The doctor feigned ignorance at the long absence of her other guest. Vivia's questions occupied all of her current intellectual space.

"How did you recreate the DNA base for the Pterygotus?" Vivia was as enthusiastic as ever, "Even dinosaur bones don't have DNA anymore. And we're talking Silurian here!"

"I will get to that but first you must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Wisteria Paleo Labs. Please understand this is proprietary work,"

Vivia readily agreed, signing the document the moment it was handed to her.

"Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business. Vivia Rossgilde, I was thoroughly impressed with the extract you sent me, 'Role of the parietal eye in Mammalian Evolution'. It was a brave analysis. What made you question established theories?"

The conversation mutated into an improvised interview but Vivia was unfazed. "It seemed natural that having an unblinking, photosensory organ overhead would give smaller therapsids a survival advantage. They could escape predators and the rest followed."

"Natural? You'd be surprised at how accurate you are, brilliant work!"

Vivia blushed in response.

"Now, let's not be modest. Correlating the unseen is a talent. And with your ideas, we can radically improve the human race,"

"Thank you, Doctor," but in her mind, Vivia could see little correlation to how her research about the past would help the modern world, unless they were working on terraforming Mars, "You didn't answer my question, Doctor. How did you recreate the Pyregotus DNA?"

Dr. Northumber plastered a wide, almost maniacal smile to her face, "Good question, Ms Rossgilde. It's not a recreation, we simply collected a sample as is,"

*****

The door led to an empty chamber. Much like the rest of the facility, no was inside. Aquariums, filled with what Sylvan assumed was salt water, lined the walls to his right. A few were occupied by creatures similar to the 'sample' they had received.

The room was dark. As his eyes adjusted, he discovered that this room was a vestibule. At the back, the walls funneled away to an inner passage.

He entered this desolate corridor. Dimmed LED bulbs lit the passage, leaving the space immersed in shadows. Several doors opened up on this corridor. Sylvan read the signs on the doors.

Rhuddanian (443.8–440.8), Aeronian (440.8–438.5), Telychian (438.5–433.4) and several others. White hazmat suits, equipped with oxygen tanks were hanging on hooks outside each door.

He stopped in front of one of the furthest doors. This one was marked Ludfordian (425.6–423).

The range numbers on the doors signs started at lower values as he moved inwards. He deduced it was related to time scales. So far, he had met no one here. He wondered if this part of the lab was in use. That could explain the lackadaisical security.

As if on cue, Sylvan heard the door to the main corridor open behind him.

His first instinct was to hide. On impulse, he turned to examine one of the hazmat suits. From the corner of his eyes, he could see a man dressed in a white lab coat approaching. This person had his hands full with various equipment.

"A little help?" he called out.

"I was on my way out," said Sylvan, as he took half the load from the other.

"Thanks, put it in the cart,"

Sylvan nodded. The cart was waiting two doors down the corridor.

While they were putting everything in place, the scientist spoke up, "Mr. Hedgerowe, I presume?"

"Yes?"

"Thank goodness I found you!"

"Sorry, were you looking for me?"

The other stopped mid-laugh, "Wait, you're serious? Weren't you briefed on the expedition?"

"Expedition?"

"You were looking at the suit too. Didn't Dr. Northumber explain to you?"

Before Sylvan could come up with a reply, they heard a phone chime. The scientist cast a quick glance at the device screen, "Nevermind, I'll explain."

Sylvan felt uncomfortable with the situation. "Maybe you have the wrong person?"

"You are Sylvan Hedgerowe, right? You came here with the new intern, Ms. Rossgilde."

"Yes, but Vivia's not an intern yet."

"Dr. Northumber is taking care of the paperwork. This expedition was a surprise planned for you both. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of people here, you'll have to do some work along the way,"

Sylvan had not drawn any conclusions yet, "What is this expedition you keep talking about?"

"I'll keep it brief. These doors lead to our research fields. Pick a door, go in and come back with a sample. Easy, right?" The scientist handed him a hazmat suit.

"Why the hazmat suits?"

"No, but our research subjects are suited to lower oxygen concentrations, so normal people need those suits,"

Sylvan stopped again with one arm out of the suit, "When did the doctor authorize it?"

"Twenty minutes ago. I was waiting near the washroom but you must have left earlier?"

His ears turned a guilty red as he hurried to pull on the rest of the suit, "I lost my way,"

"I see. Ms. Rossgilde will join us shortly. Till then, find a suitable sample,"

Sylvan struggled with an unadjusted oxygen valve on the suit. Curiosity overpowered his reasoning, "What kind of 'sample'?"

The scientist stepped in closer and turned a knob on the waist of the suit. Sylvan felt the change of air pressure inside.

"A 'sample' like the one dispatched to Ms Rossgilde's home. Pick any small fauna, put it in that collection jar and bring it back here. Got it?"

Sylvan nodded in half-understood agreement. There were too many things going on but his instincts told him he was on the verge of discovering the truth about their host. Would he find a whole field of those creatures behind that door?

He grabbed the aforementioned jar from the cart. The other looped the trail rope through a slit on the door and attached it to a port on the nape of his suit.

"Safe journey,"