System, are you messing with me?

Ark 3 - Vaccine

Right after Shu Ning had put the sleepy and overly satisfied Shi Yong into bed and left him in Shi Juan's care, he followed Hu Jin towards the labaratory. It was an unconspicious building, blending in perfectly with the surrounding houses and only the guards standing stiff at the front door told people that it was not your average lodging.

Hu Jin stepped up to the entrance of the building and showed the stern looking men guarding it his identification. With a nod they were allowed to pass and Shu Ning got draged down a flight of stairs just to step into an elevator and drive up all the way to the top floor.

"The top floor can only be reached by this elevator and it unfortunately only has two stops. The basement and the top floor."

"i thought you didn't accept the job, so how do you know so much about this?"

"The chief showed me around a few times already. Just in case I said yes."

An embarassed flush spread across Hu Jin's cheeks as he caughed into his fist making Shu Ning smile at himself in understanding. It seems that his dear friend actually really wanted to participate in the development of the vaccine and also wanted Shu Ning to work on it with him. For a second he wondered if he should be angry that he fell for such a scheem, but looking at the sheepish face of his companion made him relent in th end.

After the doors of the elevator finally opened they were met with a large room, bursting with people wearing lab coats, running about and talking amongst each other. For a moment the crowd stopped what they were doing when the newcomers arrived but quickly turned to ignoring their presence.

Shu Ning whistled in amazement as he carefully made his way through the mass and took in the mostly occupied tables and their cluttered surface. At some point the crowd lightened a bit and Hu Jin turned towards him in a 'tada' gesture, pointing at the table that would be theirs in the foreseeable future. It was smaller than the others they had passed and put in the far off corner of the room. 

"Did the chief give you this spot?"

"Oh no. That was.... umm..... Well, I do not remember his name anymore, but he was introduced as the head scientist of this labaratory. He is responsible for everyone inside of this room and the chief placed me into his well loving 'care'"

Shu Ning roled his eyes when Hu Jin lifted his hands to put quotes around the word 'care' and shared a small mocking smile with the other. 

"Come on then."

Like this they got themselves settled into the live of a scientist. Most of their days from then on were spend inside of the lab documenting their progress, washing their tools, taking care of mutated plants and using their busy schedule as an excuse to avoid most of the other occupants of the room. They rather liked staying in their own little bubble in the corner and not beeing bothered overly much. Though, from time to time people would still draw closer to their table, looking at them in dissatisfaction and scorn, before leaving in a huff again when neither Shu Ning nor Hu Jin reacted to the obvious provocation.

A few months after they had settled into this new routine and when most of the other scientist had already left for the night, Xu Dan came stroling into the room. The guy had a bright smile on his face and carrying a carefully wraped bundle in his arms. With a short survey of the room he made his way towards the table of Bancho, the head scientist, -That was at least what Hu Jin decided to call him by as neither of them could be arsed to actually remember that guy's proper name - and dropped the package onto the table.

(Authors note: Bancho means Boss of a gang)

"Still working? I told you to take it easy. Overworking yourself is not good for your health or for humanity. You are the only one who is actually capable of developing the vaccine after all. Come on, I've brought something to eat for you."