CHAPTER 11: Something's Coming

 

"David, so good to see you again!  Since you've moved back to campus I've missed our daily meet ups"

"Lauren, it's great to see you too...and, yes, I've missed our time together as well."

There was a pause in the conversation as each looked at each other in fondness for a few seconds.

"So I thought I'd treat you to dinner.  It's not the swankiest of places but on my limited research grant funding it's the best I can treat you to, and the food's really good.  That's what this place has going for it"

Lauren chuckled.  "Well, a country librarian doesn't earn big bucks either so I'm sold on good food and less interested in the decor."

"Then let's step inside and catch up on things..." said David, charmingly, as he ushered Lauren to the diner.

"...I'll have the quiche Lorraine and a soda water please"

"And for you sir?"

"Burger, fries and a coke thank you"

The waitress took their menus and went off to the kitchen whilst David and Lauren carried on their conversation.

"So...any breakthroughs yet?" she asked, boldly.

"Cornelius and I have compiled a dossier of evidence we've found and have handed it over to the DPR"

"That's the organisation you work for, right?"

"Yes.  Your taxpayer money at work.  We're hoping that they'll realise the seriousness of the situation and pressure the Department of Defence into allowing us further access to the laboratory."

"It's so frustrating that everything is taking so long!  My friends are still suffering from that strange sickness and I'm worried that they won't recover if we leave it too long!"

"I hear you on that one, Lauren!" said David, he would have said more but the waitress had come back with their meals so they switched to idle chit chat until they were left alone again.  For the moment they concentrated on eating their meals.  When he felt it safe to do so, he continued to talk about Strangerville.

"Lauren, there's a locked door in the lab that can only be opened with an electronic key." he said.

"What's an electronic key?" she asked.

"It's cutting edge technology....it's a lock that can only be opened with an electronic device, like a card that has either a computer chip or an integrated circuit embedded into it.  This is high security stuff...the computer chip was only invented 7 years ago and it's still in its early stages of use so whoever designed the lab really wanted to restrict access to the lower level."

"And you think you've done enough to convince your bosses that they should give you this electronic key?"

"I think we have..."

After dinner they took a moonlit walk through the park, talking about Strangerville, David's life at the university, Lauren's work at the library and the oddities of Cornelius.  At one point they stopped and looked at each other with increasing fondness.

"David...I'm so glad to have met you.  With all the craziness that's been happening you've been able to reassure me and keep me sane.  I don't know how I would have coped without you...well, you saw when we first met I was an emotional wreck:  Seeing what was happening to my friends and my town..."

He patted her reassuringly on her arm.  "I'm glad I have been of some help.  Investigating the strange and trying to help people is what I do....and I think it's what's special about you too:  You want to help others as well."

"I'm....very....fond of you, David.  I shouldn't say it!"

He let out a sympathetic chuckle.  "No, you should.  I'm fond of you too."

"Me?  I'm a mousy spinster working in a library...you're on campus with all those highly intelligent and no doubt beautiful campus girls."

"Don't put yourself down...I find you very attractive.  Beauty is in the soul and it shows in the eyes" he said, gazing into hers.

There was another pause as they stood there and without conscious thought, they ended up holding hands.

"I suppose this is the wrong time to think about a future for us..." said Lauren.

"I'm not going to sugar coat it; things are going to get more intense and dangerous at the laboratory from now on.  Maybe it wouldn't be a good time to dwell on the future....but once this business is over, we can at least consider what that future might hold."

Lauren nodded and smiled.  Nothing more needed to be spoken, but one last gesture would show each other how they felt.

The next day David was back at work at Britechester University, making amendments to his PhD whilst in his campus dorm room, when there was a knock on his door.

"David...phone call for you:  It's some chick called Peggy who wants to speak with you." said his fellow dorm resident.

"Peggy?  I wonder what she wants?  OK, I'll be right there" he said, putting down his pen, grabbing the keys to his room and heading off to the one telephone that served the entire corridor.

"Peggy....what's happening?" he said, once he picked up the receiver.

"Are you free this evening?" came Peggy's voice from the other end.

"Are you asking me on a date?" replied David, cheekily.

"No, silly.  This could be serious.  I want to talk with you about Cornelius and his...well...dossier." she said, awkwardly as if uncomfortable with speaking of classified matters over the phone.

"Yeah, sure, I can be free this evening.  Where and when?"

"The Spice Festival in San Myshuno.  Around 8pm."

"See you there" he said, putting the receiver down and wondering what it was about the dossier that she wanted to talk about so urgently.

"So your idea of talking about top secret material is to discuss matters at a Spice Festival?" David asked Peggy with incredulity.

"It's a great place, David.  We can talk about things over a delicious meal and everyone is partying so hard or stoned out of their minds that they won't understand a single thing that we say." she replied, nonchalantly.

"I'll take your word for it..." he said, raising an eyebrow in doubt.

"Alright...you were right:  This food is delicious" he said a few moments later after they had grabbed a couple of freshly made curries from the festival store and had sat down.  "But what's going on?  Why did you want to meet?"

"Have you read the dossier Cornelius has written for the DPR?" she asked.

"I have.  Did you?" he replied.

"Yes.  I finished reading it this afternoon.  It's so detailed with what we've discovered so far the DoD can't refuse our request for a keycard."

"You don't know how government bureaucracy works, Peggy"

"I'm not so cynical.  They know that we know, and they don't like it that we know and are wondering what else we might know, which might be more than they're comfortable with knowing."

"Eh?"

"Damage limitation, David.  They'll let us continue the investigation because that way they can let us take the risk whilst making sure we don't overstep our authority."

"We get to clean their mess up, in other words" said David.

"Something like that at least."

They finished their meals and took a wander around the festival with all its colourful decorations, exotic music and Asian influenced themes.

"Look, David..." said Peggy with a very serious tone to her voice.  "If we get the key card, we'll be going in to that lower level and...well...are we prepared for that?  I mean, Cornelius hasn't briefed us on that part.  What we might find, what we might need to bring with us."

"I know what you mean...Cornelius is one for grandstanding, for last minute reveals and flashes of inspiration.  If we're going to take on the next level of that lab, we're going to need a plan because I know that something's coming....and it might be hostile.