A lot of the kids who’d been assigned to work in Agriculture complained about it when the adults weren’t listening. Truth be told, Quinn Merton was just as happy to draw that job assignment, and had even asked about the possibility of taking course work or getting a teaching responsibility in that area. No doubt it ran in the blood, given that his ur-brother had become a farmer after leaving the astronaut corps in the wake of the Gemini VIII disaster.
However, he’d not expected to have the big boss pull him into her office for a private conversation. His initial response was concern that he was about to be reprimanded for some error. Quinn was all too aware that he was taking on responsibilities that usually would be given to older individuals, largely because the emptying of the NASA clone creches during the Expulsions had left Shepardsport with a disproportionately young population, and the jobs needed doing.
Alice Murcheson must’ve picked up his concern, since the first words out of her mouth were a reassurance that she was not calling him in here for a reprimand. Instead, she needed some help from him.
“How much access do you have to the wire services?”
The request caught Quinn by surprise, so much that it took him a moment to respond. “I’m a dj, not a reporter. I mean, it’s not like Autumn keeps the door to the newsroom locked or anything, but it’s not exactly somewhere I go poking around.”
“But you could take a look at things if you wanted to?”
“I suppose, but there are an awful lot of computers in there, and I wouldn’t want to mess anything up for the sake of my own curiosity.” He narrowed his eyes and studied his boss. “Do you need something off one of the news services? Is there a reason you don’t want the news director to know about it?”
Alice Murcheson didn’t take offense, although his response certainly could be considered impertinent, even downright insubordinate. “I hadn’t meant to imply that you should trespass. I just thought that you might be able to get some confirmation on what I’m getting on the USDA farm reports. Since your air shift is on Saturday evenings, when the news department is usually closed, I thought it would be easier if you just took a look at the wire service computers to see if there is anything on agriculture.”
“It would if I were familiar with the systems, but I wouldn’t even know which computer has the wire services. I’m under the impression that the station’s subscriptions cover only one machine, and I don’t know whether there’s a general login for all the news staff, or everyone has their own. Honestly, it’d be easier to just ask Autumn. I’m sure she’d give you the information.”
“That may be, but if she’s not there during your air shift, how will you see her?”
Quinn tried not to look amused by the question, since it could look insulting. “I do have some discretionary time during the hours she’s usually in. I can run by the station then and talk to her.”
That seemed to satisfy Alice, which was a good thing, considering that he had a class in ten minutes and he’d do well to get all the way to Miskatonic Sector in that time.