I try to play it cool. "We'll discuss and get back to you," I say, even though I want to scream YES right now.
Elad disconnects. Just like that, he's gone.
We sit in silence.
Jian is first to speak. "This is real. We have to incorporate, hire, build the prototype. There is no going back."
Maddy's still smiling. "Told you it would work."
I just sit there, stunned.
After we hang up, I lay down on the carpet and stare at the ceiling. My mind is racing, but for the first time, it's not with anxiety. It's with possibility.
I pull up my phone, open a new note, and start making a list:
• Incorporate Inferthermic, Inc.
• Call Mom
• Drop out
• Build something that matters
I wonder which will be hardest.
Probably all of them.
But for the first time, I'm not scared.
I'm ready.
The email from Marchetti comes in at midnight.
"I said to build something worth dropping out for. Congratulations. You are almost there."
I stare at the screen, and realize I'm smiling.
Almost there.
For once, I believe it.
From: Alex Vukovic alexvuk@inferthermic.com To: Dr. Raymond Voss rvoss@engineering.ucsb.edu Date: January 15, 2026 Subject: Out
Dear Dr. Voss,
I'm writing to let you know I won't be finishing the semester. I'm dropping out to work on Inferthermic full-time.