Lab of Confusion
Sometimes I just don’t understand what happens around here. We’re theoretically a scientific research centre, but we have a spaceship under construction (apparently only by me, as it turns out), and are frequently contacted by aliens. I’ve been tasked with building a mind-controlling ray gun, and drinks that will make you feel all sorts of weird things.
But every once in a while, strangers in street clothes are walking around like they belong here. And then, when the strangers poking around are people (or not) that you actually know, it becomes a really weird day.
Meagan has been gone for some time now, and I thought she’d been let go. Today she walked in without lab coat or proper ID, and began playing with the equipment. I guess she was transferred to another lab, but still I had no clue what she was doing here.
Just don’t freakin’ break anything, Meagan.
Another surprise visitor was Georgia, messing with the analytical gear. She certainly knew what she was doing, and management didn’t seem concerned with her actions.
“Hey! What’s up, Georgia?”
“Oh! It’s you! What are you… Hi Jeanette!”
I missed her. I hadn’t seen her since … hey! Wait! Georgia is an alien in disguise! Does this mean we’re working closely with the aliens now? Does anyone else know she’s not human?
Oh jeez! What about Meagan!? Does that explain her actions and disappearance all this time? She’s actually an … of course she is, why didn’t I see that before. I bet I can get answers from her somehow.
Just a quick blast from my trusty Steve…
Oh crap, wrong setting. Did Meagan always have a full arm tattoo? How had I not noticed that previously?
She wasn’t impressed with my meddling, and began getting angry. She threatened to have me fired, I threatened to expose her secret, she claimed she didn’t have one, I hit her again with the simray….
Things may have got out out of control.
But at least she wasn’t yelling.
Oh fine, okay…. I’ll get her out of there. The boss wasn’t impressed either.
Just a little more, maybe one good one right… oh! Right; I should do this with eyes open. Her time on ice had cooled her temper some, and I did still have some work to do, so I left her to warm up. Maybe now she’ll leave, or at least behave herself.
Goddamnit Meagan!
I thought the manager was going to chew her out, but instead he complimented her skin tone, and praised her work ethic. I thought I was going to barf.
At the end of the day, she had broken two pieces of equipment and the computer, then left without a word. Back to her planet, or mothership, or whichever hole she hides in. Just so long as she’s gone. I need to get out.
I went home to change, and took a cab down to the local disco. Some dancing and flirting was exactly what I needed. Or, wanted, anyway.
But the place was fairly dead. A couple of the usual group, but not the crowd I was expecting. Nobody new.
I was about an hour before anyone else showed up, but even then it wasn’t the throng I’d expected, and none of my friends were anywhere to be seen. But that’s right about when Caitlyn called.
Everyone was down at the ruins for a Friday night bash, and she told me I totally needed to be there. I totally agreed, and took off.
Some of the group at the disco heard as well, and by the time I arrived and met Caitlyn, the place was filling up.
However, it was already getting late, and I hadn’t eaten anything. I knew just what would help me out here, and downed a dose of something we’d been working on. It would keep me going for the rest of the night.
And go we did! The DJ was pumping out great dance tunes, everyone was dancing up a storm.
A couple of drinks, some more dancing, loud shouty conversations with cool people; it was a great night out.
Hours later, exhausted, I went home. The weekend had arrived already, and I wanted some sleep before all that nothing I had to do tomorrow.



With Summer’s assistance, I made another sample of SynthFood. And this one….
… worked! It looks like I can create this as viable on a regular basis. This could seriously solve my hunger problems. Heck, it could solve the world’s hunger problems. If I hadn’t signed that stupid proprietary information agreement, I’d market it and make a fortune. Or … you know … solve the world’s hunger problem. Whatever.
…plumbing! I have no roof over my head, nor walls to hold up said roof, but I have a shower of my very own, a sink, and – the best thing ever – a toilet. My own toilet.
We had a great time! The food was good, and came to the table without much delay. We had a few drinks, and some great conversation.
I made a great friend this evening. Yeah, she’s an alien, but I can’t hold that against her, can I? Isn’t my job as a scientist to discover new things, investigate every opportunity with an open mind? We joked and laughed well into the night.





The nap didn’t last very long. I was up at 3am with the sudden realisation that I had enough money to have that ancestral suit of armour brought over, with enough left over for …
A bed! A glorious, wonderful (slightly small, but private) bed. With no tvs on or dudes trying to talk to me.
I have some time to get some real sleep before work. Luckily it never seems to rain here.
Ugh. It’s going to be a rough day. I didn’t get a lot of sleep, nor did I have time to grab a bite on the way to work. I’m grateful that I don’t have to sleep at the spa any longer, but I’m going to need some time to adjust, I think. In the meantime, I’m starving.
Crap. That’s going to require some more experimenting.
I made another one, and while I had a further breakthrough while doing so, failed to make a viable serum. I’ll just grab a sandwich and coffee again.
Caitlyn told a few jokes near the end of the shift, but Meagan wasn’t impressed.
I spent the last hour of my shift collecting rocks. It seemed like an important thing to do. But I’m starving again.
Another shift ended, and I return home. I want to head into town again to visit the library, but I’m really going to have to eat something first.
I *did* make another sample of that meal-replacement drink, this time with basil and daisies. Maybe this one will work better than the last.
Dammit.
