again – Frost said with a smile.
Kayla Fox nodded in greeting and invited him inside. Before he had even taken a few steps around the house, Frost turned to her:
– Miss Fox, I will try not to take up a lot of your time, because I understand that you are a busy person, and I have to rush all day today. Therefore, with your permission, I will get straight to the point.
Kayla suddenly noticed that the man was saying these words without taking his eyes off her hands. And only now she remembered that she had not taken off her laboratory rubber gloves.
– Oh, that’s what you’re talking about. It’s OK.
– So I didn’t distract you from anything important? Can we talk?
– Of course – Kayla answered, continuing to perform the play in her own small drama theater. – Let’s sit down.
Frost sat down on the soft upholstery of the leather chair and waited for Kayla to sit down on the chair on the opposite side of the coffee table.
– I represent the company «Best Technologies». Have you heard about this?
– Still would. This year all laboratories of our university were equipped with your centrifuges and microscopes.
– So we can omit this part. – Frost then pulled out several printed images from his inside jacket pocket and handed them to Kayla, adding: – Before we start our conversation, would you do me a favor and take a look at something?
Kayla took the pictures and began to examine the contents in detail.
– What will be your opinion? – Frost asked, waiting for her reaction.
The biologist looked at the pictures in bewilderment for almost a full minute. She turned the pictures around, looking at the image from different angles, and then asked, without taking her eyes off the pictures:
– And if it’s not a secret, where did you photograph this?
– Several years ago, our company began a program for the development of deep ocean layers. A group of specialists developed and lowered an unmanned amphibious vehicle to the ocean floor. And this is what this device discovered.
The first two photographs showed an individual of a fish species unknown to modern science. The first thing that caught an eye were the fins on the sides with pointed ends, the absence of eyes and the translucent purple color. The other two photos showed a strange creature that looked like a cross between a crab and a squid. The main part of the organism resembled a squid, but instead of tentacles there were legs, like crabs.
– The quality of the pictures is not very high. We had to shoot under floodlights because it was completely dark. But the main details can be seen.
Kayla said, sighing in surprise:
– Well, it’s hard for me to say anything specific. This appearance may be the result of adaptation to a specific external environment. Organisms are formed as they are by the environment in which they live. That is, here we are no longer talking about evolution or long-term adaptability to external conditions. Rather, they are simply characteristics of organisms that ensure survival in a particular ecosystem.
Having listened to the end, Frost began to expound:
– Our company is planning a research expedition to the abyssal of the Atlantic Ocean. To do this, we need a group of reputable scientists. How do you feel about your participation in this type of research?
Frowning, Kayla clarified:
– Did you say «abyssal»?
– Exactly.
– But how?
– Miss Fox, high technology is our specialty.
Maintaining a puzzled face, Dr. Fox for some time imagined traveling to such distant ends of the Earth. But it was still difficult to digest this. She asked another question:
– How long is this expedition planned?
– The voyage will last a little over two months.
– Is this a single expedition? Or…
– Considering the value of the data that we could obtain, one expedition could provide you with work for years, and maybe for the rest of your life. As you probably understand, if any organisms are discovered, you will be offered cooperation on an ongoing basis. You will be provided with a laboratory equipped with the latest technology, where you can fully examine your findings. – After a moment’s pause, Frost added: – And this is what concerns the financial side of the business.
Stephen indicated a specific amount with a pen on a notepad, and then handed the torn piece of paper to Kayla Fox.
– This does not take into account the bonus part, which will become possible if we manage to discover some deep-sea organisms.
Kayla thought about her experiment; about how much time she spent on it and what results she achieved. She understood perfectly well that she could spend her whole life on this research and get nothing in the end. And here it is… She left the pictures and a piece of paper with numbers on the table, crossed her legs, straightened a strand of her black hair and said:
– Well, what can I say? I am a scientist first and a teacher second. A person cannot be satisfied with one theory, and such an opportunity may no longer be available. In view of this situation, I think there is no point in thinking for a long time. I would say right now that I agree. But, you know, it takes me some time to get my head around where the end point is. I’ll be honest and say right away that there are hardly any reasons why I would want to refuse such a suggestion, but I still need some time.
– No, no, Miss Fox. No one is rushing you. Think it over carefully. Of course, such decisions are not made in a couple of seconds. It’s still not like going to a nightclub. So you don’t have to rush. You have time.
Kayla didn’t pay any attention to these words. She understood that there was nothing keeping her in her current job.
– But can I ask you, Miss Fox, one favor?
– Of course.
– Our conversation must remain between us. It must not go beyond these walls. Can I rely on you?
Without the slightest tremor in her voice, Kayla answered:
– One hundred percent.
The next day Kayla dialed the number of her college classmate, who worked overseas at one of the medical institutes in Austin.
– Hello? – a man’s voice was heard on the phone.
– Hello Miguel. This is Kayla. Fox.
– Hi beauty. What’s up?
At the word «beauty» Kayla involuntarily remembered how, during her student years in her first year at the institute,
