Episode XXXIX

Abigail Gillis needed to get her life back together. She just didn't know what she was going to do.

Abby was only a year out of college. Graduating from Mammoth State University with a Chemistry degree had been the biggest thrill of her life. Then she landed the lab assistant job at Daze Springs Scientific Studies Labs. It was the perfect place to get a couple years experience before she went back to school to get a doctoral degree.

And now it had all blown up in her face. Literally.

She knew there was some kind of secret project going on in the lab. She knew it was big. The senior scientists had been whispering excitedly about it for a week. The talk was that it would put the lab on the map and possibly get someone there a Nobel nomination at worst and possibly even the prize. Dr. David Jockner, her boss's boss, had been so jovial you'd think the awards were already in the bag.

Then came the fateful morning. Abby was on her way into work when she pulled over for a fire truck that came racing by. Then another. And a third. The closer she got to work, the more smoke she saw. Finally, she got to the lab to see that it was what was on fire.

Like so many of her co-workers that day, she stood around and watched her place of employment burn to the ground. In the aftermath, they determined that her boss, Tim, had been among the victims of the fire.

But that was all in the past. Now Abby was trying to get on with her life. She was just polishing off her resume to send to other labs when the phone in her apartment rang. She clicked save as she answered the phone absent mindedly.

"This is Dr. David Jockner," said the voice on the other end.

Suddenly, the call had Abby's full attention. "Yes, Dr. Jockner. What can I do for you?"

"I have just gotten off the phone with our benefactors. They agree with the senior staff that the terrorists who blew up the lab will not win. We plan to rebuild, and I am calling to ask you to stay on staff."

"I'd be honored...."

But Dr. Jockner cut her off. "Before the attack, Tim had recommended you for a promotion. I'd like to offer you that promotion to his old job. You would answer directly to me. In addition, I might ask for your help and advise from time to time on sensitive data as well as some of our more secretive research. This does come, of course, with a raise."

"I'll take it!" There was no way Abby was going to let a chance like this pass her by.

"I'm so pleased to hear that," Dr. Jocker responded, the smile in his voice traveling over the phone lines. "While our lab is rebuilt, we'll still be conduction research on the site in some temporary buildings that are being delivered the end of the week. So I'll see you on Monday?"

"Sounds great," Abby said and then hung up the phone.

She just couldn't believe how her luck had improved so rapidly. Depending on how this went, she might not even go back to grad school.