Chapter 8

  The team spent the next 10 minutes arguing about what they should do. Kelton shook his head slowly. “This could go badly for us.”

  As if on cue, two officious little knocks came at the door. Robeson Tilly stood framed in the doorway until all the eyes in the room were on him. Chaz stood a few feet behind him. Tilly took several small, quick steps toward the group.

  “Good morning, Doctor Kelton. I'm very relieved to see you in good shape. Reports have come to me about the commotion in your laboratory. They were very disturbing. I'm pleased to see you are doing well. That’s a nasty-looking bandage on your neck. Can we expect a full recovery.?”

  “Why do I get the feeling you are not really concerned with Dr. Kelton’s condition?” Alex asked pointedly.

  Ignoring Alex, Tilly went on enunciating each word with care, “This is not a social visit. I'm here in an official capacity on university business. I've just seen the video of your experiment. I've never seen such chaos in a university laboratory before. The floors were littered with papers and books, chemicals smeared across the floor, and broken glassware under every footstep. Feathers and feces were scattered everywhere. A live monkey was running unfettered through the laboratory and swinging from the light fixtures. There was a dead chicken on the floor.”

  “Science can be messy,” suggested Alex.

  “Not when conducted properly!” snapped Tilly. “I haven’t been able to count the infractions. You didn’t register your experiments with the board. You conducted unauthorized animal experimentation, resulting in the death of an animal.”

  “The chicken was Tia Louisa’s dinner that night. So, really, no loss,” said Alex sotto voce. “She said it was very tender.”

  Tilly continued. ” Improperly housed animal subjects, inaccurate and incomplete lab files, theft of property.”

  “When you describe it like that, it does sound kinda over the top,” said Alex.

  Kelton cleared his throat, shook his head, and put his hand on Alex's wrist to stop him from saying anything else.

  “Theft! What theft?” objected Kelton.

  “Where did you get the monkey and the thorium reactor? Those items are not in your inventory.”

  Alex and Beta glared at Chaz, who was looking uncomfortable.

  “I authorized no transfers,” Tilly droned. “Why are they in the video? And the cherry on top, the thing that we can’t possibly overlook is human experimentation. There were no protocols submitted and no board review. If anything had happened, the university would have paid dearly.”

  Beta surprised everyone by speaking up, ”I don’t think you realize the importance of what happened.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “I think you mean the importance to the university,” said Tilly with a heavy emphasis on ‘university.’ “As of this moment Doctor Kelton, you and your team are denied any access to your laboratory or the university. You are to turn over your notes, papers, and all equipment to the faculty so we can reassign the research.”

  “It’s my research!” objected Kelton.

  “Not according to the research standards of conduct agreement you signed when you were assigned the lab. Everything reverts to the university now.”

  “I would like to access my personal property and notes.”

  “As far as your personal effects are concerned, I can't imagine what interest you would have in your personal effects; what’s left of your laboratory should be tossed in the dumpster after the monkey got through with them. Your notes, research, and equipment are now in university custody- my custody- pending investigation and hearing.”

  All eyes in the room were on Tilly.

  Beta broke in, “The project is ours. The materials may be the universities, but you have no right to our intellectual properties or to our personal effects....”

  Alex motioned with his hands for everyone to calm down. He looked intensely into Tilly's face. “This would all have a lot more impact, Doctor Tilley, if your zipper weren't down when you delivered the message.”

  Tilly glanced down at his pants.

  “Made you look!” sang Alex.

  “Childish oaf! Unprofessional twit!” huffed Tilly.

  Beta drew in a breath, winding up for an angry response. Kelton put one hand on Beta’s arm and stretched his other arm out towards Alex and Chaz. He addressed Tilly quietly. “This is a very serious action. Please consider the impact on the overall research capabilities of the university. This sort of thing tends to chill innovation. Is that something you want to be responsible for?”

  “I'll tell you what impacts state universities' research capabilities,” hissed Tilly. “Unauthorized animal research, theft of materials from neighboring laboratories, mishandling of test subjects. And worst of all, experimentation with human subjects.”

  Beta drew up to their full height and, with their face just inches from Tilly’s, raised their voice. “Human experimentation? You are completely clueless. The ‘research’ saved Doctor Kelton's life. There was no other choice!”

  “So you say,” said Tilly blandly. A small smile flickered across his lips. He was obviously enjoying the confrontation. “The university needs to protect itself against loose cannons. I shouldn't be surprised if you were all served with a civil suit in the very near future.”

  “But you promised...” Chaz started, then bit his tongue.

  A large woman appeared in the doorway. “You need to keep it down in here. You’re disturbing your neighbors.”

  “I have finished my business,” said Tilly and made his way to the door. In the doorway, he turned and faced the group. “Security will be here in minutes. Collect your things and go.” He turned and left.

  The group looked at each other nonplused. No one could think of anything to say. Alex picked up his computer bag and stuffed his papers in it. “I'm glad I've been using my personal laptop. Security's not going to have any interest in my 6-year-old Costco laptop.”

  “I guess I've got my lab notes stored in my personal cloud. I haven't lost everything,” said Kelton wearily.

  Beta said, “We will get reinstated after a faculty hearing. Nobody likes Tilly. The infractions are all explainable. At least the ones he knows about”.

  “Yes, but until he controls the schedule. It may be months or more before we ever get a hearing.”

  Chaz glanced from face to face and at the doorway. “I have to go now, too,” he said and rushed out the door.

  Beta called out, “You've left your stuff here. You may not be able to get in to get it later.” Chaz was already gone.

  Kelton paused while packing his papers into his briefcase. “We may have time for one more test. Shut the door. I'm going back in.”

  “But...” Alex started to protest.

  Climbing into the framework, Kelton spoke urgently, “We don't have much time. You were unable to replicate my experience. We need another sample. Right now! OK, I'm in position. Engage the field.”

  Beta stepped to the controls and punched a button.