Contrary to Esme’s department, much like Darlow’s, Zep’s workplace was not hidden behind a secret entrance, only to be entered through a series of coordinated handclaps. Putting the security even farther down, there was not even a lock to get inside the department. The entrance double-door looked to have been solely built with thoughts on aesthetics, of which it did wonderfully.
Troy had been worried about the artistic designs used in the Augmentation department. Since every department before the current one had been filled with paintings of their specialisation, there had been a slightly unsettling thought, that it would be filled with depictions of humans inside. While he did have above average resistance to violent depictions, and with how violent modern media was, that was saying a lot, there had always been something about medical incisions that scared the young man. Maybe it was the precise cutting used to fish the organs out, or maybe it was due to the weird way that the middle would be torn to the sides. Whatever the reason was, it had certainly caused a large aversion to any medical tv-shows. Not that Troy had really watched tv-shows much in the last many years, but anything of the medical genre would have certainly been avoided if the chance had been there.
Luckily for the younger, minorly worried man, there was not anything to have been afraid of. Instead of the more decorative styles that had been seen before, the Augmentation department had gone the more… boring way. No detailed depiction of dead human cadavers had been shown to all, with simple paintings of generic landscapes replacing where something great had had the chance to be. It was not anything that caused discomfort, but it really wasn't anything Troy had been expecting. And that was not meant in a positive way. It honestly was the most boring place he had seen yet in the facility. The effort put into decorating the place could have been described as a college student noticing a five thousand words long essay due, and just deciding to copy the word 'essay' three thousand times, before sending it with a triumphing grin plastered on. A sad excuse for a day's work.
“Charlie,” Troy said, being quite sure just what he would be asking. “Why does this place look so utterly boring?”
The sudden question caused no amount of mirth to show itself on Charlie’s face before it was immediately squashed down. For whatever reason, the older of the two felt a slight unwilling to find the question funny. That might have been the smaller chance of a certain group of superiors reviewing the tape with Charlie in them, and openly criticizing his department might not have been the smartest thing to do when the possibility of being overheard was extremely high.
“I am not sure what you mean, Troy,” Charlie said, having very obvious trouble to keep his lips straight, no matter how they wanted to curve upwards. The innocent tone, the nonchalance of the formulation… there was no doubt it had been asked with no deceit. If that was not the funniest thing humanity was able to produce, Charlie was not sure what else there could be. “Would you mind being more descriptive in your inquiry? It would be no good of me if I were to misinterpret your words.”
Troy tried to understand just why Charlie was talking in such weird manners but shrugged it off as just him being a weirdo. There probably was a reason, but even asking about it would just change it entirely. A bit like quantum mechanics, measuring it beforehand would cause a difference.
“I was just wondering about the decor of this department,” Troy explained, with measured words. If they were going to be all fancy about it, why not play along, if just for a little bit? “Do you not think it is lacking, when put to the sides of the others? Simple paintings in comparison to full-on murals do cause an attraction to one side over the other. Are you not of similar mind?”
There it was again! The slight breaking of the lips, as if Charlie was trying to talk, but stopping himself just the moment after. The corners of the mouth seemed to vibrate of their own accord, creating an image of a self-sentient body. Troy was not sure if that was a new development, or it had just been that since the beginning.
“Okay… “ Charlie said, looking to be ready to continue his talk, but stopping briefly to cough into his arm. Not his hand, for that would be a health risk, though Troy was not sure if it was counted as such if the coughing was badly acted, to begin with. The muscular man had clearly not perfected his sick-act. “I see where you innocent wondering now lies, and I will try to answer it to the best of my ability while keeping myself to the official statements. As you might remember being told a few days ago, this department is divided into several sub-departments, so as to efficiently synergize the different specialities that each individual holds at their hearts.
While all these sub-departments do have their core-values centred around the Augmentation field of research, many of them go wildly different ways in their methods of achieving the goals laid out. When it comes to the artistic preference for what should be put up to reflect this, there were few things which could be agreed on. As a ground-rule, it is the researchers themselves who as a collective decision on what specifics shall be put up.
When many have different ideas entirely of what their work encompasses, it is understandable that disagreements come because of it. If memory serves me correctly, it took six months of discussions, before the higher-ups decided to procure decorations themselves. When this choice was debated, a further lock was put on changing the decorations. It has been seven years now, and this choice has not changed, leaving us with these ornaments that a single person deemed sufficient. While there may still be strife caused by this, it is nothing that we can do anything about now.
With that answered, are you ready to move inside? We have much to do before lunch comes around.”
The promise of lunch was too attractive to pass up. They had been getting at it for a while now, and lunch-time was closing in very quickly. Without having to look at the clock, Troy knew that they would be eating after visiting Zep. After giving Charlie a swift nod, they went down the left side of the hallway.
In yet another opposition to all the other departments, the entrance hallway ended T-shaped instead of L-shaped. This was likely to further differentiate the two main sub-departments. And seeing as they were going to the left to visit Zep, the left would have to be the organic side of augmentation. Which meant that Charlie's workplace would have to have been somewhere to the right.
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A sudden realisation hit Troy.
“Hey, Charlie. Is Dr Hale around here somewhere?” Troy asked as they continued their walk down the hallway. The customary doors had begun appearing, with each having some doctor's name assigned to them. The younger man did not bother to read them, since Charlie would say when they were there, but did still look at them so Adam had something to do.
Charlie tensed slightly around the neck, a tell-tale sign of him not wanting to divulge anything about it. Such a reaction was one of the few that the man had not been able to stop himself from making, but it was so small that no human noticed it to any degree.
“Yes,” Charlie said in the affirmative. “She is in my laboratory, resting until she is revitalised. Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering if we might be able to visit her at some point,” Troy said. “You know, see how she is holding.”
“We can at a later time today. For the next few hours, she should be sleeping like a stone. Any tries to wake her up now would only end up in failure,” Charlie said dishonestly. The woman was most likely laying still on the bed, irritated out of her mind. She was currently unable to move anything below her neck, as any serious muscle-movement had the potential of damaging the healing process that she was still undergoing. Charlie had tried to offer a sedative to put her in a temporary coma, but the offer had been vehemently refused. And a few restrictions of law had been brought up afterwards that had forced the man to respect her words, no matter how much of a mental prison the twenty hours in sensorial isolation would be.
“Oh” was all Troy had to say to that answer. He had been hoping for a swift reunion with his superior, so he could see her growing health for himself. While others may have told him repeatedly that Dr Hale was of fine health, some part of him needed to see it for himself. See it to believe it. A terrible quote at the best of times, but certainly one he could relate with at the current moment.
'There is no reason to worry. She is being constantly monitored by sophistical medical technology. The chances of any occurrences not being sighted are at worst minimal,` Adam sent in a comforting manner. Troy felt that the last part could have been left out if that was the AI’s intentions.
With half a minute more of walking, they finally happened upon the wanted entrance. The plaque detailing who occupied the laboratory listed Zep’s name along with a few others that Troy knew nothing about. Mere co-workers. Which did make sense. Having several people work on a single project was standard, and the Darlow had talked as if he was working with somebody else. He had even had an assistant. Though… there were no memories of several names being on their plaques. Could it normally be reserved for the leaders of the project? That was a possibility.
Charlie brought out his modified key-card, clearly intent on opening the last door into Zep’s current location. It was only then that Troy realised the card reader to the side of the door. How he had missed it was something he wondered deeply about for a good half-second.
Though… the existence of the card reader did cause another question to blossom forth. Troy hoped that Charlie was not getting annoyed by the constant questions.
“Looks like I have yet another question for you,” Troy said to Charlie, the muscular man looking over as the card-reader took its time reading the key-card provided. With how slow it was taking, Troy did not doubt that it would break a few records in slowness.
“Well, spit it out then. While we do have all day, I think it would be better spent on something other than one question,” Charlie said in response, no amount or irritation present in his tone.
“I was just wondering why there wasn't a lock on the department door. It was weird to see,” Troy said.
“Oh, that? That's easy to answer,” Charlie said, readjusting his hold on the key-card without letting the scanning process stop. “This department is so fluctuating on security-level-requirements, that some of the newer researchers wouldn't even be able to get inside here if there was any lock on that door. Instead, we just have some very strong locks on the laboratory doors. Well… most of the laboratory doors.”
With the question answered, the time had seemingly passed enough for the card-reader to finally accept the illegally made key-card. Troy had been slightly worried that a few alarms would have been activated with how long it was taking, but it looked like it was just an effect of more advanced technology guarding the laboratory behind it.
Without any more words, they went inside the laboratory. It was much more open, yet simultaneously so much more filled up. Not just of the several people able to be seen, but also filled in the sense that no table-space was going wasted. Weirdly shaped glasses were filled with all kinds of objects, be they liquid, solid, or even gas. Put under fire, connected by tubes, and all kinds of other things were put between, making it all seem to have some form of cohesion. Troy did not understand any real part of it and doubted he would have any chance even if it was explained to him.
But, that was in a way the reason that they had gotten here. With how the amalgamation of glass, fire, and tubes looked to be the primary exhibition in the laboratory, there was no doubt that it would be what Zep would be droning on about. It would be impolite if Troy didn't try to understand at least a little bit.
“And we have landed with no casualties in view,” Charlie said from the side. “Now… where could our dear old Zep be hiding?”
Now that Charlie had mentioned it, Troy could not seem to find her. While he did remember as being short of stature, he certainly did not remember her as being able to be hidden by a table. Looking around, the only people able to be seen were not in any way close to her appearance, leading Troy onto a very obvious conclusion. She was not hiding. She was-
“Definitely hiding,” Charlie said, bringing Troy out of his thoughts again. “Maybe not in this room, but she has to be creeping in a corner somewhere. And if it is not in here, then I will just have to ask some first-hand sources. Not like they have anything better to do in a place like this.”
Was that friendly competition within the same department or a deep disgust for a profession other than his own? Troy was thinking it was somewhere in between, or so Charlie would probably frame it as, with it in truth definitely being the latter.
“Gordon!” Troy head Charlie proclaims loudly, looking to cause a brown-bearded man near him to jolt in surprise.
“What is wrong with you? You don't surprise people when they are working with incredibly expensive materials!” The bearded man, most likely known as Gordon, said. From the expression, he wasn't looking happy. Charlie was not looked the slightest bit perturbed by the shouting, however.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Destroying things bad. Have you seen Zep lately? I can't seem to find her.”
“If I answer, will you go away?” Gordon asked, not looking close to happy.
“If she is away from here, yes. If not, then no.” Charlie said, looking incredibly happy.
“She is at the gym, where she will probably be for the rest of the day,” Gordon stated matter-of-factly. “And you would have found out that fact if you just messaged her.”
“But if I do, we won't be able to have these incredible discussions of ours!”
“That is a perfect reason why you should do it.”
“Nice talking to you too, Gordon!”
“Don't come back ever again.”
“Love you too!”
Charlie walked back to Troy, skipping along in a way looking overly comical just so it would annoy the bearded man a few meters behind him. Troy could understand that.
“Say, Troy,” Charlie began. “Have you seen the amazing fitness facilities present in this facility of ours?”
“Can't say I have,” Troy said honestly, knowing exactly where this was going. Not that actually minded it honestly. The younger man had been looking for an excuse to bring it up.
“Well, I have got a perfect proposition for you then!”