It was going to be one of those days at GD. Even at 7:20, Jo could tell it would be a long day. In the past twenty minutes since she logged in there had been four failed demonstrations, three firewall breeches, and a computer overload; all before her morning coffee.
Now, Jo was sitting at her desk, enjoying her coffee while the system rebooted. It would probably be the only calming, uninteresting, and dull part of her day. She sighed as her computer came back online.
Then her ring tone chimed.
Jo groaned internally and retrieved her phone. "Lupo?"
"Hey Jo, Fargo. Listen I need your help." Fargo said.
"What is it?" Jo asked. By now she'd learned not to ask what she was helping with.
"I need you to meet me in Doctor Terrin's Genetics lab." Fargo instructed.
"Alright, I'll be there." Jo hung up. She sighed and rose from her desk.
Jo walked from her desk toward the elevator. She walked past several other GD workers. Jo couldn't help but wonder if they were the same people from her timeline. Were they as smart here, or were they less brilliant back home.
The elevator doors opened and Jo stepped out. She walked down the hall toward the Genetics sector of GD. The halls were virtually empty. Then again, it was still pretty early in the morning. And the main staff would be reporting within the hour to liven up the sector.
Jo stopped at Doctor Terrin's lab. The door opened and Jo entered. Fargo was already waiting for her inside the lab. Doctor Terrin stood near Fargo. He was tall, taller than Fargo by several inches and much bulkier as well. His hairline was receding and the grey was beginning to peek. He wore a blue and white striped shirt beneath his white lab coat.
"Doctor Fargo. Doctor Terrin." Jo said with a nod.
"Chief Lupo." Doctor Terrin said.
"I was explaining to Doctor Terrin that the DOD had cut the funding to the Genetics division at GD. As a result-"
"My department is being shut down." Terrin finished.
"Yeah, that." Fargo said.
Jo nodded. "Okay so, why am I here?"
Fargo opened his mouth, but Terrin intervened. "I cannot shut down every project I'm working on. There's too much time and research put into them-"
"That never saw results and are too costly for GD's funding." Fargo finished.
"My genetic duplication probe is ready for testing!" Terrin informed.
"That project was pulled over a year ago and is the main reason your department is being shut down." Fargo continued.
"Okay." Jo called. Both men stopped talking.
The doors behind Lupo opened and someone walked in.
"So, where do I start?" it was Zane.
As if her day couldn't get any worse.
Fargo pointed to the machine in the far corner. "Right there. I want every hard drive wiped down."
The machine was fairly large. It resembled a glass cylinder. Inside appeared to be something shaped like an hourglass. In the center of the hourglass container, was a yellow orb. The main container was reinforced with a steel top and base cover. Both were attached by rods running along the sides of the container.
"That's my duplication probe!" Terrin yelled. He quickly moved to the device.
"Doctor Terrin step away from the device or I'll have Miss Lupo escort you from the building." Fargo informed.
"Oooo, there's a thought." Zane said.
Terrin shook his head. "I've spent too much time to let you destroy this."
"All right, that's it." Jo said. She walked to the device and grabbed Terrin's arm.
Terrin resisted, still typing on the controls.
Jo got fed up quickly. She pulled his arm sharply; tearing him from the consol. Jo threw him to the ground with his arm pinned behind his back.
Zane looked somewhat impressed. "So this is how it feels to watch you take down someone else."
"Shut up, Zane. Or your next." Jo snapped.
Zane held up his arms, mocking surrender.
From behind Jo, Terrin's device hummed. Jo, Fargo, and Zane looked at the machine. Jo rose from Terrin, taking a step toward the device.
"What's it doing?" Fargo asked.
Suddenly a yellow beam burst from the orb and struck Jo. The burst was short, but powerful. It felt like ten thousand volts coursing through her body. The force threw Jo from Terrin, crashing into Zane. Zane fell back, but held onto Jo.
The beam discharged. The machine began to spark and smoke rose from its components. Terrin ran to his machine to check.
Fargo rushed to Jo and Zane. Zane carefully lifted Jo from him and onto the ground. He repositioned himself beside her. Zane touched Jo's head, causing a small shock between then. Jo cried out in pain and Zane's hand recoiled.
Jo touched her head sat up.
"Jo?" Fargo asked.
"Take it easy Lupo." Zane said.
Jo held her other hand in front of him. "Don't touch me again. One shock is enough. Two, sucks. Third one will be yours."
Zane pulled his arms up, not touched Jo.
"No!" Terrin yelled. "My device, it's completely destroyed."
Fargo frowned. He pulled out his phone. "Security to Genetics."
"You should head to the Medical lab, Lupo." Zane suggested.
"No, I'll have Allison send someone here." Fargo said.
Jo groaned. "I'll go by myself."
"What?" Fargo asked
"Look Lupo, we all know you're a hard ass, but moving after a shot like that-"
"I'll be fine." Jo said. She rose to her feet. Unsteady, but independent.
"You sure, Jo?" Fargo asked.
Jo nodded. "Yeah. Just make sure docs out of the building, or I might tazer him."
"Done." Fargo said.
Jo nodded. She turned from them and headed out of the lab. Her head was spinning uncontrollably, her body stung with every step she took, and she was growing dizzier by the second. But once J had left the lab, she used the wall for support to guide her back to the elevator.
okay, first eureka fanfic, go easy. chapters might be really short...sorry.