Argent Glass

Chapter 11 - Brief - Pierce

The late afternoon sunshine filtering through the dome beyond the conference room window bathed the walls in the color of spun gold. Pierce watched dust motes float in the air, turning and sparkling and spinning in the ray of light that stretched from behind him and over the table where he and the others sat.

Unbidden, a memory of sunlight on a timeworn face swept over him.

Late day sun brought a golden glow to the old woman and accentuated the map of wrinkles around her tormented eyes. At full height, she was still so tiny she could not reach Pierce's shoulder standing on tip-toes. Her small fists pummeled his chest but he could barely feel them and he waited with his own tormented eyes shut tight until the anger had washed through her.

To his surprise, the pounding ceased after a short moment, and he found her arms around his waist. Unsure where to place his hands which had rested at his sides throughout her attack, he slowly brought them around her shoulders. Silent, racking sobs shook her small frame and when he felt her knees give out, he was ready. She felt like no more than a sack of rice in his arms as he carried her to a chair inside the small sparse home.

He stood watching her sob, riveted by the wisps of hair tangled at the edge of her scarf.

"Chadar, not scarf," he absently corrected himself.

His eyes darted to the door opening across the room. The woman who had flown in with the chopper walked in. She took a seat at the table without acknowledging him and greeted Michael with a nod. A filtered ray of sunlight added a soft glow to her face and picked up the burgundy highlights in the tight, black curls of her hair when she sat down. A spark of light on her pupils flashed as her eyes flew around the table assessing everyone. She folded her hands on the table in front of her and stared at her small rounded nails while she waited for the meeting to begin.

Pierce yawned.

The man at the head of the table took a bite of a powdered donut. The powder flaked off onto the front of his polo, smearing when he brushed at it. His eyes lingered on the audio conference phone sitting at the center of the table. A puff of powder flew from his lips and sparkled as it free-floated in the sunlight when he cleared his throat.

The phone on the table interrupted him, and Pierce almost laughed aloud when Michael swelled with importance. He wiped his powdered fingers on his shirttail and punched a button on the phone. "This is Michael Adams. I have Minjun Kim and Sergeants Landon and Pierce in the room as well."

The voice that replied sounded hollow like someone talking from the other end of a long hallway. It didn't pause for pleasantries. "As you all know, all current and former employees are required to report changes of address and we monitor international travel, arrests and any number of other warning signs due to the nature of the sensitivity of the information staff has access to. We continue to monitor email and phone for George Emory. If you remember, his foreign travel added him to the watch list before we transferred him from the dome. We've also added Carolyn Smith-Johns. Our reports show she has been working modified hours. Early intervention assessments showed her working until eleven several nights last month. Discussions with psych indicated a time zone adjustment from her recent move to the dome may be the cause.

"We have had no known breaches to electronic systems but are adding a new layer of encryption over the next 24 hours. Sergeant Landon will complete the computer upgrade. The security team will make their usual perimeter runs until she is ready to depart.

"The next weekly perimeter seal on the dome is scheduled. This will be a routine seal that will start at 7 pm and last 12 hours. Minjun will be running tests on oxygenation and checking the efficacy of the seal. Is everyone clear on their responsibilities for the seal?"

Minjun had taken notes with his head down throughout the meeting, scribbling quickly on the page before him. He stopped briefly to look up and offer, "Vapor measurements during the last seal still indicate some sort of structural instability. I have made alterations and am ready to test again."

"Anyone else have anything to interrupt with?"

Abashed, Minjun went back to his notes.

Michael spoke up to answer for everyone shaking their heads. "No, sir, I think we all understand what our roles are for the next couple days."

"Very well. Prepare for the upcoming seal." The lights on the audio conferencing pod went out.

Michael leaned forward and shoved the last of a donut into his mouth, the white powder collecting at the corners of his mouth. "Do you need any help with that upgrade, Sergeant?"

Pierce snorted. Sergeant Landon smiled at Michael. "I think I can handle it."

"Right. Well, let me know if you change your mind. I'll be in my office." He stood up and exited the room without a glance back.

Minjun stood, gave a nod to the others and followed him out.

"You really love that guy, don't you?" Landon asked Pierce.

"He's an idiot. How does that idiot get an IT position anywhere, much less a top secret research facility in the middle of the desert?" he retorted.

"Don't you have some barbed wire to string somewhere instead of worrying about that guy?" Robin chided lightly.

"Nope. The barb's all done," he drawled. "I have a turtle to deal with."

"A turtle?"

"Security breach. It tried to break through the perimeter fence. Cooked itself."

Robin wrinkled her nose. "Lovely."

"Not as lovely as you are," Pierce replied. "Do you have plans for tonight, Sergeant?"

"If you would have been paying attention, Sergeant Pierce, instead of trying to play footsies under the table, you would have heard I have a great deal of programming to complete before the only chopper scheduled to go in and out of here decides to go without me."

"You have plans for right now?"

She looked to the door, and then glanced at her watch. "I could probably free myself up for a half hour."

He stood up and walked toward the door.

"Just so happens I have a half hour right now too." He stopped to leer at her from the doorway and whispered, "Better prepare to have your security breached."

Her laughter followed him out the door.