A/N I apologize for the delay, but Real Life has been quite challenging lately. As always, thank you SpaceAnJL for being the very best sounding board. Any mistakes, of course, all my very own.
Chapter 3
The team at the Factory had been having a quiet couple of days, catching up on projects and research of their own. The Doctor had Leonard running some fairly straightforward tests, and things were going, if not well, at least smoothly.
Husker strode purposefully into his lab. "What's up, Doc?" She asked with a sly little grin. Leonard snorted from his corner. The Doctor, however, gave her a long-suffering look.
"Yes, very amusing, and might I add it just never gets old." His eyes raked her, noting her high spirits and teasing smile. "To what do I owe the dubious pleasure of your company?"
"Bat signal." She said shortly. "You didn't answer, being tied up with your research, no doubt, so the call got booted to me. Briefing in 15 suit you?'
"Twenty would be better."
"Done. See ya' there. Bye Leonard." She said over her shoulder as left the lab.
"Bye, Husker," he said quietly, a blush staining his cheeks.
Twenty minutes later found everyone seated around the briefing table. Lassie had cued up the information, and was ready for Husker to give the word. "Are we all set?" She asked. Receiving nods all around, she signaled Lassie. "This is Dr. Leslie Winkle, currently conducting research using lasers. DARPA has asked us to check up on her, as she into some really ground-breaking stuff. There have been some suspicious characters roaming around Caltech, your old stomping ground, Leonard. Do you know her?"
"I've heard of her, but we've never actually met. She supposed to be really smart, though."
"IQ of 167, according to her dossier, so yeah." Husker turned back to her briefing. "DARPA would like is to keep her under surveillance while she completes her research. Doc, I think it's going to have to be you and me, as she might recognize Leonard. Okay by you?"
"Of course, Husker." He gave her an appraising look. "What will be your cover?"
"I'm still working on that, any suggestions?"
"I shall ruminate on it."
She nodded, and turned her attention to Lassie. "Show what CCTV has picked up, will ya'?"
Lassie brought up some footage of Dr. Winkle going about her daily routine, and a dark figure skulking around in her shadow. Then he showed the computer breaches into Caltech computer system. "Lassie doesn't think they even know they were breached." She turned to Lassie, "thanks, Lassie. Tinker, I need some of the smaller transmitters, and a backup lab readied here, in case she's in more danger than it appears. 'Zade, I want you to follow her, discreetly, don't let her see you and especially don't let her Creeper spot you. Sphinx, Lucrezia, I don't think that there's much in this one for you, yet, but stand by, in case."
They nodded.
"Would you prefer assistant or partner?" The Doctor asked Husker.
She pursed her lips and thought about it. "Assistant gives me more flexibility."
"True and I will be Dr. Lee Sheldon, PhD."
"Won't they figure out that you don't have a PhD?" Leonard asked. "I could go with Husker."
The Doctor started to reply indignantly, but Husker cut straight across him. "First, Dr. Winkle may recognize you and others at Caltech certainly will and question what you are doing there. Second, of course he has a PhD," she turned to The Doctor. "Actually, you have three, don't you?"
"Yes, and one of those is in physics as Lee Sheldon. Thus, Dr. Hofstadter, you needn't concern yourself."
Chastised, Leonard sat quietly for the rest of the briefing.
A few hours later, Dr. Leslie Winkle was being introduced to Dr. Lee Sheldon and his PA Amber. "It's a pleasure to meet a girl-scientist, Dr. Winkle," Amber said disingenuously.
"Yeah, come for the breasts, stay for the brains."
"Dr. Sheldon says that you're awfully smart."
Dr. Winkle peered at Dr. Sheldon. "I'm not familiar with your work, Dr. Sheldon."
Dr. Sheldon named several papers that he had published under the pseudonym.
Dr. Winkle's eyes lit with interest. "Oh, I didn't realize that was you." They spent twenty minutes discussing the merits of one of his theories. Meanwhile, Amber, out of apparent boredom, wandered around the lab. Under the guise of disinterest, she planted a few tiny cameras with audio capability. She was also looking for anyone else's bugs. She found one, but it was too awkwardly placed for her to get it.
Seeing that Amber was done, Dr. Sheldon brought the conversation around to Dr. Winkle's current work. "I'm attempting to expand on the work of the INL." Seeing Amber's blank look, she elaborated. "The Idaho National Laboratory."
"Not something you expect, really, from Idaho." Amber offered.
"Perhaps not," Dr. Sheldon said, "but Bob Fox has made great progress there on lasers."
"Yes," Dr. Winkle retook the thread. "Lasers can be used to degrade bio-hazards, including bio-weapons."
"Wow," Amber said sincerely impressed. "And that's what you're doing? Expanding on that, improving it?"
"Trying to. I've had some success, but it hasn't gone quite the way I expected from my early testing."
"Are you focusing primarily on photochemical or photothermal?"
Dr. Winkle's eyebrows flew up. "You really are familiar with the work. I thought you were just blowing smoke up my skirt."
Dr. Sheldon's face went blank, and he turned to Amber. "She means that she thought that you were just trying to flatter her when you said that. Not having the pleasure of knowing you well enough to know you're incapable of flattery." There was a wry look on her face as she said this last.
"It seems to be a pointless exercise." He said to Amber. He returned his attention to Dr. Winkle. "Please continue Dr. Winkle."
She had a small smile on her face. She stared into his big blue eyes for a few long seconds. "You can call me Leslie, Dr. Sheldon."
Amber's eyes widened in surprise and then began to twinkle madly. She eased back a step.
If Dr. Sheldon had any reaction, it didn't show. "Thank you, Leslie. You may call me Lee. To reiterate my question, are you focusing primarily on photochemical or photothermal?"
"I am pursuing the photothermal avenue."
"Which is better?" Amber asked.
"Either is efficacious, the difference is in the way they are utilized and on what type of contaminants they are most effective." Dr. Sheldon replied. "Some chemical agents are susceptible photochemically, others photothermally." He paused to gather his thoughts. "In photochemical decomposition, high-energy laser photons blast apart chemical bonds, slicing the agent into pieces. In photothermal decomposition, photons heat up the target surface enough to speed along natural degradation reactions. In some cases, the intense heat by itself can cause contaminant molecules to fall apart. Knowing how chemical contaminants fall apart is very important, as much of their degradation products can themselves be hazardous. That is, at least according to Bob Fox's research, which I have no reason to doubt."
Dr. Winkle gave him the once over and gave a little sigh. "Dr. Shel…Lee, I would love to be able to discuss this with you at length. Perhaps over dinner?"
He barely blinked. "It would be my pleasure…, Leslie."
While The Doctor and Dr. Winkle were at dinner, Husker and Scheherazade suited up and went back to the lab. They were able to take reading from the bug Husker had located earlier, for Lassie to track where it was transmitting to. They left it in place, deeming it safer than precipitating a hasty reaction from whoever had placed it.
When they were done, they grabbed a bite and discreetly watched The Doctor and Leslie Winkle finish their dinner. "I never would have expected him to be good at the flirting and such," Scheherazade said quietly to Husker.
"You know Doc, 'Zade. Anything he puts that enormous brain of his to, he can do. It is rare though, usually women are put off by his cold demeanor."
"Last time was a man, as I recall."
Husker grinned in memory. "Yeah, and he was so charming to the poor guy. I think that he still get Christmas cards from him."
Scheherazade giggled softly. "It makes you wonder what is deal is, he can charm that guy and Dr. Winkle equally well."
"Not something we should really be…."
"Come on, Husker; are you not a little curious? Between the two of us, we can always get a reaction from a man. But not him."
"He reacts. In annoyance. He doesn't like distractions, from any gender…look, they're on the move."
They quietly followed the couple to Dr. Winkle's car. As she was unlocking the door, two large shapes disengaged from the shadows. "You two will come with us." One of the men said. The Doctor pulled Dr. Winkle behind him.
"I don't think that we will," he said.
Before the guy could do more than take a threatening step forward, Husker and Scheherazade were on the scene and dealing with the men. Husker rammed into the midsection of the larger man, knocking him to the ground, as Scheherazade performed a roundhouse kick that took the smaller (less large) man down. Once he was on the ground, Scheherazade put her dainty arm around his throat until he lost consciousness. Meanwhile, Husker kicked hers in the head until he passed out.
"You okay?"Husker asked Dr. Winkle and The Doctor.
"Indeed, Husker, we are fine. Your timing was even better than usual," The Doctor answered calmly.
"Who are you?" Leslie Winkle demanded. She shot a look at Lee. "I knew you were too good to be true. Are you …?"
"DARPA requested that we keep an eye on you, Dr. Winkle," Husker replied.
"So what, somebody fed you all that about the INL and…?"
"No, the degree is his, he knew all that…," here Husker waved vaguely. "We really should get off of the street. I'm going to call for clean-up. 'Zade, you stay with Doc and Dr. Winkle, take them back to her lab, grab whatever she'll need then bring her home."
Scheherazade and The Doctor led the protesting Dr. Winkle away.
A couple of hours later, when Husker returned to the Factory, she found Dr. Winkle subdued and set up in a lab of her own. Scheherazade was explaining to her about the arrangements made. "You are not under arrest, Dr. Winkle. We merely wish to protect you until you have completed your research." Her head swung in Huskers direction. "Everything went all right?"
"Smooth as silk. Dr. Winkle, we really are sorry for the inconvenience."
"I am curious about the timing of the attack." The Doctor said.
"That was kinda' our fault. We made it too tempting for them. Two for the price of one." Husker gestured between The Doctor and Dr. Winkle.
"Oh," he said.
"Yeah," Husker replied quietly. "Poor Dr. Winkle, they might have let her finish in peace."
"If wishes were horses…," he started.
"Then beggars would eat steak." She finished with a tiny grin at him. He smirked back at her. "Yeah, can't change anything now." She turned her attention back to Dr. Winkle. "Well get you anything you need, and we even have someone to give you a hand." She gestured to Dr. Hofstadter standing indecisively just inside the doorway. "Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, Dr. Leslie Winkle. Leonard knows his way around the Factory, and can get you anything you need. We'd like you stay here, we have apartments upstairs, and you should be pretty comfy."
Leslie turned calculating eyes on The Doctor. "I could stay with you?"
He blinked at her in surprise. Then his eyes hooded. "That would, unfortunately, be counter to Factory policy, Les…Dr. Winkle. Otherwise…." He let his voice trail off, allowing her to take what she would from his silence.
Husker gently nudged Scheherazade in the ribs. Then Husker addressed Dr. Hofstadter. "I know it's not really your job, Leonard, but it would be awfully helpful if you could assist Dr. Winkle. Do you mind awfully?" She bit her lip, as she looked at him hopefully.
He preened under her gaze. "No, I don't mind. Anything to help, Husker."
"Thanks, Sweetie." She smiled at him as he puffed up even more at being called "Sweetie". He'd never heard her call anyone else that. She turned her attention to The Doctor. "Doc, ready to debrief?"
"Of course," he replied, ignoring or not noticing her innuendo.
Scheherazade returned Huskers rib nudge from earlier. A few minutes later, they were seated around the briefing room table. Lassie had managed to trace the transmitter, and federal agents had raided the site, taking 5 foreign nationals into custody. They may never get the biggest fish, but for now Dr. Winkle was safe to complete her research.
"You could have knocked me over with a feather," began Scheherazade, "when The Doctor commenced to flirt with Dr. Winkle." Her pretty face bore an impish grin.
"Doc's full of surprises." Husker said, shortly. She grinned suddenly."Do you remember when you first got here. You were such a noob," her eyes were warm, but The Doctor unaccountably flushed. "It was his first mission as Fearless Leader, and we were in the field. Got caught by some kind of bio-hazardous fallout, and had to hop into one of those makeshift showers. No privacy in those damned things. I had thought he was all kinds of prissy, and that we'd have to hog-tie him to get him there. But he stripped right down and got in, calm as you please."
"You had no trouble in doing so, I fail to see why my acquiescence should amaze you so." He retorted, still flushed.
"I already said why, you were prissy and straight-laced. Also, you peeked." She said with a tiny grin, conveniently not mentioning that so had she. Her grin grew in memory.
Scheherazade had a puzzled expression on her face. "I hadn't realized; you were both here before I was, and my five years are nearly up."
"Team Leaders sign up for six." Husker answered.
"Still, your time must be nearly up." Sphinx said with her eyes focused on Husker's face.
"Almost, 'Zade will go before we do. We came in about the same time." She failed to mention that her time was already up, but she didn't trust Doc not to get himself killed without her there to watch his ass. She'd wait the extra 7 months for his hitch to end.
The others nodded their acceptance of that explanation. Only Sphinx looked dubious. But as usual, she kept her own counsel.
"You guys hungry?" Husker asked.
"I could eat," Tinker allowed.
They all trooped upstairs for pizza, and Halo. After all, it was Wednesday. And Wednesday is Halo night.
A/N Leslie's research is based on this research by Bob Fox at INL:
h t t p : / w w w . p h y s o r g . c o m / n e w s 1 9 1 0 7 8 5 3 3 . h t m l
In fact, The Doctor quotes this article directly :D