While You Were Out ...

Chapter 7

"Is your safety apparatus locked in place?"

"Eh? Oh, ye mean the belt." Jamie gazed down at the wide safety belt fastened from his right shoulder across his chest and lap. He nodded. "Aye."

"Good," Zoe replied with a smile before turning her attention to a flat display recessed into the dashboard of the hypersonic transport. "I'll just set the coordinates for the sampling location ..."

Her smile broadened as she pressed a switch to activate the computer. Dr. Marius, the scientist who usually accompanied her to collect samples, was unavailable this morning. A piece of lab equipment had malfunctioned and he was the only one with the expertise to fix it. Leo and the other senior scientists reminded her they were required to work in pairs, and Zoe realized it was the perfect opportunity to suggest Jamie accompany her. They had initially hesitated but were then quick to agree once she stressed how well-suited he was to the sample collection process —being the 'father' of this particular drilling method, of course.

She had just begun to enter the coordinates when the sound of Jamie quietly clearing his throat cut through her thoughts. "Ye know, sometimes when ye're off finding these sample things, I ... Well, I um ..." Turning toward him, she noticed his complexion had reddened a little. He awkwardly avoided her gaze as he fussed with the collar of his linen shirt.

"You what?"

"I ..." He stopped and sighed. "Weel, I expect ye back at a certain time an' ye're nae there. I ..."

The petite scientist gazed at him in surprise. "You worry about me?"

"Weel, aye!" Jamie replied defensively. "I cannae help it. It's always been ma job tae protect ye. I mean, if anythin' happened to ye, I'd blame m'self."

Touched to hear him admit this, Zoe found herself unable to speak for a moment. Finally she found her voice. "I've never come back that late, Jamie. And whenever I do, it's usually due to equipment malfunctioning, or having to repeat the sampling process due to contamination. Such issues are not out of the question, and I've always tried to get back as soon as I can." She smiled reassuringly at him. "Whatever happens to me out there is not your fault."

Jamie nodded. "I know. But I still cannae help worrying." He suddenly grew a smile. "Which is why I'm glad I finally got a chance tae go with ye."

"I'm more eager for you to see the process up close. And perhaps you'd even get to experience these phenomena yourself."

"Aye, it does feel giud tae get oot of that laboratory fer once," he admitted, wrinkling his nose.

The petite scientist regarded him blankly. "I don't see what's so awful about it.".

"Hey, ye're nae the one pretendin' tae be a scientist!" he retorted. "I'm runnin' outta 'sciency' things tae say to them."

Zoe chuckled sympathetically. "Well, I'm more than happy to have you join me for some hands-on work within the discipline of rudology, Jamie McCrimmon."

"Eh?"

"Rudology. Geology is the field of natural sciences concerned with the study of the Earth. This planet is called Rudara; therefore, it stands to reason that the study of all natural sciences pertaining to this planet is called rudology."

"Oh." He then paused in thought. "But stones an' other stuff disappearin'? Doesn't sound natural tae me."

"Perhaps not on the surface, but it's quite possible there is a very logical explanation for it. That's what we're trying to figure out here." She barely caught a nod from Jamie as she finished inputting the coordinates into the computer.