Hey Guys! Just a heads up this chapter is a little messy, literally and a bit figuratively. There's some blood and guts to be aware of if you're squeamish and I'm afraid I've been a little scattered the past couple days because what fun is life if it doesn't throw you for a loop sometime :) Anyways, Let me know what you think!
As it happened, day one was the most difficult day of Elizabeth's first month at the Nautilus. She soon found an easy rhythm to her subaquatic life and eagerly dived into examining luska physiology and tissue composition. Elizabeth found Jane to be a knowledgeable, considerate, generally delightful lab companion, and together they go along famously. As there were just under thirty researchers in the facility Elizabeth got to know most of them fairly quickly, and her normally reserved nature in professional settings was subverted by her absolute fascination with all of the research being done at the Nautilus.
As Jane had said, with the frequency that researchers discussed their work, it was impossible for Elizabeth not to find out about the other projects. She hypothesized a potential solution for Doug's regenerating reptoid sample problem: pumping an augmented, superheated liquid barium mixture through it's veins to keep internal temperature high and the sample from regenerating. Unfortunately that possibility was limited by the fact that little was known about the reptoid's cellular needs. They also discussed the efficacy of just beheading it, but there was some evidence to suggest it was a relation to the hydra, and they didn't want more specimens to deal with.
Harrison, from level 4, was the head researcher dedicated to the staked vampire on level 4, though almost all the researchers consulted on it. The topic often presented itself, and when it did agents griped about the dangers and additional security requirements and researchers suggested further tests and information that might be collected before the vampire was beheaded and it's remains burned. Similarly to workers who handled radioactive materials, there was a limit on time spent in the vampire lab, which was carefully monitored to avoid complacency. Six agents were stationed inside the lab and spent the entirety of each shift with their rifles pointed at the vamp. They and the research staff wore full kevlar stab proof armour, though the reality was that if the vampire mobilized it would provide very little protection. The specimen itself was stored in a bath of ethanol, to avoid any particulate or sediment that might have been found in the soil of its homeland, which was legend to give a vampire increased strength. There was constant surveillance on the vampire, and when it wasn't being worked on it was stored in cryo storage, cold enough to make the ethanol freeze solid. Psychological tests were performed weekly to assure that the immobilized vampire was not using any form of compulsion on the agents or researchers. It was super intense, but excessively alluring to everyone in the facility, like studying anthrax was to world superpowers in the mid to late 20th century.
Jane's level 4 project, the one she wasn't supposed to discuss with Elizabeth, was working with one of the MHI hunters to develop a vaccine against zombie infection. It wouldn't protect the dead against being raised by black magic, but it would limit the risk to agents and hunters, who were more likely to come across them. Ideally it would eventually become a standard vaccine for the population, like the MMR, but the required secrecy and the anti-vaccine movement limited that potential. The hunter, Gigi, and several of her coworkers from different MHI teams had been collecting samples whenever their teams responded to a zombie outbreak. Gigi and Jane were currently working on extracting the virus responsible from the tissues, along with all the samples submitted to MCB as proof for a PUFF bounty. Having been rather interested in virology during her first graduate program, Elizabeth was hoping to gain clearance to level 4 soon enough to help them with the research.
Other highlights of Elizabeth's first month's stay at the Nautilus included going down to the armoury and passing her Smith and Wesson M&P with the specialty ammunition used by MCB. She was scheduled for the psychological evaluation with a Doctor Collins soon, so he could see if she'd properly acclimatized to the unique living environment and wouldn't go try to shoot up the place. Not having a firearm on her felt a little bit like walking around naked. Even if she could go down to the shooting range on level two whenever she liked, she was looking forward to being able to carry again.
After the heated discussion Elizabeth had had with Darcy outside of the canteen, they mutually avoided each other. She rarely had to endure his presence, and never alone. When they were forced to interact with each other, it was with sharp and exacting civility that could never be mistaken for friendliness. After noticing the icy atmosphere that built whenever the two were in vicinity of each other Jane demanded to know what had happened.
"Elizabeth, I have seen you get along or at least be friendly with everyone you've met so far; so what in the world happened between you and William?" Jane asked one afternoon, as they were charting the luska digestive system. "I swear it's like you're either going to stab each other or start a rousing game of hide the cucumber." Jane paused, the scalpel she held covered in bright purple luska blood, and looked at Elizabeth across the dissection table, "Or maybe a combination of the two? Either way, it's bad. Hate sex is really unhealthy physically and mentally, screws with the chemicals released at orgasm. Would you hold that flap back, I think we found the stomach."
"You noticed?" Elizabeth asked, self consciously, pulling back one of the flaps created when they'd sliced open the luska from the bottom pallet of the shark face to the intersection of two tentacles.
"Everyone has noticed, except perhaps Charlie; bless him, he's not the best at taking the the temperature of a room. At least for social interactions, when it's a matter of safety I swear he has a sixth sense." Jane ran her hand along the green colored esophagus, "Interesting, testes up by the head, like a shark." she carefully moved aside two purple sacks that looked very similar to small eggplants, before slicing the gut sack open.
"Buuut pre digestive pouch like an octopus." Elizabeth commented as she saw the familiar structure, "that's weird, in the octopus it helps act as a sort of mouth for larger prey…"
"Maybe it's like a cow's multiple stomachs, we'll have to ask Jeremy, he dealt with a demon cow outbreak in Nebraska a few years ago." Jane replied, "Now answer the question."
"Darcy was being an ass, so I was an ass right back and then he stepped out of line." Elizabeth stated, obviously annoyed at the question.
"Well he's not the most person skilled, but he normally behaves himself rather well. Should leave the testes intact for now, or remove them?"
"They're not terribly in the way, let's leave them be until we finish with digestion, then we'll start with the genitourinary tract, besides, aren't they under the chin in platypus and behind the head in sharks, that's going to be weird." Elizabeth nodded, "And the guy just rubs me the wrong way, he has from day one. Major douche, super bossy…"
"He is the director of the Nautilus." Jane reminded kindly, "Would you pass those clamps please?"
"Yeah, here. But it's like everytime he speaks he expects me to say something stupid, or screw up in some other way. Oh, did I tell you he lives a hallway down from me, so we use the same bathroom? I mean really? I have to see his stupid face in the mornings when I still look like a mess. I swear he waits for me too. I have the overwhelming urge to punch the guy… constantly."
"Have you always been so aggressively inclined?" Jane asked mildly, clamping the tubes leading to the stomach, "Do you want to examine the pre-digestive pouch contents?"
"Yes, I'll take the pouch," Elizabeth replied, gathering a syringe with a large gauge needle, carefully piercing the organ and pulling the plunger up, filling the syringe with neon yellow juices. "And for the record my dad took me to Judo and Krav Maga since I was four and shooting once it was legal, so yes, I've always been this aggressive. It does have it's uses, have you tried to get forty pounds of muscle into an octopot, underwater?"
"Can't say I haven't done too much octopus wrangling, but if it's like giving a nurse sharks a check up, then I assume they're a pain in the butt." came Jane's response, as she carefully pushed fluids through the tube connecting the pre-digestive pouch and the stomach, and clamped it off. "But back to the point I was making, I really think if you and William could drop the arctic conditions with each other for a few minutes, you'd really get along."
"I doubt it." Elizabeth replied going in for another aliquot of gastric juices to empty the pouch. "I think we're good how we are now, which is not speaking to each other."
"That's a bit immature, don't you think?"
"No, immature would be telling him to suck it and that without his goons for back up when I was being forcibly recruited I could have taken him down in three seconds flat." Elizabeth snorted, her comment punctuated by the pressured stream of juices she was t into transfering into the sample bottle.
"I'm going to be honest here and say I think you're being more than a little optimistic. William is a highly trained, government special agent whose job it is to kill monsters, he's gotten many promotions for his remarkable skill in killing monster, and while rather frightening, you're not exactly a monster." Jane stated as if she were laying out a thesis defense.
"If he's so good at killing monsters why did they stick him down here with all the dead ones?"
"Elizabeth you must know that for an MCB agent, this is one of the most prestigious postings available. The fact that William's been put in charge of it say volumes about what MCB Director Meyers thinks about his skill and abilities as a leader." At this point Jane sounded the closest to annoyed as was possible for such a naturally sweet tempered woman.
"Mommy and daddy Darcy must have been a CEO and a g-man, no other way someone like him exists without significant genetic engineering." Elizabeth muttered, squirting the pre-gastric juices into a glass bottle.
"Elizabeth, enough!" Jane dropped the scalpel and forceps on metal dissecting table, making a loud clang. "I may not have met them, but the Darcys and Bingleys have been friends for years, and absolutely everyone says Admiral and Mrs. Darcy were some of the loveliest people. They were involved in their community, well respected military family, they worked with a lot of charities and veterans associations, and they didn't deserve what happened to them," Jane was tearing up at this point, a thin rivulet running down her cheek. "No one deserves that!"
"Jane, I'm so sorry, but I wasn't trying to talk badly about his parents, I was being an ass because I don't like Darcy, but you're right, he'd probably wipe the floor with me." Elizabeth said, her stomach dropped in guilt as she carefully screwed the cap on the bottle in her hand. "What happened to Darcy's parents?"
"I don't think I'm supposed to talk about it." Jane sniffed, looking for somewhere to wipe her nose and eventually settling on her apron covered shoulder, which was the only part of her that wasn't covered in luska blood and various other fluids. "Charlie didn't even tell me until after we were married, and I've never heard it from Will. Just know that Anne and William Sr. were really good people, and I adore you, but please never say anything like that again, around anyone, Charlie would be so hurt if he heard that."
"Of course I wouldn't, I'm so sorry." Elizabeth assured her. "Why don't we call it a day on dissection, I don't think we want to cut out the rest of the digestive tract today, and to be honest and say that I don't want to end my day with a colon. I'll work on the pre gastric juices."
"Yes," Jane sniffed again, "Let's call it a day, do you want me to close it up? I told Charlie I'd meet him at the armoury before dinner, but-"
"No, I got it, you go." Elizabeth replied instantly, "And Jane, I'm really sorry for being such a jerk. I'm not going to suddenly be buds with Darcy, but I won't talk smack about him, okay?"
"Thank you," Jane nodded, "William really is a wonderful guy when you get to know him. When Charlie and I first started dating I thought Will hated me too, but it turns out he's just kind of shy about new people is all. Lighten up around him and maybe you'll see it too."
Elizabeth was thoughtful as she carefully repackaged the luska's organs inside it's body and closed the flaps shut, rehooking the wide leather bands that held the main body closed. As she had just told Jane, she wasn't going to be best friends with the guy any time soon; the fact she had befriended Jane, and Charlotte too, so quickly was abnormal for her, to say the least. While he'd been an ass about it, Darcy hadn't been wrong when he said she didn't look to make connections. Elizabeth's standard operating procedure for life was to avoid the unnecessary: time suckers like social media, gaudy furniture her mother wanted her to buy, relationship with dissimilarly minded men, no matter how interested they might have been. For Elizabeth relationships were best developed carefully, and quality far outweighed quantity. She wasn't purposefully antisocial, she was just very happy spending time with herself when those she did like weren't available. Much better to be capable of being alone, like her father was, than to have your happiness so dependant on the presence of others, like her mother and sister.
Elizabeth sighed as she peeled the luska fluid drenched gloves from her hands and dropped them in the bright red biohazard container. Darcy may be a giant douche bag, but half the theories of science were discovered by douche bags (have you heard about Watson and Crick?), and that didn't mean their findings were wrong. Grudgingly committing herself to being more polite to the facility director, Elizabeth wheeled the luska into the lab's sub zero freezer. It would be for Jane, for the sake of this new relationship, it couldn't be that bad… right?