Settling in

When he arrived at the satellite office he found that his new home was a cluster of small farmhouses and a large industrial sized barn. As he pulled in he was approached by a surprisingly tall muscular woman in blue overalls tucked into large rubber boots.

"You must be the newbie!" Her smile was wide and friendly. "Head office said we were gettin' a new one today. Let's getcha settled in, huh? then we can do introductions!" She was energetic and seemed nice enough. She practically ripped the side door off of Autumn's van before realizing that it was supposed to slide, then lifted his heavy luggage over one broad shoulder and gesture for him to come along with her other hand. Autumn followed her into the small cluster of farm houses.

She led him to the last house on the end where she showed him his new sleeping quarters. They were pretty sparse, just a bed, dresser, and a closet. But it was better than nothing. She helped him unpack and showed him the bathroom.

"I'm Maria. You'll find me around if ya need anything!" She said as she left his room.

Autumn unpacked his things and set them up in the room. He was eager to get started, he wanted to make a good impression after all. So he headed out to see what he could see. When he stepped outside he felt like he was stepping into a different world. The air was crisp, the sky was bright blue, and the sun was shining. He looked over the edge of the roof of the house and saw beautiful green rolling hills. He took a deep breath in. The clean air filled his lungs with freshness. He had never experienced something so pristine and natural.

After exploring he went back inside, found a place to sit, and began studying the material that head office had given him. He spent most of the morning reading through the introductory materials. It didn't take long for him to understand the basic concepts behind the information that the research team needed. His job title was: genetic collections specialist. His job was to collect, store, and organize the DNA samples for the researchers. He was also expected to assist with the data analysis of the DNA samples. The paperwork describing the collection of the samples was incredibly, frustratingly, vague. He ran his hand back through his hair as he sighed, leaning back.