CHAPTER 13: SENATOR
The intercom signal on Claire's computer chimed. "Dr. Thompson? I've got a, well, someone is out here at the gate." It was the guard shack attendant.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"That's just it, Ma'am, she has a generic badge that indicates sufficient clearance to enter, but she won't show me a photo ID."
"Alright, give me a sec here and I'll take a look," Claire said. She summoned the gate security camera to her computer screen, and was surprised to see Senator Lucille Whitman in the driver's seat of the car waiting to be let in. "It's okay, I know who she is and her clearance is genuine. Let her in on my authorization," she said.
"Yes Ma'am," the guard replied.
Claire hurried outside to meet the Senator at her car. "Senator Whitman, good morning, what a pleasant surprise, I wasn't expecting you."
"I'm sorry for dropping in on you unannounced, Dr. Thompson, but this is an unofficial visit," she said.
"Unofficial?" Claire repeated.
"Congress is out of session, I had a free day, and I thought it was high time I came out to see your operation. But I'm not
really
here, if you know what I mean."
"Ah! No problem at all, you're welcome here any time, Senator." Claire looked the Senator over. Though she was a grandmother, she kept in shape and the years had been kind to her. Behind her glasses were cheerful looking hazel eyes. Her wavy gray hair framed a face that was wise with age but not overly wrinkled. Her C-cup breasts had only a hint of sagging. She still wore her wedding ring on her finger. "And how long has it been, Senator, since you lost your husband?" It was good to stay informed about the people that decided on your annual budget.
"Five long, lonely, years," she replied wistfully. Unspoken understanding passed between the two women. "And please, call me Lucy."
"And you call me Claire," she said with a smile. Claire tapped at her computer, activating the system-wide camera swap to the hidden partition. She had actually stopped using it herself. After the threesome stunt Gruthsorik had pulled, with the camera feeding to the normal video logs the whole time, her personal modesty was a lost cause. She'd come to embrace the potential exhibitionist aspect though, the idea that somebody might watch her in the videos, and probably masturbate while doing so, now turned her on. Lucy's visit was off the record though, as Nikki's had been. For Claire's eyes only. "Alright, I've deactivated the building's cameras. Let me give you the tour," she said. Lucy followed her to the entrance. "This is our door security system, you'll see these throughout the building. Here's how it works: look into this, put your thumb here, and eight numbers on the keypad." Lucy did as Claire instructed. "Good. I've set you up with a temporary account that gives you full access to the building and will delete itself tonight. Welcome to the mysteries and wonders of the Institute for Xenobiology and Cryptobiology."
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