Our rain geared wheel string up from hooks lining the wall , dripping onto our galoshes . Most of us place upright around Sproiles ’ desk while he leaned back in his chair , manoeuver to each of us in turn with a bad manducate pencil .
Photo byChris Gold
“ There ’s a Taiwanese ship’s company that ’s working on something new , ” say someone in the back . “ Its reflector - base engineering . They seed the upper atmosphere with sulphur . ”
Sproiles shook his head . The newsperson knew enough to break . “ The Spanish proposed the same projection five yr ago . The loss of solar radiation sickness would kill off too much biomass . No way the Chinese would get it to work . Next . ”
“ The drought in Russia . Wheat prices are already up 50 % this summer . ”
Sproiles gave an scatty - given nod . “ It ’s an sometime situation , but one we should stay on top of . Keep tracking it , let ’s do an update . What else ? ”
“ A story on London ’s new water locks ? ” The voice came from the quoin . Sproiles seemed to at least consider that one .
“ We already did a report on the Mumbai water locks . You ’d have to find a unexampled slant on it . ”
“ Hey Sproiles , how did those locks cultivate ? ”
The laughter that followed was about the only thing still wry in the newsroom .
“ Poorly . ” More laughter . No post like a newsroom for gallows humour . “ What else ? We ’ll need something for a feature . ”
I hate the hebdomadary ledes meetings . The pressure to perform in front of your coworkers make you grasp at straws .
“ I ’ve start out something , ” I tell . Sproiles swiveled around in his professorship to look at me . “ Al - Jabra called me . Says he ’s got something raw . ”
Sproiles narrowed his eyes . If his female parent ever enjoin him she bed him , I ’m trusted he ’d ask for a second source . “ Why would Al - Jabra call you out of the blue , Beedie ? ”
“ We used to be close . ”
“ How penny-pinching ? ”
“ He was the first person to call me Beedie . ”
I heard someone whistle abject . I ’d never tell anyone in the newsroom I acknowledge Ali Al - Jabra . I ’d never done a story on Vermillion before . “ You think it ’s something grownup ? ” Sproiles asked .
I tugged my capitulum . “ He probably thinks he can apply me to get some good imperativeness on whatever new toy Vermillion ’s building . He asked me to lunch tomorrow . ”
“ pay our readership share , he ’s probably right . ” Sproiles swing his chair back around and jotted down my name on his notepad . “ Take the lunch . Tell me what he says . Okay , who ’s doing the firearm on the space elevator for us this month ? ”
Berkeley , 2005
“ Your name is Beedie from now on . I ’ve just make up one’s mind . ” He had n’t even looked up from his monolithic text - account book . I was n’t certain I ’d heard him right , but next to me I saw Penny twirl a speck of blonde hair and nod .
“ Yeah . Beedie . It befit you . ”
“ What ? ” I looked at both of them in surprisal . “ I said that I wanted a nickname , I did n’t imply you could just give me one , ” I protested .
“ lamentable , old man . No one get ’s their own way with these things . ” Ali grin . I ’ve never view another smile like his . It could sell prophylactic to the pope . Ali ’s idiom carried a somewhat over - pronounced , English swing . That , and his habit of call masses “ old man ” would have combine to make him seem mistily dandyish , if they were n’t so absolutely offset by that grievous , piratical smile . I draw a blank what my objection had been . Penny roll her eye and exit to order a coffee . I watched Ali ’s eyes follow her . He was improbable and relaxed , like most CEOs I ’ve known . I was forgetful , aflutter and intense , like most reporters . Perhaps , even then , our future life history were encoded in our phenotype .
“ You two in it for the longsighted haulage ? ”
“ You mean marriage ? ”
Ali frowned . “ Marriage ? I was just talking about graduation . ”
I swagger an eyebrow , but his middle had already turned back to his constituent chemistry textbook .
“ How can you read that stuff for four hours straight ? ” I call for .
“ It ’s more interesting than you might think . ”
“ And what the inferno make chemistry ‘ organic ’ , anyway ? ”
“ Carbon , ” he said brightly . “ It all comes down to carbon . ”
The restaurant was on thirty-fourth Street . Sproiles told me to expense the taxicab , but it was a walk I enjoyed , even in the rain . I moderate the outpouring warning and head out . The top of the Empire State Building was obscured by the lower level of fog and cloud cover , her multicolored lights made gauzy by the mist . They were red-faced and green , today , in award of the holiday time of year .
Ali was already seated when I go far , skim the newspaper headline on his phone . He stretch his hand out when he see me .
“ Beedie . Good to see you , previous man . ” His eyes danced over me . “ You almost are an quondam man , now , are n’t you ? ”
“ I opine we both are . ” But the reality was that Ali did n’t expect it at all . I suspect that was more a single-valued function of surgery than genetics . His hairline was full than it had been twelve years ago and his paunch had n’t grown . He was still lean and coloured , a piece of sharpen obsidian . He ’d allow himself a few crinkle and gray tomentum , but that was in all probability a tactical decision to lend himself lordliness rather than any lack of toilet table . I , on the other manus , had both an telling bald smear and gut . Too many late nights chase a deadline , too many hours spent in an office chair .
“ You look in effect , ” Ali lied . “ How are you bask the news racket ? ”
I shrug . “ Not bad . How are you enjoy the chief operating officer dissonance ? ”
He chuckled and range himself a beer , and a carbonated water for me . He raised his eyebrows . “ That still your potable ? ”
“ For twelve years . ” We made minuscule talk , he ask me if I ’d seen the latest on the Kansas dearth or the Russian drouth . We wondered if the city would go through with its programme to evacuate the island south of Canal Street . I asked if he ’d lost anyone when the London water locks burst .
“ No , gratefully , we evacuated the office in time . Other companies were n’t as lucky . ” He gave me an appraising look . “ Done any freelance oeuvre late ? I always admire your rake diamond story . ”
That surprise me . I had n’t written about baseball field since my imbibition twenty-four hours . He was right , though , it was some of my good work . It had make headway me a Pulitzer , and very nearly got me killed .
“ Exposés on the diamond trust are neat copy , but no one want to take about how their engagement ring funded racial extermination . ”
Ali lower . “ But your work in Africa was so good . You really hurt the trust , you screw . Took a chunk off their stock Leontyne Price . Was n’t there an investigation ? ”
“ Never went anywhere . No one was indicted . The cartel catch some regretful PR and had to change their name . ” I stood . I did n’t bang why his praise , or his disappointment , irritated me . “ At a sure point , I got commonplace of learn footsteps behind me . Look , Ali , if all you want to do is discuss the past- ”
He put out a placating hand . “ It ’s been a foresighted time . I ’d like for us to be Quaker again . I know you recall it was all my fault- ”
“ This is n’t about Penny , ” I snarl . That break him . I had n’t get a line that expression in his eyes since the funeral . “ And yeah , it was all your fault . You changed , Ali . I do n’t eff why Penny never come across that . ”
He folded his hands on the table and looked down . “ Everyone changes . ”
“ She did n’t . ”
“ She never receive the chance , ” he murmured . He gazed out the windowpane , watching the pelting hit the paving material .
“ Penny was killing herself sample to lobby for a dime bag - a - gross ton C tax . While her husband ’s company was bribe senators to vote down it . ”
“ We were one of two dozen companionship lobby against that bill , and I was n’t even CEO then . Should I have give up in protest ? ”
“ For entrant . ”
Ali sigh . “ The bill passed ten class later , anyway . I do n’t see what you ’re so mad about . ”
I threw my arm toward the window . “ Bit lately for that now , is n’t it ? ”
Ali pursed his lips . He never got frantic . Not even in college . He just got frustrated . He seemed to make some sort of internal calculation .
“ We ’ve puzzle something , Beedie , ” he said softly . “ It ’ll change this . ”
“ Your new carbon nanotube ? Or the Everbrite panels ? And what do you think they ’ll do ? Do you know how many whiz - bang projects I ’ve reported ? C sequestration , reforestation , swarm seeding . commend the space reflector ? Ali , every Fortune 500 company has some secret Catastrophe project . They do n’t work . None of them have . ”
“ Listen to me , Beedie . For old time ’s sake . I ’ve catch something we ’ve kept under wraps . ”
I shrugged . “ So what do you require from me ? ”
“ I want to give it to you . ”
I blink a few time . “ Give it to me ? ”
“ Yes . ” He flashed his older piratical smile . The kind that made you feel like the two of you were in on some bountiful arcanum . “ The single . We ’re making a formal declaration in two workweek , I can give you everything if you embargo the story . Photos , a tour of the facility , quotes . You ’ll be the only outlet in the country to have it . Beedie , a scoop like this could rescue your vocation . ” His voice dropped to a whispering , and he looked away from me . “ Call it my manner of defecate restitution . ”
It was the closest I ’d ever heard him come to an apology .
And he was veracious . As much as I hat him for it , he was good . A easy lay on Vermillion ’s new product would rescue my career . The truth was , I was badly - suited to the politicking command to get access to top - level execs . I had n’t had a significant interview in age .
But if Ali want to help me , it was only because there was something in it for him . Maybe his young projection was a flop , and he needed a little good promotion to pump his stock up before sorry reviews brought it back to globe . He ’d played me before , I reminded myself .
“ Sorry , Ali . I ’ll see you at the presser . ”
Berkeley 2006
Drunk on optimism we trip up into the last talk . He was n’t the most well bang speaker that day , but he was one of the few factual clime scientists . I do n’t remember his name . But I think of almost everything he say .
“ You ca n’t be serious , ” Penny had said to him after he finished his Powerpoint introduction . “ Prop 87- ”
“ Prop 87 wo n’t slip by , ” he said quietly . He hardly move as he spoke . He barely even maunder . He looked like a trounce man . “ And even if it does it would only provide $ 4 billion for clean energy . That ’s about half the price of an aircraft carrier wave . barely enough to pay for the wind energy we ’d need to power California . ”
“ But what about clean carbon paper ? ” someone to my left field asked . “ Or atomic number 6 seizure systems on smokestacks ? ”
The verbalizer shook his head . “ Interesting technologies , but irrelevant . They might decelerate down the pace of increase of carbon emissions , but that ’s like saying you ’ve shrivel up the yap in the bottom of your canoe . We ’re still sink , just not as fast . ”
“ Nuclear power ? Solar ? ” Others abuse . The approximation that the trouble had already pose beyond us was incomprehensible .
The speaker wait for the turmoil to give way down . “ I appreciate your enthusiasm . We should explore all the choice you mentioned . But we should also be clear about the futurity we ’re facing now . Those result may mitigate the disaster . They ca n’t stop it . There is already too much carbon paper in the system as is . You could stop all discharge tomorrow and it wo n’t exchange anything . The world is going to warm by at least five degree Celsius by the terminal of the century . Likely more . ” He shake his foreland . “ That will be enough to put Indonesia underwater . Most of coastal India . Large clump of the US coastal universe . The disaster migrations alone will fox the world into chaos . And that does n’t even get into the droughts and famines we ’ll experience . I doubt any of us will have money left over for iPods once the price of bread quintet . trade good pompousness will probably put a stake in the heart of the global economy . ” He stopped , and rubbed his tabernacle weakly before our astonied and angry faces . “ And there ’s nothing we can do to change that now . ”
Penny admit it the hardest . She buried her psyche into my shoulder on the car ride nursing home , while I asterisk despondently out the window at the sun setting over the California coastline . Ali , though , he only looked thoughtful . And at the corner of his mouth I thought I could detect the beginnings of a slight smile .
I arrived as late as I dared , hope to avoid catch him before the presentation . It was the first cheery day we ’d had in months . The stage was set up on the high ground , well forth from the coast line . To my right , I check what looked like a small cooling column , the character usually associated with atomic reactors .
I grabbed a seat near the front and open my laptop computer . Next to me , I find out the senior applied science reporter from Time peck away at her phone with her thumb . I waved .
“ Devora . You hear what he ’s herald ? ”
She shake up her head . “ Has n’t enjoin a word to us . Nobody else , either . Never known Ali to sit on a undertaking this long . ”
“ As you know , our civilization is in crisis . Once fecund farmland is now desert , and food price are skyrocket . Our metropolis are swamp . We are only now beginning to come up to the full scope of this problem . Last twelvemonth , Vermillion introduced the Everbrite solar cell , with efficiency gains of over 30 % . Our Atlas reactors are the safest and most cost - in effect atomic plants in the world . Vermillion engineering has led the way in arresting the raise of greenhouse gas expelling . I ’m lofty to say that last yr was the first in chronicle in which greenhouse emissions in reality worsen yr over year . ” There was some tenuous applause , mostly from Vermillion ’s marketing section .
“ But the truth is , we waited far too long to make those changes . Global temperatures are now forecast to go forward rising an additional seven point centigrade by the end of the century , on top of already staggering increase in the last twenty years . This will cause the end of Western civilization as we know it . ”
The crowd murmured in alarm . I leaned forward . It was the first time I ’d heard anything other than pollyanna optimism about mood change from a chief operating officer . Ali cleared his throat , and the gang quiet down again .
“ reduce our step is no longer sufficient . If we want to deliver ourselves from extinction , we ’re going to have to take more drastic measure . ” He threw his arm out toward the cool down tower .
“ So we built the Phoenix reactor . ”
I find a sudden strong gust of wind instrument in my face . It was coming from the tower .
“ Do n’t be alarmed , ” Ali said with a wink . “ That ’s mostly just atomic number 8 and some water vaporisation coming out . Several hundred metric loads a minute , granted , but quite safe . ”
Next to me , Devora raised her deal . “ Where ’s it all coming from ? ”
Ali gave his piratical grin again , and angle against the podium . He hiked his ovolo toward the seaport . “ From there . We ’re pump brine straight from the Atlantic into the Phoenix reactor , which is bury next to a geothermal vent a few thousand meter below us . It ’s about 1200 centigrade down there . That ’s hot enough to get around the valency alliance in CO2 , by the way . Once we ’ve stripped the carbon out of the ocean water , we pump the recombined oxygen and H2O up to the chill towers . We ’re draw the carbon straight out of the biosphere . ”
I catch a hand go up to my left .
“ How ’s take CO2 out of the sea become to do anything for the atm ? ”
“ The existence ’s ocean and the atmosphere are in chemical equilibrium . As the sea ’s CO2 levels drop , they ’ll immerse the surplusage in the atmospheric state as vestibular sense is reestablish . This happens rather quickly , in fact . ”
newsman were fidgeting around me , tweeting every Word of God as fast as they could . But the number did n’t add up .
“ Ali , you ca n’t really be hint this is a practicable solvent , ” I prognosticate out . “ New York City alone produces 60 million metric tons of CO2 a year . ”
“ It ’s 65 million , in reality , ” Ali say . “ You ’re good . In purchase order to have any sort of effect , we ’d have to lean this projection on an enormous scale . The nuclear reactor would have to work on two three-dimensional kilometers of sea water every day of the year to cancel even that much . ”
I feel the agitation around me dissipate . We ’d all been reporting on the Catastrophe for years . We ’d catch all sorts of schemes , toy , and geo - engineering projects rolled out in an unending succession . The world was flailing about for answer . We had been for decades as thing had fallen apart around us . Ali ’s reactor was just one more despairing thaumaturgy . There would be a hundred more such trick , until one day everything would stop , and that would be the terminal for us .
But then Ali looked up , and smiled . And twinkle at me .
“ as luck would have it , this baby sucks down double that much . ”
I blinked in astonishment as the pressure corp erupted . Reporters turned to each other , ask if Ali ’s claims could be even remotely possible . “ You heard me right . The Phoenix nuclear reactor is altogether cancel all the CO2 produced by the city and then some . Now , ” he chuckled again . “ We ’re going to take a few more of these if we ’re perish to lay aside the world . About a thousand , operating around the clock for the next decade . But we ’ve already received interest from several home governments . ”
“ If you ’re pulling that much CO2 out of the ocean , where ’s it all going ? ” Devora asked him . “ Dioxide is deadly in large quantity . Are n’t you worried about containment ? ”
Ali shrugged . “ I would be . If we were sequestering CO2 . We ’re not . We ’re breaking the valence shackle . What ’s left is pure , non - toxic carbon . ”
“ You still have n’t explain how you ’re give-up the ghost to make money doing this . ”
“ There ’s a variety of revenue streams . Carbon ’s one of our most crucial raw materials , as you know . Our nanotube naval division is develop exponentially . Nanotube suspension bridges , carbon - fiber organic structure for automobiles … ” he shrug again as his part trailed off and he avoid my eyes . I doubted anyone else in the press corporation could severalize he was hiding something .
I did a quick series of calculations on my laptop . “ Ali , that ’s still not enough . You ’re extracting 17 million metric tons of pure carbon just from New York City every year . Over a thousand clip that if you plan to go this operation on a global scale of measurement . I ’m sure there ’s demand for nanotube , but it ca n’t be anywhere near that in high spirits . You ’re going to have tons of carbon copy you ’ll have to bury somewhere . There ’s no path you ’ll be able-bodied to course this at a profit . ”
Ali threw up his hands in aggravation . “ You ’re good , Beedie . It ’s a heck of a lot more atomic number 6 than we know what to do with . And we do postulate an efficient way to store it . But we ’ve base a way to compress the material into a relatively heavy , torpid state that we do n’t suppose will harm anything . Should avail us make a small profit , too . ”
That ’s when I noticed a technician in a blue shirt and khaki bloomers walking toward the stage from the steering of the cooling tug . He carried a large , blackened box , grin from pinna to ear .
Ali put his handwriting over the microphone . “ Excuse me . ” The technician whispered to Ali , then handed him the box . “ gloomy for the interruption sept . ” Ali descend from the stage , and walk over to me . Eyeing me carefully for a second , he turned to Devora . “ Would you heed terribly helping me dispose of this stuff ? You ’d be doing me an awful favour . ”
Devora open up the loge with both hands and peered inside . Frowning , she reached in and perpetrate out a heavy lump of contraband sway , what looked like thoroughgoing charcoal . She scrunch up her nose at the mess it made on her hand .
“ dismal about the mess . If you would just chip off a bit of the outer shell . ”
Devora solve the cushy cheekiness with her fingers , the charcoal fall off easily in ink-black black clod onto the ground . A wide grinning dawned on her facial expression .
“ And now , ” Ali enunciate quietly . “ If you would n’t mind holding that up . ”
Devora raised the physical object , about the size of a basketball , high above her head , bits of charcoal rain down on her . earsplitting clapping erupted , as the crowd calculate at the largest diamond any of us had ever go steady .
I stared down at him while he rubbed his jaw .
“ I doubt you ’ve ever throw a punch before , older serviceman . I gauge I should be grateful . ”
“ Get up , ” I growled .
He did so slowly , with a placating hand out toward me . “ Come in and keep out the doorway . It ’s freeze out . ” I did as he asked , then roll around and plant another fist in his stomach . He duplicate over and grunted , squinch , but still managed to cock an brow up toward me . “ Are you finish ? ”
I watch over him into the living room and jabbed my finger into his side . “ You knew we were having job . I told you because I trusted you . ”
Ali nod . “ Yeah . You did . I ’m sorry . I did n’t intend for this to happen . Neither of us did . ”
I snorted . “ All those rallies , the committees , the protests . You did n’t give a damn about any of it , did you ? You were just tagging along to get close to Penny . ”
It might have been the only time I ever examine him look hurt . “ You do n’t really trust that , do you ? ”
“ You ’re take the problem at Vermillion , are n’t you ? You ’re going to work for the enemy ? ”
“ In their advanced materials division , Beedie . I ’m go to be working on solar panels , not practise for oil . I do n’t have the opulence of playing politics with my potential employers . I ’ve got almost $ 200,000 in scholar loans I have to start paying back next yr . ” Ali put his hand to his nozzle , pinched it and leaned forward . Something made him chuckle .
Ali put up a hand . “ You detest me , right now . Maybe you even hate Penny , too . But please , do n’t detest us forever . We ’re going to be in each other ’s lives for a long time . ”
I shook my heading . “ No . I ’m done with both of you . ”
Ali sigh . “ It does n’t work like that , old sport . We ’re bonded . Like carbon . ”
This time , he was recent . But I was beyond deal by that point .
“ You should n’t , ” I take heed his voice as he took a seat next to me at the legal profession , handing his long black oceanic abyss coat and umbrella to the bank check girl . “ Please do n’t . ”
“ I ’m already on my third . ” I drained my glass .
Ali sighed . “ Why , Beedie ? Why now ? ”
I shake up my question . I was n’t the one I was worried about . “ Where ’s your security , Ali ? Do n’t tell me you came here alone . ”
Ali took a hesitant sip from a beer . “ I never went in for those furnishing . ”
“ My article , ” I slurred my tidings . “ The cartel . The one that won the Pulitzer . Did you in reality read it ?
Ali cocked an supercilium . “ Where do you opine I pay back the idea in the first place ? ” I wink a few time . He smiled and put a handwriting on my shoulder . “ We ’d been study the job for year . We make love from the scratch line we did n’t want to just sequester CO2 , the hooey ’s too serious . But what else could we do ? There ’s the carbon carbon nanotube construction . That ’s a big piece . We ’ll be produce them a hundred clip faster than our nearest competitor . Do you know what you’re able to do with that ? What becomes possible with that product pace ? ” He leaned across the legal profession , the intimate glint in his heart . “ distance elevators . Enough carbon nanotube scaffolding to get hold of geo - stat orbit . We ’re already in discussions with the Chinese and the Indians .
“ But even that was n’t enough of a market . There was no mode I could sell this as a profitable enterprise to the control panel .
“ Then I saw your clause , Beedie . You were the aspiration . Diamonds : a form of atomic number 6 we could sell by the ton at a huge markup . Carbon so valuable people literally kill for it . ”
“ The combine . Ali , you ’re go to be produce million of tons of uncut baseball diamond every year . Adding that much provision will torpedo the market place . ”
Ali winked , like he could n’t see the oncoming string . “ Certainly . What a shame . ”
He took another swig from the bottle . I jerk it out of his hired hand and slammed it on the taproom . “ They kill mass for so much less than this . recollect what they did to the Israelis ? Or the Sierra Leone carnage ? And they were n’t anywhere near the threat you ’re going to be . Do you cogitate they wo n’t move heaven and worldly concern to get free of you ? ”
“ It ’s done , Beedie . The technology ’s already been developed . vote down me wo n’t do them any good . ”
I shake my head . I ’d never been able to get through to him . “ They wo n’t care . You ’re threatening they ’re existence . They ’ll hear anything , now . They ’ll go after Vermillion . They ’ll target the scientist working for you . ” He was n’t listen . “ Call off the diamond production . ” Ali snort and shot me a dubitable look . “ It ’s a sideshow . Any government in the cosmos would back you . ” I grab him by the shoulders . Ali flinched and pulled back , but I had the wool of his crownwork draw in tightly in my fingers . I pull him toward me . “ Ali , you ’re risking your animation . You could become flat . ”
His constrict his eyes , and I saw the crow ’s feet again . His lip curled in something close to a smile .
“ C’m on , Beedie , ” he enjoin finally . “ I died twelve years ago . ” He held my gaze for a minute , then lowered his optic .
Ali had make out how dangerous the cartel was . He did it anyway . Because he ’d read my article . Because Penny had died and he ’d read my clause . Damn .
“ I tried call , ” he tell softly . “ After the funeral , I tried calling . ”
“ I know . I never answer . ”
“ She never block off . Caring about you . Neither did I. ”
I drink down the last of my drink . “ I get laid . ”
Ali stood . He put on his coat , and put up his manus . I took it fain . “ Bye , Beedie . It was nice seeing you again . ”
We both smiled . He looked old-hat and , for a moment , outfox . But then he turned back and winked , and the bright former Ali returned , and he whistled as he strode out the room access .
The police force find out his car by the side of the road betimes the next week . It had been rain . His motorcar had been speeding . They were look into the possibility his number one wood had been drunk . executive director at Vermillion did n’t comment on what Ali ’s destruction meant for the direction of the fellowship , or his carbon capture go-ahead . They talked about how important his vision had been , how difficult it would be to put back him . I held out hopes they ’d keep the project , but I had my question . Without the force out of Ali ’s personality behind it , I suspect it would be defer . But I ’m a untrusting someone by nature , and my doubts are often unwarranted .
Sproiles want to assign it to another newsman , but I importune on writing his obit myself .
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