Get Bent: A Story in Glass

The light flickers over the tubes of glass strewn all over the work bench, each tube a different length and curvature. Sox was so close to solving it, so close they could feel it. With each attempt the curves had become more pronounced, the glass taking on a strength that gave them hope. Pouring over their notes, analyzing each equation. “I must be missing something, there must be some small error that I can’t find!”

A knock at the door breaks Sox’s concentration. Opening the door, Tibby comes through the door. “Sox, what are doing? You were supposed to meet me for lunch, remember?” Sox sighs, “sorry Tibby, I had to conduct an experiment, I had an element I…” Tibby holds their hand up “Stop! I don’t want to hear it!” “But Tibby, I am so close!” Tibby sighs “So close to something that nobody wants. So close to solving an ancient abandoned experiment! It is a waste of time, Sox!” Sox looks squarely into Tibby’s face “Not to me, Tibby! It is not a waste to me! Think about the implications if I can solve it! We can have glass structures that are as strong as stone, no more need for metal around windows, metal that can fail and send windows plummeting to the ground.”

Sox, I’m sorry, I just don’t see the reason why you should waste your time and your intelligence on this. You are a brilliant engineer you could be working on beautiful steel structures.

Sox turns away from Tibby; images of crumpled bridges flood their mind, they close their eyes trying to block the images of cars and screaming people sliding into the cold water below. “Steel fails, Tibby” “Not all the time.” Sox turns around, “it only takes once.” Tibby moves forward, “Alright, I admit that was an awful accident, but Sox it was an accident! Why don’t you spend your time on strengthening steel instead?” Sox smirks “Because, my dear, steel is as strong as it is going to be, it is as manipulated as it can be, there is nothing more we can do about steel, it will stand strong, until it becomes weak and fail, and that is all that I am going to say about that!” But glass, the possibilities are endless with glass, it can be melted and molded into a million different ways, and its beauty far surpasses steel.” Tibby blinks, not sure what to say in response. Tibby sighs, knowing that there is nothing that will change Sox’s mind.

Sox turns back to their equations as Tibby walks away. Sox watches Tibby leave, “they will come around when I solve it.” Sox says, intently staring at the papers in front of them.

Hours pass and Sox isn’t any closer to solving the problem, they stretch their shoulders and neck. Maybe Tibby is right, maybe they should give up, Sox shakes their head no, it is too important, I just need to solve it and then everyone will see that bent glass is better than steel or any other building material for that matter.

I know Petronius was right, after all Caesar Tiberius believed in him! Sox turns to look at a box sitting on the table. It is roughly carved wooden box, Sox moves towards it, opening the lid to expose a pouch with dark seeds that look like flax seed, Sox touches to pouch, and then pushes it away. Sox knows what the seeds can do, and yet, each breakthrough had been after Sox took some of the seeds, perhaps if this time they took one instead of a couple, they would get the knowledge without the nightmare. It was worth risking. Sox took one tiny seed from the pouch, placing it in the palm of their hand, they looked it for a long time, before popping it into their mouth.

At first nothing happened, no change at all, and then the room began to spin, the equations became large in front of Sox’s face, the numbers and letters becoming every colour of the rainbow until all of a sudden 3 numbers and one letter began to pulse red, Sox pulled the papers forward examining numbers and words, the numbers were in the wrong configuration and the it was the wrong letter, it should be a “b” not a “d” Sox corrected the equation, leaning back taking everything on the papers in, knowing that finally they had the correct formula, Sox closed their eyes as their body fell backwards landing in a pile of drop cloths on the floor. Sox lay quietly snoring in the cloths. Glass beams fill their dreams, beams that are strong, curved and walls and roofs, transparent cathedrals of wonder. Sox wakes abruptly, going to their work bench they take the newly created equation, and create a tube of glass, bending the glass they are able to create a small archway, and then they create another, and another, until they have created a small building made of arches held together tightly. The glass is easy to mould, but once has cooled from the kiln where it is created, it is as strong as any steel beam Sox has ever encountered. Sox moves back to look at what they have created, and smiles, they have done it!

Tibby gasps as the tiny glass building comes into view. “What is that?” Tibby asks. Sox turns to look at them, “you know what it is, I have done it, I found the formula.” Tibby shakes their head “it can’t be.” Sox sits up proudly, “and yet, it is. Why did you doubt me? You used to believe this was possible, what changed?” Tibby’s eyes widen. “I never thought it was possible, I just humoured you, until I couldn’t any longer.” Sox sighs, thinking back over their entire relationship with Tibby, all the lies, all the moments of anguish, and now they knew the truth. “Get out!” they shout, pushing Tibby through the door. Tibby pushes back. “This doesn’t change anything it will still fail!” Sox can’t believe what they are hearing. “Even after I have created this” Sox points to the glass building, “you still doubt me.” Tibby moves forward, “what happens in a fire? Glass can’t sustain its shape in a fire.” Sox pushes back, “neither does steel! Both are forged and moulded in fire, both are destroyed in fire! The only difference is that this glass will not have unseen structural faults, any faults will be seen before they fail and cause countless deaths.”

Tibby pauses, “this is why you did this? Sox, that bridge failure wasn’t your fault.” Sox puts their head down, remembering the bridge plummeting to water carrying cars and people to their deaths in the frigid river. “It was my design, mine. I couldn’t see the faults they were hidden in the steel.”

Tibby looks at Sox, places their hands on either side of Sox’s face. “I’m sorry” they whisper “I didn’t know, I didn’t see.” Sox smiles and nods.