It was around noon at the new Alagar Sciences building in Selta.  The alabaster walls and tile floors were illuminated by fluorescent lights.  A man walked down one of the halls, pushing a cart with several machines on it.  On one wall were three colored stripes.  One green, one red, one blue.  As the stripes neared a corner, there was white lettering on them.

"Attention," a woman said via the intercom.  "Lab-seven is off limits until containment crews have cleaned it from a toxic spill."

A bearded man was tying his shoes, when he heard it.  "Again?" he asked, “What is going on in there anyway?"

Another man shook his head.  "Who knows?" he replied.

The bearded man stood up and walked out of the room.  He began following a green stripe, which was labeled 'Prototype Lab.’ He saw a woman with a clipboard in her hands, looking over something.  She was very petite, with dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail. Her brown eyes darted over to the man and quickly went back to the clipboard.  "Aimee," he said.  "Did you finish looking over the applicants?"

"Ah... ye-yes, Dr. Sorsen" her voice was soft.

"Good.  I take it everything is on my desk?"

She nodded and took a glance over his shoulder before her eyes went back to the floor or clipboard.

"Good.  Carry-on."  He walked past Aimee, leaving her to her task.

"There you are!" another man said.  He was tall and lanky, wearing the deep red uniform of a security officer.  "I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past twenty minutes!"

"Oh... s-sorry..."

"Hey, it's alright."  He stopped in front of her.  "When they get the intercom working throughout the entire facility, you won't have to worry."

"I see..." She hugged her clipboard, "so..."

"I think it's the guy you called last night."  He stopped.  "Yeah, it was recorded, per security policy."  He smiled.  "I can get rid of the recording if you'd like."  The man looked around for a second.  "Umm...  It's a guy from Blue Shield Security.  I know that much."

She kept staring at him, her eyes narrowing. "...are you going to use this information against me?"

"For all I know, it's personal stuff.  They've been doing a lot of that lately."  He folded his arms.  "So, no.  I won't.   I have no reason to either or anything to gain from it."

She sighed, "Please... please help me."

The guard raised an eyebrow.  "Uh... help you?"

She leaned in closer to him, "about the phone call..."

"Consider it gone."  He pulled a card from his pocket.  "Here.  If you need anything else, you can page me."  He handed her a business card.  It read ‘Jason Dorn: Kelvel Investigation and Security.'

Soon as he had, he put a finger to his ear.  "Uh, I gotta go.  See you 'round."

"Okay..." She took the card and stuffed it into her pocket.

*****

Max paced back and forth in the lobby of the complex.  He saw two Kyrans in lab coats walking and talking about something.  He shook his head.  Can't believe I'm back in one of these goddamn places, he thought.  All that time wasted...  I'm sorry, Millia.  I should've been home more... He looked up, seeing another man walk past.  Where is that woman?

"Hello, sir... can I help you?" Aimee asked from behind them.

He turned around.  "Are you the one who called Blue Shield yesterday?"  Max asked, looking down at the woman.

She nodded, "this way then."

Max followed her down one of the halls.  They soon came to another room.  Aimee opened a door for him and he walked in.  She closed it behind them.

"Something is happening here... applicants... after I screen them, I never hear or see them again..."

Max raised an eyebrow.  "And this is uncommon?"

"Very..." her brown eyes began to scan around. “It isn't safe for me here..."

He nodded.  "Alright.  So, what are these applicants doing?"  He raised a hand.  "Um, I mean what're they applying for?"

"The new project..."

"Do you know anything about this... new project?"

"No... I barely was allowed to screen the applicants."  She dropped her clipboard and knelt down to pick it up, "I’m Aimee."

"Alright, Amiee..."  Max waited until she had picked up the clipboard.  "Listen.  If you're not safe here, take some personal days so they don't suspect anything.  If things get out of hand, I know a few people who can make it like you never worked here.  I'll take a look into this, but I'll need anything you can get me on the applicants so far, and an advance in payment."

She nodded and handed him an envelope. "That should assist you."

He put it in a pocket.  "Alright, thank you."  He handed her a business card.  "You need anything, you can call the office.  Our EL unit will notify me if anything comes up."  He blinked.  "There is one other thing I need.  Any security clearance codes you have."

"Meet me outside..."  She gave him a kiss on the cheek, "five minutes."  She turned and left before he could respond.

Max blinked.  "Uh, right."

*****

Max found himself pacing again, in the parking lot of the science facility.  Someone climbed into a van and it started up, before leaving the premises.  He looked back at the building, before putting a finger to his ear.  "Hey, Palyn," he said.

"Yeah..."

"Can you do me a favor and look for any Aimee’s at Alagar Sciences new building?  You can have EL do it too."

"Sure... It'll be a second..."

"Thanks.  Just print it out and put it on my desk."  He turned around, seeing Aimee coming toward him.  "If you can get pictures, that would be great."

"Will do."

He took his finger out of his ear as Aimee approached him.  "We shouldn't talk here, if you're unsure about your safety," he said to her.

"Exactly... you're my date." She winked and went towards her car.

It wasn't a very fancy car, but it looked well-built and durable.  It was mid-sized and could fit four people.  Max opened the door, after she'd unlocked it.  As he climbed in, he saw it was immaculate.  It still had a new car smell and not a single sign of wear-or-tear was visible.

She got into the car and left quickly. Once they were a mile away from the building, her constant checking of her mirrors stopped. She let out a long sigh. "Sorry for dragging you into this. But something terrible is going on. I can feel it."

"You called the right people," he said.  "Just tell me anything else you know.  And it's my job to investigate these things."

She glanced at him. "...I... I think that I..."   She shook her head.  "Never mind. I have another envelope with the security codes for all the doctors in the facility."

Max smiled.  "Very good."  He took it from her, before putting it in a jacket pocket.  "Now, here's what I'm going to do.  I'll get in and see what I can find.  Then, I'll tell you.  Until then, if you fear for your safety, like I said, take some personal days."

"I have... but... I have no where else to go."

"No family you could stay with?"

"I don't have any family..."

Max sighed.  "Then...  I guess I could put you up for a bit.  I have a guest room back at the flat, if you really need it."  He blinked.  "Or, possibly an associate of mine could put you up."

She nodded.  "Whatever would cause the least trouble..."

"Okay.  I'll check with her."

Aimee sighed, "I am sorry."

"For what?" Max asked.  "You've done nothing wrong."

She looked over at him with a sad smile, "well, for putting up with me..."

"Oh, it's nothing."  He gave her a smile.  "Just part of the job, really.  Won't be the first time it's happened either."

"I guess so," she gave him a genuine smile before putting her eyes back on the road.

*****
"I refuse to move until you take it back!"

Daral closed his eyes and sighed.  "Palyn, I meant nothing by it!" he said, kneeling down.

She was hiding under her desk with her chair blocking the opening. "It sure sounded like something."

Daral sighed again and stood back up, pulling at the chair.  She grabbed the arms and pulled it back towards her.  They played tug-of-war with the chair for a little bit, before Daral sighed and just gave up.  He sat down on the floor, cross-legged.  "Palyn, I'm sure your boyfriend calls you that all the time."  He chuckled.  "I mean, come on.  Pal?  It's perfect for you."

"I have no boyfriend! And it is a horrible name."

"Oh..."  He sighed.  "Look, Palyn, I'm sorry I've been calling you that.  What is it gonna take to get you out from under there?"

"Humph. It's a horrible nickname... so a lot."

He exhaled sharply.  "Well, okay... um... I'll... I'll buy you a fancy dinner."

"How fancy?"

"There's this new restaurant downtown.  It's like... like fifty bucks for a meal."  He looked up.  "Uh... well... what do you like?"

"A pizza with triple mushrooms..."

Daral chuckled.  "That?"  He smiled.  "Girl, you're talking to the fastest delivery boy from Pablo's Tomato Pies!  I can get you one tomorrow, easy!  Uh, large?"

"...triple mushrooms..."

"Yes, yes..."  He managed to pull the chair out.  "So, you want a large, triple mushroom pizza?”  Her green orbs shown well in the dim light from under the desk, and there was a shine from her glasses too.

"Okay."

"C'mon now."  He offered her a hand.  "We have work to do."

Max walked in at that moment.  He sighed.  "What is it now?" he asked.

Palyn crawled out from under her desk and stood, "Daral is uncreative and lame."

He sighed.  "Just because I kept calling her 'Pal,'" he said.

"Stop it!"

"Sorry..."

Max shook his head.  "Has he apologized?"

"I did," Daral said.

Max looked at Palyn, ignoring him entirely.

"I like pizza..." she sat down at her desk.  She handed him a mango smoothie. "Mango."

"I said I'd buy her a tomato pie for tomorrow," Daral said.

Max nodded, taking the mango smoothie from Palyn.  "Okay.  So, everything is alright now?

"Sure... as long as I get my pizza with triple mushrooms and not the dehydrated ones."

"No worries, girl!" Daral said, sitting back at his desk.

Max walked to his desk, finding a stack of paper on it.  "This the info on the Aimee’s from the facility?"

"Yeah, she's a smart one... she's practically almost a doctor..."

He looked over the paper.  In one corner was a color image of the same woman he'd spoken with earlier that day.  "Anything else that's not in these papers?"

"Well, no. Me and my darling got everything from her mother's and father's death to her orphanage days and through to today..."

"Thank you, Palyn."  He looked up, remembering what he'd told her earlier.  "Um, can I ask a favor of you?  You can refuse."

Palyn was about to jump under her desk again. "... what?"

"This Aimee, she fears for her life because of the company.  And, I said I'd look into finding a place for her to stay, considering she has no family."  He looked at the papers.  "Now, you don't have to.  I have a spare room, but I think you two would get along."

"Oh..." Palyn grew comfortable again and then took a red smoothie from her desk and began slurping on it. "I dunno... there is not much room with my baby and all."

"Baby?" Daral asked.

"Yeah... he's such a good boy... like his father only less stiff..."

He blinked.  "Oh.  So, that was EL junior you were talking about earlier today?"

"Yeah, of course."

Daral chuckled.  "You're gonna have to help me make one of those!"

"For a price."  She took a sip, "not very easy making children."

He couldn't help but laugh at that.  "I don't think it would be!"

"Guys..." Max said.

"Sorry."

“What?"  She looked over at Max confused.

"Just get back to work."  He turned in his chair, pulling an envelope from his jacket.  "Here.  Take a look over this.  I'll be going in tomorrow to do some sleuthing."  He handed it to Palyn.

"Now, Daral, I want you to run a diagnostic on EL and put the check she gave me in the deposit box, in the back."

"No problem, boss."  He took the other envelope from him and stood up, before leaving the office.

Max turned in his chair again, looking back at the picture.  "Tell you what, Palyn.  Aimee will stay in the guest room at my flat until you make a final decision.  Okay?"

"Actually, that would be best... women get on my nerves after a night or two." With that she returned to work with a slurp from her straw.