Disclaimer: Not mine
Alexander and Bruce walked down the hallway together, comparing notes under the stark light that filtered in through the shaded windows and through the rectangular lights above. Alexander looked away irritated, while Bruce leaned forward, pointing out an exact line on the top page of his mass of them.
"See? The ring of benzene, which produces that slight perfume, bonds with the main component of chlorofluorocarbons! And we already know those are dangerous! So that must be the reason behind the way this thing works!" Alexander shot a glare at the piles of folders under Bruce's arms and in his hands. He shifted his center of gravity and through the relative speckle of light particles, could be seen opening one of his folders.
"I still don't see what you're getting at. Your hypothesis does make sense but it's not conclusive."
"How so?" questioned Bruce.
"Well for starters, the compound created from the reaction between a regular benzene ring and a string of chlorofluorocarbons would not paralyze the medulla as seen in the tests we ran on the rats. It would only reach to the point of a slight tingling in the nerves. And I don't think that it's made up of two things. The way it reacts makes me think that it only one synthetic substance is involved."
Bruce sighed dramatically and closed the manila folder that lay in his over-laden arms. Rubbing his auburn eyes tiredly, he replied.
"I know what you mean. Two organic substances combined seems like a good excuse for all that this plant can do." There was a respite in their conversation, broken only by the tapping of their shoes against the peppering of plastic tiles on the sterile floor of the laboratory.
Alexander spoke up this time. "Do you know why the boss wants us to look into this? I know I've asked this like a million times but…It's just really sus--" Bruce urgently cut him off.
"I'll talk to you about it later. I have a hunch." Alexander looked over to his friend, indigo eyes wrinkled in confusion.
As the two respective men made their way to their offices, Bruce nattered up again.
"Are you and Lillian going to be coming over for dinner today?" He looked over to his companion.
"Yeah, why not. Our kids haven't been together for a while." Alexander smiled and looked forward. "If we come over, tell Adelaide not to make her chicken parmesan."
"I think she's given up on that recipe. After the last time…remember?" Bruce let out a chuckle, followed by Alexander whose memory supplied him as well.
"All of us were fighting to use the toilet…" He reached his office. Bruce's was right next door. "See you at seven?"
"Why not. See you later Dr. Valentine."
"See you later Dr. Spiegel."
The doorbell rang ceremoniously and its voice echoed through the red Georgian colonial. Three children came stampeding down the stairs, stopped only by their mother, Adelaide, who sent them an admonishing look before making her way to the door.
She opened it, a smile gracing her features. Exclamations of happiness were emitted from both crowds, one inside, one out and they became even more pronounced when Adelaide's husband came to help her greet their old friends.
"Well if it isn't the Valentines!" His ochre eyes twinkled with amusement as he pulled his laughing friend into a gruff man-hug and then moved on to the wife, arms open for a hug.
"You know, Alexander, I might have to steal your wife from you. She just keeps on getting prettier and prettier." Bruce leaned down to give Lillian a peck on the cheek.
Adelaide rolled her eyes dramatically before pulling her husband away. "Please, Bruce, you wouldn't be able to live a moment without me." Her body began to shake with inhibited laughter. The theatrical couple continued.
"You're right my darling! Where would I be without your cooking? I'd be in China, watching my mentor's movies till the duck comes home!"
"You and your Bruce Lee, Bruce." Alexander slapped his friend on the back, one hand enveloping the much smaller one of his youngest child. Adelaide bent down to her level, smiling brightly.
"What is this Faye? No hug for me?" Faye giggled and let go of her father's hand launching herself into her mother's best friend's waiting arms. Spike watched Faye lazily from the stairs while his two sisters began to chat garrulously with Faye's two sisters and one brother. Faye broke from the hug and went on to Bruce, who launched her up into the air.
"Your eyes are so pretty!" He exclaimed, eliciting a smile from the five year old. He said that every time. She turned to her mother, who watched her calmly with gray eyes. "Mommy says I have Granny's eyes."
"Is that so?" Bruce looked over to Lillian who nodded and smiled at her youngest daughter.
"Shall we go inside? I don't think the party will go too well if we all stand in the hall? What do the kids say?" Cheers resounded through the high vaulted ceilings which were lined with simple yet elegant taste. Red drapes created a daring contrast to the warm and calming tone of the crème, with black and white photos taken by a loving mother lining specific places and memories of the family. Traveling by one photo of a sleeping sister was a green mop of hair, down the sloping stairs, into the foyer, following the mass of other people.
All the other children were outside, following the second oldest child present, Spike's sister Breviloquent, nicknamed Brev. The others included Quietus, Faye's brother and her two sisters Nonascency and Ember, along with Spike's remaining sister, Daisy.
"Hey Nascen, I saw you talking with Mausol today. Isn't he the one you like?" Brev opened up the conversation. Young Faye stared at her sister in amazement. Spike sat next to her, grinning like an idiot. Nascen was his age and Mausol was one of his better friends. Fourteen year old Quietus shook his head and smiled. If only Brev knew…
Soon all of the children filled the air with talk of things never seen in the contralto voices which dip in out of weavings in the air.
Inside, however, the talk was of something of much more consequence.
"Bruce." The said man looked up from where he was pouring a glass of wine for his wife. "Yes Alexander?" Alexander kept stirring his cocktail, eyes trailing on the ground.
"What were you talking about at work? You know, with the whole thing about the boss and our research being suspicious?" Bruce slowed his action of handing the glass of wine to his wife. Adelaide's ochre eyes came up to her husband's face, eliciting a break in conversation with Lillian. The two had met during one of Adelaide's photographing shoots, with Lillian as the model. Friendship would blossom between the two and once they married, they found their husbands to be acquaintances as well.
Bruce spoke hesitantly, as both Lillian and Adelaide exchanged looks of mild confusion. "I think…I think what we're doing is…uh…illegal? No, that's not the word…"
Adelaide spoke up. "What are you two speaking about?" Alexander slid his eyes over to the two ladies, who sat comfortably on a dark tan sofa. His eyes shifted back to his cocktail. After he took a sip from it and took an uncomfortable glance back at diffident Bruce, Alexander spoke.
"We can't figure out this…this compound, substance, whatever that we're working on. It's so…bizarre. I've never seen anything like it. The compound…it's not from here, if you know what I mean. And it's strange that we would be researching it because we are top scientists and I would expect us to be looking into the Aurora pill for the Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease. Plus, we've been told to keep everything so secretive and…" Alexander looked up. "Bruce? Do you want to elaborate on what you said earlier today?"
Bruce shifted uneasily and cleared his throat. "Well, like Alexander, I noticed that we've been working on something that is…small…and not of much consequence…at least for us. When we first started on this thing, we figured for it to be a five month ordeal. Typical time period for finding out about how it reacts to this, that, what it does to the body, does it help, hurt…all of that. But it's been over three years now. Three years and we only have this much information on its capabilities." Bruce held his forefinger and thumb a pica apart.
"Why do you still research it then?" Lillian asked, leaning forward. "If you can't find any information about it, shouldn't your boss realize that? What's his name again? Johanne Nicholls?"
"We still research because we're scientists. But Johanne's been here for…what, eight years now? He should know that this has to be sent back to the Cryo Lab. We can't work with it now. Maybe someone in the future can figure it out." Alexander replied with resign.
"Is there anything that you have found out?" Adelaide questioned. The two men looked at each other again, their eyes brushing past all other items in the room.
"We think it may be synthetic compounds. You know, ones created by humans. Because organic compounds are simple and this plant we're researching isn't. There's so much wrong with this picture." Bruce shook his head.
Lillian opened her mouth to speak. A frown had furrowed itself into her features. "Wait. You just said that a plant is made up of fake stuff. How does that work?"
Alexander answered the question, his tone exasperated. "That's the problem. How can something grown be made up of compounds not found in nature?"
"Where is this plant found?"
"Uh…" Bruce looked down at his fingernails, trying to recollect the fact. "I think its…Venus…right Alexander?" Alexander nodded sagely.
"Yeah. The sulfuric acid was neutralized and this plant suddenly popped up out of nowhere. We think it prefers more nitrogen and because of that, the plant has exhibited a higher tolerance to any drugs that we've tried on it. See, all atoms, elements, whatever…they bond. Nitrogen bonds also but its special because it can form a triple bond of well, three. Get it? So we think that the plant taking this element helps it."
"So the plant is invincible?" A silence descended on the company there. It was broken, however, by the rapid footsteps of Faye. She was hungry.
Johanne Nicholls paced around his office, listening to the message that played again and again on his message system. It was the syndicate, asking him about the research on the plant. Shakily, Johanne extended his hand out to grasp the handle of the vid-phone. He didn't like working for the syndicate but it was necessary. He had dialed half the number but the stopped when there was a hesitant knock at the door.
As head researcher at BioLabs, Johanne often received many different types of people in his office about their different projects. Johanne was organized, thankfully, and made sure he was aware of all that happened with his people.
"Come in." He sounded and casually let go of the vid-phone at the same time. His best scientists, Spiegel and Valentine entered.
"Yes?" He questioned quietly. The two men seemed uneasy in his presence for the first time ever.
"Is something wrong?" Johanne jumped to conclusions. "Have you found out something about the Venus Plant project?"
Alexander shook his head and began to speak, with Bruce behind him. "We've decided to ask about something that's been bothering us for quite some time now." Johanne inclined his head slightly to show the two that they held his ear. Bruce breathed in deeply and then spoke.
"Why are we researching the plant?" Johanne didn't get a chance to answer. The vid-phone had begun to ring. The holographic screen popped up and flashed "Syndicate" in large letters. Johanne's frightened eyes met those of the bewildered men in front of him.
Thanks you guys so much for your support. Because of all your nice words, I've decided to continue this story. Thanks so much! Let's just hope I can keep my facts straight! I haven't done a grammar check so sorry for mistakes!
This is a flashback chapter, just in case you couldn't tell. My muse (Rowen) decided that it was time for something that would give a back story. What do you think?
Zimo: Thank you so much for your beautiful words! I'm glad that I've been able to create a world that is believable. Your words…They mean so much and I'm glad you're enjoying this fic. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
ni9htdreame12: I hope the cryptic-ness is good! I'll be tying up loose ends soon so no worries!
Jade Silver: No worries! It is continued! Thank you!
Kendra Luehr: lol, thank you for reviewing all my chapters! It felt so good to get someone to review all of the chapters and give their thoughts as they read it from beginning to end! I'm glad I can elicit those reactions! Thank you so much!
Simplicity 095: It's okay! I'm just glad that you took the time to actually review! And yes, Spike with brain damage would be much better. That way he'd go for our favorite heroine, right? lol!
XHatori-SohmaX: Julia…lol, I still don't know whether I like her or not. She's so…weird! But this update is for all of you!
Valentine20: Subtle is what I'm going for! I'm so glad you're enjoying this! This fic is for you guys and my greedy imagination!