Tessy's POV
The day had been sunny but my family felt a chill instead. My mom paced about as we awaited expectantly for the report from the detective.
I was only twelve but I knew that something was amiss.
My sister got employed at NASA. She was the youngest in our district to achieve such feat.
The night she didn't come home, my father tried calling her. Her phone was unreachable. She was moving closer to work the next day, so we assumed she was busy and went to bed.
Days blurred together before the police got involved. That evening completed three weeks since she went missing.
My dad, who had hypertension, was not having it good and his unease was felt feet away as we waited in silence, every sound making us turn towards the door.
After what felt like an eternity, Detective Jones walked in. The news we had been waiting for was to be delivered.
He broke the silence and started, "I'm sorry but we found her decomposed body close to..." The detective couldn't finish before my dad collapsed.
Dead. Right there.
My world came crashing down. My sister had promised to take me to space if there was an opportunity to. She was my favorite person.
Detective Jones quickly dialed the emergency number and was calming my hyperventilating mother. I just stood there, motionless.
It was too huge a piece of news to bear. Two weeks later, we buried my father and my sister. My mother withered into herself, finding little reason to keep going.
I didn't grieve. I refused to believe my sister was gone.
Days turned into years, mom found comfort in the little community of widowed women. It was slow but yielded results.
Our pastry shop became well-known and detective Jones came by occasionally. I got into school and majored in systems engineering.
I had always loved problem-solving and making complex tasks simpler.
Detective Jones told me something never sat right with him. My sister's home surveillance and NASA's cameras showed her in two places at the same time.
"Miss", a hand touched me and I jerked. It was the one of the security guys, and they were everywhere. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle. You've been standing here for a while now, you need any help?"
I checked my wrist watch, it was fifteen minutes past seven in the morning. I had been standing for fifteen minutes.
"No thank you. I'll go in now."
"Okay, may I see your ID please?" He looked at me suspiciously.
I sighed and gave it to him. After his nodding and mouthing of unnecessary stuff, I went in.
The weather was gloomy.
I sat at the small cubicle assigned to the SE&I interns on the 6th floor. My mentor, a gray-haired man named Dr. Aris, had come in earlier to remind us about an orientation starting in five.
Earlier this morning, after the ordeal with the security guy, I pushed through the heavy glass doors of the Mary W. Jackson building. I joined a small line near the desk where a woman handed me a "Welcome" packet. Inside was a bright red lanyard.
"OSTEM Intern?" she asked.
"Systems Engineering," I replied.
"Okay. Go to the 6th floor, that's where systems are."
---
We were only three interns in the systems.
A guy with glasses and a frantic way of tapping his pen sat to my left. He looked like he hadn't slept since he got his acceptance letter. To my right was a girl with a "Space Camp" hoodie and a smile that felt way too bright for a rainy Monday morning.
"I'm Marcus," the pen-tapper said, barely looking up from his tablet. "MIT. I'm working on the Artemis architecture integration."
"Sarah," the girl added, leaning over. "I'm from Florida. My dad was a tech at Kennedy. You?"
"Tessy," I said. I didn't offer a school or a pedigree. I didn't want them to map me. "Systems Engineering."
"Obviously," Marcus muttered, finally looking at me. "We're the only three in the SE&I pod this session. Dr. Aris is a stickler for precision. If your data isn't synced to the millisecond, he'll make you redo the whole week."
A woman in a blue suit walked to the front of the room, silencing the small talk. She started a slideshow about "The NASA Standard." She spoke about integrity, the chain of command, and the importance of data verification.
I was getting tired. It was mid-day already and the orientation was still ongoing. Marcus and Sarah were scribbling away whilst I watched the time.
It finally came to an end.
"Finally," I muttered.
"Care to join us at the cafeteria?" Sarah asked.
I had left my phone on the desk so I declined. I dragged my feet to the elevator.
"Sixth floor." I searched for the button. "Here, got it." I yawned tiredly. Today was beginning to get on my nerves.
I opened my eyes to see a huge intimidating figure looming over me. I got alerted.
"Uhm, any problem?"
"Miss, you're not authorized to use this elevator. Please step out."
There was no room for negotiation and I quietly stepped out.
"May I ask..." He turned to give me attention, and I continued, "Why is it suddenly restricted? I just want to get my phone from the 6th floor. If I could wait, it's not feasible for me to use the stairs right now."
His expression didn't change.
"I understand, miss. However, this restriction is in effect immediately. You'll need to use the next elevator."
The bodyguard stiffened, fingers pressing to his earpiece.
"Miss, you need to leave this vicinity."
I frowned. This was ridiculous. The sixth floor was my section. The stairs were halfway down the wing, and the other elevators were always slow. Why should I inconvenience myself for a sudden, unexplained restriction?
Footsteps cut through my thoughts.
The bodyguard straightened. A man stepped into view, security closing in around him. His gaze locked onto mine.
The doors slid shut between us.
I exhaled, too late to argue.