[Sodium_noir] Museum: A new day, a new way...

[Dr. Lazarus]

Dr. Hiram Lazarus
Gotham Museum


Hiram sat in his office, in the sub-levels of Gotham Museum.

He was pouring over the latest batch of correspondences from Cate, his
former assistant, and student. She had sent back more photographs from her
digs in South America, mostly from Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru. Some small
artifacts were packaged with the photos and copied notes as well. A familiar
theme was again cropping up in the sets of pictures and symbols on the
artifacts. Venomous snakes depicted with lush floral patterns seemingly
thrust into otherwise native art, almost as an afterthought...

"Here you are, Doctor," the voice of his new assistant startled Hiram as she
placed a cup and saucer on his desk. "Russian Caravan, no milk, no sugar."
She smiled at him, proud that she remembered the way he took his tea.

"Thank you, Lina," Hiram replied, "can you bring me the file photos of the
central American expedition? I need to compare something from this latest
batch."

"Right away. By the way, Doctor, have you noticed a strange noise today, it
seems to be coming from somewhere around this area, and I can't figure out
what it is."

Hiram was puzzled by the quesiton.

"No," he said, "I haven't heard anything, but I'll keep an ear out," he
added with a grin and a wink.

As she turned and headed out of the office, Hiram returned his attention to
the photographs Cate had sent. As he perused he reached for his tea, only to
have the cup shatter as he grabbed the small handle. This gave Hiram a
second start. He furroed his brow at the new mess on his desktop, then
retrieved his handkerchief and cleaned it up before it spread to anything
valuabe.

"I wonder," he said out loud to himself as he reached in his jacket pocket,
retrieving a small, gold cylinder. He pressed a small button on it's side
then pointed one end at himself, guiding it around his person for a few
seconds. When he stopped he turned the cylinder end over end, and looked
into it.

Ahh, so the source of the 'sound' is in fact me, he thought. Somehow my body
is emitting a low level sonic vibration, oh I do hate feedback...

"Here you are, Doctor," came Lina's voice again, with the very same
inflection she had used mere moments earlier. "Oh my! A little accident?"
she asked seeing the new mess on the desk.

Hiram quickly stashed the cylinder. "Nothing I couldn't handle," he replied
with a smile. "Thank you for the photos," he went on, taking all of the
material and placing it in a file folder, which he then stuffed in the pouch
draping over one of his wheelchair's armrests. "That will be all for today,"
he wheeled out from behind his desk, "I think I'm going to go and inspect
the exhibit, get some fresh air. See you tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow, Doctor," Lina said as she got her coat from the nearby closet.

Hiram left the office, and took the ramp to the elevators. When he arrived
on the ground floor he turned to head into his exhibit. I'll bet maintenance
hasn't been keeping up with dusting the canopic jars, he thought sardonically.


(Tag, to anyone who wants to hang out at the museum during the day...)