Back to work

[Thyrzul]

The Bagatelle Mountains are kind of windy at this time of the year, this evening was no exception. It wasn't late for the docteur and the colonel to meet, yet it was already dark. These mountains provided a perfect location to hide stuff not meant for the public eye: with only three landing pads - each big enough for a freighter sized vessel, but nothing bigger - and a moderate sized hangar bay the facility didn't cause too much attention. Only who had to, knew what it contains.

Colonel LaFlamme arrived first. He carefully landed his swift Gecko and got out of it. Noticing that the doctor did not arrive yet, he started to walk towards the small door on the left of the hangar bay. He did not have to wait much to Lavoisier to arrive: A second vessel, a Tarvos-class freighter appeared over the mountains, approaching the site and landing on the pad next to the colonel's interceptor. He did not arrive alone, a young boy, looking geeky with mediocre glasses, probably one of his students was walking beside him. Pierre frowned.

Bonsoir, Docteur Lavoisier. I expected only the two of us.
Eh, oui, bonsoir Colonel. Let me introduce you my assistant, Gautier Blériot.
Bonsoir Colonel. - The boy offered his hand to the Colonel. Pierre didn't bother him.
Is he trustworthy?
So far he seems to be, and he better be. I assume, Gautier, you know you can lose more than your good grades if you prove to be otherwise? - Noticing Gautier's afraid looks he chucked a bit. - Furthermore he is a good asset of mine, being my assistent for about two months already. Excels at organic chemistry as well as at biochemistry, both which I assume we will in need of tonight.
Alors, let's go then.

The colonel stepped to the door, typed in the security code, pressed his finger against the fingerprint scanner and leaned towards the iris scanner. After all the three security measures have been passed, a mechanical sounding semi-loud "Entrée allouée" announced that they can enter, and so the door opened. The three of them stepped in.

It was dark in the empty hangar, only a few crates were left here and there to somewhat fill the place. They walked along the wall to an other door, then through a corridor, in dim light once the doctor found and turned the light switches on. It took them a few minutes of walking until they reached the elevators. Nobody anywhere, the whole place is automated and fully operational, twenty-four hours of the day on seven days of the week... or at least they thought so. The elevator started to take them to the -8éme floor, but then around midway it suddenly stopped. All the lights gone out leaving the trio in confusion.

What the...?
Oh, mon dieu.
Whoaoh.
Donc... umm... Anybody any idea what's going on?
I'm not sure, monsieur, but... - The lights came back, the elevator continues it's way downwards. - ... oh, here we go.
What did you do?
Nothing, Docteur.
Strange.
We may have to look around at the Command Room too after we are done down here. I want to check some things.

They arrived to their destination. Only a short corridor was ahead of them, leading to the main storage room. The doctor stepped to the door and did the procedures similar to what Pierre did up at the outside entrance. Once in they found themselves in darkness.

Meeeerde. - This was followed by various other nasty things coming from a man nobody ever heard of swearing on such a level as what he did just present. In the meanwhile Gautier started to look for a lightswitch.
Sacre bleu, Doc, what's wrong? - Pierre was waiting for the answer, yet he recieved none as the doctor was still swearing uncontrollably. The colonel felt enough and shook him. - CHARLES! Calm down et explain, what's wrong?
This god damn darkness, that's wrong. Back then, during the researches we found out that in darkness the K'Hara flesh rots extremely in darkness, regardless of it being in a NutriTank or not. Light is essential in keeping the samples at their original condition. And who knows how long were these ones in darkness? Do you think we would find anything useful here?

Pierre sighed in dislike and the doctor shook his head as well. Finally Gautier found that switch and turned the lights on. All of them looked around, the scientists being surprised once again.

Well, this is interesting. - said Gautier, and Pierre noticed too that the doctor too calmed down quite fast, instead he looked confused. This made Pierre nervous.
Alors, you two, you may know what's going on, but hey, je suis ici aussi, how about you keep explaining things to me? Unlike you, I'm not a scientist, but I still would like to know---
D'accord, Pierre, we got it. Gautier?

And Gautier started to explain to the colonel what their recent discovery was. The samples did not look anything like a fresh piece of flesh from a Nomad, yet neither looked like anything rotten of such kind. Most of the samples were looking like a dense piece of transparent plastic, way smaller and way more dense than they originally were. Nobody in the Division was expecting such level of degradation, not even Docteur Lavoisier himself. During the explanation an idea approached the doctor.

Gautier, could you find a database access terminal in this room?
Un moment, Docteur.
Alors.

It didn't take much for them to find the terminal: it was right next to the cargo elevator, which was opposite to the corridor leading to the personal elevator they arrived by.

Could you check if all the data is still available?
Oui, Doc. Do you need anything in particular?
I'm curious if the samples remained sorted by type and size or we have to do it all over again.
They are, as I see. Even the various brain-type samples are listed separately.
Wow, so the real brains are down here?

The doctor answered with a serious look. What?

Alors, I think we are done here. Within a week I will set up a scientist team to restart the researches. I don't want to bring all this stuff to the labs of the academy, that would just draw too much attention. In regards of this and that we have no other place to work---
Docteur, what about the Curie, the Marignac et the Marseille?
Those are not enough big to house all of this researches, and would be separated anyways. And you know, the Marseille is currently far from us. I was thinking about if we could set up a laboratory for the Division here, on any of the unused levels. Colonel? What are your thoughts on it?
I will mention this to the High Command, but currently I see no obstacles which could delay us. At least not from the authorization part.
Bon, good to hear. I guess we can go.
D'accord.

During leaving, in the elevator Charles remembered something he almost forgot. Pressed the button next to the only number above zero: 1ére floor. Once up there they found the Command room quickly, the level itself wasn't too big.

Et Doc, what exactly are you looking for? - asked Pierre while Charles stepped to the main console.
I just want to know why and where does the electricity fluctuate. - meanwhile searching, he continued - That power-cut in the elevator shouldn't have occured. Even if it was only seconds, it was long enough to make me worry. Ah, c'est ici.
Did you find the source of the problem?
Oui, there is something wrong with the cables between the main circuit and the auxiliary generator. If we will work here, I will need that fixed.
Don't worry about it Doc, I will get people to deal with it as well.
Ah, merci mon ami, mais non, we can deal with such things too. I bet the tech guys at the Division would be eager to fix it. Gautier, it will be your job to look for the experts to fix this place.
Alors, Docteur.
D'accord.

They were done for today. It was getting late night and by this time the temperature went quite lower outside, and neither the wind calm down. The cold, icy wind, which stabbed their face like the flows of air would be knives each. They were up in the mountains after all.

Au revoir, Docteur, Blériot.
Á bientôt, Pierre.
Au revoir, Colonel.

Pierre went towards his snubcraft with haste because of the cold weather while the other two approached their freighter. The two vessels left the site about the same time, leaving it to the cold night. Leaving it alone. But not for too long.

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