1

The meeting had already started. She was late as she looked at her watch for the thousandth time in the past five minutes. If only, she thought for a second as she pulled into the spot in the massive parking lot. If only she had left a half an hour earlier, if only she had got a map of the base, if only she hadn't decided to take on this job, if only.

She walked as fast as she could weighted down by her computer bag and her arms full of books related to the project. She made it to the building as she pulled out the identification badges the guard held the massive door open for her as smiled and thanked him. She knew she had made an enormous mistake as she looked at the hallways leading around the building. She had no idea where to go. Shaking her head, she continued throughout the bottom floor and found the lecture hall. She opened the door to a room full of people who all turned and looked at her as she did.

"This is a private discussion.", The man on stage said to her as he looked her up and down.

"One where you are missing one of the main speakers?", she responded, and she saw the commotion on stage.

"Yes, that is true.", he replied.

"Well, I'm here now.", she said as she smiled and the darkened room seemed that much brighter.

"You're Dr. L. Johnson?", he asked hesitantly.

"Lori.", she replied. "Lori Johnson."

"We were not informed of certain things then.", He said as she made her way to the stage. The man on stage turned and glared at another panel member.

"That happens a lot.", She said with a smile and settled into a chair. The panel member who was glared at leaned over and looked at her.

"You're late.", he said.

"I know.", she replied.

"Problems?", he asked.

"All morning.", she said.

"With the experiment?", he asked.

"And everything else.", She replied and then straightened knowing the speaker was getting frustrated by the talking going on. He began his slide show which lasted way too long, and everyone in the audience was getting restless. When it was time for her boss and the other panel member to speak, he called for a fifteen-minute break so everyone could stretch their legs. As he did this everyone got up and started walking around. The small talk on the floor of the hall filled the air, and she smiled to herself. Her boss then asked her about the morning and why she was late more in-depth.

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On the floor of the hall the groups who had been assigned to the lecture which had been toe tingling boring so far all looked up to the stage.

"That's her!", Steven said as he seemed more animated then any of his teammates had ever seen him before.

"I know.", Frank replied. "I do hope they open up at the end for questions."

"Wait you both know who she is?", Peter asked confused.

"Of course!", They both replied at once.

"Well, who is she then?", Nevin asked.

"Only one of the most brilliant scientific minds of our time!", Frank stated.

"She is probably the most well-round scientist there is.", Steven said afterward.

"She is well rounded.", Mark said which got him dirty looks from the two.

"She is an expert in so many different fields it is impossible to say them all. She can talk about biology then go into the probabilities of astrophysics. It is amazing!", Steven said.

"Then she can go into the chemical properties of just about anything to life as a possibility on different planets and which ones could sustain life. She is extremely well read.", Frank said as well.

"Well if those two know who she is, she must be noteworthy somehow.", Justin said calmly.

"She doesn't look like much, and she was late.", Ieyasu stated.

"I agree.", James said.

"Looks like she might be in trouble for being late. That is a heated discussion.", Kevin stated.

"You are oddly silent, Mike.", Nevin said as he looked at the man next to him.

"I have nothing to say.", Mike replied. "I don't know who she is nor do I really care."

"You only say you don't care when you do.", Peter said quietly in back of him.

"Don't start.", Mike said as the presentation started back up and a man went up to the podium to speak on how new techniques could save time and energy with testing in the field. Everyone was thoroughly bored by the time he got done talking about an hour later. When she was introduced, she got up, and when she was next to the podium, everyone could really see how small she really was. She took the mic of the holder and just held it.

"Much better.", she said laughing as most of the men in the room did as well. "Well, I am Dr. Lori Johnson. I was asked to speak on the new techniques that were just described but as soon if not all of you are probably bored with everything already, I will wing a new subject at you."

The two men also on the panel looked at her with surprise. One looked like he was ready to explode and the other started to laugh. She looked back at both of them and smiled. "So, We have these new procedures for all of you to start doing but do you really want to know why we have them?", She asked. "Basically, we are trying to cut the time that all of you are in the thick of it. It is your safety we up here want to ensure. I know things that have been done for years will be hard to break the easiness of it but think about it before you condemn it. I know we are just a group of doctors and scientist up here and you think we have no real knowledge in the field. Well, that is sort of true. All of us at least the three up here have all been deployed before, with active units. I just got back from a stint overseas myself, and that is partly the reason I was late today. We know how vital a few minutes are, a few seconds are, to the safety and well-being of all of you, the ones who sometimes don't have those minutes or even seconds."

She looked over the room and saw people were coming out of the comas the other two speakers had put them in. She always read the room when she spoke to large groups and never tried to be something she wasn't with the use of the large words and scientific terms that she of course knew, but not everyone was like her. She knew that. She knew how to make people understand what she was saying without dumbing it down too much and making everyone feel they were less than dirt. She hated that more than anything.

"These new test for field work are simple, quick, and reliable. Not to mention small. That means less in your packs, which honestly ten years ago I would have said that didn't matter but having been in the field the last six months I can say that size does matter.", she smiled, and that brought a chuckle throughout the room. "Look I am not going to bore you anymore with all the technical things about the tests themselves. You don't care about any of that. The test's work, they will mean more of the ops can be finished in a quicker time and the safety of you and your teams while doing the ops will be increased because of the quicker nature of them. In the workshops, for the week we will be instructing everyone on the use. All I ask is you give them a chance before you write them off as another useless thing you will be forced to carry.", She ended with a smile and placed the mic back up on the stand and took her seat. She saw no need to go into the details as the other panelist did. She looked around, and everyone seemed more than ready to go on with their days instead of listening to the science behind it all. It was simply less time doing the test the less time they had in danger in a prone position while waiting on the result. She had used the test a few times in a beta trail while she was overseas this last six months. She had been impressed with the results every time, and they were easier. A few drops of a few things and they had a result, instead of keeping a huge chemistry set in their packs. She was happy to have been on the team that helped develop them, and if she could leave one thing behind and be happy about it, this was it.

"And that concludes today's introduction to the new procedures. Tomorrow you will break down into your teams and work with the panelist one on one to go over the different uses. This will be repeated for the next week.", The director stated as he dismissed everyone.

"We get to work with her this week!", Frank said.

"A dream come true.", Steven replied to him. The other men looked at the two as they became to fan-boy of the idea. They turned their attention to the young woman on the stage and wondered who she really was, something was not right on with all the panelist, but no one could place what.

Mike looked between her and the other two men on the stage currently. Her boss he assumed seemed very happy to see her and talk with her about things they could not hear. The other man however leered at her. The look was one of jealousy and rage, looks he had seen numerous times before. He nudged Nevin, his commander, "We need to watch that dynamic."

"You see it too?", Nevin asked quietly.

"Yes. He hates her and looks like he might do something with that hate.", Mike also responded quietly.

"We should keep eyes on her while she is here.", Nevin said softly, and Mike nodded slightly.

"The less included, the better. Those two could be a problem.", Mike said nodding to Frank and Steven, "If they like her so much, they could drop the ball."

"Agreed.", Nevin replied. "Find out where she is staying and we will make a plan to be nearby. "Maybe four or five of us."

"Copy that.", Mike said as he moved closer to the stage to start working his magic and find out the information he wanted. No one ever questioned his presence nor his questions, which made him so good at what he did.

She noticed him right away. She looked over after a tingling in her back alerted her to something not right. Her sixth sense had kept her alive in the past, and she wasn't about it to affect her now. She looked at him from the corner of her eye as she went on with picking up her books and computer bag.

"So why exactly were you late here Princess?", her boss asked.

"Plane was delayed. We landed in Washington almost an hour late and then another delay. I got in two hours ago and then had to find the place. Your directions were not so good you know.", she said chuckling to herself.

"Well, I got you a place already. It is for you to use while you're here and when you come back.", he said.

"Oh really?", she asked.

"Yeah most of the base was full, so the apartments right off base were taking people in. I did a short-term six-month lease for you. Most of these guys are also bunking there.", her boss said.

"Thanks.", she replied as she got the last of the stuff. "Wanna show me?"

"Yeah here are your keys.", He said as he handed a set of six keys. He led the way out, and she followed him. Mike who had been close enough overheard the whole thing and he smiled to himself as he walked back to the group.

"Well did you find out where she is staying?", Nevin asked softly.

"Not a problem boss.", Mike replied.

"Well, where is it?", Nevin asked growing impatient.

"She is staying with us.", Mike smiled. "Same building as us."

"Oh, that is perfect.", Nevin stated.

"For who exactly?", Mike asked.

"Everyone, Mike. I do believe it is perfect for everyone.", Nevin replied as he looked at his co-workers and then back to Mike who was the most difficult to read. "It is perfect."