Doctor Cobalt's page

Lorenzo

Dr. Cobalt takes it all in for a moment. Dr. Coriolis' ID badge "flew" out the window? Interesting. He seems to comtemplate this bit of information as he dismisses you from his office. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Pachenti. Please drop those reports here on my desk and take the day off. There is little we can accomplish in the name of science with S.H.R.U. mucking about.

You drop the reports off and prepare to leave. Oh and Lorenzo, before you head out deliver this disc to the head of the investigation force, Captain Abrams.

Dr. Cobalt gives you a significant look and you take the disc. These are last night's surveillance tapes of the laboratories. You should review them and make sure there aren't any unfortunate gaps in the data say from 10:39 to 10:48 PM? Storm's of last night's magnitude have been known to disrupt delicate electronics from time to time.

That period of time covers the time during which the strange event with the badge happened and in which you absconded with the leftover parts. Dr. Cobalt's knows what you did. Strange that he wouldn't turn you in...

Lorenzo

Skipping ahead to the next day for Lorenzo.

You feel a strange combination of exhilaration and fatigue as you roll out of bed the next morning.

You were able to make considerable progress on the suit overnight. It even has a cool mask! Configuring the suit and integrating each of the systems will take awhile longer but you set the custom code you created to compile while you're at work.

Despite your best intentions, working as late as you did has you running behind as you enter RoboCorp...

Mister Pachenti. A word in my office if you please. The cold tone of Dr. Cobalt's voice sends shivers down your spine. You were only ten minutes late. The lab technicians and assistants make a point to look anywhere but at you.

The door to Dr. Cobalt's office closes behind you and he offers you a chair. You sit in uncomfortable silence for several excruciating seconds. Just as you're about to speak up to defend yourself he interrupts. There has been an unfortunate incident in the lab. Technological prototypes were stolen last night after hours.

His eyes burrow into your very soul as he asks, You were in the lab very late last night. Do you have any knowledge about the thefts that should come to light before I file my official report?

Dr. Cobalt's cold eyes stare at you unblinking for a moment before he begins to speak again. Must I remind you Mr. Pachenti that you are no longer one of those computer jockeys downstairs? You were hired as my assistant for you to assist me. The demands on my time are so great that even I must delegate to my lessers.

He hands you a dossier labeled "Water Excitation Results" and a laboratory ID card. The dossier is filled with blank forms for filling in data and detailed instructions for carrying out the research tasks.

Dr. Cobalt folds his hands behind his back and stares at the various experiments being conducted in the other nearby laboratories. I expect you to treat this not as just another assignment but as a test Mr. Pachenti. To prove to me that you are in fact different from your former compatriots in the so-called Information Technology Department. I also expect you to take this experiment as seriously as I myself would take it. Your findings may well tip the scales in that project's next review phase. I will have those results by 8 AM tomorrow morning. Sharp.

Dr. Cobalt strides sternly out of your cubicle. You can hear various interns and assistants scurrying to get out of his way.

You skim through the pages and your heart sinks. There have to be at least 100 pages! This is going to take you all night. On the other hand the ID card he handed you gives you access to all of the laboratories on this floor...

You hurriedly setup the forged time stamp and send it to Dr. Cobalt's junk mail folder, covering your trail so it would seem it simply didn't hit his inbox properly.