“Professor Belpois, I think we may have found something that might interest you, I mean we just found it and I did not know if anyone would find it interesting, then when I learned that you were in the area I remembered you paper, I find in kind of strange that a scientist of your caliber would be teaching at a school, I mean I would think that you would be in some lab working on new theses, but that not the point, anyway we were investigating an old building that was scheduled for demolition, you know for bombs, radiation, that kind of stuff, but anyway, we found something very interesting and you are the expert on it so I had to come to you”

The man spoke in a rushed, barley audible, voice. Jeremie held up his hand to have the man stop talking, at this the man fell silent. “I really hate to interrupt such a fascinating story, but please can you tell me what you want, in one sentence. So that I may understand what you are so eager to tell me.” Jeremie said, a faint smile crossing his face.

The man looked at Jeremie for a second then continued at a slower pace. “Professor, I am part of a inspection team. My job is to find any radiation in buildings scheduled to be demolished, and determine if there is any threat to the area because of it. During a resent inspection I found an odd radiation signature. The building was already collapsing and we could not figure out why. But after further investigation we found, something very odd.”

Jeremie once again stopped the man, “I sorry to interrupt you once again, but I have no idea how this concerns me.”

“We found Epsilon degradation in the atoms in the building. Many atoms were in the final stages. So because you are the discoverer of Epsilon radiation I though you might be able to help us figure out were the radiation came from.”  The man said slightly abashed.

Jeremie stood up and walked over to the window and looked out at the track. A picture of two bulldozers tearing it to shreds passed though his mind. But the image quickly faded.

“The building, more specifically the abandoned factory, in question is rumored to be the sight of a lab of a little known scientist, Waldo Shaffer. Dr. Shaffer was said to be conducting experiments on turning physical matter into data, and storing it in a digital container. A process he called virtualization. The method that he used is unknown, it is also unknown if he ever seceded. But if he was using Epsilon radiation there is a distinct possibility that he could have achieved his goal.

I don’t know if you have heard, but Epsilon radiation converts matter into pure, high- energy protons. This leaves an energy imprint that could be picked up an converted in to digital file.” Jeremie said. After a short pause to see in the man had anything to say, Jeremie continued.

“Now Dr. Shaffer also participated in a government program during the Cold War, so if the government learns of this they will probably try everything to get their hands on the lab. And I would loose the opportunity of a life time, so please not a word of this to any one.”

Jeremie turned from the window to stare at the inspector. Doing his best to impress on him the importance of the he said once again “Not a word”

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Delmas lead the inspector out of the room. And all was normal for a while.  But that night as Jeremie sat sipping his coffee, he felt the call of the factory. The call of the supercomputer, of his past, and the possibility of the future of his friends lives. Jeremie finished his coffee, washed out his mug, and began the long walk to an old abandoned factory.