"Now we're getting somewhere." Roger was finally able to relax, still intent on the screen, but now his fingers were stilled at the keyboard. He was looking at the screen and seeing different patterns now.
"Too bad our shift-change is coming up," Sue pointed out, "but the hardest work is done. If he keeps this up, we'll have a chance to figure out what that anomaly is."
"Once we get that data, we can figure how to nullify it. Boy, this guy sure has taken us around Pike's Peak. But he looks to have settled in. That was a good touch with the carpet."
"Thanks. That's a study I did a few semester ago, and it's not much used. But people respond to tactile, and it's the way to contrast on other sterile environments..."
"Gawd, you're starting to sound like a textbook. Looks like we've both been doing this too long. How about game of squash after this?"
Sue yawned. "Probably a good thing, even as tired as I am. Don't forget to dial the time-scale back for these incoming. We'll want to review their data and make sure they don't change much - here they are."
Two under-grad students in matching tunics walked in as the portal swished open.
"Hey you two, just on time as usual." The two under-grads smiled at Sue's compliment.
Roger merely grunted and typed a few final bits. "He's reading in a library. Hopefully just stays there. Of course, beep us if anything drastically changes."
With that Roger turned and moved between them out of the tiny control room and into the hall.
Sue smiled at the two, shrugged, and followed. The two undergrads took their places and settled in for the watch.