Vicious Memories

Chapter 70 - Eva

58 Months Ago

He reviewed the document with a small crease between his eyes.

"Problem?" Eva asked, knowing there could be none. Everything had been taken care of.

"No," The Doctor said quickly. "Just thinking through it again. Making sure we didn't miss anything."

One of the blank lines already held her signature. The other called softly for his, but as his mouth twitched he hesitated to sign his name, looking up at the huge monitor that consumed one entire wall of their lab instead. Their digital handwriting was projected in harsh lines and looping scribbles, an entrancing map of ideas and plans that could only coalesce into meaning through their unique minds. It was a roadmap for their upcoming trial, and if it was successful it would change everything.

"It looks good to me," Eva said. She frowned in annoyance. "Liam will have to review it before it hits the director's desk. The location should be ready, though."

"I know Liam's type. I wouldn't even be surprised if we were in the service at the same time."

"You think?"

"I'd put money on it. He's a snake. A cunning snake. We'll have to watch him once we start."

"I've got your back."

The Doctor turned and gave her one of his rare, brilliant smiles. Eva felt her cheeks grow warm as his sparkling eyes held hers.

"You know I have yours, too," he said.

She nodded, and they both went back to reviewing the roadmap in silence.

Large banks of computers hummed around them, sounds bouncing off the gleaming chromes surfaces and stark walls to fill the room with a gentle vibration. Two lines of clean desks ran down the center of the white tile floor, but none of their lab assistants were with them at the moment. They were visible through a set of one-way mirrors opposite the wall monitor, prepping a room with glittering equipment. The processed air tasted harsh and sterile, like trying to breath through a gust of wind on a mountain peak.

Some people would have found this part of the compound stuffy, but it was where Eva felt most alive. Here she was in complete control, passionately working on a project she could have only dreamed of ten years ago.

The Doctor continued to ponder the roadmap. The science had been his forte, his time to lead. This part of the project, though - the psychology - was squarely in her domain. She was in the driver's seat.

"That friend I told you about?" she said to chase away the quiet. "We're getting together this weekend to celebrate. She's taking me to dinner. You should come."

"Oh, really?" He didn't take his eyes off the wall. "She invited me?"

"Well, I didn't exactly run it by her, but you should, anyway. This is our accomplishment, after all."

"Yeah." He finally looking over at her. "Yeah, maybe I will."

He cracked his knuckles and picked up the heavy black pen, positioning it above the sign-off sheet on the table. Eva thought she heard a soft sigh escape his lips, then he said, "Here goes nothing."

The tip of the pen met the empty line next to where she had signed her name - Eva Margal - in neatly looping script. Scratching overrode the hum of the computers for a few seconds, beautiful music to her ears. When he lifted the pen, his signature gleamed, the black ink still wet.

"Oliver Vidette."

She read The Doctor's name hungrily, gathering the pile of paper in her hands and pressing it into a neat stack, the edges perfectly in line.

The roadmap was done. It was time to begin.