Hopefully you guys are having as much fun with this as I am, it's a blast and I love hearing what you think! Enjoy!
Darcy was not clad in the black MCB armour as she had expected he would be in his underwater domain, but looked like an off duty lawyer, slacks and a button up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His shoulders were very nicely defined by a black leather shoulder holster, not that she was looking of course. Elizabeth had spent three hours under duress with the man, and she wasn't about to forget it. Her shoulders tensed, fists clenched, and lips pressed into a thin line; there was no reason to think he wouldn't be just as unpleasant this time.
"Apologies William," Jane spoke first, less formally than Elizabeth would have expected, "Though you know it's silly to pretend all the researchers don't talk to each other. If I don't tell her about something, she'll hear about it in the cafeteria, or one of the lounges or the gym, or walking down the hall." she rolled her eyes, but seemed to feel comfortable in the facility director's presence. "There really are few official secrets that get kept down here."
Darcy seemed to acknowledge the validity of this point, but held his ground, "Regardless, let's keep Doctor Bennet's introduction to information that is applicable and clearance level appropriate, for now at least." He turned to Elizabeth, "Doctor Bennet, I hope you're settling in well?"
"Well, I arrived here two hours ago, so I can't really say I've settled in, but most everyone has been welcoming." She was going to try to be polite. for now at least.
"Well good," Darcy replied awkwardly, as if he expected a different answer. "And Jane, I mean Doctor Bingley, has been an adequate guide?"
"She's been wonderful," Elizabeth replied, her tone defensive.
"Elizabeth's being too nice, I accidentally let her set off the alarm getting into the labs, agents showed up, I'm sure you'll get the report tomorrow morning." Jane interjected, grimacing guiltily.
"I do think I heard Reynolds say something about that as I was leaving my office." Darcy commented, no inflection to indicate how he felt about that."Do try to avoid doing that again, false alarms are a waste of resources." The room was silent for an awkward minute, until all were saved by Darcy's phone going off.
"This is Agent Darcy." His face flashed anger as the person spoke. "Injuries? Alright. Send them to my office please. I'll be there shortly. I want a full incident report for this, and any witnesses." And with that he dropped his phone back into his shirt pocket and made his excuses, "I have a matter to attend to. Doctor Bingley, Doctor Bennet, I'm sure I will see both of you soon enough." An inscrutable mask had settled across his features, though his body was radiating with a rage that had begun halfway through the short phone conversation. He left quickly, the door snapping shut behind him.
"I do hope everything's okay." Jane mused, looking at the door.
Elizabeth made a noncommittal noise of agreement and was proud of herself for refraining from observing that Darcy continued to be a stuck up douche, she should stay professional after all.
After taking a tour of the other laboratories on Level one Jane took Elizabeth back, through the offices, and to the living quarters. "There are four floors of living quarters, but they're not sectioned off by department, so you'll have agents, administrators, and researchers all mixed together."
"More of that fostering trust and an open exchange thing?" Elizabeth asked as they rode the elevator down a floor.
"More like saving everyone's sanity." Jane replied, "If you lived right next to your lab mate, or the same agent you patrol with every day you'd go crazy, and as humans are naturally cliquish you'd never meet anyone you didn't work with directly."
"But aren't the agents used to that? I mean I'm betting it's similar military guys, who are deployed with the same unit for months at a time."
"It might be if they weren't trapped underwater, that's really the big difference. When the facility was designed they did a lot of research on the best way to organize an almost completely isolated work and living environment. Barring medical issues or new samples, which really don't come in all that often, the sub goes up maybe once a month for supplies, and generally leave is only granted every 8-12 months. There was some concern that we'd all apparently degenerate into hormonal teenagers and hump like bunnies if they housed men and women in the same areas, but really that doesn't happen."
"I certainly hope some humping happens," Elizabeth responded casually as they stepped into a public living area with three distinct gathering places and a office style kitchen with bar and stools, "You're married Jane, and I'm just going to totally disregard professional boundaries here and say your husband is attractive, fit, and that you should be enjoying all that goodness. Also it's been proven that successful marriages involve regular sex."
Jane looked faintly pink, and quickly peered around the lounge to see if anyone had heard what Elizabeth said, "Well obviously that happens, like you said, we're married. But Charlie and I are a bit of an anomaly, most people down here aren't married. They were worried that non attached people would complicate things."
"Yeah, coworkers/housemates stuck underwater randomly pairing up to do the horizontal tango wouldn't be good." Elizabeth shook her head.
"It still happens occasionally, but not as much as they were worried about. And the mixed living set up helps because if people do decide to do that, it's not generally not their lab mate, or fellow agents, or admin. It actually worked out for one couple, Simon Gibson and Mallory Vorhees, they got married last year, he's an agent and she's in admin. It was such a beautiful wedding; they held it down in the sims room, Walter in Administration is actually ordained, so he officiated, and one of the tech guys wrote a program to make the room into a really beautiful chapel with stained glass windows, and they edited in some amazing bands for the reception. It was quite the party!" Jane smiled at the memory. "Let me check what room you're in, I know it was floor two, one sec!" she fished around in her lab coat pocket for a moment before triumphantly pulling out a piece of paper and reading it, "215, that's this way!" She pointed.
Elizabeth followed Jane across the living area, "So do I get a key or something?" She asked.
"No, this one is facial recognition, it'll scan you at the door and it will open, without a key, but only you can get into your own room. When you're in the room there's a buzzer system, like in apartments, and a screen by the door that lets you see who's there."
They found the room, and as Elizabeth stood before it the door slid open to reveal neutral gray carpet, light cream walls, and a matching queen bed, desk, and dresser set made of some warm colored, dark wood. The bed was not made, but stacked in the middle was a dark purple comforter, cream, several pillows, and purple and white pillow cases perched on the very top. Elizabeth's luggage was stacked at the end of the bed.
"They're really trying to buck the military minimalist vibe aren't they?" She commented, tentatively stepping into the room. There was a sizeable closet and the room, "I don't think I've even seen camo or OD green since we left the Army base in Alaska."
"Well they want this to be a long term facility, ideally with the staff staying for many years. And as researchers we didn't sign up to live like soldiers. They get happier staff, have a more productive program because they supply some creature comforts, like private rooms and less military like organization. Like I said before they did a lot of research on the best way to design the Nautilus for optimization of the researchers, not just the agents or costs."
"Well I do appreciate not being ripped from my life then having to share a bunk bed in a barracks set up. And I get to keep my shoe collection… well some of it at least, but I don't think I'll have much cause for six different pairs of 'Do me' heels down here."
Jane laughed, "No, there really isn't. Though one of the admin departments is all about making sure the staff don't go bonkers, so they organize social events in the different lounges. Caroline's the woman in charge of them, she's still sort of adjusting to life down here, so she can be snappish, but she's great at event coordination and knows how to throw a party!"
"Interesting, and unexpected." Elizabeth nodded, "So what's the deal with the lounge area we passed through to get here? Particularly the little kitchen, does each floor take dinner together?"
"No, main meals are served in the canteen; breakfast from 5-8, lunch from 11-2, and dinner from 4-7. The kitchens in the lounge are for in between meals on weekends, late night snacking, bedtime tea, etc."
Jane's pocket buzzed and she pulled out her phone, "This is Doctor Bingley. Oh okay, I'm in living quarters, give me ten minutes to get there. Alright, see you in just a bit." She turned to Elizabeth apologetically, "I need to go help out with something in the labs, it's Level 3 so I can't bring you, but I should be back in about an hour and we can go to dinner, is that alright?"
"More than fine, it feels like I've been walking for ages, it'll be nice to take a bit of a break." Elizabeth nodded, perching on the edge of the bed.
"You sure you'll be alright?" Jane looked worried, "I could ask someone else…"
"No, don't ever worry about it!" Elizabeth assure her. "It'll give me a chance to unpack."
"Okay…well if you need me, ask anyone and they'll be able to call me, it'll help tomorrow when you've got your own phone." the small woman said still seeming a bit anxious. Her phone beeped again and after a look at the screen she sighed, "Alright I really should go before someone gets poisoned. I'll be back in an hour, tops." Elizabeth nodded once more and Jane exited the room with a swish of the door.
The time was spent in a manner Elizabeth personally found extremely soothing; she made the bed and began unpacking her wardrobe. She had brought 3 full sized suitcases with her filled, almost equally with clothing and books. If she was going to be stuck underwater she wasn't going to be bored to death. She's also brought several posters and prints of her favorite art and a few curios that were of minimal use, but made her feel at home, like her white porcelain dachshund pencil holder and a tiered jewelry holder she'd made from her grandmother's vintage tea set after Lydia had destroyed half the set by pushing the box out of the attic while searching for a box of costumes.
Elizabeth's shoes were lined up neatly along the bottom of the closet when the screen by the door lit up and emitted a soft ding, similar to that of an opening elevator. She was surprised to see Agent Darcy displayed on the screen. Hesitantly she pressed the pad and the door slid open "Agent Darcy, what can I do for you?"
"Doctor Bennet, Doctor Bingley called to ask if I would escort you to the canteen. The issue requiring her help ended up taking more time than she had planned, and due to an unexpected issue with a specimen she was forced to undergo a decontamination cycle. She apologized she couldn't send someone sooner." The man stated.
"Oh my gosh is Jane alright?" Elizabeth asked, worried.
"She's fine, the decontamination cycle is standard operating procedure when skin comes in contact with unknown fluids and materials, merely a precaution." He assured her, "Are you ready to go to the canteen?"
"Umm, yeah, Let me put my shoes back on," she shook her head briefly and signaled him, "you can come in." she was going to apologize for the mess, but then decided not to; who's room doesn't look messy when unpacking.
He stepped just inside the doorway, and stood at parade rest while she navigated stacks of books and half empty suitcases to grab her shoes from by the desk, "How do you prefer to carry?" he asked, his head inclined to her bed where she'd piled her various holsters.
She was surprised by the question, it was almost personable and definitely up her alley, "Depends on what I'm wearing or doing, usually small of the back. I'll appendix carry when it's cold and I'm wearing a lot of layers. When I wear a skirt or dress it's almost always a garter holster for accessibility. I'll wear a back up on my ankle when I'm wearing boots or looser fit pants." She paused, and then added, "Or I would if I was allowed to carry my guns down here. Where are they anyways? I haven't heard anything since I turned over the case to one of the agents that picked me up." Elizabeth stood up and straightened her jacket before walking to the door, indicating her readiness to leave.
"They'll be held at the armoury until both you and they pass certain qualification tests. You must pass a proficiency and psychological evaluation and they need to be vetted with our ammo." He replied, pressing the screen and exiting the room ahead of her.
"What brand do you use down here?" She asked immediately. "My M&P doesn't like Fiocchi for some reason.
"Was your ammo clean and firearm properly lubricated?" He replied, critically.
"Yes, and I've done a little bit of smoothing out on the slide and barrel, but still it won't eject the casing every shot when I use Fiocchi." Elizabeth responded tersely. "It's nothing wrong with my gun, grip, or maintenance of either."
"I see," he nodded as they exited the living quarters and entered the elevator, "Regardless, no, we don't use Fiocchi, we use a specialty ammo composed of a silver polymer, it causes more damage to certain unnaturals than normal ammunition. If you have issues with it our Armoury master is very capable and can help you with machining or picking a new handgun for personal carry purposes."
"Yes, I met Charlie, he's extremely personable," Elizabeth smiled as they exited the elevator. "I can already tell he and Jane are possibly the most perfectly suited couple I've ever met."
"The Bingleys are good people, and as you said, very well suited to each other. I was pleased when they agreed to be stationed at the Nautilus." Darcy nodded.
"Well it is nice they got a choice in the matter." Was Elizabeth's dry reply.
Darcy visibly hardened, "I assure you Doctor Bennet, if I had another equally qualified alternative I would have gladly recruited them instead. However you were the most qualified and least attached candidate available."
"Least attached?" Elizabeth asked incredulously, "And what exactly does that mean?"
"It means exactly what I said," He countered, "While generally like and respected you have very few close, personal relationships. No serious, long term boyfriends or girlfriends ever, and the longest relationship your mentor was aware of was a two month long dalliance with a fellow grad student during your second PhD. While you've networked via several scientific groups, including multiple women in science groups, you rarely meet individuals in person, and the same goes for your involvement in the gun community. You rotate ranges, thus avoiding getting too close to fellow range goers, and when you eat out alone you always bring a book, effectively indicating you are not interested in meeting strangers.
"The closest relationship indicated in your file, aside from your mentor is your father, who is of a similar disposition. Unlike many similarly situated females you do not have a close relationship with your mother or sister, a fact confirmed by comments made by yourself during your recruitment. While those you work with immediately will miss your presence for a while, but ultimately will not be surprised you've traveled to the opposite side of the globe for the sake of your research.
"Compared to the other potential candidates, most of which were married, in serious relationships, attended weekly clubs or gatherings, belonged to mentor programs, or generally had more physical ties with their civilian life, you were the least attached, and with your education, the best potential candidate for relocation to the Nautilus." Darcy stood at a set of doors labeled "Canteen", which slid open.
Elizabeth was at a loss for words. Well to be more accurate she was at a loss for words containing more than four letters, or that didn't beg to be yelled. Through the open doors she saw Agent Lucas lining up at the counter from which the delightful, and highly edible scent emanated. "Thank you for the escort Agent Darcy." she managed through gritted teeth, "Now excuse me." and with that she walked briskly over to the dred locked agent, greeting her with a smile and pointedly ignoring Darcy, who stood by the door for a moment before being greeted by several agents and following them to a table across the room.
Turns out dinner options for that evening were a wild rice chicken soup or a vegetable heavy shepherd's pie. Again Elizabeth was surprised by the Nautilus, with everything tasting fresh and not at all mass produced or processed. She sat with Agent Lucas and Charles Bingley and they discussed their opinions on a new fragmenting round of ammunition. They were joined shortly after by Jane, who was now wearing jeans and a soft pink sweater, her red hair still dark from the decontamination showers. Elizabeth was introduced to several more individuals, including several researchers and one of the tech guys.
As it was a Tuesday everyone was inclined to retire early. Steven, a fellow researcher she met during dinner, worked in level 2 labs and lived in the same hall as her. He showed Elizabeth how to get back and gave her a brief run down on the communal bathroom situation, which was a setup very similar to a college dorm. By the time 9 pm rolled around Elizabeth was mostly unpacked and completely exhausted. She changed into her favorite pair of flannel pajamas, adorned with little squid, and fell into bed. She forced herself not to think about what Darcy had said; she knew she wasn't the best at the interpersonal relationship thing, but to have it stated so bluntly by someone she hardly knew was hard. It was also vaguely disturbing that so much of her life was in a file. She forced it from her mind and snapped off the bedside lamp.
"At least I survived day one." Elizabeth sighed, staring at the ceiling, before rolling onto her side and snuggling into the sheets, "Bring it day two."