Dev studied the now incomprehensible things facing her. There were dispensers and trays of what she assumed were edibles, but the smells and sights were completely unfamiliar. “Yes. But there was only one thing. They just gave it to us.” She looked back. “What do you do now?”
“You pick what you want.” Jess frowned. “You know how to do that? I didn’t figure lunch was a challenge.”
Dev’s face twitched a little. “I don’t know what any of this is.” She admitted.
Jess rubbed the bridge of her nose. Then she turned and punched in a set of numbers, waiting as the dispenser rumbled and clattered, then opened to reveal a divided tray of steaming food. She put it down on her own tray, then coded in the same set again. “Well, this has never killed me so it probably won’t kill you either.” She took the second portion and gave it to Dev.
Dev studied it, as she followed Jess down the line, finding a glass of something added to her selection before they picked up the trays and walked over to a small table. She sat down, glad now that Doctor Dan had brought her to the fancy place to prepare her.
People were still staring at her. She retrieved the utensils, reaching over and taking a sip from the glass to give her a moment to study what was on the plate.
The taste in the glass made her pause though, and she pulled it back and looked at it. “What is this?”
Jess looked up from cutting her food. “What?”
Dev lifted the glass. “This?”
“Kack.” Jess said. “Generic caffeinated grog with vitamins.”
It was very odd. Dev took another sip, trying to decide if she liked it or not. It was faintly spicy, and a bit sweet, with a hint of effervescence. Then she put the glass down and took a bit of one of things on the tray and put it in her mouth.
It had a mildly chewy texture, and a nice taste. “And this?” Dev asked. “It’s good.”
Jess swallowed a mouthful of it. “Fish stew.” She said. “Most of what we eat here is fish based.” She pointed down and to the left. “Locally got.”
“Fish.” Dev spoke the word thoughtfully.
“Yeah.” Jess pointed at the rest of the tray. “That’s fish, and this is seaweed, but they make it taste like something. This is mushroom.” She pointed at the last section. “They grow it in caverns near the bottom of the cliff.”
“Oh.” Dev tasted a bit of of the seaweed. It seemed to be in a creamy substance, and she found she liked it as well. The mushrooms were dense and rich, and reminded her very faintly of the protein cakes from the crèche.
All good. She dug in with a sense of relief. Doctor Dan had warned her there would be very different things to contend with downside, but she was very glad to see not all of them were different in a bad way.
“That all right for you?” Jess asked, after a moment of silence.
Dev nodded. “It’s very good.” She said, after a swallow. “Thank you.”
Jess was silent for a few minutes more, then she looked up again. “What did you have upside?” She asked. “Plastic pellets or something? Must have been if you could eat those crackers.”
“Well.” Dev took a sip of the beverage. “Tea mostly, to drink.” She indicated the cup. “And they just made a cake for the main thing, I think it had beans or soy, with greens and maybe some fruit. It depended on what the test facility was working on.”
‘Fruit.” Jess mused. “Maybe Bain knows what that’s like.” She went back to her plate. “None of us could afford it.”
Dev paused and studied her for a moment. Despite the words, there didn’t seem to be any resentment in her table companion’s voice, just a matter of fact commentary. “You know, only the really important people in the crèche would get to have something like this.” She pointed at her plate. “So I guess it’s relative?”
Jess glanced up, a look of dark humor in her eyes. “You think?”
Dev wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She felt a little bit confused as those pale eyes watched her, almost glad when a throat clearing at her right hand side made them both look up. A woman was standing there, dressed as Jess was.
“Elaine.” Jess half turned. “What’s up?”
The woman cocked her head slightly. ‘You going to introduce me, Jess?”
Jess looked at her, then at Dev. “Sure.” She said. Her eyes went to Dev. “What do you want people to call you?”
Dev was caught flatfooted. “Excuse me?”
“You’re asking a bio alt what they want?” Elaine’s eyebrows hiked. “C’mon, Jess.”
Jess glanced at her. “This isn’t a pod tech.” She said. “I don’t invite them to lunch.” She turned back around. “What is it you want people here to call you? I know what your label is.” She said. “My name is Jesslyn Drake. But people call me Jess.” She paused. “When they don’t’ call me bastard, or jackass, or asshole.”
Elaine chuckled reflexively.
“Oh.” Dev nodded. “Okay, I get it..” She looked up at Elaine. “My designation is Biological Alternative, set 0202-164812, instance NM-Dev-1.” She said. “But you can call me Dev.”
Elaine stared at her. “That doesn’t sound like a regular bio alt set name.”
“It isn’t.” Dev agreed. “I’m a developmental special set.” She blinked placidly at the other woman. “Experimental.”
“Oh.” Elaine said. “Well, I’m Elaine.” She somewhat hesitantly extended a hand in greeting. “I think we’ll be working together.”
Dev clasped it and released.
“Elaine’s an agent, like I am.” Jess said. “She works with an outsider tech named Brent. He’s over at that table afraid to come here and meet you.” She indicated a tall, blond haired man seated nearby.
“He’s not afraid.” Elaine frowned. “He’s just not comfortable with all of this.’
Dev looked at Jess, seeing a clearly defined expression of skepticism there. The man Brent was dressed exactly like she herself was and as she watched he glanced over at them, then looked quickly away.
So was he doing what she would be? Did he think she wasn’t capable?
Things were getting very, very interesting.
**
Jess and Dev walked back to their quarters through very quiet corridors. “Everyone’s keeping their head down.” Jess commented.
“I see.” Dev murmured, after a slight pause .”They afraid the man with the gun is going to take them off?”
Muffling a snort, Jess stopped in mid stride and looked at her.
Dev stopped as well, and stood there, head tilted slightly in question.
“Did you…” Jess said, then paused, shaping the air with her hands. “Was that a joke?”
“Did you think it was funny?” Dev inquired.
“Yes, I did.”
“Then it was a joke.” The bio alt commented. “If you didn’t think so it would still have been a joke, but an unsuccessful one I wouldn’t use again.”
Jess’s lips twitched. “Did they program you for that?” She started walking again. “For jokes?”
“No.” Dev replied. “Most of us have a sense of humor. “ She followed Jess around the corner into the residential hall. “It varies.”
“I can see you have the dry variety.” Jess said. “Good. So do I. It’ll make it easier to work together.” She reached up and tightened the knot of hair at the back of her head. “I don’t like stand up yuck men.”
Dev’s ears perked up. She really didn’t know what that was, but it sounded like the agent had accepted her and that bode well for her not being immediately returned to the crèche. She had no illusions that she would be eventually, after this experiment was over, but the longer she stayed, the more experience she’d be able to get, and that might mean something later on for her.
If she didn’t get hurt doing this, as Doctor Dan had warned. She wondered if Jess had ever gotten hurt doing her job. It sounded dangerous, even more than the tasks she’d been programmed for.