Inner Workings

Inner Workings - Part 3

Friday morning, Will checked his bloodshot eyes in the reflection of his blanked computer screen. He didn't remember looking so bad when he left his apartment. He blamed his appearance on his lack of sleep. And his nightmares. He didn't want to think about what they meant, it would wear him down. And who would listen? Not Louis. When he originally tried to bring it up Louis shot him down, telling him to pretend it never happened. At least he would get a break over the weekend.

Louis rapped on his desk. "C'mon, Fanboy. Cetz wants us in his office."

Will nodded and downed the rest of his green tea.

Think happy thoughts, he told himself. You're in a job you love, helping people, and Louis hasn't snapped at you today. Yet.

In Cetz's office the mood became lighter as he was filled in about Massaru's upcoming trip home.

"Woot!" said Will.

"I know, very exciting," said Cetz, taking off his headset. "I didn't bring you in here to celebrate. Travel arrangements are being made but Watch Mission Control insists that Massaru go with an escort. They suggested the two of you since you've been around him the most, and I agreed. Up to you if you'll take it."

"I'm up for it," said Will grinning.

"This isn't a fieldtrip, Fanboy." Louis drained his coffee. "I'll go."

"Good," replied Cetz. "We should have the final arrangements made by Tuesday; mostly likely a commercial airline. After all Massaru went through for the Watch he's being allowed a little luxury in business class instead of a military plan. I'll get a list and travel detail to you by this afternoon. Meanwhile, visit Rachel to rearrange your testing schedule for next week. She's expecting you."

Louis groaned as they were dismissed.

"Aren't you happy for him?" said Will as they walked back down to Main Tech. He fished his mint tin out of his jean pocket. "This is great news!"

"News?" huffed the blond. "I heard about this yesterday."

Will looked surprised. "Yesterday? When?"

"When I took a coffee break with Massaru."

"You take coffee breaks with Massaru?"

"Why not? You have lunch with him all the time." Louis frowned at his empty mug. "I'll see you in the BT lab. I need a refill."

Will walked on, a puzzled smile on his face as he popped a mint. He never thought of Louis as sociable, especially with Massaru who sometimes rambled on. Perhaps Louis wouldn't mind if Will brought the dreams up?

Metal clattered from the break room. "Who forgot to refill the coffee pot?!"

And maybe he would.

***

"Come one, Bella. Eat something."

The slices of fruit Rachel offered went unnoticed as the chimpanzee slunk back to the tire swing, swaying slowly and clutching a rubber toy. Rachel sat back and sighed, letting the fruit bowl settle down on the floor next to the slot in the observation cage. The last thing she wanted was to give the temperamental chimp medication on an empty stomach. Then again, she didn't want chimp vomit all over the cage either.

"She took her vitamins," said a lab assistant. "But her appetite is nonexistent. Temperature is still up."

Rachel stood up. "We'll give her another day. But keep the vet on hand if she gets worse."

Back in her office, Rachel went over the day's progress, and lack thereof, as well as the test she had rescheduled for next Tuesday. Louis had been pissed at the change, of course. But what he had really been angry about was that the test would have him inside Will for half the day. Will had said nothing even though the test meant him not eating for at least sixteen hours.

Rachel tapped her pencil off her desk, wondering if her next report to Doctor Kilo would be enough to sate the curiosity of the Watch One science committee. Kilo had warned Rachel the rest of the committee was anxious to get a first-hand look at Louis and his abilities. Rachel didn't want to put a fellow Watch agent in their hands if she could help it, so she had to make her reports and findings as thorough as possible.

And on Monday they had the new psychologist to worry about.

***

Another hotel, cheap and not nearly as clean as the last one. Sandra Pearl stripped the sheets off the bed and then doused her hands with sanitizer afterwards. She could smell the residual cigarette smoke in the curtains. The dust on the entertainment center that housed the television was atrocious. If her UV wand hadn't broken while leaving the construction company, she probably would have seen glowing streaks of filth everywhere.

"Don't think about that. Just the numbers and the network. Think about the numbers and the network." Sandra muttered over and over again, a prayer against the invisible dirt. She plugged in her laptop and opened into the Watch network again. Following the thread back to the financial records she scanned for new entries. She slimmed down her results to ones connected to travel. One caught her eye.

A flight for three to San Francisco, California. And it originated from Watch Two. Who did she know that lived in California? Surely she could remember something. Did she have time to look up personnel rosters? No. Her ten minutes were almost up. She daren't risk getting caught.

Just as she was closing her laptop she remembered a man that had worked temporarily in Med Tech of Watch One. A doctor with a lilting Indian accent and a habit of running off with his mouth. Massaru Devi. If Martin Zachs had been right in his last communication, then Devi had been the mole in the Freewill organization.

Miserable, dirty, and lacking sleep, Sandra Pearl smiled. She had an idea, and tomorrow she would call her contacts.