Holidays Cubed

CHAPTER ONE

What do you like to do for fun? Milo asked once they placed their dinner orders with the waiter.

I enjoy athletic pursuits though options are somewhat limited here on the Cube, Melicity said.

Do you play Lortis?

I play, but it's not something I'm passionate about, Melicity said.

What are you passionate about then?

Sports wise my favorite to participate in is an Earth sport called basketball. Maybe you've seen it on the League-wide Sports Channel.

I think so. I'd probably be quite good at that game. If I recall it involves a lot of running, jumping, and chasing a ball.

That's it, sort of. She was relieved when their food arrived. She hated blind dates, and this one wasn't going to change her opinion. Selina, her friend who works in Lab 42, the Cube's entomology lab, had thought Milo would be someone Melicity would enjoy spending time with. Maybe I need to rethink my friendship with Selina, if she doesn't know me better than this, Melicity thought. At thirty-one with a couple of failed relationships behind her, Melicity was looking for something more than just a pretty face. Milo certainly was easy on the eyes, but his eyes were so busy looking at his reflection in every shiny surface, Melicity doubted he'd recognize her again if they passed each other in the corridors.

She focused on her food and tried to eat quickly so she could end the torture of spending time with him as soon as possible. Looking down at her plate, she hadn't seen the storm cloud heading her way until it brushed her shoulder.

Pardon me, Ms. Underhill, her Canuran administrative assistant said, touching her shoulder to get her attention. I'm sorry to interrupt. We have an emergency that requires your attention. I'm not sure you'll agree. It may just b...

I'm so sorry, Milo. It's been fun, but duty calls, Melicity said, picking up her purse and following Chichi out of the restaurant.

Thanks, Chichi. I owe you one, Melicity said once they were in the corridor.

I'm sorry, Ms. Underhill. I really am, but I didn't know what else to do. I'm not sure, but I think if we don't get it fixed they'll die. All of this was said without a breath as Chichi pulled Melicity down the corridors toward the Cube's guest lab section. Melicity was a foot taller than her assistant even without the four-inch heels she was currently wearing.

Chichi, stop! These are definitely not running shoes. I'm not going any further until you take a breath and explain to me what the emergency is.

Melicity stood with her back against the corridor wall. Chichi turned to face her. Well, I went...

Stop, Melicity held up her hand with her palm facing Chichi. Take a breath. Chichi did. Now another one. Again, her assistant inhaled and exhaled as requested. Now, what's the problem?

It's the Orta scientists, ma'am.

What's wrong? Did they arrive early?

No, ma'am. Nothing like that. It's just that there's a problem with their lab space.

OK. Now we're getting somewhere. Melicity wondered how she would ever be able to tell if Chichi was trying to warn her of an actual emergency. When the previous director of facilities retired, his admin assistant decided to retire as well. She was a nice, calm elderly Coran. She stayed to help get Melicity up-to-speed on what the job entailed, but then Melicity had to hire someone.

Bleau said someone screwed up big time. He went to do the final walk through, and it was really cold. That would kill the Orta wouldn't it? I think it would. That's why this is so ser...

Yes, Chichi, but now that we know, we can fix it, so don't fret. Where's Bleau now?

He's waiting for you in Lab 107. At least he was when I came to find you, but I guess he could...

Melicity sent Chichi back to the office to check on the expected arrival of the Orta scientific team, while she continued on to Lab 107 to see how bad the situation really was. The minute she opened the interior lab doors she knew there was a serious problem. She was in need of a jacket.

Bleau, what the hell happened?

Howdy, ma'am. Sorry Chichi had to interrupt your date. I hope Milo will give you a rain check, Bleau said, tipping his ridiculously large cowboy hat in greeting. Bleau took off his jacket and hung it around Melicity's shoulders. You've already got goose flesh on your arms.

Thanks, Bleau. I'm fine. How did this go wrong? Clearly this is set up for a Halcyon team. I think it might be a bit cold even for them. Did you have a team working on a set up for Halcyons that should be in a different lab?

Bleau was the construction foreman who oversaw all the work teams when they were reconfiguring existing space or building out new spaces on the Cube. Melicity hoped that perhaps someone had just gotten the lab numbers wrong. Lab 107 was set up for Halcyons, so she hoped some other lab had mistakenly been set up for the Orta. If that were the case, perhaps they could simply switch the lab assignments and advert a major disaster.

I know what you're thinking, ma'am, but things ain't never that easy.

CHAPTER TWO

Sadly, Bleau was right. Things were never that easy, at least not in the complex environment that made up the Cube. A phone call to Chichi indicated that the Halcyon team wasn't due for another month, and no other lab space had been set up to accommodate the special needs of the Orta.

Melicity was back in her office, adding a shot of Serpathian Rum to her coffee. Chichi, get Bleau up here now.

Yes, Ms. Underhill. I'll call him right now on his radio. I could go down and find him if you want, or I can have him paged. I'll get him here as quickly as I can.

Yes, Chichi. I know you will. Thanks, Melicity said, closing her office door behind her assistant. She dropped into her chair, kicked off her heels, and enjoyed her special coffee. Though she was anxious to put a plan in place to fix the Ortas' space before they arrived, Melicity was glad to have a few minutes to herself. A genius level IQ and stamina built on years of competing at a League Class Level in basketball had not adequately prepared her for the job as the Director of Facilities on the Cube.

Chichi escorted Bleau into Melicity’s office a few minutes later. I want to know who's responsible for this screw up, Melicity said. This is major. If it was you, you need to own up to it, Bleau.

Why would you think it was me? Bleau asked. You think just because you refused to go on a date with me, I'd screw something like this up on purpose. Is that it?

Well, the timing is a little suspect?

What's suspect is why you don't like me. I'm a good guy, Mel. When are you gonna see that?

Don't call me Mel. Finding out who's at fault can wait until later. I want to know how you plan to have Lab 107 ready to comfortably house a dozen Orta scientists. We've got maybe thirty hours at most.

You know what's involved in that kind of change over, Melicity.

Are you saying you can't do it?

I'm saying it'll take a lot of man power. You gonna authorize overtime?

Call in whoever you need. We need that room turned into a toaster not a freezer, and we need it done in twenty-four hours.

I thought you said we had thirty hours.

I have thirty hours to make sure it's all done correctly. You have twenty-four hours to get it done. Call me if you run into any obstacles.

Sure, princess. Go home, get your beauty sleep, big strong Bleau will handle the heavy lifting for you.

Somehow, he managed to get the office door closed before her high heel thudded into it. God, that man is infuriating, she said aloud, taking another sip of her now cold coffee.

By the time she set her empty mug down on the desk, she was too awake to even think about going home to bed, so she stayed at her desk for a couple of hours looking over the timesheets for the Lab 107 reconfiguration and trying to figure out what went wrong. Although Bleau oversaw all construction projects, each project had a project lead. On the Lab 107 changeover, the project lead had been Shuna D'tok, a Goranthi woman who only recently joined the Cube staff. This was the first project she'd been lead on. Melicity made a note to talk with Bleau to see if Shuna had come to him with any issues on the project. Whether she did or didn't take any questions to Bleau, Melicity would still need to meet with the woman to assess whether this was an unintentional mistake, or if Shuna wasn't qualified for the project lead role.

When her comm unit sounded, she assumed it was Bleau calling with some need related to the Lab 107. Already? she said.

Hello, Melicity. It's Milo. I just wanted to check in with you to make sure everything was all right. I was worried about you.

Thanks for the call, Milo. It's just a work crisis, but it’s a crisis I need to deal with tonight. Thanks for understanding. Melicity was trying to get off the call without making any comment that Milo could possibly construe as an indication that she wanted to see him again.

I enjoyed your company very much, I was thin...

Melicity hated lying. She preferred to be brutally honest and expected people to be honest with her at all times, but she was too busy to finesse the situation with Milo. I'm sorry, Milo. I really must take this other call. Good night.

CHAPTER THREE

Melicity had done her daily five-mile run around the Cube, showered, and was just finishing her breakfast, when her comm unit bleeped.

So, how was it? Selina asked.

How was what? Melicity asked. Her mind was focused on the issue with Lab 107. She'd forgotten all about her date with Milo.

Your date with Milo? Didn't you think he was perfect?

Actually, what I thought was why in the heck would my good friend Selina think I'd enjoy spending time with this guy?

Seriously?

You do know me, right?

I thought so.

Milo was polite and courteous. He had good table manners, but he couldn't stop preening whenever he saw his reflection in a shiny surface. I doubt that he could even tell you what I look like.

Really. He always seems so attentive.

Perhaps his attentions are focused on you, Melicity said. Did you ever date him?

Well, um, no. I think of him as a friend. Was the end of the night awkward?

Not really. I got pulled away for a crisis before we'd even considered desert. It all worked out for the best.

After arranging to meet up with Selina for a girls’ night at the pub later in the week, Melicity made her way to the office. Chichi was already there and in high gear. Do you know what happened with the lab configuration? Oh, my gosh, I worried all night. What would have happened if Bleau hadn't checked on it? Would we have killed those Orta scientists?

How many cups of coffee have you had this morning? Melicity asked.

None. I can't drink the stuff it makes me too jittery. I really have to be careful because I'm already pretty high-energy and if I drank something or took something to pep me up it might just... Chichi looked up from her desk and noticed that Melicity had gone into the office and closed the door behind her.

It was the first of December, so Melicity had a day filled with meetings. Cube senior level managers and directors met on the first of every month to discuss upcoming Cube events and give status reports on the projects their various areas were working on. She and Chichi had reviewed the reports for the facilities group the previous day and the modified reports were waiting on her desk along with a copy of her schedule for the day.

Chichi, she said into the intercom, set up a meeting with Bleau at noon. I need to make sure the corrections in Lab 107 are on track and that's the only time I have. If he complains, tell him I'll provide lunch.

XXX

Isn't this nice? Bleau said as he laid his cowboy hat on the empty chair and seated himself across from Melicity at the small table in