"Professor. It is time to wake up."
"Mmm..."
"Wake up, we need to leave soon."
"Hmm... hungry..."
"That's why you need to wake up. Hurry up, your coffee is waiting for you."
The professor sits up and places his head on my shoulder. I nozzle his hair and take in his familiar scent. I guess I am getting fond of this musky scent of old clothes and stale coffee that is unique only to the professor.
"Hurry up and go the toilet, I'll wait for you down stairs."
Ten minutes later, the professor has taken his morning cup and is busy packing the things he worked on through the weekend.
"Ugh, this is why I didn't want to go home. Now I need to take my stuff back to the office!"
"I can talk to Dr. Gonzaga and tell him that you prefer to work at home," I suggested, "that way, I would no longer need to wake you up early each day."
"Huh. I already did that when I came here a year ago," he muttered. "Would you believe that some jealous idiots at work spread a rumor that I was taking company equipment home with me?! As if I didn't have the money to buy my own! Why, my stuff here are more expensive compared to the junk they have in the lab!"
"If that is the case, then we better hurry before we get there any later. But first," I went to the corner of the laboratory and pushed the fake shelf open. "I need to get more pheromone samples from your DOME."
"Ha? Again?" he frowned at me. "You just asked me for some last night, and yesterday, it was semen, and the day before that, some urine samples. I'm running out of PPE's `coz of you!"
"Of course. You know that I can only take fresh samples out, one at a time, to ensure that they are in the best condition. I have become quite interested in your DOME, you see. I have been comparing his samples with mine and have noticed several differences in our pheromones."
"Is that so?" the professor asked with interest. "In what way?"
"Well, for starters, I have noticed that his calming pheromones are thinner than mine, then I remember you saying before that your DOME was not as good at controlling his calming pheromones as I was."
"Yes, he prefers using his pheromones to subdue alphas to the point of knocking them out, sending them into a coma, and even killing them on the spot."
"Hmm, is that so?" I frown. "I do not believe I have ever sent an alpha into a comatose state, or killed one for that matter... I guess it comes from the military training you said he received."
"Don't you know any other DOME's who could that?"
"None," I answered back. "It is something worth looking into, but for now, we are running late. Please open the door for me, professor."
"Hmph!" he went to the hidden doorway. "Remind me to reprogram the lock when we get back home later. I'm tired of opening it for you all the time."
"Thank you professor," I answered back.
I excused myself as soon as we reached the Universal Laboratory main lobby. I told the professor that I was going to discuss something with the accounting division in the 20th floor. He waved me away with a bored look on his face as he took the express elevator to the 60th floor and above. I then went on another elevator and made my way to the top floor of the East Wing.
The main building of Universal Laboratories have two towers. To the left is the West Alpha Tower which houses the Alpha Division with its 80 floors that is dedicated mainly to alpha research. Most of the people working there are alphas, particularly those in the Alpha Research program. It also homes the developmental teams that caters to the creation of different types of medicine.
The right wing, on the other hand, leads to the East Omega Tower that is mainly occupied by beta and omega employees. The Omega Research teams headed by Prof. Antonio are located from the 50th to the 70th floors. The lower floors are for other divisions like accounting and marketing, while the ones on top are corporate rooms for the CEO and other high ranking personnel.
That is how small the Omega Research division is, compared to the Alpha Research Division in the west wing.
"I am here to talk with Dr. Gonzaga," I told Dr. Gonzaga's secretary when I reached the 79th floor. "I made an appointment yesterday."
"Yes sir, Dr. Abdel, please go right in."
I closed the door behind me and saw Dr. Gonzaga stand from behind a wide desk.
"Dr. Abdel, welcome, please take a seat."
I went closer and sat on the chair in front of his table.
"Dr. Gonzaga, I know you are a busy man, so let me get straight to the point," I told him. "I would like to take Prof. Antonio back with me to UACME."
"Prof. Antonio?" his eyebrows rose, "Well, as a representative of your country's Universal Laboratory branch, you do have the right to scout and recommend him to your superiors," he said, "but that depends upon the professor. I believe he has family here that he is reluctant to leave behind."
"Yes, I am aware of that," I answered, "I am also aware that there are other reasons why he cannot leave."
"Has the professor told you what that reason is?" he asked, cautiously.
"As a matter of fact, he did," I smiled at him. "I believe you know which department I came from, back in Universal Laboratories UACME. The sole purpose I had for visiting this country is to scout the professor. But just recently, I found out that there is something else holding him back."
The doctor looked away.
"I'm afraid I'm not authorized to talk about this."
"Then who is?" I asked.
"I am not authorized to answer that either," he replied.
"Then please tell who ever is authorized to contact me," I said, standing up. "Tell him that I will take the professor with me no matter what."
I left Dr. Gonzaga's office shortly after that and went back to our laboratory on the 70th floor.
"Habibi! You finally arrived, can you make me some coffee?" the professor greeted me as soon at I entered his workstation. "Get me something I can munch on while you're at it."
I went to the pantry, taking his patched-up Kalabaw mug with me, and made him coffee. I found some chocolate covered pretzels and emptied a bag in a bowl.
"Will there be anything else, professor?" I asked, handing him the mug and the bowl.
"Nope. Thanks." He closed the door to his room.
I went to my preferred workstation. It was right next to the professor's, and was the second largest in the floor. I took out the pheromones I brought from the professor's secret room and labeled it `volatile pheromones', then locked it in my personal storage for later use.
I have learned quite a lot about the professor's past DOME through these pheromones.
I know that he was in his early 20's when the samples were taken two years ago, so he would be at least 22 years old today. He was slightly underweight, and has a sweet tooth, based on the level of blood glucose in his samples. Other than that, he is quite healthy.
I was about to start my work when I heard someone tapping on my door.
"Dr. Abdel," Pedro called, popping his head inside my room, "Dr. Gregorio is asking for you."
So, the ring leader finally decides to reveal himself.
"I am on my way."
"Where you going?" the professor stepped out of his station.
"Dr. Gregorio asked for Dr. Abdel," Pedro answered him.
"Why?"
"He said there was a message from the UACME main branch."
"Hm. I'm going with you," said, the professor, bringing the bowl of pretzels along.
"What for?" I asked him.
"Nothing. I'm just bored."
"Suit yourself."
We went our way to the higher floors.
Dr. Gregorio's office is on the 78th, just one floor below Dr. Gonzaga's. He shares the floor with Dr. Francisco who is head of HR and public relations.
"So, what did you do?" he asked inside the elevator.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Earlier you went to accounting, and now, Grinch, the head of the Accounting Department, is looking for you. Did you tell them that only two-fifths is left from our budget?" he whispered. "Are they whining about it?"
"Not really," I told him.
Actually, I have already sent our expenditures to the accounting department a week ago. They did not seem to mind.
"Hmm... so why is he calling for us?"
"Actually, Dr. Grogorio specifically asked for me alone," I reminded him.
"Yeah, I know, for some letter from your country... you think Hitler tattled about you?"
"I highly doubt it," I replied as we stepped out of the elevator. "Dr. Heathlow is currently under probation and is at risk of losing his job. Our branch in the UACME does not care about him."
"Hmm... you've got a point there. Maybe they're asking you to leave since your passport has expired?"
"My passport is good for 6 months, professor."
"Then why is he asking for you?" he frowned.
"Professor, I just realized that you are a very nosy person."
"Op kors!" (of course) he grinned. "That's one of the traits of a good scientist – being curious and nosy. Don't tell me you only noticed it now?"
"Well, it is something that will put you in trouble one of these days," I said with a sigh as we entered Dr. Gregorio's office.