another security officer – presumably the one who had flushed her out towards the back entrance. They led her to a nearby observation room and let her go. She rubbed her arm as they backed her up against a wall, “Empty your pockets, Doctor.” The one who had been holding her instructed. The other stepped away with his back towards them, making sure anyone who happened by would continue walking.
Jia gaped, “I… what? I haven’t done anything!”
“Now, Doctor.” He commanded, “Or I will have to do it for you.” She glared up at him, and while his eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses, she could see the slight illumination from the inside of the glass lens. There were readouts that only he could see – it was how he was receiving his orders.
Reluctantly, Jia turned over her personal hand held glass device. She carried nothing else. The man took it, pocketed it, and forced her inside the observation room. He locked the door from the outside and Jia found herself looking for another exit even when she knew there would be none. She was familiar with these rooms – there was nothing but an examination table and locked drawers and cabinets.
She paced the small room and looked knowingly at the mirror – she was fully aware that there was a room on the other side where they could see in, but she couldn’t see out. She crossed her arms and considered the weight of the situation. She had broken the lab’s protocol by copying classified information to another location. She had been sloppy and didn’t cover her efforts well enough. Only she thought she had, which was another troubling thought. She was hoping, desperately, this was simply a case of broken protocol and not what she had found. If it was about what she had found…
She pushed that thought out of her mind. She had to hope for the best, otherwise she was going to drive herself mad in record time. She waited for someone to retrieve her, to talk to her, to scold her… anything. But no one came. She found herself watching the digital clock display above the door. An hour passed, then another. She alternated between pacing and sitting on the examination table, keeping as calm an exterior as possible – just in case anyone was watching.
Finally, the faint noise of the audio system clicked on. “Ms. Li,” a voice spoke, filling the small space. “Explain why you were copying World Corp data.”
“Can we please speak face to face?” Jia asked, looking purposefully towards the mirror. A beat passed, and then a light switched on that allowed the mirror to be see-through. A white man she had never seen before was standing on the other side. He wore an expensive suit and had smooth, wrinkleless skin despite the white in his hair.
“Explain,” he prompted.
“I was trying to transfer it to another work station,” Jia lied.
The man stared at her, letting the silence weigh heavily between them. “We have been watching you, Ms. Li.” He finally said. “We know you are… curious.”
“I was just doing my job,” Jia insisted. “I obviously keyed in the wrong command by mistake.”
“Do you make many mistakes, Ms. Li?”
“I…” Jia shook her head, “No, but there is a first time for everything.”
“Yes, there is. If you do not tell us why you were copying that data, we will be forced to investigate using other methods.”
A chill went down Jia’s back. The file she was downloading was a large one – of course they didn’t know what, exactly, had caught her attention.
Despite knowing that, she had rapidly calculated that she was in big trouble. She decided it would be best to admit to a lesser evil, “I… I’ve been approached to provide details to the press about the ship. Everyone wants the scoop.” She explained, letting the nervousness in her bleed through, hoping it might garner her some sympathy.
Another stretch of silence followed as he stared at her with intense eyes.
“You’re lying,” he finally concluded.
“I
Jia gaped, “I… what? I haven’t done anything!”
“Now, Doctor.” He commanded, “Or I will have to do it for you.” She glared up at him, and while his eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses, she could see the slight illumination from the inside of the glass lens. There were readouts that only he could see – it was how he was receiving his orders.
Reluctantly, Jia turned over her personal hand held glass device. She carried nothing else. The man took it, pocketed it, and forced her inside the observation room. He locked the door from the outside and Jia found herself looking for another exit even when she knew there would be none. She was familiar with these rooms – there was nothing but an examination table and locked drawers and cabinets.
She paced the small room and looked knowingly at the mirror – she was fully aware that there was a room on the other side where they could see in, but she couldn’t see out. She crossed her arms and considered the weight of the situation. She had broken the lab’s protocol by copying classified information to another location. She had been sloppy and didn’t cover her efforts well enough. Only she thought she had, which was another troubling thought. She was hoping, desperately, this was simply a case of broken protocol and not what she had found. If it was about what she had found…
She pushed that thought out of her mind. She had to hope for the best, otherwise she was going to drive herself mad in record time. She waited for someone to retrieve her, to talk to her, to scold her… anything. But no one came. She found herself watching the digital clock display above the door. An hour passed, then another. She alternated between pacing and sitting on the examination table, keeping as calm an exterior as possible – just in case anyone was watching.
Finally, the faint noise of the audio system clicked on. “Ms. Li,” a voice spoke, filling the small space. “Explain why you were copying World Corp data.”
“Can we please speak face to face?” Jia asked, looking purposefully towards the mirror. A beat passed, and then a light switched on that allowed the mirror to be see-through. A white man she had never seen before was standing on the other side. He wore an expensive suit and had smooth, wrinkleless skin despite the white in his hair.
“Explain,” he prompted.
“I was trying to transfer it to another work station,” Jia lied.
The man stared at her, letting the silence weigh heavily between them. “We have been watching you, Ms. Li.” He finally said. “We know you are… curious.”
“I was just doing my job,” Jia insisted. “I obviously keyed in the wrong command by mistake.”
“Do you make many mistakes, Ms. Li?”
“I…” Jia shook her head, “No, but there is a first time for everything.”
“Yes, there is. If you do not tell us why you were copying that data, we will be forced to investigate using other methods.”
A chill went down Jia’s back. The file she was downloading was a large one – of course they didn’t know what, exactly, had caught her attention.
Despite knowing that, she had rapidly calculated that she was in big trouble. She decided it would be best to admit to a lesser evil, “I… I’ve been approached to provide details to the press about the ship. Everyone wants the scoop.” She explained, letting the nervousness in her bleed through, hoping it might garner her some sympathy.
Another stretch of silence followed as he stared at her with intense eyes.
“You’re lying,” he finally concluded.
“I
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