Timelines Collide

Chapter 24: The Help of a Folium

"Come in."

Her voice echoes firmly through the wooden door. In my head, it echoes match the frequencies of her green lights. Nonetheless, I open the door. The green light to my surprise is low-pitched, only hovering near the door over some plants. For once I wasn't blinded immediately after entering one of her labs, however, the smell hits me first. 

Almost unbearable it twists my nose in every direction trying to get away. As a result, I almost drop the plate, catching it midway before it touches the ground. Maybe Luna as playful as she seemed; wasn't kidding.

"Don't freak out," Lisa says, calmly. "Your nose should adjust in a few moments."

After a few seconds of hearing her words, my nose stops trying to run out of the room. That's when I clearly see her and the room she's surrounded by. The room is like a similar setup to what I and Lincoln found within that Covenant building. The only difference is this place is alive with Lisa as its heartbeat.

Bubbling beakers and tubes litter the room along with chalkboards and papers taped above or below them. The only small corner untouched by a scientist's doings is her bed all prim and clean. Another corner has a barrel of some fluid fuming from its layers. Probably what has this room smelling so. 

Then in the center of it all, Lisa sits at a desk reading or writing something; I can't tell. All I know is that she hasn't left that desk since I arrived. Shouldn't be surprised.

"I...uh brung you your breakfast."

"Ah yes," she remarks, only to keep her eyes on the desk. Not to me or to the food that Loran specifically made for her. "Just place it on the table over there."

I see the desk that her tiny little finger points to. It happens to be right next to the barrel. My nose creeks getting next to it. The funny thing is it doesn't smell bad or like anything for that matter. Still, my nose can't help to be bothered by it for one reason or another. So, I have to ask

"What the hell are you brewing up in here?"

She still doesn't turn. "If you must know. I call it my personal dead aroma, in the making."

"Dead aroma? Sounds like you're cooking up a bomb."

"Not necessarily. It's designed to give off the scent of 10 corpses to the septum for a short period allowing them to do nothing else. I can imagine the police and armies doing wonders with this once I can correct the formula."

"Luna wasn't kidding, this room is a death trap."

Lisa finally acknowledged me, turning her chair halfway. She wears goggles that completely hide her eyes. However, I don't need to see them to know what look she's giving me. I've seen it a few hundred times from my Lisa already.

"So, I assume you need something since you're still standing here."

That comment freezes my thoughts a little, but I manage to reply with

"Why yes actually I was wondering if you can take a look at these for a moment."

I unravel the three blueprints that I hid alongside my back and once her eyes hit the blue, her chair turns fully around. She waves me closer and with a little shake in my hand, I give her the prints. I must have not let them go right away because it takes her a few tugs to get them out of my hands. 

She stares and holds them up to her ceiling light as if it was an old hundred-dollar bill. I hover over her watching those tiny little hands examine every detail of every word. I almost thought she would begin licking it. My attention is shot back up when she turns back to me with an emerging smirk.