Chapter 10 Spencer
Chapter Ten
Spencer
“Don’t overtax yourself, okay, Dearest?” Grace gave me a kiss as we went up the elevator at Compass BioTek.
“I’ll take it easy, my good doctor.” I squeezed her. Today I came into work with her and Wes.
It was Monday. Time to return to business as usual.
“Maybe your boss will let you leave early,” Wes teased.
The doors opened on Grace’s floor, and she glanced at me. “Join us for lunch?”
“I’d love that.” I gave her another kiss, and she got off, the doors closing behind her as the elevator continued going up.
Usually, she and Wes ate lunch together, often with their work friends. I only joined them occasionally.
“Seriously, if you need to leave early, let me know,” Wes told me.
“I’ll be okay, thank you,” I replied as he got off on his floor. Well, hopefully. I was feeling better, stronger. If I needed to, I could always shut my door, pretend I had a meeting, and take a nap on the couch in my office.
I really needed to talk to Mrs. K about so many things. I’d cracked the code on the documents I’d found in Dr. K’s research, and while they were fascinating, and Grace loved reading them, they hadn’t helped me with what I wanted to know.
Mrs. Katsopolis wasn’t at her desk, so I made myself a cup of coffee on the fancy machine we had in the executive area and got my day started. While I had several meetings, there should be nothing too strenuous today.
“Spencer, really? Shouldn’t you take another week off? You had abdominal surgery.” Mrs. K came in, frowning.
“I’m fine. I’ll leave early if I need to. Perhaps I’ll work from home tomorrow morning before coming in for my afternoon meetings,” I responded.
“That sounds like a good plan. Are you sure that you don’t want me to cancel the symposium?”
“No. Wes and I are excited about it.” An email popped up with the subject I love you. I clicked on it, and Grace had sent me animated hearts.
“Okay. Are you bringing Grace?”
I shook my head as I emailed Grace back. “She wants to stay here.”
Grace was also anxious that her co-workers would think that she wasn’t doing her job. They wouldn’t think that, but there was no need for her to come with us if she didn’t want to.
“Also, can you try to get me on something at the Bay Area Genetics Symposium, the one that’s usually in the fall?” I asked her.
“Of course.” She made a note of it.
It would be an excellent place to look for people for some of the secret projects I had in mind. Ones that hopefully would eventually finish what Elaris had started.
No family should have to go through what Grace’s biological mother did.
It turned out that while most of the family were sigmas, none of them knew.
Thora’s father thought he was just an alpha that never fully awakened and never bothered going to the doctors about it because he didn’t like doctors and was generally healthy.
Something that was pretty common.
“Spencer, what are you up to?” Mrs. K frowned at me.
“Close the door?” I said softly. I got the bug scanner out of my bag and waved it around. Nothing. Though the entire building was checked regularly.
She shut the door and sat down, concern in her beta scent.
“After our misadventures with the Office of Designation Management, I would like to resurrect Elaris’ research. Though I understand the need for the utmost discretion." I laid out my ideas and cursory plans.
There were two parts to Elaris’ idea. One was a pharmaceutical that would suppress ‘dangerous’ genetics to allow those with illegal genetics to function in society.
The concept was not unlike alpha blockers.
The other was to actually change the genetics of those who were illegal, making them alphas, like the pharmaceutical which pushed betas over to omega designations.
Of course, this was easier said than done.
Breaking the push wasn’t easy, which was why we weren’t up to our ears in alphas–and why Mega-Push didn’t work on all betas.
The military had some projects, but they were more along the lines of making more deltas and alphas to be soldiers, not saving the lives of illegal designations.
“I’m happy to help. Perhaps we can reach out to Dr. Stonefeld again?” Mrs. K suggested, making more notes.
“Yes. Let’s set up casual meetings, ones that look like they could easily be for less controversial topics. Also, we’ll need cover projects,” I commented.
We went over a few more things.
She smoothed the skirt of her outfit. “I’m so glad that you’re doing this.
I think it’s time, and I’m so sorry Grace had to go through that.
You know, for a moment, I thought that you were going to tell me you were, in fact, going to pursue your father’s research and had found something helpful in what I’d given you. ”
“Actually…” I took a sip of my now cold coffee.
“Spencer.”
“I’m not taking their research on. However, between the coded papers of Dr. K’s, and my father’s notebooks, Grace could probably do so if she wanted. But she’s not. What I need is specific information that you might not have. Also, I’m about to tell you some very confidential things,” I warned.
“You’re scaring me, Spencer.” Her brows furrowed.
“You told me that while my father and Dr. K wanted to send some of our illegal designations to other worlds for safety, it didn’t go as planned.
But some were sent, weren’t they? If records exist, I need them.
And if you know anything anecdotally, I’d like that information as well. ” I played with my coffee mug.
She frowned. “I need to know why. I’ll keep your secrets, I always have.”
Getting on my phone, I pulled up the dates that I’d gotten from Nate Thorne regarding Rosalind’s appearance in Europe. “Sometime along these dates, did my father and your wife send a young sigma woman and an infant to another world? I actually have the world number if that helps.”
Grace had written it down on her phone.
“I don’t know about those specific dates, but to my knowledge, the few people that they helped were families.” Her expression grew guarded.
“One of those children was returned to this world. That child is not a sigma, but their re-appearance is causing issues,” I said carefully. The Office of Designation Management was continuing to push Grace for information on Rosalind. At least the Bureau of Investigation had backed off.
“What?” She jumped in her chair. “If they’re returning people, lives could be at stake. And if they come for the ones here…”
“I don’t think that’s the case. This person was a witness in a weapons smuggling operation on their world of residence.
Afterward, they were returned to their world of origin.
That person didn’t know that they were from here, have since been found by their paternal biological family, and it’s an incredibly complex situation.
” I rubbed my temples as my inbox filled up with inquiries as people realized that I’d returned to the office.
“Oh. Did you speak to those temporal detectives or whatever you call them? Did you find out anything about your father and Demitra?” Her look went hopeful.
“That person did and discovered that my father and Dr. K were imprisoned, not executed, for their crimes. Though Dr. K has passed. I’m so sorry.” I took her hand and squeezed it.
Her eyes teared. “Oh. But I figured long ago that she was gone. It was nice of this person to ask. How… how did they know?”
“It’s Grace. She was the baby.” I gave Mrs. K a very brief version of what happened.
“That poor dear. She ended up in a world with no designations at all? The people they were working with helped a couple of times mostly to appease them but wouldn’t send many of our illegal designations over.
They also wouldn’t give my wife and your father the knowledge they needed to do it themselves.
Really, we were just a receiving depot. Of course, they figured out a few things, but not enough.
There were a couple of times they literally fired up the portal and pushed people through, hoping it was better than here.
They just wanted to save lives.” A hand went to her heart.
“I know.” Exactly as I thought, and why the Temporal Authority might have objections.
Mrs. K frowned. “I’ll see what I can find. But only because it’s Grace.”
“All we’re trying to do is piece things together, mostly to stay one step ahead of the Office of Designation Management.
Also, while we’re talking about this. I’m not asking if there’s a list of the omegas that were brought here.
But, if you still keep in contact with any and know of one that’s a therapist, Grace desperately needs someone to talk to, and we’re at a loss as to what to do.
People can’t know about this. Also, rest assured, Grace isn’t going to take up their research.
She’s actually been forbidden from doing so.
Though that’s not where her interests lie, anyway. ” I replied to a meeting request.
“I’ll see what I can do. Just please, be careful?” Her look went stricken.
“Of course.”
“What about your father? Did Grace get any news about him? It was sweet of her to ask,” she told me.
I hesitated. “My father is still alive. The agent told her that he might be released for good behavior in his old age. I’m not holding my breath–and I’m sorry Dr. K didn’t make it.”
“For your sake, I hope he does come home. Even if you only get a couple of years with him, it’s better than nothing.” She shot me a sad smile. “Also, congratulations on your mating. Are you going to be having a party?”
“We are. Please work with Grace and the event planner that Evan found for her? I think we’re just going to have a luncheon someplace. Maybe Zano?” I’d suggest Supressa, but we were banned.
She took some notes. “What about your club? They have beautiful rooms overlooking the golf course. Their food is good as well.”
Oh, yes. My golf and tennis club hosted large personal events.
“If Grace is amicable, that works. That’s all for now. And thank you.”
Mrs. K stood. “Of course. Oh, the internship coordinator wants to put that adorable application in the employee newsletter. The education team is excited about this Future Intern program.”
“Great.” Now just to convince the Thornes to let little Tru stay with us for a week or two.
Mrs. K left, and I tried to get caught up.
There was a knock on my door, and Deb, who ran Special Projects, and was Grace’s supervisor, stood there.
“Welcome back, do you have a moment?” she asked.
“Of course, is everything all right?” I looked up.
“We’re selecting our fellows. There’s a Creed Thorne on my short list. Since both you and Grace had inquired about his status, I wanted to check in since I wanted him for Narif’s project,” she replied, taking a seat.
“You can put him wherever you like. He’s Grace’s sibling. We just found this out at the conference. I don’t know if this affects anything. Though you might check with Grace in case she wants him for her team,” I answered.
Or if Grace wanted him here at all.
“I feel like Riley might create a project for herself, Tru, her friend Hiro, Grace, and Creed, involving space travel, and I’m a little frightened,” I added with a chuckle.
A smile broke over her face. “Riley will be here? This summer is going to be fun. Also, I love the idea of us getting into space travel one day.”
“There really are no limits as to what they can accomplish, and I’m happy to provide a place for them to do that,” I stated.
“I’m impressed with Grace. Her ideas are extraordinary, and she and Blaise are already brainstorming. Thanks for bringing her to the team.” Deb stood. “Also, welcome back. I’m glad you’re okay.”
She left, and I went back to work. There was a lot to do if I wanted to still meet Grace and Wes for lunch.