THE TEKULA PROJECT

002

DAY 01
B.E.A.R. LABORATORIES
SOUTH ENTRANCE: GATE 9

Veronica parks her car in the parking lot just outside the main gate. Her fingers drum anxiously on the steering wheel as she glances at the clock on her dash: 7:48. Early. This day has been multiple weeks in coming. She was sent multiple emails with security paperwork that needed to be filled out that took many days to process, as it always does when dealing with the government.

She checks her makeup and hair in the small mirror on the visor, squinting her eyes as they narrow on a bit of smudged eyeliner. She fixes the blemish before fluffing her semi-curly red hair. It rains heavily outside and already the thick humidity has started to weigh down her curls. She had looked almost perfect when she left the house this morning: makeup light but still enough to look professional, hair styled to look tame, and attire fit for a high-class interview, which is exactly what she's doing. The long drive, being over an hour, has unfortunately dampened her appearance, both metaphorically and physically.

Nerves make her posture rigid as she waits patiently for Dr. Anderson to arrive. She sips tentatively on her coffee to try to ease the growing butterflies in her stomach, though it is of no great help. The warmth of the mug is, however, a pleasant distraction. Soon enough--all too soon, really--a silver sedan pulls in next to her. She immediately notices the driver as Dr. Anderson and she smiles politely at him through the window.

Veronica reluctantly places her mug back into the cupholder as she mentally prepares herself for the coming day. Act professional. Don't speak out of turn. Answer truthfully. Don't make a fool of yourself, she mentally coaches.

She exits her own car before entering Dr. Anderson's. They exchange pleasantries and make idle small talk as they approach the guarded security gate. Veronica rides with growing anticipation swirling in her chest, feeling more than a little out of place as the car stops in front of a tall chain-link fence with barbed wire across the top. A security officer dressed in military BDUs gestures for Dr. Anderson to lower the window, to which he obliges.

"Name and I.D.?" He asks in a deep baritone.

"Dr. James Anderson," he answers swiftly and without hesitation, handing over his driver's license and military clearance badge, one she notices does not carry the same characteristics of the usual CAC card.

Veronica swallows thickly when the officer's dark, hooded eyes narrow on her. "And your passenger?" He asks.

Dr. Anderson glances briefly at Veronica before replying. "She is a new recruit for the Project."

The man raises a thick brow before nodding slowly, hesitantly. "Very well." He raises an arm in gesture to another officer in an enclosed booth behind him. The gate immediately begins to open and Dr. Anderson drives forward.

The road is narrow and winding as it snakes deeper into the Virginia mountains. Trees loom overhead and rain pours down continuously from the sky as their destination does not yet come into view. Various emotions swirl in Veronica's mind, none of them related to the interview, however. Caution and intimidation are only two of the emotions she feels as they amount more and more into an overwhelming sense of trepidation.

She steels herself as the infamous B.E.A.R Laboratories comes into view. The car goes through another security checkpoint before arriving to a large, mostly full parking lot. The two exit the vehicle and Veronica follows as Dr. Anderson leads the way to a small, inconspicuous grey building.

"Dr. Anderson--"

"Just follow me," Dr. Anderson interjects, voice firm without room for further discussion. Veronica seals her lips, though reluctantly. The more clandestine the circumstances become without any answers, the more Veronica begins to fear for her safety.