I watch the flashing USB stick out of the corner of my eye. Just a few more seconds and all the files will be transferred.
I return my attention to the computer screen… specifically, trial 340 of an extremely tedious experiment I got suckered into joining as soon as Alma left me with some undergrad students. Hey, a healthy adult in the right age group and demographic subcategory just walked in? Sign them up. I could have said no, but I have a soft spot for undergrads—I've been through the struggle myself, after all—and I knew it'd give me access to a computer for a while.
It's one of those word priming studies where you're presented with faces and masked words, and you have to do a billion trials before it's over.
The USB's light eventually turns green, signalling the completion of the data transfer. I remove it from the computer and put it back into my pocket. The task is done.
A few more minutes, and I'm done the student's experiment as well. I consider waiting for her to return, but decide to pop my head outside to look for her.
Big mistake.
A very surprised-looking Dr. Nikolav stops mid-walk to stare at me in bewilderment.
"Hey Dr. Nikolav." I smile as naturally as possible, "Have you seen Casey? I was a participant in her experiment just now and I'm done."
"She's in the next room." He points to the closed door across the hall before turning a critical eye my way, "Is it okay for you to be here? Shield won't be mad?"
"I got permission to drop by and say hello to everyone." I answer.
"That doesn't sound like Shield, and it certainly doesn't sound like Alexander Pierce." Dr. Nikolav laughs lightly, gesturing for me to follow him down the hall.
"I should get debriefed by Casey before I leave though, protocol and all…" I trail off, hesitantly following him.
"Bah, no need." Dr. Nikolav shrugs the thought aside, "It's just a class experiment, nothing formal."
The university's Ethics committee would take issue with that, but sure, if you say so.
The halls in the psychology building are narrow, the white stone walls barely visible, covered by a decade's worth of student research posters, taped up proudly for no one to see but the people who work here. Research on everything from autism to neuropeptides.
"I want to show you our newest addition." Dr. Nikolav leads me into a room I haven't seen before. It's an extension on the original building, and it was still under construction when I left.
He swipes his card and the heavy doors slide open. It's airy and bright, albeit small, and in the middle of the room, there sits a large FMRi machine.
"Isn't it great? Now we can do our own scans. It's very expensive, but we won't have to rely on the hospital anymore." He looks proud and excited all at once.
"It's gorgeous." I go with it.
And I really am impressed. I would have loved to have one of these in the lab when I was a PhD student. It would have meant less time spent running around trying to book scans at external facilities.
"I knew you'd be excited." He beams at me. When all I do is silently smile back, his excitement dissipates.
"Why are you so quiet today, Elise? I know you have no microphone. The magnet sensors would have gone off immediately when you stepped into the room. And you need not worry about cameras, none have been installed yet. You can tell me the truth." He closes the door and it locks behind us.
I feel a shred of relief. Why? Rumlow told me that Shield wouldn't be spying on me. I thought I trusted him. I guess I didn't.
Before I have the chance to answer Dr. Nikolav, he speaks again.
"I know things aren't going well at your lab, I suspected as much when you couldn't reply to me at the café. I haven't heard from Michael at all. I'm not so naïve as to believe your boyfriend's lies. Michael may be busy with his research, but he never professes to love it. He'll complain to the first person who will listen." Dr. Nikolav chuckles lightly at the thought.
"That Scientific American issue. Was that you?" I'm hesitant to say anymore.
"You got my warning, then?" Dr. Nikolav steps closer to me, lowering his voice, despite the fact that we're alone in this room.
I nod.
"I hoped you would get the reference. I recognize that man, Elise. He is no simple navy seal." His face darkens with some memory, "That man is a mercenary. When Michael said you were dating someone within Shield I had never imagined it would be Pierce's right hand man. You're putting yourself in a dangerous predicament, child."
"I didn't know when we started dating." I look down at my feet, feeling uncomfortable.
"Just be careful." His voice is gentle as he places a hand on my shoulder, "I don't know what's happening, but you must be in some danger if you are being forced to come here. Is Michael…"
I note the hesitance in his voice as he struggles to word the question.
"He's dead. They killed him because he wouldn't join their new project."
Saying it out loud makes me feel a million times better, the heavy load lifted from my shoulders. I glance up at Dr. Nikolav, and his expression is grave, but not surprised.
"I had expected as much." He sighs, turning away from me, "And what did they send you here for?"
"They wanted information on your research." I hesitate, too ashamed and nervous to tell him about the USB stick.
To my surprise, he bursts into bitter laughter.
"Alexander Pierce is a fool. He thinks I'm hiding things from him?" He throws his arms out dramatically to emphasize the question.
"They have all the data, because I gave it to them. I worked on that project with a team at Shield, at Nick Fury's bequest. The goal was to induce retrograde amnesia, to selectively wipe memories and replace them with new ones. Memories about experiences and parts of people's lives. The project ended in semi-failure. We could hide memories for a while, but not erase them permanently. Reminders could bring them back."
I watch him pace back and forth, and I believe his story. He has nothing to gain by telling me lies.
"I left that project when it was abandoned. All the data, all the information… Pierce has it already. He obviously thinks he can improve the research, but what he plans to use it for, I don't know." A look of serious contemplation appears on his face, and he drifts into silence.
I think I know. He wants to wipe the subject's memory. There are things they don't want him to remember. I guess the technique they use hasn't worked well so far.
"Anyway. I will not stand in your way, Elise, if you are in danger." He turns to me once more, placing both hands on my shoulders this time, "I could care less about them having my research data. I only hope you can escape this madness soon."
His concern warms my heart.
"I hope so too, but I also worry about your safety, Dr. Nikolav. Don't give anything away to Pierce or to the others in this lab. Pretend we never spoke today." I can't bear the thought of him being targeted for finding out their plot.
"I promise, I will forget everything we said here. I won't be sending you messages in Scientific American again, but keep a careful eye out for your safety." He pats my shoulders firmly, and then moves to unlock the door.
After a quick goodbye, I leave the lab alone. When I'm finally out of the building, I press the button on the back of the necklace. To my relief, it's just like Rumlow said. My phone rings in my pocket, and I answer as casually as possible.
"Everything go okay?" His tone is lighthearted, expectant.
"Yeah. I got the data." I start my walk back to the parking lot.
"Did you run into Nikolav?"
"Nope."