Evidence

"We are soooo busted," said young Rond Vidar, staring at the smoking machine. It had taken a week to build, pooling both Rond and Querl's time, and yet, only an hour to cause it to explode in spontaneous flames.

Querl, in all his twelfth-level intellect glory, could only sulk over the lost invention. "...should have set the reacting levels lower. A week's worth of work, all gone."

"R.J. is going to freak out when he sees this! We might lose our lab priveleges again!"

At the prospect of his resources cut, Querl snapped back to reality. He knit his brows and looked at the machine, now sporting a plume of black, acrid smoke. "Not if we get rid of the evidence."

Rond looked at Querl with incredibility. "You want to *hide* a smoking core-reactor? HOW?!" he pointed to the digital clock on the wall. "We have fifteen minutes before he gets back from his meeting! How are we going to take apart this thing in *fifteen minutes*!!?"

"I have a plan."


R.J. looked upon his youngest wards with a suspicious eye. "Are you *sure* nothing happened while I was away."

Beads of sweat ran along Rond's brow. He squirmed under R.J.'s stare.

Querl was the opposite, calm and cool and collected. "I assure you, Mr. Brande, that nothing of interest happened while you were attending the meeting."

"Really?" he tilted his head. "Then why is there an axe leaning against the counter?"

Querl snapped his head to Rond. "I told you to put that away!"

"It was the PRESSURE!!"