which was tucked away behind an unassuming wooden door. He yanked it open and it slammed into the adjacent wall. A young Asian woman looked up from the magazine she was perusing. She sat in the first of two chairs they had set up as a makeshift lobby, with a browning fern placed in between. Reminder to self, water the plant, he thought.
“Hello,” he said. “I’m Max. Sorry I’m late. I had some issues… with the elevator.” He held out his hand.
The woman put down her magazine and stood up. She had short black hair and thick black-rimmed glasses. She grasped Max’s hand and shook it. “I’m Min. I hate elevators, they’re always bringing me down.” By the way she winced at herself, even she thought that was dorky. But Max liked that she made the joke anyway. “I haven’t been waiting long,” she recovered.
“Nice to meet you, Min. I can already tell you'll be perfect. Let’s talk in my office and then I’ll show you around.”
#
Max entered Dana’s office. It was larger than his. In addition to the desk, it had a separate round table for holding meetings, a mini fridge, and two small bookcases. It was also on the first floor and in Building 20, which was the name for the government grant wing of the UConn Health Center. This location allowed her to work with administrative staff directly, but didn’t prevent her from collaborating with the team. Her workstation had a direct fiber link into Spheria’s computer system. Max pulled one of the table’s chairs over and placed Min’s resume on the desk.
“This is the one,” he proclaimed.
Dana picked up the resume and began to read through it.
Max glanced out Dana’s window at the view of the Farmington Valley beyond the parking lot. This reminded him what an odd location a medical facility was for an A.I. project like Spheria. He’d debated it with Graham, but apparently the dean owed him a favor or two for funding some research here previously. So their space was generous and economical, and utilities were free. Also, the location in Connecticut assured they could attract talent from either Boston or New York City.
“She looks good on paper. You’re sure she can take your twisted management style?” Dana asked.
“What do you mean? Everyone loves my management style. I have some of the best talent available.”
“I can’t argue with that.” She looked at the resume again. “Her name. Min? Seems ironically appropriate. Maybe this one can handle the stress.”
“Stress? There is no stress! This is pure fun. We’re paid to basically play all day in a big sandbox. What more could any researcher want?”
“Tell that to Olivia.”
Max frowned and slumped his shoulders. “That’s still a mystery to me. Olivia was finding some intriguing trends in the data, work that she loved. She was all smiles every day. I don’t get it. What would’ve pushed her over the edge?”
Dana glared at Max. “That’s a rather poor choice of words, don’t you think?”
“Right. Not my intention.”
“Anyway, I agree. I don’t get why she’d commit suicide. She was on a great project, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, working with some amazingly talented people. She even seemed to cope well with your style. As you say, you’re paid to play all day.”
“Yep.”
Dana handed the resume back to Max and glanced at a printout on her desk.
“We have a problem, Max.”
“What?”
“The paid part. The initial funding for this project is drying up. You've spent too much too fast. I know things cost more than you expected, and you increased the scope of the project somewhat. But we’re going to need more, especially if you keep bringing on new people.”
“Hey, we’re stable with staffing now. Min is a replacement, not a new person.”
“Even so, we’re running out of money. We need to write some grant applications for round two funding.”
“What about Graham?”
“I already asked him for more. He was standoffish and wouldn’t
“Hello,” he said. “I’m Max. Sorry I’m late. I had some issues… with the elevator.” He held out his hand.
The woman put down her magazine and stood up. She had short black hair and thick black-rimmed glasses. She grasped Max’s hand and shook it. “I’m Min. I hate elevators, they’re always bringing me down.” By the way she winced at herself, even she thought that was dorky. But Max liked that she made the joke anyway. “I haven’t been waiting long,” she recovered.
“Nice to meet you, Min. I can already tell you'll be perfect. Let’s talk in my office and then I’ll show you around.”
#
Max entered Dana’s office. It was larger than his. In addition to the desk, it had a separate round table for holding meetings, a mini fridge, and two small bookcases. It was also on the first floor and in Building 20, which was the name for the government grant wing of the UConn Health Center. This location allowed her to work with administrative staff directly, but didn’t prevent her from collaborating with the team. Her workstation had a direct fiber link into Spheria’s computer system. Max pulled one of the table’s chairs over and placed Min’s resume on the desk.
“This is the one,” he proclaimed.
Dana picked up the resume and began to read through it.
Max glanced out Dana’s window at the view of the Farmington Valley beyond the parking lot. This reminded him what an odd location a medical facility was for an A.I. project like Spheria. He’d debated it with Graham, but apparently the dean owed him a favor or two for funding some research here previously. So their space was generous and economical, and utilities were free. Also, the location in Connecticut assured they could attract talent from either Boston or New York City.
“She looks good on paper. You’re sure she can take your twisted management style?” Dana asked.
“What do you mean? Everyone loves my management style. I have some of the best talent available.”
“I can’t argue with that.” She looked at the resume again. “Her name. Min? Seems ironically appropriate. Maybe this one can handle the stress.”
“Stress? There is no stress! This is pure fun. We’re paid to basically play all day in a big sandbox. What more could any researcher want?”
“Tell that to Olivia.”
Max frowned and slumped his shoulders. “That’s still a mystery to me. Olivia was finding some intriguing trends in the data, work that she loved. She was all smiles every day. I don’t get it. What would’ve pushed her over the edge?”
Dana glared at Max. “That’s a rather poor choice of words, don’t you think?”
“Right. Not my intention.”
“Anyway, I agree. I don’t get why she’d commit suicide. She was on a great project, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, working with some amazingly talented people. She even seemed to cope well with your style. As you say, you’re paid to play all day.”
“Yep.”
Dana handed the resume back to Max and glanced at a printout on her desk.
“We have a problem, Max.”
“What?”
“The paid part. The initial funding for this project is drying up. You've spent too much too fast. I know things cost more than you expected, and you increased the scope of the project somewhat. But we’re going to need more, especially if you keep bringing on new people.”
“Hey, we’re stable with staffing now. Min is a replacement, not a new person.”
“Even so, we’re running out of money. We need to write some grant applications for round two funding.”
“What about Graham?”
“I already asked him for more. He was standoffish and wouldn’t
Similar Books
