Momentum of Eureka

I.

Laboratory wing of the Polytechnikum is less crowded than the main building since it is designated for the last year students or researchers to conduct their research. The first floor is, of course, the most crowded one, but the third floor, especially the rooms of the west corridor is exceptional. Due to the small number of the researchers, there are rooms that left unused in the Lab wing, and the third floor west corridor is almost literally the least of those rooms.

Gretchen wonders why this person opens up a lab in a secluded place. As when she arrives on the third floor, there is only a reminiscent of the first floor's busy noises. She can hear her own footsteps echoing in the corridor. It's so quiet like there is no life in the corridor, while it is almost literally. The doors are shut, dusty, with no nameplates being placed on the side of it to mark that the room is being used. She keeps on walking, door by door, with no any sign of someone, is actually using one of the rooms here.

She finally arrives at the very last door. Same condition, dusty, no signs of usage; however a nameplate is there. Written on the nameplate is "Kreszentia Kriemhild" The nameplate is also as dusty as the door. Gretchen begins to think that what if Professor Rosenrot tricked her to sending her to a forgotten room?

No, it is very unlikely for the all-time serious, expressionless Professor to scheme up such an elaborate prank.

Not abandoning her hope, she tried to knock the door.

She knocked twice, three times, then four times while calling the name of the person written on the nameplate.

"Miss Kriemhild? Are you there?" she half yelled to the door.

She feels like an idiot. What if someone noticed her then say that the room is abandoned long ago? What if the room is a haunted room? What if, at any minute now, a sound will be heard from behind the door?

Suddenly, noises of falling things come from behind the door.

Gretchen startled, stepped back, but she didn't run. Yet the sounds of rumbling things still could be heard from behind the door. Not long after, small footsteps are echoing, while Gretchen is hoping it comes from the corridor, but it came from behind the door. The door handle is shackling, the noise of multiple keys being unlocked can be heard. And then, the door opens to reveal what, or who resides behind it.

A woman shows her form from behind the door. Her long hair is greasy, messy, and unbrushed, she has bags and dark shadows underneath her eyes, her skin is very pale, she wears a typical white lab coat except its very wrinkled, dusty, and definitely oversized. She wears a common women blouse shirt underneath her lab coat with a common dress skirt, both also wrinkled, dusty, and has a sign of poorly washed and worn repeatedly.

"You..." the woman spoke in a hoarse voice

"...you must be the girl whom Richard told me about..."

"Y-yes... I'm Professor Rosenrot's student..."

"...come, come on in..." the woman invites her to come into the room.

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II

The room is, of course, a legitimate laboratory. Words cannot depict how messy it is. There is a corner where multiple chalkboards with long lines of equations being written, with a mountain of books and papers around them. Another pile of books hiding what seemed to be a working desk, it is also covered in papers. A big table looks like a dining table, also covered in books with an exception of a small portion of the surface with chemical utensils on it, an Erlenmeyer flask with dark liquid in it is being boiled with butane lamp, which smells like coffee.

"So, welcome to my lab..." the woman welcomes her in a weird manner

"Name is Kriemhild, Kreszentia Kriemhild, but I'm sure Richard has told you before..."

"Gottschalk, Gretchen Gottschalk"

"Miss Gottschalk, nice to meet you..."

Kreszentia Kriemhild is speaking in an almost monotone hoarse voice and unchanging intonation and expression similar to Professor Rosenrot. Making her appearance resembles a modern witch.

Kreszentia pours down the boiling Erlenmeyer flask into a cup and drinks it, showing that it was definitely coffee she boils in that flask.

"I have heard of you from Richard, Professor Rosenrot, about your exceptional skills in mathematics..."

"Y-yes, I do excel in mathematics but—"

"Yet you cannot explain the concepts and theories behind it as proofing, he told me."

Kreszentia took a sip of her coffee

"Now I'm quite the opposite, I'm good with theories and concepts and whatsoever but I made miscalculations most of the time it slows my pace down, so yes, and your assistance is very welcomed here..."

"...Ah, I see, but what's the point for me? If it's just like that I am a mere assistant, not a fellow researcher that also contributes..."

"That, I believe you are also good at understanding numerous theories and concepts, right?"

"Yes, I can learn and study at a faster pace, but not as exceptional as my mathematical ability..."

"Then your task is to help me do a cross-reference into proving my hypothesis"

Kreszentia sips her coffee again then pointing at the pile of books.

"Those are numerous publications on mathematics, physics, and other subjects, theoretical and applied, 70% of them are untouched because I cannot do multitasking. And right there, at the most left chalkboard are the finished part of the equation, I need your help on this��

"...I see"

"Of course with your help to complete this research, the credit also goes to your account...."

Kreszentia then points at a pile of papers on another desk.

"But, to do cross-reference, I need you to also understand my research is about. Those are the introductionary passage for my thesis proposal and some fundamentals you need to understand. But let me tell you a fair warning..."

"...w-what is it?"

"My research is... interdisciplinary, that's one. And then the concepts and theories I proposed are... you can say it as bizarre, maybe downward nonsense or even pseudoscience, if you're not open enough to ideas like these" Kreszentia, sips her coffee again

Gretchen then took a glance at the equations-filled chalkboard. Those numbers, symbols, and variables are indeed mathematical operations but even though she understands them, most of them won't make any sense without any understanding of what are they for.

"...so these equations are the result of your research so far...?" Gretchen asked

"Yes, and I'm stuck at some part where my equation does not make any sense" Kreszentia gulps down the rest of the coffee in her cup

Gretchen then grabs Kreszentia's thesis introductions and skims the first few pages. She then looks at the pile of reference materials. At a glance, she can see that Kreszentia's thesis is a multidiscipline research. She can see materials from mathematics, physics, biology, and medical science.

"...this is so much material for me to read, it may take some time for me..." Gretchen said

Kreszentia shrugs

"Well, take your time, and then..." she said as she went to the corner of the room "...I'm going to sleep a little bit again. I haven't slept for these late few days because of that damned equation..."

Gretchen does not say anything afterward, and then proceeds to read the materials.

Just as Kreszentia said herself, the theories and concepts she offered in her introductionary passage are bizarre and unthinkable before. The mumbo jumbo between medical science, biology, and physics are served like a mashed up potato salad. As she had thought, she will take some time to fully understand these concepts and theories.

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III

After full four days of comprehensive reading sessions, Gretchen finally grasped the basics of Kreszentia's research. She manages to pinpoint for important references between the stacks of reference materials so she doesn't need to read all of it. But, even though she understands the basic concepts and theories, Gretchen still doesn't understand the background and the reasons or motivations behind the hypothesis she read in Kreszentia's introductionary passages.

Kreszentia also isn't very much of help. She told Gretchen that she needs to understand everything by herself, claiming that everything that she wrote down in the introductionary passage as scientific. While Gretchen mostly cooped up with the reading materials, Kreszentia is only sleeping, walking in circles, and doing what seemed to be unproductive things all day. It's not like Gretchen can complain or anything, since she's haven't formally accepted as her research partner.

Today is Monday. Each step Gretchen took when she's walking toward the Polytechnikum is filled with confidence she would get, at least, Kreszentia's approval of her crash course result. When she arrived in front of the laboratory's door, she stopped for a bit. She took a deep breath, and then opens the door.

"Good morning, Miss Kriemhild!" she greets with confidence. But something else is happening there.

Instead of greeting back with a monotone voice from her lair like she always does in late few days, Kreszentia is now standing motionless in front of the chalkboard. She walks around; looking around at each part of the massive lines of equations on the chalkboard, then took a little scribble on a paper she held on hand.

Gretchen puts her satchel bag on a less filled table nearby, then approaches Kreszentia.

"...uh, what are you doing, Miss Kriemhild?" she tries again to break the ice

"Oh, didn't notice you coming, Gottschalk..." she answered vaguely, but still not averting her eyes from the chalkboard.

Gretchen then took a detailed look at the lines of equations for the first time. Back then, when she took a glance at the chalkboard, she didn't pay very much attention to the details for mistakes. She also just understands the process of the equation, but not the fundamentals and the meanings of the numbers. The equation is very complex with new variables and symbols inserted, though most of them still work under common mathematical frameworks, one wouldn't understand without looking at the reference materials which is Kreszentia's research introductionary passage and its references.

"...Gottschalk, your presence is disrupting my concentration, can you kindly back off for a bit?" Kreszentia suddenly said

"...eh? A-alright then..." Gretchen then steps away from the chalkboard area.

Due to her eyesight, she cannot read those small-written equations from a distance even though she tried to adjust her glasses. Gretchen then chooses to observe Kreszentia for a bit. She took off her coat; put it beside her satchel bag, then leans on the edge of the table, crossing her hand, as she observes Kreszentia.

Kreszentia repeatedly walks in circles, looking at some different parts of the equations, scribbling on her paper, threw it away, and repeats the same movement again. Few tens of minutes passed, Kreszentia is still doing the same series of movements. Until she finally crumples and throws away her scribbling papers, marking that she makes yet another mistake on a part of the equation.

Now the time measurement unit of the hour is used. Instead of silence, Kreszentia's boots steps once or twice, and a very faint sound of crowds outside of the lab, now Gretchen can hear an occasional grumbling coming from Kreszentia's mouth. The grumbling noises start to come out more frequently as the crumples of calculation mistakes paper piled up around the chalkboard area. Few tens of minutes later, the grumbling is now changed into blatant profanity coming out of Kreszentia's throat.

"...Miss Kriemhild, do you mind if....?" Gretchen tries to help

"Would you kindly fuck off, Gottschalk?" Kreszentia half-shouted back at her even before Gretchen finishes her sentence.

Gretchen is startled by that. She's speechless from hearing such words from Kreszentia, though she is trying to understand that Kreszentia is clearly not in a very good mood now.

"Gretchen! Quick! Are you familiar with Caton's thesis and Beck's thesis?" Kreszentia suddenly shouted while focused on one part of the equation.

"Y-yes! E-eh, N-no? I don't know!" Gretchen answered in surprise

"Look for my notes among the ones I stick on the chalkboard!"

Gretchen hurries to the one of the chalkboards which are half-covered with paper notes stuck with adhesive tape.

"Eeeeh... Beck and Caton?"

"Yes! Check on them! Did they mention any specific ranges of the frequencies?"

"It is written here, it's about four to seven Hertz..."

"WHAT TO WHAT HERTZ!?" Kreszentia shouted again, this time in a louder voice it echoes a bit in the lab

"...f-ff-f-four to seven Hertz!" Gretchen almost fell back

"BOLLOCKS!!" Kreszentia smashes her chalk to the floor then starts to rampage on a nearby pile of books

Gretchen is now too scared to move or to say anything. In front of her is an adult woman older than her throwing a tantrum over a vague but understandable reason. Then, Kreszentia disappears into the washroom while still in the middle of her swearing and tantrum. Seeing that the field is safe, Gretchen took a closer look at the equations on the chalkboard. It is not a formula she is very familiar with but it is still within her basic mathematics operation and concepts on Kreszentia's research understanding.

She's speechless, the equations are mostly done properly but there are too many mistakes in the numbers it became so messed up in the latter part. Maybe that's the reason why Kreszentia is throwing a tantrum. She takes a chalk and begins to correct the mistakes Kreszentia made. It was a very complex equation; she heard Kreszentia works on it for the last few months. Though it is a strange equation, she did it without any hassle. She did not count, the answer just popped in her head.

And when she finished, she finds the final answer is the number 32.

Kreszentia is still throwing random curse words somewhere in the lab; Gretchen is still wondering what equation this is for because it does not correlate exactly to what she read in the reference materials and Kreszentia's introductionary passage.

Then she takes a look at Kreszentia's own notes and reference books she didn't take. She finds most books are related to electromagnetism and electrical engineering. She may have read the basics, but those books are for advanced researchers. Also, there are unrelated books that supposedly belong to medical science, which she also didn't take before. Neurology, Physiology, and strange documents about Electrophysiology and Electroencephalography, two words she never heard or read before.

Skimming it briefly, it's about electromagnetic activity in human bodies, including the brain. She is not familiar with it but can draw a connecting line between them and things she read in the reference materials she took and Kreszentia's introductionary passage, but to make sure, she decides to ask Kreszentia, though actually, the priority is to tell her that her equation is actually correct.

She finds Kreszentia wailing in the corner of the lab on her makeshift mattress, covering herself in a blanket. She now looks like a creepy witch who wails in the forest. There, Gretchen took attention to some framed documents which turn out to be Kreszentia's diplomas and certifications. Two of them are bachelor's degree diplomas, in Physics and Medicine. The last two are a Master degree in Physics and Medical Surgery. There are also numerous certifications of fellowships and profession; some includes fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a professional certification of a coronary profession. That kind of explains on how she connected the two almost-separated subjects into one.

"Uuh... Miss Kriemhild?"

"Sod off... Leave me alone for now..." she answered with a weeping voice

"Eeh... Actually..."

It's a failure, my yearlong work is a bloody failure..." her voice is filled with sadness and sorrow

Even though they have only met for a few days, in a very awkward situation and manner, Gretchen can't help but to feel sorry for her.

"Miss Kriemhild, your equation was not wrong; you just miscalculated at the earlier part of the equation, so I've corrected it for you...."

Kreszentia stopped wailing and turns her face at Gretchen. Strangely her face is not as intimidating as her usual face.

"...what's the answer?" She asked, still in a tone of sorrow

"32"

Suddenly Kreszentia's face turned a little bit bright. She jumped, galloping over the book mess to the chalkboards, and take a look at it. Gretchen follows her.

"...it's correct...?"

Kreszentia rumbles between her notes and doing a cross-checking. Pages by pages, her face becomes brighter and her smile becomes wider.

"It's fucking correct!"

She faces Gretchen, with a face full of happiness, and then exclaimed

"EUREKA!!"

Kreszentia jumps to Gretchen then hugged her, kissed her cheek multiple times much to Gretchen's surprise. Then Kreszentia pulls her then dances with her round and round in a circle, showing her joyful mood of success. Kreszentia's face is really different from her usual gloomy and intimidating face, her voice is also clearer rather than her usual hoarse creepy, now she looks like a kid who just received a toy she always wanted in the Christmas night. In fact, if only she always looks like this, she is far prettier and lady-like in this condition.

"Thank you very much, Gottschalk! I owe you one for this!!" Kreszentia said

"Eh, ahaha... You're welcome, Miss Kriemhild..."

"With this, finally my research can finally enter the next step..." Kreszentia said

"Oh…" Kreszentia then face Gretchen "OUR research, I mean" she emphasized

Gretchen smiled upon hearing that

Kreszentia offers her hand to Gretchen, Gretchen grabs it and shakes it passionately

"I'll be looking forward working with you, Miss Kriemhild!" she said with glittering eyes

"...same here, Gottschalk" Kreszentia finally throws a seemingly sincere light smile to Gretchen.

"Oh, and before we proceed..." Gretchen said

"...hmm? What is it?" Kreszentia asked

"...let us clean this lab first!" Gretchen answered, still in a passionate tone

Kreszentia immediately puts on an unamused face and returns to her usual self

"...us?"

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