The oddly elusive brunette

In Short

Set in a speculative 1968, this story follows Robert Mitchell, a lonely physicist at a Wisconsin atomic research facility who finds himself at the center of a scientific impossibility. When Elaine Schoener becomes "unstuck" in space-time following a particle collision, she begins teleporting between high-energy synchrotron labs worldwide. Mitchell must navigate international bureaucracy, jealous scientific rivals, and the quirks of quantum physics to stabilize her location and win her heart. It endures as a lighthearted, fast-paced caper that blends mid-century technocratic optimism with a classic romantic comedy premise.

The Story

The narrative begins on a frigid winter morning in Racine, Wisconsin. Robert Mitchell, a physicist working for the Atomic Control Monitor Establishment, enters his lab to find it unexpectedly occupied. A young woman named Elaine Schoener appears out of thin air, dressed for Florida weather and shivering. She is confused, having been present at Cape Canaveral just moments before during the activation of a new particle accelerator, HOAGS. Before Mitchell can fully process the encounter, Elaine vanishes as abruptly as she arrived.

Mitchell contacts Elaine’s father, a high-ranking general, and learns that a malfunction at the Cape Canaveral facility resulted in the release of unnamed anti-matter particles. Through a frantic series of long-distance calls to other laboratories, Mitchell discovers that Elaine is effectively being pulled toward active synchrotrons—large, circular particle accelerators—around the world. Each time a facility powers up its equipment, Elaine is pulled into its control room, only to disappear when the machines cycle down or fluctuate.

As Mitchell coordinates a global search, he realizes he is competing with other scientists who are equally charmed by Elaine’s sudden appearances. A chaotic, international "bidding war" of affection ensues, with researchers in Paris, Siberia, and Munich attempting to woo her during her fleeting stays. Mitchell uses his authority within the UN-sanctioned research network to command a global shutdown of all synchrotrons, hoping to isolate her location. During a frantic, high-stakes moment, he succeeds in stabilizing her long enough to secure her consent to marry him. With the help of his assistant and a flexible chaplain, the two are wed while Elaine is literally bouncing between global labs on the monitors. The story concludes months later with a domestic twist: the couple’s infant daughter has inherited this unstable condition, leading to another series of comical, globe-spanning disappearances that Mitchell must manage.

How It Unfolds

A cold discovery Mitchell arrives at his deserted Wisconsin lab to find a shivering, scantily clad young woman who materialized from nowhere. She is as bewildered as he is, having just been at a Florida research site that experienced a mysterious accident.

The global hunt Realizing Elaine is not a hallucination, Mitchell contacts her father and begins calling synchrotron labs across the globe. He discovers a pattern: Elaine is being pulled toward the magnetic fields of active accelerators, essentially teleporting between them.

The international rivalry As the news spreads, researchers in various countries start competing for Elaine’s attention during her brief, flickering visits. Mitchell attempts to assert control, ordering a worldwide shutdown of all particle accelerators to stop her erratic travel.

The high-tech wedding Mitchell manages to stabilize Elaine long enough to marry her through a makeshift, long-distance ceremony involving the UN monitoring network. The couple succeeds in degaussing her to keep her grounded, at least for a while.

A new generation Nearly a year later, Mitchell reveals that their infant daughter has inherited the same teleportation trait. The story ends with the father once again calling out to his colleagues to coordinate the activation of their machines so he can bring his family home.

The People

Robert Mitchell is the story’s narrator and a self-described "confirmed bachelor." He is highly protective of his work and his equipment, but his rigid, professional demeanor quickly crumbles into genuine affection as he becomes obsessed with rescuing Elaine.

Elaine Schoener is the catalyst for the entire narrative. Though she begins the story as a passive subject of the physics malfunction, she remains remarkably composed and playful despite her terrifying situation, ultimately choosing Mitchell over his international rivals.

George Herrmann serves as Mitchell’s long-suffering assistant. He is the voice of grounded reason who manages the administrative and technical logistics—such as calling the mayor and chaplain—that allow Mitchell to transition from a distracted scientist to a groom.

General "Mike" Schoener is Elaine’s father. His initial military sternness is softened by his daughter's plight and his eventual respect for Mitchell, whom he sees as a suitable son-in-law.

In Its Own Voice

"I fully expected to find one of the headquarters stenos grinning at me over the closed circuit stereo from the Ad Building and I wasn't about to begin to feed her ego by showing startlement."

Mitchell describes his initial reaction to finding his lab suddenly occupied by a stranger.

"Those dark eyes had been looking directly at me--and the image of them was planted on my retinal patterns like a commercial symbol lingering on a stereo tube--but she, eyes and all--and I do mean all--was gone."

Mitchell recounts the jarring moment of Elaine’s first disappearance.

"I refuse to mention his name or faith; he asks for anonymity. Suffice it to say that he is a man of God and a man of science."

Mitchell explains the identity of the chaplain who marries him and Elaine while she is physically located at a different lab.

What It's Really About

At its core, the story explores the intersection of human connection and technological coldness. By placing his characters within a network of global surveillance and high-energy physics, the author asks if human intimacy can survive in an age of instant communication and scientific abstraction. The central irony is that the same technology that tears the couple apart—the "unstucking" of Elaine from space-time—is the only thing that allows their love story to be broadcast and validated across borders. It is a lighthearted argument for the necessity of human "grounding" in a world where the speed of light threatens to dissolve the boundaries of the home and the family.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the whimsical, "gee-whiz" era of mid-century science fiction will find this a charming curiosity. It captures the specific optimism of the late 1950s, where "atomic control" and global synchrotrons were envisioned as the pinnacle of human achievement. The writing is brisk and conversational, relying heavily on the jargon and technological fascination of its time, which gives it a distinct period flavor.

However, readers should be prepared for the dated social attitudes of the era. The narrator’s view of women is distinctly paternalistic, and the "flitting" of Elaine is often treated more as a romantic pursuit by a collection of international men than as a serious physical or psychological crisis. The dialogue is snappy and frantic, mirroring the pace of the constant monitor-hopping, which makes the reading experience feel like a chaotic, high-tech screwball comedy. If you enjoy stories that treat complex physics as a convenient plot device for domestic drama, you will find this a breezy, imaginative read. It remains a snapshot of a time when the world felt both dangerously expansive and, thanks to new technology, suddenly very small.