Safety First

The safety marshal for the building, Georgia Sims, was standing at the muster point wearing her white hard hat. In her hand was a clipboard, around her neck was a whistle. Having organized the crowd by sections, she had made quick work of attendance, ensuring that everyone had left the building. There was only one problem.

"Has anyone seen Doctor Smith?" she asked the team from lab 2G. They had been acting strange since they arrived. It probably had to do with the grinning bikini model they had brought with them. Honestly, some of these labs were populated by Neanderthals.

"He, uh, went home early," said one of the lab assistants, Jim Jones, his eyes a little shifty, "I guess he forgot to clock out."

"I'll have to put that into my safety report," Georgia replied, "and your lab will get a write-up. And who is this?" She pointed with her pen at the woman in the yellow bikini.

"Oh, um, this is Alexa. She was supposed to be a gag gift for our intern, who called in sick. You know, bikini-gram." Jim replied, laughing uncomfortably.

"Well she's hardly dressed. Maybe she could show some respect and cover up."

"Alexa," Jim said, slipping off his lab coat and handing it to her, "put this on."

"Putting on your lab coat," the bikini-clad woman said in a slightly mechanical, yet familiar voice. There was something off about her, but Georgia couldn't put her finger on it.

"Thank-you," Georgia said, rolling her eyes and making another note on her clipboard. Lab 2G was problematic today. Missing staff, unauthorized visitors. They'll get quite the write-up. It will have to wait, though. From what she had heard from the containment team, that whole section would be shut down for at least a week, maybe more.

With her attendance complete, Georgia informed everyone of the status of the lockdown. The building would be closed for the rest of the day, and everyone would receive an email that evening about the reopening plan. For now, people would be sent home.

"If you need a ride, or are locked out of your car, come and see me. I will coordinate taxis for anyone who needs it," she said loudly. Most people started for the parking lot, but the people from 2G were huddled together in the shade of an ash tree with their bikini-gram girl. Whatever they were talking about looked intense. Bikini-gram my ass, Georgia thought, That lab is up to something hinky. She made another note for a random safety inspection to occur once the lab reopened. It was bad enough that the research the company engaged often cut corners in safety regulations. But to have a lab go rogue and start inviting untrained people into active research areas was reprehensible.

Georgia would put a stop to it. It was the only safe thing to do.