Novo Cetus

Chapter 18

In Colorado, Dan and Melinda followed Moto to the rec room in silence.

The recreation room sat in the middle of the giant research facility. Designed in the tradition of great rooms of the 1990s, or great halls of medieval times, this room featured a vaulted ceiling, different recreational game tables, a kitchenette and a small study area with all-purpose furniture and a bookcase. This communal area aimed to be the crossroad of the facility where people could relax and refuel.

Moto ushered the two into the room. Melinda was underwhelmed. What she saw was a classic cafeteria/ recreation area, similar to common areas on a dorm floor or an employee-friendly office building. A couple of twelve-foot Formica tables hosted an assortment of brightly colored plastic chairs in one corner of the room. A large panel TV hung on a wall and comfortable looking furniture enticed people to gather and sit for the shared experience of a movie or TV show. Discretely scattered throughout the room were smart chairs, with individual audio and video equipment, available for those seeking a solitary experience.

Artfully angled against another wall were Ping-Pong, pool and chess tables. The chess tables sat in a noise-reducing cubicle, intended to muffle the raucous repartee at the other game tables.

A quick cooker and a toaster oven sat in competing corners on the wall dedicated to satisfying hunger. Confetti-colored counter tops, a double sink and a full-size stainless steel refrigerator promised to meet any mealtime requirements.

Melinda walked directly to the low, pressed board bookcase located in the reading area. She noted a hodgepodge of 1990 hard covers - Grisham, Follett and Clancy and science fiction classics from Brin, Ismonov, and Arthur C. Clark. An impressive assortment of prominent authors from the 2010s - Loper, Novack, Holt, Gray Kaye and Buckson - created an eclectic feel to the group. Showcased in the center of the shelving, numbered spines queued up in numerical order, was a complete set of old World Books Encyclopedia.

Dan picked up WXYZ. "I noticed the last time I was at my Mom and Dad's house my set had yellowed; did you clean these up?" Dan ran his hand over the nubby, vanilla, fake leather cover.

"Yes! I did! These were quite dingy, and they smelled kinda bad. They still smell bad - smell them." Moto sniffed his own R volume and waived it under Dan's nose. "I just wiped them down with wet wipes and-voilà! - they came clean. Check out inside volume A," Moto said to Melinda. "There is a sticker that says 'this complete set of World Book Encyclopedias XIX edition belongs to' and space to write a name. Well, Gretchen Greenwood carefully wrote her name and the year 1970."

Moto watched as Melinda found the volume. "I looked her up you know," he said. "She earned her doctorate in forensic anthropology and physical anthropology."

Melinda opened the cover, and there, in perfect penmanship, was the tightly written signature. Seeing these books reminded her that, several years ago, she'd left a set of engineering books by Henry Pitroski at a lab where she'd worked a long-term project. Unable to part with her early reference books, Melinda had lugged them around for years, only to abandon them to a similar shelf like this one in a research laboratory in Phoenix.

Quiet surrounded the three as each thumbed through the dated reference book they held.

The intercom system cracked, and a male voice interrupted the silence.

"Where is everyone? Motto? Are my researchers here? Tillman is about thirty minutes out."

"That is Dr. Hardin, project manager. We need to get to him."

"I am here to help you and the team," Moto said to Melinda. "I can be the 'great organizer' or the 'ultimate finder,' whatever you need me to be. I have an exceptional reputation in the field." He smiled expectantly at her.

She looked at this odd young man, with his copper-colored hair, pale skin and black eyes. She sensed something genuine about him.

"You never did tell us the 'real story of Massimo Mulcrone.'" Melinda smiled back at Motto, then turned a definitive glare to the intercom. "But first I've got to find out why James is 'thirty minutes out' from a project that should be his!

Please comment and /or vote if you like this chapter.

Also for more information go to Facebook https://www.facebook.com/novocetus/info

Novo Cetus is now available on the createspace estore for 13.00$: https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=Maluth&sitesearch_type=STORE just search Novo Cetus.

If you like the entire book please write a review on the Facebook fan page.