The Scientist (Loki x OC)

Pt. 13: Intro to Alien Genetics

"I gotta be careful, I gotta be careful, ooh I've really gotta be careful, or I'm going to mess everything up before I've even done anything," Luna sang to herself to ease her anxious nerves.

The tube full of Loki's DNA sat in a rack on her desk, reheating via the temperature of the room. Keeping track of the time, she busied herself with taking mandatory inventory and cleaning any available surfaces. Five minutes pass by, then ten, then twenty. She knew the hot plate would have gotten the job done a lot faster, but the risk of denaturing the proteins and losing the DNA wasn't a pleasant thought. Luna could spare the extra time if it meant preserving the sample. Besides, she was getting paid for it.

Thawing seemed to go at a snail's pace. Perhaps this was a result of it being of alien origin? Maybe, maybe not. To know for sure, Luna would need another alien. Too bad those were exceptionally hard to come by, especially those willing to participate in a scientific study. Her daily notebook entry was filling up fast with hypotheses and possible paths forward, an entire page already littered with multicolored scribbles.

Luna's lower back and neck ached from being seated for so long. It was tiring to sit on an uncomfortable stool and stare at the numbers of a digital thermometer slowly crawl to the desired temperature. She took her gloves and glasses off and rubbed her eyes. This stage of experimentation always reminded her of undergrad lab classes. She put her gloves back on, glanced over at the thermometer numbers, and wrote it down along with the current time. It was times like these that she remembered the wise words of her many professors as well as Adam Savage: the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down. In this case, the screwing around was staring at the wall for several minutes at a time and taking short notes when those several minutes were up.

Song after song, she went through what felt like most of her playlist, and yet, time seemed to pass slower and slower. It was difficult to resist nodding off, even while in a backless chair. To fight off the desire to doze, Luna thought about what Loki was up to. Were there enough leftovers for him if he wanted any? Was he as bored as she was right now? Would he remember that he shouldn't put tin foil in the microwave? Probably, but he might just do it anyway. As perceptive as she was, Loki remained unpredictably predictable.

Luna took another look at the thermometer. It was closer to the desired temperature but not quite yet. She wrote down the number next to the current time, and, for good measure, picked up the tube and gave it a few taps. The DNA portion would have to be resuspended with buffer solution, but overall, it was nearly all thawed out. Maybe one or two more songs and she'll check again. She swayed in her seat to the song currently filling up the lab. An oldie but a goodie. One from her childhood days spent listening to Bob Dylan while on the way to middle school. The innocence and carefreeness of life back then were enviable.

Deep in thought, wondering if her dad had brushed her hair one day in March seventeen years ago, a trio of sharp knocks pulled her back to the present. She braced her hands on the table edge and stood up slowly.

"This ain't heaven, but who's knock-knock-knockin' on my door?" Luna muttered, reaching for the door and opening it.

"Hello, Ms. Fields. How has your day been going?" A smooth voice spoke once the door was open all the way. Luna gave her new visitor a bright smile.

"To be honest, a little boring until about five seconds ago."

"And why would that be?"

"Because the stunning visage of Ms. Pepper Potts has now graced my doorway."

"Oh please, no need to flatter me." Pepper grinned, waving her hand to brush off the comment.

"Not flattery, Ms. Potts, the truth. I really am very pleased to see you, super boss."