Free How It Ends: Part 1 - The Evaluation by Scott C Lyerly Page B

position?” Fuming. “What
‘position’ is that?”
    “Look,” he said. He was beginning to feel
agitated himself. “This is how things work in academia,” he said.
“RAs do the grunt work and professors get the credit.”
    “Well, a fat lot of good that does me.”
    She tossed the report across the desk at
him. He lifted his arms in a futile attempt to catch it. He had
never been mistaken for athletic.
    Now he was angry. Angry at her attitude,
angry at the way she showed it, angry at her tantrum. And after a
bit of thought, he was angry at Brian for not explaining this to
her upfront.
    “I can take your name off if you’d like,” he
snapped.
    Silence.
    “It would certainly help you get another
such opportunity or even get to lead one yourself. But if you want
nothing more to do with it, I can take your name off.”
    He barely heard her. She muttered as softly
as she could.
    “No.”
    “Okay, then.”
    After a moment of silent she said, “This
pretty much sucks.”
    “Maybe, but you can use this credit to your
advantage.”
    She was silent. Time to nip this in the
bud.
    “Stop being an insolent child and say thank
you.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Very good. Now good-bye.”
    It was a brusque send-off, far more brusque
than Sidney usually was, but that was just too bad. He wasn’t going
to sit and be harassed by a hissy fit.
    She paused in the doorway, door knob in
hand. He could tell she wanted to slam the door. She didn’t. She
let go of the door knob and walked away.

    * * *

    Sidney sat in the wood paneled waiting area
outside Eric’s office. He busied himself by reading through the
report once more. He had a copy of it with him. He had sent DKI
their copy a week ago. Within a day he’d been asked to come in and
review it. He knew his conclusion would not be popular with DKI. He
suspected they hadn’t even read the report. He suspected they
turned right to the conclusion page and read.
    The intercom beeped at the administrative
assistant’s station. A robot sat there. It had a boy’s facial
features with high cheek bones, a narrow nose and blonde synthetic
hair. The silicon of its face was a Caucasian skin tone.
Appropriate color had been added in the cheeks and the lips. Its
expression was almost natural. Yet it was just artificial enough to
make the people uncomfortable. It was dressed smartly in a jacket
and tie. It pushed a button on the desk. The door to the office
buzzed once. With a soft click the door opened slightly. The robot
smiled at Sidney and motioned him inside with a carefully masked
mechanical hand.
    The transition from the area outside Eric’s
office to inside was pronounced. From wood paneling to bright white
walls and a shimmering glass wall window. The Hudson was visible
beyond, gleaming brightly with the day. The furniture was severe,
hard steel and glass and angular. The stark walls were unobscured
by pictures of any kind. Eric Breckenridge motioned Sidney into one
of the chairs without rising himself.
    Eric said, “You’ve reached an interesting
conclusion, Sidney.”
    “Dr. Hermann, please.”
    Eric arched his eyebrows. As if he cared how
Sidney wanted to be addressed.
    “As I said, you’ve reached an interesting
conclusion.”
    “You think so?”
    “No doubt. Interesting and troubling.”
    “No doubt.”
    Silence between them.
    “I’m sorry the report was not what you were
hoping for,” Sidney offered.
    “On the contrary. It is exactly what I was
hoping for.”
    “Really?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
    Eric folded his hands. His fingers were long
and looked serpentine when he entwined them.
    “Your report is exactly what I was looking
for. Raw feedback. Emotional feedback. I—we—need that kind of
feedback.”
    “Then you agree with my conclusion.”
    An inarticulate noise escaped Eric. Sidney
thought it might have been amusement. Eric might have laughed.
Sidney wasn’t sure.
    “Hardly.”
    Eric stood and walked to one