When It Rains

Chapter 12 - Changing Nature

I'm out of bed the next morning and ready to go before Brooks has a chance to wake me up.

"You're bright and bushy tailed," he says. "What's going on?"

"Eager to get to work!" I say. "I have a piece of a puzzle to put together."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I can't, not just yet."

"That hurt my feelings," Brooks says, sticking out his bottom lip in a pretend pout. "You usually tell me everything."

"You make me laugh, Brooks!"

"Glad to have helped. Anyway, you'll be travelling to the institute solo."

"Elody pulling an all nighter?"

"Something like that," Brooks says.

"Have the car ready now," I say. "And a bagel and coffee to go. I'll leave now."

Brooks raises an eyebrow.

"This is getting juicy," he says and strolls out of my room.

I'm hoping Nicole won't be in the office either. I want to look into my power theory further and I'll be able to do that easier without my supervisor's sharp eyes on me.

I go to the bathroom one more time and then go downstairs. A servant is waiting for me at the front door. They hand me my bagel in a brown paper bag and my coffee in a pink metal to-go cup.

"Thanks," I say, grabbing my breakfast and heading outside.

It's another beautiful sunny day. Precipitation isn't being scheduled until Monday, three days away. Sebastian wants snow for the beginning of Weathermas.

Getting into the back of the car, I nod to the driver. I don't think I've seen this man before but I can't really see his face. His Globalgov grey and black cap is pulled down almost over his eyes. How can he see? I'll ignore it. I'm sure he can drive. Besides, Globalgov guards change often so it's not like I'll get this driver again.

The driver takes the SUV down the driveway and out into traffic. He's doing a good job of not getting into any accidents. We arrive safety at the science institute and I nod at him on my way out of the vehicle.

In the office, I find a handwritten note Nicole has left me on my desk.

Continue with data entry.

Best, Nicole

"That's my plan!" I say out loud.

The door to the computer room piled with papers isn't locked so I let myself in. I hit the power button on one of the machines and then grab a bunch of papers.

"Let's figure this out," I say to the computer in front of me.

Flattening one of the data sheets on the table with my hand, I read the information: CB/3, LED, 133200 lm/Laser 50 nm.

"Nope," I mutter. "I have no clue what this means."

I study the words again. Again, they make no sense to me.

"Ha! Maybe this stands for Crinae Booth is a three-year-old, who led a bunch of people into lasers."

Maybe it does...

It kind of makes sense. The first two letters could stand for someone's initials. The number after it could be the phase. I know the data entry is way, way behind, we're in Phase 5 now. So, Phase 3 would work. The other stuff I don't know but I think it looks like: Person/ Phase # / experiment jargon. I look at the paper underneath this one. It says: LP/3, LED, 13390 lm/Laser 90 nm.