Chapter Five: Keeping things quiet
Leeanne didn't realise how late it had gotten; she had actually thrown herself into her work and time had just passed her by. After her brief conversation with Sacks she decided to give this new role a go and to start with what she knew. Typically, all stable liquids had a main component, the part which formed the basis for everything else to adhere to, so she decided to attempt to find out what this black stuff was mostly made up of. It sounded pretty basic but at least it was a starting point. Her supervisor had told her it was of alien origin in a way that suggested to her it hadn't been his first 'encounter'. Perhaps though there would be some similarities with the human race or even a chemical that, as a species, we were knowledgeable about. After several hours of working on dividing and breaking down the liquid what surprised her the most was the high amount of sugar - at least sixty per cent of this substance was sucrose. Was that normal for an alien species? Heck, what was normal for an alien species?
A loud cry distracted her from both thought and movement. Glancing up from her present position she stopped what she was doing and waited. The noise came again; a definite cry of someone in some type of discomfort. Instinctively, she felt her breathing quicken and a feeling of panic rise up inside when, in scanning the room, clocked the fact that she was all on her own - where had everyone gone? Why had she not noticed? This place was buzzing with bodies and now it was empty. Glancing at her watch she realised at was after 9pm. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch, not that her stomach had complained. She quickly packed up her kit and put the used equipment in for deep clean as instructed. She removed her gloves and apron and threw them into the metal waste container by her feet. Whilst doing all this she kept one ear open for anymore sounds. Owing that she heard nothing came it made her think she'd imagined it.
As she left the room, coat and bag in hand Mike Fallon appeared from no-where, he looked sweaty and flustered: "Leeanne, I didn't know you were still here"
"Got carried away I guess" She watched as he wiped his brow with a flimsy little tissue that left white specks behind on the creases of his skin. His eyes flittered behind her and then to the side. He seemed on edge.
"All done now?...Good...good...I'll walk you out"
He applied a light pressure of contact on her upper arm and she squirmed away to avoid it. Physical contact was second on her list of most awkward things next to chit chat.
Suddenly his hand was back on her arm again and this time he moved her forward with a little more persuasion and a lot more speed. As they almost jogged down the corridor she tried to move herself out of his grip but it was seemingly impossible. A tall man in a very white lab coat stood outside a large double door, his lack of reaction as they passed by was almost as uncomfortable as Fallon's over reaction.
The lift beeped as it opened and he almost threw her inside: "Have a good evening then see you tomorrow"
He almost observed her with a pitying look, lips pursed, eyes sad as the doors closed between them. She knocked on the ground floor button and leaned against the mirrored glass finding herself thinking one thing and only one thing: What on earth was that all about?
Doctor Mike Fallon found himself returning at a much slower pace to the tall man by the door.
"I don't think she heard anything. I know her, if she'd had heard, she would have said, would have asked.. Too engrossed in her work you see. Sorry. We did a sweep, just assumed"
The man in the white lab coat didn't speak, but the blank eyes made Fallon feel incredibly awkward. From the camera in the corner of the corridor he knew other eyes would be on him too.
"Back to it then" Although it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.
Michelangelo was used to being in trouble, to have at least one brother on his tail and holding some sort of gripe but to have all three and Splinter was way beyond anything he had ever expected. And he didn't like it.
"Do you have any idea the damage you could have done?" Donatello looked like he was about to explode "This wasn't a toy Mikey! And now...instead of having it so close to testing it's ruined...RUINED! Do you know how long it is going to take me to repair it - and even then it may never be functionable again!"
Michelangelo was about to say that Casey had disarmed the thing with his hockey stick and it had been working so...
"Never mind that!" began Raphael, his large bulk towering over the top of the smaller brother as he prodded an equally large finger in his direction "He could have blown us all up...jees Mikey just when I think you can't get any worse!"
"Okay okay" Splinter stepped in and held up his paws before Leonardo could start to add his contribution "Michelangelo will be punished accordingly and it will be one of my choosing, I am sure he knows he has done the wrong thing"
"And I am sure it hasn't even registered in that half pint brain of his!" growled Raphael
"Enough!" scolded Splinter firmly "Enough!...I am sure you have things to occupy your time at this moment? Yes? Or do you want a part in the punishment too?"
Donatello took himself off to the lab, the lock clicking in place behind him as Raphael let out a louder than normal exhale and stomped away to his room slamming his door in order to make a point.
Splinter gave Leonardo a look which spoke volumes "I shall deal with him later" confirmed the elderly rat "Now for matters at hand" He sat down opposite Michelangelo, his face softening "Why did you do that my son?"
Michelangelo lowered his eyes and shrugged his shoulders "I dunno"
"I do" interrupted Leonardo, raising a brow ridge and taking a nod at April
"Me?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening "What do I have to do with...?" Then she had a lightbulb moment "Oh" Michelangelo's crush on her was more than obvious since the day they met.
Usurping herself from her current position she thumped down next to Mikey "You don't have to risk life and limb to show me that you're smart, I know that already"
"There are other ways to impress the opposite sex. Safer ones" stated Leonardo as he scanned along the bookshelf, trying to pretend he wasn't too involved.
"What would you know?!" scoffed Michelangelo "You don't know any girls, apart from April! Not like Donnie...he gets to do stuff...I just thought if I could..."
"That if you could show how good you were at science activities I would let you go out as he does?" guessed Splinter. Michelangelo didn't answer. Splinter placed a paw on his shoulder. "My son. There is no need for you to do such things. I am sure there will be room for you to get involved in other ways" he added kindly
"And please don't do anything like that again" said April as she bumped herself closer and put an arm through his "I can't lose one of my best friends"
Leonardo knocked a knuckle on Donatello's lab door "It's me"
The lock clicked open and the scientist's head came round the frame "Just checking it is just you. Come on in"
Leonardo smiled "He didn't really mean it, though I know that's not much in way of compensation" Upon entry the door was locked behind him. He immediately saw what was left of the teleport on one of Donnie's workbenches "Is it fixable?"
The collection of bits were displayed in a pitiful pile on the largest wooden bench in the middle of the lab: "Maybe... I don't know"
"Is it that bad? I had thought it was indestructable"
"Have you met our brother Raphael? Nothing is ever indestructable when he gets involved" Donatello sighed and put a cover over the pieces "Tell you the truth I am not sure it would have been safe to use anyhow"
"You mean Mikey did a good thing?" Leonardo walked over to the computer screen and leaned in to inspect it.
"I think Raph did a good thing. I shall speak to Mikey on another occasion but hey, maybe" He took a breath "Look, Leo. When that thing went off it shot out a spike of radiation" Leonardo found his attention back on Donatello "Now I am not saying that it is a bad thing and at this stage it is not worth raising an alarm with the others"
"Not even Splinter? And what about April?" Leonardo began to pace; it was the action he always undertook when he was on edge.
"I need to gather more information but I also need you to keep it under wraps at this moment"
"I don't know Donnie, I'm not sure I'm..." He rubbed his head with a hand "It just doesn't..."
"Please, just for a while. I'm not saying forever but what I don't want is a mad panic when there is no need. Every teleportation event issues radiation, its the nature of the machine"
"I knew that" answered the eldest, nodding his head. Donatello knew he didn't but correction was over-rated.
"So, I just need to be sure what happened here. No-one went anywhere so I'm theorizing the radiation would be a lot lower than if someone were teleported"
"But you don't know for sure...?"
"Not yet. But I will. Just give me another hour"
Leonardo paused in thought for a moment: "And then you'll tell the others?"
"Absolutely"
Although still unsure, the Leader trusted his brother and, after all, what harm could an hour do?