Of course, I had heard of the Grenfell-Maxwell Marathon. After all, it was a prime opportunity to reveal my genius to the world (and gain a non-trivial amount of money). My plans were meticulous, they had to be. Like all major advancements, there could be no flaws, else that would become the excuse for not moving forward.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHI1TodB9g
It had happened with the automobile, 204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46gSHZi5Ju
“Why should we rely on oil and machines to make us travel when a horse does just as well?”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHWqbXZaVM
“It’s barely any faster than a horse, and can’t even go off paved roads.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYXtc5OKko
And the airplane, 204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxPUt2mgs1
“It can’t even carry more than one passenger, it will never replace rail and sea.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1L8qDE7Wn
“It crashes too often. It’s just unsafe.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwZVWj8mM0
Nevermind the fact that horses required fuel in the form of food. Nevermind the fact that a horse could tire or become injured. Nevermind the fact that planes could traverse previously impassable terrain. Nevermind the fact that boats and trains can sink and crash as well. Nevermind the fact that these arguments had opposed every advancement in human history and not once have they changed. 204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyQTLOXrFZ
Nevermind. Nevermind. Nevermind.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiMm4OSBgF
I stepped out of the back of my trailer; I shouldn’t be near the equipment when I am this irritable. I looked to my right and saw Jacqueline Santos-Dumont’s plane. It was a marvel of engineering, and the fact that she had designed and built it herself would have been a major inspiration for me if I were younger. Instead, my inspirations were Emmy Noether and Marie Curie. Inspirer or no, colleague or no, it pained me to take the win from her. Dumont was also flying to prove the fruits of her own mind, but this race was the only way I could demonstrate my own creation to the world; any other way would result in discounting it as a hoax. Besides, Dumont was already well known and would surely have other opportunities to show off her skills. 204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeccSjWPZT
I made my way to the front of the truck. On the way, I noticed a man had parked a motorcycle between my own and Dumont’s vehicles. He was alone, so I surmised that his partner had not shown up yet. Having reached the cab, I conversed with our driver, Hank, about our plan.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl79tZWgxTh
“Just so we’re clear when the race starts, don’t drive,” I said.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlL57Egfdz
“Look, I’m fine with waiting to start, but could you at least tell me why?”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1KyDakhyj
I smiled and shook my head, “That would just spoil the fun.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nzXeXGYEi
Content with how well I believed Hank understood my instructions, I made my way back to the trailer. Once inside, I marveled again at my potentially wonderful creation. Potentially was only an operator here because I had to alter the original design to fit in the trailer. Doing so resulted in little room to maneuver. Pipes, antennae, motors, and cables filled every square inch of the space, leaving only a very specific route from one end to the other.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXMDIRHAyI
Along that route sat (layed?) a man entwined within the mechanical mess. He had his foot sitting inside a (purposeful) crevice of a cooling tank, and his hands were exploring the electrical depths of the main core of the machine. That man was my assistant, Charles Antony Tepper, and the only reason I was able to fit the machine inside this small trailer. My original plan was to unpack and build it outside; the open area would make issue detection and repairs simpler. However, he had the idea of packing it inside the truck and utilizing his small frame and nimble hands to reach around corners. Of the months we had spent preparing the machine for transport, less than half was spent making the design smaller. Most of our time was spent on optimizing the design of Charles’ footholds to be as unobtrusive as possible while still being useful. In the end, I was able to work on the most vital parts in the front while he could handle the little bits I couldn’t reach.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzFFqZKckt
I heard a deafening roar outside, the race had started, “Charles, are you almost done?” I cupped my hands around my mouth to make myself louder.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbyTQaEJho
Charles poked his head above the piping, “I just need to double-check the connection here,” he looked around himself, “and escape.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1fhjdf3qJ
I closed the trailer doors and grabbed the handheld transceiver from its mount on the door, “Hank, can you hear me?”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLHWbunnfb
A static-filled moment passed before an answer came through, “Yes. And, before you ask, no, I haven’t started the truck.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hZIERrPxu
“Good, we’re almost done back here, so get ready.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQi35s2bwzx
Another pause, “Ok.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fZIFDfuSy
By then Charles had made his way out of the machine and reached the starting lever. I approached mine, counted down, and flipped the switch. The machine’s hum filled the room and the entire trailer began to shake. I say began, but it truthfully only shook once then stopped. Despite the short length of the event, I was able to think of potential consequences. We were either going to land safely, appear inside something and explode into billions of tiny pieces, appear inside something and watch it explode into billions of tiny pieces, miss the field entirely, or die mid-transit.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEByutAS9y
God, this is so fun.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9mdbVVp02
I was excited, and when I discovered I didn’t die, my excitement grew.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEcp3mWFD7
“What was that!”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtBWzSH0NK
Hank’s frightened response did nothing but increase my elation. I took a step towards the trailer door, opened it, and stepped outside. I was inside of a small field surrounded by trees on three sides and a lake on the other.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1nggiysEQ
It worked!204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBCfSo8v93
Charles and I had a celebratory hug and dance, “What just happened!?” Hank interrupted.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAmZvGnJgS
I smiled at him, “We just performed the world’s first portable teleportation.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhcAw6x8SF
Hank continued to ask more questions, but I stopped him. We needed to travel the final mile to Flores if we wanted to win. To ease his curiosity, I offered to sit in the cab with him and explain along the way. Charles stayed in the trailer to monitor the machine.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyMNDgsG3p
On our way across the land bridge, I saw that decorations for the race finish were still being placed. One such piece was a banner emblazoned with “Congratulations Dumont!” I chuckled at that one then continued to explain the inner workings of my machine to Hank.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOnmSkqXOE
Hank drove around the island until we saw a building with a sign for “Grenfell-Maxwell Marathon Stage 1 Offices”. We couldn’t find a place large enough for the truck to park, so we left it in the street while we stepped inside to accept our prize.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TK9LDFotg
We spoke with the receptionist at the front desk. We then argued with her about how we actually were participants in the race and were not just there to steal the money. A few minutes of this passed before a tall, chubby man walked down the back stairs. I couldn’t describe a mote beyond that, I was too busy wondering how such a heavy-looking man could walk so lightly to take in his features.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCPrgLMMnc
“Oh, Mr. Maxwell,” The receptionist began, “I’m sorry for being so loud, but these people simply refuse to leave, and,” She leaned towards him and whispered (though it was loud enough for us to hear), “They keep saying they’ve won the race. Not the brightest scam artists I’ve seen.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Lma5wpGiD
The man looked at us, glanced at the door, then approached us, “I’m sorry for my employee's rudeness,” He spoke in a slow deliberate manner with frequent second-long pauses. Every word he spoke was meticulously selected and weighed before it left his mouth, “But, you must understand that with. . . our current knowledge someone being able to move from the start to the finish this quickly is improbable.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nH16fNgD7
“Yes, it is, but I did. Go check your records, we signed up this morning at the starting line.” I said.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQ1d7LcWkv
“Yeah, and I even had to deal with a race official ranting about how no one read the rules,” Hank added.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiRMfLpOeW
Mr. Maxwell nodded; it was just as deliberate as his voice, “I understand your frustrations with not being believed,” He glanced at the doorway again, “If you would please lead me to your vehicle, we can get this situation sorted.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oueBtQNsu
I agreed and led him out the door and into the small lot of the office. Mr. Maxwell then looked directly at Hank’s truck, “That is your vehicle then? It seems so ordinary, yet it brought you here so soon. And, the choice of such a cumbersome vehicle for this event is. . . odd. May I see inside?”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3perbAno9
I barely had time to register his last request as he had already reached the trailer doors.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n6BTQ1Pzv
“No! You can’t.” Charles said, blocking Maxwell’s way, “We’re keeping the specifics of our transport a secret. At least, until someone is willing to buy it.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDQJGmwZOn
Mr. Maxwell respectfully stepped away from the door and looked at Charles, “Ah, you wish to keep your discovery confidential. That is reasonable, for now.” Maxwell looked at the truck doors again, then turned around. He stared for a moment. I followed his gaze and my eyes fell upon the field we had landed in just a few minutes ago. Maxwell looked back to me, “It appears that your group did travel here. I will notify Mr. Grenfell of your success and return with your money shortly. However, due to the suspicious nature of your arrival, you must remain here for the next fortnight while we investigate the matter.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJLqJVGIDS
“What? Then we’d lose our lead!”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVT8hoatEH
“Do not be alarmed. I will have all other competitors follow suit. In the end, you will still have the same lead as before.”204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUa6dKwiMU
Not one of us had a response for the man, so we watched in silence as his large frame quietly vanished behind the doorframe of the building. The entire ordeal had unnerved me greatly and revealed a large hunger within me.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzXdVARmQq
Perhaps a side effect of the teleportation? Hmm. . .204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwbUrilseO
Though, that was a question for another hour. For now, the three of us made our way to find food. It was difficult to order given how the vendor only spoke Q’eqchi’, but we were eventually able to get our meanings to each other.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXJe28CEjg
Speaking of language barriers, I was surprised that Mr. Maxwell could speak French so fluently204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJOR7IQgFn
We returned to the truck and Hank drove us back to the mainland and found a place to park. We bought rooms at a nearby hotel and lounged the rest of the day away. When it was finally time to sleep, I was barely capable of the act. Come tomorrow, reporters from across the globe would arrive to interview the race’s victor to learn how she achieved such a feat. I was nervous, but the fame and notability I could gain from that would propel my career beyond what anyone else has ever achieved. My discovery was sure to net a Nobel Prize. I’d become the next Tesla, the next Einstein, the next Rockefeller. . .204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1k23lwiaSJ
I fell asleep shortly afterward to my dreams of glory. In the morning, I would awake to find most of my predictions were true (No Nobel and no Rockefeller, sadly). Even with the mystery of instantaneous movement solved, I was destined to uncover a mystery far greater than I could ever dream. 204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALpQJ0ntFF
I am Sheri Hoy Parfit, and this race is how I changed the world.204Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VxCxe7GUA
