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is yours?” I asked.
    Cody
suddenly looked sheepish. Matt paused tinkering with the bottom of the
not-telescope. “Ours is not finished yet,” Matt said.
    “I
assumed that since you’re still working on it. What is it?”
    “Yes,
enlighten us,” Melanie said, stepping beside me and focusing on them like a
bloodhound who had found a criminal’s scent. “I don’t remember you two
submitting a report on what you were going to be doing. I see you started it
before the semester began.”
    “It’s
my idea,” Matt said. “A practical application for my thesis.”
    “And
what is your thesis?”
    Matt
snatched another tool off the table. “Atmospheric water condenser based on
deriving molecular particles from areas of low relative humidity.”
    What
the what now?
      “You want to create water from thin air?”
Melanie said in disbelief. “Guys, you have to have something to show for at the
end of the year or you’ll be kicked out of the program. The guidelines clearly
state the project must have practical, pioneering attributes to the scientific
community. This is ambitious, granted, but not plausible. If you can’t think of
anything, I can find a professor to pair you up with—”
    “This
is pioneering!” Cody said indignantly. “We’re just not entirely sure if it
works yet. Matt started it and I’m helping him.”
    “Not
much, I might add,” Matt grumbled. Cody glared at him but Matt didn’t notice.
“The water particle generator will be ready by the end of the year,” Matt said.
“We just need some more parts and time.” He bent something and tightened
something else. “Think of the applications! No more fire trucks and fire
hydrants, water in areas where no water previously existed, humanitarian
efforts around the world—the list is endless.”
    Melanie
sighed in defeat and turned to Cody. “I brought my notebook with some things I
was tinkering with if you need ideas. I’d be willing to let you work on it if
you add my name to the final report.” She pulled out a notebook and flipped it
open a few pages. Cody hovered near her.
    “You’d
let me do that?”
    “This
isn’t anything major, but still, don’t tell anyone. It’s just to get your ideas
flowing.”
    Cody
stopped at one page and pointed. “Why didn’t you do this? It looks really
good.”
    Melanie
quickly flipped to the next page. She blushed slightly. “It’s nothing, but
thanks.”
    Cody
flipped another page. “What about this?”
    “That’s—”
    “No,
hold on.” He stopped her from turning the page again. “It’s on the right track,
just needs a little work.”
    “I
want it to support a thousand pounds and be pocket sized.”
    “On
a wire that thin?”
    “For
developmental and construction purposes. It has to be really durable too.
Abrasion resistant. No material I’ve used has held up yet.” Cody lightly pulled
the notebook from her and pored over it.
    “It
wouldn’t be so much the material as the weaving. That’d be in the production
phase.”
    “You
could do it?”
    “Definitely.”
    Matt
suddenly got up from stooping over the machine. “I’m going to turn it on.”
    He
stepped back as did Cody and Melanie, both looking very unsure.
    Matt
pressed a button. At first nothing happened and then the thing shuddered,
sparked and fell over. Matt frowned. “More time. I need more time.”

Chapter
Four
    Queensbury

 
    After
we grabbed some dinner, Cody, Matt and I walked the short distance to the gym,
five or six blocks from the outskirts of campus.
    I
don’t know what I was expecting when I went into the city. Seeing tons of
police on my first visit hadn’t made the best first impression. Matt was
obviously nervous since his head was on a constant swivel as we finally found
the gym stuffed between a couple shops on Park St.
    It
smelled bad. A large mat had been laid out in the back between hanging punching
bags, and some other people dressed in workout clothes stood around the edges
talking. The