Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [117]
‘How long will I have?’
The tech checked the gauges strapped to her wrist. ‘Twenty minutes. If I drop ambience, you can have ten more.’
Everett blew into his hands and rubbed them together. ‘That’s fine. Twenty minutes should do it.’ He looked at the small table beside the vat. ‘Sample packs?’
‘They’re at the front station. What do you need?’
‘Cytology, crypto and lap scope, and…’ He saw curiosity rising on the tech’s face. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get them myself. No need to interrupt you further.’
‘Didn’t Labs do the scope already?’
‘Of course. I want to double-check some of their results.’ He raised his head. ‘I’m presenting the case next week. My first one.’
The tech nodded. Mention ‘case study’ and there was instant understanding. He wished he’d thought of that first. The fifth-year students generated a lot of compassion. Their routine and study load was gruelling.
‘You want samples from the animal as well?’
The words jolted Everett, though he caught the reaction before it reached his face. ‘That was my next question,’ he said, his voice smooth. ‘Part of the presentation.’
‘Requisition number?’
Everett scanned through his file screen. ‘I had it this morning,’ he said almost to himself. ‘It took hours to get.’
‘Never mind.’ The tech indicated the tank behind them. ‘I know where that one is. Not every day you get a canine in here.’
‘Isn’t that right.’
They both exchanged looks and shook their heads.
‘Do they know where it came from?’ she asked.
Everett shrugged. ‘As far as I can gather, they don’t know much at all about either of these two. How long will it take to get the reviver going?’
The tech’s eyes widened. ‘You’re going to wake that thing up?’
‘That’s what my requisition requires.’
‘I’ll need to cite it and get the order number for that.’ Her hands shook as she pulled a remote monitor from her pocket. ‘But I don’t want to be around when you do it.’
‘Bad dreams?’
She turned away.
Though no one had contact with animals, many were haunted by them in their dreams. It was wonderful luck that this tech was phobic. Everett planned to do more than wake the canine up. Now that he knew he was here, he wasn’t going to miss the chance of a lifetime.
‘I’ll pop in the access code for you so you can get started, but you’ll have to zip me the requisition and confirmation code before midday collection arrives.’
‘Thanks. Much appreciated.’
She hesitated. ‘Is it dangerous?’
‘That’s what they sent me to find out.’
The tech nodded. ‘I wish they’d change their minds. What a waste to vivisection such a rarity, don’t you think?’
‘Exactly.’
Everett followed her back to the station and put together a tray of instruments. He glanced at the security screen before grabbing some culture tubes. He slipped those into his pocket, nesting them inside a small, subzero case. He whistled as he drew up a few millilitres of normal saline, injecting it into a blood agar dish. He grabbed an extra syringe and a vial of dopmine3, the heaviest sedation he could spot at a glance. The tech didn’t pay any attention—she was hunched over her work again, headphones on, back turned.
Everett found Jane Doe by matching up the digital readout the tech gave him. He set up his tray, placing the instruments in a neat row, and popped the lid. ‘Now, my mystery girl. Let’s see if I can discover what the lab could not.’
EARTH & GAELA—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 24
Nell stood at the edge of the road, checking both ways. It was deserted, save for a small rabbit frozen in mid-stride, paralysed by their sudden arrival. Torgan dropped, flattening himself into the grass, his tail snapping back and forth, haunches bunching.
‘Not now, love,’ Nell said, smiling at her familiar. ‘We’ve got to get to Treeon before sunset.’
‘Straight into the enemy camp, is it?’ Jarrod asked.
‘We need to do some scouting.’
‘I thought scouting implied stealth,’ Shane said.
‘I don’t think it will be necessary yet.’
‘Yet?’ Jarrod asked.
She brushed grass seeds from the hem of her long dress. ‘Open books are not always so easy to read.’
Selene