Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning she wakes up to find out she is alone in bed. NuHwa must have left early in the morning, as the side where he was sleeping still warm. He also left a big note "Thank you" and a red lip stick on the mirror. Mise thought, " that is very nice of him, saying big thank you with my lipstick. He really need know a thing or two about personal hygiene. "

This morning seems quiet, dad, mom and brothers are still in bed, so Mise can take the morning routine all to herself. While she is taking her own time to gloom herself, a knock on door, asked Haski, "Hi sis, are you done? Can i join you?"

"Morning, it is ok, I just done. Enjoy yourself !" she seems delighted this morning. It could have the easy new job lighten her burden of all these months of inconsistent workload. A quick dash to kitchen, she sets up a wonderful breakfast for the family and herself, and join the crowd at the bus stop. 

"Morning, Johnson. " Greeted Mise from behind her best friend. Johnson seems to be not responding.

 "Ops, did I mistaken someone? " Mise then slowly walk forward to check if he is her friend or not. Yup, it is Johnson alright, with the usual ear plug speaker, but with a pair of dark glasses, and perhaps a sleeping eyes beneath it. Mise tries with a light punch to his shoulder, Johnson suddenly awake and look surprising how he is at the bus stop. 

" Ah ha, I wake you so you won't miss a bus.!". Mise claims her contribution. 

"Ah .. what? I am here the whole time. Just didn't see you coming.." he is murmuring. 

"I am here for full 5 mins, and you can't see me? Wait, why you eye so red? Have you been crying?" 

She must have been too loud as the crowd around them pretend didn't hear their conversation by look away. 

" Nope.. just didn’t sleep well last night. Bus is here, let go." Once they are in their usual seats, Mise has been chatting non-stop while Johnson occasionally speak , node and muffle some words. It is very unusual of him today not speaking much. They usually chat non-stop whenever they meet since the very first day they met. " Ok, my stop, see you tonight in gym?"

 " Uh... Ya. Ok see you." Johnson seems bit blush , but seems looking forward to see her tonight.

Mise official work time is from 9 to 5, but she prefers to appear early to start working. As she steps inside cargo lift and requests to be sent to lab three. The lift won't move at all. Puzzled, she steps outside, steps in and whisper lab three, again and again. Yet the lift won't comply to her command. Confused, she steps out and ask the security for help. The officer, slim but firmly build, Geigiry replies politely with thick Irish accent, " Every staff working here come in and out within an allocate schedule. They could be here 10 mins early or 10 mins late after working schedule. However Ms Mise, " paused to check his tablet, " you are half and hour early. The earliest time you would be allowed to your workstation is 8.50am. How about take a walk around the garden and be back by 8.50am?"  Geigiry suggests.

Seeking no compromise in his tone, she quietly comply and head for the coffee bar outside the tower. While waiting for her inspiration injection, Malibu dark coffee, she spots two family figures at the far side of the japanese garden. It is Ms Lowe and HAVRYIL. Ms Lowe seems to be engaging a speech with different expression, while HAVRYIL just stand there, occasionally say something , nodding and shaking. It is unlike his attitude when she see him few days ago. Mise wanted to see more but she is scheduled to work soon. Swiftly follow the crowd, and into the lift. This time she is successfully admitted to lab three.

Seems like she is the first one arrives in lab three, while waiting for desktop to warm up, she notice the white column plant near her has a tablet attached to it. Curiosity let her to examine the tablet and tries to power up. 

"Yik, better don't touch it, it is still prototype. " Mike yelled lightly.

"Is that why it caused the door slammed yesterday? " Ask Mise.

"Something like that,. " Mike admits embarrassing. "So, your research is to use plant to open switches?", asks Mise

"Yes !" Exclaims Mike. 

"Wow ! that pretty impressive. " It is suppose to sound supportive, but Mise expression somehow convey strong irony. “Why not just use old switch,” Mise thought. 

Mike might have sense the change of tone from Mise, and explaines in detail and nerdy, except in double speed. “Yes, you could use plant as switch, it already has a ready-made circuit board but coded in DNA. It is just a matter of time to track down which part is the processor, which part is the switches,,,”

Mise is so carry away, she totally look blank, except she heard something like plant neurologist work like computer chip but in different bio signals. And something like they use it controlling spacecraft ? Growing habitat in a conditioned ocean? 

" Hey, Mike , sorry to cut you short, my phone seems need my attention, thanks for the info, I will try avoid the white plant." Mise tries to be polite the lengthy lecture.

 " Oh, don't worry too much about it, it is old school processor, just don't touch the attached tablet.".

 “The white column plant is a CPU?”  Mise is surprise to learn plant can be used as CPU. Plant has been engineered to provide morphing clothing and meat replacement food  products for the society for ages. It seems she has yet to discover the full potential of plant. The phone must have been ringing 5 times, and she quickly fetch the phone, 

" Morning, Mise speaking, how can I .." 

" Hi, there you are, I was almost afraid the technician didn't install the phone in time for you. We have couple of brochures need to be rushed out by next week, could you please take a look. Call me back if you require more information. Okay? " The phone shows Illy Chan from HR, and indicates a few message from her. Better get to it promptly, Mise thought.

The task is to create a few news brochures and newsletter. But based on Mise experience, it is much better to rush out a few draft version and let Illy to revise and comment. This progressive method would reduce any surprise during review session. After weighing her option and wording, she suggests Illy of her working method. Illy seems fine with the suggestion and ask if her might need to overtime, but no later than 10pm, though. It is company policy not to let staff overwork unless really necessary. 

"Oh crap, I totally forgot about NuHwa treatment tonight." Immediately, Mise left a message to NuHwa if he is alright to have treatment after 10pm. A while later, NuHwa said he would only be back two days later as he is outbound for training. 

"What? with such a damage, you still want to go training?  Don't ask me for help next time." Murmur to herself angrily. 

During lunch time, Mike still seems very engage in his new experiment while Nuru and Peter engaging other topic. Mise tries to be polite, and ask a few questions to Mike. It is much automated query and answers like the turing test. It is  the least she could offer instead of ignoring him. In the end , she learns that certain plant are readily modified into bio mechanoid  than others. Their DNA structure has a few sections to swing from setting A to D, as to say. Of course, there are other correspondence changes as well. Through trial and error, plant biologists manage to get rough Blueprint on the working mechanism of plant.

The rest of evening is exhausting, but rewarding too. At least she manages to rush out a few acceptable templates and share some jasmine coffee with the boys. Mike seems to make progress to command the plant to do simple things with proper control. Mise also learn Nuru tattoo is a shape shifting parasitic ink in her body. It is a tradition marking passed down from his ancestor to protect his clan. It actually move around his body, but he manage to keep it along the leg. As the ink can warm up the body parts really fast. Keeping the tattoo ink along the leg would ensure he does not have to go topless from time to time. From a far, the tattoo looks like tiger strips, but upon closer inspection, the stripes are small words and sentence, more like spell. Peter can fix most electronic gadgets, just have to keep him on track from time to time. He seems like to detour a lot. 

After sending off some templates and draft version of the new brochures to Illy Chan, she then asks Illy about her job scope in Designing gene. Illy pauses a while as if she is trying to understand why Mise asks such question. 

“How did you get the idea of designing gene ?” Illy finally asks.

“Err. .. it is in my letter of employment, Job Description Section.” answers Mise.

“Oh.. I see. It was actually refers to something else. You see, our engineers are good at control when and where the tree would blossom, which type and shape of flowers would come out. However they lack the creative side. For example, the Chinese garden at the cafe is either white in colour or pink in colour. The arrangement of trees seems to be …. havoc.” Illy tries to explain a complex situation in simple terms. “This is where you could lend a helping hand. Just put some thoughts on how the garden would look like, or colour combination that looks pleasing. Anything creative idea you might, you could put in on paper, and our engineer could work it out.”

“But… I never done any genetic designing at all….” Mise sort of complains lightly.

“Not too worry, you would be fine, just paint some colourful pictures of your favourite garden, then we can work from there.” without giving Mise a chance to move away, Illy persuades this topic further and encourages her to keep on working.

Mise is actually quite good at problem-solving, but she would not perform well if she is asked to do something she is unfamiliar with or she doesn’t like. Every Time when she was asked to do a strange job task, she would resign. Hence she has been job hopping for the past few years. However this time, she hopes to get rid of her fear, and try her best to on uncharted job task.

Just before Mike and friends off for home, or some bars downtown, Illy reminds Mise to apply to overtime stay in the office, or else the security would escort her out.

"Better do it before I forget." Mise then speak to her desktop about her extension of work. The system immediately approves her request and reminds her to make use of the office facility to relax.

After informing dad and mom that she would work late, she continue her work till few hours and decides to stop here. Then she packs her bags and check out for the sauna and spa. 

The sauna room is a combination of wooden floor and wall, mixed with grey concrete lining, which lit warm glow along the trim gaps. It has about 10 spa pools with bench beside it. The space can become private when curtain drop down from ceiling to form complete closure. Just as she wanders how to use the massage service, she saw Johansfre walks into the sauna with few friends. Nods with her, he gestures to an Android attendant to help her up. 

Moment later, a friendly android comes by, introduce itself as Niche. It lowers the curtain to form a private enclosure, then helps her to undress, give her a warm showers and rinsing, scrap off old skin and give her a relaxing massage from head to toe. When she is about to daze off, Niche gives her aromatic scents and drinks. She wakes up with energetic and yet still in relaxing mode. She is about to say goodbye to Johansfre, but found that the private enclosure still covering the spa pool. Well, she thought, respects other privacy and leave quietly. 

It was a wonderful evening in the facility that Mise decided to give herself a treat, take a cab home. It is faster and no need to cramp with others, slightly costly though. When she is in the cab, she just realise Johnson been calling her few times and nervously looking for her. 

“ Hi John, sorry I was in the office till quite late” Mise returns Johnson missed call. “Where are you ?”

“I am at the sport bar at the Old Port.” Johnson replies. “ Kind of noisy here, just let me get somewhere quiet,” moment later, he continues,” busy day?”

“Ya, touch up some loose end and my other manager asked me to do the impossible thing.” Mise briefly describe the meeting with Illy Chan in the afternoon. Just before Mise which to talk further.

“HI John, don’t be shy, come dance with us !” a young girl voice shouted exciting in the background.

“I will be …. just a minute.” Johnson sort of caught out of word.

“You busy? I will leave it up to you then.” Mise kind of feel uneasy, cut short the conversation and hang the phone quite hard. Mise suddenly has an uneasy feeling, is it jealousy? Johnson always popular among girls, especially young girls of 10 years or younger. Mise has known Johnson since high school, they two get along and best friends ever, but that is the best stage they could develop to. No boyfriend, no kisses beyond that. There is something uneasy of Mise wants Johnson to be her boyfriend. This is also an irony when Mise feel uneasy when he is around with other girls.

When she reach home around 9pm,  dad and mom already asleep, Haski still working hard on homework. She gives him a hug and kiss, then back to her room. Before diving into deep sleep, (the massage really work well). She is pondering between the feeling of jealousy or teasing? She is not sure and don't care, then she dive in dreamworld like a baby.