2.77 It's Just A Coincidence

The hour was late yet the torch lights still flickered brightly in the Processing Lab. Not only was the Moha Lab suddenly inundated with Fina salvage, Adon’s department was in deep trouble once again, and once again it was his fault. The missing pineal inventory had become a chronic disorder, a complete mystery, he didn't understand, it obviously had something to do with the Crystal Program because if it was simply sloppy filing, it wouldn't affect only one of their products.

         As he studied the tablets a picture was beginning to emerge, he was beginning to see what could have gone wrong. There had been several new quality control procedures installed due to the mayhem of the Culloom Disaster, some products had been mis-categorized, there wasn’t anything missing, they had perhaps been counted twice?

         The theory was completely plausible. Adon let out a huge sigh of relief. It was a definite possibility, now all he had to do was prove it.

         Adon wasn't the only one working late in the lab that night. Just a few workstations down there was good news emerging from the Finias reports; the pineal harvest had turned out to be spectacular. Seton and Malodon hovered over the fresh batch coming out of the dryer, analyzing the product with eager anticipation. The batch from Finias had very rich crystallization, proving both Malodon's new Traumatic Death Theory to be true and Seton’s medifications, effective. No longer was there a need for the TLS Program, no longer were the dogons going to drain the budget, it was now possible to make the slaves terrorize each other and harvest the same effects, even better effects, opening up a huge doorway of possibilities.

         "Look!" Malodon held one of the samples to the light. "Look how beautiful they are, even the non-Goldens are golden!"

         Feeling the warm glow of success, Seton studied it in the light, genuinely amazed by the results, knowing, at this moment, he had earned Malodon's respect forever.

         Beautiful? Overhearing the excited banter from across the lab, Adon frowned, wondering how the unique interest in the wretched pineal glands could be such a coincidence. Was it a coincidence? He tried to look busy but his ears were burning. He couldn't understand their enthusiasm for the latest tragedy, was it simply a biological harvest for them? This was all making him have dangerous thoughts, he tried to ignore the banter and focus on his task but he couldn't concentrate anymore. Why didn't Dr Seton care about the missing inventory if they coddled the product so much? He didn't get it. Now he was beginning to wonder. What didn't he know?

         Seton took the golden nugget and slid it under the microscope to examine it up close, excited over the Solution's effects on even the Gen 1's.

         "There's nothing wrong with these…" The results were equally good if not better than the traditional results. He knew Atalon would be pleased. Then, without warning the lab door flew open and the king himself strode in, bathing the lab with his pungent wafts of frankincense.

         "I hear good news!" He marched directly to the examination table and picked up one of the golden nuggets for closer inspection.

         "Apparently the Fina Solution was a tremendous success" Malodon's opinion was convincing.

         Adon wasn't sure if he was hearing right. Success?

         "The Solution worked so well it even crystallized the non-Goldens" Seton bragged. "All of them have been crystallized. Even the farmers."

         "The Farmers?" Atalon echoed, trying to picture it. "Ha... Ha-Ha- Ha HaHAAAA!"

         Were they joking? With a chill, Adon recalled the strange trip to the Finias reservoir... Was that the virus they were supposed to be annihilating?

         "You know Torus isn't going to like this new development" Malodon warned.

         "You really think the Solution can replace the TLS program?" In spite of the glowing reports, Atalon wasn't convinced the medification was a dependable solution yet. It was true, the TLS program had seen better days, it was the whole reason they had funded the medification research yet this alone seemed too easy.

         Replace the TLS program? Adon's thoughts were scrambling to make sense of what they were saying, what did this all have to do with the TLS program?

         Atalon noticed a shadow dart across the wall in the background of the lab.

         "Speaking of young Torus," he turned to Doctor Seton, "he came by my office today. Seems you best do a staff audit" his raised voice an obvious hint in Adon's direction. "Seems your department is missing some inventory again... He thinks perhaps one of them a thief!"

         Atalon's words were like daggers, had the king seen him? Adon noticed the change in topic and volume, directed his way... Was that message really being tailored for his ears? He tried not to react but his thoughts were racing; Torus had gone to the king about the missing pineal product?

         Feeling burned, he was starting to feel set up... What was going on? He couldn't stop feeling wrongfully implicated in the Fina Disaster now. Had they done it on purpose?

         It raised another troubling question. Was it simply a coincidence the best examples had been shipped to Atlan? That very morning? He reflected upon the happy party goers in the Grand Courtyard, still unaware of the tragedy at home... It raised another very disturbing question. Why hadn't the disaster been announced in the Tabloids?

         Bell marched his unit into the Moha Lab, so much equipment and materials still had to be packed up before the big day there was no time for covert surveillance at the Farewell Celebration. Some of the boxes were being shipped to the storage bunker and some of them to Ebar, some were disposal and it was his responsibility to ensure each box was sent the right way.

         As the soldiers picked up the boxes and carried them out to the train, Bell marched through the halls of the Moha Lab, checking for any anomalies or stray packages. There were some opened boxes out on the lab table at the back of the Processing Lab. He walked over to have a look…

         He picked up a tablet, it was an Audit tablet from the Records department... Someone was investigating inventory errors... Curious, he looked inside one of the boxes, it was filled with dozens of small black boxes, neatly packed and prepared for storage... He lifted out one of the boxes, examined the packaging and opened up the lid, there were half a dozen strange nuggets inside. Curious, he picked one out, and although he was unable to identify what it was, he knew it was a biological specimen of some kind, the stink emanating from the box made him wince and turn away. He put it back carefully, wondering, questioning the volume of packaged, dried stinky balls. What were they?

         Curiosity aroused, he picked up one of the tablets. "Pineal Inventory?" He recognized the signature... "Adon..." the picture was now emerging, crystal clear. "Fixing inventory errors after hours…"