Like she had predicted, the day was ticking by at a miserably slow pace. But Odette wasn’t pleased to have been right.

  Thanks to the status of Lukas being up in the air, she had been miserable since the start of the day, which was only further compounded by the failings of the SCR crew.

  “What are you doing? The baseline is to be rotated counter-clockwise, didn’t you hear what I just said about overflow?”

  From the front of the tent, Odette had been watching the six lab workers as they went about starting the primary round of tests after a lengthy lecture on their equipment’s operation.

  In truth, their responsibilities included more manufacturing than analysis and experimentation, so Odette hadn’t predicted their tasks would be too difficult for them.

  Yet as soon as they had started Odette had witnessed half a dozen errors in a mere five minutes.

  She ran over to one of the lab techs as he was just about to cause his machine to overflow, and took the instrument panel away from him.

  Sighing, she tried to revert back to a patient tone.

  “...Just stand there and wait, this is how the acidizer should be booted. Pay attention.”

  The SCR lab technician backed away while keeping an eye on her fingers. A boy just a bit younger than her by his looks, if he was frustrated by her reproach he made no indication of it.

  “My apologies, Madam Veron.”

  He made a slight bow which made Odette scrunch her brow. That wasn’t the first time she had been called that today, but she had decided not to comment on it again. The presence of SCR’s corporate ideology seemed to be alive and well in its scientific members even today, as they had refused to call her by the honorific researcher even once, instead preferring corp lingo.

  “Nevermind, just watch.”

  Odette shook her head while focusing back on the demonstration. As she went through the movements she heard a flapping noise somewhere behind her.

  Despite the loud humming of the machines around her and the other five people working at them, Odette turned around to see her superior at the entrance of the tent. She walked over to them after finishing the boy’s task for him.

  “Professor and Madam Chief, it's a pleasure.”

  “Researcher Veron, tell me. How is the team from SCR performing?”

  Odette suppressed another sigh.

  “They have performed adequately, up to now. I think with time their efficiency will increase, but the process is a bit clogged at the moment. Mostly, coming from my observation, due to an inexperience in handling the equipment.”

  Odette had just finished as a burst of steam erupted from behind her. It was the same boy that she had just been helping, she saw before looking back to the two superiors.

  “Hmm. It’s a bit disappointing, but it's your team. What do you think, Alison?”

  Three hours later and he’s already comfortable with her first name? Odette looked at the pondering woman.

  She wore an expression that was odd to Odette, almost like she was confused?

  “I think the girl’s assumptions are right. My people are very passionate, but we were only able to get them so familiar with the lab before heading here. They’ll need to be trained further.”

  “Agreed. What sort of schedule do you propose?”

  “Well ideally I think every day wo—”

  Odette zoned out of the conversation after they started to get into specifics. It had been a hectic day, and she was feeling mentally exhausted. Forcing herself to recall the specifics of each machine in the tent had been arduous, but not half as much as worrying about Lukas’ condition had been.

  Suddenly their voices stopped though, and Odette’s mind was brought back from the periphery as Caleb and Alison shared a silent look.

  “...are you up for that? Odette?”

  “S-sorry? What was that?”

  They both were looking at her now. That didn’t seem good.

  “We’re asking how that sounds. Do you think you’d be able to manage that? Instructing my team until they’re able to do these things themselves?”

  Odette’s heart sank.

  “Actually I’m not sure if I’m the right person for that. For instance Professor Cal-”

  Caleb cut her off. Cupping her on the shoulder in a motion that displayed a false familiarity, he answered for her.

  “Ha! What she means, Madam Chief, is that she’d be more than willing to accept the position, and she thanks you for the opportunity.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Bechdel nodded, glancing at Odette.

  “And of course you’d be jumped over to the SCR team on paper while the training is carried out. I don’t expect it to take more than five or six weeks at the maximum, but we wouldn’t want you to not be recognized for the work you’ll be doing, would we?”

  Six weeks? Odette blanched.

  She didn’t know why, but in that moment she looked to Caleb, who had been nothing but unpitying since the moment they had started their projects with the specimen, for a way out.

  But all she could see in his eyes were the same emotions that had been there for the last few days.

  She knew that if she didn’t go along with this thing that was happening right now, there went her career. Caleb would see to it, she was sure.

  She suppressed another sigh.

  “Thank you, Madam Chief. I’ll…do my best to live up to the highest standards of the SCR.”

  Bechdel gave a neutral nod.

  …

  “What do you think of the girl so far?”

  In a spacious tent on the other side of the encampment, Caleb and Alison had settled down at a table, both with burning cigarettes between their fingers. Despite the interior’s size, the amassed smoke was still choking the air.

  Alison took a drag with her eyes shut before responding.

  “She’s extremely competent, and seems almost bored with her work. Clearly, the assignment upsets her, but I expect she’s the type to work through it. What I still don’t understand is your distaste for her. Why try to undermine her?”

  Caleb mashed his cigarette into the tray before pulling another from the pack. He lit it before responding in a quiet tone.

  “Is that relevant?”

  “Completely. If your intentions to transfer to our department are real, then–”

  “You know they are.”

  “--Yes, but still, if we’re going to bring you on I need to know more than just your previous experience and professional demeanour. I need to know about aspects of your personal life as well. For instance, this feud you’re having with your assistant.”

  Bechdel took a drag.

  “Immediately, it strikes me as unprofessional. After all, what would a researcher in his late fifties care about a promising youth? She’s from the same department, in the same field, with the same expertise, so her success should have nearly no impact on your own. Is it just hazing? Sadism? Or perhaps a personal vendetta?”

  Caleb coughed.

  “I assure you, I have no ill will toward the girl…”

  “So I’m witnessing your regular methods of supervision then? Well, if you're this callous to all of your subordinates then I’m having doubts about our cooperation…”

  “No, no. Fine, I’ll explain.”

  Alison sat back in her chair.

  “The girl recognized you from her advisory exams, so you must know she graduated from the program four years ago.”

  Bechdel nodded.

  “Well, if you know she’s only been in the department for the last four years, would you be shocked to learn she’s already being considered for the senior researcher position? My position?”

  Alison’s eyes widened.

  “How is that even possible? That would make her the youngest in history to have our commensurate rank. Would the agency even allow that?”

  “Exactly my thoughts when I first learned of it. After which, I began to wonder if she was truly that exceptional. Yet after months of observing her silently, I discovered something even more troubling.”

  “Well now, don’t keep me in suspense.”

  Bechdel tapped her cigarette on the side of the ashtray.

  “She’s even more skilled than her status suggests. Only, something is keeping her back. From the evidence I could find, I believe that something is her tie to the department. She’s anchored by endorsement, to the director of IDS.”

  “Samantha Nual? You think that she’s got leverage on the girl?”

  “I’m only too certain. The problem is that I don’t know specifically what it is, only that it forced the young Veron into an apprenticeship that she doesn’t seem too keen on.”

  Alison took it all in, while Caleb continued.

  “And if that’s not enough, say she makes Head Researcher and becomes the youngest to ever assume the post, then what? The only logical course of action is that she’s prepped for Sam’s post, which will either force Nual aside or…”

  “The agency will bump them both up. First Sam by way of seniority, then Veron through her accomplishments. Has she expressed an interest in CAHD?”

  “A big one, it’s nearly all we talked about on the flight over here, and she had just met me.”

  “I’m starting to see why you’re doing this now. If she makes that appointment, that girl will get seniority over the rest of us.”

  Alison chewed her lip in revulsion. Caleb looked at her humorously.

  “I see that streak of competition hasn’t left you.”

  “You forget that only half of our company entered the public sector, I still have colleagues that enjoy an unmanaged existence.”

  “And you compare yourself to them, do you?”

  Caleb chuckled at that, which earned a look of mild ire from the woman.

  “Assuming I go along with this, you still need to tell me why I should have her on the SCR papers for the next month instead of yours.”

  “Well, it all comes down to the recommendation. Odette believes that’s something only I can offer, but Sam is likely to approve her promotion regardless of my review, if things are really as I’ve outlined.”

  Caleb brought out some papers between the two of them, wiping the ash off the table.

  “This is where your department comes in. If you look at this, there are some interdepartmental policies that even a director wouldn't be able to overlook. And this one in particular…”

  Bechdel started to nod the more she heard.

  There was a common motivation binding them together, now she understood it.

  A quickly advancing researcher might be good for the field, but it only served to lessen the influence people like them held.

  Alison, who had arrived at the position less than a decade ago, wanted her sacrifice of restricting herself for influence to last while an old-timer like Caleb didn’t want his power further diluted. He also wanted to quietly join SCR, but that was a matter that would come after this since he’d be retaining his rank.

  Veron’s rise wouldn’t serve any of their interests, so it had to be stopped. Yet they couldn't do it openly, not when a department head supported it, so they would use what they were best at.

  Their bread and butter beyond bioengineering. Bureaucracy.