Today is New Year's Eve, and Sylvia and I decided to celebrate it together at the bar next to my place.
Sylvia: why is that other guy keeping his umbrella open in here?
Stuart: Who knows, it's not even raining outside!
The people living in this neighbourhood are not bad after all, it was funny to watch the New Year's TV countdown with the rest of them.
???: one minute to midnight! Are you all ready for the countdown?
Everyone: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Everyone: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sylvia: Happy New Year, Stuart!
Stuart: Happy New Year to you too!
We stayed like that for a while, without saying anything else. A question had been buzzing in my mind for a while, but I hadn't been brave enough to say it out loud. I'm not very good with words, as you probably already noticed, my dear diary.
But the more time passed, the fewer doubts I had, and somehow I managed to ask her:
Stuart: listen, Sylvia... Would you like to move in with me?
Sylvia: (surprised) ... Are you serious?
Stuart: Well, yes. I mean, I know it's not a great house... But, I mean, recently you are often staying for the night anyway, and then even Nacho would be happy to...
Sylvia: Of course yes!
And so Sylvia moved in with me. We also enlarged the house a bit, now we have a real bedroom instead of that old cot in the living room. Nacho seems happy too, don't you agree my dear diary?
Sylvia: Today you go back to work too, isn't it?
Stuart: Yes, and I also have a lot to do.
Sylvia: Do your colleagues continue to sound suspicious?
Stuart: The colleagues, but also the research we're doing... I really can't understand what's going on in there.
Sylvia: at some point, they will have to tell you something too. I mean, for them what kind of use could have a researcher who doesn't know what he is working on?
Stuart: Yes, I think so as well.
Given the burned stain on the ground floor laboratory, I decided to pay more attention to safety. That's why I started to wear lab glasses.
Today they gave me a recipe for a serum to synthesize and asked me to find someone to test it on. Is it going to be safe? I'm not sure about it, but I'm definitively not drinking it...
Stuart: Hey, can I ask you a favour?
Colleague: Sure, what is it about?
Stuart: Could you drink this serum and tell me how you are feeling afterwards?
Colleague: sure, no problem!
And, without any hesitation, he took the flask and drank the serum to the last drop. Well, he evidently trusts me a lot...
Uhm, he doesn't seem to be doing too well... I'd probably be better to bring him to the infirmary...
Colleague: Stuart, do you have a minute?
Stuart: Sure, what's up?
Colleague: We need to assemble this device as soon as possible. Can you do it?
Stuart: What kind of device are we talking about?
Finally, finally they are letting me work on something interesting! They asked me to work on a satellite dish, with which I will then have to try to contact aliens!
By now I am sure that they know a lot more than they are telling me, but by trying to study the data that we will transmit with this satellite dish, the direction in which they told me to direct it, and maybe also the answers I could receive, I would be able to obtain many of those answers on my own!
For the moment, the satellite dish seems to be doing its job. But now the question is: is there anyone listening, on the other side?
Stuart: ... I managed to turn on that dish just before I left the laboratory!
Sylvia: and if they answered you, what would happen?
Stuart: who knows? Literally, anything could happen!
Sylvia: Uhm.
Stuart: I didn't tell my bosses, but I actually assembled two of those satellite dishes. I put the second one in our backyard so we can make some extra tests without being noticed.
Sylvia: oh, it sounds interesting!
Stuart: Anyway, are you all right, Sylvia? You look tired tonight.
Sylvia: at the vet clinic we have a lot to do, at the beginning of spring we are always flooded with clients bringing dogs and cats full of fleas! All I need is a good night of sleep, don't worry!
It's great to see Stuart's colleagues warming up to him and trusting him more. To the point that they'd accept mystery liquid from him. xD
ReplyDeleteI can't get over Nacho looking over them as he sits on his pride rock.