Autumn Belfontaine had planned to head back to her apartment and turn in for the night when she got finished with her shift at the Testing Center. It had been an easy night, not surprising when one considered they were at the beginning of the current training cycle. Within a couple of weeks that would change, but this evening she’d been able to catch up on a lot of other responsibilities, including a refresher course she was taking on broadcast practices and procedures.
So she was more than a little surprised when her phone chimed incoming text and she found a message from Stephanie Roderick down in IT. We’ve got a problem. I think we should meet in the newsroom.
Unease tingled in Autumn’s nervous system. Why not down in IT? They had a perfectly adequate meeting room, and it was normal for a department head to host the meeting in her own area.
But now was not the time to ask questions. Those could wait until they were face to face. OK. Right now I’m still working at the Testing Center. My relief should be here in five minutes.
Good. We’ll meet you there.
Autumn considered that information — “we,” not “I,” which suggested this problem involved other people. Someone else in IT? Someone in another department? Was that why Steffi wanted the meeting held in the newsroom — because the radio station was neutral territory?
All of it would be answered in due time. Right now she needed to get things wound up so she could leave as soon as her relief showed up — and hope he wasn’t late.
Although lunar culture ran on the military attitude that early was on time, on time was late, and late was unacceptable, it didn’t always work like it was supposed to. People got held over in one obligation when they had another responsibility immediately afterward, creating a domino effect. Usually they’d text to allow the other person to make alternative arrangements, but there were times even that was impossible.
The clock was counting down the seconds when Ted burst in, looking harried for all he was trying to present a professional appearance. “Chem lab had a spill, and I had to stay over to clean up. I tried to get here as fast as I could, but it just took too long.”
Autumn recalled that he had managed to draw an unusually late chemistry class, which had created awkwardness before. She was going to have to talk to Deena and see if they could get him shifted to a different shift — and herself shifted to a different work responsibility, one that gave her greater flexibility when things like this came up.
Right now she needed to hand off the Testing Center, not that she even had anyone taking practice tests, let alone actual exams. But the formalities had to be completed before she headed off to the station to meet with Steffi and whoever else was involved in this problem.