already started. Jamie pushes through the door and I follow behind, immediately halting the voice of our boss, Doctor Crawford, who stands before a giant, oblong table full of other scientists and lab technicians.
Everyone simultaneously turns to look at us as we head to either side of the table and quietly slip into the only two empty seats left.
“Mandi.” Doctor Crawford nods. “Jamie, so glad you could make it.”
“I’m sorry, Doctor.” Jamie says. “I just lost track of time this morning, it won’t happen again.”
Doctor Crawford gives her an accepting smile, something that I completely did not expect. Crawford is the definition of a hard ass, especially when it comes to being punctual. I look back and forth between the two of them as it slowly dawns on me that they are probably fucking.
I try my best to stay calm, but it’s a real struggle to maintain my mood against the tide of anger and frustration that washes over me.
Doctor Crawford turns his attention to me now. “And you, Mandi? What’s your excuse?”
I sit up in my chair almost immediately, trying to look as professional as possible. “My keycard isn’t working for some reason. I was standing right outside the front door forever this morning trying to get in.”
Doctor Crawford’s eyes brim with annoyance and disappointment. “You didn’t read the email about security being updated around here? Project Chimera is at an incredibly important phase, we need to step everything up at this point.”
“I know.” I tell him, desperately trying to explain. “It’s not that I didn’t read the email, I didn’t even get it.”
Doctor Crawford sighs loudly.
I can’t help but notice some of the other scientist around the table exchanging quick glances, reveling in the fact that I’m about to be taken to task by our boss.
“Just…” Doctor Crawford starts, clearly upset. He pauses for a moment and then tries again. “I’m sorry. We’re all under a lot of stress right now, myself included. Just go see Hank in lab seventeen, he’ll set up with a new keycard.”
“Thank you.” I say with a nod, then stand up and quickly exit the conference room.
As the door closes behind me I can’t help but hear Jamie add. “Well, I got the email!”
I start making my way deeper into the facility, seething, but trying my best to hurry back for the rest of the meeting. Time to suck it up, I tell myself. This has become my daily mantra.
The farther I get, however, the more my frustration evolves into a genuine lack of care. I feel like I am up against a wall and, at this point, any more effort from my end is just going to go to waist. As the token frumpy, celibate girl around here, I could probably show back up in the conference room a week from now and people would barely notice.
By now, my pace has evolved into what could only be described as a mosey; sauntering down the halls and peering into the windows of various laboratories that are well beyond my clearance level. I’ve still got a lot of area to cover before I reach lab seventeen, so I might as well see if I can scope out something interesting while I’m at it.
I suddenly realize that this is the emptiest I’ve seen the lab here since I started working at Allencorp; all of the head scientists in conference with Doctor Crawford while the lower level technicians are at home for the day, waiting for the new security protocols to be implemented. The whole
Everyone simultaneously turns to look at us as we head to either side of the table and quietly slip into the only two empty seats left.
“Mandi.” Doctor Crawford nods. “Jamie, so glad you could make it.”
“I’m sorry, Doctor.” Jamie says. “I just lost track of time this morning, it won’t happen again.”
Doctor Crawford gives her an accepting smile, something that I completely did not expect. Crawford is the definition of a hard ass, especially when it comes to being punctual. I look back and forth between the two of them as it slowly dawns on me that they are probably fucking.
I try my best to stay calm, but it’s a real struggle to maintain my mood against the tide of anger and frustration that washes over me.
Doctor Crawford turns his attention to me now. “And you, Mandi? What’s your excuse?”
I sit up in my chair almost immediately, trying to look as professional as possible. “My keycard isn’t working for some reason. I was standing right outside the front door forever this morning trying to get in.”
Doctor Crawford’s eyes brim with annoyance and disappointment. “You didn’t read the email about security being updated around here? Project Chimera is at an incredibly important phase, we need to step everything up at this point.”
“I know.” I tell him, desperately trying to explain. “It’s not that I didn’t read the email, I didn’t even get it.”
Doctor Crawford sighs loudly.
I can’t help but notice some of the other scientist around the table exchanging quick glances, reveling in the fact that I’m about to be taken to task by our boss.
“Just…” Doctor Crawford starts, clearly upset. He pauses for a moment and then tries again. “I’m sorry. We’re all under a lot of stress right now, myself included. Just go see Hank in lab seventeen, he’ll set up with a new keycard.”
“Thank you.” I say with a nod, then stand up and quickly exit the conference room.
As the door closes behind me I can’t help but hear Jamie add. “Well, I got the email!”
I start making my way deeper into the facility, seething, but trying my best to hurry back for the rest of the meeting. Time to suck it up, I tell myself. This has become my daily mantra.
The farther I get, however, the more my frustration evolves into a genuine lack of care. I feel like I am up against a wall and, at this point, any more effort from my end is just going to go to waist. As the token frumpy, celibate girl around here, I could probably show back up in the conference room a week from now and people would barely notice.
By now, my pace has evolved into what could only be described as a mosey; sauntering down the halls and peering into the windows of various laboratories that are well beyond my clearance level. I’ve still got a lot of area to cover before I reach lab seventeen, so I might as well see if I can scope out something interesting while I’m at it.
I suddenly realize that this is the emptiest I’ve seen the lab here since I started working at Allencorp; all of the head scientists in conference with Doctor Crawford while the lower level technicians are at home for the day, waiting for the new security protocols to be implemented. The whole
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