***

A crowd of workers stood behind Dr. Carlson, who stood at the control panel of the factory. Buttons, switches, and gauges lined the platform. Dr. Carlson paused before entering the final sequence to start the machine.

“Here we go.”

The turbines and engines inside the factory roared to life, and the massive pumps digging into the Atlantic Ocean began extracting the saltwater for purification.

“Gauges holding steady,” Dr. Carlson said. “We’re live.”

Claps and whistles erupted from the workers. Dr. Carlson let out a slight sigh of relief and then made his way past the engineers heading to their posts to ensure the rest of the process ran smoothly. He’d done everything he could. Now all that was left was to wait for the final product: fresh water.

“Well, I think the bet was ten days. I did it in nine,” Dr. Carlson said.

Beth didn’t look up from her phone. “I suppose that’s correct.”

“So?”

Beth lowered her phone with an exasperated sigh. “Fine. Friday evening works best for me.”

“I’ll pick you up at eight,” Dr. Carlson replied.