Scientific Crescendo - Book 2: The Genetics Project 🪼✔

5 - No Vacuum Sucks

I woke up the next day and went to all my classes banally, waiting for the time I could get to my nanobots in the science building. I couldn't wait to get them all programmed and everything. Well, they were already programmed but I needed to make sure that they worked and all the systems were intact with them.
On the way to the science building, I heard someone call my name and I turned, finding Tayla skipping up to me.
"What up, Sim? What you doing?"
"I'm about to go work on my nanobots..."
"Can I come?"
"Um... I don't think that would be a good idea. I need it to be quiet while I work on them which is why the professor let me have the key so I could work in peace."
"I can be quiet. I'm not that loud and I don't eat much." She said with a pouty face.
I smiled. "Really, I wish I could have some company but it would be disastrous if I did something wrong on my nanobots. I have to have utter silence so I can hear myself think."
Tayla's smile dropped a little and I felt really bad about not being able to let her come but it was a delicate process.
"Well, how long do you work on them?"
"Late into the night."
"How late?"
"Late."
"You're being vague... I was going to bring you something to eat is why I was asking, dummy."
"Oh... Um... I guess around 11:00 or something..."
"Okay. Hey, are your nanobots secret?"
"No, not really. I'm the only one that can get a hold of them though. Why?"
"Well, I mean, usually when people are all secretive about their stuff it's because it's something really secret that they don't want others to see but you've been talking about it with me and stuff."
"I trust you."
Tayla looked at me in surprise. A small blush came over her and she looked away.
"Oh... Th-thanks..."
"Yeah... If you want to come by around 10:30 or so with food then I should have the door unlocked if I'm not preoccupied with my programming and stuff."
"Neat! I'll come by then!"
I nodded and went on toward the science building.

*******************

I was thoroughly engrossed in my programming when I felt someone looking over my shoulder. I stopped typing and looked over my shoulder quickly and yelped.
"Sansr... God, why don't you say anything?"
"You need 'complete silence', I thought." She said with air quotes.
"Yes but at least announce your presence... What is it?"
"Are you going to stay in here all night again?"
"The faster I get all these done, the more I can relax."
"Baby, your idea of relaxing is getting this done. You're a science geek through and through. I have a better way to relax though..." she said as she ran her finger across my shoulders.
"I can't."
Sansr leaned on me and then kissed my neck and nibbled my ear. I felt my face flush at her intimacy and she tugged on it a little.
"Does it make you hot when I do this to you?" she whispered into my ear and then blew in it softly.
It tickled and I jumped, making her stand up.
"Sorry... uh... I really need to get back to work now, Sansr."
"You never have any time for me, Sim. I'm going to have to leave you if you can't provide me some fun."
"I can be fun."
"I know you can; it's a matter of getting you there. I swear it's like science means more than love or something."
I made a face at her. We were going out but we were not in love; I knew that from the way she was speaking to me. Besides, I have no idea what love is and probably never will until it hits me and with Sansr, it hadn't hit me yet. But I wasn't going to tell her that.
"I'll take off of it tomorrow and we'll do something then, okay?"
"Make it Wednesday. There's a big party at Matt's house and we were invited. I want to take you and I want to have fun with you. We'll dance and drink and all sort of fun things."
"Sure, sounds great."
Sansr smiled and kissed my cheek. "You know I love you, right?"
"Yes."
She skipped away and I sighed, rubbing my temples in exhaustion. I started to get back to work when I felt hands over my eyes.
"Oh, Sim, I just love your science and your nanobots. They makes me so hot." A really bad female voice said from behind me.
I smiled and turned, finding Bay looking at me with a smile.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"My girlfriend's brother goes here and I figured you'd be held up like a weirdo in the science lab." He said, sitting on the edge of the table, moving his ginger hair from his face. "I saw your girlfriend leave. Were you two getting it on?"
"No... Sheesh..."
"For a college kid, you sure don't get around much."
"I'm sorry my libido is not as high as yours. I'm surprised at you anyway."
"Eh, I get around."
"I know. That's what's so surprising. Are you that good?"
"Ask your girlfriend." He said with a joking look.
"Don't make me kill you."
"I thought you said you had to have 'complete silence' to do your work?" I heard Tayla say as she brought in a pizza. "Looks like you're chatting it up pretty well... Bay? Is that you?"
"Hi."
"I haven't seen you in a while; do you remember me?"
"Uh... no..."
"I'm Tayla Vitzbragen, I live next to Dexter."
"Oh yeah. What's up?" he said with a tick of his tongue and pointing his finger at her.
Tayla smiled and set the pizza down.
"You done yet Dr. Leoda?"
I smiled at her and looked at the screen.
"About. I need to test the nanobots out and make sure that they all turn on and stuff."
"Where are they?"
"In that closet over there. They're dormant in a canister for now... Can you get them for me? They're in the top canister."
"I'll go..." Bay said, heading toward the storage room I pointed to.
Tayla opened the box of pizza and pulled out a slice.
"I got your favorite. I think... You like veggie right?"
"I like everything."
"Hey, Sim!? I can't reach the canister!" Bay yelled from the closet.
Tayla, who was taller than me by a couple of inches flashed me a grin and set her pizza slice back down.
"I'm coming, Shorty. Let me help you out there."
"I don't need you, Amazonian." Bay growled back.
I put my pizza down and walked in with them to make sure it was the right canister. Tayla was reaching up onto the top shelf and I tsked.
"Now who did that? I can't even reach it and it's my experiment... I'll have to put it up by myself next time..."
Tayla was just missing it by a hair with her fingertips and Bay was smiling.
"Oooh, big bad girl can't get it..."
"Hush up, Shorty... Got it! Ah!"
We all screamed as the canister opened and a rain of tiny dots fall on top of us. I moved out of the closet with Bay and Tayla close behind, Tayla doing a dance to get them off of her.
"Ewww! It was like a thousand little spiders just fell on me!"
"Those were my nanobots!" I growled, more at the canister that should have been vacuum sealed than Tayla for dropping them.
"I'm so sorry, Sim. I'll get them all up..." she said, seeing my face.
"Yeah." Bay said, wiping them off his shirt. "It's like little beads or something."
"Don't worry... Luckily they were programmed to reassemble and be counted if this ever happened..." I entered the code into the computer and walked back to the closet.
I watched as the nanobots all reassembled into a small pile and I turned the canister over to scoop them all in. I then went to the computer and entered the code for a count. They were all (thankfully) there.
"There, see? Right as rain..."
"I'm really sorry, Sim."
"It's not your fault. Someone didn't set the vacuum seal on it. It shouldn't have opened even if an earthquake shook the place and beams fell on it."
"Well, that's enough science for me. I'm going to go find my girlfriend now and make out with her. I feel all... sexual..." Bay said, leaving the room.
Tayla and I watched him and she turned to me.
"Funny how he's gotten laid more than you."
"He doesn't care. He should, but he doesn't. I hope he doesn't get a disease or worse..." Get pregnant like Dad...
"Well then... pizza?"
"Yeah, I'm hungry."
We ate the pizza and then I went back to my dorm.