The Lost Artifact Of Spode

002

Only 5 minutes late, Mel ran up to the building which he worked. A tall, large, dark blue building with more windows than walls. While the building he worked at was one of a few space agencies in his country, the NSAST is easily the largest on Earth, housing every branch related to its space program. From simple astrology to extraterrestrial colonization.

As for Mel, he worked with rockets and space travel. He's been one of the leading aerospace engineers for Earth since before he even worked at the NSAST. Although he wasn't apart of the team who made it happen, he helped figure out how to place a Dyson Sphere on the sun. Or, at least a ring around it with the same intention.

And within the first year he was hired, he invested into much more efficient space ships so planet hopping wasn't so taxing. Before, space travel was strictly for colonization. Now, it's as easy to travel from the planets in the solar system as it is to travel to other countries on Earth.

Now, he's been working with interdimentional travel. He's hoping by the end of the century, he'll get humans on planets outside of their solar system. He believes his answer to how may lie in wormholes.

Mel jumps up the steps to his department and pulls on the door handle, as if he'll ever find the door unlocked. He then reaches to his chest for his name tag... only to find it missing. He quickly pats all of the pockets he wore, hoping he had just misplaced the thing. However, he couldn't find it. He forgot his name tag, his one key into his building.

"Mr. Yazzie, again?!" A voice booms from behind him. Mel turns around to face a man about the same size as him.

He sheepishly smiles. "You know me, Lao. I'd lose my head if it weren't screwed on," he laughs.

Mr. Lao was the only other scientist who was the same size as Mel. He's a short, balding, laotion man who transfered to the NSAST just last year. While the two weren't close by any means, they were still on friendly terms with each other. Mr. Lao was nothing more than a good coworker.

He scans his name tag on the scanner, the held open the door for Mel.

"You need to keep a name tag on all your shirts," he teases. "That way you stop locking yourself out every morning."

Mel steps inside the building. "It's not *every* morning."

"Might as well be," Mr. Lao laughs.

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "I've gotten better."

The two of them walked the short distance to the break room together, sharing a small conversation about nothing. Mr. Lao immediately clocked in and left Mel with a quick bye. Mel, on the other hand, opened his locker for his labcoat before clocking in, too.

It wasn't a requirement for someone in his department to wear a labcoat, but he liked wearing one regardless. Not only did it hide his chain, keeping him safe from another dress code violation, but it made him feel like a real scientist to walk around with it on.

Mel worked deep in the building, on the third floor. It was a very long walk from the break room, but he never minded it. The building was decorated really nicely. If it weren't for the tile floors and LED lights, inside was pratically identical to walking around outside.

He liked seeing all the people walking around, too. People lost in their work. Enjoying conversations with their coworkers. Even those who were there just to take care of the absolute abundance of plants. People from all over not just the world, but the solar system too, united under one roof with the same interest of space.

And to think this wouldn't be possible without everyone being able to share one language.

Mel's office was completely empty by the time he arrived. It was a good sign. No one was waiting to lecture him about being late again.

At least for now.

He opens his computer and begins on his work. Lately, he's been studying the quantum partials around the local universe. He noticed that these partials have different properties in different parts of the galaxy, almost appearing as different partials all together. But once these differences are exposed to each other, the partials adapt the same properties as the ones surrounding them.

More or less, anyway.

He's hoping with this information, he's able to find otherwise irratracable wormholes. Mel already believes he might've found one somewhere in the Keiper belt. He just needs to collect more solid evidence to convince his boss to let him send a team out for a proper analysis.

And with enough luck, he might even get to be apart of that investigation team. Just the thought made him giddy with excitement.

However, as his research loaded up, he noticed a note was left in the Proxima-A system.

It was odd, he knows he didn't leave any kind of marker anywhere on his data. He always takes his notes and records his research on his glasses. Was someone on his computer? But he always keeps it locked.

Mel taps on the solar system, enlarging it to see what the marker was about. The note was left on one of the dwarf planets on the outskirts of Proxima-A. An unnamed, uncolognised, but seemingly habitable dwarf planet. The note didn't say anything though, it was nothing more than a marker.

He taps on the planet and studies it for a quick moment. There was nothing noteworthy about this rock, and the information they had on it is very limited. Although, the Proximians were a rather unfriendly and territorial species. It makes sense he couldn't find much info on this planet.

But regardless, it doesn't seem noteworthy in the slightest. So why was there a note with it?

After one last look, Mel decided to drop this distraction. He opened up his note app on his glasses and took a quick record of this planets information. The placeholder name, it's coordinates, and it's system. Just in case there was some significance with this planet in the future.

With that, he clears the empty note left on this planet and begins his continued research with the possible wormhole. Maybe today he'll gather the more solid evidence he needs for his expedition.