Videoconference

It had been a few hours since the discovery, the split as it was now known. Whilst the information was meant to be confidential everyone in the facility had heard the news and Dr. Laurent Duval was claiming all the credit (as usual) for this breakthrough. Duval barely fit in the communications booth, a video-telephone was mounted on the wall before him. The picture quality was decent, a slightly lower resolution than your average tube television. The sound mostly came through well enough when the mysterious lights in the sky weren't interfering with the connection, something the Department really should have looked into.

Duval was lost in thought when an image of a very serious looking woman appeared on the video-telephone, if there was a dress code for politicians she would be that code. The woman was Anissa Beek, a major figure European Post-Event Response Government, the type of figure that everyone knew but nobody was actually aware of what her official role was.

Laurent pulled to the telephone towards his ear as she started to speak. "Dr. Duval, I have heard your team have made some progress on the sample. Is all this true? Or is my time being wasted?"

Quickly Laurent shook his head. "Not at all Mrs. Beek, I can assure that the discovery is quite real. I was very surprised myself when this self-replication happened. I couldn't have imagined it at all," Laurent smiled. His portly cheeks rising to his eyes. "It's an extraordinary event Mrs. Beek."

"It certainly sounds it. EPERG are going to send over some of our leading scientists to take a look for themselves. We need to verify what this means for the Department going forward," Anissa explained, still looking unimpressed.

"I can assure you Mrs. Beek that me-" he paused for a moment. "Me and my team can handle this, external interference will only make things more difficult."

"It's not interference, it's protocol. Dr. Duval we have the power to appoint whoever we want on this discovery. We could easily get rid of you if we wanted, so play nice and work with us. Is that understood?"

Threats, the typical Post-Event government way. "I don't appreciate being threatened Mrs. Beek! But fine, send whoever you desire over. We'll work with them."

"Good," Mrs. Beek said, smiling for the first time. "I want any further developments noted and faxed to my office as soon as they happen. No delays, clear?"

"As crystal." As Laurent finished the image of Beek disappeared from the video-telephone. He let out a long sigh of relief. Why did politicians have to be so difficult he wondered.

TBC