"I don't like it, Joe. I think I'll scrap it and start over."

"You're right, Bill. It kind of sucks. Too small and dry, I think. Plus, your heat source is too far away."

With an angry swipe of his hand, Bill pushed the whole thing into the trash. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "I wish I hadn't put so much time into that one! But once you start..."

"It's hard to stop. I know. That's the problem with what we do, you know, once you set the parameters you can't change them. It's a fatal flaw," Joe said. "It's such a hit-or-miss kind of thing. Anyway, at least we know it won't work without some kind of fluid."

"Yeah, but what's the best one? I'll start off the same as last time... a little water, I think."

"Always with the water. How about liquid hydrogen or nitrogen sometime?"

"Too cold, Joe. Your last nitrogen-based one was terrible. I'm surprised you didn't scrap the whole thing."

"Scrap it? Hell no! It's an experiment. I still think I can get something out of it." Joe pulled down a glass bottle and shook it. "I think the methane may have been a bit too much, though.

"Let me see that." Bill held out his hand and Joe handed the bottle to him. He gazed into the methane and the particles floating around the inside. "Which one is prime?"

"That green one." Joe pointed to a small blob floating in the bottle.

"I don't see a heat source."

"That's the beauty of it," Joe explained. "It doesn't need one. I'm going for something different, something never done before. Of course, nothing's happened so far."

Bill scratched his head and gave the bottle back to Joe. "Good luck, but I don't think you have a prayer."

"You'll eat your words one day, Bill."

"Make sure to let me know when that day comes. Anyway, I think I've got the right mixture of soil and water now."

"Are you using a heat source?"

"Of course I am. I'm thinking a hydrogen reaction would be best."

"So, like a small nuclear thing?"

"Yeah. It should be sufficient. I want to get the right suspension, though."

"What are you using?"

"A combination of gasses, like a cocktail."

"Gas, how is it going to suspend in a gas? Is it a thick gas?"

"No, it's something I tried a few experiments ago. It's pretty thin, and everything is in a constant state of falling. I have a machine that spins the bottle in such a way that centrifugal force keeps everything suspended in the gas cocktail."

"I've got to see this."

Bill put the bottle into a kind of vice gripper at the end of a mechanical arm, locked it into place, and flipped the switch. The arm began to move in small circular motions and the gripper also began to spin the bottle. "See how everything stays suspended?"

"Man! I never even thought of that."

"That's why I'm the master," Bill said, lounging back and placing his hands behind his head, with a large grin on his face.

Joe began bowing toward Bill, mocking him. "You are truly the master. What can I offer you, my Lord, that will keep me worthy to sit in your presence?" Then he laughed.

Bill joined him in laughter. "You are funny."

"So, how long do you think it will take to see any results?"

"I'd like to think that it won't be too long, but who knows?" Bill rose and placed his eye against the lense of a microscope that peered down into the swirling jar. "Things are moving pretty fast in there. If anything's going to happen, it won't be long." He peered into the microscope in silence for a few moments, then took a gasp. "What is it?"

"It's better than I hoped, Joe. You've got to come check this out."

Joe put his eye to the microscope. "I'm supposed to be looking at the red one, right?"

"No, no, the blue and green one."

"Oh yeah. Wow! You can see the chemical reactions taking place right in front of your eyes. That is amazing."

"Isn't it?"

"Tell me the truth, Bill. You used some secret ingredient, didn't you?"

"Well... most of it is standard stuff we've used before, but there are two things I've never used in conjunction with each other..."

"Don't keep me in suspense. What are they?"

"I used carbon with the dust and water, but the real kicker is one of the gasses... oxygen."

"Oxygen? Isn't that highly flammable? I'd think your nuclear reaction would ignite it."

"The amount is so small in comparison to the nitrogen gas, which I also used, that it's still combustible, but controllable. There's a small buffer between the nuclear reaction and the oxygen. Plus, there are some other gasses that will play off the others, like carbon dioxide."

"I am really impressed. This day has been a long time in coming," Joe said and patted Bill on the shoulder. "You're a genius."

A tear welled in the corner of Bill's eye. His life's work was finally conceived and the fruits of his labors lay before him. He peered through the microscope once again and uttered three words almost too silent to hear, "Life. Finally, life."