Chapter 3: Switching Hands
He walked down the hall. He really wanted to speak with his 'partners'. Turning down a barely, noticeable hall, he slid between the doors at
the end. He looked around the room he found himself in. Its walls were a warm tan, the floor made of simple bamboo tile. On the west wall,
a mahogany bookcase, laden with many manuscripts, journals and other scientific paraphernalia.
On the east, a painting and its historical background. In front of the southern wall there was large mahogany desk. It was slightly faded from
the sunlight pooling in through the gilt frame windows in conspicuous places around the room. Behind the desk sat a slightly rotund man,
wearing a rather snug lab coat. On his nose rested a pair of half-moon glasses, which reflected the sunlight. His hair, completely white,
ghosted around his head, save for the missing patch on his crown, giving him the impression of a mad scientist. His eyes, a penetrating
black, were focused on a paper, probably a report on one of the lab proceedings.
"Dr. Grimmell, if you have a moment…" The man's head shot up obviously surprised that another was in the room. A small quivering smile
found its way onto his face.
"Ahh, Jiro, what a pleasant coincidence. I was just thinking about you."
"As they say doctor, 'Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.'" Grimmell gave a short laugh and leaned in to shake his hand. "I don't know
what they told you, but you're hardly the devil Jiro. Please have a seat." Jiro sat and looked at the man in front of him. He seemed a kind
person, but looks were deceiving.
"Dr. Grimmell, I came to speak with you about the subject in lab 7. I am concerned with the lack of respect my project receives. I have had
all manner of trouble with the staff."
"Well, Jiro, I'm sorry to say this but that project isn't actually yours. I believe Kenta discovered it." Jiro frowned.
"Hmm, is that what you were told? Well I have news for you. Kenta is a thieving asshole. I have my discovery on record; you saw 'it' when
we brought 'it' with us. So, how is lab 7's work not mine?" Jiro fumed. "And on top of that, my work for lab 7's project has been altered. I
want to know what is going on here, Heinrich!" Dr. Grimmell frowned.
"Well Jiro, if truth be told," he paused as if to think, "… we are scientists, Jiro, and as scientists, we do not have sympathy for our test
subjects. We do our best to find out about the… more unnatural, aspects of our world and the creatures in it. We can't become attached to
our subjects, Jiro, its just, unhealthy and"
"Get to the point." Dr. Grimmell sighed.
"Alright, I gave Kenta permission to take your project and alter it. I wanted him to do it. Your idea of seeing what it sees, and monitoring its
brainwaves as a way to learn about it is ridiculous. I would much rather have the damn creature's brain dissected. But instead of killing it, I
had Kenta switch the projects function. It's an improvement really; the thing won't be able to see anything but thermal patterns and
electrical waves. The best part of all is that I can give it direct orders, without the nuisance of having to have them relayed, and it must obey
or I can and will give it the shock of a lifetime. Does that satisfy you Jiro?"
Jiro was shell-shocked to say the least. The grinning fool had overstepped his bounds once and for all. He only had one more thing to say,
"Dr. Heinrich von Illen Grimmell, I have notified my company of this…" he pulled a little black microphone out of his collar, "and they have
decided to withdraw their funding. I will be taking myself, and my project to my company's facility. Have a nice day." Jiro bowed politely as he
watched the smile fall off the other man's face. With deep satisfaction he left the man to his own devices. 'Now how will he get his ass out of
this one, I wonder?' That aside he had a lot of work to do if lab 7 was switching hands.
A/N: I finally have my own computer! YAY! Unfortunately my posting is going to be a little erratic as I have work to do. Sorry. I'll do the best
I can.