Tape #18 - Fox Hunt

A metallic clang echoed through the ventilation system, ripping Dr. Walsh and Ava from their deep slumber. It wasn't a single clang, but a series of desperate scrapes, like claws raking through metal.

Ava bolted upright, fear painting her eyes. -"Doc, what was that?"- Her voice trembled, mirroring the tremors in the ventilation grid above.

Dr. Walsh, groggy and stiff, raised a hand to quiet her. -"Let me..."- she rasped, her gaze darting towards the ventilation grille, eyes narrowed. The noise had subsided, but the tension hung heavy in the air, humming like the ventilation system itself.

A second, louder bang erupted, this time from the decontamination room, shattering the fragile quiet. Muffled shouts, urgent and unintelligible, filtered through the wall. The geneticist and the student exchanged a silent, panicked glance.

They peeked out the break room door, hearts hammering like trapped birds against their ribs. Instead of danger, they found the lab overrun by a boisterous group of researchers, overflowing out of the decontamination room with a cacophony of lab coats and disheveled hair.

-"Yeah, lunch wasn't that good today,"- one biologist grumbled, adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses. -"Yesterday's stir fry was better."-

-"Dibs on the typewriter!"- an entomologist hollered, his voice lost in the chorus of claims and complaints.

-"I forgot to tie my hair before the Bunsen burner, I'm gonna have to cut it now..."- Cried a botanist brandishing a comically singed strand.

The lack of imminent danger sent a wave of relief washing over Ava, but Dr. Walsh didn't share the sentiment. Instead, she sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping against the doorframe. -"God, not the bio squad..."- she muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

-"Is... Something wrong, Doc?"- The student's brow furrowed in confusion.

-"The lab just got requisitioned, Ava."- Dr. Walsh explained, her voice laced with resignation. -"I'm afraid we're confined to this break room until further notice."-

-"But... I'm starving!"- Ava whined, scanning the room for any sign of sustenance, but to no avail. -"I'll go see if there's anything left in the office,"- she eagerly volunteered.

Dr. Walsh chuckled, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. -"Spare yourself, Ava. Don't underestimate these people's ability to talk your ears off. Trust me, I'll handle this."-

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and opened the door. Mere seconds later, she vanished into the sea of lab coats and jovial chaos. -"Oh my god, is that Evelyn?"- one voice called out. -"Where's the girl that follows her around?"- chimed another.

The voices slowly receded alongside her mentor, leaving Ava alone in the office, the silence broken only by the distant, steady hum of the ventilation.

A rustle from the cabinets caught her attention. She peeked through the narrow window of the door, expecting to see the usual sight of researchers tucking lab reports away, but what she saw made her blood run cold. A single tall figure, dressed in civilian clothes, was hunched over the Project Chimera files; rummaging through them with an unsettling familiarity. Ava's heart lurched. This was bad.

Her duty beckoned. She rushed out of the office without hesitation, adrenaline coursing through her veins. -"Hey! Those aren't yours!"- she cried out, her voice surprisingly steady.

Startled by her voice, the figure whirled around, piercing dark eyes obscured by a mop of fiery red hair. He towered over her, and his eyes held a glint of recognition that sent a shiver down her spine. Before she could react, he snatched a folder and shoved past her into the lab, weaving like a ghost into the sea of researchers.

Shaken but determined, Ava chased after him, pushing through oblivious researchers. Until she collided with an older gentleman with a thud, the impact sending his armful of papers scattering across the floor.

-"Hey, watch it,"- the researcher grumbled, his voice thick with annoyance.

-"I'm so sorry!"- Ava apologized profusely, scrambling to gather the papers.

The gentleman, noticing her distress, chuckled kindly. His voice softened a tad. -"Wait... You're Walsh's pupil, aren't you? No worries, dear,"- He waved a hand dismissively.

As she handed him the papers, she blurted out, desperation creeping into her voice. -"Someone just took a file from the office and ran! Did you see who it was?"-

The researcher shook his head, his smile fading. -"Child, I can barely see my own nose without these,"- He patted his pocket for his glasses.

As he shuffled away, the question resonated within the student's mind. Who stole the file and why? Should she tell Dr. Walsh, potentially adding another burden to the doctor's already heavy shoulders? Or investigate the theft herself, risking a bigger mess if she stumbled into something she wasn't prepared for?

As she weighed her options, Dr. Walsh emerged from decontamination, laden with containers of food. -"The dining halls are a warzone,"- She sighed, depositing the containers on her desk and stretching wearily. But Ava's flushed face and frantic eyes caught her attention. -"What's wrong? You look somewhat, uh..."-

Ava stared at her mentor, the weight of the stolen file pressing down on her. At that moment, she made a split-second decision. She could worry the doctor about the stolen file, or...?

-"Just chased a big bug out of the lab,"- she said, forcing a smile. -"Nothing to worry about, it's gone."-

With that, she tucked away the stolen file incident and joined Dr. Walsh for a warm meal, the mystery simmering beneath the surface like a pot waiting to boil over.