Part 2: Ember - The Breakfast

Monday

06h00

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The rumble started deep in my throat before escaping as a pained protest. Light threatened to pierce my eyelids, who squeezed tighter in a defense more futile than anything. It was an action honed by many mornings of rising too early.

Mustering all my effort, I extended my arm from underneath the covers and aimed for the clock. Twice, my hand slapped the innocent bedside table before finally telling the devil's timepiece to shut up.

Cold. I hurried the exposed extremity underneath the covers, forcing both hands between my legs before curling over to absorb as much heat as possible. I should set the alarms for Monday mornings thirty minutes later.

"Good morning, researcher V." Hades spoke from my table.

"Mmm... orning..."

"Breakfast is scheduled in sixty minutes. Today's menu consists of omelet, pork sausages, toast, and yogurt."

It had to be an omelet. I risked opening an eye. "Hmm... fine." I forced myself into a sitting position. A chill vibrated down my spine as the covers slid off. Odd. Hades always kept the facility at twenty-five degrees.

"Hades, is there something wrong with the thermostat?"

"I'm not detecting any temperature anomalies in your vicinity."

"Please double check." I rubbed my arms, debating whether Hades was wrong or I was imagining the cold.

"Recalibrating. Room temperature is measured at twenty-six point two degrees Celsius."

Hope I'm not getting sick, I fought chill with a warming self-hug. It helped and provided the courage to part from the bed's sweet embrace. With arms rubbing some extra heat into my chest as I tried to conquer sleep's last vestiges, I waddled to the bathroom and closed the door. Unnecessary, since I didn't have a roommate, but old habits die hard.

The shower gurgled briefly before clear water burst from its head. I watched it fall for a few seconds, knowing my body wouldn't handle the shock from cold water. Only when the room was half-fogged with steam did I release myself from the gray shirt and embarrassingly short pants. My skin heated up instantly when I stepped in. Likely the reason for my first smile of the day.

One year, four months, and seven days. I recited with closed eyes as I turned my face against the shower stream. It was hard to think I've become accustomed to all of this, except time only lessened the number of surprises instead of stopping them. Each assignment seemed more difficult than the previous, with strict deadlines that incurred a pay deduction if missed. Thrice I'd seen the negative value at the end-of-project performance report. It would have been twelve if the others hadn't helped me.

My face felt rubbery, and I averted my gaze from the shower before lathering my body with soap. A mental debate raged over whether I should wash my hair, but I decided against it. The swimming pool had been calling my name for the last week, and I vowed today was the day I'd indulge myself. I gazed into the shower head for a last second before turning the taps and stepping out.

"Hades, what's the time?"

"It's currently oh-six thirty-two."

Plenty of time, some of which I took to dry myself and put on the jumpsuit. As always, I wondered whether I'd worn this particular suit before. It's become a habit to mark all my clothes with a tiny green dot before throwing them in the laundry, but to no avail. The suits appearing in my cupboard have always been dot-free. Either Management had thorough cleaning services, or I was getting a new one every day.

Neither option would surprise me.

The mirror proved I looked halfway decent, so I completed my morning rituals by brushing my shoulder-length hair, sliding my tag into its pocket, and slipping the Sleeve over my arm. All done? I bit my lip as my mind scanned through a mental checklist. Shower, clothes, tag? Check. I patted the breast pocket to make sure. Check. Sleeve? Check. The dull pain of an oncoming headache was unwelcome. I hoped it would go away throughout the day.

The door slid upwards when I pressed my Sleeve against the keypad.

"You're late," greeted the cocky grin leaning against the opposite wall.

"I wasn't aware that we made an appointment," I said as the door closed behind me. "Sounds like a 'you' problem."

"Good thing I like to dole out my problems, then." P unstuck himself from the wall before wrapping his arms around me.

"Lucky me," I said as I answered his hug. "Slept well?"

"Always. And you?"

My stomach growled in anticipation as we started walking down the corridor. "Well enough. Sucked getting out of bed."

"I hear that. The alarm robbed me of several pleasant dreams involving a strip club. I almost threw the thing against the wall."

"I doubt Management would've liked that."

"Management can blow it." He waved the thought away. "They're making a fortune from our research. One alarm clock won't put a dent in their wallets."

"Still..." I turned my head slightly toward my walking companion. P was the facility's latest recruit, albeit temporary. His appointment was intended to be for three months. Management must have liked his work, so he stayed. His attitude could use some adjustment. Deriding Management seemed to be P's favorite hobby, but I let him be since Management never chastised him.

"What are you working on today?" I asked.

"Still that damn resonator." He sighed. "I'll be glad when this dumb project is over."

"What, is a simple resonator troubling somebody of your prestige?"

"Pft, no! But Management insists that I prove my skills. Bunch of idiots."

"Careful..." I shot him another look.

"Bah, you worry too much." He waved the thought away. "I'd have been long gone if Management wanted it so."

Hopeless. I shook my head, but the smile didn't go away. P and I were on each other's wavelength from the day we met. Some of the others would look at us curiously when we'd get into a conversation, but I paid it no mind. In truth, I had hoped P and I could turn our friendship into something more intimate. Management frowned at interpersonal relationships, but didn't forbid them. The only rule was not to get pregnant, which is how S left us. But it was for naught. I couldn't tell if P was ignorant, oblivious, or not interested.

A bump against the shoulder brought me back to reality. "Hey, you listening?"

"Hmm?"

"It's too early in the day to reflect, Veebee."

"I'm not reflecting. And quit calling me that."

"Uh-huh." P made a face. "You could have fooled me."

"What was the question?"

"What do you plan on blowing up this week?"

"No idea." I shrugged. "I finished the amplifier on Friday, so I'm between projects. I'll guess we'll see what Hades has in store for me."

"Hopefully not something with lasers."

"Hey, that only happened once." I held up the same number of fingers to emphasize my point. "And I still don't know what happened there."

"You pointed the lenses the wrong way and nearly sliced your head off. I'd call that pretty straightforward."

"The lenses pointed in the right way. Even you admittedly that."

"Only to make you feel better." P laughed. "V, resident photonic specialist, who nearly sliced her head off. I wonder if they have a term for that."

"I'll be sure to slice your bed in half if you don't drop the topic."

He faked a gasp. "A woman?! In my room?!"

"Quit faking." I rolled my eyes. "I know you and H have been up to something."

"You're imagining things." He patted my back, but left his hand a moment longer than he needed to. "I've never even seen H looking at me. Unlike you, walking past the mess."

"Huh?" Only then did I realize he was no longer walking beside me. I found him standing next to an open door, mockingly bowing forward as if inviting me in. Such a gentleman. I shook my head as the soft thudding of my shoes changed into the tap-tap of the mess hall's tiles. The mess hall always made me think of an older banqueting hall, complete with a large buffet table in the middle.

P whistled as we approached the buffet. "Dunno about you, Veebee, but I'm definitely going for seconds." I nodded. The delicacies were usually categorized into three groups, namely drinks, the theme of the day, and miscellaneous. Today, that meant meat and eggs.

They might work us to death, but at least we won't starve. A dozen omelets greeted me when I took the lid off the first pot. My stomach growled appreciatively when I put two of them onto my plate.

"Now don't go overeating again." P chuckled as he dropped three strips of bacon on his plate.

"I'm not the one who complained about chest pains after eating half a roast." I reached for the sausages after closing the pot.

"What, me? That was you!"

"Was not!" The tongs clicked against the metallic table when I put them down. Eggs. I need eggs.

"Was too!"

"Was not!" I turned my attention to one of the yogurt jars, but the fruit chunks made me change my mind. "Giving up?"

"Shall we ask Hades to settle the argument for us?" P stopped at the juice containers before wrinkling his nose. "Yeah, that ain't going to happen. Where's that blend they had yesterday?"

"Complain to Hades while you're at it." I helped myself to a generous dose of apple juice after deciding against coffee. I didn't want to give in to the curse of the adult too much. I'm only twenty-five, after all. "That's quite the haul." I nodded at the small mountain on his plate.

"This?" He scoffed. "Nothing but a snack. They can count their lucky stars I'm not walking away with half the table." His plate clattered loudly as he put it down before scraping out his chair. "Besides, I need the fuel."

"Resonator not where you want it to be?" I asked as I joined him.

He nodded, pressing the back of a fist against his mouth as he swallowed what I guessed to be mostly bacon. "None, and the deadline's at the end of the week."

"Damn. Can you make it?"

"I should, but don't want to risk it. And you? Any post-work plans?"

"A swim would be nice."

"A lady in a bikini. Maybe I should pop in there as well."

"Feel free, but you're going to be disappointed." A movement behind P caught my attention. One made by R as he joined O by the buffet table.

"Never ask a woman to judge their own body." P grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "Every woman is sexy according to you."

"And I've yet to be proven wrong."

"So \emph{you} say. Morning." I nodded at O and R as they brought the table to its maximum capacity.

"Slept well?" R yawned the question before stabbing his fork through one of the sausages.

"I suppose," I said. "And you?"

"Acceptably."

"Doesn't sound like it," P remarked.

Yeah. I turned to the table's other occupant. "What's with him?"

"Hmm?" O's throat visibly moved as he forced the rest of his toast into his stomach. "Oh. His deadline's today, and it sounds like he's in a pickle."

"Ouch." R kept his facial expressionless. "No chance at all, or..."

"Not without a breakthrough." R's sausage cracked as he bit into it.

"Well, you seem to have a knack for those." I smiled, but R only continued chewing. "How many deductions so far?"

P's chair scraped as he stood up. "I'm going to get some more bacon. That snack has really awakened the beast!"

I nodded at him before returning my attention to R. "Five years, seven deductions." R said.

"Not too bad for a six-year contract." He impaled a piece of toast with his fork.

"I'm still not sure what he's upset about," said O. "With a contract that long, he can practically buy Hawaii once he gets out of here."

"I could have bought Antarctica when I started," said R.

"Antarctica is cheap. Nobody wants it."

"Or half of Madagascar." I picked up the last piece of omelet. "I heard the new VP has some gambling debts."

O shook his head as he swallowed. "Nah, it's close to Africa. What about you, V? Two years left if I'm right?"

"Year and a half, roundabout."

"Right. Would you extend?"

"The only thing I'd like to extend right now is my time in bed." O's smile betrayed similar intentions. "And you?"

He patted his mouth with a serviette before leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, I probably will. I have nothing waiting for me... out there."

"Well, you still have some time to think it over."

O shook his head. "Not that long. I have to inform Management in three months."

"It's still a lot of time," I said.

"Not when you're working at the pace we do."

"There are the same number of seconds in every day." R put his cutlery on top of each other and pushed the plate away. "It's only your perception of it that changes."

"Seriously, R?" O sighed. "It's too early in the morning to deal with your literal nonsense."

"Yet I'm not wrong."

"Way too early in the morning for this." I grinned at O's comment as I stood up. "See, now you've gone and chased her away."

"I didn't move a finger, nor stated so verbally. I merely stated the obvious."

"That's the problem!"

"Those guys..." I shook my head as the background absorbed their bickering.

"Have I mentioned that of our colleagues are slightly off their heads?" P fell in by my side. "I'm surely not the only one who thinks so."

"The thought might have occurred from time to time." I glanced at his empty plate. "All done?"

"Yup. You?"

"I'm stuffed." I blocked the unladylike noise with pressed lips. "You ready to start the week?"

"Maybe not. Got the time?"

"Ehh... no." I pressed my finger against the Sleeve, but nothing happened. "Ugh, again?"

"Damn, still?" P asked. "You need to get that thing looked at."

"I have, three times." A few more taps didn't give a different response. "Management took ten percent out of my paycheck when they didn't find anything. "Wait, why don't you check yourself?"

"Why do something yourself when you can get somebody else to do it for you?" His display flickered to life when he pressed his finger against it. "Ten to eight. Longer breakfast than I expected."

"Enough time to get to the labs. Unless you left something in your room again..."

"Which is why I'm not ready to start my week. I'll see ya later, V! Try not to slice yourself into pieces this time."