“Major Eisenherz.” The lanky, rugged man came seemly out of nowhere, edges of his pressed white labcoat flicking, security lanyard swinging, light catching his ID. Twin women with wrap-around ocular implants and loose clothing unobtrusively armored at every joint and plane flanked him as he walked, matching his long, excited strides.
Tessa blinked, just a split second of interest, curiosity, then shook the man’s quick-offered hand, responding with a smile of her own as he grinned a wide, eager grin. Part of her kept close, sharp tabs on the two women, but paid them no more apparent mind than she would have any other security staff. The only thing that made these two different was their extreme, almost factory-grade similarities, a hint at the fact that they were very probably vatgrown Derivatives, custom humans made in batches like tools and disposed of just as easily. GMOs, came the thought, Genetically Modified Organisms. It took every ounce of control she had not to swallow, not to let the nervousness, the mass of anxious emotions brewing in her chest show.
“It is pleasure to meet you,” The man grinned again before she could respond, his accent thick, a colonial hybrid colored by a language which had made its way into space from some Slavic stretch of eastern Europe. Russian, maybe Czech. “I am Doctor Jiri Radavich, head researcher of Horus Project.”
“Pleasure, Doctor.” One gloved hand came to rest almost shakily on the smooth top of the flight helmet hanging clipped at her side. Radavich nodded in response, just a light, casual nod, a gesture of easy understanding. He missed the reason for her nervousness by a solid mile.
“So!” He clapped his hands together, “You are interested in grand tour, or would straight to surgical bay be better?”
“Surgical bay.” Tessa swallowed lightly, gestured. “You can give me the abbreviated tour on the way there.”
“Very good.” He grinned again, then snapped his fingers. The twin security guards clacked to attention like a pair of soviet assault rifles and fell in behind the doctor and the major as if by reflex, flanking them as they walked.
“You are. . . excited about Horus Project?” He asked, smile still wide, the grin of a kid faced with an arm-load of presents.
“I’ve read the stripped down version of the technical specifications.” She nodded, evenly meeting the wiry doctor’s pale brown gaze. “I know what it does.”
“It is remarkable piece of technology.” Radavich grinned again, rounded a corner, shaking his head as he led her past a series of mirrored observation windows, doors labeled with unrevealing, four digit numbers. “Truly astounding.”
“Not half as astounding as some of the other things you probably do here, eh?” She grinned, ducked under the low edge of a blast door ten inches thick. “What other projects are you working on out at this end of the galaxy?”
“Many things.” Radavich made a loose gesture, waved once to a guard, pausing a moment as security fields went down, crackled the air in their wake. “Many things, but majority of facility is devoted to Project Horus and Project Gilgamesh.”
“Gilgamesh?”
“Sorry, Major, but you see, your security clearance. . .” He shrugged sheepishly, slid his card through a card lock securing another set of doors. “It only extend as far as Horus Project.” Doors opened, the chrome-steel interior of a cavernous elevator enfolded them with light as they stepped inside.
“Shame.” Doors closed, Radavich smiled, keyed a sequence on the elevator’s polyquid touch display.
“Ah,” He grinned as the elevator sunk five stories into the snow, raising a finger in a gesture that was quick, playful. “You would not say so if you were to see stack of confidentiality agreement staff have to sign just to get access to project,” He shook his head, “Gilgamesh is worst.” He made another gesture, identification jingling on his security lanyard with the movement. “Worst.” The elevator slowed, quivered around them, doors opening to another featureless hallway. “Some day, I almost wish someone else was head researcher. Seems like I am always signing something.”
Five doors down, Radavich paused again, lingered beside another numbered door, chewing his lip absently, identification card in hand. After a moment, he looked up again, met Tessa’s eyes in a solid, almost studying way. She blinked reflexively, smile fading to seriousness.
“What is it?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing.” He grinned again, made a dismissive gesture. “You must excuse me. You are bit of legend in biotech community.”
“A woman is more than the sum of her implants, Doctor.” She grinned back.
“Yes.” He nodded, “Yes. Ah, please, let me introduce you to staff of Horus Project.” He turned quickly, swiped his passcard through the doorlock, paused as the door whisked open.
“We are all very excited to be meeting you.”