Welcome to Gaia! ::

The two men in uniform who had greeted Dee when she stepped off the helicopter were polite, if rather stony. Dressed in identical tan uniforms, they assisted her with her baggage and set off down the narrow dirt roads.

They didn't exactly seem to be the most adept of conversationalistst. Silence seemed to be their answer to formalities after the obligatory greetings and instructions that the individual that they would take her to meet at the labs would be able to answer any questions.

The man in the driver's seat took the roads at a swift pace indicating his familiarity with the bumpy dirt roads. The man who sat in the back by her baggage also scanned the thick trees of the jungle, though he seemed much more tense than Dee on the lookout for tropical birds.

Eventually, the jungle abruptly cut off in the presence of a massive gate, the jungle obviously having been clear cut to allow for the road and now subsequently the lab complex.

The gates swung open on hinges as the jeep arrived and it pulled to a stop in front of a massive mirrored complex built into the side of a stony mountain. The parking lot was small compared to the size of the lab facility, and the jeep pulled up right in front of the mirrored double doors.

Finally, the guard broke the silence. "Doctor Duvert will meet you inside." He gestured to the doors. "You can leave your stuff here, and we'll take you to your room later."

The two guards looked bewildered for a moment when handed the money, but they certainly didn't complain as the bills were shoved into pockets with greasy grins, and a slight improvement of posture.

The mirrored doors to the labs proved to be automatic as well, sliding open with a small mechanical whirr to reveal a plush lobby, not too unlike an over-expensive doctor's waiting area. The Feral Labs facility on the island was certainly a stark contrast to the underfunded clinics in Central America.

From leather couches to a large window positioned to give a glimpse of the beach and ocean beyond it, the lobby seemed extravagent, if unused.

But Dee wasn't left to wait for very long before the door in the back opened and a rather interesting sight of a man stepped through. Long white hair was sloppily tied into a ponytail, and an open white labcoat was worn over garish, mismatching hawaiin shirt and bermuda shorts.

But the smile and proferred hand came quickly as he stepped up. "Miss Creedwater, yes? My name is Dr. Duvert. And I apologize for not being able to meet with you at the helicopter pad, but work has kept me in the labs."

Sabin responded with a firm handshake of his own. "And we're happy to have you, Dee! I do not know how much our representatives informed you about the job, but you came well reccomended from our smaller branches." His voice had a hint of a French accent that became more discernable as he spoke.

He waved her after him as he opened the door he came from and led her down a sterile hallway towards an elevator bay.

"We have recently established this research facility to work on some... well, rather experimental projects. However the island has proven to be a boon for more than one reason. While we do not have much in the way of naturalists here already, what we have been able to discern is that this little environment is home to some rare - or undiscovered - species of flora and fauna. Not only is this a wonderful naturalist treasure trove, but we wonder if there might be any species that might assist our research. And that, Miss Creedwater, is where you come in." He gave her another beaming smile as he tapped the panel by the elevator.

A moment later it binged open and he led her inside.

"Well then it sounds like we found the right woman for the job!" Sabin responded, catching on to her enthusiasm. "I must admit I find the concept fascinating myself. That our jungle out there might house some species unknown to science. I wish I could give you a hand out there, but I fear my degree would be of little assistance." He laughed.

"Floor eight." He spoke, breaking the convesation long enough to issue a verbal order to the elevator. The doors slid shut and the machine lurched upwards.

"And of course we can order any manuals or taxonomy books that you require, just give us a list and we can have them for you within the week. You'll be housed in a facility near the jungle about midway between here and the beach. But you've had a long flight. The only thing you need to worry about today is the requisite innoculations for anyone who sets foot on the island. Unfortunately, along with some interesting plants and wildlife, there is also a particularly hardy string of Dengue Fever."

Sabin nodded. He had done his research on the cover story of the serums for just this event. "This strain was more resilient towards some of the generic vaccinations, but forunately, yes, being a world class research facility has its advantages. But it has been a stumbling block to need to develop the innoculation before more fruitful research could be conducted in the facility."

The elevator dinged open directly into a large examination room. Like the hallways, the room was white and tiled with chrome accents and mirrored cabinets. Sabin gestured to a chair. "Have a seat." He interruped himself as he went over to the cabinet to select a serum. Here was the fun part... how many of the serums that his team had been working on had made it to the the lab room. She was an interesting woman... and she needed an interesting serum...

His fingers went from bottle to bottle before finally settling on one in particular. A wide grin crossed his face for a moment before the serious mask covered it as he turned to face her again. He pulled a new syringe from a drawer, unwraped it and drew the clear serum into the syringe.

Then, picking up an alcohol swab, he approached her. "Just a quick p***k" He grinned proferring the cotton swab.

Sabin's eyes flicked from her restrained expression to her clenching fist as he withdrew the needle quickly after its contents had been injected into her blood stream. Tossing it into a medical waste bin, he checked on the puncture and gave her a reassuring smile.

"And that's it." He said encouragingly. "You might run a low grade fever this evening, so just take things easy today. If you need any tylenol, the 'town center' in the middle of the duplexes has a small clinic with a wide stock of over the counter medicines. If you are hungry, there is also a cafeteria - which you have full access to as an employee."

Sabin dusted his hands off and offered her a hand up and led her back into the elevator.

"The men who drove you here will take you to your room, and if you have any questions or need any additional supplies, just dial "0" on your intercom to reach someone up at the labs."

"Floor 1" He instructed the elevator.

"You have had a long day" He assured. "But I promise, we will not keep you from the jungles for long. I'll have the men take you to your room straight away, and you can get an early start tomorrow if you like."

The elevator plummeted back to the ground floor, Dee likely all the more aware of the sudden movements after the injection.

Once it reached its destination, Sabin escorted her back out to the lobby, and then through the front door where the same jeep awaited.

"The duplex you will be staying in is about three miles down the road. You will be a little less than a mile from the beach. There is a path that leads westward to the shore. And of course, the jungle is all around and you have free reign. You have a good time, Miss Creedwater, and I wish you happy hunting!" He waved with a smile.