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    A Discovery
    A Discovery
    A Discovery
    Ebook125 pages1 hour

    A Discovery

    By Lesley L. Smith

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Imagine you're an ordinary college student, going to classes and hanging out with friends. And then you discover you're anything but ordinary... Check out this new novella introducing a fun new series from popular science fiction author Lesley L. Smith!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLesley L. Smith
    Release dateJul 20, 2023
    ISBN9781950198665
    A Discovery
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    Author

    Lesley L. Smith

    All right, I confess! I love physics. I blame my misspent youth reading science fiction by the likes of Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke. Not surprisingly, I also love science fiction. I grew up in Missouri, in a family of overeducated overachievers. Following in their footsteps, I've earned far too many degrees including an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Elementary Particle Physics and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. Hmm? I may have a split personality. The evidence shows I've authored or co-authored many scientific articles, and am a longtime member of the American Physical Society. I'm also a founder and editor of the speculative fiction ezine http://www.electricspec.com and a longtime member of the Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers of America. Both sides of my personality live in Boulder, Colorado where I do physics by day and science fiction by night. Please visit me on the web at http://www.lesleylsmith.com.

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      Book preview

      A Discovery - Lesley L. Smith

      A DISCOVERY

      Books by Lesley L. Smith

      Temporal Dreams

      Neutrino Warning

      Kat Cubed

      Reality Alternatives

      Conservation of Luck

      The Quantum Cop Series:

      Book 1: The Quantum Cop

      Book 2: Quantum Murder

      Book 3: Quantum Mayhem

      The Space Operetta Series

      Book 1: A Jack By Any Oher Name

      Book 2: A Jack in the Dark

      Book 3: A Jack for All Seasons

      The Perils of Tiffani Series

      Book 1 Part 1: A Discovery

      Coming soon: Book 1 Part 2: Of Time

      A Discovery

      By Lesley L. Smith

      Quarky Media

      Boulder Colorado

      A Discovery

      Published by Quarky Media, PO Box 3332, Boulder, CO 80307

      www.quarkymedia.com

      Copyright © 2023 Lesley L. Smith

      ISBN: 978-1-950198-66-5 (ebook)

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability.

      A DISCOVERY

      The Perils of Tiffani Book 1 Part 1

      Chapter One

      Being a goddess of the universes is a tough job, but someone's gotta' do it, right?

      It all started innocently enough...

      I stood in the warm sunshine, a light breeze ruffling my hair. I seemed to be surrounded by rolling hills covered with rippling grasses and wildflowers. The grasses were all the shades from green to tan and were about a foot tall. Near me, there were a bunch of cheerful yellow daisy-like blossoms, with flowers of white and pink further away. But... Where was I? I slowly rotated. To the west, I spied the familiar shapes of the Flatirons, the foothill mountains abutting Boulder. But where was the town? I rotated again but could see nothing man-made, no buildings, no roads, not even any people. This wasn't right. In fact, this was very, very wrong. I started to feel dizzy...

      Get up! A strange female voice yelled in my ear. The voice was deep and gravelly; I didn't recognize it. At the same time, someone tugged my arm.

      I opened my eyes to find I lay in the middle of the street, the pavement warm even through my clothing, and a stranger was pulling me up.

      What the hell? I scrambled to my feet.

      A gray-haired woman jogged away from me.

      Wait! I called after her. What happened? Who are you? She seemed familiar.

      She didn't answer, turn around or even slow down.

      I was in the crosswalk in the street outside the physics building at the university, surrounded by students on their way to class.

      It was a beautiful summer morning; the sun was shining, and a breeze was blowing.

      A car drove through the crosswalk, narrowly missing the other pedestrians and me in. The crowd was not happy about it. I heard various exclamations accompanied by rude gestures.

      Tiffani! Tiffani! my BFF Rory called from behind me. Rory totally reminded me of a Disney princess with her long wavy red hair, smooth, creamy skin, turned-up nose, and, yes, proclivity for singing. I'm serious, singing! And don't think I didn't enjoy giving her grief about that because I did. But she had a dual major in physics and music, so there you go.

      She crinkled up her nose. What happened? she asked. Were you lying in the street? OMG! Did you get hit by a car? Or a bike? Or someone on a scooter? Are you all right?

      As we stood there, dozens of brightly-dressed students flowed around us as if we were a boulder in a mountain stream.

      I don't know what happened. I considered my arms, legs, chest and stomach. Everything felt normal. I'm okay, just confused, I said. I don't think I got hit by anything.

      So, what? she asked. You fainted? Wow. She opened her eyes wide. Talk about a bad place to faint. She pointed down at the painted asphalt.

      I don't know what happened, I said again. It was strange. It seemed like I had just been standing in the middle of a field, but that didn't make any sense. Was it a dream? If so, had I been sleepwalking? I'd never sleepwalked before.

      I tried to recall my morning, but I couldn't remember much except the weird empty field. Usually, I took my pill, trudged down to the bathroom, peed, showered, returned to my room, dressed, and then ate breakfast. But I didn't remember doing any of that today.

      I peered down to make sure I wasn't still wearing my pajamas. Clothing (cute jeans and my favorite ‘Save the bees. Clean the seas. Plant more trees.’ t-shirt); check. That was good, at least.

      So, what was with that field? Could I have been dreaming? Could I have been sleepwalking? Did I imagine it? I did have an awesome imagination, and my mom said I daydreamed too much. But it had all seemed so real...

      Rory's phone buzzed, and she glanced at it. Oh, my gosh! We're going to be late for physics class! Come on! She grabbed my hand and started jogging for the physics building.

      A few minutes later, we were ensconced in the front row of desks, ready for Physics Three to begin. The large classroom was designed like an auditorium with two entrances/exits at the top and a stage with a podium and screen at the bottom.

      My phone pinged. It was a text from my other BFF, Lin. 'I can't believe me and Ethan got here at the same time as you guys.' Lin was from Hong Kong, a skater grrrl, and looked it with her general don't-screw-with-me attitude and her collection of intense t-shirts. She was also an awesome hacker and officially a computer science major.

      I texted her back. 'Where are you guys?'

      'Back row.'

      I turned around, and she waved at me from the back of the room. Today, she was sporting a black t-shirt with 'Thrasher Magazine' in flame font on the front.

      My other BFF, Ethan, sat next to her. He grinned at me. He was from California and an Engineering Physics major. And, yes, damn it, he was hot, nice and tall with great wavy brown hair and warm brown eyes.

      Who are you waving at? Rory asked, and then she turned around. When she saw Lin and Ethan, she beamed and waved at them.

      Someone in front of us cleared their throat. So, if I could have everyone's attention, please.

      Rory and I quickly turned to face the front of the classroom.

      A middle-aged Latino wearing jeans, a light-blue button-down shirt and a navy blazer, frowned at Rory and me from behind the podium.

      I smiled innocently.

      As you hopefully know by now, I'm Professor Hernandez, he said, expression softening.

      Today, we continue our explorations of mechanical vibrations and waves, electromagnetic waves, classical optics, special relativity, and the theory of quantum mechanics.

      After class, Rory and I met Lin and Ethan in the back of the room near the exits. We were all resident advisors and worked and lived in the same dorm in the center of campus.

      I thought you left the dorm before us. Where were you guys? Ethan asked, smiling, as the four of us exited the classroom.

      I smiled back.

      Rory crinkled up her nose again. Tiffani fainted or something in the middle of the street.

      I held up my hand. I don't think I fainted.

      What happened, then? Ethan asked, standing in the physics building lobby. Dozens of students rushed past us on their way to or from class.

      I don't know, I said. I don't remember.

      Could it be something with your meds? Lin asked.

      I had to take meds every day for my ADHD. They were a pain but a necessary evil. Huh, I said. That's an interesting question. Could that be it? Maybe? But why now? What's different? I should have taken my meds this morning. Could there be something wrong with them?

      "Oh, I think we should take you to

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