4
Julia
As we cross the campus, Nathaniel gives me a breakdown of his company.
“Shemesh-Tek is small, just five of us. Mostly R&D, er, research and development.”
“Right,” I say. We walk side by side, and though we obviously aren’t touching, I swear his body heat tickles along my arm.
“We’re probably the smallest of all the contractors on base. To be honest this is currently our only contract. But I’m hoping to change that. If Lite-Brite is a success the government should ask for more business.”
“Things can be small and still be fierce. I think Shakespeare said something along those lines,” I said.
I shoot a look to him. If he had been studying me—also little, also fierce—he’d looked away too fast for me to catch. There is a hint of a smile, however.
“The labs lets us use the building and testing area as part of our contract with the military. Ken, the lab liaison—you’ll probably meet him later—helped us get the contract. Basically, we have to knock this out of the park to get work again.”
“Yeesh, no pressure,” I say.
“Exactly.” He chuckles. “But I’m not worried. Lite-Brite will be groundbreaking. We’re developing a way to harness solar energy with new and exciting technology that has been attempted but never accomplished in a cost-effective way.” His hands are animated as he speaks. “I think that’s probably all I can say until you sign the NDA.” He shoots me another quick glance. “If you sign it.”
I suck in my lips. Dammit, that sounds cool. To be a part of that technology would be such an honor.
He shows me how to gain access to the classified side of base and explains a bit more about the hierarchy. I would still work for the contracting company that’s been moving me around the country these last ten years. His company, Shemesh-Tek, is just temporarily subcontracting me. All the different contractors on base can be a bit confusing.
“So Shemesh-Tek was hired by the labs, by way of the military?” I ask, making sense of it.
“You got it. So besides an awesome new office and team, not much should change for you as far as paychecks and benefits are concerned. If you decide to stay.” He runs a hand through his hair. It’s highly distracting how he constantly fusses with it. It makes me want to hold his arms down or run my own hands through to smooth it.
The thought takes me by surprise. I don’t often think of touching people these days. I’ve gotten so good at cutting off that impulse after all these years. Being around Nathaniel, I find myself gripping my hands together to keep them at bay.
Shemesh-Tek is located in a building that is probably one of the most secure on campus, requiring a trip through a guarded gate. We enter a small building that smells like old carpet, cleaner, and coffee, but not necessarily bad. It actually reminds me of the smell of my grandparents’ house when I was little, before all the moving began. A long-forgotten smell that had the startling effect of feeling like coming home.
“This is Febin Khatri, electrical engineer and resident wunderkind,” Nathanial says as we reach the first office in our tour. I’m impressed that each team member gets their own office with a door that shuts and locks. You know you’ve been in the world of government work too long when a locked office makes you go,Ooh, fancy.
“Star WarsorStar Trek?” Febin asks me by way of introduction, leaning back in his office chair, arms crossed, eyes glaring and assessing. His question is touched with an Indian accent. His wispy black mustache is clearly trying to make an attempt at the real thing but he couldn’t have been more than seventeen. It doesn’t take a genius to see he is firmly in the Star Wars camp as there is an actual Boba Fett helmet on the shelf behind him.
I lift my chin. “Neither,” I say confidently. “Doctor Who.”
His gaze narrows. “I’ll allow it.”
“Don’t pick on the new person,” a voice calls out from the next office.
“I’m not picking on her,” Febin defends.
At the same time Nathaniel says, “She hasn’t accepted yet. Don’t frighten her, children.”
A chair rolls out into the hallway. Wrapped in a blanket and wearing fingerless gloves, another small-framed teammate waves. “I’m Dylan. My pronouns are they/them.” Their hair is cropped in short, bleached curls and a tiny gold hoop decorates their septum. “Don’t talk to me about anything in the MCU.” They snap their gum sharply. “I have cut a person for less.”
“Dylan is our laser optics specialist,” Nathaniel explains. “And an obvious charmer.”
“I don’t need to charm. I can make things go boom.”
“Not on purpose,” Febin quips moments before a paperclip is thrown at his head.
Spinning back to me, Dylan points to a sign on their door that says SPOILER FREE ZONE with a list of several top-trending streaming shows.
“I’m Julia.” I mime zipping my lips and throwing away the keys. Dylan nods once before replacing their giant noise cancelling headphones and kicking to roll back into their office. They call out, “No spoilers,” one more time before the clacking of keys begins.
