Marvel: Terror Stream

Alex Dunphy, middle child of the Dunphy family and easily the smartest person in their entire bloodline, was in the middle of presenting her thesis on neutrinos in sub-zero temperatures.

The professors leaned in, listening with real focus. A few of them even gave small, impressed nods as she explained.

Dr. Leonerd Hofstadter, an external researcher and professor from Caltech, looked at his notes, then, adjusting his glasses, he spoke up.

"Miss Dunphy," he said, "your model suggests that extremely low temperatures could reduce thermal decoherence and affect oscillation patterns. How exactly do you account for the shift from coherent to incoherent scattering as temperatures drop toward the millikelvin range? And what damping terms did you apply to the oscillation amplitudes when considering many-body effects inside the ice lattice?"

That was a long and tough question, but Alex didn’t even blink. This was her element.

"Dr. Hofstadter, I modeled the coherent-to-incoherent shift using a temperature-dependent decoherence length that extends at lower temperatures due to reduced phonon scattering. Oscillation amplitudes are damped by exp(-ΓL), with Γ derived from many-body lattice interactions via a modified density-matrix approach calibrated for millikelvin ice conditions."

Hofstadter listened all the way through. When she finished, he gave a small nod of genuine respect. He turned slightly toward the man beside him.

"Well," he said in a low voice, "her theory might actually be something groundbreaking. Dr. Gablehauser, I think we should give her the go-ahead."

Dr. Gablehauser, also an external professor and the head of the physics department at Caltech, rubbed his chin. He was a man who didn’t give out compliments easily.

"I’m still processing how she managed to come up with this impressive thesis in just two weeks after we rejected her last one. Most people would have had a mental breakdown. Dr. Cooper becomes almost psychotic." He let out a dry chuckle. "Well, Miss Alex Dunphy, pack your parkas. You’re going to Antarctica."

A small, satisfied smile appeared on Alex’s face. She slammed her laptop closed like a champion, "Thank you, professors."

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As she walked back to her dorm, she had a certain "I ’m-smarter-than-everyone-within-a-fifty-mile-radius" bounce in her step.

It was a good look for her. She earned it.

In exactly fourteen days, she would be heading to Caltech for her specialized training. Life was perfect.

Then, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her brain suddenly did some very depressing math.

After the training, she was heading to Antarctica.

For ten months.

Ten months of living in a giant, glorified refrigerator.

Ten months of wearing sixteen layers of wool and looking like a very grumpy marshmallow. No sunlight. No warm breezes. Just ice, wind, and researchers who probably forgot how to have a conversation that didn’t involve the word "permafrost."

She suddenly realized she had exactly two weeks to experience what people called "summer."

She needed to enjoy what was left of this summer. Immediately.

Her pace quickened to a near-jog.

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Alex knocked on Gwen’s dorm room door.

A muffled voice called out, and a full minute passed before the door creaked open.

Alex blinked. "Whoa. Are you preparing for the apocalypse or something?"

Gwen stood there wrapped in a thick, baggy hoodie that swallowed her whole. Full-length sweatpants. A medical mask. Two tired eyes blinked back at Alex.

"It’s just a bad cold," Gwen replied, but her voice didn’t sound like she had one, though.

Well, it wasn’t cold that she was hiding anyway, they were the burn marks and some bruises— courtesy of Veritas.

"You look like a ninja who gave up halfway through getting dressed," Alex said, stepping inside. "Anyway, I have news. Big news."

She filled Gwen in on the Antarctica research. Gwen’s eyes crinkled above the mask in what was probably a smile.

"Alex, that’s amazing! You’re going to freeze your genius butt off."

"That’s the point," Alex said, grinning. Then she leaned forward. "But here’s why I’m really here. I want to go to the biggest water park in New York before I leave. I need one last taste of summer before I become a human popsicle."

Gwen pulled her mask down just enough to speak clearly. "Sure, how about next weekend? This cold should be gone by then, and I won’t look like a mummy anymore."

Alex did quick math. Nine days. Not bad.

"Perfect. Hey, can you call all your friends too? The more, the merrier. Currently, it’s just me, you, and Brie."

"I can invite Betty and Peter," Gwen said, already reaching for her phone.

Gwen called Betty first, and she agreed instantly.

Then she called Peter. His voice came through the speaker, slightly hesitant.

"Um... is there any way Alex’s brother Luke can come with us?" Peter asked, sounding slightly desperate. "It’s going to be really, really weird for me otherwise. I don’t really have any... any other friends. And Luke was... You know... really easy to talk to. He doesn’t judge me."

Alex sighed. Before the whole breakup fiasco, she would have shot this down immediately with a ten-minute rant. But things had changed. Luke had shown signs of actual maturity. Small signs. But signs nonetheless.

"Fine," she muttered. "I’ll call him."

She dialed Luke’s number. He picked up after two rings.

"Yo."

"Luke, we’re going to a water park next weekend. You in?"

There was a long pause. A really long pause.

"Uh... an invite for me? That was not the thing I could’ve ever imagined coming out of your mouth. But... still no, sorry. I’ve got some freelance work. You know, that thing where I earn money? For existing?"

Alex shrugged at Gwen. "Alas, the busy man has spoken," she said, not particularly devastated.

But Gwen wasn’t giving up. She leaned toward the phone, which was on speaker.

"Hi Luke, it’s Gwen! Listen, could you please try to make some time? Peter really wants you to come. He literally has no other friends. You are the only one he feels comfortable with. Please don’t leave him stranded... please?"

Luke exhaled like a man accepting his doom. "Hm... I get what you mean, Gwen. I feel comfortable around me too. But I’ll see if I can make it."

The call ended.

Gwen smiled behind her mask. "Luke’s a funny guy."

Alex nodded, smirking. "And dumb. Never forget the dumb part. Also, I’m warning you right now, in case his dumbness hasn’t improved, unlike his social skills, if Luke ever asks if you want to see a rainbow, say no. Desperately say no. Run. Hide. Whatever it takes."

Gwen tilted her head, curious. "Why? What happened?"

Alex sighed, as if she felt even one percent guilty about what she was about to do. (She didn’t.) She swiped way back in her video collection, found the ancient gem, and hit play.

The video showed a sunny Dunphy family pool day. Phil was in the background yelling while attempting low-stakes stunts that mostly involved splashing. The camera panned to five-year-old Luke talking to a cute girl about his age.

"Do you wanna see a rainbow?" little Luke asked, full of innocent charm.

The girl, because she was five and rainbows are awesome, nodded excitedly. "Yes!"

Poor kid.

"Oh no," Gwen whispered, already starting to laugh.

Luke grinned, dropped his shorts, and... watered a nearby plant in a way that caught the sunlight just right, creating a rainbow.

"Oh no no no no, Luke! LUKE!!!" Claire’s panicked voice screamed from off-camera. "That’s not... you can’t do that!"

The camera shook wildly like it was having a seizure, and the video cut off.

Gwen had collapsed onto her bed, wheezing. Her medical mask was doing absolutely nothing to muffle the shrieks of laughter. Alex was laughing too, with her head thrown back.

Gwen pulled her mask up, still giggling. "That video is getting shown at his wedding. You have to do it, Alex."

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Nine days flew by in a blur...

A big, shiny SUV pulled up right in front of the campus like it was making a grand entrance in a movie.

Once everyone was settled, the car sped off toward the water park, windows down and summer vibes cranked up high.

Manny was behind the wheel, and Brie had claimed the front passenger seat. She was also the one who had invited him.

In the middle row, Peter sat on Luke’s left, Gwen sat on Luke’s right, finally mask-free, not a single burn scar anywhere.

Alex, Betty and another girl named Michelle made themselves comfortable in the spacious back seat.

The big water park day was finally here, and it was going to be legendary.

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