Page 10

Steph was glad to find herself being taken somewhere of real interest. Not that the house itself was not interesting, but now she was getting to the real substance of its existence. She found herself walking through a lab, although this lab seemed to be missing something. There were microscopes, machines, jars with what looked like animal foetuses inside, as well as other bits Steph would expect to see. However, apart from Martina, there were no other scientists.

“Where are the people who work here?”

Steph asked.

“I’m here,”

Martina replied curtly, not breaking her stride.

She ushered Steph through a door at the end of the lab that opened into a small office. Steph stepped inside, followed by Daniel. The young man seemed to take his cues from Martina and waited for her to sit down behind her desk before taking a seat himself. Steph followed his lead.

“Surely, you’re not the only one who works in here?”

“Why?”

Martina asked.

“You think I need help from others?”

“No, it’s just that… well, yes. Maybe you do need help as it seems a big operation and…”

Martina scowled until Steph felt her words shrink back down her throat.

“You don’t know the first thing about real science.”

Steph didn’t reply. A small part of her burned with embarrassment. The comment felt too close to home.

“Yes, I have people work for me. Just two – Kelvin likes to keep a small workforce for now.”

“Where are they?”

“One is attending a wedding, and the other has gone to see his dying grandparent,”

Martina replied.

“Not that it is really any of your business!”

Martina continued to glare. Steph gripped her hands together and rolled her thumbs over each other.

“So what exactly is going on and what is my job?”

It was best to get to the point. Martina was clearly not a conversationalist.

Martina leaned back in her chair and exhaled. She seemed to be studying Steph’s face with an intensity similar to Kelvin’s. Eventually she leant forward and rested her elbows on the table, her hands clasped under her chin.

“I will be blunt with you,”

Martina began.

“I don’t have time for games with words or whatever. I don’t like that you’re here. I think it is too early. I do not think you’re needed as it can be sorted in-house. I don’t know you so I cannot trust you and…”

Steph opened her mouth to interject but Martina held up a hand and raised her voice slightly.

“…I need trust. We need trust if this is all going to work. Maybe I will learn to trust you, maybe not. That is the way it is. Whatever the case, you are here now, so I will tell you what we are doing and what, I assume, Kelvin wants of you. If you have any questions after that, you can ask Daniel. He is much more… friendly.”

Steph had many questions. She looked at Daniel who smiled affably.

“I shall try to be… what’s the word again?”

Martina said, looking at Daniel.

“That one you say I am?”

“Succinct!”

Daniel said.

“Yes, that! We are working on a large rewilding experiment. I am sure you have come across countless examples of this. Like when they put wolves back into Yellowstone, for example. Or how they are trying to bring back beavers in England. Anyway, we are trying to do that here by introducing animals that have been native to the land in the past and…”

“What kind of animals?”

Steph asked.

“I told you, Daniel will answer questions; I am a busy woman! We are trying to bring back multiple animals at once which is why we need a large patch of land. We are trying to prove that the animals can survive, coexist and be sustainable on the land. Moreover, we need to prove that the animals can live alongside people, even the predators.”

At this, Martina paused to examine Steph’s reaction. Steph was not quite sure what her face said, but it was enough to make Martina smile slightly before she continued.

“We have some people living on the grounds with these animals. However, that is not all.”

Martina seemed unable to help herself but smiled now.

“We are also working on something far more impressive! We have been able to bring back some animals which have not exactly been around for a while. Not long extinct, but dead all the same. Many have close relatives; however, we are the first to bring them back successfully.”

Every ounce of Steph was dying to ask more. Her throat strained to be released. She could see that Martina was taking great delight in it all. Steph’s eyes flicked left towards Daniel who gave a small nod.

“Your job – although I do not see what you can say that we have not already – is to help us establish whether it is all working or not,”

Martina said.

“You will go out, do whatever it is you do that seems to make your opinion more valid than our own and come up with a report for Kelvin. Hopefully, it will say what we want to hear, but if it doesn’t, it is no matter as we will get there in the end by doing what is needed to make it all work. If some animals work, great, if they don’t, that is how it is.”

Martina stood up at that point, satisfied that she had fulfilled her role in Steph’s integration into the experiment.

“Now, I have more pressing matters to be seeing to. I shall see you around. Daniel, you can take it from here.”

The pair of them watched her stroll out of the room without a backward glance. The door shut. Steph turned to Daniel who shrugged apologetically.

“She’s a bit like that,”

he explained.

“She tends to take the fat off anything if you get my meaning. Anyway, I bet you have a thousand questions, but I would venture to ask, would you like me to answer them whilst I give you a tour of the grounds – or at least some of them – or a tour of the rest of the house… facility… thing. Where we are now, might be a better description. It is all a bit how I imagine a high-end modern tech office to look like, except it also has a laboratory and…”

It was pleasing to Steph that Daniel was aware enough to read her facial expression.

“Yes, anyway,”

he muttered.

“Grounds or house… place?”

“Grounds!”

“Good!”

Daniel beamed, getting to his feet.

“I was hoping you’d say that, as I can explain that better and it is so much more exciting. Probably far more up your street from what I hear too!”