[ 63 ]

[needtoruleit]

[Billy's on his way out of the library, arms overflowing with precariously-stacked books. Beside him, dressed in a tiny labcoat with a set of miniature welding goggles perched on her head, is a little blonde girl. She's doing her part, carrying the journal for her daddy, playing with the pages]

Okay... extremely high energy is required, so two or more protons can be brought close enough that nuclear forces overcome their electrostatic repulsi-- [and then a little voice cuts him off excitedly] --Fusion!

Very good! [he sounds so proud] Let's see... Ah, this one doesn't normally occur in nature.

Um... Fission!

Correct. How about a hydrogen bomb?

Fuuuuussion...

And which one produces many radioactive particles?

Oh, uh... Fusion?

[ah, he gives a little 'tsk'] Nope, that's fission.

Nuh-uh!

Yeah-huh. Fusion reactions themselves don't give off many radioactive particles, but if a fission 'trigger' is used, radioactive particles will result from that.

...Oh. [pouty.]

Comments

[dictated]

[thehistorian]

You've got a smart one there.

[needtoruleit]

I know, right?

[so humble]

[thehistorian]

I've been teaching mine Renaissance history, admittedly.

[needtoruleit]

Oh yeah?

How's she taking to that?

[thehistorian]

He. Relatively well, all things considered. He told me Leonardo da Vinci should be a role model for all young boys.

[needtoruleit]

Well, you can't really argue with that.

How old is he?

[thehistorian]

He held up four fingers when I asked him earlier.

[cantacquityou]

[Oh, wow. And he thought he had a little genius.]


...Perhaps my little lady could learn a thing or two from yours.

[needtoruleit]

[oh jeez, he doesn't need an ego-boost]

She's been teaching her stuffed animals what sounds letters make, and what the seven taxonomic levels are, so... probably.

[cantacquityou]

About how old is she?

[needtoruleit]

[he has to think about this]

They actually age every year, right? That's how that works? Hmm...

[completely missing his daughter holding up four fingers]

[its_worthdoing]

[After a moment]

Please tell me that is all theoretical.

[needtoruleit]

She's not quite old enough for particle accelerators yet.

[he's kidding. ...mostly.]

[its_worthdoing]

Which means you penciled it in for next year?

[She's not kidding]

[needtoruleit]

...If I'm still here next year, I'll probably be talking to the walls and naming my shoes after tragic historical figures by then.

[its_worthdoing]

Do you have some potential names already picked out? Just in case?

[Maybe she doesn't want you to leave yet. Maybe she will not be saying that. Ever]

[needtoruleit]

Tesla, for sure. ...Maybe Marie Curie.

[his brain found answers for that question way too quickly]

[its_worthdoing]

[A beat]

I hope they get along.

[needtoruleit]

I'll be too crazy to notice.

[its_worthdoing]

[Right]

Well, if you ever trip? You'll know who to blame.