BEEP...BEEP!...BEEP!! "Ughhhh. Alright. Alright!" An arm fumbles out from underneath a light gray comforter, flailing wildly before landing on the offending alarms snooze button. The arm snakes back under the comforter as the unidentified lump underneath shifts and groans. The lump shifts a final time before the comforter is thrown partially off to reveal a groggy Carol Lewis. Shoulder length, curly brown hair frames her annoyed expression. Dark, gray eyes glare daggers at her alarm clock.
Hopping out of her bed, she carefully slips her feet into a pair of slippers that match her comforter, her carpet and the rest of the rooms decor. The room is devoid of any primary colors except for a single vase at the far corner. Its a gaudy crimson that only sticks out further due to the bright yellow daisies within it. A small card attached to it mockingly states, [You need to brighten up Carol, you'll find something... eventually. From Neil]
She doesn't even spare it a glance as she heads toward a small bathroom. Breezing through her morning routine, she pauses only for a moment to look at her reflection. It's not vanity that catches her eye however. Just behind her, hanging from a small hook is an ID lanyard. Her lanyard. A small smile tugs at one corner of her mouth. That ID means the world to her and no amount of annoyance from her coworkers could ever maker her reconsider her career choice.
[Carol Lewis - Senior Analyst - Extrasolar Sub-Division - Cybersol Corporation] read the text at the top of the ID followed by the Cybersol logo; an artistic rendering of the solar system, an arrow arcing across it with the triangle of the arrow being an old school rocketship. She had attained this prestigious position at the age of 22 partly due to youthful energy, but mostly due to her impressive intellect. Algorithms we're no more difficult to her than a simple crossword puzzle.
The bid for the position had required those applying to sort through three months of data from extra solar probes, scout ships and salvage/mining operations. It was supposed to take a week to complete. Carol had finished within two days and if that wasn't impressive enough she had also calculated likely spots for future mining operations with a probability of success of over 83% (most of which were later confirmed).
Her smile dimmed a bit. The hiring division sped her through the process of being accepted and she began work almost immediately. She remembered being thrilled...At first that is. What everyone had failed to mention... was that the extrasolar division... was dying. Cybersol was definitely a profit-driven company and its decisions reflected as such. The only significant profits the extrasolar division was bringing in... for mining operations that took an excess of 10 years or more. Simply put... it was costing them money.
"Senior Analyst" What a joke. She was th only analyst in her division. It turned out that only hired her because they thought she could bring back profits to that section. If she failed... the division would be dissolved. (Thats not going to happen.) Carol thought to herself. Determination flattened her grin as she turned to put on her uniform. Grabbing a nutrient-rich smoothie she headed out the door, drove the 10 short miles from the companies housing district and pulled into her spot in the company parking lot.
Spanning nearly 150 acres, the primary facility for the Cybersol Corporation was larger than some small towns. "Senior" or not, her position afforded her certain privileges. One she was profoundly grateful for was preferential parking. Due to the sheer size of the parking lot each 20 acres section boasted its own monorail station. These stations all linked together in main lines that eventually led into the main lobby of the building. Her section placed her closer to the front and she was in the lobby within minutes.
A elevator ride to the 12th floor and she was there...almost. Despite herself Carol hesitated at the codelocked door to the Aeronautics Level, of which her own division was little more than one room of. Steeling herself she swiped her ID. A small beep and a green light indicated authorized entry and she waited as the security door slid open. Several doors lined the long hallway the ran along the left side of the Aeronautics Level, but she speed walked past them until she reached the end.
The end of the hallway widened into an atrium of sorts before reaching the last door. A few dusty production prototypes sat on either side, remnants of better days. Hermetically sealed and sanitized, the retractable double doors featured a retina scan in addition to the ID scanner. Blasts of disinfectant and a UV exposure ring ensured she didn't introduce any dust or microbes into the sensitive environment. As the doors opened she sighed, happy to be in her element once again...only for annoyance to find her like clockwork. "Morning Carol!" An overly chipper voice shouted.
