chapter three: joined

Hmm
It's either static or it's some kind of advertisement
Uh-huh
It's still kinda blowing my mind
You know what? Arlie (it just never stays on one channel)
Arlie, I have to tell you (what?)

Ever since I was nine years old, I've had this condition where I can't speak without coughing
Oh, same, I've had like six cups today, like, honestly without it, I have no verbal capacity
But sitting here next to you on this bench, I haven't coughed this whole time
Oh wait, 'coughing'?
What could it mean?
Huh

"I'm in love with you"
And from that day on, Arlie and Emily were inseparable, joined at the-

I don't wanna hear your explanations
Save it for God when you die
Crumpled in a heap of guilt because you can't stand living with yourself

Well, if it isn't the love of my life!
Arlie, baby, come here!
Hey, puppy dog
Baby, I think about you all day, I never stop thinking about you
You do not, I know how focused you are on your work, but I love you (I'm sorry I had to stay so late again)
Do not apologize, you're on a mission (we're so close to this breakthrough)
You're following your dream, just like I am (oh no, I just feel bad because I wanna see you)
Oh, you don't have to feel bad (and with the radio and all, of course, you know)
Oh, don't worry about the radio that's my own cross to bear
I'm a hundred percent on your team, baby (I just wanna be with you, you're the best, you're the best, you're the best)

So tell me, what's the latest, what's happening at the lab?
Okay, so, I've just isolated the spin coherence signal in the cells (the spin coherence)
I have to plant so many seeds
If you knew the number of seeds I'm planting right now, it's ridiculous!
What, are you planting magic beans? Are you gonna grow a beanstalk, baby?
Well, if I can stabilize it under a fluctuating magnetic field, I might be (well, I know it sounds crazy to say, but-)

I might be able to entangle a seed with its counterpart in an alternate timeline
Now, is that like a parallel universe type of thing?
Exactly, exactly! So, of course, Dr. Halverson said it was impossible but-
Well, he doesn't know who he's talking to
It doesn't matter who he's talking to, the data's the data (right, no, of course)
If my hypothesis is correct, it could change my life
I mean, it could change both our lives (I know)
It's gonna change everything