Jenevieve, A Story in Physics... Where We Begin (891 hits)
Category: GeneralLabels: SciFi
Rating: 1.77 on 57 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by shadow (View user info) at 2007-10-01 14:13:42 EDT
http://www.ubersite.com/m/111734
"Doctor Rothenstein, hello?" Genevieve called down the hall to her mentor, who was sitting at his desk gazing off into the unknown. "Doctor Rothenstein!" She called louder "We are ready to proceed!" There was no answer. She huffed and stomped her way to the old man's office and stood at the door, staring at the side of his head.
"Just a minute, Genny." He said finally.
"Doctor, I've been going over the data and I think we're ready to move on to the next step. We have successfully-" he cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"Do you have yet your doctorate in physics?" He asked calmly. Genevieve knew what was coming, but had to play along anyway.
"No, Doctor, I am a graduate student and I do not have a PhD like you." She sighed.
"I am glad you have remembered zis." His mild German accent played over the word. "Until you have achieved vhat I have, I vill zank you to keep such opinions to yourself. Ven I vant an opinion on recipes for delicious cookies, I vill ask you, and when I vant an opinion on research, I vill ask Doctor Kenter." She scowled at him, once again insulted. "Zicklein haben heute keine Geduld." he mumbled to the stack of papers scattered before him.
"Ich bin kein Kind." She spat back at him.
"Oh yes, I forget you studied German as well as science." He said gently.
"Ich studierte Deutsches für vier Jahre, und ich habe Wissenschaft mein ganzes Leben studiert you disrespectful old man." Her temper was hot, and she had lost her patience. Tolerating a sexist old codger was hard enough when there wasn't work to be done, let alone when his whims were taking time away from the lab. "Why are you always suggesting that I should make cookies?"
"Perhaps I have not enough respect, or perhaps you have not earned it. Perhaps I alvays mention cookies because I am an old man who vishes to eat cookies," he smiled at her as he said the word, "or perhaps it is because zere is somezing more to ze cookies zan you can zink of." She sighed again and walked into the room, taking the seat across from him at his desk. "You know vhy mein family name is Rothenstein? It was Rothenburg, just like the city, where my family lived for centuries. The Nazis zought zat it vould be improper to have Juden such as ve vere, carrying a name zat is so distinctively Deutsche, so zey changed it for us, and ve let zem because ve had no choice."
"I had heard that you lost your family to the concentration camps. I am very sorry for that." She felt suddenly ashamed for having snapped at the old man. Surely he had lived a life extraordinary enough to be allowed a few non-PC slips of the tongue, and she felt guilty for chiding him.
"You are German too, ja?" He asked.
"Yes." She said simply.
"You do not need to apologize to me, dear. Zat vas long before your time. And anyway, ze Germans are not bad people, it's just zat every few hundred years zhey fall in vit ze wrong crowd, and try to take over ze world. Ve are ze same. Anyvay, some vere pushed into ze camps, and oszers ze ghettos. My faszer, he died early on. My moszer, ho-ever, sie held on for a long time. Sie survived. And one reason vhy, is zat sie vould take our ration of Zucker, er, sugar, and gazer up flour from our neighbors, and sometimes steal butter, and sie vould make cookies. Not for ze children, but for ze Nazi guards who patrolled. And ven zhey got cookies, zen zhey vere nice and did not hurt us. And ven zhose guards came again, zhey vould continue to be nice, and sometimes give us more food." Genevieve looked at him incredulously.
"Your mother made cookies? For the Nazis?"
"Ah ha. You may zink zat a weakness, because you are headstrong, but sie kept us safe, and so I must be grateful for cookies. And I am grateful for women who make cookies. You see?"
"Yes, Doctor. I understand." A fresh wave of guilt washed over her and she stared at her feet in shame.
"No, no, sveetheart, it is ok. You must learn patience and cooperation, zhat is ze point to ze story. Patience especially, for in science it often takes years and sometimes centuries for true development from research. If nothing else, it is an honor to lay ze foundation for future achievement, just as Aristotle, Newton, and Einstein did for us."
"Of course, Doctor."
"Good. Now, let us get to ze lab and ve vill see about the next phase. You understand of course that ve cannot use a volunteer outside of this program, and it is only you and Doctor Kenter who have seen our work, so you will be our volunteer." He winked at her, and her heart began to race. This was it, what she and the two doctors had been working towards for over a year; human phasing. She would not just be one of the researchers responsible for this great achievement, she would be the first person to undergo atomic mapping and particle projection. She would literally exist in two points of space and time simultaneously. She wondered how it would feel, or if she would be conscious at both points, if she would be able to see the world from two perspectives... the excitement was killing her!
If they succeeded, it may bring dawn to a new era in communication and transportation, ushering in a true renaissance for science. If they failed... well, Genevieve didn't want to think about that...
"Doctor?" She asked, "If the projection is a success, how long do you think it will be before we really try teleportation?"
"Oh, dear. I do not zink zat will happen in our lifetimes. It is too dangerous. Ze projection sustains ze object intact, 'teleportation' if you want to call it zhat, would destroy ze object. Ve cannot risk zhat on a human subject. It vould be too high a cost if ve vere to fail. No, I zink perhaps your grandchildren may have ze technologies for zhat, not us. Perhaps, in time, ve can sustain a projection longer, and zhen ve can experiment vit more data. Ve should focus on testing ze limits of one field before ve jump into another, ja?" Genevieve nodded, recalling the lesson he had just taught her.
"Of course Doctor. We have already come so far in phasing and projection, it would be foolish to overextend ourselves. Shall we proceed with the experiment?" She asked brightly.
"Indeed. Let us get to the laboratory. I zink zis vill be a day to remember."
To be Continued...
User Reviews
Submitted by firefly (user info) at 2007-10-02 15:42:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-10-02 12:29:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This was written exceptionally well and I didn't mind the accent at all (which is odd because I usually dislike typed-out accents). I can tell that you've had your fill of Dr. Hubris.
Also, +2 fellow Deutch sprecher.
Please keep 'em coming.
Submitted by zwerg (user info) at 2007-10-02 11:29:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-10-01 16:49:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
.
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-10-01 16:49:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2007-10-01 16:32:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:46:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very good, but the accent detracts a bit from the reading. Not unbearably though.
there are other ways to do this without comprimising all of the dialogue but I am busy so there.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:49:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Zeglamancer (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:41:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I doubt it. Most white girls have flat asses. Their best assets are their face and breasts. If you want a quality booty, best you stick to Puerto Rican / Domincan / black girls for that.
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Oh, not ALL white girls, believe me: http://www.ubersite.com/m/77962
Submitted by Zeglamancer (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:41:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I doubt it. Most white girls have flat asses. Their best assets are their face and breasts. If you want a quality booty, best you stick to Puerto Rican / Domincan / black girls for that.
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:37:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Have a good night, HE!
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:36:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
CT, yes. Mostly, sometimes it ends in conversations with the INS.
WOOOO ATLANTIC CITY!!!
I did have to laugh when one security guard took my ID from me, then tried to fake me out about the information on it. "When were your born????" "December! I swear!" "WHAT STATE BITCH!" "AHHH! I just want a drink pleeeeaaase!"
"Ok kid, here you go."
"Uh... thanks."
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:35:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Okay, I stayed 35 extra minutes at work. With my math skills, 35 minutes = 2 hours. See y'alls later.
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:34:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hills are always, ALWAYS a good idea. I mean, how could anything go wrong with an adult hurtling down a hill in a plastic cart that has no identifiable breaking measures?
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:33:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Don't ALL Ubercons end up in a few conversations with security guards?
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:30:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
ah yeah. Jonukah and I were definitely fighting over who was pushing and who was riding.
Hint: He's stronger than me, so he had to push :P
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:28:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love how the Sam's carts are extra big, say, big enough for a 5'9" female, who's name rhymes with 'Mangel', to fit into and be pushed around by her equally stupid friend at mach-1 speeds.
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:25:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Hehe, that would be fun I think; it would likely result in shopping cart races and a few conversations with security guards...
By the way, I went to a Sam's Club for the first time on Saturday and HOLY MOSES! Who the hell needs a five pound bucket of cream cheese???
I think I finally understand what Obafemi felt the first time he came to the US from Nigeria and went to the supermarket. "WOW! There is so much food EVERYWHERE! An entire civilization could survive in the freezer section!"
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:25:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
SS, I so did not, but I know damn well you looked at my ass when I walked up the stairs to the bathroom.
Skeevy.....
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:23:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hilarity tried to touch me where I pee.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:23:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Scourge's booty is only an hour south of me....
Wait, what?
This sucks. Him, Bart, Beeb, AssHoly...I just realized that there is virtually NO non-male Uberass in my area. Except for AshK, but she doesn't count 'cause she's never around anymore.
*weeeeeeeeps*
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:22:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Do you ever wonder when you, me, and/or EatMeCompletely are just gonna run into eachother at Safeway or someplace equally ridiculous?
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:19:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Hilarity's booty is only a few miles north of me....
MWUAAAA HAAAAA HAAAAA!
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:15:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hilarity's booty brings all the boys to the yard
And they're like "Grope grope grope grope grope"
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:14:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
PROVE IT
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:13:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Envier, too.
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:12:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Evier? Hardly....
I'VE GOT 'N ASS DAT DON'T QUIT, BABY!!1
Submitted by DudeThatsBOSH (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:12:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:11:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ass envier below.
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:10:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
And yes, I am camping. This whole working a 10-hour day to get 1 day off isn't going well.
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:09:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Shadow, CT is just trying to keep you down b/c he can't get dialects to work for him. It's a classic case of those who can not achieve try to keep those who can down.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 15:04:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:54:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Captian, you bring up an important point, and I'm glad you did: I am constantly torn between simply telling the reader what kind of accent they should hear, and putting it out for them in dialect. I have heard both sides of the argument, and I still can't decide for myself which is better; easy readability or "genuine" human speech.
-----------------------------------------
My biases has always been towards subtle suggestions of ethnicity/dialect in favor of readability. But that's just a personal preference, and I don't think you overdid it THAT much. Perhaps I just find it difficult to maintain consistent dialect when I attempt to use it in my writing.
I guess the important question to ask yourself is: if I use this dialect, is it comprehensible enough that the reader won't have to go back and re-read it several times in order to understand what is being said? And, in this case, I didn't...it flowed pretty well. So kudos to you.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:59:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:47:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
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Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:43:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Have another +2 b/c it's writer's like you that make me not write for fear of embarrasment. I'm a quitter at heart :)
______________________
OH NOES!
While I am flattered by the compliment, you have to write MORE to become a better writer! And read more too, but you should see the steaming piles of human refuse that I churned out about five years ago, the most pretentious and boring drivel EVAR!
Now I write much better, but it takes time. You shouldn't deny yourself this creative outlet for fear of failure! Think of what your could be depriving us of!
===========================
She doesn't need to worry about becoming a good writer, though...I submit to you her entry for ASSFEST 2007: http://www.ubersite.com/m/85294
That alone will pay her bills, I'm sure. ;)
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:57:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
It's not that I write badly, persay, I just have my bursts of creativity, then nada. Also, my fiction sucks more donkey dick that a 15 year old Tijuana hooker, and I'd rather not go the EbolaMay route and recount my terrible childhood for everyone just so I can write.
<shrug> Eh, maybe I'll write something all heart-felt and contemplative and get -2d into oblivion.
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:54:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Captian, you bring up an important point, and I'm glad you did: I am constantly torn between simply telling the reader what kind of accent they should hear, and putting it out for them in dialect. I have heard both sides of the argument, and I still can't decide for myself which is better; easy readability or "genuine" human speech.
And Zora Hurston is the best example I think, she was praised for capturing "how" people spoke in the deep south pre-civil rights, but then chided for making a caricature of human speech. I don't know if there is a decisive way to say which is better, but I tend to like dialect when I see it, especially when it adds to the character instead of defining the character.
I hope that is what was achieved here, an added depth to the old man who procrastinates.
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:47:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
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Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:43:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Have another +2 b/c it's writer's like you that make me not write for fear of embarrasment. I'm a quitter at heart :)
______________________
OH NOES!
While I am flattered by the compliment, you have to write MORE to become a better writer! And read more too, but you should see the steaming piles of human refuse that I churned out about five years ago, the most pretentious and boring drivel EVAR!
Now I write much better, but it takes time. You shouldn't deny yourself this creative outlet for fear of failure! Think of what your could be depriving us of!
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:46:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very good, but the accent detracts a bit from the reading. Not unbearably though.
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:43:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Have another +2 b/c it's writer's like you that make me not write for fear of embarrasment. I'm a quitter at heart :)
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:38:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Also, shameless link to my substandard nazi story.
http://www.ubersite.com/m/112114
Submitted by Hilarity_Ensues (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:37:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:31:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
It's good. I wish I felt up to babelfishing all the Deutsche text to understand the rest of it, but I don't.
Submitted by DirtyHarry (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:31:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:23:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
uh... thanks! I think.
I left another comment on your page with the images monssieur ShapeShifter.
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:21:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Spastic.
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:20:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Do I hear 1.75?
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:20:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Obsessive?
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:20:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Still going.
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:20:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nah...
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:19:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Should I stop yet?
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:19:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
heated?
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:19:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
More?
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:19:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Maybe to a 1.5?
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:18:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
How much more can I get this up?
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:18:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fucking scroll button. That's what I'll blame it on.
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:18:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Comments.
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:18:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:17:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck...shoot me. I'm so used to handing out -2's :)
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:17:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Shit.,...so sorry.
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-10-01 14:15:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/112075#2540545