Read Online Tiona (a sequel to "Vaz") by Laurence Dahners - Free Book Online
Authors: Laurence Dahners
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turned he saw that she was gone and thought that was odd as he had thought that her father was coming.
He looked at his watch, seeing that it was nearly 11. I could have sworn she said he was coming in the morning, he thought, but then shrugged and turned back to his own bench.
The lab door opened and Nolan glanced over curiously. Tiona stepped in followed by a bald man. Nolan tilted his head, wondering if this could be her father. The man’s complexion was darker than hers, but Nolan couldn’t compare their hair coloration, the man didn’t even have eyebrows! Their features did seem to have something in common and their clothing certainly did. The man wore clothes that were even baggier than Tiona’s!
Nolan stood up, “Hello, you must be Tiona’s dad?”
The man stopped as if startled. After a moment he nodded. Tiona introduced him as her father Vaz Gettnor. The whole time Nolan had the feeling that Gettnor was only listening to be polite. It was as if he knew that he was supposed to, so he did it even though he didn’t want to. Nolan shook Gettnor’s hand which seemed hard and calloused though Gettnor’s grip was weak and wimpy. As soon as the handshake was completed, Gettnor started looking around the lab as if he’d completely lost interest in Nolan. I’m less interesting than the equipment, Nolan realized.
Tiona guided her father over to her lab bench and Nolan got the feeling they’d both completely forgotten he was even there. She wasn’t kidding when she said her dad was different, he thought to himself. He turned back to his own project, but kept an eye on Tiona and her dad. They spoke quietly enough that Nolan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but evidently Tiona was showing him some of the electrical properties of her doped graphene membranes.
Though Nolan couldn’t understand their conversation, he could tell it had its ups and downs. Frequently it seemed like Tiona’s father was very excited, making muted exclamations. Tiona, on the other hand, often seemed frustrated. Nolan felt a little jealous. He knew that if he brought his own father in to look at his research, his dad would ooh and ahh, but wouldn’t really understand any of it. Nolan had the feeling that Tiona’s dad, peculiar as he was, kind of had some idea what she was doing. Nolan’s own father might not be weird, but he couldn’t help thinking that he might be willing to have some weirdness in exchange for a parent who liked physics like he did. Of course, I also like having a parent with enough money that I don’t have to eat at the homeless shelter, he thought to himself, glancing back at Mr. Gettnor and wondering about the man’s finances. Gettnor’s clothing looked cheap and old, though clean. If the man’s smart enough to understand the physics of Tiona’s experiment, why can’t he get a job good enough to help pay her way through school? Mental illness?
A little bit after noon, the Gettnors got up and started shuffling around as if they were about to leave. Nolan had just finished a test run, so he stood as well. Having a thought he turned to the Gettnors and said, “Hey, how about lunch? I’d be happy to buy.”
The Gettnors looked at one another and Nolan could have sworn that neither of them looked happy about it, but that they had completely different reasons for not wanting to go to lunch with him. However, a second later Tiona pursed her lips and said, “Sure, that’d be fun. Dad, you don’t have anywhere you have to be, right?”
Gettnor looked flummoxed.
Gettnor opened his mouth and Nolan would have sworn he was about to claim he had something to do but Tiona interrupted him with a little grin, “Nope, I saw your schedule. No reason you can’t eat lunch with us.” She turned to Nolan, “Where were you thinking we should eat?”
They walked to the Cosmic Cantina. Cheap food, but good and lots of it. Nolan felt pretty surprised. He’d invited Tiona to lunch several times as well as to other
He looked at his watch, seeing that it was nearly 11. I could have sworn she said he was coming in the morning, he thought, but then shrugged and turned back to his own bench.
The lab door opened and Nolan glanced over curiously. Tiona stepped in followed by a bald man. Nolan tilted his head, wondering if this could be her father. The man’s complexion was darker than hers, but Nolan couldn’t compare their hair coloration, the man didn’t even have eyebrows! Their features did seem to have something in common and their clothing certainly did. The man wore clothes that were even baggier than Tiona’s!
Nolan stood up, “Hello, you must be Tiona’s dad?”
The man stopped as if startled. After a moment he nodded. Tiona introduced him as her father Vaz Gettnor. The whole time Nolan had the feeling that Gettnor was only listening to be polite. It was as if he knew that he was supposed to, so he did it even though he didn’t want to. Nolan shook Gettnor’s hand which seemed hard and calloused though Gettnor’s grip was weak and wimpy. As soon as the handshake was completed, Gettnor started looking around the lab as if he’d completely lost interest in Nolan. I’m less interesting than the equipment, Nolan realized.
Tiona guided her father over to her lab bench and Nolan got the feeling they’d both completely forgotten he was even there. She wasn’t kidding when she said her dad was different, he thought to himself. He turned back to his own project, but kept an eye on Tiona and her dad. They spoke quietly enough that Nolan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but evidently Tiona was showing him some of the electrical properties of her doped graphene membranes.
Though Nolan couldn’t understand their conversation, he could tell it had its ups and downs. Frequently it seemed like Tiona’s father was very excited, making muted exclamations. Tiona, on the other hand, often seemed frustrated. Nolan felt a little jealous. He knew that if he brought his own father in to look at his research, his dad would ooh and ahh, but wouldn’t really understand any of it. Nolan had the feeling that Tiona’s dad, peculiar as he was, kind of had some idea what she was doing. Nolan’s own father might not be weird, but he couldn’t help thinking that he might be willing to have some weirdness in exchange for a parent who liked physics like he did. Of course, I also like having a parent with enough money that I don’t have to eat at the homeless shelter, he thought to himself, glancing back at Mr. Gettnor and wondering about the man’s finances. Gettnor’s clothing looked cheap and old, though clean. If the man’s smart enough to understand the physics of Tiona’s experiment, why can’t he get a job good enough to help pay her way through school? Mental illness?
A little bit after noon, the Gettnors got up and started shuffling around as if they were about to leave. Nolan had just finished a test run, so he stood as well. Having a thought he turned to the Gettnors and said, “Hey, how about lunch? I’d be happy to buy.”
The Gettnors looked at one another and Nolan could have sworn that neither of them looked happy about it, but that they had completely different reasons for not wanting to go to lunch with him. However, a second later Tiona pursed her lips and said, “Sure, that’d be fun. Dad, you don’t have anywhere you have to be, right?”
Gettnor looked flummoxed.
Gettnor opened his mouth and Nolan would have sworn he was about to claim he had something to do but Tiona interrupted him with a little grin, “Nope, I saw your schedule. No reason you can’t eat lunch with us.” She turned to Nolan, “Where were you thinking we should eat?”
They walked to the Cosmic Cantina. Cheap food, but good and lots of it. Nolan felt pretty surprised. He’d invited Tiona to lunch several times as well as to other
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