Into to Intership: by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
Several weeks had passed since the Lacrosse incident. Xavier had been slowly recovering ever since then. It had been long enough for him to return to his normal routine. He was even allowed to return to Lacrosse to practice. Though, unfortunately his team had been outsted in the very next game. Of course, he knew that and it was nonetheless disappointing. The Gryphons without their star player were just not as good as a team and him missing really showed.
Things had gone back to normal, and Xavier's school expectations had been levied back upon him. His boyfriend was always willing to help him, and the sudden shift didn't take much getting used to. The chipmunk had always been a diligent boy, especially with the fox by his side. The other students at school who knew about the incident had even been showing him more support. It was a nice change of atmosphere for him, even if it didn't last very long and was soon forgotten about.
Neither Xavier nor Pent had seen Buck again after the incident occurred. They later found out that the moose had been suspended in addition to being taken off from the Lacrosse team. The other boy was not a first time offender and the schools administration was treating the issue with the attention it deserved. Even going as far as to meet with Buck's parents to discuss possible relocation to another school.
It was the start of a new week, and Xavier awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. He rubbed his eyes of the crust in his lids. Yawning and stretching before finally getting up. The teen briefly looked at the calendar. On the day in question, he saw that it was internship day. This meant his school day would be drastically different than usual. It was the first of three in total, and he was looking for a change in his usual routine.
The chipmunk boy could hear the sound of the radio coming from the hall. Starting to get ready, he stripped off his pajamas into his school uniform. Despite it being internship day, the teen knew he had to still wear his usual outfit. Once he had put on his uniform, he made his way out of the room and through the hallway. Already, he could smell the scent of whatever his parents had cooked him for breakfast that day.
Stepping into the kitchen, he found his father. His old man was wearing a suit and tie that day. Formal wear was not something that he usually wore, and the teen couldn't help but be curious what the reason for it.
"Morning, Dad. Why are you all dressed up?" He asked as he stepped into the room.'
His father briefly looked over his shoulder. "Morning, Champ. Work has me going to some conference today."
"Oh, well, you look nice in it." Xavier went into the fridge to grab himself a drink.
The older male smiled at him. "Thanks. Are you looking forward to the intership day?"
"Yeah, I am looking forward to reporting on Lacrosse." The chipmunk had done very little to prepare for it.
His father sat down at a bar stool and sipped on some coffee. "You will do great. You've always been a people person."
"Thanks, Dad. I'll let you know how it goes."The teen sat down at the table and began eating his food.
That morning, the meal was nothing special. Just a bagel with jelly for spread, a side of deviled eggs, and fresh fruit. Xavier wasn't a picky eater and he generally ate whatever was in front of him. The bagel was fresh and rich cinnamon apple flavor, which was his favorite. He didn't take very long to finish it and his father sat with him the entire time he finished the meal and read a news article on his tablet.
When he was done, his old man hurried him along to get ready. Reminding him that he needed to get to work sooner than usual because of the conference. Xavier put his shoes and socks on before grabbing his bag from his room. Returning to the front room, where the older male was waiting for him. His father was now carrying a brief case in addition to his laptop bag. He straightened up his sports jacket before opening the door for both of them.
Xavier and his father made their way out of the home. It was a darker day that day. Cloud cover was dense, and a few of them were grey. It appeared that it was going to rain that day. Xavier's father hurried him along, and they continued to his car. Turning on the radio to his favorite radio station, they were soon underway to the school. Despite the change in the school day, every student was still expected to show up for homeroom.
They arrived at the school before long. Traffic was lighter that day since many parents were having their kids take the bus. After all, some of them were participating in the career day activities. Even the younger students were participating in the event as the first day of it had been scheduled the same day as "Take your cub to work day". Xavier was aware of this, though he'd forgotten since it had been some time since he'd participated in it.
The rodent's father let him out, and Xavier made his way to the back of the school. He wanted to check on Pent and was more than sure the fox would be there. The other teen had never mentioned a change in his plans and was much more of a creature of habit than he was. Xavier headed around the side of the building, noticing that some of the usual students who hung around there weren't present. He wasn't sure, but he felt like some students would skip the day because of the nature of it.
At the rear of the school, he saw Pent underneath the usual tree where they hung out. Just as he expected, the fox teen was reading yet another book. Without even looking at it, Xavier knew what it was about. Xavier approached him slowly and stood over top of him once he was close enough. He hadn't said anything, so the fox was caught somewhat off guard by the sudden obstruction of his primary light source. Once he turned his head up, he couldn't help but smile at him.
"Is this spot taken?" Xavier asked with a coy smile on his face.
The smaller boy patted the spot next to him. "Of course not, my prince."
"Prince, eh? Since when am I a prince?" The chipmunk hadn't been called this nickname before.
The white furred teen shrugged. "I dunno. I just thought it would fit you."
"If I am your prince…then you are my knight in shining armor." Xavier slowly eased himself down next to his boyfriend.
The fox blushed at the comment. "You're so sweet."
"So my little knight…are you looking forward to career day?" The rodent swung his arm around the back of Pent's neck and shoulders.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, how about you? Are you nervous?"
"Nah, not really. It's just an internship. It's not like they are going to give us anything hard to do." The brown furred boy wasn't worried at all about it.
The smaller teen put his book away. "Cool, I want to read your article or whatever they have you do."
"I hope they put me on a live broadcast." Xavier wanted to be on live television or radio.
The white furred teen's eyes lit up at the thought of it. "That would be awesome."
They continued talking about what they figured their days would be like. Xavier had a much better idea about his. It was only a matter of time before they found out everything that was involved in it. The first bell soon rang, and both teens got up, with Pent helping the bigger boy up. Only to be tugged down ever so lightly for a gentle kiss on the cheek. The fox blushed again as he returned the affection with a short hug and peck of his own.
Making their way back inside, both Xavier and Pent joined hands again. The hallways were much less filled with students this morning. Heading through the junior halls, they saw only a fraction of the usual faces they passed by. The teachers were still around, though many of them had only stayed behind for a faculty meeting that was being held later. For the senior-level teachers, they would have a planning day since the junior ones were still expected to work.
Once they were in front of Xavier's home room, the two boys hugged and went their separate ways. The chipmunk made his way into his first class. Even inside it, there were fewer students than he was expecting to see. The rodent waited a bit while his usual homeroom teacher collected everyone inside. It wasn't much longer before she went through the usual roll call using her digital grade book. Once she had finished, the woman stood in front of the central podium and began speaking.
"Good morning, students. As all of you know, today is career day for the Senior Level students. Previously, each of you volunteered with several prospective future employers. Today is your first opportunity to see what these jobs truly look like and what is involved with them. Shortly, I will be calling groups. Similarly to the fair, the jobs you signed up for are categorized under the same groups you found them in at the fair. When your group is called, please proceed to the bus loop. A school bus will take you to the various locations to drop you off. Lunch will be provided at each job spot, and you will return to the school before the usual dismissal time. Are there any questions?"
Silence followed her short explanation. The details of how the day would work were simple enough. They had been told them previously but this was a reminded for those who had forgotten. Xavier clutched his bag in his lap as he waited for his group to be called. One by one more and more of the students in his class filed out to the halls. When about half of the students were gone the Sports and Entertainment group was finally called.
Xavier got up from his desk and collected his bag. He filed the other students who had chosen the same category as he had. The chipmunk was curious if he might see anyone he recognized on the bus. As for the students in his class, he didn't know any of them. The whole lot of them made their way to the front of the school. Several members of the school's administration lined the hallways to make
sure there wasn't any mischief.
They all filed out the front doors that led outside. The wind had picked up, and it was already starting to sprinkle. Outside a few other members of the junior teachers were holding umbrellas and trying to shield the students from getting wet. They were far from large enough to accommodate everyone. Xavier decided to deal with it as he didn't care about getting a little wet. Besides…the weather wasn't that bad yet.
The chipmunks group was called over to a waiting bus. In front of it, a member of the staff whom he didn't recognize was holding a sign that read "Sports and Entertainment". Xavier didn't think it was necessary, but the school had done it as a precautionary measure. He waited in the line, continuing onto the bus behind several other students. There seemed to be quite a lot more than he was expecting, especially considering how few he saw in the halls.
He looked around inside but knew no one. Most of the seats were already taken, so he sat alongside a girl he didn't know. The slightly older otter girl eyed him briefly but did not say anything to him. A member of the staff soon came on board and did a quick head count, and then followed up with calling a different role call from a piece of paper. Once he had verified who was and was not there, the man left the bus.
The bus soon was underway and began its trip to the city. The vehicle was scheduled to make six stops in total, with Myers being the third. Each stop would be named aloud on the speaker so the students knew when to get off. Xavier looked out the window. It seemed that the weather had picked up a bit and the rain was much more visible against the window of the bus. He could hear several students behind him slamming the windows shut as the water cascaded into the bus.
The bus came to a stop twice, with both times allowing some of the students to get off it. The second stop seemed to empty much of the student base as the location was the largest media corporation in the entire province. The rain did not seem to lessen the further away they got from the school and if anything seemed to become even heavier. It wasn't much longer before they pulled into the Myers Broadcasting headquarters.
It was finally Xavier's turn to get off the bus. Making his way off the vehicle, he noticed that not many were following him. Filing out, it was still just as rainy as before. It was so thick he could barely make out what was in front of him. Waiting outside for them was a Rhino woman holding an umbrella. The bulky woman was wearing a dark red blazer and khakis. Over her right breast was a lapel with the company's logo on it. She waited as all the teens gathered near her.
She didn't say anything and instead led them inside the building. Once they were inside, each of them was handed a towel to dry off. Xavier thanked her and briefly looked around the lobby of the building. In front of him was a small reception desk, which was currently vacant. Behind the desk it had a large monitor showcasing one of the shows Myers was broadcasting. Currently a news broadcast was airing, going on about the inclimate weather.
"Welcome to Myers Broadcasting Corporation. My name is Rosemarie, but you may call me Rose if you like. I have been assigned with showing you all around the building. If you could all could please tell me your names so I can check which department you were assigned, that would be great. One at a time please."
Xavier waited for his turn and continued to look around as he stood there. Just behind the reception desk were two sets of stairs that spiraled up in different directions. At the center of it is a medium-sized fountain with a marble ornament filtering water back into it. On the second floor was a string of offices, many of which were closed. The center of which had a sign on top of it showing the words "On Air". It was apparent that was one place they were recording media.
When he was asked, the chipmunk teen gave his name. The Rhino collected the rest of the information she needed, then urged them to follow her. They were led behind the reception desk to the base of the stairs. Underneath the second floor, several halls led outward with various pictures of anchors who had hosted shows in the past. Xavier recognized only a few of them since most of them had long since retired and were considered legacy.
They walked around the entirety of the building. The bottom part of the complex was broken up into four parts, with two of them being on each side. On the left side were the production rooms, and on the right side was divided between a public relations room and a conference center. Xavier and the other students were shown through each of them, and they didn't spend nearly in long in the public relations or conference rooms.
The production side of things was where they focused the brunt of the tour. The rhino showed them the various pieces of equipment. Much of it had been digitalized but there was still cameras, microphones, lights, and other pieces of editing hardware. Some of it the chipmunk had seen before and others he hadn't. He didn't touch any of it and the woman gave them a show case of how much of it worked.
Once they were done with the bottom rooms, some of the students split off. Left with another member of the staff, the group was halved. Xavier continued following the woman as she led them back through the lobby. They started heading upstairs, proceeding through the left set of stairs that wove in a circle. At the top of the stairs, Xavier could see into one of the doors just behind. From where he was, it appeared they were recording a documentary.
The Rhino did not take them into that room and instead continued leading them across the platform. The central room's light had gone off, showing that the filming had stopped. Touching a button, the door slid open with a loud hiss. Xavier and the other students made their way into it. Inside, they found themselves in a recording studio. A glass pane separated them from another room where a news desk sat in front of a simple backdrop. Xavier figured this was where they produced the news, and other journalistic media were presented.
Xavier's name was called and he was taken to the side with one other student. They were told to wait there by the Rhino. That someone would be there to get them shortly. Their guide soon left them alone, leaving them to look around. The rodent looked around again at the various buttons, knobs, and meters around him. To him it looked like a control room of sorts and none of it seemed to be turned on.
A few moments later and a young-looking Cockatoo came to retrieve them. The man was wearing a velvet plush vest, and his feathers seemed to be freshly marked with makeup. The avian's feathers were well-kept and brushed back. The closer he got, the more Xavier could smell the stench of cologne.
"Please come this way." His voice was soft and elegant.
Both Xavier and the girl next to him followed this man. The bird's strides were short but fast. On his behind he carried a communication device that was wired to his ear. The chipmunk could hear him muttering something, but the words were undiscernible. They were led into a back room. Inside it there was some sofas set up around a few tables. Another television had been set up but this one had been turned off.
"You may wait here. Isabella will be with you shortly." The man left the room, leaving the two teens alone again.
They continued waiting for a while. For a few minutes, no one passed through the door. It was strangely quiet in the room and the only thing that could ne heard was the hum of a fan and a nearby fridge. Xavier continued to wait with the other girl. Neither of them said anything to each other. It was a short while before a middle aged woman walked through the door. A thinly framed beaver woman walked through the door.
"Greetings. My name is Isabella, but you may call me Mrs. Isa." The beaver rested calmly against the frame of the door.
The tall woman was wearing a navy pantsuit with matching slacks. Over her snout, she wore some thin glasses. She briefly looked at a small piece of paper she'd been given.
"I see. Young lady, you are here for the anchor position, and young man, you are here for the reporter position?" The woman had been briefed previously about their involvement.
Both of the teens nodded and got up from where they were sitting.
"Very well. Please come right this way." She motioned for them to follow her.
The woman led them back the way they came. Back through the hall and the recording studio once again. It was still silent and lacking any activity Xavier was soon taken to a different room that had sectioned off from the side of it. He was taken into the writing room where a few of the writers were busy typing away on some computers. The teen was shown to one of them where the woman stopped by the worker.
"Gustavo, this here is Xavier. He will be your wingman for today. My notes say he is quite fond of Lacrosse. You have been needing a writer for the Rocks, haven't you?"
The man looked up from his work desk. The table where he was was unkempt and full of papers strewn everywhere. Some crumpled-up scraps were thrown around him. It was evident the man wasn't very tidy.
He sighed softly before responding. "Yes, that is correct. Please come, take a seat."
"Xavier, lunch will be promptly at noon. I will check in with you then. Please try and have fun." The beaver bowed to him before leaving.
The rodent sat down next to the wallaby man. His gaze was distant, and it didn't take long for him to stare right through the younger boy. They sat through an awkward silence for a moment, and Xavier wasn't sure what to make of the situation. The teen snapped his finger.
"Are you alright?" He asked, still at a loss for what to do.
The wallaby finally
snapped out of it. "Oh, yes. Sorry…the caffeine is wearing off. Let me fix that…"
The marsupial sipped on a nearby cup of coffee. "Ah, that's better. So…you want to be a reporter?"
"I think so. What should I do?" The rodent had never done anything like this before and needed guidance on it.
Gustavo reached over to his laptop, that he kept to the side and took it out of his bag. He put it on the space in front of the younger boy.
"Did you see the most recent game?" They played Rochester at Rogers." The older male knew the game had happened, but he didn't know enough about the sport to write about it.
The chipmunk boy nodded. "Yup, Rochester won by 5 points."
"Awesome, I want you to write a recap of the game. Try to be neutral." He plugged in the laptop under his desk so that it would be powered.
Xavier nodded. He understood the assignment. Deciding to take it upon himself to check the rosters for both teams. He could recall who scored for the Rocks but was unsure of who scored for the Knighthawks. Navigating to the website for both of them, he found a full timeline of the game with the markers for scores by quarter. Clicking on them showed who scored and if there was an assist or not. It was just what he needed.
The rodent began working immediately, going into the full detail of the game. It was an average score for a professional game. The usual suspects scored many of the goals for the Rocks. Most of the names on the Knighthawks the teen hadn't heard of before, except in passing. However, the star player on the Knighthawks was one he knew all too well. "Aide" as he was known colloquially had netted 4 goals and gotten mvp the previous night.
He worked on it for a good hour and a half before he was stopped by Gustavo, who checked in on his progress. By this point, the teen had put a lot on the screen in front of him. Almost a full page of text with no formatting. Still, he was surprised the chipmunk had produced that much content out of the game. He began to browse through it, though he didn't check for details or errors as he wasn't worried about that just yet.
"Looks good, kid. Keep going." The marsupial said before returning to work.
The rodent continued writing until he was out of ideas. Deciding to go back and proofread to make sure there weren't any errors. It was something his literature class had impressed on his mind. By the time lunch finally rolled around, the rodent had created a workable first draft. Gustavo had been so distracted that he didn't even notice his stomach growling. A few moments later and Isabella popped through the door.
"I hope you have made good progress, Xavier. It is time for the company lunch. Gustavo, are you joining us?" The beaver tapped her hand on the frame of the door.
The hurried man looked over his shoulder. "I'll eat later. The kid can go without me."
"Suit yourself. Come right this way, Xavier." The woman waited for him to join her.
Once again, the chipmunk joined behind her. He saw no signs of the girl who had been with them before, but he didn't question it. Isabella showed him back the way they came, through the recording studio and to the main promenade. Back downstairs, they were led in the opposite direction from where the production area was. One of the doors had now been opened, and he could see various other furs moving about within.
Inside he found himself within the company's cafeteria. Within a serving station was set up with a salad bar and a snack tray. Unlike at school, there was no server. On the side of the room there were some bagged lunches. The company did not normally provide lunch for their employees but the students were being treated differently. Isabella led him to the side of the room to where the bagged lunches were.
"Feel free to pick one. They are labeled with what they have. It isn't much, but we had one of the employees prepare them for you. Inside, there is a surprise for each of you. We hope you enjoy it as well as the rest of your time at Myers Broadcasting. I will be back to collect you after lunch. Your classmates are all at the same table."
With that, the woman was gone, and Xavier was left to pick. He scanned through them. There were the usual lunchmeat suspects of turkey and chicken, and there didn't seem to be many vegetarian options. Eventually, he found one and took it. The chipmunk grabbed the bag and headed over to where the other students had sat down. Xavier joined them and didn't say much as the table was quiet. It didn't seem like anyone knew each other.
Eventually one of them started a conversation about their experience. Xavier joined in but allowed the other students to be more expressive with their day. About half way through it, he decided to get up and check on his boyfriend. He hadn't talked to Pent the entire day and was curious how it was going for the fox boy. The chipmunk excused himself and made his way to the side of the room where it was more quiet. He texted the other teen and waited for him to answer.
"Hey, Pent. How's it going at Zap?" The rodent put it as simply as possible.
A few moments passed before the other boy responded. "It's going good. They like me here. I am the only student here, though….it's kind of weird. How about you?"
"It's going good. I am working on a story about the game the other night between Rochester and Toronto." Xavier was proud of his progress so far.
The fox responded soon after. "Neat. I want to read it when it's done. Do you think they will publish it?"
"I'm not sure. They haven't mentioned it, but my mentor seems to think it's decent so far, so maybe." The chipmunk hadn't thought about it before.
Pent was happy for him. "Awesome. I can't wait to see it."
"What do they have you doing?" The brown furred teen typed back to him.
The other boy didn't take long to answer. "Right now, they are showing me pill packing. It's…kind of boring. But they said after lunch, I was going to be taken into the lab."
"Sounds exciting. Don't get in over your head." Xavier chuckled at his joke.
The fox wasn't sure what to make of the comment. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…don't get too excited about it. I know how you are when it comes to Science, and sometimes you go overboard." The rodent was careful with his words as he didn't want to upset the other teen.
The white furred boy smiled at the reassurance. "I won't. I promise. I need to get going. Have a good rest of your day."
Pent put his phone away in his pocket. Zap's cafeteria room was almost empty now. Only a few members of the staff were cleaning up. There was no serving station or any kind of snack bar. It was just a space to eat. Along the walls there were several vending machines as well as a water fountain. It was the bare minimum for a cafeteria and there was no attempt to decorate or spice it up.
The fox was called back out of the lunchroom by his mentor. An older bison man who's fur had all but greyed out. Wearing a simple lab coat, blue cargo pants, and a grey undershirt. The man's eyes were darkened from decades of exposure to chemical fumes, even despite always wearing protective eyewear. He was one of the most senior members on staff and he had been charged with overseeing the fox boys mentorship.
"Come, child. We have much to do." The bison didn't even bother looking at the teen.
The bovine used a cane to walk, relying on it to maintain his balance. His strides were slow and long. Pent had no issue keeping up with him, though he remained behind to be respectful. They walked through the main lobby of the complex. It was a single floor establishment with only four doors not counting the entrance to the place. At the center of it was an information center but instead of a receptionist, there was a machine operating it.
Walking past it once again, the arctic fox couldn't help but look at the machine. It was slightly larger than he was and had rounded edges to it. It's whole body was fully automated with it buzzing back and forward. It's face was still with only its eyes and mouth lighting up. As some passerby's approached it, the automaton talked to them. All of it's greetings were pre-recorded but it had been designed to fully fill the roll of a receptionist.
Pent was led back to a different room than he had been in earlier that morning. The door to it was completely metallic and didn't open when they approached it. His mentor had to enter a passcode on a keypad, following up by scanning his ID. "Access Granted" a recording said off in a high pitched tone as thing swung open. The bison continued leading Pent into the entrance of what was the laboratory facility.
Just beyond the entrance was a sealed room. Pent looked around and could see large computers lining up on both sides of the wall. They were far bigger than anything he'd seen before. No one seemed to be monitoring them and yet they seemed to operate autonomously. At the center of the room was a semi circular desk. A single fur whirled around it on a chair, the woman. She had several command modules in front of her, each of which monitored the surrounding computing devices.
The bison said nothing to her, and they proceeded just past her. She nodded to the man as they passed, but he did not attempt to acknowledge her. The area led into a thin corridor that fed into another closed off area. They came to a stop and Pent looked before them. A column of glass sat between them and an area just beyond it. The glass was opaque and not much could be seen as to what was going on.
"In a moment, we will be going through Sanitation. Sanitation is required upon both entry and exit. The process does not take long, and you will be expected to wear this upon exit."
Pent's mentor handed him two pieces of form fitting plastic and protective eye wear. The older male took some for himself and proceeded through. Fortunately the fox was familiar
with them from his readings and he knew the plastic was for the bottom of his shoes. He waited his turn while the bison went through the receptacle. Once his body was cleaned he put on both pieces of equipment and proceeded to the other side.
It was now the fox teens turn. A red light lit up on a screen in front of him and turned green after a few seconds. Stepping in, he wasn't sure what to expect. The door behind him sealed with a hiss and the machine began to hum. A light mist gusted over him, only dampening his fur and clothing. It was luke warm and lasted only a few seconds before stopping. Pent put on his protective equipment and the door to the other side finally opened.
He stepped into the back area. Now, finding himself in the laboratory itself. His eyes widened as he took in the sights of equipment which he had only heard of in his books. Various furs, fully covered in protective garbs, worked all around him. There was no doubt the place was busy. On one side of the room were microscopes and all sorts of glass containers. Various cabinets were filled with ingredients. A refrigerator was nearby, sealed with a Biohazard label on it. A digital sign in front of it read "locked," showing the storage was restricted.
His mentor turned around. "This is the main laboratory. This is where we make all numbers of concoctions. Most of our products are pharmaceuticals, however we also deal with chemical development and compounding requests. Due to the nature of our work, it is required to wear gloves when you are interacting with it. I will be taking you to the procurement area so please stay close behind."
The fox was still bewildered by everything around him. No amount of reading could have prepared him for this. The largest piece of equipment was an anerobic chamber. Currently the thing was empty but he could see the sleeved enclosure that allowed entry into it. A vacuum sensor was on the side of it with several oxygen sensors that were currently inactivated it. Just beneath it were a few foot pedals that operated a spinning apparatus within.
Turning around, the Bison noticed his apprentice had stalled. "Are you coming, boy?"
This caused the fox teen to snap out of it. Finally, following along, proceeding through the main laboratory. They entered through a small corridor that led into a wing. Opening up the wing wasn't as busy as the previous room. Only a few furs were working in the space. Various plastic and metal containers lined the walls, with the largest of which indicated it was for liquid nitrogen. A small tube fed from it to a different container, and Pent could see the gas pass through it. Once again, they came to a stop.
"This is procurement. This is where we gather all of the ingredients necessary for our experiments. This is where compounding and chemical development also occur. I will be passing you off to my colleague, who will get you familiar with this department. This is where you will be for the remainder of the day. I will come to collect you at the end of it."
The older male whispered to a younger woman nearby. The man dwarfed the thimble field vole. Nodding at him, the bison was soon gone, leaving the younger teen with her. Fixing the goggles on her snout, she looked back at him.
"Allo, my name is Victoria, but you can call me Vicky. Welcome to procurement. Are you familiar with Oscillation or Homogenization?" She asked as she was unfamiliar with his abilities.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, I am. What would you like me to do?"
"Take a seat next to me so I can monitor you. You will be preparing a compound. Please put on some gloves." The woman handed him some nitrile gloves to put on.
Rearranging himself so he could sit in the swivel chair, Pent sat next to the older woman. She eyed him carefully as if expecting he would screw up. The vole handed him a homogenizer. It was a two with a stand on top holding an arm that connected to a motor. On the bottom sone control knobs, a glass receptacle, and a probe that sat idle in the jar. Soon, she reached over to grab a few small vials, which had various liquids in them. Handing them over to the teen, she allowed him to take them.
"Let's see what you can do. Please make me a bottle of cough syrup by mixing these ingredients. You will want to refine it so that it is not too condensed or too thick."
The fox had never done anything of the sort before. Each of the vials were similar. The only thing different about them was what was inside. They were all labeled and the ingredients what one would find within a common cough remedy. From the voles perspective it was a simple task. She had done it countless times and it was almost foolproof. Pent got to work immediately and began analyzing each of the compounds.
He processed each of them through an analytics device that was nearby. The device showed each of the ingredients and what they did. It also included their compatibility with each other. Of course, compatibility wasn't the problem. Pent had to make something suitable that a fur could drink without issue. He needed to introduce each liquid at the correct concentration and mix it properly, then filter it so that the final product wasn't overly thick.
Pent continued to work on it, eventually introducing each of the liquids into the machine. They were fed through a tube that further reduced it into the receptacle. Drop by drop it filled more and more until about half of it was full. Pressing the button, the probe began to spin at a high speed. The contents inside splattered around the inside of the container but the backsplash kept it from getting out.
It was a short time before the process was complete. When it was done, the prone came to a stop and the machine stopped buzzing. Vicky took hold of it and poured it out into a nearby small cup. Sticking her finger into it, she tested the viscosity of it and pricked a small string of it on her finger. While some of it stuck, most of it did not. She seemed satisfied with the results as she gave a small smile to her protégé.
"Good work. Keep it up. Now, try to see if you can make some dishwasher fluid."
The vole decided to give him a bit more freedom this time. Over the next few hours, she would continue to give him task after task. Each and every challenge she gave him, he was able to do it without any issue. Pent was more than up to it and was all to eager to show his knowledge. Using a homogenizer wasn't something was super complicated for someone who understood concentration. She didn't even have to correct him.
Time continued to pass and the day was nearing it's end. Pent had successfully made several compounds, all of which were common household products. Vicky decided to do something different for him. Never in her years of having done internships did she encounter someone who managed to do everything she tasked them. Even more surprising to her was the fact the boy was so young.
"Come with me." She finally got up out of her chair.
Pent got up and followed the vole out of the room and to a different chamber of the area. The woman led him to a more isolated room that was currently darkened. Turning the light on, there was a white capsule with a red and black topper. On the side of it was the logo of the Canadian Space Agency. A few nobs and levers lay at the side of it with a screen that was also dormant. The rodent stepped to the side of it and switched one of them on, causing the whole machine to whirl.
"How would you like to be a test subject?" The vole said with a calm smile about her.
The fox's tail wagged behind him. "Would I? I would love to. What do I have to do?"
"This here is a 0 G chamber. It will allow you to experience no gravity for a time. We have yet to test it on an adolescent. You would be the first."
Vicky went to the side of the room and grabbed a 0G suit. The suit looked similar to the one a pilot would wear. She handed it to the teen.
"This will be too big…but we can buckle it down. It's made to be adjustable."
She brought it over to him and knelt right in front of him. Stepping into the overly large G suit, Pent was careful to not catch his covered shoes in it. It was a dark green flight suit with fasters on it to make it a bit more form fitting. She helped him into it and followed up with securing each of the metal pieces so that they fitted the form of his body. When it was on, she made sure no part of it hung off her body.
"Very well. Looks nice and snug. How do you feel?" Vicky had operated the device before and was the main researcher responsible for it.
The white furred teen nodded. "It's alright. Kind of bulky."
"Nothing I can do about that, little guy. You're much smaller than our average test subjects. Come step into this platform." She stood up and stepped to the side of the white bulb-shaped capsule, opening a door for him.
Pent took slow and careful steps up the ramp. The G-suit made it much more difficult for him to walk. How it had been made to fit him made it bulkier than it would have been for someone bigger. Still, he was intent on seeing this through. He wasn't about to miss out on experiencing no gravity. Vicky waited as the teen entered the capsule itself, disappearing inside it.
Once he was inside, he heard a hiss and the door came shut and sealed. The inside of the device was quiet and he could only hear the light whirl of the machine. A second past and he heard the womans speak through an intercom in the system.
"In a moment, I will be turning on the simulation of no gravity. You may do as you please, but when I tell you to realign yourself properly, it would be advised to be upright. Please prepare for 0 gravity."
The fox wasn't sure how to prepare, so he just stood there. He noticed the lining of the inside of the capsule was padded. Pent was certain it was to prevent any injuries. A few seconds passed, and the fox boy began to float.
His entire body felt aimless and started to shift around inside of it. Using the side of the chamber, he guided himself upside down. Looking out of a small porthole that let him gaze outside. Pent closed his eyes for a moment, imagining himself on the International Space Station.
His bouncing strides carried him down the long halls of the facility. Underneath him were a few sleep pods that were currently closed off. On both sides of the hall were different life support systems and several computer modules. Just beyond it, the "wash station" where a single hose of water was attached to a sponge and cloth. Looking out the window, he envisioned himself looking out towards the earth.
His little session of fantasy was reality was interrupted by Vicky. "Please upright your body in preparation for the return of gravity. You have 60 seconds."
Pent sighed as he returned to his normal state of mind. Using the sides of it to rotate his body to a normal position. Making sure his butt was square with the floor so he didn't fall very far. An alarm sounded, and he felt himself hit the ground. The whole experience had been surreal, but he couldn't wait to tell Xavier about it. It wasn't very long before the sealed door popped open, and the vole standing outside welcomed him back out. She helped him out of the suit and back into his protective gear and street clothes.
The rodent asked him a few questions and took notes on his answers. Briefly looking at her watch, she knew they were short on time so she didn't keep him long. When they were done, she took him back the way they came. They arrived back in procurement and she took a seat back down before getting back to work.
"Thank you for today." Pent wanted to make sure the woman's mentorship was appreciated.
The rodent nodded at him. "Most certainly. You are quite the youngster."
Returning to get him, the Bison stood at the door. "It is time to depart. We must take you back through sanitation and dispose of your PPE. I hope your day has been suitable?"
"Yes, I have quite enjoyed myself. Thank you." The fox boy walked over to her.
Leading him back through the hall and the main lab, Pent noticed things were much quieter now. He assumed many people had gone home but he didn't know for sure. Once they had arrived back at Sanitation, the woman went through it first again. Modeling the behavior and disposing of both the goggles and shoe covers in a disposal area. Of course the goggles would be cleaned but the covers were not reusable. Pent went through the procedure and repeated the same thing before exiting ti.
She took him back through the main part of the complex. The woman led him to the front door of the facility. Handing him a small goodie bag to take home with him and bidding him a good day. Pent thanked her and made his way outside. By this point the weather had cleared up and there was only signs of grey clouds in the sky. He was glad since the bus had yet to arrive and he checked his phone for notifications.
A short time later the bus arrived to take him back to the school. Inside the bag he found mostly uninteresting things. The only thing that stood out was a badge that had been made specifically for him. "Junior Researcher Ghelsburg" it read. It made him smile and he pocketed it to show to his boyfriend. Pulling out his phone to text his boyfriend to see how the rest of the day went.
Xavier did not respond before he got back to school. The fox wondered what the other boy might have been up to, but he didn't let it bother him. Pent and the other students were sent to the gymnasium to spend the remainder of the school schedule. He filed in with the other students, still minding himself and trying to attract as little attention as possible. Making his way into the basketball arena, he looked around for the chipmunk.
There was simply too many students for him to make any of them out. They had stuffed everyone inside there and Pent was feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. The fox isolated himself to a corner of it and checked his phone again. Sure enough, there was a message from Xavier telling him he'd asked to go aside and that they said it was fine. The chipmunk had anticipated the fox boys anxiety and had planned for it ahead of time.
Pent slipped outside out of one of the back doors after asking one of the coaches if it was alright. Soon, joining his boyfriend under the same tree where they usually hung out. The two of them recounted their day and went into much greater detail than they had shared at lunch. Pent was especially excited to share his 0G experience and Xavier told Pent that his article would be shared the very next day. It had truly been a good first impression for both of them.
They would head home soon after with each going their separate ways. These experiences would only be compounded upon in the following weeks when they got to go back. The whole ordeal would only last 5 weeks in total but it would leave an indelible mark on their persona's. Already in their mind they had decided what they thought they wanted to do. Now all they had to do was work hard to make it happen.
The white fox joined his brother on board the bus. Samaliel was already waiting for him. The buses had been kept behind to accommodate the fact that the senior students were all in one spot. It wasn't a big delay, but normally, the buses were kept on a strict schedule. Pent strode on board and was greeted by the younger boy. The salt and pepper fox seemed unusually chipper and sprightly for some reason.
"Hey, Pent. How were things at Zapp?" The younger fox was aware of his brother's career day obligations.
The white furred boy looked at him and smiled. "It was good. I enjoyed myself. They were very nice."
"You didn't get overwhelmed…did you?" Samaliel knew his brother wasn't the best at presenting himself publicly.
The bigger teen shook his head. "Nah, it was a small place. I was only exposed to a few people. I managed just find after I got through my initial nerves. How were classes?"
"They were fine. We didn't do much since most of the students were at work with their parents. Most of the classes were empty. We had a lot of free time." The salt and pepper boy didn't seem bothered by the fact that he didn't get to participate.
Pent patted his shoulder. "That's good. Any homework?"
"Nope…but guess what?" Samaliel had finally decided to spill the beans to his brother.
The white furred teen arched his eyebrow. "What?"
"Dakota agreed to go with me to the Hoedown." The younger cub's smiles grew a bit.
The older boy hesitated before responding. "That's good."
"You don't seem surprised." The smaller cub was sure his brother didn't know about their relationship.
Pent thought to himself for a moment. "Well, no…you hang out with her a lot. It's not surprising you're into her."
"It doesn't bother you?" Samaliel was relieved that this was the case.
The older boy shook his head. "Nah, why would I be? I don't care who you go out with. Just take it easy and make sure she doesn't take advantage of you."
"I don't think she would do that. Do you think she would?" He seemed a bit more concerned about the comment.
The white furred boy felt a bit awkward now. "No…maybe that was the wrong way to say it. What I mean is be careful."
"Oh, alright. I will. I promise." The younger cub sighed in relief.
When Samaliel asked his brother about his day…Pent proceeded to share the details of his day, going into much more specifics than his brother even expected. Taking them right through the entire journey of their usual bus ride home. Only interrupted by the younger cub realizing it was time for them to get off. Gently nudging his brother, who realized the same and the two of them head offward.
Back at home, the two boys retired to their room. Pent grabbed a change of clothes since he'd been around chemicals all day. Deciding to take a shower early and get it out of the way. Even with the PPE he wanted to be safe. He was a big supporter of such things and he wasn't even sure everything he'd been around that day. After all, he'd only been shown certain things and many others were purely off limits.
While the shower, Pent's mind began to swirl with the thoughts of what his brother had told him. While it didn't bother him, it made him reconsider things. Sure, Samaliel was getting older but he wanted to stay involved in his life. The older fox wanted him to have choice in who he dated and what happened with it. But he also understood the younger cub could be a bit naïve and decided to be watchful of what happened between his brother and Dakota.
After he had taken a shower, the older fox went through his usual routine of making dinner. Samaliel had returned to play games, all too glad that he had no homework that night. Pent's mind had moved to other things, though he was still distracted by other thoughts. The return to his usual routine did him no favors with his always overactive mind. Still, he was able to make dinner quickly enough and ended up making a fish meal with broiled veggies and rice.
At dinner, he was quieter than usual. Pent was socially exhausted from the day. He had overexpanded his willingness to talk. In his mind, he was already thinking of shutting down and reading yet another book. His brother knew all too well how to read his cues by now and didn't push any of his buttons. Though part of him couldn't help but wonder if what he had told earlier had bothered the older teen.
When it was finally time to get ready for bed, the white fox was all too glad to pick out a new book to dig his snout into. His brother was not too surprised to find him buried in it after he returned from cleaning up. Though the concern still plagued his mind and so he asked the burning question that had been on the tip of his tongue.
"Are you bothered by what I told you, Pent?" Samaliel
needed to be sure to put his mind at ease.
The older boy didn't divert his attention from the book. "About Dakota? No. I'm just tired."
"Alright, I just wanted to be sure. Good night, Pent." The younger boy padded up the stairs to the upper bunk.
The rest of the night would be silent. Interrupted only by Pent getting up to turn off the lights and kiss his brother on his forehead. The older fox was very much mentally drained. It was the first time in a while he had felt like that. It wasn't so much that he had been challenged, but rather that it was just a lot for him to deal with. Within moments of shutting his eyes, he was asleep. His restful mind was blank for once, without a thought in the world. Visited only by dreams of what may be to come.
It had been a long one for both Pent and Xavier. One that neither would forget and would leave a profound impact on their lives. For the fox, it was an important step for him socially. For his boyfriend, it would shape his perception of how he looked at sports. Neither quite as narrow-minded as before. Always growing…Always maturing…Always hoping…for a new day….Together…Forever.
