Thread: The Hourglass Archives [ Ariamella & jvj9000 ]

Ping! A third alert went off on Stephanie's iPhone as she pulled up to a crisp, white building. Although it was plain and just hitting the edge of the city, it was situated in a quiet business area, and it was clean despite the old style of the structure. The words 'boring' and 'sterile' came to mind for the second time as she stared at the entrance from beneath her Ray Bans, but what else could one expect from a scientific facility? It was a lab, not a 5-star hotel, but even then she thought they could have put a little more effort into making things look presentable. Stephanie stepped up to the glass doors as she threw her car keys into her bag, the locking alarm of her Elantra sounding unnecessarily noisy in the near-empty parking lot. Her eyes drifted to the VISIONEX logo up above, and then down at her phone to check the time before reaching out to open the door. The lobby was empty, even at the front desk, and the interior was still the same as it had been two weeks ago, save for the fake house-plant in the far corner of the room. That was new. Maybe they decided the grey chairs, white walls, and drab carpet needed some color. Not to say that it looked bad . In fact one could tell that the pieces chosen for the spacious room weren't cheap, but it was seriously lacking in aesthetic appeal. Stephanie herself looked oddly out of placethe long sleeved collared shirt, shorts, and strappy heels she had worn for lunch out with the girls seemed entirely inappropriate for what was technically a professional and academic appointment. But the representative she had spoken to assured her that there was no dress code, and that she only needed to come in whatever was comfortable. Voices floating through a closed door caught her ears, and for a second she thought she heard Dr. Martensen's laugh. She still couldn't believe he agreed to participate in her research, even if he was her advisor. Surely he had to know that many female students might have asked him to participate simply to get closer to him. Not just that, but there would be the obvious issue of both students and teachers gossiping about what she and Martensen might be doing outside the university. Sure, they had proof that they were actually going to the VISIONEX facility, but it wouldn't stop any rumors about anything happening after their little history lessons were over. Any other young and attractive professor probably would have politely declined, but Stephanie always thought herself good that way. Where others failed, she succeeded, and where others lucked out, she was incredibly lucky. She was, admittedly, a charismatic and open person, suited to public speaking, and persuasive when she wanted to be. She got her way in seemingly impossible situations, some of them surprising even herself, but she figured it was something that got easier and better as time went on. And considering it was a talent she'd had as a teen, she must have been fucking fantastic at it by this point. The door opened then, and the same chubby man who had screened her two weeks ago adjusted the glasses on his face before looking down at the clipboard in his hands. Stephanie Kensington? He called out stupidly, as if there was anyone in the lobby besides her. The young women lifted her head and smiled at him, following him through the door and down a hallway before stopping at a sitting area outside yet another room. Her face brightened when she saw the professor sitting on one of the chairs, looking particularly delicious in his slightly unbuttoned. Yum . But she held whatever dirty thoughts she had to herself, instead offering a polite nod of her head in his direction. One other pair is finishing inside the test room, said Dr. Blaylock, after Stephanie had taken a seat. And that's great because it gives you two some time to relax your nerves before Sharon comes out to explain what's going to happen today for your first session... She's the director of this facility. He thumbed through the paperwork attached to his clipboard, occasionally looking up at both participants. All your files seem to be in order. Miss Kensington, you're very lucky to have found a partner before today, and it's Dr. Martensen at that! This is probably a very important academic moment for the both of you. Stephanie could only offer an enthusiastic nod before the door to the test room opened, and a stern-looking, slim woman in her late 40s exited, followed by a man and womanboth slightly flushed in the facewho murmured their thanks and quickly walked down the hallway and out of sight. Welcome, Caleb... Stephanie. I'm Dr. Hood, but feel free to call me Sharon. The middle-aged woman, Sharon, offered a quick handshake before continuing, then took a stray strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear along with the rest of her short blonde bob. We're running tight on time, but I think we can get through this introduction fairly quick. The machine you'll be using doesn't have an official name as this entire program is still in its baby steps, but I can assure you that it is safe for you to use. As both of you know, we require that participants have the B-17 marker in their DNA, and that's because that's the start code for a neurotransmitter activated by the machine for your brain to 'see' and 'experience' the memory of whoever you're connected with. The ordeal can be intense, which is why we've asked you to pair upthe mental burden is shared between the two of you as opposed to sitting solely on one person. But fair warning, the after effects do include nausea, vertigo, and under rare occurrences, minor hallucinations. All of this is, of course, listed in the application packets that both of you filled out, but it's come to my attention that many participants either don't read it or lie about reading it. She paused, taking a couple sheets from Blaylock's proffered hand, skimming through the pages, and then looked up at Stephanie. Interesting. It says here that you're looking to explore cultural changes and the way it affects gender relations? What are your graduate studies? Sociocultural anthropology, I imagine. She left no time for Stephanie to answer before she skimmed some more, then turned to the professor. If either of you have any requests as to where and when you'd like to be placed in history, say so now. Otherwise I'll choose at random, and it won't be my fault if you're living in, oh I don't know, some boring Pacific island with a population of less than 200. A small smile tugged at the corners of Sharon's lips as she turned and swiped an ID on the scanner of the door to the test room, and gestured both Stephanie and Caleb to follow her inside. Follow me.