Chapter 11: Scabbing
CalSci College was bustling with activity as Charlie and Alex arrived. After a quick "I'll see you around" from both of them, they went their separate ways. Charlie, to the maths department and Alex, the Chemistry.
When Alex entered Peach's classroom, the first thing he noticed were the photos of black, brown and red textured castings, that were posted on the whiteboard. The room was all neat and tidy, quite unlike the organised chaos of Charlie's office.
Peach and Munchie entered the room.
"Ah, Alex, you're here nice and early," Peach said, spotting him.
"Wouldn't want to be late Professor," Alex replied. "Besides I couldn't wait to start."
Peach smiled. "We'll still have to wait for everyone else, unfortunately."
"What are those?" Alex asked, gesturing to the images on the whiteboard.
"Photos," Munchie said gruffly, stating the obvious.
"I know, but of what?" Alex asked again, unperturbed.
"I'll be taking the class in about a minute. You'll find out then," Peach said, giving a hard look.
"Sure." Alex sat at his desk, looking around the room, working out the possible places of concealment.
Peach was in the front of the room, setting up her laptop and talking to her assistant in rapid German.
"Better than I thought," she said.
"Has curiosity," Munchie admitted.
"A good student and subject."
"Very fit."
Alex realised that they were talking about him, and started to set himself up for class, whilst planning to hack into Peach's laptop. The other students slowly entered the room, and sat in their seats. Eight males and eleven females, not including one teenager, Alex counted. So he was the only kid that was in a closer contact with Peach.
The lecture began with Peach outlining the effects of mixing hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid to produce scabbing on the body, indicating the photos displayed on the board.
"This is an actual experiment that I have conducted on a rather willing subject," Peach assured them.
"Willing?" Alex blurted out. "No offence Professor, but I believe that something has to be wrong for someone to be so willing to let you experiment with acids on them."
Alex's statement earned him a murderous glare from Munchie, which he ignored, and caused unsettlement among the students.
"Smart boy," Peach muttered to herself, then spoke up. "That kid had been severely beaten up, and came to me for some help."
No doubt you're responsible for the beating, Alex thought, deciding not to push his luck further.
Peach continued with the lecture as if there had been no interruption, and gave the class a couple of demonstrations on the procedure. But Alex paid no attention, he was too busy taking photos with his camera, of the images on the whiteboard, of Peach and Munchie in the room, and the chemical set up and procedures that they were going through. Alex was puzzling over the slip Peach had given during the first few minutes.
As the lecture came to a close, Peach ended with, "Alex, please stay behind. I'd like to speak to you."
Alex nodded and sat back down. Jane Munchie packed up the pracs and the photos, then left with the rest of the class. Once the room was empty of everyone else, Peach turned to Alex.
"What did you think of that?" Peach asked.
"It was very interesting," he answered. "Sorry about my question earlier on thought, got carried away. I hope it didn't offend you."
"No, not at all," Peach assured him. "In fact, I was wondering when someone would pick it up."
There was a pause, which was then broken by Peach.
"Excuse me Alex," she said. "I'd like to relieve myself of waste products."
"Sure," Alex replied, packing up his things, deliberately leaving his laptop for last.
Peach left the room, and a minute later, Alex had finished stowing his items away, save his laptop. He quickly took out the cables, and connected it to Peach's laptop, sitting on the front desk. It was left turned on. Perfect. Working rapidly, Alex accessed the spider solitaire programme, and watched the timer count down the ten minutes that it would take to completely duplicate all Peach's files into his laptop.
One minute left.
"Excuse me," David's voice cut through the tense silence that had cloaked Alex for the past nine minutes. "Could you tell me where I might find Professor Eppes? He's not in his office, or the canteen."
"Try his class room," Munchie's gruff voice rang in Alex's ears. She was coming back.
Hurry up! Alex thought desperately at his laptop. There was 30 seconds to go.
Thud, Thud. Footsteps were getting louder; closer.
Come on!
10 seconds left.
Munchie was getting closer and closer.
5 seconds.
Alex could see the top of Munchie's head bobbing up and down.
2 seconds
The door handle was turning.
1 second.
The door was creaking open.
FINISHED!
Alex quickly pulls away all the cables and stuffed them in his bag as Munchie entered the room.
"What are you doing?"
"Packing up my laptop."
"At the front desk?"
"I was curious to see the view from up here," Alex replied, his mind racing furiously. "And it sure is different."
Munchie glared at Alex. Then said slowly, "Where did the Professor go?"
"Right behind you Jane," Peach's voice came suddenly. Alex and Munchie turned to the doorway.
"How are the equations going?"
"I haven't had a chance to look at them yet. I'll get to it as soon as possible."
"Thanks Alex."
Alex left the room clutching his bag, thinking about how close he had cut it. Then making sure that no-one had followed him, he whipped out his mobile and dialled Don's cell.
"Eppes," Don's voice came over the line.
"Alex," he identified himself.
"Yes, one moment," Don replied, turning to his colleagues. "Excuse me," then walked off to a private corner to take the call.
"Alex, is there something wrong?"
"Depends what you mean by wrong. But no, there's nothing wrong with me. Peach's lecture just then, something came up, thought you'd like to know."
"Ok, fire away kiddo."
Alex recounted the entire lecture putting emphasis on "willing subject" and the photos.
"Interesting discovery."
"I've duplicated all her files onto my laptop, and the photos I took have been automatically sent to you."
"Good job," Don said, walking back towards his team.
"Well, that's it for now. I'm off to work on her equations so I have an excuse to be in her office at times where it might not seem right. Bye!"
"Bye!" Don replied and hung up, while Alex did the same on his side. Don turned to his team.
"That was our informant. A couple of photos have been transferred, and a rather interesting discovery," he said.
"That's great Don. Are you going to tell us who your spy is?" Colby asked.
"No, sorry. Official Secrets' Act."
"Of course."
"Well, your informant is good," Megan said, looking at the images on her boss' computer screen.
"Thanks!" Don said. "Everyone lets get to work analysing these images and comparing them to the vic's scabs."
"On to it," the gang chorused.
"One other thing, Peach has demonstrated the procedure of mixing chemicals to cause the scabbing, and mentioned a 'willing subject'. Probably our vic."