Species Unknown [Book 1: Aves]

FOUR

Day 01
C.R.O.S.S. Laboratories
Aves Department
Section 1

I FOLLOWED CLOSELY behind Dr. Pierce as she continued walking around the edge of the dome until we reached another metal door. Scanning her badge again, the door opened and she disappeared inside. I just briefly saw the words SECTION 1 written above the entrance before I ducked inside, following her into the building.

The thick door slammed shut behind us, silencing the beautiful bird songs. I felt a twinge of disappointment at the loss of their unique melodies.

I had to sprint-walk to keep up with her long strides as we walked through the building. The hallway was all white with clear glass rooms lining the walls. Based on the lab equipment I saw lining the walls of each room, they seemed to be individual research laboratories. Most of them were busy, and I found myself wondering how many employees worked here.

Passing room after room, I watched the steady hands of white-coated scientists as they drew pipettes of fluid from one tiny test tube and transferred them to others. The steady hum of machinery was like a soft whisper in the otherwise silent breezeway.

Across the back wall of each room were floor to ceiling shelves of scientific equipment of all kinds. It was clear that this was a well-funded operation. The curves and dips of glass cylinders lit up like miniature chandeliers under the fluorescent lights creating a scene of utter extravagance. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me, but the scientists appeared not to notice. Their calculating eyes and steady hands were transfixed on their own experiments.

I watched them in awe as we strode by a few similar glass offices before stopping in front of an empty one.

"This will be your workspace," she announced, gesturing to the door.

Looking up, I was pleased to see the words Aurora Hall neatly printed in blank ink on the glass.

"You can use your access badge to scan yourself in," Dr. Pierce said as she pointed to the lock on the glass door.

Taking my badge out of my pocket, I placed it on top of the lock. The device flashed green and with a sharp beep, the door slid open.

Stepping inside, I noticed that the room's layout was similar to the offices we had passed on the way here. The first thing I noticed was the plain white desk and chair situated in the center of the room. The desk's surface was mostly clear, aside from a cup of pens and a large pile of crisp white papers stacked neatly in the corner. Behind it, there was a large shelf full of various types of scientific equipment similar to what the other scientists were using.

Letting my eyes roam over the machinery, I saw that there was a large DNA purifier similar to the one I used in college. However, as I continued my inspection, I was ashamed of the large number of items I did not recognize.

Suddenly, a glint of light caught my eye. Looking up from the shelf, my eyes widened as I saw a cabinet full of clear glass vials sparkling under the fluorescent lights. Each small glass vessel was neatly placed in long rows that stretched across the entire back wall.  

Upon closer inspection, I realized that every vial is labeled with neatly printed white letters over a piece of black tape. Mentally, I read a few of them: California Condor, Whooping Crane, Ivory Woodpecker. Immediately I recognized these names to be various endangered bird species. The curiosity of what could be in them overwhelmed my thoughts. Could they be DNA samples..? I thought as my speculating eyes scanned over the wall of glinting vials. I felt myself drifting off in silent contemplation before suddenly Dr. Pierce's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Here you will run tests on bird DNA. You must extract it from the samples provided, run it through a purifier, label it, and then add it to the shelf. It is an easy job, but tedious. Perfect for an intern," Dr. Pierce stated from her place in the doorway.

"If you ever have any questions, please come to me. My office is just down the hall," She added pointing to another clear glass office a few doors down.

I nodded and she smiled. "I will leave you to your work then. Nice meeting you, Miss Hall," She said before nodding her head and turning to leave. I watched as she stepped out into the hallway and turned, walking off towards her office.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied finally after the glass door slid closed behind her.

Now alone, I took the time to look around my office once again. This time, something on the shelf of equipment caught my eye. Walking over to the odd item, I realized that whatever it was, it must be very old. Its dull grey body was a stark contrast from the neatly polished metal equipment beside it.

As I approached, I saw two speakers on each side and guessed that it must be some kind of device that plays audio. A radio maybe? I thought as I stepped closer to examine the dusty grey box. With a guess as to how to turn it on, I pressed a button and with a click, a tray popped open revealing a dusty black tape. Taking it out, I blew off the grime revealing the words BEST OF THE 60s written in white marker. The sixties? How old is this thing? I had never heard music from that era but I vaguely remember my grandmother describing it as 'classic'. Shrugging, I put the tape back in and lifted the box over to my desk.

After setting the device down at the edge of my desk, I looked back at the huge stack of papers. Taking the first one off the top, I skimmed its contents relieved to see it is a set of instructions for how to execute my first assignment: Extract and purify the DNA of a Giant Ibis.

Exhaling, I looked up from the paper and back to the device. Its bulky body was still resting awkwardly on my modern white desk.

"Time to get to work," I muttered to myself. With my free hand, I pressed what I assumed to be a play button. To my surprise, music begins.

"Listen baby... ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low...ain't no river wide enough baaaaby..."

With the beat of the surprisingly good music, I read the instructional paper in earnest, eager to begin my first assignment.

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Hey beautiful people!

This chapter is dedicated to @Ryuu-san77 for being an editor and the most active reader. Your comments never fail to make me smile. 

I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to save all the exciting stuff for next week. So look forward to that 👀

Also wow, 200 reads! That's double since last week's chapter, thank you all so much. Please consider voting, commenting, and sharing my story if you like it.

Thank you and happy reading!