“I’ve prepared a full update for you on myresearch. I’ve left the notes so you can brief the next scientiston the project after my Rest Time. But, Varya, I do think it’s timeto look at calling on the expertise of your ex-husband’sdepartment. They might have already solved this particular problem.It’s not the kind of thing they’d publicise, but I’m sure he’d tellyou.”
Varya nodded. “I know,” she murmured.
“So, you’ll get in touch with him?”
“I’ll think about it. There’s no rush.”
“And your mother? Is she in a rush?”
Varya glared at her. “Is that all?”
Langford sighed. “Yes. That’s all.” Shestood and turned as though to walk around the desk to Varya, butthen stopped and held out her hand instead. “It’s been an honour towork with you, it really has. I hope you find everything you’relooking for.”
Varya nodded stiffly, rose, and shook theproffered hand gently, holding it longer than she thought sheshould. She would be one of the last people to clasp this woman’shand while blood still coursed through her veins. Varya met Janet’seye and held her gaze for a moment.
“Thank you,” she said. She bit her lip andopened her mouth, then closed it again. “Thank you.” And then Varyaleft the office, closing the door behind her.
Chapter six
When Varya next looked up from her work, it was todiscover that the lab was almost empty. What had broken herconcentration was a figure standing in front of her. The staticelectricity he created by standing so close had displaced the airaround her and made her look up.
Connor grinned at her.
“Finally. I thought I was going to have totap you on the shoulder and risk getting my fingers bittenoff.”
Varya looked around at the empty lab andfrowned.
“Is it that late already?” She was used tothe way time stretched and shifted now, with her ever-increasinguse of the time tabs to get everything done. But she was careful tonever take them at work. Never in a public place.
Connor’s expression softened. “No, it’s aRest Time Celebration.”
Varya’s face fell slightly before sheswallowed and forced her expression to be blank, feigningindifference. Nobody could know of her deeper connection to JanetLangford, or her true status at the Minor Miracles Foundation. Theyhad to believe she was just another lab tech.
“Who?” she asked.
“Professor Langford, the one with the longgrey...”
Varya waved him away impatiently. “Yes,everyone knows who Professor Langford is.”
Connor held his hands up in surrender.“Okay, well, I just thought you might want to...”
“Yes. Thank you. I’m coming.” Flustered now,she gave her bench a quick once-over, replaced a sample into aglass container, turned the microscope off, and nodded to Connor.She followed him out of the room and down the long hallway to thebreakout room.
Professor Langford had chosen to have herRest Time Celebration at the laboratories. She’d never had childrenor married. Her work was her entire life, time extension creditswell-earned. Connor and Varya padded into the room quietly andjoined the back of the crowd.
A large electric clock counted down theminutes and seconds. Twenty-three minutes until Rest Time. A youngwoman sobbed quietly but theatrically at the front of the crowd.Cynthia, the acting as director of ceremonies for today, shot her athunderous look. She stopped sobbing and sniffled quietly toherself.
“Thank you, Marcus, for your kind words.”Cynthia smiled to a young man who had just sat down. Varyarecognised him as the last scientist Professor Langford had hired,three years ago. Referred to as her protégée, it was expected thathe would now progress through the ranks and, one day, become aprofessor himself. Varya wondered whether Langford had confided inhim about her special research project. She’d been so jarred byJanet’s revelation earlier in the day that she hadn’t thought toask who she thought would be her best successor.
“Does anyone else want to say a few words,before we hear from Professor Langford herself?” Cynthia asked,scanning the room, raised on her tiptoes.
Varya stared at the grey-haired womansitting up the front, facing her colleagues for the last time.Langford caught her eye and stared back. Varya nodded slightly;Langford returned the gesture.
“Sorry,” Langford mouthed wordlessly.
Varya shook her head. “No,” she mouthedback. “Thank you.” Her chest compressed inwards for just a momentbefore she breathed deeply and managed to compose herself. Shequietly brushed away a few tears.
Langford stared for a moment longer assomeone else spouted a few platitudes. Then she nodded again andlooked away.
“And now, with just ten minutes to go untilRest Time, we’ll hear from Professor Langford herself,” Cynthiaannounced, indicating Janet with what she clearly thought was agrand gesture.
Langford opened her mouth and started tospeak, but Varya couldn’t hear over the ringing in her ears thatsignalled a rising panic.
Janet Langford sat in a government-issuedRest Time chair. Made from moulded plastic, the deep ocean bluecolour made it look more comfortable and peaceful than it reallywas. The high back supported Langford’s head as she leaned againstit. It had slight grooves all around so that when Langford slumpedinto the chair’s slight incline, the shallow shelves would catchher head and prevent her neck from lolling around in an undignifiedfashion. The heavily embroidered cloth that ran the length of herlap and washed over each arm rest—reminding Varya of a tablerunner—hid the thick band that held Langford to the chair and wouldprevent her sliding off it altogether. The moulded plastic chairarms were wide enough to hold each of Langford’s forearms and helpher stay in an upright position for the duration of theceremony.
The digital clock showed one minute to go.Varya felt like she was going to throw up. She stumbled and Connorcaught her elbow to hold her steady.
“Thank you for your sixty-five years and foryour sacrifice,” Cynthia intoned.
“Thank you for your sixty-five years and foryour sacrifice,” the crowd responded.
The numbers on the clock turned red.
Ten... nine... Varya knew the programmedchip inserted into Langford’s brain stem had activated itselfnow.
Eight... seven... Langford stared at theclock and tensed.
Six... five... The crowd was silent.
Four... three... Langford’s arms began torelax. The
