Offerings To The Past
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In the halls of Site-34, the footsteps of two people could be heard heading to an elevator at a moderate pace. Those newly renovated corridors, witnessed by thousands of people on that date. Times were indeed different when compared to previous decades, the growing discovery of new anomalies and significant events in history caused the expansion and creation of new facilities, leaving that old but iconic place a tad obsolete, despite having been the birth of different departments and characters. Just one of those people was there, the Director of the Biology Department, Luisa Vander, and her partner Alonso.

—So, before I go, tell me again about the tasks and files that I left you in charge of, the most important ones in themselves. —said Luisa, who at the same time checked her holographic watch and sent files to various people regarding their requests.

—Update the ConProcs of the SCPs in Sub Floor 5's Area 14, declassify the Level 4 information regarding Project Rosas, review the latest proposals regarding the usage of Thaumiel anomalies… Do I really have to name all of them? They're like 23 if I remember correctly and, besides, it's not like you're going to be gone for a long time. —answered Alonso while he looked at the ceiling, thinking about the other tasks.

—Of course, I only asked for one day off this time, but no matter the year, we must always be cautious and keep priorities in mind.

—If I remember correctly, this is your first "day off" since you've been working here, right?

—Yes. It's not that I feel calm doing nothing or taking time off. Research in this field has been my passion since… a long time ago.

—Sometimes I question your methods, but if they've allowed you to get this far you must have your reasons… Oh! Before I forget, Lidia wanted me to ask you if she could have access to your cloning and tissue culture research to restore the ecosystem of anomalous flora lost in the Amazon Incident during 2088.

—Her? But she started working here just a year ago.

—Your lecture on the impact of the incident had her very excited, you should make them more boring to avoid this kind of enthusiasm… Uh, that was just a joke.

—Don't worry, and tell her we can talk about it in 3 months, Project Rosas includes that incident. —Luisa stopped and looked Alonso in the face.— Although I am going to take this time to rest, seriously, do not hesitate to call me for anything, no matter how minor it may seem.

—I know, I always keep that in mind, Director. Don't worry too much either, it won't be the end of the world tonight and if it is, it won't be your fault.

—I hope so. See you in less than a day and don't forget to organize your paperwork. It should be considered an anomaly already seeing how chaotic it is despite everything being automatic.

They both reached the elevator. Luisa said goodbye to Alonso and entered the elevator. Once there, she waited for all the people to vacate it to open the elevator assistance command.

—Assistance menu, I request access to Sub Floor 06's Area 1. Access code: Two-Red-Trail Three-White-Clear One-Black-Vision.

ACCESS GRANTED. VOICE CONFIRMATION ACCEPTED. BEGINNING OF GENETIC ANALYSIS IN PROCESS.

—Annulment of genetic analysis. Application code: GUU-GCU-AAU-GAU-GAA-CGU.

CANCELLATION CONFIRMED. PROCEEDING WITH ALTERNATE TEST-5. DEPLOYMENT OF CLASS V VISUAL COGNITOHAZARDOUS AGENT… VITAL SIGNS CONFIRMED. WELCOME, DIRECTOR L. VANDER. ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME: 15 MINUTES.

—Heh, did you doubt it was really me, Reisen?

Sorry, my programming prohibits me from bypassing the standard tests. Besides, I know you wouldn't want it any other way.

—Of course, I was just teasing you again. Have you noticed any strange behavior from our members?

—Personnel nutrition remains inadequate despite the new cafeteria meal program. While it has the right nutrients, it has been described as bland.

—I was referring more to illicit behavior, such as extracting information, documents, etc. Although I like to know that you pay attention to those details. Seems that the compounds generated by our bacteria lack flavor. It's quite a shame I don't have time to take care of that. Speaking of food, were you able to get me what I've been requesting for a few months?

—Cases of illicit actions this month: 0. And yes, I managed to synthesize the requested food and objects. Unfortunately, the original copies ceased to be produced in the middle of the 21st century. Similarity between the copies with respect to the original products: 98.976%.

—Thank you very much, Reisen.

—No problem. I'm glad you're taking a break after more than a century of work.

—It will only be one night.

After walking the path to reach her destination, the elevator doors opened to reveal the neat home of the director, characterized by dark tones and some shelves full of books. The time she spent there was scant, spending most of her life in laboratories or offices; for this, she appreciated the moments to forget all the administrative and investigative burdens for a while. She went into her bedroom to change her clothes, looking at the date on her watch: November 1, 2099. How long had it been since her first memories?

So many events, emotions, and experiences throughout the years seeing the different generations of companions rise up throughout the 21st century. And over the decades, she realized the role of each one, not just as a part of the staff, so she had decided to dedicate one of her nights to them, to commemorate them in her mind. If she had learned anything in all these years, it was to stop being so apathetic about different cultural traditions, this being more because of her lack of contact with them beyond investigating on her own.

On this afternoon, Luisa was preparing to place an offering in honor of her companions and friends who left this world. After changing her clothes and having a glass of water, she cleared one of her pieces of furniture and went for the items she requested, packed in different boxes. Then…



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