Verse 3: At the Galveston National Lab (Barazephyr and Maledriel)

[Juramenta]

{Barazephyr}

Shows his ID as well.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Ms. Doukas takes each of their IDs and scans it. Then she nods. “Please stand here so I can get your pictures for your passes,” she says, pointing to an area about three feet from her computer terminal.

[shaidar]

{Mal}

Mal stands on the indicated spot.

[Juramenta]

{Barazephyr}

Bobby follows as instructed.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

The receptionist takes each of their pictures in turn. She then prints them and removes two lanyards from a safe beneath the counter. She checks each pass to set it with the right picture, stamps it with a date and time, signs it, inserts the image, and then seals it with a heat press.

Once both passes are finished, Ms. Dubkas, hands Mal and Bobby the lanyards holding the pass with their own picture.

“There you go,” she says. “Wear them and have them visible at all times while you are in the building. Moving about the building without these passes is grounds for immediate removal from the premises. Please, have a seat in the waiting area.” She gestures to the small waiting room to the side of the information desk. “I’ll call up and get you an escort. It should only be a few minutes.”

[shaidar]

{Mal}

Mal takes the pass and puts it on. "Thank you very much for your help."

He takes a seat, one which might afford him a view of anyone coming down to meet them.

[Juramenta]

{Barazephyr}

Gives a friendly nod to the receptionist before he sits down at one of the available seats.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

A few minutes later a bear of an African American man exits from the door to the left of the reception desk. His buzz cut hair is only a trifle longer than a military high and tight. He wears an impeccable summer-weight blue suit, with a pressed collared white shirt, and light blue tie with diamond designs in varying shades of white, blue, and gray. He wears a visible earpiece as well as a standard radio on his belt. A gold-colored name tag with the GNL logo on the left reads, ‘Dontrell Michaels, Security Director’ in crisp black letters. A lanyard, similar to the one given out at the front gate but with more permanent information on a key card conveys the same information.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Alexander, Mr, Hasted,” the husky man says, “I’m Dontrell Michaels, head of security here at Galveston National Laboratory. If you’ll come with me, I’ll take you to my office where we can talk privately. Ms. Helena Banaszak, our press liaison, will join us.”

[Juramenta]

{Barazephyr}

Bobby gets up as he gives the man a friendly smile and a nod.
However, he still refrains from talking, preferring to let Mal respond for the both of them.

[shaidar]

{Mal}

Mal stands and holds out his hand, "A pleasure to meet you Mr Michaels."

He opens himself to the Symphony and reads Mr Michaels.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Mal}

Mal stands and holds out his hand, "A pleasure to meet you Mr Michaels."

{GM}

“Glad to have you here, Mr. Alexander,” Mr. Michaels says, taking the offered hand and shaking firmly but without any sense of dominance games. He turns and offers his hand to Bobby as well.

After all have shaken hands, Mr. Michaels gestures to the left-hand door through which he entered. “Welcome to GNL. Right his way.” He starts walking toward the indicated door at a brisk pace, without looking back to see if his guests follow. When he reaches the door he sets the palm of his right hand on the biometric scanner, pulls a keycard from his pocket with his left, and presses it against the reader. The door clicks, and he holds it open for it, ushering the visitors through.

{Mal}
He opens himself to the Symphony and reads Mr Michaels.

{GM}

As Mal shakes hands, the Symphony whispers in his ear.

[shaidar]

{Mal}

Mal heads through the door.

[Juramenta]

[Barazephyr]

Bobby follows along.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Mr. Michaels leads Maledriel and Barazephyr to the elevator. Entering the elevator requires him to use the same biometrics and keycard scan. Once he enters the floor he wants, Michaels has to provide those again. Once they three of them arrive at the correct floor, he leads them down the hall to the security wing, which not only uses a hand-scanner and a keycard bit also a PIN at a number pad. He strides past the security reception desk waving back the man standing behind it and leads them to the end of that hall where he opens the office door with all three sets of credentials.

The security director again holds the door for Maledriel and Barazephyr. Stepping in, they see a spacious office. To the immediate right sides a large, modern chrome and glass desk that sports a high end computer. A bank of computer screens hangs on the right hand wall, across from the desk. Beyond the desk area is a large, comfortable-looking seating area. A long twill couch upholstered in a soft pattern of coral, pink, and aqua lays against the far wall and a matching loveseat sits perpendicularly at either end of the sofa. Two matching armchairs sit across from the couch, with their backs towards the desk area. An accent table sits between each of the loveseats and the couch. Another sits between the two chairs.

Gesturing to the seating area, Mr. Michaels says, “Please, have a seat. I’ll just buzz Ms. Banaszak and let her know we’ve arrived. Please, help yourself to water, soda, coffee, snacks” He points out a sideboard and mini-fridge that sit beyond the desk on the same wall. It holds a coffee earn, a basket of fruit, another basket of chips, and a third of candy.

[shaidar]

{Mal}

Mal heads over to make himself a coffee "Thank you Mr. Michaels, would like anything yourself, or you Bobby?"

[Juramenta]

{Barazephyr}

''Coffee sounds great, boss. With lots of sugar please.'' Bobby responds as he heads to the basket of fruit and takes out the freshest looking piece.

[shaidar]

{Mal}

"Sure thing, Bobby" he pours a coffee and adds the usual six spoons of sugar before taking it over to Bobby by the snacks, doing his best to be facing away from Mr Micheals. When he hands it over he whispers "Song, mile" and the index finger on his hand carrying the cup briefly points in a direction.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Mal}

Mal heads over to make himself a coffee "Thank you Mr. Michaels, would like anything yourself, or you Bobby?"

{GM}

“No, thank you,” Mr. Michaels says as he picks up the phone and speaks into it softly.

[Juramenta]

{Barazephyr}

Bobby takes the coffee Mal handed out to him and finds a seat to enjoy his beverage, while snacking on the fruit he picked out.

[shaidar]

{Mal}

Mal makes himself a coffee, black with two sugars, and sits.

"You have an impressive view of Galveston, Mr Michaels."