Crazy Talk
“You want to what?” Deb’s voice went up an octave.
“Larry, we’re not some sort of action heroes here. Up until yesterday, we were normal office drones.”
“Oh come on. How hard can it be?”
“You idiot. A government lab. With guards outside, probably more on this inside. Right, we’ll just sneak in!”
“Easy Deb,” Rob placed a placating hand on her shoulder. She blushed, but he missed it. “She’s right. This is crazy talk. None of us have even so much as picked a lock before. We can’t break into a secure government facility. We’d get ourselves killed. Isn’t that something you were pretty adamant against us doing yesterday?”
Larry’s face fell, “Oh geeze. I’m sorry, you two. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Obviously,” Deb muttered, but they ignored her.
“You just got caught up in things. It’s okay. I guess we could at least try the straightforward route. I mean, it’s not like we’ve got much to lose.”
“Aside from our lives you mean? Robbie, this is insane. What if they lock you up and start testing on you? You can’t go!”
Rob was taken aback by the vehemence in her voice. “Look, I’m not trying to get myself killed, but don’t you want to know what’s going on? Maybe find an antidote or something?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked away. “Of course, but I don’t want to lose you, either.” Her voice was quiet, and a little sad.
Rob didn’t know what to say to that, “You’re not. I’m not planning on breaking in. Just talking to someone. I don’t want to be a hero.” He smiled at her. “Honest.”
She nodded, but didn’t look him in the eyes. “Just be very careful. Try not to let on.”
“Promise. In fact, I think the first person I’m going to talk with is Marqea. Maybe pay him a house call.”
Now she did look at him, “Yeah, okay. That works. When did you want to go?”
He thought for a moment. “Tomorrow night. I’m thinking I need to prepare a little first.”
Larry sat up straight suddenly, like he just realized something. “I know Robbie is off of work, but why aren’t you at work, Deb?”
Deb shared a look with Rob, then explained. “Ouch, guys. I’m sorry.”
Deb shrugged. “We’ll be okay for a while.” She looked at Rob, “You’re right. We do need to figure this out. I’m just scared.”
“Me too. I’ll talk to Marqea tomorrow and see what I can learn.”
“We’ll talk to Marqea tomorrow. Someone needs to make sure you don’t get into trouble.”
Rob looked at her, then nodded. “Okay. We’ll talk to Marqea and see what’s what. After that, we should know more about our options. I hope.”
Larry nodded thoughtfully. “Hey, while you two take care of that, I’ll see if I can get some kind of roster for the lab. Maybe that’ll give you an idea of who to approach there.” He sucked on his lower lip. “You want me to check and see if I can get some specifics on the type of research they do there?”
“What, like they’ll list ‘illegal human experimentation’ on the website?”
“I’ve seen stranger things, Deb.”
“Why not. It won’t hurt.”
“Okay, Rob. I’ll go get started. We’ll talk tomorrow before you leave?”
“Sure, Larry. Thanks.” Rob stood and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey, no problem bro. Just doing what I can to help out.”
“Larry, we’re not some sort of action heroes here. Up until yesterday, we were normal office drones.”
“Oh come on. How hard can it be?”
“You idiot. A government lab. With guards outside, probably more on this inside. Right, we’ll just sneak in!”
“Easy Deb,” Rob placed a placating hand on her shoulder. She blushed, but he missed it. “She’s right. This is crazy talk. None of us have even so much as picked a lock before. We can’t break into a secure government facility. We’d get ourselves killed. Isn’t that something you were pretty adamant against us doing yesterday?”
Larry’s face fell, “Oh geeze. I’m sorry, you two. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Obviously,” Deb muttered, but they ignored her.
“You just got caught up in things. It’s okay. I guess we could at least try the straightforward route. I mean, it’s not like we’ve got much to lose.”
“Aside from our lives you mean? Robbie, this is insane. What if they lock you up and start testing on you? You can’t go!”
Rob was taken aback by the vehemence in her voice. “Look, I’m not trying to get myself killed, but don’t you want to know what’s going on? Maybe find an antidote or something?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked away. “Of course, but I don’t want to lose you, either.” Her voice was quiet, and a little sad.
Rob didn’t know what to say to that, “You’re not. I’m not planning on breaking in. Just talking to someone. I don’t want to be a hero.” He smiled at her. “Honest.”
She nodded, but didn’t look him in the eyes. “Just be very careful. Try not to let on.”
“Promise. In fact, I think the first person I’m going to talk with is Marqea. Maybe pay him a house call.”
Now she did look at him, “Yeah, okay. That works. When did you want to go?”
He thought for a moment. “Tomorrow night. I’m thinking I need to prepare a little first.”
Larry sat up straight suddenly, like he just realized something. “I know Robbie is off of work, but why aren’t you at work, Deb?”
Deb shared a look with Rob, then explained. “Ouch, guys. I’m sorry.”
Deb shrugged. “We’ll be okay for a while.” She looked at Rob, “You’re right. We do need to figure this out. I’m just scared.”
“Me too. I’ll talk to Marqea tomorrow and see what I can learn.”
“We’ll talk to Marqea tomorrow. Someone needs to make sure you don’t get into trouble.”
Rob looked at her, then nodded. “Okay. We’ll talk to Marqea and see what’s what. After that, we should know more about our options. I hope.”
Larry nodded thoughtfully. “Hey, while you two take care of that, I’ll see if I can get some kind of roster for the lab. Maybe that’ll give you an idea of who to approach there.” He sucked on his lower lip. “You want me to check and see if I can get some specifics on the type of research they do there?”
“What, like they’ll list ‘illegal human experimentation’ on the website?”
“I’ve seen stranger things, Deb.”
“Why not. It won’t hurt.”
“Okay, Rob. I’ll go get started. We’ll talk tomorrow before you leave?”
“Sure, Larry. Thanks.” Rob stood and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey, no problem bro. Just doing what I can to help out.”
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