The following morning, Alex was standing outside professor Rayleigh's office at 08:00. She knocked briskly and wasn't shocked to hear the woman answer. She opened the door with a smile as she said, "Good morning, Professor."
Alex waited until the door was closed before she held out the thin packet of papers she had been carrying. "Here is the initial list of what I think I may need. I assume I will have them by next week?"
Rayleigh thumbed through the list before she looked up and answered, "These are all standard. There should be no reason why they cannot be delivered to your cubicle by tomorrow morning."
Alex raised a brow but wasn't about to argue. Instead, she gave the woman a grin. "Great! I can't wait to get started."
Rayleigh chuckled at her exuberance but didn't comment. Instead, she shuffled through a pile of papers on her desk before she pulled out a file and handed it to Alex. She toned her smile down as she explained, "That file holds the details about an ongoing experiment of mine. I expect you to go every two hours and annotate any changes and pull any specimens that fall outside the given parameters. Some you may need to bring to my attention, but the others will need to be destroyed after you thoroughly detail the circumstances."
Alex glanced at the papers inside the file. It seemed like it was a lot of paperwork, but that was nothing she wasn't already familiar with. Once she had a good idea of what was required, she looked back up. "You said you expect me to put in at least four hours. This will not take up the whole time."
Rayleigh smirked back. "Not for just two visits, no. However, since you currently do not have any other job, I was hoping to hand this off to you. I will still monitor the results, of course, but this will be an excellent opportunity for you to make or break your chances. Whatever you do in-between visits is up to you, as long as you make at least four visits every day, and let me know if you need to leave early."
Suddenly Alex felt a touch of nervousness to go along with her excitement. This assignment was more important than she realized. She hadn't expected to be given something with this scope right off the bat. Hell, she had almost expected to have to make coffee runs and do filing work.
Despite how troublesome the work could become if she messed up, her excitement was winning out, and she grinned at the professor. "In that case, when should I complete the first visit? Are there strict times each specimen must be observed, or is a window of time for them all the preferred method?"
Rayleigh's eyes flashed as her smile widened a hair. "A window of time is acceptable. Have the first set done by 08:30 and the results back to me no later than 09:30."
Alex raised a brow. That was a generous amount of time, but given the number of specimens listed, it could well take that long to document everything. It would be best if she didn't get ahead of herself before she saw what was needed. Instead, she gave the professor a nod as she turned to the door. "I'll see you in a little more than an hour."
It did not take Alex long to figure out where she needed to go. Now that she had figured out most of the warren of halls to get to the central lab, the rest was easy. By the time she got to the specimen cabinet, it was almost time for her to check them. She took a few extra minutes to read through the material more thoroughly.
Once she better understood what she was looking for, she opened the cabinet and eyed the multiple shelves with a bit of trepidation. It was just as expansive as the paperwork suggested it would be, but that didn't stop her for long. She didn't have time to dally if she was going to make it back in time.
Thankfully the shelves were labeled, so she pulled the nearby microscope closer and gently brought down the first specimen to check. It was more than forty-five minutes later before she put the last tray back into the cabinet with a sigh. It took her longer than she had hoped it would to go through them all. At least she could tell that the more she did it, the less time it would take. Especially now that she had a better idea of what to look for.
There had been two specimens well under the expected growth rate, so she noted their failure to thrive and placed them in the incinerator. Once that was done, she grabbed the file and headed toward the professor's office. She frowned at the thought that she wouldn't have much time to focus on any of her own work if she didn't get faster at this task. Still, she knew she could at least get everything set up. She didn't have most of her supplies anyway.
It was after 17:00 when Alex made it back to her cubicle after her fifth visit to professor Rayleigh. She was slightly frustrated that the project she had been given made it so difficult to focus on anything else, but that didn't mean she was giving up.
The professor had been pleased that she volunteered for the fifth visit but assured her going forward, it would not always be necessary. They had a person checking them overnight. Alex was more than tempted to let the last visit go to the night person but decided to go ahead for that day. She could switch her focus going forward.
Instead of gathering her things to leave, she started to prepare a set of slides. She was interrupted before she got far when Peter popped his head into her cubicle. "I thought I heard you in here. You know it's after hours, right? Aren't you leaving?"
Alex turned to him with a wry smile. "Not yet. I didn't have much time today, so I want to at least get a little of my own work done before I head out."
She was pleased to see that the young man seemed to have gotten over his nervousness, even if he was frowning at her as he said, "You know it won't do you any good to burn out. Don't let the work become your life. There are already too many of those around here."
Alex chuckled as she waved off his concern. "Don't worry. I don't mind putting in a few extra hours, but I would get an earful if I let it get out of hand. I promise I'm not going to burn out."
Peter looked like he wanted to add something else, but instead, he just shrugged. "I'll see you in the morning."
She waved absently as he walked out. Despite what she had told the man, her mind was already whirring with her plans. She knew she might not have time or opportunity to search for the Jenova project files until after becoming a full-time employee, but that didn't mean there weren't other things that she could check. First would be her own blood. She had never had a reason to do so before, but now, it was the best place to start.
She barely flinched when she pricked the end of her finger and let a few drops fall onto the waiting slide. She absently fisted her hand with a piece of gauze over the tiny wound while she set the microscope up with the other. Once everything was in place, she took a deep breath. Despite her will to see this through and knowing approximately what to expect, she was still nervous about having it confirmed.
With an irritated shake of her head, she let go of that worry and leaned down. She couldn't afford to be squeamish. When she finally got the microscope focused, she was surprised to see the cellular structure seemed normal. At least at first.
It was only a matter of moments later that she noticed the first odd thing. A few of the cells had been damaged during the preparation. That wasn't shocking, but the fact that they were almost immediately absorbed by the healthy cells was. That was not normal behavior for human blood cells. It was even more surprising that after several seconds, the cells that had absorbed the damaged ones split into two healthy cells.
Alex sat back with a gasp. Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to wrap her head around what she had just seen. That certainly explained her faster than average healing rate, even without potions. It would be difficult to do extensive harm to a person whose cells could replicate at such a tremendous rate. Despite how sick it made her to think of why it was possible, she couldn't help being fascinated by the process.
It took her a few minutes to gather herself. She had barely started; this was no time to get distracted. She might not be able to see the strands of DNA without the computer imaging available in the central lab, but there were still many tests she could run on the cellular level. How would the cells react to radiation? Were there any materials that could slow or speed the process? How would they respond to extreme temperatures?
It was not long before she had several more slides prepped and set to work completing what she could. It wasn't the answers she needed. Not yet. But that didn't mean it was pointless. Any information she could glean about what they were all facing could only help.
It was later than Alex had planned when she finally got back to the apartment she was sharing with her brother. She stifled a yawn as she tried to close the door quietly. Thankfully, Angeal must have taken the bed since he wasn't on the couch.
As much as Alex was looking forward to sleep, her stomach kept reminding her that it had been well over eight hours since she last ate. She grumbled under her breath at the need for sustenance as she made her way to the kitchen. She was pleased to see a covered plate waiting on the table with a note. She smiled as she picked it up and read it.
Alex,
I'm hoping that you not being home for dinner meant your first real day was a good one. You can tell me all about it when I get back. I'll try to be quiet in the morning since I doubt you'll be up by the time I have to leave. Just make sure you lock the door every day and don't forget you need to eat while I'm gone. I can't always take care of you. Oh, and make sure you call Genesis sometime tomorrow. I wasn't the only one worried to not hear from you today.
Love, Angeal
Alex set the note down a little guiltily. She hadn't meant to worry anyone, but she had been absorbed. At least they hadn't sent a search party after her or anything. She resolved to make it up to her brother when he got back. She would also try to stop by Genesis's apartment on the way to the lab in the morning. If she left early, she could probably catch him.
She pushed that worry aside when her stomach let out another rumble. It wasn't long before she had the plate in the microwave. She groaned when she finally sat and remembered that she still needed a shower as well. Though, she sighed and tried not to let it get to her. She had a feeling this was just the first of many long days to come.
Alex assumed it was the next morning when she was awoken by a thud. She turned over and looked up blearily to see her brother giving her a chagrined look. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. You should go back to sleep. I know it had to have been nearly midnight when you came in since I waited up."
Alex felt drugged, she was so sleepy, but she still sat up and shook her head as she said, "I'm sorry I worried you. I got carried away and didn't realize how late it had gotten."
Angeal chuckled at her admission, but he still pushed her shoulder gently until she laid back down. Once she was prone, he gestured toward the door. "I figured that was the case, so don't worry. The helo is waiting for me, but you can give me the details when I get back. Just make sure not to kill yourself while I'm gone. I don't want to be the one to have to tell mom."
Alex chuckled weakly at his jibe as she responded, "Like I'm any better off? Stay safe out there, alright?"
Angeal gave his sister a firm nod with a smile before he turned with a wave. Alex barely saw it before she turned over. She was already asleep again by the time he locked the door behind himself.
Alex barely heard her alarm blaring later that morning. She seriously considered snoozing it for an hour and going back to sleep since she had a couple of hours before she had to be at the lab. The only thing that stopped her was the thought of seeing Genesis. With their respective schedules, it was likely not going to get any easier. Plus, she did need to apologize for losing track of time last night and worrying him.
She groaned as she heaved herself off the couch to get ready. Though she grinned at the idea of getting the bed that night. She might not want to steal it from her brother, but if he wasn't there to miss it, she wasn't going to pass up that opportunity.
It was nearly an hour later before she was standing a couple of doors down from her brother's apartment and covering a yawn while she knocked. She heard distant grumbling that made her chuckle. Genesis had never been a morning person, so she imagined he was even crankier than usual first thing.
She was jerked out of those thoughts, literally, when the door was flung open, and her boyfriend pulled her into a tight embrace. Several seconds passed before he finally pulled back far enough to look at her with a frown. It was at that point that she realized her hands were resting on his bare chest. Her fingertips were already starting to tingle, but she wasn't given much chance to think about it as he pulled her into his apartment while he said, "What happened last night? I was worried, but Angeal convinced me not to go looking for you."
Alex felt her cheeks heat as he pulled her down next to him when he sat on the couch. Not that she was embarrassed to see his bare chest, but it certainly had her distracted, especially with his sleep-tousled hair thrown into the mix. He had never looked so mouthwatering when they were growing up, and she had found him handsome then.
She was pulled from her thoughts when he cupped her chin and forced her gaze onto his. He was smirking as he said, "I am unsure if I should be happy to see that expression or still miffed that I had no idea if you were harmed or not."
The blush on her cheeks only grew when he called her out on staring, but she ignored it and rolled her eyes as she pulled away. "I was fine. You should have known the first day would be the longest. Plus, I have a lot to work on, not just for the professor. I have my thesis to complete as well. You should have been expecting that there will be a lot of late nights."
He frowned at her, but she didn't give him a chance to complain. Instead, she pressed forward and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before she grinned at him. "Besides, this just means that I am willing to consume one of those sugar bombs you are so fond of. Is there any chance we can get coffee before we both have to head in?"
He continued to frown at her for several seconds before he let it go with a sigh and pulled her close enough to press a light kiss to her lips before he said, "That look should be illegal. How am I supposed to stay angry when you look at me like that? It is completely distracting."
Alex chuckled as she raised a brow. "Says the man sitting there with no shirt on."
His smirk was firmly back by that point, and he pulled her into another kiss that was less than chaste. When he finally let her go, she almost felt like she no longer needed that coffee. That didn't keep her from grinning as Genesis stood and held out a hand as he said, "I have everything for coffee here, but I'm afraid I can't offer much in the way of food."
Alex let him help her to her feet as she gave him a dubious look. "You mean to tell me you don't keep stuff here on the off chance you can convince my brother to cook for you?"
She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing as his brow furrowed, and he turned away before he responded, "While that may be the case, I wasn't counting that since I had no plans to ask you to cook."
Her grin softened as she moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. She waited until he was looking at her again before she said, "You know I don't mind. Why don't you start the coffee and then you can get ready while I cook? Breakfast with you sounds like the perfect way to start my day."
Genesis didn't even hesitate before he pressed another quick kiss to her lips and smirked as he said, "The coffee will not take long. I'll finish it myself when I get out of the shower. Do you need me to show you where things are?"
Alex chuckled again at his enthusiasm, but she couldn't hold it against him. Not when he was looking at her like that. She finally pulled away from him and made a shooing motion. "I've got this. Just don't take too long. I wasn't joking when I said I needed a pick-me-up this morning."
Something that looked very much like hunger passed through his eyes as he smirked at her, but she didn't get a chance to figure out what it meant before he gave her a nod and turned to the bedroom with a parting remark thrown over his shoulder. "Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return."
Alex was almost grateful for the corny quote, as it helped her focus past her distracting thoughts. She was still caught up in wondering if the look he had given her had nothing to do with the idea of breakfast. The notion wasn't an unpleasant one. Still, she didn't have time to worry about it now. Instead, she pushed it aside and headed for the kitchen.
A/N: Hello all! It has been a while, but I haven't been eaten by my cat or anything. I am, however, hella busy between my job and the fact that my first original work is almost ready to publish. I beg for a little bit of patience, please. As for the story, there isn't a lot of action here, but we do get to see the beginning of how some things may play out. I am still really looking forward to this, so I hope you are too.
Also, in response to my guest reviewer, Sephiroth has barely spent more than 15 minutes around Alex yet, so no, even if he had seen something he wouldn't say anything. Not yet. He's too socially awkward to get involved with the affairs of a stranger. As for other people, (notably Angeal), yes they will say something if/when they do finally see it. You have to remember that only a few days have passed since Alex has been in Midgar, and most of her interactions with Genesis have been when they are alone. That doesn't mean she won't eventually realize that they aren't right for each other either, but it is something that will take time. It isn't going to happen overnight. I hope that helps explain things.