The Double Cult Cha-Cha: An Al Squires of the Protectorate Story (Book 1)

Ch. 5.2: Enter Chief 'Clank-N-Crank' Wandsworth; or, To Sylvie's Lab I Go

It took another couple of minutes to find the doors to Sylvie's lab, but I found them: a pair of clear, soundproof, automatic double doors. Wherever those doors appear, a plaque also appears on one of the adjacent walls with two lines that read: "Division 331415's Forensics and Weapons Labs," and, "Sylvie Parrish, Head Forensic Scientist and Ouroboros liaison of Division 31415." Don't worry, you'll find out what Ouroboros is, and in this part, too.

The doors opened as I got close enough, which they usually do when someone with clearance is near them. I didn't even swipe my ID in a scanner or anything; this is because there are biomorphic scanners near the doors. Most doors in HQ have that feature, except for the door to the Chiefs office. As far as I know, it's analog. I casually walked through, I looked around admiring the lab's aesthetics: it's a cross between all the forensic labs you see on cop shows, a test site of a future version of DARPA, and Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory. Not far from the door- which is good, because the size of the lab is relatively large- stood Sylvie with her back to me, working on something on one of the numerous workbenches. There are usually other forensic scientists working here, but with the size of the lab, I rarely see them in one place here. The only time that they aren't here is during meal breaks, after hours, or they're working in the Still. A lot of organizations In the Know use it to help with backlogs and the like. Of course, being the boss, Sylvie doesn't take the same breaks as the others. Why, she literally lives in the lab; she has her own quarters and everything. Anyway, I casually walked up behind her, and said my usual greeting to her:

"Tempus fugit, huh, Syl?" This, of course, startled her and almost made her mess up her work. She must've been in 'the Forensics Zone,' as she likes to call the state when she's so focused on her work, everything outside her work doesn't exist.

"Damnit, Al," she said with a startled exhale, "how many times do I have to tell you? When the lab coat, gloves and safety goggles come on, so does the FZ. You almost made me mess up these tests."

"Well, you had your back turned," I said, an odd mixture of apologetic and defensiveness in my tone of voice, "I couldn't see your FZ face."

"I do NOT make a face when I'm in the FZ," she said in a defensive tone while looking for any errors. When she was done, she put the test in a special container, and muttered with some resignation, "Let's see how the other test is progressing."

And let's also describe Sylvie. Description-wise, Sylve's about a couple inches short of average height, medium-length dark hair that she always wears in braids, eyes the color of the clearest blue, rich coffee-colored skin, and her body has a lithe build. Yes, she is indeed a woman of color. Some of you thought that there wasn't going to be any diversity in this story, didn't you? Well, of course we're diverse in the Protectorate; I work with a Demon and a Thrope, for crying out loud.

"Well, of course, YOU can't see it," I said, still on the subject of her FZ face while she took off her gear, "you can't see yourself when you're in the FZ."

She paused a beat while taking off her gloves, and said, "Agree to disagree, then." She just says that because she knows that I'm right but doesn't want to admit it and start an argument.

She moves halfway across the room to another bench to check on the progress on some other test. I shook my head, and told her, "You do know that other people work here, besides you, right?"

She scoffed at my remark. "They're currently on their meal break," she said while keeping her eyes on her work, "half of which are taking it in the Still. That reminds me, I have my own meal break soon."

I look at her, confused at her statement. "Why don't you work in the Still?" I asked. "You'll get the job done relatively faster. Or, better yet, eat in the Still?"