What the hell is taking Aahmes so long?
I've finished my pretzels a while ago, and now I've got nothing better to do. I never should have followed him in the first place. But I've been a bit worried about his behavior in the past week or so.
He's been going off by himself to gods know where, ever since I showed him my DOME's samples. Doing stuff behind my back I know nothing about ...
Could he have possibly told Grinch and Gadxilla about my secret room? But if that's the case, then the contraband should have been taken away days ago. Still, I can't help but feel like he's hiding something from me.
Fuck.
Is he selling me out after I decided to trust him?
After I saved him from that pervert Hitler?
After I gave him my first time?
"P'we! Sonovabitch!" (p'we is the sound you make when you spit) I shiver as I remembered what happened that night.
"Prof. Antonio? Is there something wrong?" Grinch's secretary asked me.
"Nah... just bit my tongue. You got anything to eat there?"
She handed me a bag of chips.
I hate feeling nervous. I end up craving for junk food when I'm at my wits' end.
The chips were almost finished then I heard a soft beep. I looked at the empty chair to my right.
"Are they still busy? I've been here for an hour. I ran out of snacks again," I grumbled.
"I have some candy here, would you like some, professor?"
"Thanks." I was opening the candy wrapper when I heard another soft beep.
I looked to my right again.
There's nothing there, just an empty chair next to a solid concrete wall. It doesn't seem to be from my phone either. Is there maybe a bomb hidden somewhere?!
I leaned over to look beneath the chairs for some contraption, when the double doors finally swung open.
"What took you so long?" I pouted at Aahmes who was quickly walking towards me.
"Professor!" The Grinch followed behind him, looking alarmed. "I had no idea you were here!"
"Didn't Habibi tell you?"
"There was no reason to tell him," said Aahmes with his deadpan face.
"So, are you done talking?"
"Professor, did you hear a soft beep just now?" Aahmes asked, ignoring me.
"What beep?" I frowned at him. "I did hear some beeping sounds just a while ago. Why? What's going on?"
"Nothing." Aahmes' reply irritated me for some reason. "It is just a reminder that we need to get back to our laboratory now."
"Why? Did you set some kind of alarm on my phone?" I asked taking my phone out.
He ignored me once again.
I decided to glare at Grinch in stead.
"Thank you for your time, Dr. Gregorio, we shall be seeing you around." Aahmes took my hand after that and dragged me away like a little kid.
"Oy, why don't you tell me what really happened?" I asked as we entered the elevator. "What were you discussing about?"
I was surprised when he suddenly embraced me as soon as the doors closed!
"O-oy! What are you doing?! This is sexual harassment!"
"Sorry," he sneered at me, "I just had an urge to pull you close."
I glared at him. "Are you sure you're okay? Just what was that message about? Why do you look pissed one moment and so happy at another?"
He handed me a folded piece of paper. I opened it and read what was written inside.
'We have received a message from Dr. Abdel. Please assist him accordingly. We eagerly await his return when he is ready.'
"You're planning to leave?" I suddenly felt my chest tighten, "Did you do something stupid that made you have to leave?!"
"No, silly!" He sneered happily at me. "I am not ready yet."
I glared at him some more.
"A-are you sure? I mean... I don't want you leaving when we're right in the middle of a project, you know?!"
"Don't worry, professor," he reassured me, "I won't leave. Not yet. Not anytime soon."
"Wake up, professor, it's already 5 am."
Ugh...
Here he goes again, waking me up so early when I just got to sleep.
I should have just sent him back to his country!
"Aahmes... I just closed my eyes...!"
"Did you slip out of your room again after I told you to take some rest last night?" he nagged, sitting on the edge of my bed.
"I had to finish something..." I yawned.
"And now you're too tired to go to work."
"That's why I said we should stay at work last night!"
"But I needed to get more samples from your room. I am nearing the end of my latest study, and I'm sure you would be glad to know about the results I've garnered."
"What study?" I sat up in bed.
"I cannot tell you about it right now, not when you have not slept for 48 hours!"
"Nothing a cuppa coffee can't fix!" I bragged.
"Then hurry up, I'm going to make you a fresh batch of coffee downstairs."
I went to the bathroom to wash my face. I was greeted by the scent of newly brewed coffee when I got out. Aahmes had also prepared some fried eggs and three types of sausages for breakfast. I quickly took the stale rice from the ref to cook some fried rice.
We headed straight to the lab right after. We plan to start the screening for volunteer test subjects for our Secondary Gender Testing Kits.
It was just a simple screening session. We just need to choose a thousand male children aged 5-6 years old, who come from different environments and backgrounds. This is to ensure that the test would be effective regardless of the environment a child grew up in, or the physical and mental condition they have. Blood samples would be needed to determine that.
The large number is to due to the fact that only a small percentage of children manifests their secondary gender, with more that two-thirds ending up as normal betas.
After the screening section, our team would then monitor the children's growth until they reach puberty. Only then would we see if they manifest the same result as they did on the day they were tested.
Of course, the company would be giving their family a small allowance monthly to make sure that they are in the best of health along the way.
"Sir Eric, here is the list of candidates for the volunteers," Pedro greeted me as soon as we arrived. "We have a total of 1,548 respondents. Pilar and I have already picked 1,000 subjects, for your approval, Sir."
"Thanks."
I closed the door to my workstation as soon as Aahmes stepped in.
"Okay, so what's this 'study' that you mentioned earlier?"