NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4979561" data-attributes="member: 3285">Dawn Biozyme: Part 1 – Dawn Biozyme PharmaceuticalsLocated on a five-acre plot on the northeast outskirts of Samson, Dawn Biozyme occupied a large new mirror-windowed building and warehouses at the end of a short dead-end street.  Three black SUVs rumbled past a twelve-foot high brick wall that surrounded the facility.  Hammer pointed behind the dark glass of the lead SUV.  "See that? Heavy security for a simple lab."Inconspicuous beneath the ivy toping was an additional two feet of projecting barbed wire, supporting arms, and various passive sensors to deter and detect intruders.  The SUVs rumbled on. The back of the facility opened on two acres of short, dry grass, not yet fully developed.  On the other side were equally well-protected offices and facilities of other companies. The main building was three stories high; the isolated production facility was one story topped by a maze of ventilators, scrubbers, alarms, and gaseous containment devices. The two warehouses were externally identical concrete structures, both three stories tall, both with narrow fixed windows near the roof. Hammer, Jim-Bean, three lawyers and three accountants stepped of the vehicles.  The lawyers and accountants were all identically dressed in gray suits and blue ties.  The six office drones were more terrifying than the two agents. Hammer smirked at the sign taped to the front door. They entered the spacious reception area through wide glass doors. Two receptionists manned a large curving desk situated at the center of the room. At an inconspicuous desk near the only entrance to the rest of the building sat a security guard. Before the reception desk were couches, low tables, and magazines."Hello gentlemen," said a young, clean-cut man who smiled a little too much.  He approached Hammer with hand extended.  "I'm Brad Geary, and I'll be your guide during your review—""Who's in charge here?" asked Hammer, pushing past him to the entrance proper."Uh, I'm your liaison," said Geary.  "Agent…?"Jim-Bean patted Geary on the back.  "That's Agent Hammer.  I'm Agent Jim-Bean.  These guys…" he turned to encompass them with a sweep of his arm.  "Well it doesn't matter who they are, just what they do."Geary nodded, focused on Hammer, who brushed past the security guards.  "Uh, Agent Hammer, you need a visitor badge!"  He rushed after Hammer, saying over his shoulder to Jim-Bean.  "Please be sure to sign in!""Don't worry I'll sign him in," said Jim-Bean cheerfully.A few moments later Geary caught up with Hammer and handed him a visitor badge.  Hammer took it but didn't put it on."I don't think Dawn Biozyme fully appreciates the gravity of this situation," snapped Hammer. "This isn't a tour, Geary.  This is a federal investigation of a potential biohazard.  Do you know who I am?""Agent…Hammer?" asked Geary, eyes wide. "I'm an agent of the Counter-Intelligence Field Agency.  CIFA, to you.  We don't get involved unless an organization is suspected of assisting terrorists.  If we find any evidence, ANY EVIDENCE, that your labs have been involved in the distribution of biohazards to terrorists we will hit you with so many injunctions, Dawn Biozyme won't be able to sneeze without incurring a fine."Geary swallowed.  "I'm sure you'll be…uh, very impressed with our operations, sir.  I'd like to take you on a tour of our interior labs to show that there is no basis for your claims.""I'll be the judge of that.  Where are your files?"Geary pointed at a bank of offices.  "In there."Hammer pointed. The accountants and lawyers trailing behind veered off and began chatting with the staff who were waiting for them there. Jim-Bean caught up with Hammer.  "I want to speak to Lewis," Hammer reiterated.  "Now."Geary fidgeted nervously and then picked up a nearby phone.  After a tense conversation, he hung up.  "Mr. Lewis will see you now. Follow me please." Matthew Lewis, founder and president of Dawn Biozyme, was in his forties. Every inch the corporate shark, Lewis was a handsome man with an open, honest face and a healthy complexion. He had blue eyes and blonde hair, beginning to silver at the edges. He was dressed in an expensive suit and wore a top-of-the-line chronometer"What can I do for you?" asked Lewis, rising from behind his desk. "Don't bother to get up," said Hammer, standing in the doorway.  "We want to know where Howard Gall's lab is."Lewis blinked. "Of course, of course.  Our business is helping people, Agent Hammer.  We don't support terrorists."Hammer spun.  "I expect full cooperation.""Certainly.  Mr. Geary, please give the agents the full tour, and be sure to show them Gall's lab.""Yes sir!" said Geary. "If you'll follow me gentlemen…"In the next two hours the agents saw everything from the labs to the employee cafeteria. Demonstrations included an electron microscope, incubator/shakers, high performance liquid chromatographers, banks of tissue culture dishes, ovens, desiccators, refrigerators, autoclaves, spectrophotometers, and high-speed protein sequencers. They met dozens of employees. They passed by hundreds of bio-hazard signs.Chromatography's Dr. Spencer demonstrated the company's research computer, linked both to the UC-Samson library and to the research library of MegaCosmos, one of Dawn Biozyme's largest investors. “The amount of information we have at our fingertips is simply incredible," the scientist crooned.Dr. Lois Keating, an eminent microbiologist, after failing to successfully communicate the complexities of correctly inserting DNA fragments into double-stranded vectors, beamed proudly over her chocolate fragrance pansies. "We're searching for ways to insert disease-resistant genes in a common winter wheat strain," she said.Finally, they met Dr. Howard Finley, director of research and development.  In his fifties, Finley was tall, thin, balding and wore glasses. "Hello gentlemen," he said to the agents.  "Mister Geary, I believe that concludes the end of the tour, does it not?"Geary nodded."I'll take it from here, thank you." He dismissed Geary with a smile. "Is this Gall's chair?" asked Jim-Bean.Finley nodded.Jim-Bean plopped himself down in the chair.  He put one hand on the phone and sat there for a second, concentrating.Finley peered at him.  "Is everything all right?"Jim-Bean shook his head at Hammer.Hammer turned to Finley.  "Can we speak with you in your office?"Finley smiled.  "Certainly.  Is something wrong?"Hammer didn't answer.  They marched the short distance to Finley's office.  Finley’s spacious office had a wall behind his desk that was bloated with framed degrees and certificates.  Hammer nodded in the direction of the dark globe that hung in one corner of the room.  "Security's really tight here, huh?""What is this about?" asked Finley, moving toward the seat at his desk.Jim-Bean looked over at Hammer.  "Too bad you've got a cough, Hammer. We could really use some Robitussix."Hammer blinked at Jim-Bean.  "What?"Jim-Bean put one hand around Finley, pointing at one of the degrees on the wall.  "Miskatonic University, huh? Do you know Dr. Joseph Bread?""I do," said Finley.  "He's in the Archaeology department…"Jim-Bean leaned over and whispered, out of sight of the camera.  "We know that's not Gall's office.  Now you either cooperate or we lock you up.  Guys like you don't last long in prison."Finley froze.  "They'll kill me if I talk," he hissed.Hammer plopped himself down in Finley's chair and opened a folder on the table, concealing his mouth from the camera.  "We can offer you protection.""You either cooperate with us now," said Jim-Bean, pointing at another degree as if they were having an amiable conversation about Finley's education, "or we hang you out to dry and Dawn Biozyme kills you anyway. I don't think you have a lot of choices here."Finley sighed.  "There are cameras everywhere.  If I go with you they'll notice…""Slip me your badge. Then take a long dump in the bathroom," said Jim-Bean.  "That'll buy you some time.""It's in my pocket.  Take it."Jim-Bean slipped one hand into Finley's lab coat and fished out the badge.  "Where's Gall's office, anyway?" asked Hammer."Down below," said Finley. "It's a restricted area.""His office is restricted?" asked Hammer.  Finley shook his head.  "The entire level."</blockquote>

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