Author's Note:
Wow, can you believe I actually updated?! This one was a bit boring to write so I had to push through it a bit. The next chapter will be a lot more interesting! Happy reading!
Chapter 6
I must have looked extremely out of place amongst all those uniforms and suits. I wore a NASA t-shirt I had had since freshman year of college, jeans even Goodwill wouldn't want, and sneakers nearly on their deathbed. Fashion wasn't exactly high on the agenda at the observatory, and certainly not on my budget at the time considering scientists aren't what one would call high rollers. I had plenty of nice clothes, but those were currently tucked into my closet at home, probably miles away.
I followed Simmons closely as to not be run over by the various speeding and/or hulking military vehicles along with the ever present soldiers who never ceased to be in a controlled hurry. I glanced around, feeling rather small and claustrophobic from the large, tall, colorless buildings. There was no vegetation or even brown desert earth inside the base, but there was plenty of smooth cement everywhere.
Canvas covered trucks and camouflaged Jeeps thundered by, but what surprised me- for only a second- was the handful of flashy civilian cars scattered amongst them. It at first seemed extremely odd, but I easily realized that the men and women of the government who gave the base its marching orders had to show off somehow when they came around.
Why not just carry a flashing sign that says "Hey, I think I'm richer and therefore better than you." over your head. I thought with a significant degree of distaste as a watched a sleek, silver Corvette drive by, weaving through the vehicles and pedestrians with ease. I normally admired sporty cars, but in an environment like this it seemed more like a slap to the face. Something like that would have taken me (or any soldier there) at least five years to save up for if I abstained from any extra spending like food or housing.
"Take it all in, kid." Simmons turned, his tone almost a warning, "There's a lot to see."
We hadn't walked too far into the base grounds when Simmons made a sharp left turn and lead me into the largest building on the base without hesitation. I was momentarily disoriented by the dimmer light in the building due to the glaring sun outside, but I righted myself quickly. I was on edge, but I made damn sure no one could see it.
There were a few military members wandering around the large open room, but the number of people in civilian clothes astounded me. They even looked like they were in their twenties! Two men and two women stood facing one another across the room, talking casually while a few others wandered in and out of the many halls attached to the room. There was a set of couches nearby and even a flat screen with a coffee table set in front of it. The metal rafters above and sterile walls contrasted the home-like décor starkly.
"Oh, Miss Madsen?" Simmons sounded across the room with lazy authority, "Could you join us for a moment?"
"Sure." Came the somewhat confused response from the blonde woman who had turned as Simmons called her. She followed without complaint, but her eyes told me she was very unsure of the situation and of me. I couldn't say I blamed her. Everyone on the base was either in uniform or nicely dressed and here I probably looked a few degrees away from homeless.
We rounded a corner to the left, away from the large room, and made our way briskly to a room at the far end of a long hallway. Simmons seemed determined to get me out of sight as quickly as possible. The room was just as grey and bland as the hall had been, but was completely empty. I wondered what in the world had possessed Simmons to bring me and poor "Miss Madsen" there, but I wasn't in a position to argue.
"Alright, kid." Simmons looked at me seriously, "You are about to have the job interview of your life, but there is no way you're going in that." He gestured to my clothing with an expression of horror.
"That's where you come in, sweetheart." Simmons turned to the young woman next to me with a pointed look.
"What'd mean?" The girl inquired with a heavy Australian accent. "You want me to give her makeup and fashion tips?" I knew from her tone she meant it in a humorous way and did not mean to insult me at all.
"I can dress myself quite well, thank you very much." I crossed my arms and gave Simmons an arrogant smile.
"Yes, but you don't have any other clothes to do that, huh?" Simmons raised an eyebrow. He had me there.
"So, do you want me to let her borrow some of my stuff?" The woman suggested.
"Exactly."
"Well, that should work just fine. You're the same size as me and I always bring extra clothes in case I get anything dirty." She said with a smile and a nod.
"Wonderful!" Simmons raised his hands in the air slightly in a small celebration, "You ladies go play dress-up while I go let them know you're here."
"Them who?" I was confused and beginning to become irritated with all the secrecy, but my question gathered no response but a simple "good luck, ladies" from the man as he left swiftly. The other woman and I stood in bemused silence for a few moments before she turned and offered her hand.
"Hi, I'm Maggie." She gave me a wide, warm smile and I took her hand easily. I could tell she was genuinely friendly so she put me at ease. "It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Connie." I replied in kind, "Nice to meet you too."
"If you don't mind me asking… why did Simmons bring you here?" She asked bluntly with a shrug. "Did he saw we're hiring you?"
"Apparently." I said with ample skepticism. "And I really don't know what position I'm going to fill, but I didn't really have much choice in the matter."
"Ah, got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, huh?" She asked and I responded with a solemn nod. "Me too. At least we have something in common."
"So, I hate to start a friendship with a favor, but do you mind if I borrow some clothes?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood. Maggie looked like a model in her mini skirt, blouse, jacket, and heels so I was sure she would have something that matched my style. I may have worn comfortable clothes to work, but I kept up with the trends when I went anywhere else.
"No problem. Follow me." Maggie gestured for me to follow her out of the room with a small smile. We headed down a hallway straight ahead that ran perpendicular to the hall we had used to get to the room. It was deserted and stayed that way as we reached another door with a name tacked on it with a bronze plate. "Maggie Madsen: Computer Analyst" it read.
Maggie swung the door open, stepped across the threshold, and turned on the lights with the flick of her wrist in one smooth motion as she entered the room. It spoke volumes that she had been working there a long while and was comfortable in her office. It was large and mostly white, but her belongings added a colorful flair to the otherwise barren room. Her desk shone with a dark stain finish and her chair was shawled with coats and jackets of different dyes. Posters with data printed across them littered the walls and a cabinet filled with a rainbow of file folders sat by her workspace. There was a small cot in the corner strewn with bed sheets and various items of clothing.
From all this I got an even better look into what kind of person Maggie was. Her mess was just that- a mess- but I could tell she had a method to her madness. Most brainiacs had that barely controlled chaos trait to their workspaces which made their files and belongings a kind of personal code that no one could quite crack. The cot in the corner said more about her dedication and her workload. She had a lot to do and wasn't about to let it go undone, even at the price of a more comfortable bed for a night. Despite all the usual marks of a workaholic, her clothes and her work supplies were nearly blindingly bright and colorful in some instances, so she obviously was the friendly, happy person I met in the other room. Her office backed up all the assumptions I had made about her when I first saw her, almost drawing a small smile out of me. It felt good to know I still hadn't lost my edge and that I had a least one person here who I knew was kind.
Maggie caught me eyeing the room and said almost sheepishly as she attempted to organize a few things, "Sorry for the disaster zone. It normally looks a little better than this."
"Think nothing of it," I dismissed her fear with a wave, "my office is just as bad, if not worse." I stayed where I was, just a few feet from the door. I felt like I was invading her personal space if I went further into the room.
"Did they already give you one in this building?" Maggie looked pleasantly surprised as she began to dig for an outfit in a closet up against the back wall.
"Oh, no. Not here." I caught a blouse she tossed to me and held it out to look at. "I worked at an observatory before…" It was a long story and I didn't know if she if cared to hear the extended narration.
"Before Simmons happened?" She asked pointedly. I nodded in the affirmative and we both shared a small laugh. The blouse was beautiful; blue and flowy, but still professional.
"What did you do there?" She turned and walked over to hand me slacks and a matching sports jacket. "And you don't have to hide by the door. Make yourself at home."
"I was an astrobiologist there." I began to relax a bit thanks to Maggie's amicable demeanor and strode closer into the room. "I mostly worked with the other astrophysicists on research into exoplanets and sometimes meteorites, but in my free time I was looking into finding alien life, intelligent or otherwise." I couldn't help but blather on about my field. I was a hopeless geek for science and my passion had never calmed in any way.
"That's amazing!" Maggie's eye lit up with wonder, then she went silent for a few seconds as she seemed to contemplate something. "Now I can see why Simmons thought you might fit in here."
"My science background?" I was slightly unnerved by her expression.
"No." She said softly with a gentle shake of her head. "It's not just that. You just seem like the right person."
"Oh…" I really had no idea how to respond for a moment, "Thank you." I ended my statement with a genuine smile. It was obvious that Maggie had been here quite a while and if she thought I would make it in my new job then I had to start considering that might just happen. Hopefully.
"Sorry, go ahead." Maggie turned around so I could change without embarrassment. I dressed quickly and was thankful that the clothes fit wonderfully. I felt much more confident and extremely less conspicuous now that I didn't look like a broke college kid.
"All done." I waited for Maggie to turn around and lead me to wherever it was that I needed to go next.
"I've got my makeup here in the bathroom." She opened a door and revealed a small, but practical bathroom drowning in cosmetic products. "You can use anything you like."
She showed me around the room and familiarized me with all the products at my disposal. I set to work right away and was able to make myself up in my usual style. I smoothed my dark brown hair that reached a few inches past my shoulder, added some volume so it wasn't stick straight and flat, then added some curved ends. Light foundation, light powder, a touch of blush, and a good amount of mascara. The final touch was added when I was able to find the right shade of lipstick. A bold red was my signature look, one that I had sported literally for decades, and it brought me no small amount of comfort.
Having completed my beauty ritual I stepped out of the bathroom and slipped on the pair of black stilettos Maggie had left by the door. The look was complete and I felt like the professional woman I knew myself to be.
Come hell, high water, or fucking Armageddon , I will get through this. I thought to myself.
Maggie and Simmons were both waiting from me when I looked up from my shoes. As I started walking towards them I was met with a low whistle and an incredulous look from Simmons.
"Wow, honey." He sounded impressed and surprised, which I found a bit insulting. "You clean up well."
