19. Chapter 19
Chapter nineteen
Galen
It had only been three hours since Galen had been in Zoe’s bed. He prayed she wouldn’t be in her office when he arrived with Alex. As they stepped out of the lift to the tenth floor, Galen still held out for lady luck to be on his side. Of course, his luck had always been shite.
“So, this is where the magic happens?” said Alex. “The Area 51 of PGC?”
“In a way, mate. PGC has an extensive research and development department.”
“What are they working on? Is it super-secret spy technology?” asked Alex.
“Mah friend Zoe, one of the division leaders, plays her cards remarkably close to her chest. She arrived in Boston from the South Korean division at about the same time I started. Corporate espionage is a real concern. Her division engineered the tech for the PGC satellites, communication systems, and yur watch.”
“Impressive. I’ll take any help I can get at this point if it will help me find Danyal.”
Galen approached the first lab to the left and gently knocked on the door.
“Knock, knock. Anybody home?” Please don’t be here.
A petite young woman with shoulder-length black hair looked up from her workstation. Galen noticed a flash of excitement in her eyes when they entered the lab. He knew the look was meant for him, but the look on her face turned to surprise as she acknowledged Alex’s presence.
“Hi Galen, long time no see. Welcome back to the technology division, where all the magic happens behind the curtain. Who do you have with you today?” she said with a wide, knowing smile.
“Zoe, this is Professor Alex Lieth.”
Galen could see the amazed look on her face as she registered the Unicorn was in her office, in the flesh. He appreciated her wide-eyed amazement and excitement for even the minor things in life. Her free spirit was what had initially attracted him to Zoe.
“Good morning, Zoe. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” said Alex.
“Good morning, sir. What a wonderful surprise. Thanks for the heads up, Galen,” she said as she flashed Galen a look of disdain before shaking Alex’s hand.
Alex told Zoe he needed help with Danyal’s iPhone, which had been recovered after his abduction. He said he charged it but got an error message when he tried to turn it on. Zoe smiled as Alex handed her the phone, and she said she could run a few diagnostics. She connected the phone to her computer and looked earnestly at the screen for several minutes. Sighing, she closed her laptop screen to focus all her attention on Alex and Galen.
“OK, I’ve good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”
“Please, the good news,” said Alex.
“Well, the good news is I can extract any pictures from the phone’s memory, but it will take time and energy. I’ll need to deconstruct and reconstruct the entire memory chip.”
“OK, not the good news I was hoping for. What’s the bad news?” Alex said.
Galen could see Alex stand up straight, bracing for the worst. Zoe said the bad news was that the internal processor appeared damaged. She added she expected to see damage from the recent EMP, but that wasn’t the case. She said she hoped they had phone insurance. Zoe bragged that the PGC phones included shielding for EMPs, and had made it through the recent event unscathed. She said she was sorry she could not do more for Alex. Zoe then abruptly asked Alex if she could see his phone. Alex reached into his pants pocket and handed Zoe his personal cell phone. She promptly opened her laptop and conducted a series of diagnostic tests. Her furrowed brow said it all.
Galen recognized the confused look Zoe displayed. “Something isn’t making sense,” he observed.
“So where were these phones the day the lights went out in Boston?” said Zoe.
“They were both in the apartment,” said Alex.
“Where exactly in your apartment, please? Be specific,” replied Zoe.
“My phone was on my nightstand by my side of the bed, and Danyal’s was across the room on the dresser.”
“So, there’s no special shielding by your side of the bed?”
“No, nothing but a wall.”
Zoe took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “We have a mystery, gentlemen. According to my diagnostic results, your phone only shows evidence of minor exposure to EMP. Not enough to disrupt its functionality. Why would that be the case if the prevailing theory from Dr. Bruno is that you were the source of the EMP pulse?”
“I met with Dr. Bruno recently, and he tells me I’m emitting a high EMF field, which could disrupt electronics,” said Alex.
Galen watched Zoe’s face light up like a firework. She jumped up from her chair and grabbed a grey instrument from her workstation across the room. “Is it OK if I take some readings, Dr. Lieth?”
Alex nodded yes, and Zoe began to measure the EMF field and radiation level around Alex. She said her readings confirmed Dr. Bruno’s findings: Alex emitted constant high-level electromagnetic fields. She hypothesized Alex’s biological EMF protected their phones from the larger EMP by producing a protective bubble or cocoon. Zoe said this finding was amazing, and asked Alex if he would be willing to do further tests so they could isolate Alex’s specific EMF signature.
“Sure, you’ve piqued my curiosity. But will these tests help me find Danyal?” asked Alex, desperation in his voice.
“Unfortunately, no, but I do have a suggestion. Have you tried looking at Danyal’s cloud backup? Depending on how he set up his phone, there may be a digital copy you can access.”
“Thanks, Zoe. The thought never crossed my mind,” said Alex.
“Do you also share the same wireless provider? You can access your account and potentially any text messages from his phone.”
“Yes, we share an account––I’ll check. Thank you so much, Zoe. I appreciate your help and won’t forget it!”
“You’re welcome, sir.” Zoe blushed, “OK, Galen, you can bring this one around more often. He’s a charmer, and literally electric.”
“Will keep that in mind,” said Galen. Please, can we now leave the room? PLEASE!
“You’re also welcome to visit anytime you want, Galen. I can’t have you being jealous. Now, are you coming for darts and beer on Friday night? You’ve missed a few weeks, and the team has suffered.”
“Mah responsibilities have changed,” Galen said, glancing sideways at Alex standing beside him, “Will see how mah new schedule works out. Things to do and lives to save.”
“Keep missing our darts league, and you may need a bodyguard,” Zoe said with a scowl.
“Gotcha. Professor Lieth, where’s the next stop?” asked Galen.
“The Boston PD. Thank you again, Zoe,” said Alex.
With that, Galen and Alex left the lab and entered the lift.
“She’s a keeper. Intelligent, sexy, and personable,” said Alex.
“Why would ya bring that up, sir?” Had he picked up something? Did he read her energy?
“She likes you,” said Alex.
“Ya playing matchmaker? We’re mates.” OK, mates with benefits.
“I’m sorry, Galen. I can see I’ve touched a nerve, and I apologize if I’ve offended you.”
“Ya just mind yur own damn business. It’s mah job to keep ya safe. Our relationship needs boundaries,” said Galen.
Galen and Alex stepped out of the lift after their tense interaction. The ride to the Boston PD precinct was in stone-cold silence.