much of the population has been vaccinated. If you do not
want to scan your ID chip, that’s fine, but I can not give you the shot unless
you do.”
He never liked being pressured to do
anything.
Normally, he would say ‘Ok then, forget
it.’
But in that instant he remembered how
he had ignored Alex when he was sick yesterday. If he brought something home
and Alex got sick because he didn’t get the shot, it would be bad. Very bad.
He waved his chip, and rolled up his
sleeve.
He imagined that the nurse gave him an
extra little jab while he had his arm there.
Turning back, he forced a smile at
Theresa and headed for the coffee.
Later that day, he went to floor 123 to visit with the researchers
Ben had been good enough to arrange. With Ben’s approval, Ryan had temporary
access to floor 123. A week only, but it could be extended if necessary.
When Ryan stepped off the elevator, he
was confused for a moment because the floor plan was completely different. The
elevator opened at the end of a very long, white hallway lined with doors.
There were many doors going down both sides, and he could hear lots of noise
and people talking from inside them.
With no one to greet him, he began
walking down the hall and came upon his first set of doors on the right-hand
side. It was a set of double doors, and both were open revealing a lab suite on
the inside. He could see long lab benches filled to capacity with beakers,
flasks, water baths and lots of unknown equipment stacked all about, often on
top of each other. There were lots of people in white lab coats working and
talking.
Interested now, he wanted to see more.
Moving down the hall he saw several
more labs just like the first. Then he heard a familiar voice, he couldn’t
place it at first. Moving to the source, he poked his head into the next lab
and saw a pair of scientists talking to a large view screen as data scrolled
across its display. He recognized the voice from his interview; they were
talking to SID. He came to another lab where there appeared to be a woman
talking to SID as well. At the next one, he found another conversation going on
with SID and a group of students.
It felt odd to hear the same voice
having multiple conversations at once.
Moving on, he became more impressed.
All together, by the time he reached a cluster of offices, he had counted 32
separate lab suites with more than half interacting with the research assistant
program, SID.
‘This place is really a marvel,’ he
thought.
Walking up to the first office he came
to, he stopped and looked inside.
An older gentleman sat with his back to the door at a desk covered with debris.
He was reading something. Judging from the amount of papers, books and
belongings here, this was a senior investigator. Ryan had seen them before.
They always looked as if they might live in their offices. The door was open,
so he knocked on the frame and waited. The man sighed heavily and eventually
turned around, obviously annoyed at the interruption.
Smiling his biggest smile, Ryan said,
“I’m so sorry to bother you, I have an appointment with Dr. Bender. Do you know
where I might find him?”
“Look in his office, number 123B just down from mine. If he’s not there, you
can try his lab back that way on the left.”
Without waiting to see if Ryan understood, the gentleman turned back around and
went back to work.
Ryan moved through the offices until he
came upon 123B, and found another older gentleman, presumably another senior
investigator sitting inside. Ryan knocked on the door, to which the man held up
a finger, indicating Ryan should wait. Patiently, Ryan stood quietly at the
door for several minutes while the fellow inside typed furiously at his keyboard.
Finally, the man saved his work, and turned around. Once again the annoyance
factor seemed pretty high to Ryan, who was now feeling less than welcome.
“Hello, what do you
want to scan your ID chip, that’s fine, but I can not give you the shot unless
you do.”
He never liked being pressured to do
anything.
Normally, he would say ‘Ok then, forget
it.’
But in that instant he remembered how
he had ignored Alex when he was sick yesterday. If he brought something home
and Alex got sick because he didn’t get the shot, it would be bad. Very bad.
He waved his chip, and rolled up his
sleeve.
He imagined that the nurse gave him an
extra little jab while he had his arm there.
Turning back, he forced a smile at
Theresa and headed for the coffee.
Later that day, he went to floor 123 to visit with the researchers
Ben had been good enough to arrange. With Ben’s approval, Ryan had temporary
access to floor 123. A week only, but it could be extended if necessary.
When Ryan stepped off the elevator, he
was confused for a moment because the floor plan was completely different. The
elevator opened at the end of a very long, white hallway lined with doors.
There were many doors going down both sides, and he could hear lots of noise
and people talking from inside them.
With no one to greet him, he began
walking down the hall and came upon his first set of doors on the right-hand
side. It was a set of double doors, and both were open revealing a lab suite on
the inside. He could see long lab benches filled to capacity with beakers,
flasks, water baths and lots of unknown equipment stacked all about, often on
top of each other. There were lots of people in white lab coats working and
talking.
Interested now, he wanted to see more.
Moving down the hall he saw several
more labs just like the first. Then he heard a familiar voice, he couldn’t
place it at first. Moving to the source, he poked his head into the next lab
and saw a pair of scientists talking to a large view screen as data scrolled
across its display. He recognized the voice from his interview; they were
talking to SID. He came to another lab where there appeared to be a woman
talking to SID as well. At the next one, he found another conversation going on
with SID and a group of students.
It felt odd to hear the same voice
having multiple conversations at once.
Moving on, he became more impressed.
All together, by the time he reached a cluster of offices, he had counted 32
separate lab suites with more than half interacting with the research assistant
program, SID.
‘This place is really a marvel,’ he
thought.
Walking up to the first office he came
to, he stopped and looked inside.
An older gentleman sat with his back to the door at a desk covered with debris.
He was reading something. Judging from the amount of papers, books and
belongings here, this was a senior investigator. Ryan had seen them before.
They always looked as if they might live in their offices. The door was open,
so he knocked on the frame and waited. The man sighed heavily and eventually
turned around, obviously annoyed at the interruption.
Smiling his biggest smile, Ryan said,
“I’m so sorry to bother you, I have an appointment with Dr. Bender. Do you know
where I might find him?”
“Look in his office, number 123B just down from mine. If he’s not there, you
can try his lab back that way on the left.”
Without waiting to see if Ryan understood, the gentleman turned back around and
went back to work.
Ryan moved through the offices until he
came upon 123B, and found another older gentleman, presumably another senior
investigator sitting inside. Ryan knocked on the door, to which the man held up
a finger, indicating Ryan should wait. Patiently, Ryan stood quietly at the
door for several minutes while the fellow inside typed furiously at his keyboard.
Finally, the man saved his work, and turned around. Once again the annoyance
factor seemed pretty high to Ryan, who was now feeling less than welcome.
“Hello, what do you
Similar Books
