Page 9 of Radar (Iniquus Certified Cerberus Tactical K9 #2)

“Advancements of science are wonderful things,” Uncle Orest said with approval.

“They are my lifeblood and give me energy. I am most enthusiastic about your work, Dr. Eddie. Now, I love my filet mignon wrapped in bacon. Can you print meats other than cow? Could you print bacon?” Uncle Orest tapped his fingers on Eddie’s arm.

“Island nations struggle to be food-independent. We need new ways to manage. And, in my mind, one of best ways to lift food pressure is by reducing or eliminating the need for domestic herd animals.” He patted both hands on his stomach.

“And people should not eat for survival. They must eat for joy. A perfectly marbled steak?” He kissed the tips of his fingers, then spread his fingers wide to release the love.

“This is beautiful thing. In my humble estimation, filet mignon is king, but only when wrapped in bacon. So, you tell me, what meats can you print in your lab?”

“Beef, pork, chicken, and white fish.” Eddie’s face pinked. “The white fish isn’t looking like it’s going to be plausible. Its mouthfeel isn’t …” He sighed. “Yeah, it just isn’t good, and we haven’t found a method that makes it a pleasant experience.”

“No goat?” Uncle Orest asked. “No sheep?”

“I haven’t tried that. There’s limited commercial use for either in the United States. It’s not widely sought after. I had to take my investors into consideration.”

“He wanted to try alligator,” Elyssa said with a grin. “Eddie comes from Florida, and he is a big fan of alligator sausage, but—"

“I couldn’t find funding to produce alligator meat when demand is so limited now,” Eddie finished.

“I see, but Elyssa, she calculates such things for her project, trying to provide protein.” Uncle Orest lifted his chin toward Elyssa. “How many meals?”

“Two meals a week of meat and two meals a week of fish, shrimp, or shellfish. Four meals a week of eggs. The rest consists of plant-based protein, lentils, beans, and peas. We’ve balanced out nutritional requirements as much as we can.

A healthy level of fats and proteins is a challenge in most parts of the world. ”

“But Eddie, you grow fat along with the meat.” Uncle Orest said. “You can solve this problem.”

“Working on it.” Eddie smiled. “But at the beginning of this conversation, the problem was chocolate?”

“My Elyssa says that she cannot make chocolate a part of her calculations. I’m sorry to be cryptic, but we have contracts that say we must be so.

Now, with little idea of what I could mean, I tell you anyway that I say to her, ‘No, Elyssa, this will not work. People cannot survive without chocolate. How do you say? They scrape by?” He waited for Elyssa’s nod before diving back in.

“It’s enough already she say butter is not possible. ”

“Oh, no, that’s not true,” Eddie said. “Not only butter but cheese. I know a lab in Seattle that can grow both.”

“Grow, not print?” Uncle Orest asked.

“Exactly. They have the cheese figured out. It’s bioidentical to what we make now in the old-fashioned way. It has the same melting point and elasticity. My friend’s lab is just waiting for the FDA to sign off. They’re working with mechanical engineers on ways to scale to commercial production.”

“Delicious.” Uncle Orest clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

“Cheese is not just food of gods. It is also important for good digestion. Everyone should have a nibble from cheese plate and a little fruit at the end of a meal. This is why I am,” he tapped his fingers on his belly, “despite outward appearances, such vital and healthy man. So,” he tapped Eddie’s arm, “your 3D meat machines can create on a commercial scale?”

“Mine? No, sir. Currently, our lab's production can only supply approximately thirty-six thousand pounds per year. It sounds like a lot, but it’s only enough protein for about two hundred individuals if they consume an average American adult’s yearly portion.”

“And this is why I invite you to speak with me today. Given Elyssa’s friendship with you and my enthusiasm for what you are undertaking, Dr. Eddie Baylor, I wish to invite you to be part of our 'Feed the World' effort. Your work with meat could naturally couple with what Elyssa is working on. This is good idea, isn’t it, Elyssa?”

Working on a project with Eddie would always be a good idea.

But Eddie’s lab was very expensive. At scale, they could produce protein at a cost savings, but not on a micro level.

The expense was an issue since one of the foundation’s goals for her own project—once they were out of the gold-standard bells-and-whistles prototype phase—was to make her interior farms as cost-effective as possible.

Was adding 3D meat production a good idea?

Sure, easily procured protein that did little to harm the environment would be a boon to society.

But at the same time, Elyssa didn’t know the production requirements, and she didn’t want to adjust her designs.

Going back to the drawing board at this late stage could cost her years.

“In the same building? I don’t think so, Uncle Orest. We could possibly have two buildings side by side. ”

Uncle Orest focused on Eddie. “As Elyssa will tell you, I compensate my scientists handsomely. Anything you are now receiving, I will make it more lucrative for you.”

Deep, rosy-red crawled up from Eddie’s collar.

Like a thermometer, the blush spread up Eddie’s cheeks to his forehead and into his hairline, making his carrot-colored hair look like flames in contrast. “Sir, you are incredibly generous. And I can readily see your love of food and your kind heart trying to help those in need, but I recently signed a contract with NASA, so I’m unavailable. ”

“You decided to do it?” Elyssa exclaimed, reaching out to hug Eddie. “That’s wonderful news.”

“3D meat for NASA?” Uncle Orest pulled his brows together. “Is this for the trip to Mars?”

“Mars, exactly,” Eddie said as his color slowly faded to normal. “How would you guess that?”

“I’m losing a foundation scientist to the effort, Dr. Claude Burns. Everyone calls him Paca. He tells me this is short for ‘Alpaca’ for his hair,” Uncle Orest held his hands to either side of his head and made a wiggling motion.

“What does Paca study?” Eddie asked.

“Squirrel hibernation in Alaska.” Uncle Orest scratched his nose. “He tells me that China thinks they can get to Mars by 2033. And the United States is competitive country.”

“That’s true,” Eddie said. “NASA had its sights set on 2050, but much like the moonshot, the US wants to get there first. They’re pushing harder with scientists of all kinds.

Some, like me, are looking into ways to produce food.

Since the astronauts will be gone anywhere from months to years, for their psychological health, they occasionally need to have fresh food. ”

“Elyssa consulted for NASA when she was doing her doctoral research.” Uncle Orest nodded toward Elyssa.

“As I remember, that had to do with the International Space Station. I agree that fresh food contributes to well-being in ways that freeze-dried meals or pouch pastes cannot. Even if they are superior in nutrients, they are inferior in regulating stress and anxiety. I have seen powdered eggs, and I would rather die than subsist on them.”

“I was just reading,” Eddie said, “that NASA hired a team to work on social psychology. Of course, every group is unique with its own characteristics, but they have sent teams to places like Antarctica to test their capabilities in -60 °C cold, where no outside help can reach them for months. That must be a terrible anxiety in the back of your mind. Not only is no one coming, but you can’t run away. ”

“Seems a brutal existence. I have no desire to experience any of that,” Elyssa said.

“I’m not knocking it for those who enjoy the challenge.

Though there’s that story about a scientist in Antarctica whose cabinmate would tell him the endings of his books before he could read them himself.

The reader scientist snapped and stabbed the spoiler cabinmate to death.

” Elyssa's face showed her horror at the idea.

“Personally, I like to know the ending.”

“Are you one of those people who reads last chapter first?” Uncle Orest looked bemused.

“I read the last chapter second,” Elyssa said.

“First chapter is first to know who I should care about, and the last chapter is second to make sure everyone is okay in the end, because I can’t handle the emotional pain of a beloved character not getting a happily ever after.

Then, I read the middle to get the substance of their journey. ”

“Aww. You’re so tender-hearted,” Eddie teased. “After all these years, I didn’t know that about your reading. Here’s something you probably didn’t know about me. I’m the opposite and can empathize with the man who did the stabbing.”

Laughing, Elyssa lifted her water and took a sip. “I’m not going camping with you.” She took another sip, then set it down on the same wet ring that the glass had left.

“I think we’d be fine,” Eddie replied. “We don’t read the same books.” He turned to Uncle Orest. “I’m curious as to why NASA hired the squirrel hibernation expert you mentioned earlier. And for that matter, why was the Carpathian Foundation interested in that work, sir?”

Uncle Orest pulled in a deep breath. “Things go very wrong. We push nature too far, and we stop the circulation of the oceans. Suddenly, we are living on a frozen planet. Or, a volcano blows, and the ash blocks the light for years, or there’s an asteroid.

” He paused. “Events could even trigger nuclear war. And one must prepare. For survival, we must have systems in place in advance.” He reached over and tapped Elyssa’s hand.

“My genius great niece has studied all of this with her many degrees and her brilliant—”

“Uncle,” Elyssa whispered, hoping he’d stop his effusive praise.

“Hush, I speak.” He turned to Eddie. “Her brilliant, creative mind is involved in averting catastrophe in case there are any of these events. For this, my family is grateful. Now, what does this have to do with NASA? Because my foundation foresaw a need, science was advanced, and now it will potentially be used by NASA. I’ll explain.

NASA wants to hibernate Mars crew for eight months each year of their journey to reduce the requirements for food, water, and air, as well as the accumulation of human byproducts.

They will rotate people who are awake. This possibility has been an area of interest for my foundation for years now.

We attempted to answer the question: Under dire circumstances, until nature became survivable, could we rotate people in and out of hibernation to reduce their needs?

If a community could support three hundred people who were awake, would it be able to support nine hundred if they were cycling through sleep?

Or take Polar reader stabbing the cabinmate.

What if you had bad apple causing disorder?

Ostracism is death. Could you just let them have a time-out, sleep it off, and avert a Lord of the Flies situation?

Even medically, we see use. What if cure for disease is right over horizon?

Hibernate patient, wait for cure, cure patient, all is well.

And so, while my guy will no longer be working on squirrels in Alaska, he is taking the knowledge that my foundation proudly invested in and applies it with NASA.

We approved this. We agree with these new circumstances, Paca will be better able to advance our studies, especially as we weren’t clear on how to get the okay to hibernate live people. ”

“I was going to ask how that was going to work,” Eddie said. “I mean, the FDA posed an enormous obstacle in even allowing people to taste our 3D meat.”

“You know Elyssa and I fly to America tomorrow.” Uncle Orest said.

Elyssa tipped her ear toward her friend. “Eddie is, too. He’s on our flight.”

“Very good,” Uncle Orest said. “I have some meetings in Washington on Thursday, and then Friday, I leave for Alaska.”

“That’s right, the Iditarod is coming up,” Elyssa smiled.

“It is, and my dog team is very strong. Very strong. We have good chance of winning this year.” Uncle Orest looked from Elyssa to Eddie and back.

“You know, yes, this is very good idea.” He sat quietly for a moment.

Then said, “Yes, this is what needs to be done under these circumstances. You both must clear your calendars this week and come with me.”

“To Alaska, sir?” Eddie pinked all the way up to his ears.

“Yes, just so.” Uncle Orest pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to Eddie. “You put your contact information here. And also, please type out the name of your friend who grows the cheese and butter, and the name of friend’s lab, I wish to contact this person.”

The server brought a bottle of white wine, uncorked it, and poured three glasses while Eddie complied with Uncle Orest’s request.

Accepting his phone back and looking over the contact information, Uncle Orest said, “Yes, I will forward this to my secretary to make your arrangements. My foundation invites both of you. All expenses paid.” Uncle Orest took a sip of wine.

“Delicious, just a slight citrus on tip of tongue to help butter taste rounder.” He nodded his approval to the server. “Lovely.”

The server bowed and went away.

Focusing on Eddie, Uncle Orest said. “In Alaska, I will introduce you both to my squirrel guy. And you get to meet my dogs and watch the Iditarod leave the starting gate. How many people can say they have seen such a famous thing as this race?” He held his wine glass out, “A toast to our adventure together!”

“Cheers,” Eddie and Elyssa said as they clinked glasses.

Uncle Orest smiled broadly. “Dr. Eddie Baylor, 3D meat scientist for NASA, this trip will be perfect time to better know a man who understands importance of a good meunière.”