Summary: It was early December, it wasn't snowing or raining, thankfully, but the wind was cold and harsh, and Caitlin usually wore light blouses to work because underneath a lab-coat it usually was warm enough. Her boots were keeping her feet warm but at this point that was it, Caitlin standing in her thin blouse without even her jacket outside of STARlabs at eleven in the morning.
So of course the fire alarm had sounded at ten that morning.
Knowing there had been an evacuation exercise the year before around this time and that they'd stand outside for about ten minutes tops, after which she could go grab a coffee on her way back to warm up while looking over new data again at the computer, it had seemed like a logical and reasonable decision to leave her blazer, coat, scarf, and purse in her office.
Half an hour later Caitlin couldn't agree less.
A/N: Written during NaNoWriMo 2017, part of the "Trial and Error: The Ups and Downs of Scientific Failures" series/collection. All stories in this collection can be read separately.
This story takes place before the series, just an idea that popped into my head. Inspired by the story a colleague told me during the fire exercise how once, mid-winter, the alarm had sounded and they had thought it was an exercise, except it had been a gas leak, some people had been allowed to grab their stuff, others had been told to go sit in the pub on the corner and wait, and others only could return for their stuff after the weekend. Fun times.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
It was early December, it wasn't snowing or raining, thankfully, but the wind was cold and harsh, and Caitlin usually wore light blouses to work because underneath a lab-coat it usually was warm enough. Her boots were keeping her feet warm but at this point that was it, Caitlin standing in her thin blouse without even her jacket outside of STARlabs at eleven in the morning.
Caitlin had started at eight in the lab that morning, and two hours later all the lab-equipment had been set up and she could calmly let it run its course for the next few hours. She had just taken off her lab-coat and hung it up. Her office had been warm enough at that moment so she hadn't bothered putting her blazer back on, and had started working on her laptop for the next few minutes. It was promising to be a good, calm, productive day.
So of course the fire alarm had sounded at ten that morning.
Guidelines said to leave everything behind and immediately evacuate. One to always follow the rules, and knowing last year an evacuation exercise had occurred closely before the holidays, Caitlin had figured that leaving her blazer, coat, purse, and everything else behind would be a safe bet. Most likely it was an exercise, they'd stand outside for about ten minutes tops, and then she could go grab a coffee on her way back to warm up while looking over new data again at the computer. It seemed like a logical and reasonable decision at the time.
Half an hour later Caitlin couldn't agree less. She and some others were waving around their arms and stamping with their feet to stay warm, while others were hidden in their big coats, hats and scarves. It hadn't been an exercise and most people didn't know what was going, but the rumor going around was that it had to do with the construction of the particle accelerator. Consider she'd seen some people that worked on that project talk to – and got yelled at by - as well as to the firefighters once they arrived on the scene, Caitlin figured that the involvement of the particle accelerator had been an easy but accurate guess. She just hoped that the issue, whatever it was, wasn't setting them back too long. And most importantly, was easily fixed so they could go back inside.
Another fifteen minutes later, one of the firefighters took a megaphone and asked everyone to be quiet. She had seen him talk to Doctor Wells and the brunet guy that lead the particle acceleration team (Rayman, she thought, though that sounded a lot like one of those computer games, didn't it?) while hunched over maps spread out over the hood of one of the cars, discussing and pointing at things. She'd been curious about what was going on but Doctor Wells' outburst from earlier kept her from going over and asking questions.
The fireman started listing workspaces that were safe to re-enter so people could go grab their stuff and head home. The issue wouldn't be fixed today, and they all would get an email on their company account should they not come into work tomorrow. Firemen escorted the groups of people heading back inside to go grab their stuff. First it was the people working at the entrance, then the people from the cafeteria and all the people working in the top two levels. Then the other levels up to the ground level could go grab their stuff. Next were the two sub-levels on the south-side of the building. Then the people on the east-side.
Caitlin worked on the west-side on the first sub-level. She'd noticed how it took longer and longer for the fireman to announce who could go in to get their stuff, but now he'd been quiet for about fifteen minutes while the longest interval before had been ten. The west- and north-sides of the first two sublevels had never been called, nor the entire third sub-level or the pipeline or the offices appointed in the cortex which were all connected to the particle accelerator.
Another five minutes later, it became clear that the fireman wasn't going to make any more announcements. She looked around and saw the particle accelerator team talking worriedly. Other colleagues whose labs or offices were close to hers were also sticking around, waving around their arms trying to stay warm. She saw two lab technicians go up to Doctor Wells, and after asking what must be a really short question, he just waved them away and they had walked to a car, gotten in and driven off. Another firetruck had arrived at the scene, and Doctor Wells had been making calls non-stop since the fireman had made the first announcement. Two police cars had also arrived on the scene.
It was closing in on lunchtime, and Caitlin suspected that she wouldn't be getting back into the building anymore. After seeing the two lab technicians leave, more people had gone up to the particle accelerator team, and a few brave souls up to Doctor Wells, who'd been growing more frustrated by the second. After the third person had demanded his attention, he had sighed, gestured to the fireman who had been making announcements earlier, and turned back around. The woman went up to the fireman, and he nodded, answered, and then grabbed his megaphone. "Due to a safety hazard we cannot let the remaining personal go into the building to grab their stuff. Please leave the scene and find your way home. Share phones and taxi-rides. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation." And with that the fireman put the megaphone back down and continued his conversation with the police-officers who had arrived.
Caitlin sighed. She had left her phone in her lab coat pocket, and the lab coat itself was draped over the back of her office chair. Her coat and scarf, as well as her purse with her keys and wallet were all still inside in her office. She only had her personnel badge, and after checking all her pockets, two hair strings and a few quarters, not even enough to pay for the bus. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, thinking of her next move. She was freezing, the few colleagues she knew who had shown up in their coats – and presumably had had their keys with them – had already left once the ground-floor had been announced. They worked in the sub-level labs, but their offices were located elsewhere. The rest of her colleagues also were freezing and had no clue what to do. Normally she'd stick around, see how long it would take before they'd be allowed back in, but considering people might not be allowed to come in tomorrow, she doubted that the problem – whatever it was – would be fixed soon.
She took a deep breath and decided to walk up to the brunet guy who had talked with the cops and firefighters. She'd seen Hartley talk with him earlier, sneering at him before taking off. He might know what to do, and if not, at least he'd know what was going on.
"Hey," she said as she tapped his shoulder. He turned and looked at her, his frown immediately changing to a soft smile. "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm Doctor Snow, and my office is -"
"Ronnie Raymond," he interrupted her, extending his hand so she could shake it.
"Nice to meet you," Caitlin said as she shook his hand. "As I said, I work in the western wing of the second sub-level and all my stuff is still inside, I don't have my phone, keys or even a dollar on me. Do you happen to know what is going on?"
"Officially?" Ronnie asked, smiling. "I can't say with any certainty what is going on. I can't even state if the particle accelerator team is responsible for whatever going is." He glanced at Doctor Wells, who was on speaker phone while talking to the police and firefighters, his back turned to them and clearly distracted. "Off the record? It's likely that with the drilling a gas-line has been hit. We doubt there's a leak, but we can't continue let people work in there, so…"
Caitlin bit her bottom lip, shivering and running her hands up and down her arms to stay warm. A potential gas leak meant that she probably wouldn't be able to go in today or the next day. Walking home would take at least an hour, though, and it was cold and here she stood at least partially out of the wind.
Ronnie cocked his head, looking at her contemplatively, and then spoke up. "Give me a few minutes, okay?" he asked and then he quickly walked over to Doctor Wells. They spoke together for a few minutes before he returned. He first said something to the remaining members of the particle accelerator team, who then quickly walked away, before he made his way back to Caitlin. "Doctor Wells said we can all leave as well." That explained why the team vanished so quickly, they probably wanted to leave before their boss changed his mind and decided to yell at them. "So, I can give you a ride if you want to. Or take you to Jitters so we can both warm up. I'd normally offer you my vest, but you are dressed warmer than I am, so…"
Caitlin took in his goosebumps-covered arms in the thin T-shirt he was wearing before she snapped her eyes back to meet his. "That sounds great, actually."
Ronnie gave her a bright smile and together they walked to his car, where he immediately cracked up the heating. "So. Where to?" he asked when Caitlin fastened her seatbelt. "Your place? A coffee shop? Lunch?"
It was a bit past lunchtime now, and food did sound nice. She wouldn't be able to get into her apartment until her neighbor with the spare key would be home, which wouldn't be until five pm. And it's not like she could go out by herself for food or drinks, she didn't have any money to pay with. "You know, lunch sounds great."
"Awesome!" Ronnie said as he shifted the car out of park and started driving out of the parking lot. "There's this Thai place that's just amazing, I never tried their lunch menu."
"I've never had Thai before," Caitlin admitted.
"Really?" Caitlin shook her head, and Ronnie shrugged. "Well, first time for everything, it's truly amazing."
"Alright," she responded, thinking how getting into a car with someone she barely knows for a lunch date in the middle of a workday is a new first as well. "Let's go."