke up.

"Why can't you tell us what you are working on?"

"It's a surprise. You'll love it and I promise it's important. I won't get another break like this until spring, and that's just not enough time to do the work."

"Okay," Dad said with a serious tone of voice.

"Promise me nothing dangerous."

"I promise." That day I packed my lunch and locked myself in the Mad Science Lab. I began with construction work. I built more tables and set up equipment. Much of it was still in crates or boxes from when Grandpa had purchased it. It took two days to set up, and then I started a small smelter. Using a cupola and the required ingredients I melted a special mixture of ingredients. When heated and mixed they cooled and were placed in a wire drawing machine. There I drew them out into very thin wires.

The wires were put in a jig to create a crosshatch screen, and I carefully used a small torch to get the thin wires to weld together. This would be my catalyst. I sealed it in a Plexiglas box with a small bag of oxygen scavenger. The screen had a wire running to and from it so I could send a voltage through it. It was connected to a small regulator so I could adjust the DC power. Using a vacuum pump I pumped most of the air out, then attaching a CO2 cylinder I filled it with CO2.

Stepping back, I watched carefully as I increased the voltage. The metal mesh screen acted as a catalyst, the electrical charge increased its effectiveness. I was watching carefully waiting for black snow. I could see it, tiny black flecks. The catalyst was cracking the CO2. The carbon was electrically charged, and gathering itself into clumps of carbon atoms. I was producing graphene flakes. I increased the charge and watched the flakes get a bit bigger.

When they got to what was the correct size, I started watching the pressure gauge. As it dropped I added more CO2 to the chamber. Eventually the pressure stopped dropping as the oxygen scavenger filled to capacity. I had about a half kilo of graphene flakes of random sizes, but mostly in the 3 millimeter range. I let the pressure equalize, then opened the container. The next step was to put them in a couple large pyrex pans and bake them, while injecting a stream of nitrogen gas into the oven.

I set it up, I had six 9x13 pyrex glass baking pans, each with an equally thin layer of graphene flakes at the bottom. Putting just one in the oven, I injected nitrogen into the baking area to try to push out oxygen and moisture. Then I cranked the oven to 650-degrees Fahrenheit, the highest it would go. For three hours as it baked I gave it a small shot of nitrogen every five minutes. It was both mind numbing and exhilarating.

Finally the first batch was done, I let it cool for two hours, keeping the nitrogen bursts going. I pulled it out of the oven just as Matt came to get me for dinner. He took one look at me, as I looked exhausted, and then the pan.

"Dude, your brownies are seriously burned!" he joked seeing the black mass at the bottom of the pan. I pulled the material out of the pan, it slid out easily, now baked into a single felt like sheet 6mm thick. I handed him the material. He felt it in his fingers.

"Cool stuff, what is it?"

"It's the future," I declared and cackled my best mad scientist laugh. He ignored the cackle.

"Three weeks of work and all you have that?" he asked.

"Take it to dinner," I told him.

"Let everyone see it. I'll go shower and then meet you guys in the dining room." He left the room tugging on it, surprised at its strength. I watched his muscles flexed as he tried tearing it. I wasn't worried, there was no way he was going to damage it by hand.