LONG A/N: BACKSTORY! THIS MAY BE CONFUSING, WANTED TO WRITE IT LIKE A FLASHBACK IN THE LAST CHAPTER BUT IT TURNED INTO THIS. I thought it fit cause of the way PTSD memories are sometimes indistinguishable from reality. But yeah. If it's too confusing, just say it and I'll rework it later….
Nobody knows who Janek is? Ah, I really need to lay off the nerdy scifi movies. *Note* It may or may not have been related to Aliens and sightings of Charlize Theron!
p.s. Sorry for real ENGINEER readers, the engineering research thing didn't go so well so I'm basically talking out my arse with what HG and the boys are doing. Hopefully that doesn't distract from the story. If you want to explain things for me so it's not too embarrassing, do PM/Message me.
I won't bite…Maybe.
MUCH LOVE TO THE FANS AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW, AND COMMENT. I am not a pro, but I am my own toughest critic, it's immensely nice to know that others are genuinely enjoying and looking forward to this story!
ALL MISTAKES ARE MINE!
SNATCH
Chapter 16 (PART 2) - HG'S HEAD
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One minute she could be making a nice cup of tea, the next she would find herself back underground with grease on her fingers and the fumes of gasoline in her nose…
…At once, all of HG's senses were assaulted as she felt as if she were flung backwards into the past. Her eyelids fluttered but remained shut. She didn't want to open them because she knew what she would see–
A ghost world.
The aroma of burnt coffee was more than ever pungent. HG pressed a hand to her nose as if to wipe away the scent but it was to no avail. Today it was Jack's turn to make the brew, as usual he'd made it too strong for human consumption and as if to make it even fouler, burnt it. As of yet, HG was trying to figure other uses for the brew other than condemning her stomach with the task of ingesting it. Never had she longed for tea so much in her life.
As she stirred in a sugar cube, she watched as Janek finished up his spiel at the center floor. He was second in command on their team, as of now he was sharing with them a short film he'd composed of their work. HG was leader of the team effort, but when it came to team spirit, Janek usually pulled things out of thin air to keep everyone focused and going when things got tough.
On the front wall there was a progressive reel of their work on the Millennium Project playing. Seeing it grow from ground up in literal seconds was astounding. Seeing that it was still only just barely half complete still was a bit overwhelming. Janek seemed to have thought the same thing when he had composed the film as he made sure to put emphasis on the completed aspects and how much they all worked hard to finish them.
"…According to my analysis, we've officially reached the halfway mark with Milly," Janek said, he was pointing out at a graph charting their work efforts along with a predicated finalization date. "If we keep this rate up guys it looks we'll be complete with a month or so to spare."
This announcement brought a sudden alertness to the room. The twins were always more or less happy go lucky no matter what their environment, but as for the rest of them it was a fresh turn of events.
"Wait, so you mean I get to have real Starbucks instead of this sludge soon?" Abigail asked, holding up her cup.
"Oh yeah baby, let's not even talk about all that booty we'll be getting," Jack did a humping motion that sent the twins reeling, "Ladies beware, Little JayJay is active for duty!"
"No need to beware, the ladies will flee once they realize Little JayJay's just what all the cool kids call their crab infested crotches," House quirked.
"Ahhh, come on man!" Jack gasped.
Groans filled the room at the doctor's remark. House shrugged his shoulders and readjusted his footing on the edge of the table. On the right of him, HG pushed her chair farther out to the floor so that she could join the somewhat semi-circle everyone else had already formed.
"Partypooper aside, considering all the sidetracking we've been doing it's all the more impressive that we've reached this far," HG's eyes held a slight glow to them as she smiled at her teammates, " I say this deserves a warm round of applause even."
Secord began the clap in the back of the room, which circulated with everyone except for the grumpy doctor. The quick round of applause rose everyone's moods a few notches and even seemed to brighten the perpetually dim office.
The applause dwindled to silence, Janek cut off the projector and as it was her turn, Abigail stood up and held up a sheet for them all to see.
"I'm still collecting votes for the menu, more Nurtibars or freeze dried eggs for breakfast?"
"How about neither?" Secord said, "It all tastes the same anyway."
"Yeah well Rosie needs us to tell her what to make or she'll get angry like last time."
"I'm not eating that horrendous slime she called breakfast again, last time it had me puking up my ass. I vote NurtiBars and Vanilla Whey Protein, the rest of you can suck it," House replied. He shot a not so subtle glance at HG as if expecting her to rebuke. The inventor mildly shrugged her shoulders.
"Chocolate Whey, and no oatmeal under any circumstances." she said.
There were two murmurs of agreement from the twin's side of the camp. Abigail shook her head as she tallied their request, "Whey's winning, looks to be a tie for everything Nurti related," she looked up and pointed outwards to the group with the eraser of her pencil, "We have until 5 to get this down to Rosie people, make up your minds or be prepared for the return of Slime."
Everyone grimaced at the notion.
Rosie, their "lunch lady", was robotic vending machine hooked up to the wall in the middle of the cafeteria. It sent them food on prepackaged cellophane trays that may or may not have originated from hell. Most times it was edible but all in all, everything looked and tasted exactly the same. Whenever the menu for the week was late, it locked completely and only served nutritional slime. Though it looked and reacted exactly like Lime Jello, the stuff tasted like every vile medicinal concoction known to mankind.
As the meeting was adjourned, HG stood with a catlike stretch and scrapped all the rumpled balls of paper along her desk into a small recycle bag. She dumped the bag into the little shoot that led to the facility incinerator then dropped by the supply cabinet to get a new notebook. Just after she'd handed one, a voice suddenly appeared at her right side.
"Eh…boss, we've got something to show you."
HG half turned to face the speaker. It was Saleem, standing beside him was his fraternal twin brother, Jamal. Though they were certified geniuses, the twin duo was always up to something with their constant pranks and betting. As they were usually all smiles, the fact that they were both wearing somewhat matching somber expressions had taken the inventor aback as she furrowed her brows curiously before speaking.
"Is that really? What is this something?" HG asked.
Saleem, the more innocent looking of the twins, nervously scratched his neck before replying.
"It's something we've been working on privately," his Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed in pause, "It's to help with the issue with the accelerators."
HG hadn't shared her misfortunes with that piece of hardware with anyone except for – the inventor's eyes sharply cut over to Janek. The dark skinned man was trying to coax House into helping them- him, HG, and the twins –with the welding stage of the final body design.
"Want to know more?" Saleem carefully inquired.
"Go on," HG said, she blindly closed the cabinet she was standing beside.
"We think it's best that we show it to you."Jamal said.
The inventor abandoned the paper and re-rolled her sleeves. As they tracked the familiar route to the lab,the twins shuffled a few spaces ahead of her into the hall. HG walked casually, almost slowly, as she followed in their wake. She figured it was best to give the boys a headstart since they were all nerves about their impending grand reveal, as she didn't have a foggiest idea as to what it could've entailed she was slightly amused that they'd surprised her at all. Though the lab was enormous, there was only a few places they could go in the underground space for privacy, it was utterly impossible not to know everyone's business as twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, they all ate, slept, and worked together in the subterranean facility. Thrice a year, aside from lab transfers, they were allowed a two week "ground leave". This meant they could visit family or friends, or in Jacks case, binge at a local bar. If a project was completed or the backers simply ran out of work for them to do, they were allowed time above at one of the resting resorts reserved for all the lab workers. It was there that they got to mingle with other members of the Warehouse projects. In fact, HG actually raked her brain to remember, in all nine of her years with the facility, she could personally attest that she'd only seen the resting resort twice in her life with the team.
Disrupting her from her thoughts, the double doors to the lab slid open revealing the interior. Together the three of them shuffled onto a raised platform and gazed downwards. The platform overlooked a huge drop leading to of an enormous floor covered with pieces of robotics machinery and work benches. The noise level was high as there was the roar of steel being cut by an automatic saw desk and somebody had a Motley Crue CD on fullblast. There was this overpowering scent of harsh chemical and burning sodder hanging in the air. Though he wasn't in the room at the moment, HG knew without a saying, that the music was Secord's doing.
"It's down there, behind Milly!" Jamal yelled over the noise as he pointed downwards to an enormous metal machine.
"Ok, let's have a looksy," HG shouted back.
The twins raced other down the aluminum stairwell, whereas HG raised her own pace to moderate. The closer they got to the madness below the louder the sounds of machinery and music and less and less, was the sharp thuds of their footfalls. After jumping off the last step onto the landing, the twosome broke apart to gather their work belts from the table losing HG by several more feet. The inventor didn't mind as she was focused entirely on the sight before her. The closer she got to the mechanism, a warming feeling grew in her chest and a sense of awe- as if she'd never seen if before- filled her eyes. Bolts, wires, and lots of plated steel. HG stopped mere feet to take in the glory of the Millennium Project. Five years of blood and sweat, calculations, frustrations, and days on end with the sun. As its namesake proclaimed, it was a project of the millennium, and as those involved with the project understood, this was society's first legitimate time machine.
HG ran a hand along the gunmetal body, her fingers slowly tracing the frame and bolts in wide-eyed reverence. Unlike her fellow scientist Millennium wasn't her first trip around the time bend. In her early years, she tried to bring the idea to fruition with a two seat contraption that required at least the energy of an entire city grid to work. Despite her calculations, the machine only managed to transport a person's conscious through time and even more upsetting, the time in travel only equated to a full day- 22 hours and 19 minutes. Then HG wanted to make her machine better but as her life story seemed to go, she ran out of funds. Now it was over a decade later and her dream Time Machine was in the process of its creation. Had someone told HG that she would've lived to see this moment, she probably would've laughed in their face and called them mental. She'd fought so long and so hard to be taken serious in the science community, she had even begun to wonder about her own sanity and judgment. Had it not been for Cataranga's encouragement, she would've checked out of society a long time ago. Even now when she looks back on what bought her to her present today, it feels as if it was all an elaborate dream.
About ten years ago, it was released at a secret Summit that the world was indeed going to end. All of the giants in technology were contracted to put their heads together to figure out a way to evade this certain death and keep civilization alive. Several proponents voted to try to take down the threat that was heading towards them, a massive meteorite that would literally smash the world off its orbital axis and send it and all it's inhabitants skittering in the black void of the solar system, with a weapon of some sort. Though HG worked freelance for the tech giant James MacPherson, he'd snubbed her as usual and didn't invite her to attend. It was through her mentor Cataranga, a retired physicist, that she learned of the event and from a self purposed dare, she snuck in posing as a journalist.
As the Summit was secret, the journalist route seemed sketchy at first, but as lots of celebrity investor's were to be present the less serious side of the meeting – the cocktail party and donation ceremony – was being covered for the public. She would've tried using her womanly charms to get the special press pass needed to sit for the business end of the summit, but in her nervous state she found her Kenpo skills worked just as well. To keep attention off of herself, she wore the scruffy dark clothes the pressman and carried a notepad- recorders weren't allowed- Ashley Green (the press pass she'd stole) was seated in the front row just three head spaces away from the Warren Bering.
Until then she didn't know anything about Warren Bering except he was a billionaire and like her, he wasn't invited to the party. As only technological companies were asked to attend, it seemed peculiar that the Steel heir would be present because from the whisperings of others, his facility hadn't contributed anything groundbreaking in the last twenty years aside from numerous charges of pollution and possible tax evasion scandal. After a few drinks, HG learned through a loose lipped investor that Warren Bering was infact, MacPherson's greatest rival and he secretly ran a series of corporations, Warehouses, so they were called, that pitted research teams against each other in invention tournaments.
At the time HG thought it was the drinks getting to the man's imagination but later in the week, an invitation in the form of a private jet ride with Warren Bering himself changed her opinion.
Intelligent green eyes, a stern chiseled face that had seen its share of years, and a crown of thinning salt-peppered hair, Warren Bering was not who she expected in meeting. Yes, he oozed with a certain arrogance and entitlement that only the wealthiest and most elite seemed to bear, but all the same he knew his business. For the first hour, he talked to her about steel and mining not just as an eyewitness but in technical sense. He spoke on the geological and economical impacts of his and others like him working in the field. How he genuinely feared, his own word exactly, the state of the planet and how the sickness of the earth correlated in so many ways, to the state of the worlds current governments.
To say HG wasn't drawn in by the earnest in his voice as he shared his ideals, his plans to change the world, and most importantly, his plot to thumb his nose at all the naysayers at the summit would've been an absolute lie. Just that very morning, HG awoke literally sick to her stomach with her life. Aside from the random hookups she hadn't had a real meaningful relationship in years, her freelance work was dwindling to just barely any hires, and her one steady client, James MacPherson, not only refused to give her recognition for her work but the cheapskate barely paid her money enough to pay her rent on time. Though the logical thing would've been to find a new employer, for her it wasn't that simple. She didn't have formal engineering training as based on her school records she dropped out before even completing her first year of A-Levels. Considering the work she'd done, some would've read that as her being prodigal. Plenty of the world's most fortunate and famous had traveled the non-traditional route, but with MacPherson just to tick her off he would use her lack of a degree as a way to humiliate and control her. The arrogant man would hire her because he needed someone who knew more than him, but whenever the kinks were fixed and the worst parts were solved, he'd source whatever plans she had created to a "senior", educated, level engineer.
Off the back however, HG felt that Warren Bering was different. She saw within the gentleman a figment of her own ambition, and though she wasn't attracted to him in a physical sense, Warren Bering was the embodiment of drive and success that was stirring. HG didn't know or care about what was going to come next in their meeting because she'd already sworn to herself that she would and could gladly walk through the pits of hell barefoot for this man if it meant having a chance to work with him. Before the jet even landed, Bering handed her the paperwork detailing for a position of control in her own lab, full room and boarding expenses, and a team which she could do whatever she pleased the two catches being – she bought imagination into reality, and most importantly, gave up her entire life on the surface world.
Seeing what she had to look forward to back home, she barely gave it any thought as she checked off "NO" on all the boxes in the questionnaire;
Are you married?
Do you have/or planning children?
Do you have any health concerns?
Are you claustrophobic?
Flash forward to almost a decade later, she was still working the same position with the Bering Corporation with people she liked and a somewhat comfortable place to lay her head. Though there were times she missed the sun and the freedom of living above ground, having so much at her hands to tinker and manipulate was like a dream come true for the inventor.
HG rounded to the back of the machine where the accelerators were located and critically roved the machine's alterations. She had faith in the boys to know that they wouldn't have turned it into a mangled and monster behind her back, but being she preferred not to share her toys. Looking at it, aside from a few wires hanging out the top of the hatch it looked relatively the same. Humming softly, HG leaned so that she could see the circuitry.
"Explain this to me," she said.
"We helped Janek finish riveting the left frame this morning and while we were looking at the schematics you wrote, we came up this ingenious idea for the backup generator. You know the piggyback accelerators? The ones we added just incase the main one fails?" said Saleem.
"Of course, I installed them, and still waiting for a Runner to bring in more fuses." HG replied.
Saleem's brows wrinkled, "Huh, wait? You already ordered? That makes three of us then. I placed one three weeks ago, Janek did one over the weekend for us…"
The inventor shook her head, "Don't worry about it, it's backed up right now."
"Anyway, as I was saying, the piggyback accelerators may serve for more than one use. The generator was having issues with supplying enough power and we didn't know what to do about that. We both came up with this theory that instead of using the accelerators only for backup, that we power–
HG cut him off as she suddenly stopped walking.
"Power up the generator using the accelerators as a secondary circuit!" HG finished with a face-palm, "Why in the bloody hell didn't I think of that?"
"Uh, maybe because you were too busy…napping?" Saleem winced in finishing.
The inventor turned towards him sharply and pointed a finger.
"Not another word on this."
Both twins held up their hands, it was Jamal who took it farther however.
"Hey, we were was just stating a fact there boss."
"Fine, if you insist on rubbing this one thing in my face…." HG grumped, the action garnering a low laugh from the twins. "It's a bloody brilliant idea!"
Huge grins broke onto the twosomes faces. The smiles only breaking after Saleem turned to his twin and held out his palm, a sign to hand something over.
"See, told you so." he said. Unlike his twin he had a haircut and his eyes were brighter. At that moment his eyes were on fire with mischievous glee.
"Whatever." Jamal murmured. He reluctantly dug into his pocket then handed over an electronic device. Phones didn't work down here, it was their hacked version of a PSP.
"I take it there was a bet of some sort boys?" HG asked.
Saleem happily nodded his head, "He thought you would've been mad cause we took it apart without asking you first."
HG stopped examining to meet his eye, "Oh believe me darlings, I'm quite furious."
The Saleem's mouth comically flipped upside down, Jamal shot him an "I told you so" glare.
"But all the same, I have a terrible soft spot for troublemakers as I'm a kindred to the spirit," HG drew out the word and waggled her brows. "But, that's not to say I'm a pushover." she ended with a growl.
"No, of course!" said Saleem
"We're not that mental!" added Jamal.
Secord popped around holding a sheet of paper. He was wearing a startling serious expression as he looked into their faces.
"Guys, Artie's here," he solemnly announced, his eyes latched onto HG. "He wants to speak to you."
"What for?"
"He didn't say, but Valda's with him."
Hearing the name of one of their board members, silent glances were exchanged as everyone was wondering what that could possibly be about. The only time Nielsenn came here was if he was bearing bad news. As for board members, their appearance was a rarity in itself. Aside from the once yearly meet during the unveils, they never were seen. Ever.
HG grunted as she wiped a wayward strand of hair from her face then removed the grease stained glove. Tossing the gloves to Secord, she arched a brow.
"You can handle babysitting for ten can't you? I would've said five but knowing Artie he probably wants to chew my head off for a bit before getting to the point."
Secord pulled on the gloves, on his hands they were tighter. "No problem. Tell him to Run us down some doughnuts?"
"Oh, oh, and some pizza rolls?" Saleem leaned so far over he almost fell, "The cheese kinds only or, uh, a veggie burger with some fresh tomatoes!"
"I second that, make mine beef. I'd kill for a cheeseburger right now." Jack said.
HG rolled her eyes and shook her head. If her crewmates had things their way, she was convinced they'd use the Runners services to deliver pizza to the lab. For that reason, it was great thing that she mainly had a say as to what could or couldn't be ran to the underground to them but all in all, it sometimes made her feel like the teams personal Hermes. Not that she had that much of a problem with it.
Arriving at the office, HG opened the door and closed it as she swept her gaze over the room. Arthur Nielsenn, two security guard Henchmen, and Benedict Valda were all together at the front of the room. Though the other men were in suits, Arthur Nielsenn, was wearing a hideous corded brown sweater paired with dress slacks and a loud gold watch. As usual she wondered who dressed him that morning and if he was blind. As for Valda, it took her a second to realize, he wasn't in corporeal form he was a hologram issuing from the "pokeball" (nicknamed by the twins and Jack) that was sitting beside Artie's briefcase. His projection was amazingly clear, had it not been for the occasionally pattern of waves running down his body he still could've passed for being present. HG tuned herself to the rest of the room and saw that the schematic's board had been erased and on it someone had written today's date.
It was January 5, 2008.
HG nodded to Valda, he raised his brows slightly, then turned her sights onto Arthur Nielsenn.
"You rang Arthur?"
Artie nodded, "Yes I did. Have a seat Wells."
HG folded her arms across her chest instead. "I'd rather stand."
"Suit yourself,"
The attorney casually shook his shoulders and cleared his throat. He gave her a gloss over, as if checking her wellbeing, then pressed on.
" As you're the manager of the project, I'm here to tell you two important changes that have been voted into effect for Millennium," Artie paused to catch his breath, "The boards been in meetings for the last few days talking about the state of Millennium. It's been decided that the projects projected completion should be May of this year."
"What? That's a full seven months ahead of schedule." HG squawked, her face quick becoming livid, "We can't possible finish by then! We've just barely got through the thick of it!"
"Precisely, that's why we're putting a cap on it."
HG's face dropped into stunned silence, Artie tweaked the glasses at the bridge of his nose before continuing, "You guys have been down here for a full year now. Money has been invested in you and you don't even have something to show."
"That is not true, we covered the neuro-robotics you needed for the Expo and we rebuilt the Sleuth. That alone took six months of our time. Not to mention the fact we're low on supplies, the Runners haven't come in five full months!" HG stated.
"Yeah well, you guys should've used better time management."
"How can we manage time when you keep taking away most of it!" HG countered, she jerked towards the attorney accusingly. "And we shouldn't even been working on the Sleuth that was Warehouse 5's project. It's not our fault we got the best engineers and they have all pea-brained gits in their crew! If anything they need a time penalty."
"Why didn't you say anything then Wells?" Valda interrupted, his remark drew both of their gazes but it was HG's that was scathing. Cucumber cool, he continued, "If it was too much for you to chew why continue to bite?"
"If we still had our original deadline, it wasn't too much. This new proposal is downright preposterous." HG replied icily.
Despite her fury, deep down HG's feelings were muddled. If she were to admit it, her decision to take on the Sleuth did put too much on the teams plate. However, because it was a pleasure to work on, she'd figured that aspect outweighed the obvious negative. The military plane was one of the first to have an "Invisibility Shield", the idea was groundbreaking for it beat out the drone work with it's ability to literally disappear. The first few prototypes faired quite well and the U.S. purchased a fleet of fifty from Bering Corp under the name, TRIDENT ENTERPRISES. The much awaited unveiling turned out to be a complete dud as at least half of the plane's defenses failed after an on-field take off, the shield itself failing after encountering rain for the first time. The embarrassment led them to send the machine and its blueprints to the best team there was, D5-67 Classified, or as those close knew it –Warehouse 12.
"Sounds me a classic case of a leader who doesn't quite know how to properly lead, that's quite ironic in its pity if you ask me." Valda drawled.
HG snorted, "No, I beg the differ, the only pity here lies in the fact your council is controlled by the whims of idiots." the inventor raised her nose in the air, "Half of those balloters probably didn't understand 90% of what type of work needed to be done in this project. These are people who can't even build a box set from Ikea let alone a from the ground up. The others were too stingy to let go of their lunch money after you let slip the cost per seat. Am I right?"
Valda fell tightlipped to the challenge. Artie was so overwhelmed he looked as if he was going to birth kittens, and the security guards were growing restless. They wouldn't do anything unless Artie commanded them to but that didn't mean their presence wasn't imposing. Nobody knew what happened to people who had been Tesla'd and removed from the premises. It was rumored that there was a separate facility called the Regent Sector where disruptive workers were sent. Thus far, in all of HG's time she'd never found this to be fact. Even with her bouts of free-time snooping (ehem…hacking).
The potbelly attorney thus turned to them with his annoyance knitted brows.
"Children settle down, we've got a lot more ground to cover before getting caught up in blame game this madness." He said. To emphasize this, he waved his hands at them like they were indeed children until they stopped glaring at each other. Despite complying, HG eyed him with even less enthusiasm than before.
"The second big thing is a timesheet."
The lawyer struck out a sheet of paper to the inventor. HG handed it to see it was blocked out with names, dates, and times.
"What is this for?"
"I was just getting into that," Artie mumbled in irritation, he held up his own sheet as if he didn't just give her one, "It's been decided that you guys will work in shifts with some of the members from Warehouse 11. The work will go faster and you want have to do so many things all the time."
HG blinked.
"Since you guys know this place, we decided to split you up in the shifts. The others just need to know where to work and that's it, they're good at what they do, just show they what you were working on and leave it at that."
There was silence as HG read the board. Everyone, including the twins, was separated to work with someone else during entirely different blocks of hours throughout the day. None of the schedules overlapped and from the time inbetween it appeared they were given a chance to go to break and even bed without ever crossing paths again.
Though it could've been paranoia speaking, HG's mind clicked into gear and warning bells shot off. Her blood began to burn and she felt herself growing steadily heated by the second. She couldn't hear what else was being said in the meeting as the sound of her heart was too loud in her ears. She thought it was suspect Cataranga wasn't in this meeting and after hearing what Artie just announced his absence made all the more sense.
"…Explain it to them yourself afterwards. The Board Meeting for finalization will be this May."
Was what she caught onto Artie saying, instead of asking him to repeat the sentence HG held out the sheet to him, he stared at it.
"What's this for?" he said.
"I see what you're thinking but I don't think it's necessary." HG began.
Artie's mouth turned, he met her eye.
"Come again Wells?"
The inventor sternly raised her voice, directing to the wall with the new deadline and purposed schedule. "You're trying to keep us from completing it together for fear someone will go somewhere else and replicate it!"
The lawyer didn't disagree, nor did he agree. "There's another meeting in store for you exclusively. Warren meant to make this one but he had to go overseas for a summit."
All that was said was lost, HG wildly gestured around the lab as she was fuming, "This is my machine, my project, you said I could do as I wanted with it. These are the people I want to work with, nobody else! How are you going to take that away from me?"
The holographic form of Valda stood up, "We're not taking anything away from you personally Wells, it's still your machine but if it wasn't for our funding this lab you hold so dear wouldn't even exist." he replied.
Those words smartened her face, if she was already nine out of ten on a scale of outrage this statement multiplied it to the second power.
"So what? I'm lower than a trick pony on the opinion poll now? You can just waltz in any time you want and make me do whatever you bloody goddamn please?" HG spat.
"As usual Wells you're not being reasonable," Artie tiredly replied, "We're supplying you with more hands to help you reach the deadline on time. It doesn't have to be sinister, at least not the way you're suggesting, we really did consider your wellbeing in this. You're the brains here, believe me when I say the Board knows."
"Fuck the deadline, Artie!" HG was infront of Artie with burning eyes, he vied to take a stepback but found he couldn't move. "And double fuck the Board, we had an agreement already Nielsenn. Why renege on it now?"
Artie looked flustered, "Warren's coming here, they all are, ask them yourself. I just know it needs to done by May. You complete it by May."
There was no time for HG to reply as the lights dramatically flickered and there was the sound of an electrical surge. Valda's hologram disappeared entirely, leaving Artie and HG alone with only the guards in the room. Thanks to the surge, they backed down from each other in surprise, eyes going to the ceiling then to the door. Over the sound of wailing guitars, there was the ear penetrating cry of a terrified human being. HG was jolted forwards and wrenched the door open. She steered towards the machine and saw as Janek and Abigail were both rushing forward, the architect with an AED defibrillator and the chemist with a medic kit.
"AHHHH!"
A pained scream came from beyond the Time Machine, it sounded to be one of the twins. HG pushed herself faster across the lab and came to a skid before the machine. When she emerged around the side she saw Jack on the floor cradling an injured Jamal. The boy was holding what was his arm in his hands rocking back and forth. From his hand up to his elbow were the patterns of cruel electrical burn. Steam rose off the wounds, his flesh could be heard popping and crackling like it was on fire.
"AHH!" Jamal gasped as Jack tried to move him upwards.
"What in the bloody hell happened?" HG shrieked.
Jack shamefully raised his head.
"I just...I just…." Jack's miserable expression went worse. HG's annoyance level rose by tenfold.
"Speak!" she demanded.
Jack obeyed, his voice sounded small, "I mixed up which switch was which. While I was trying to hook up the torch, I turned on the power for the machine accidentally. Jamal was in the hood trying to rework wires still and he got hurt."
HG's mouth tightened. She dropped down to examine the injured boy. She wasn't aware of when he arrived but House was already there carefully prodding on Jamal's wounds. His shirt was clean today but wrinkled and His face still needed a shave.
"How is he?"
Artie's voice startled from the rear, everyone glanced in his direction. "Those look bad, he's probably going to need to go above ground to a hospital."
"I am the hospital." House caustically replied.
The attorney moved to rebuke but HG held up a hand.
"Let the man do his job, or would you rather the board decide on this one too Nielsenn?"
Artie cut his eyes at the inventor but she'd missed his reaction as she'd dropped down to Jamal's side. Abigail, aside from being a chemist, originally trained to be a doctor she was kneeled at House's side handing him supplies as he prepped a needle full of pain reliever. Jamal made another pained noise these came out muffled as he tried to keep his mouth held tight. Saleem held his hands over his head, he looked lost and panicked. His eyes were fixed on his brothers wounded arm.
House spoke as he checked vitals a second time, "Most of its second degree burns, the worst of it was his hand. Those are primarily third degree. I will try to clean them up but that's not my specialty. It'd be ugly when it does heal but at least he's survived. One gimpy armed living twin, is better than being George without his Fred."
Normally a pop culture reference sent Jack on a roll, at this instant he was blanched face staring at the mess he'd accidentally caused. HG pushed onto her feet and clapped him onto the shoulder. He looked into her eyes, slowly as if he'd woken from a dream, then blinked twice. The inventor pressed her lips together in a reassuring expression and gently nudged for him to sit down at the workbench. Unlike the boys, and her other teammates aside from House and Abigail, she had seen these types of wounds plenty of times before and from that knowledge she knew without a doubt, the shock would wear off eventually.
HG withdrew to Artie, his bodyguards were with him and their hard expressionless faces eerily reminded her of the Jackals in the Egyptian House exhibit she'd seen as a youth. Tearing her gaze from the guards, she reassessed Artie himself. Despite his often brash behavior, the attorney looked genuinely concerned about Jamal's wellbeing. HG caught his eye and they held gazes for a long second before she turned around breaking contact. She raked her hand through her hair and spoke aloud facing her injured associate.
"I sent for more fuses, copper wiring, one of the torches needs to be replaced fully, and there's a list of more things outside on the wall. The kitchen's short but with rations it'll workout for at least another two to three months–"
HG cut herself off as she tried to remember what else she needed from above ground. Truth is, she wanted to see the sun and feel the air. If someone could bring that downwards to the hell she was in maybe things could be more bearable.
"This is stuff for when the others arrive?" Artie interrupted.
HG spun towards him, her dark eyes cutting through his. "No, this is what we need now. I'm telling you to your face, I'm not letting those people in here. A deal was a deal. You scout the people, I pick from the lot. There isn't any room for them anyway, unless they're bunking on the floors."
Artie looked aghast, "You seriously think you can carry this team all by yourself to the finish?" his eyes shot to Jamal, " You're short one pair of hands. You seriously think you could cover his work plus yours?"
The inventor met him with a hard determination.
"I've come too close to finish to allow you or anyone else change the course of a working plan. That's just bad business Nielsenn, you of all people should know that, Board leader." HG said.
Artie's jowls shook as he worked his mouth. No words came out but he was madder, or perhaps, more embarrassed, then ever.
"You've got some nerve Wells."
Like a trigger of a gun, the phrase pulled back in HG's memory and yanked her back into reality.
Images of lost faces, and the sounds of broken voices flashed threw her mind like they were being whipped around by a tornado and her eyes flashed open to the swirling neon lights of a dance hall. Frigid hands clasped tightly around her waist and though they were her own, they felt foreign and alien. The captor tilted sideways on the crate and felt as if her world was swirling. Afraid that she was losing more than just her mind and perhaps did lose her footing on the roof at some point, HG reached her hands out and touched onto the surface of the ground. The moment her hands met gravel, her stomach heaved and she retched. The spasm occurred twice, the second time mostly bile, before she collapsed fully onto the ground. Her head hurt, unbearably so, and all she saw before her eyes were black dots and stars. Instead of feeling cold, she now felt weak. Whereas at first she embraced the discomfort, now all she wanted was to be somewhere warm and safe, home. But then she remembered she didn't have one to go to.
.
.
TBC!
P.S.
What's a super annoying nickname to call your bf/gf/lover/significant other? Like major barf inducing?