They had warned him. Some had tried blindsiding, misleading and straight up denying him answers. Yet he had caught on. He had moved on with determination and such rugged bullheadedness that would've made a Minnesota Bison Momma would be proud.
"More than one life?" The Head Council of science and technology in his country asked with amusement and disbelief.
He nodded, his enthusiasm shielding him from their unhidden smirks and giggles.
"That's scientifically impossible." The head scientist, Mr Kasper, said. He usually had a straight line for a mouth on his grim serious face but now a wry smile was on that face and it looked as out of place as a Chinese in a kimono in downtown McDonalds.
"Isn't the aim of science being to prove that nothing is impossible?" He asked the council back.
The people who could easily rebuke his credentials and leave him as certified as the next door bum who played with smelling salts looked back at him in thought.
He studied their faces; some were taken back by the statement, some were enraged by his rudeness, some couldn't care less and looked at him like a schoolboy who wanted to make Androids like the ones on TV shows but alas, only one was intrigued.
He saw the sparkle in his eyes, the sparkle of innovation, the sparkle of curiosity.
Ron decided to lay his case to him. Speaking to the crowd but locking eyes with him.
"I think we've heard enough." Mr Kasper closed him off.
"Let him speak." Scientist Abbot replied calmly.
Ron watched in glee as the man who was curious about his theories backed him up, squaring off against the head scientist.
"Excuse me?" Mr Kasper asked, enraged that his power was being questioned.
It wasn't a question though, despite being a normal scientist it was a known fact that Scientist Abbot had achieved more than Mr Kasper, to be honest, he had achieved more than most scientists who had ever lived.
His name was very close to being in the annals of history, right there with Einstein and Rutherford.
"I said we should let him speak." Abbot replied to Kasper who was getting redder by the second.
"It's clear that he's speaking nonsense, the dead are dead, you can't be reincarnated into another body, that's heresy to the scientific nature. I should chase him out of here and collect his credentials." Mr Kasper ranted on.
Scientist Abbot paid him no mind though, eyes focused on Ron he said just two words which won the argument.
"I'm intrigued."
Like that, Ron saved his job, his degree and still got to pitch his theory.
As he finished, Mr Kasper and the other scientists simply filed out without a word.
No questions asked to him nor were any points made.
Ron noted some were asleep during the presentation but he didn't care, he looked up to Scientist Abbott and saw him lost in thoughts, still looking at the diagrams.
"How sure are you that this would work?" He asked out of the blue, Ron nearly jumped in shock.
"W-well theoretically, it's meant to go off without a hitch, but real life testing would surely have its ups and downs. I can't guarantee anything yet, but I'm positive the probability of getting it right is above 60." Ron explained, thrilled this might be going just how he expected it to go.
Scientist Abbot took one last look at the plans, Ron held his breath as he awaited his final verdict.
Just as he thought he couldn't hold his breath any longer, Scientist Abbot spoke.
"Carry on with your experiment, anything you need, just come to me."
Ron started right away, and after 3 years his explanation of the process was spot on, even more so. For there were ups, downs, sideways, loops and complete zig zag parallels but then it all fell together.
Now, as he looked at his experiment, about to try the last test before it is released to the public.
The quote which had started the whole project came to him.
You only live once.
He laughed off such a phrase now.
With shaky hands, he held up his tape recorder and pressed record.
"Project Not One Life. Final Experiment. Take 1."
- Header Image Gotten from Here
- Story created in response to the #inkwellprompt You Only Live Once
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