The entire reason behind the project and integration was to try to renew and restore faith on earth. I had agreed to the job primarily because of ego and pride. An initiative such as this one would write me straight into the history books. I’d be a name known across the globe. But a small part of me, a sliver that I did my best to ignore, wondered if I could find answers to more personal questions. If anyone needed their faith restored, it was me.
“What more proof do you need?” Grayson asked.
“Let me do my job and then I’ll have my proof,” I replied before leaving the lab.
Following lunch, the space buzzed with activity again. Charlie sat near Grayson and observed him as she typed notes on her laptop. At multiple points during the afternoon, I wished I could have her job. Being able to observe others from a distance had to be nice when the subject was highly volatile.
Instead, I perused through old journal articles, combing over experiments to add to the list. In the months before they’d arrived, we’d carefully mapped out plans and bought the required reagents. I’d been giddy as each request for state-of-the-art equipment was signed off and delivered without resistance.
Although the standard list was devised and distributed among the floors, ambition was rife. We had our own ideas that deviated away from the workflow.
“You,” Grayson’s voice called out. “Come here.”
I tore my gaze away from the screen to see that he was addressing me.
Holden eyed us warily as I got up from my seat and took a tentative step towards the God.
“Keep your distance, Scott,” Matthew warned me. I gave him a curt nod and stopped a few feet away from Grayson.
“I’ll let you do your work,” he told me. “So, you can have your proof.”
“Oh?” His sudden willingness to cooperate surprised me. “Okay.”
It felt too easy. Grayson had kicked and screamed and shown nothing but contempt for this initiative. I wasn’t so doe-eyed to believe that a few terse words exchanged between us would convince him to comply.
Matt joined my side, eyes narrowed, still untrusting of the God.
“Where am I to reside throughout the duration of this project?” Grayson asked us both.
“You’ll stay with Holden,” I answered. As head of the project for this floor, Matt would take the lead on Grayson’s integration and would also take up the mantle as his host.
“No.”
“No?” I echoed.
“No,” Gray repeated calmly.
It was so out of character from the way he’d been behaving that the anxiety unfurled in my stomach. This was the calm before the storm.
The room had grown uncomfortably still and silent as colleagues paused their work and shifted their attention to the conversation. Like a car crash — it was impolite to look, but curiosity still made you turn your head towards the wreckage. Disaster was a beautiful theatre when you weren’t directly involved.
“I’d rather not deal with this idiot.” His eyes flicked over to Matt, mouth curling in disgust, before looking back to me. “I’ll cooperate if I reside with you,” he finished.
Matthew took a step in front of me, his broad frame shielding me from view. “That isn’t what’s been agreed to,” he informed Grayson.
“Fine,” Grayson replied nonchalantly. “Then don’t expect me to work with you.”
I glanced back over at Charlie, who looked just as baffled at what was unfolding. Her fingers flew over her keyboard as she made notes, and I wondered what her professional opinion was on the display.
“You don’t get to call the shots with this,” Matt said firmly.
“Do not forget who you’re speaking to!” Grayson roared, the force of the words causing a slight tremor in the lab. Glassware clinked together on the shelves until it passed.
“Holden,” I said, my fingertips touching his back. His muscles tensed at the contact. “I’ll speak to Gareth. We need him to work with us.”
Matt turned around; expression unreadable. “Do you think that’s a bright idea?”
For a fleeting moment, I believed I had bested a God, which was a foolish notion. Grayson had skilfully wound the argument back in his favour. He dangled the only thing I wanted in front of me and all I had to do was comply with what appeared to be a reasonable demand.
