Normally, she would walk though the doors and directly to the iris scanner by the glass doors leading into the facility, but after what had happened at the security gate, she headed to the security office as she had been advised. Guests and delivery people were instructed by notices to visit the reception desk to the left of the main door. There were a handful of people waiting there. Other Nano employees were arriving in small groups. It was a busy time of day. Security guards were attentive, making sure people went through the scanner and glass partition one at a time. Pia recognized most of them.
In the security office things were calmer, and she went directly to the counter. After the conversation with Jason, she thought there was a good chance that she was going to have trouble. Pia did not recognize the woman staffing the counter. Her name tag read HARRIET PIERSON. An imposing woman of color, she wore a military-style uniform like all the other security staff. Pia had her ID in her hand, which Harriet took without comment. She was obviously expecting Pia. She tried to swipe it into the computer, but as had happened at the gate, it apparently didn’t work, because she then disappeared into the back room.
Pia waited. To pass the time she looked back into the main foyer of the building. People were arriving in greater numbers, so a short line was starting to form in front of the iris scanner.
Harriet returned to the counter and handed Pia her ID. “Okay, Dr. Grazdani,” she said, “I guess you haven’t been here for a number of weeks.”
Pia nodded and raised her left arm, which was still in a sling with a forearm cast. She knew she looked slightly bedraggled with the sling, cast, and baseball cap to conceal her uneven hair. She was wearing jeans and a plaid flannel shirt.
“Anyway,” Harriet continued. “I’ve updated your ID. You shouldn’t have any more trouble with it at the gate.”
Pia thanked the woman. She left the security office and headed out toward the short line waiting to go through the iris scanner. She was more sanguine now about getting up to her lab since the visit to the security office had been so easy. As she waited, she recognized the guard standing off to the side, monitoring the people as they passed through the checkpoint. It was Milloy, the particularly officious guard she’d had a mild run-in with before.
When it was her turn, Pia stepped up to the scanner and faced it. She waited but there was no expected beep. Instead it flashed red for fail.
Pia was trying for the third time when Milloy approached her.
“Miss, please step aside. May I see your ID?”
“Of course,” Pia said, not bothering to conceal her frustration. At least she was confident the ID was going to work.
“One second, miss.” Milloy took the ID with him to a nearby computer station. To Pia’s chagrin, he spent a good three minutes two-finger tapping at the computer and reading the screen. He looked over at Pia, who rolled her eyes and shifted her weight in her frustration at the delay. Finally he walked back to her.
“I’m sorry, miss, your general clearance has been suspended pending medical reinstatement.”
“Well, can you let me in so I can go to HR and try to get my clearance restored?
“Can’t do that.”
“What do you suggest?”
Milloy pointed. “I suggest you go into security and see what they can do.”
“I was just in there getting my ID updated.”
“You’ll have to go back.”
“Look, Mr. Milloy, this is outrageous. I’m an employee here, I had an accident.”
“So I see. But I have no authority to let you in.”
“Call Zachary Berman, he’ll tell you.”
“Zachary Berman, the CEO of Nano.” Milloy laughed. “And what would I say to him? Sorry, lady, I can’t help you.”
“He knows me,” said Pia indignantly. But she knew she wasn’t going to win this argument. She had one last attempt in her.
“Okay, call Whitney Jones, his assistant.”
“I know who she is. I happen to know she’s away on business with the boss man. Why don’t you give her a call in a couple of days, and I’m sure she can help you. Now I have to go.”
Pia could tell Milloy was enjoying himself at her expense. Normally, Pia would have stood there and argued with Milloy, but she found she didn’t have the strength. As she walked back to her car, Pia’s anger increased. She got in and drove fast out of the Nano lot. When she came to the state road, she made an impulsive decision. Instead of turning right back to town, she turned left and headed directly to Zach Berman’s house. Perhaps he was away, as Milloy had said, but maybe he wasn’t. Even if he wasn’t there, Pia needed to blow off some steam. At the moment her anger and frustration were directed at the CEO. He was, ultimately, responsible.
The gate. Pia had forgotten about the gate at the bottom of Berman’s drive until she was almost upon it. She pulled directly up to it and leaned on her horn. The raucous sound startled the birds in the immediate environs, and Pia saw them flee up into the higher branches of the surrounding evergreens.
After several blasts, Pia eased up and the din ceased. Her ears were ringing. Then she noticed the buzzer and pressed it repeatedly. A minute passed, then another, with no response. She then got out of the car and faced what she thought was the remote camera, defiantly putting her free hand on her hip.
“Hey, Mr. Berman, I can’t get into my lab. It’s not fair. I helped you fix those microbivores. I should not be treated like this. If you’re not there, maybe you’ll see this tape. We have unfinished business. You know it, and I know it.”
Then Pia felt foolish, shouting at a stone gatepost with what she thought was a camera mounted on top. She looked up one more time, flipped a finger, and then got back in her car to drive home.
CHAPTER 39
Pia sat on Paul’s couch, drinking her third glass of wine of the evening. Nothing about Pia’s story of her difficulties getting into Nano had changed since Wednesday, but she had recounted it again over dinner, and it appeared to Paul as if she were about to do so again.
“Okay, Pia, I don’t wish to be rude, but I know what happened. Nano has revoked your access to your lab until you have a medical release, and you’re pissed. Understandably. I get it, they’re ungrateful bastards with all the work and help that you have given them. But I don’t see what you can do about it other than hire a lawyer to get you that meeting with human resources.”
“I don’t need a lawyer!” said Pia, for the tenth time.
“An employment lawyer. I’m not talking about a personal-injury lawyer or anything like that. Nano hasn’t terminated you, but you can’t get into work, even though they are still paying you. Funny, a lot of people would love such a situation.”
“It’s not the money,” Pia complained.
“I know. Come on! Calm down! I’m talking about an employment lawyer who will get this resolved, and if he can’t get you into the lab, then he will get you a settlement. Then you can move on with your life. You can’t go on like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like this, Pia, going over and over the same things like you’re picking at a scab. Not every mystery gets resolved. Go to the newspapers with your story. See what they can do. Perhaps the Chinese runner and this more recent Chinese cyclist will remain a mystery. Right now, only you and I even know it’s a mystery, and I must admit, I’ve lost most of my interest in it.”
“If I go to the newspapers, even if they pick up on it, I’m sure Nano has contingency plans. It’s not going anywhere unless I find out what they’re doing and can be specific with the press.”