Aggy and the Dinos

Chapter 5

Misuse of a company computer is probably the most frequently committed offence in the world of employment, only narrowly ahead of thieving stationery and using the office phone to make outside calls. Aggy called up Google, and stared hard at the search bar, fingers hovering over the keys.

"So, let's think Jordie. What would his dream day out be?" There was a pause.

"Coming to work?" Offered Dean.

"There has to be something he really enjoys."

"Yeah, coming here."

"Well what else? Anything." Another pause. The problem was, Jordie was too clever to go almost anywhere that wasn't involved in pioneering something. He was what you might call a non-functioning intellectual – he couldn't go to the theatre, because he could not imagine anything outside planning an experiment; he couldn't go to a theme park, because his understanding of the function of adrenalin had surpassed its usefulness; he did not particularly appreciate art, because he knew that the torment of mankind is largely self-inflicted; he didn't date, because he understood emotion at synapse level, which made them rather unecessary.

"Science museum?" Said Dean. Aggy looked at him, and slumped her shoulders.

"It's going to end up like that isn't it? Pissed at the science museum."

Footsteps in the corridor made them nearly fall off their stools. The guilty party looked round the monitor. Framed in the doorway, was Julian Evergreen. Dean began to come up with an excuse, but Evergreen spoke first.

"Do you want to see something cool?" He said.

Evergreen was walking fast, and talking faster. He was animated, excited, somehow desperate. Aggy had stitch from keeping up.

"I just have to show someone,' he said. 'This is the coolest thing that you have ever, and will ever see."

"Why do I doubt that?" murmured Aggy to Dean's right shoulder.

"It's better than being disciplined for mis-use of company equipment."

"Is it?"

They arrived at the door to the lab. The doors swooshed open.

"Follow me," said Evergreen. The lab was dark inside, though it had the feeling of a large space. There was something about how the air felt, a hint of a smell, which sent a tingle to Aggy's stomach. It felt like an alley at midnight, like stepping out of the light and into the unknown.

"There's someone else in here." She whispered to Dean. He nodded, wiping the back of his neck with a clammy hand. The door slid shut behind them.

"Walk forward a little," said the scientist. He had his back to the door.

"We can't see anything." Said Aggy in a jokey tone. There was a noise somewhere in the space in front of her.

"Ah, that's all part of the surprise." Said Evergreen. His voice was different now, harder and colder than the exuberant schoolboy they had encountered in the corridor.

Dean went to take a step forward but Aggy caught his sleeve.

"Don't." She said.

"Aggy it's alright." He said.

"It's not."

"It is." Said Evergreen. She turned to walk back out, and saw that there was a gun pointing at the back of Dean's head.

"Turn around, sweetheart." He said, with a nasty grin. One hand was on the gun. The other hand was on a red button.

She turned around. Now that her eyes were more accustomed to the gloom, she could see that they were standing in front of a pair of glass doors, framed by thick metal poles. There was a small corral-like area, behind which were more metal gurders, and more glass. There was something moving further back, a couple of somethings. Either they were on different levels, or they were bigger than her.