The voice of my boss echoed across the warehouse, "Quorra, we need more forms, could you please get them?"

I laugh as I duck under a machine which conveniently blocked my path back to the office. "I would be able to get them faster if your science wasn't so messy Yvonne!" I retort as I enter the office, grabbing the pile of freshly copied forms from the copier.

Running out of the office, I dart into the main room as a rather large paper airplane wizzed by my face. "Seriously? Stop making planes and you won't need more forms!" Distant laughter could be distinctly heard.

As I weave through the machinery that clutters the space I suddenly run into Taran, our resident lanky scientist, who was likely the one throwing paper airplanes. I look up at him as he smiles, taking the pile of forms from me, "Quorra, I messed up the data recording, so of course we need more forms."

I roll my eyes, grabbing a pencil from behind my ear, "Then use this genius."

His smile grows as he takes the pencil and spins about, returning to the experiment which was about to begin. I lean against another machine and watch as Yvonne types away at her keyboard, while Taran adjusts machinery beyond my clerical understanding.

I sigh and relax while I wait, because if I return to my desk the experiment will suddenly be over and I will need to come back and grab the forms. Instead I watch my coworkers perform their craft, making the science which I chose to sleep through in school.

Taran is underneath some machinery, adjusting settings for this specific iteration of the test. I feel a tapping on my shoulder, and a light voice, "Quorra, could you move please."

I quickly slide to the side, "Of course Alyx." She is the expert in the physics which are being tested, she personally goes over every part of the machinery before each test, and apparently I am standing in the way.

She slides in, dropping down and moving some of the components which run along some of the tubing on this machine. My eyes follow the tubes up and around to the main machine where a light was forming in the middle of a big glass tube. I smile because this stuff looks damn cool.

Also, I don't know how any of it works.

Wish I knew what it all did. So I just don't touch anything, and return to watching Alyx. Her movements are quite fine, she does not tremble like I do when I try to move small things. Her long blond hair is tied back in a ponytail, which also doesn't move.

Impressively still. Until she stands and moves along to the next task. She clutches her keyboard, flashing me a brief smile. I can't help but smile back and follow her into the main area with the experiment. I wish I knew what all of the technology did, but to me I see a blur of flashing lights surrounding a large glass box containing a big black box with a glowing red aperture on one side.

The aperture is pointed at an apple, sitting atop a platform at the other end of the glass box. I stared into the box as the aperture grew brighter, and a loud whirring sound emanated from the machinery all around us. "Quorra! don't stare at it!" Yvonne yelled, "I don't want you to go blind!"

I press myself to the wall, watching as the scientists continue their experiment. I yell, "Thanks for telling me!"

Taran adds, "Yeah, we need you to be able to deal with the forms!"

I shrug, "You only get paid because I fill out the forms, I should probably go make your paycheck smaller, right Taran?"

That shut him up real quick. Then the beam seemed to shimmer as the apple shot across the box, as the beam encounter the box, the glass seemed to pull inward towards the beam.

I hear Yvonne yell, "Get down!" I watch as the scientists drop to the floor... but my curiosity paralyzed me, I couldn't help but watch as this event played out.

Loud cracking sounds shimmer though the room as the box suddenly collapses, the beam escaping into the lab. My eyes follow the path of the pulsating beam as it reflects off the numerous shiny surfaces in the lab, around some of the machinery and out of sight.

Each place it bounces off seems to pull into the beam, like its warping the things it touches. My eyes pass the shocked faces of my coworkers.

Alyx seems especially worried, like someone is going to die worried, which makes me worried.

Confused as to how such a bright beam could evade my sight, I spin around looking for the beam, instead I see a red light shimmer across my body.

I freeze, because this is not good, my coworkers are panicking about this beam not turning off... and now it has enveloped me. Goddess.

I hear Taran yelling over the whirring sound, "Run Quorra!" I was then that I realized I have legs, so I turn and run, tripping and falling down on my way out.

"Turn it off!" Yvonne screamed. A large electrical sparking sound explodes from a breaker panel as all the commotion comes to a standstill.

Taran appears from my side, he pushes me to the wall and places the stethoscope he always wears on my chest.

"What did that beam do?"

He is silent as he listens to the stethoscope, not responding to me.

I look at him as firmly as I can muster, "Taran. What was that beam supposed to do?"

He listens to my heart for a moment longer, finally responding, "We were trying to see what it would do to the apple, and nothing happened..." he pauses and looks around, "We should check everything. He takes my hand pulling me toward the office. As he helps me into my office chair, I feel dizzy, almost sick, but I sit back and let the good doctor quickly check me over.

Despite his appearance, he is a medical doctor, and possesses multiple degrees. While he makes and throws paper airplanes, he is definitely qualified to check my health. I'd never had an examination from a coworker though, this was a new experience.

"Now Quorra, close your eyes and breath in and out slowly." I do as commanded, and I close my eyes.

When I open them again Yvonne and Alyx are both in the room. Yvonne looks calm and collected, but Alyx seems very concerned, something I had never really seen in her before because she is so quiet.

Taran looks into my eyes and he smiles, "Short of an MRI, everything seems okay, guess we can call that wave permutation useless huh?"

Everyone is the room breaths a sigh of relief as we break down in laughter, I shrug and attempt to make light of the situation, "I guess I broke the laser guys, too bad for your science."

That gets a smile out of the only male in room.

Yvonne turns to leave, resting her hand on my shoulder, "I'll fill out the forms for that one, so you relax."

I salute her jokingly, "Of course boss."

Taran lightly rubs my shoulders before skirting around the table to go clean up the mess in the main lab.

Then I'm left in the room with Alyx. She is looking away from me, tapping her fingers on the table she is leaning on. She looks up, "I'm glad you are okay Quorra... I was really worried about you."

I stand up and smile at her, brushing off some dust from my black pencil skirt, "It's okay, apparently the laser was broken anyways!"

She walks over to me, giving me an awkward hug, before rapidly breaking the embrace, "umm, Sorry... for." Her face has turned a dark red, and she spins around, clearing the room.

I sigh and decide to go home, as nothing else is going to happen today, turning my computer off I exit the office, locking the door as I leave.

I look around the lab and laugh to myself. Today we blew up a glass box, and we all got paid.