Dangerous Minds (Knight and Moon 2)

Emerson shook his head. “The universe is composed of nearly fifty percent antimatter. If you wanted to get your hands on some you wouldn’t have to tap into the earth’s core. Besides, a Penning trap that size wouldn’t hold enough to destroy this compound, let alone a continent.”

“What else can a Penning trap hold?”

“Plasmas.”

“Let’s pretend I don’t know anything about physics or Star Trek.”

“There are four types of ordinary matter—solids, liquids, gasses, and plasmas. Plasmas are the only type of matter that doesn’t naturally exist on the earth under normal surface conditions. They’re basically created from neutral gasses, like hydrogen, by ionizing them and giving them an electrical charge. Lightning, neon signs, television screens, and the aurora borealis are all examples.”

“So are plasmas rare? Could that be what they’re collecting?” Riley asked.

Emerson peeked out the door again. The guard was gone.

“Plasmas are the most common type of ordinary

matter in existence,” Emerson said. “The sun and stars are all basically superheated balls of plasma. Plasmas are kind of the building blocks of the universe.”

Riley and Emerson walked out into the cold night air and skirted around the perimeter of the compound. There was a lot of activity, but all the attention was focused on the transport and Humvee idling in front of the warehouse.

“This is it,” Emerson said. “We’re not going to find a better time than this to make our escape.”

They sprinted to the surrounding woods, and Riley breathed a sigh of relief when they were hidden from sight. “How far do you think it is back the gatehouse?”

“Not far. Maybe a mile or two. It’s going to be slow going in the dark, though. I saw a lot of thermal features on the way in. I don’t want to accidentally fall into any pools of boiling water.”

They trudged along the Jeep trail in silence for several minutes.

“You know, Emerson, something you said back in the compound reminds me of something Professor White told us back at George Mason University.”

“What’s that?”

“That plasmas formed the building blocks of the universe,” Riley said. “Didn’t the professor say that mantle plumes contained trace amounts of cosmic leftovers—the same materials that formed the stars before the earth was created? She said they were a clue to the forces of creation.”

Emerson stopped and stared at Riley. “I’m promoting you to senior amanuensis, effective immediately, for having invaluable insight and a brilliant memory.”

“Thank you,” Riley said.

“And because you look good naked,” Emerson added.

“Would I still get the promotion if I didn’t look good naked?”

“Yes, but you might not get the additional benefits.”

Now that Riley knew Emerson was possibly a horndog, she had some idea of the benefits. She felt a rush of heat curl through her stomach and head south.

“Good to know,” Riley said. “Do you know what’s in the Penning trap?”

“No, not exactly, but I have a theory. I think it’s some cosmic remnant from the swirling nebula of stellar gasses that formed our solar system four and half billion years ago. Some very rare, very dangerous primordial element that can only be found at the earth’s core, and every once in a rare while a little bit of it bubbles to the surface, courtesy of a mantle plume volcano.”

A diesel engine rumbled from the direction of the compound.

“It’s the transport,” Emerson said. “They’re heading out.”

Emerson and Riley ran for cover, flattening themselves under a clump of scrub brush. Lights flashed onto the road and the Humvee appeared, followed by the transport. Tin Man was standing in the back cargo bed of the Humvee methodically shining a spotlight into the woods, first to one side then the other.

“They’re looking for us,” Riley whispered to Emerson. “We must have been spotted leaving the compound.”

“They’re looking for something,” Emerson said. “Whether it is us or not is unclear at this time.”