Scientific Stalker

Nancy whistled as she hung up her lab coat and slipped out the door. Today had been a good day. In spite of a major shakeup at headquarters and the subsequent material shortages, she and her team had successfully completed the first qualification tests of their latest development project, a semi-decent space cannon comprised entirely of cheap spare parts. "Not the best, but pretty good for what we had to work with," she grinned to herself, heading towards the front gate of the small Starfall, Inc. research outpost.   She spotted some movement up ahead, a shadow crouched behind the remaining crates from their last equipment delivery, and frowned. Was someone trying to steal what meager resources they had left? She stepped closer, gingerly, squinting in the setting sunlight before relaxing with a sigh of relief. She trotted over to her coworker, startling him. "What are you doing lurking around the shipping docks?" she asked teasingly. "Trying to get a head start on tomorrow?"   Gerald looked up at Nancy nervously, motioning for her to take cover with him. "Is she still there?"   "Who?" Nancy asked, puzzled.   "My ex-girlfriend!" Gerald exclaimed in a raspy whisper. "Long hair, brown eyes, angry eyebrows?"   Nancy peered through a gap between the crates, curious. Sure enough, just outside the gate stood a young woman, impatiently pacing with frequent glances at the entryway. "That woman there?"   "She won't go away, and I don't know what to do," Gerald hissed between his teeth. "Last I heard she was off for 'bigger and better things' and next thing I know she is pacing outside my job and won't leave, no matter how many times the guards turn her away. I don't know what she wants from me, but it can't be good, and she never takes no for an answer."   "How long has she been there?" Nancy whispered, now curious.   "Over three months!" Gerald sobbed under his breath.   "And you haven't gone home...?" Nancy asked. This certainly explained some things. She figured his drop in job performance had been from the stress of recent events, but now... Well, that would also explain the higher usage of lab consumables, and the uneven stubble punctuated with dabs of plaster that Gerald had recently been sporting.   "How can I? She'll follow me everywhere I go. She's relentless!" Gerald paused, then looked up at Nancy with hope in his eyes. "Maybe you could talk to her?"   Nancy paused. Mostly she just wanted to go home, wash off the grease from today's successes, and relax with a cold drink and a hot pizza. But she'd have to pass this woman on the way out, and not talking to her would feel more awkward...   Finally Nancy nodded, and stood up to head out the gate. "Thank you!" Gerald called from his hiding place. "You have no idea how much this means to me!"   As Nancy approached the gate, the pacing woman stopped and turned to watch, staring her down with an intimidating glare. She held out a small packet of paper, fastened in the corner, and shook it to ensure it caught Nancy's attention. "Hi! My name is Kelle Alexander and I am looking for a job! I have a great resume to show my basic understanding of all of the disciplines your lab encourages. When do I start? Where are you going?"   Nancy was already halfway back to the lab. She turned towards Gerald as she passed. "I think we are both staying in the lab tonight."   "What? Why?" Gerald's eyes filled with panic.   "She's not here for you, Gerald!" Nancy called over her shoulder as she re-entered the building. "Worse! She's here for a job! That underqualified job stalker Anna warned us about."   Gerald blessed himself. "It's worse than I feared," he muttered under his breath before running inside after Nancy. "Wait for me!" he called as she disappeared into the building.   He could hear Kelle in the background calling after him, brightly. "Gerald, you work here? Come here! Get me in! Give them my resume! You won't regret it!" Her voice and insistence faded to the background as the door closed behind him. Safe. For now.   But how long until she wore them down? How long before her siege succeeded?