Page 64 of Whoops-A-Mate From Outer Space
Bob shrugged. “It might be the easiest option if he’s up for it. He’s already employed by us, and we wouldn’t have to scramble.”
“Extend the offer.”
“What about my higher classes?” I asked.
Dean Phillips turned to me. “If it is acceptable to you, I am granting authorization to teach remotely this semester. If you wish to continue teaching into the spring and beyond, I’d like to get some sort of schedule where you’re present on campus partially.”
“You mean like a three-hour once-a-week class?”
He shrugged. “Or two virtual, one in person per week. This way, your students can visit during office hours as needed and not be forced to rely on digital communication.”
“Dean Phillips,” Eashai cut in. “May I ask a question?”
The dean looked at him with skepticism. “Ok.”
“Do you have any unused warehouses or similar structures roughly the size of this room?
I turned to my mate. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t think it’s safe.”
“I agree,” stated Floyd. “There are tens of thousands of students at that school. Somebody will notice a professor going into a random building and not coming out again until it’s time for his next class.”
Eashai snorted. “Do you plan to fly Gene back and forth if he wants to keep teaching? Or do you expect him to leave a job he loves and work here because of me?”
The way the general and Floyd looked at each other told me that my mate had effectively cornered them.
“Gene?” Bob asked.
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m reading between the lines properly. Do you remember my housewarming party from last summer?”
“Yeah?” I asked, wondering where he was going with the question.
“Then you remember it’s a bit out of the city, and a large chunk of land.”
“Wait, are you offering what I think you’re offering?”
He nodded. “There’s room. You pay to put up what you need, then pay me some token rent amount so I can keep the wife happy. You can do…” he waved his hand, “whatever you need to do, away from prying eyes.”
“It would be mostly storing my car there so I can drive myself to and from the university.”
“Is that an acceptable compromise?” Bob asked, facing Floyd and the General. “Away from the school?”
There was a moment of silence, then the general nodded. “We’ll have to develop and implement security protocols. But it seems like the best solution right now.”
“And the other issue we discussed?” the dean asked as my transportation seemed settled.
General Block turned to him. “No change now that you know more of the situation. You will consider Doctor Wallace’s research requirements met under his work here. His publication requirements will be waived for the duration of the time he also works under us, as the research is classified. In return, once we are ready to bring in a university for non-classified work, you will be given the right of first refusal before we offer the work to another institution.”
Dean Phillips nodded. “Of course, I can’t act unilaterally. But I believe that I will be able to convince key people that this will be an overall benefit.”
“Good.” General Block looked between them, then to us, and back. “Is there anything else to discuss here, or shall we return to my office to finalize details?”
“Doctor Wallace?” Dean Phillips asked.
I shrugged. “I have the feeling that a lot was discussed without me, but what I heard sounds fine. I get to keep teaching at a reduced capacity and with temporary accommodations until we can finalize transportation for in-person classes. My research requirement will be met by the work I do here, and publication requirements are waived for now. Did I get all that right?”
He nodded. “All the administrative stuff, yes. I’ll leave it to you to figure out how to handle your research students.”
