Chapter 8 Tessa #2
The elevator doors slide open after a sharp ding.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the empty car, yet still hesitated until the very last second, rushing forward and sliding inward just before the doors re-closed.
Josie hissed in protest, pulling back into the bag quickly as it jostled and jerked at my furtive movements.
I took a deep, settling breath and jabbed a finger into the number fourteen.
The car didn’t shudder or shake. It kicked into gear and began rising steadily, smoothly.
Instrumental music flowed from overhead speakers.
It was sort of jaunty and jazzy. It didn’t make me feel better.
I was already too worked up, so the rising and falling melody punctuated by surprising bursts of saxophone just made me feel more panicky.
Josie gave an uneasy meow, though she wasn’t moving much in the bag now.
“It’s okay, Josie. I don’t like it either, but a few hours from now when you’ve got your face crammed into deluxe cat food, you’ll be glad we came.
” My words seemed to boomerang off the stainless upper panels, and then hit the button tufted lower panels and muffle quickly.
It made for an odd sort of half-echo effect.
Floor fourteen arrived far too soon.
When the doors slide apart, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
A heart attack in pink and red exploded in front of me, drowning me in a wave of color so bright it gave me a migraine.
A large, rectangular sign opposite the elevators screamed: Our Cupid Company makes love possible!
Brought to you by the leading Alpha Omega research foundation The Eros Institute.
It was adorable, complete with cherubs just like the shelter flyer.
Pink hearts hung from the ceiling and red hearts created a path to the right across the floor.
“What fresh hell is this, Josie?” I mumbled out the question, suddenly wistful for my underpass fridge box with its makeshift window and door.
A male Beta in a pink suit came at me, his smile about as real as a mannequin’s. Like the receptionist, he wore a small name tag. Mister Love, Intake Advisor Beta.
“Welcome!” he said, almost blinding me with his white teeth. “You must be here for our scent-matching service! I was so excited when Beta Strayer called! I’m Beta Love,” He tapped his nameplate and winked. “I know, I know. But it is my real name!”
“It’s a good name,” I awkwardly offered, wanting to race back into the elevator and disappear. But before I could, he gripped my elbow and began leading me towards a seating area.
“Please have a seat. May I get you some sparkling water? I’m afraid you can’t eat until after donation. Speaking of, have you eaten today?” He spoke so quickly that it was hard to keep up. My brain seemed to be registering things in slow motion, or he was moving at Sonic speed.
I shook my head dumbly. I’d not eaten much since the Wednesday soup kitchen.
The few things I’d found since I’d given to Josie.
Not just out of martyrdom. They were mostly seafood products.
I let him continue to guide me and even let him gently turn my body and push me down into a chair. I was a limp doll.
“Can you verbally verify, please.” His facade was still perfectly pleasant, rosy cheeks and bright smile. If he were annoyed with me, he didn’t show it. He stared down at me, eyes wide, waiting for me to answer.
“No, I’ve not eaten today,” I finally said, voice cracking a bit as my desert-dry throat rebelled.
“Perfect! Then we can do the whole shebang in one go!” He clapped his hands together in triumph.
“The whole shebang?” I questioned stupidly.
“Wait right here. Don’t move a muscle!” He didn’t answer the question, instead jogging off towards an adjacent small office.
Even if I’d wanted to run away, he didn’t give me enough time.
He was back in a flash, pink clipboard in one hand and a bottle of high dollar, carbonated water in the other.
He handed me the items, and I took both mechanically. “Drink, drink,” he encouraged.
I fumbled with the items, settling the clipboard against my knees and twisting the top off the water. As I brought it to my lips and tipped it back, sloshing too much in at once, he began speaking again. I wondered if that was on purpose, as I sputtered and struggled to swallow down the liquid.
“Now, we’ll need you to fill out this form, front and back.
Be as accurate as possible, please. Our research is highly delicate, and we need to make sure our samples are as untainted as possible before they enter different phases of testing.
” He was rattling off the words, shot after shot, and I tried to listen as I re-capped the bottle and swiped at my wet mouth with my dirty shirt sleeve.
“Once we’ve settled paperwork, we’ll get you into the decontamination unit first. From there you’ll head into the lab.
At the end we’ll provide you with a set of clean, sanitized clothing.
You’ll be able to keep those after, which will be—” he stopped speaking, eyeing me up and down and for the first time looking slightly uncomfortable, “I’m sure nice. ” He finally finished.
Before either of us could speak again, the room filled with a booming voice. A code something or other was happening on the thirteenth floor and available Beta product controllers were requested to aid the situation.
“I apologize for that interruption,” Beta Love offered quickly, once the announcement ended.
“What products does the Eros Institute manufacture?” I asked absentmindedly, peering curiously up at the speaker mounted near the ceiling.
He cleared his throat. “The Eros Institute is involved in a great number of research and development projects. The thirteenth floor is an extension of our section, The Cupid Company.” He left it at that, and I had a feeling no amount of prying would get me a straight answer.
His joyful spark seemed to flicker and even his posture wilted a little.
Silence began to bloom, and I didn’t like quiet when my brain and body were both bloated with tension.
“So, fill out the form, get cleaned up, and then…” I trailed off, waiting for him to continue.
Beta Love seemed to give himself a little shake, bringing himself back into character.
“Samples!” He crowed. “The very best part. You’ll work with our best today, Doctor Swann.
She’s the leading Alpha researcher of our section.
She truly makes the whole experience as comfortable as possible.
After that, there may be additional testing if Doctor Swann deems it necessary, then we’ll wrap everything up with your payment.
So exciting!” He flourished a pen at the last exclamation.
It was red, topped with a heart, and I took it from him incredulously.
But I was already here. I was already locked in.
Might as well fill out the damn form.
Josie pushed a paw out of the top of the bag, batting at the air. I pretended she was giving me an encouraging high five and I tapped her little toe beans with my index finger. She purred in response before her furry ginger arm disappeared.
The very second after I’d signed my name on the last dotted line, Beta Love swooped in and snagged the clipboard.
His eyes roved the page, making sure everything was sorted.
When he was satisfied, he ducked back into his side office and returned with a thin file.
My name was printed at the top. It dawned on me then that I could have given a fake name.
It was probably supremely stupid that I hadn’t.
“This way, Miss Fortune! I’ll be your tour guide today. I just received word that our normal staff who do this sort of thing are otherwise engaged.” He fluttered his hands at me when I didn’t immediately get up. “Up, up! I need to get you sorted, so I can come back to man the front tout suite!”
Once I was standing, gripping my bag for dear life, he turned and began walking back towards the elevators.
He bypassed those though, walking until a T intersection at which he turned right.
A few yards later, he pressed his lanyard ID against a wall mounted security panel so that the very industrial door beside it would allow passage.
The large room we found ourselves in after smelled…
like nothing. I didn’t know how to put my finger on it, but there really was no smell.
I mean, my own body smelled, mucking up the works, but the air and everything around us just seemed void of other scents.
No cleaner. No dirt. No food cooking in an employee break room.
“I’ll have to ask you to undress here and place your belongings into the incinerator.” Beta Love pointed at an oven-like door mounted about four feet above the floor. “There’s a changing booth to your right outfitted with a robe.”
“You want me to burn my stuff?” My mouth gaped open, the question blurted out in surprise. “I’m not burning my bag.” I pulled it up sharply, hugging it protectively to my chest.
Beta Love eyed the dirty, ratty bag. “I can offer you something as a replacement, but I’m afraid that satchel cannot enter our testing area.”
“And I’m not being tested if you burn my bag,” I countered. It wasn’t really the bag of course; it was the cat inside it. Which, so far, hadn’t been discovered.
“You have already signed an agreement to give samples today, Miss Fortune. I’m afraid there’s no going back now.” He gave me a sympathetic smile.
“Look, it’s not just the bag, it’s—”
“The cat inside the bag?” Beta Love interjected. “I’m aware.”
“How did you… she’s been perfectly quiet.” I stumbled over my words.