Hidden Agenda {{Lukas&Mihai

[Mihai Chimet]

The offices of corporate science giant Maximantics towered over the London skyline at seventy, maybe eighty floors. It was fancy—plated in mirrored glass so that the same full-floor windows of the building across the street from it would be reflected, endlessly. An infinite replication—a practice in narcissism. Befitting of one of the richest districts in London, its streets lined with corporate headquarters, all of them with their ceiling-to-floor windows, with millions of dollars in cash and stocks and bonds to spare that went towards vacation houses and fast cars and secret bank vaults. He'd grown used to seeing these quarters, often conducted business there, an achievement unimaginable when he was a child. Even more unimaginable was that he felt nothing towards the cold steel constructions—neither awe nor rancor, just indifference. He wondered if he should be alarmed by the nonchalance with which he passed through the automated doors of the Maximantics headquarters, whether he was missing out on some childhood catharsis or whether he was forsaking the righteous cause of FOL in the careless way his eyes passed over the expensive decor of the lobby, barely seeing them at all.

He made directly for reception, greeting the woman behind the desk with a smile and a tilt of his head. "Excuse me, miss," he said, leaning over the counter with his elbows resting lightly on its surface. "I'm looking for a Mr. Lukas Bondevik. He should be expecting me."

Her eyes flickered up to his face. She had a pretty set of eyes, he noticed, nearly black to match her hair. Perhaps she wouldn't mind if he stopped by for a chat once he'd finished his business with Bondevik. After a brief moment of trying to place his features—during which he dedicated her another smile—she turned towards her computer screen. "And you are?"

"Michael Collins, from the Home Office."

She quickly turned to him again, eyes wide as recognition suddenly dawned. "Oh—oh, yes, of course," she said, nodding. "Just give me a moment." She went back to typing on the computer, and he dearly hoped the expression on her face was awe. He had gotten such favorable responses from people in awe before.

"Sure. No problem." Normally, he would have preferred to go under the radar, but this time there was no reason for him to conceal his identity—that is, his identity as a government official. There would be no way that he could keep this visit secret from scrutiny, especially since he'd gone through official channels to secure it, and the tabloids would be onto it soon enough. The same publicity, however, need not apply to any subsequent meetings he would (hopefully) be able to arrange with Mr. Lukas Bondevik. By the end of this visit, he fully intended on having Bondevik's cooperation and secrecy, because while he had used his department to obtain this appointment (he needed the connections and the legitimacy), his motives didn't lay in the upright representation of the government. His true intentions were towards his stronger loyalties, and namely, the fashioning of an explosive that could be easily smuggled. Hence his need for a chemist at the top of his field, and Bondevik fit the role well, even if he was a little too well-known for Mihai's liking. Still, the Maximantics scientist had turned up as the best option after he'd carefully considered them all, and he would stick to it.

It wasn't too long before the receptionist spoke again. "Mr. Bondevik will see you now, Mr. Collins," she said. She'd recomposed herself well, but he didn't miss the slightly breathless tone of voice. He thanked her as she handed him a key card and gave him the instructions to the 65th floor.

"Maybe we can get a coffee later, if you're done with your shift," he said in parting. The last look he caught on her was one of surprise, which was usually most people's first reactions. It wasn't every day someone who worked for the government extended an invitation to coffee.

But thoughts of the casual flirtation quickly vanished as he passed through door, security checkpoint, then stood in the elevator as the numbers flickered upwards. He wondered what sort of man Lukas Bondevik was. Most journalists found him icy to talk to, and Mihai would say that he certainly looked the type, but he couldn't say from personal experience. If the interviews and news were anything to go by, then it might make his case a hard sell, and he had nothing more to rely on than his words. He could not have any development of unauthorized explosives linked to his department, and of course, he would not be telling Bondevik his true use for them. He was going to have to play it by ear, and a small grin curled at his lips at the thought. Lying to people was one of his talents, after all, and he wanted to see if he could play Bondevik the way he wanted to.

Finally, the elevator glided smoothly to a halt—another indication of status—and Mihai stepped out into the hallway. This entire floor was silent, the hallway, empty. The receptionist had told him that Bondevik had the entire 65th to himself, which was odd, to say the least, but could be attributed to either intellect or a commentary to Bondevik's degree of social interactions. He did indeed seem to have the reclusive tendencies attributed to him by the journalists, but the vacant level, occupied by only a single door, seemed lonely. Mihai shrugged. All the better for him to say what he needed to say, he supposed. No witnesses, no interruptions, no questions.

He raised a hand to the door and knocked.

SPOILER: Click to show

Lukas Bondevik IT'S FINALLY UP!

[Lukas Bondevik]

It wasn't exactly everyday that Lukas got such sensational news.
Why else would the Norwegian man sit by a table, just staring at the ongoing process of the liquids mixing in a box, one that was usually used to move blood so it wouldn't coagulate. Yet now he had just been too lazy to mix all of them, and decided to just put them in said box.
His eyes where long lost, as his mind where as well, just following the rhythm of the test tubes and their liquid that went around, around around around.. Another rejection on his research, the virus, bacteria hadn't even reacted this time to the solution when he had tried it. It was one thing if it just got the slightest reaction, but it was like dumping water on fingerprints and hoping it would disappear that way.

Taking off his gloves as he rubbed his face, wondering where he had done wrong and what he should do instead. The process of doing these wasn't just over a week, it took months for some of the bacteria he tried to grow would even start to develop properly to use in medication.. If they even did at all. So when another months of research was just to throw in the bin and start over again, he was disappointed. He did have multiple ones going on at the same time, yet every rejection was the same. Now he wasn't only doing something to find a cure for his brother, some other diseases was he gonna cure as well, shame on the one that gave up.

His phone was ringing, and he went over to where it was to pick it up. "Good morning Mr. Bondevik!" Said person made a face, why was the secretary always sounding so happy when there was nothing really right now that could make one smile? "Good morning to you too." He replied, a bit grim and with a slight tone of sulking in his voice. She, as usual, ignored it. She had learned to tell the difference in his voice, and when to push some matter or not, and how his research was going. "I just wanted to tell you that a certain Michael Collins is on his way up to you!" Okay.. Whom and what was on his way up to him? Had he booked in someone that he didn't remember or..? "Uh.. Thank you.. I'll.. Meet him up." Not knowing what else to say to that, as she wished him a good day and hung up.

So okay, he had some weird person he apparently had booked a meeting with coming up through the door, during a day he'd rather sit under his table and hit his head into the wall repeatedly until something popped into his mind. What was wrong with him today? Or the month that had passed? He should have some kind of breakthrough by now.. Yet nothing! He could every chemical equation for normal substances, and stuff one really shouldn't know (self-defense, he said every time.) And had been deemed one of the most clever chemists of his age, maybe overall, because of his incredible memory and ability to come up with solutions in different ways.. Yet he was a failure when it came to this.. Why wasn't he a teacher or something instead for university level? Oh that's right, not the patience..

As soon as he heard a knocking on the door, Lukas knew that he had at least open it up to see whom it was. Making sure to hide his notes in a locked drawer, and as always a gun hiding inside his lab coat as well, safety measurements, especially in those times they where living in right now.

Smooth movements, he made his way over to the door to open it, and blinked a bit in surprise when he saw whom was standing on the other side. Judging by the name, he had expected a tall and muscular man.. But this one.. Did he even dare to say that he was slightly shorter than him? And just looking.. Young. But who knew, it might just be an illusion as well? "Mr. Collins I presume?" Voice smooth once again, business and professional like, yet his eyes where cold, watching his every move to detect a lie or if he was going to fool him into something. "Do you want to come inside?" Stepping aside by the door, to see if he was there for a long chat or a short one. He hoped himself that it was a short, yet he had a feeling this might take a while.

SPOILER: Click to show

Mihai Chimet And mine is up to, yaaay! Sorry for the time it took, but let the game begin~

[Mihai Chimet]

He didn't have to wait long before the door was opened to him, revealing the thin figure behind it, clad in a white lab coat and an air of frustration. It seemed Mihai had chosen a bad time to call up, judging by the vibe he was getting, but it wasn't as though the meeting had come out of nowhere; it had been scheduled for a few weeks, as far as he was aware, though he supposed he couldn't blame the other for any annoyance caused by his job. It was a sentiment well-shared between the both of them, though likely for rather differing reasons.

At the man's greeting, Mihai's lips curled into a smile—neither too warm nor too distant, reserved professionalism with a hint of amity. He could tell that the other was wary of him, his expression full of calculation and cool detachment. It was not an unexpected reaction—on any occasion Mihai could get anything from hostility to warm welcomes—and considering the vagueness of the reason given for this meeting, suspicion was probably only natural. Well, he could work with that. He didn't necessarily need anything more than the man's cooperation, but there was hardly any denying that the chemist was rather attractive, he thought as he gave the other his own once-over. His gaze paused on the other's face, framed by light strands of hair and with eyes an icy blue. He always did like a challenge, and the prospect of finding some pleasant diversion in his unpleasant line of work.

It would be a simple matter to turn even the other's tiredness to his advantage. From the way he was being regarded, Mihai could guess that this man was a cautious one, someone who would be wary of entanglements. Naturally, it remained to be seen whether such was the case, and he would change his strategy accordingly, but for the moment, he was quite certain he could make this arrangement completely painless for the both of them. Perhaps even more than just completely painless.

"Yes, but just Michael will do," he answered casually. An attempt at charm or otherwise, he never quite liked being addressed by 'mister' (which wasn't to say there weren't other titles he didn't appreciate). "And you would be Mr. Bondevik?" he asked in return, offering the other a hand. "I've heard quite a bit about you," he said, then quickly added, "which I'm sure is something you've heard a lot. I don't mean to be cliché, but what you do is quite… admirable."

He expressed his thanks with a nod at Bondevik's offer, stepping inside the other's office—if it could even be considered such. As far as Mihai was concerned, it looked more like a laboratory, which it was probably meant to be as well. He had been told that Bondevik had the entire floor to himself, but it was another thing to enter the room and find a long stretch of countertops, test tubes, other equipment Mihai could hardly place a name to. The sciences had never been his strong suit, but Bondevik looked perfectly within his element, which was, he supposed, only appropriate for the world-renowned chemist.

"You really do have an impressive set-up," he remarked after a moment, sprinkling his tone with admiration, as disingenuous as it was. He'd always taken little interest in chemistry whenever he'd had to deal with it, but perhaps a bit of truthful-sounding intrigue would be appreciated by Bondevik. As long as Mihai didn't go on about it too long—Bondevik seemed the type who had been approached by all sorts of annoyances, media or otherwise, and it would be difficult to hit a note that others hadn't already. That was the difficult thing in dealing with the popular ones—you could hardly hope to strike the note of ingenuity anymore, and mostly what they wanted was for you to get your business over with and leave ASAP. And Mihai would do his utmost to convey that in intention, if not in action.

"Anyway, I'll try not to take up too much of your time," he said, turning towards Bondevik. "I don't know how much of the information I gave the secretary made it to you, but I have a proposal for you." A proposal that would be made under the pretense of the Home Office, of course—but they needn't ever see the actual results, and Bondevik needn't know where his research was being redirected. "In all honesty, this is less of a case of you needing us than us needing you," he said, eyes meeting that calm blue as he spoke. "So we'd appreciate if you'd take some time to consider it."

SPOILER: Click to show

Lukas Bondevik

[Lukas Bondevik]

It didn’t do better to said chemist that this man, who had just apparently gotten here in the middle of his own little sulking thanks to the failed test he had just made, was smiling at him where he stood. How dared he to act all cheerful and happy, even if the smile seemed to not be of the kind one. He could look serious, like Lukas was, with is lips in a thin line and the arms crossed over his chest to show that he was not open for anything friendly and cosy, so he would not embrace him with open arms.

Despite how he acted, Lukas got a bad feeling about him, that this man was not good news for him, and he should tread carefully with him. And yet danger also kinda made him interested along the way, as he scanned the man outside the door for any slip-ups he would make. Better be safe than sorry, since he had a little brother to take care of, and no one could do it except him.

“Call me Lukas.” If he was to be casual with the other, he could just be that back. And being from Norway, you never called anyone by their surname, always the first name, and never any titles to that. “What have you heard about me that make you think that my work is ‘admirable’?” A eyebrow was arched as he got even more suspicious of him. He had done nothing great, and he doubted he would ever get that far even now when he was making so little progress in what he really was aiming for. The cure to his brother, cancer, aids, everything was so far away, and he had hit a turning point where he had no fucking clue what he even was doing anymore.

Closing the door after the man, making sure to keep an eye on him and his lab, and everything else that could go wrong, easy access to a alarm button on his phone that would alert the people downstairs and security in case this.. Man.. Would do anything stupid to him or his research. “Thank you, it gives me a lot of freedom to work as I wish in whichever way I want.” Which was true, he loved his lab and he couldn't even remember the time he had to share not even half this size back in Norway, he was really spoiled sometimes.

Well.. Now of course he was here for some fishy reason as Lukas straighten his back and looked right at him with his emotionless blue eyes and let him finish speaking, Lukas had all time in the world, and he was still in a pretty mad, he wouldn't say bad either, just a bit depressing, after his failed experiment. “She spoke nothing of what you had in mind, just that you were coming up.” If it was something that was important, Lukas would have remembered that. As a young genius, he had an easy time remember things, but his name did not ring a bell to him.

“Very well, let me hear this.. Thing you wanted to discuss.” More formal than Lukas really was in private, and yet he had a feeling that sometimes you should not cross to the more private unless the other party had given you a good reason for that, as he simply showed him that he should follow him, and Lukas settled to go to the further end of the lab, passing various experiments that were going on at different kind of tables and stations, he had a lot of things going on at the same time, it was just how he worked. A workaholic, more in the lab than home, getting work pulled over his head, more things than he could really handle sometimes.

Stopping by a door in the back of the lab, as he opened it up and stepped aside for Michael to get in, while Lukas shrugged of his goggles and lab and hung it by a rack that were by the door, he didn't like to mix his lab clothing with the furniture that were used for people with everyday clothes as well.

The room was spacious, a nice room for meetings, as it had a big table with space for 12 people, the further end had two couches and a coffee table in between them. A coffee machine and a tap was spotted in the corner, and 2/4 of the walls had full-length windows all over the walls, giving a nice panorama over the city from the big building as well.

His own clothes were simple today, some dark-blue tight jeans, a white shirt with rolled-up arms and a black vest that was unbuttoned, like the first buttons on his shirt as well. “Take a seat.” As he motioned to the couches and went over to the coffee machine to get himself some of that sweet delicious coffee. “Do you want anything?” As he took his finished cup and placed it on the opposite side of what Michael sat on, and waited for his answer before making anything, slightly curious over what he might have to say.

[Mihai Chimet]

Suffice to say that his optimism was not matched. Arms crossed, lips pursed—it took only one look at the other man's expression to be able to tell that he was not pleased, either by the visit or something else that had transpired during his day. Either way, Mihai took the cue, and was careful not to be too exuberant in their meeting. It was unlucky of him to have stumbled in at this time—people were always more open to suggestions if they were feeling content and relaxed, and as much as he did pride himself in his powers of persuasion, he doubted he could rapidly improve the mood of a stranger. It didn't mean he was going to turn back empty-handed, anyhow; he would make do with what he had.

Noting that his proffered hand went ignored, he dropped it and passed through the doorway instead. At least it couldn't be a bad indication that he'd been invited to call the other by his first name. "Lukas, then," he repeated, if only to show that the preference had been noted. His inspection of the room, however, was interrupted by the following question. He turned to look at Lukas, his lips curling into a small, self-assured smile. "Quite a bit. Your family isn't exactly obscure," he began, focus drifting a bit to a series of test tubes sitting out on the counter. "And then there's you. A few awards for chemistry, multiple articles published in scientific journals, invitations to guest lecture at universities…" he trailed off, his eyes flickering back over to Lukas. "I don't know too much about the technicalities of your work, I'm afraid. The natural sciences were never my strong suit, so most of what I know has been told to me by my more knowlegeable coworkers. You'll have to forgive me," he finished with a small, cordial nod, his smile becoming a bit sheepish. Couldn't hurt to sprinkle in some humility.

He could feel the eyes on his back as he stepped further into the room. The rich were paranoid—it couldn't be helped. At the same time, he couldn't blame Lukas for being wary of strangers when he was very much the same. Well, it wasn't as though the chemist had been rude yet, so he would return the favor, not that he felt compelled to create a stir over some careful observation. Instead, he followed Lukas as he crossed through the laboratory, past several liquids he couldn't identify. He murmured an excuse for the secretary downstairs even as he looked with curiosity at the experiments on display, "My apologies then. I told my own secretary to make sure people knew why I was coming, but he must have missed explaining one or two times. Regardless, I'm here to let you know all the details."

Stepping through the second door—which apparently led to some sort of lounge—he was greeted with another sight that was very different, but just as absorbing, as the multicolored lab. For the most part, he ignored the long table and other furniture, fixating on the nearly panoramic view of the city offered by the wall-to-ceiling windows. Visibly impressed by the scenery, he left Lukas' side and walked over, leaning close but taking care not to touch the immaculate glass. He could see the tops of several other surrounding buildings—many of them small compared to this one—and the skyline as the buildings and streets and cars grew smaller and smaller until they graced the grey London heavens. The rich really could afford some amazing luxuries, he thought. It was an appeal of money that he could understand, and yet, for the most part, would not allow himself to succumb to. And even with his pay, he didn't know if he could afford this.

His silent appreciation was interrupted by Lukas, and he did as he was told, turning back to sit at one of the couches. "This is gorgeous," he said as he set down his briefcase. "I'd kill for this kind of view at my office." Slightly joking, testing the waters, seeing if he could somewhat lighten the mood. He discarded his own suit jacket, draping it over the arm of his seat and loosened his tie, figuring that Lukas wouldn't mind. The man was dressed rather casually, after all. Mihai supposed that a suit wasn't necessary if he worked alone, which was an enviable thing indeed. As he took note of this, he couldn't help but also take note of how well Lukas' choice of jeans complemented his legs. Especially when he turned towards the coffee machine. If they did end up working together, Mihai would do his utmost to make the best of the partnership.

"Just a coffee would be fine, thank you," he answered with a small smile. Never turn down a caffeine boost, and he suspected that as rich as the Bondeviks are, the coffee was probably good coffee. As Lukas took his time with the preparation, he flipped open the latches of his briefcase and produced a couple of folders, both of them heavy with papers. He'd decided that his course of action would be to get directly to business; Lukas didn't seem like the type to appreciate meaningless small-talk, and anything Mihai asked that might produce meaningful conversation could be perceived as suspicious. So he opted for the direct route. He'd have a chance to get to know the other man better throughout the course of their meeting, he was sure.

"My proposal is being made on the behalf of the Home Office," he began. "Specifically for the purposes of my own agency, that is. The Counterterrorism Initiative. Our purpose is… pretty self-explanatory." A small laugh, then he went on to outline the proposed project. The idea was for slow-acting poisonous gasses, which could be used to better dissuade terrorists and hopefully to be deployed in hostage situations. Naturally, an antidote would be necessary as well. They'd already contacted several chemists who were renowned for their work and urged them to collaborate with the government for some kind of compensation, mostly monetary. "I'm not sure that would interest you though," he added. Indeed, Lukas had probably enough money to last him a lifetime, even if he refurbished his lab and all its equipment every year. "But if you do take us up on our proposal, we can offer you access to government-sensitive information, facilities, samples… Things I'm sure could be very helpful in your future research, but very difficult to access for civilians. Even if they have money to offer. Of course, we're also open to requests." he smiled, giving a small shrug. "Well, you've heard what I had to say. Feel free to look through a more detailed explanation," he nodded at the folders, "and thoroughly consider your answer. Of course, if you have any questions I'm completely at your disposal."

Lukas Bondevik

[Lukas Bondevik]

He knew flattering would make most of the people in his position, or most people in his working field become so much more friendly and loose after being getting such compliments from a stranger that was there, no matter if it was a good or a bad stranger. But Lukas was not one of then. Sure, his ears turned red and some of his cheeks did too, he didn't think people would actually take notice of such things, seeing as most of those articles had to be published for his work to get approved overall, otherwise he didn't really like to share what he was doing in the lab. And some of it was from his university and high-school days anyway.

"Do they too mentions I never go to those lectures, and those published writings are a must, and I prefer to keep my work to myself." He didn't really know how to handle compliments or similar things, especially not from 'stranger', which this man really was. And yet to him, everyone was a stranger since he never bothered to get to know other people better. "At least your coworkers knows something that is going on." As he shrugged, even if he wasn't offended, he was still not too used to people knowing whom he was, and what he was doing.

He wasn't mad either, just a bit surprised that someone had showed up at his door, claiming that they had booked a meeting with him, even if they had not. He was suspicious, seeing as how easily he had slipped past the secretary as well, and only called him when he was on his way up, not before to confirm with him. "Don't worry about it, I am not too busy right now, as the samples needs a bit of resting anyway before I continue with them, I can spare a minute or two for you, since you seem to have something important to discuss." Why else would he stomp in and still say that he wanted to talk? Unless he was here to murder him, or kidnap him, then he better have good reflexes or else he would almost, but not quite, feel bad for him.

He looked up, and over the view he rarely had a time to watch while he was working, too engrossed in his work to take notice of anything around him, really, but this had really been a part of the reason why he had chosen this particular spot for his lab. His brother loved it too, and this is where he spent his time in case he followed him to work. "I doubt you'd have to kill to get a view like this." Just be rich, or have good contacts, or both. It hadn't been expensive, it had just been a matter of persuasion and a name for his part to get it. And also his work did give it a bit of a push as well. It wasn't always easy being a Bondevik when you couldn't be subtle when you went out, unless you went with another alias.

Making coffee for the both of them, while he listened to Michael speak about what matter he was there for. Ah, it seemed like the government wanted someone to help them with their dirty work, of course. He wasn't too appealed by it as he went back with two mugs of steaming hot Scandinavian coffee, and put one down in front of Michael, while he took the seat on the opposite of him. "Do I have to work in the labs you own, or can I do it in my own, and access yours if I need anything specific?" Taking the folder and moving it over so he could open it and read. It wasn't really difficult this one, he could have it done within a week, unless his main work got too much in the way. He wasn't interested in it because of the money, no, that was the last thing he was interested in. What he really wanted was the challenge, push himself to see if he indeed could finish it within a week, maybe earlier, and still balance his original work and improve that one.

"So that's it? This is the work you are asking well-known chemists for? I thought it would be something more.. Difficult." Working with solutions and creating things, he could create most things from his memory as well, and this wouldn't actually be too difficult. "The antidote would not knock away the poison completely, but it would momentarily stop it. Unless you clean the blood, poison never truly leaves the body in case you are making poison, Michael." Looking up from the papers with a 'I thought everyone knew that' gaze, slightly confused, and also trying not to be too cocky. "But yes, I could probably come up with something, give it a week or two and I can have some kind of prototype ready." Having difficulties to hold someone's gaze, as his own flickered away, and decided to stop at the window instead to look over the view, he was really too shy to meet someone's gaze for a longer while, unless it was family. "I am assuming I need to sign something?" It was the government, one couldn't just agree and read things like this so simple and then walk away like nothing happened. And in case he wanted to work with this, not signing anything like 'conduct of silence' or whatever, he would get rather suspicious of this man, which he already where after all, but even more so.

At least he had stopped playing with his gun, and instead he had both his hands on the files, leaving him vulnerable and open for all kinds of attacks. He didn't exactly like that, strangers had never been his strong point to be alone with, or have a conversation with as well. His brother was better, not exactly as brilliant as some people, but he was clearly better than his bigger brother. "Is there any catches to this as well? Like, trying on humans, animals, or anything alike? Or anything else that isn't written in here that I should know before I make a deal with the devil?"

Mihai Chimet

[Mihai Chimet]

Obviously, he’d done some research before coming here. Not on the topic so much as the person he was seeing–otherwise he would hardly know as much as he did, considering how little attention he paid to the science world–but the response turned out to be rather cold. Though perhaps ‘cold’ wasn’t quite the right word; it was almost awkward, like Lukas didn’t know what to do with his words. Mihai studied him with curiousity, cocking his head. Here was someone who came from all the right bloodlines, rich, attractive, smart, and yet it was almost like he wasn’t sure how to hold himself. It was interesting, to say the least, a bit of information that Mihai stored away to piece together later.

Indeed, just as quickly as the coolness had taken over the other man’s voice, it was soon back to politeness. ”Thank you, I really do appreciate it,” he murmured, still slightly contemplative. It was true that he had something important to discuss (even if it wasn’t quite under the pretense that Lukas might expect), however, and thus it was as true that he appreciated Lukas’ time. He got the impression that this sort of interaction wasn’t quite typical for the other, not that he minded. Certainly he could find a way to work around it–or work with it, whichever option came as the most natural.

”I doubt you'd have to kill to get a view like this,” Lukas responded, and Mihai let a small chuckle escape his lips.

”Well, perhaps not,” he said, voice tinged with amusement. ”But I doubt I’d be able to get a place like this without some sort of backlash.” He shrugged, not bringing up that any backlash may as well be justified (t’d be rather appalling if public officials were working in offices that cost more than the family’s average yearly income), but he didn’t know where Lukas stood on such an issue, and he wouldn’t want to alienate a potential ally. ”Perhaps later, when I retire, and if I have enough money at that point. It’s still far in the future, and that is unpredictable,” he mused, more to himself than to Lukas. It was the unpredictability that made the coming years, whether it end well or badly for him. The thought almost made him scoff; with notions like that, he might as well take up gambling–actually gambling, that was.

He turned his attention back to Lukas when he came back with two mugs of coffee, one which was set in front of him. ”Thank you,” he said again, taking a sip. Black was always slightly too bitter for his taste, but he held back from any complaint. It was better than what he got in the office, anyway. ”You may work in your labs,” he responded, holding the warm mug between his palms as he crossed his legs and leaned back into the seat. He kept silent as Lukas picked up the folder, allowing him the time and silence to skim the documents he’d included within. It didn’t take long, as Lukas was soon looking back to him again. He raised an eyebrow at the unimpressed tone, interested.

”It is,” he confirmed, watching Lukas’ reactions. At the rather cocky jab, he simply shrugged. ”I’m a security specialist, not a chemist,” he said with a small smirk. He did appreciate Lukas’ confidence with this, and that he seemed relatively unconcerned with the purposes of the gas. He could be good to work with, if that sort of attitude kept up. Besides, Mihai held nothing against someone for knowing what they were talking about–actually, this would be very, very useful.

”You seem rather sure of yourself,” he commented eventually, leaving aside the official business for the moment. ”I can appreciate that. No one I’ve spoken to yet has given me a definitive answer, but I think ‘a week or two’ quite suffices as one, no? You’re quite something.” He paused, letting the compliment hang between them for a moment as his smile grew broader. ”Of course, consider yourself given the time frame of ‘a week or two,’ though officially you have the leniency of a couple months from the moment you sign on to the project. Speaking of signing,” he nodded again at the files, ”there are a few documents at the end of the packet. A non-disclosure agreement, of course. You have a week to read through the entire folder and then contact me to return the forms.”

He paused, considering Lukas’ question. Unspoken understandings, was it? There was a lot of secrets left unspoken with this project, more than Lukas could probably have imagined. Nothing that he would find out until it was too late, of course. ”It will be used for military purposes,” he said, deciding to keep his lies brief and formal. ”Testing on humans would be… part of the process in evaluating its success, though we would hope not to deploy it unless we were in a case of emergency. Other than that, testing procedures remain entirely in the hands of the developers and their sponsors–meaning, of course, whatever standards you and your company prefer to abide by.” He fell silent again and took a sip of his coffee, thoughtful. "Of course, the matter of credit is completely up for negotiation. Chemical warfare has been a contentious subject, so you have a guarantee of secrecy on our part as well, should you desire."

---

Lukas Bondevik

[Lukas Bondevik]

Looking at the other man for a moment as he spoke about a backlash for getting something like this, lingering the gaze as if he was trying to see if the other was joking or not, despite the laugh, a chilling feelings fell over him that no, he wasn't maybe joking about it. "Money, Michael, it can do a lot more than violence." He kindly pointed out, his family, and this whole lab was the proof of that. Also the status on a lot of people in the government.. Especially the candidates for the president, even some of the presidents, didn't come that far by just sheer luck and some violence.

"Just because the future isn't bright nor close, doesn't mean one can't dream of what they want. A dream is better than nothing." He shrugged and his gaze was set upon Michaels hands, how he was gesturing with them as he spoke, trying to read him by just his hands. Gestures told a lot about a person, where they might come from, or if they were lying, or not. The less you moved them, the more nervous and uncertain you were, and he hoped this.. Man.. Would expose more about whom he really was, by his body language instead of his voice. He sounded rather cheerful, which wasn't as common in his work, or among the people he met, his brother wasn't all that happy all the time, and his secretary just rang to him whenever there was a visitor.

The man seemed relaxed, Lukas could tell right away, and he.. It was still something off, even if he was moving smoothly and talking likewise. It interested him, he wanted to dig deeper into a person like this, yet his social skills had always put a stick in the wheel for him. He could barely talk properly to his brother for crying out loud, maybe he needed to train on his social skills... maybe.. A bit, in the future. "Of course I am something and can be sure of what I do, I didn't get a special permission to do these tests by myself that I am doing, and being allowed to have the lab itself by just being someone that's mildly interested in what he's doing." As he was tapping the table with the knuckle of his index finger. "You wouldn't come to be in case you didn't think I was capable enough, right? I might have been the last on your list, but I was on that list." 

And then a small smirk was visible on his lips, it was challenging, daring, and definitely amused by it, but he was fuelled by it. "I'm going to make sure that I will be the first one on the lists in this country of desirable in the lab, both chemical and biology way." 

Months, human testing, of course, what else would the government use it for? Yet.. The military. He arched a eyebrow and the smirk was replaced with a small frown. "The military? Is there a war going on that England is messing with?" This country and always putting its nose where it didn't belong, almost like it's younger rebellious kid, America. Yet he wasn't baffled or really concerned by it, human experimentation was being used all the time, whenever someone wanted it or not. "As long as it isn't tested on the maker of it, and it's employers and such." As he collected the documents together and took a sip from his lukewarm coffee.. Damn, he had taken too much time to read it through so the coffee wasn't as hot and scalding as he loved it, at least it wasn't infected with sugar and milk, like his old helper used to make it for him in the beginning..

"And well, as long as it isn't tested on animals as well." And then he put the papers aside, he knew he had to to through it as soon as possible to get it out of the way so it wouldn't linger around and he would forgot it. "And how do I contact you? Smoke signals?" Light sarcasm, the other hadn't exactly given him a way to contact him, not that he minded, he just didn't want the other to show up out of the blue while he was doing something important, or were with his brother... Definitely didn't want his family to get involved in whatever shit this man was going to give with him. A quick glance on the clock told him that, not only that he had forgotten about breakfast, but the hectic lunch hours on the streets were over as well, and you could actually eat without being stamped over or being looked at with great irritation. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but it seems like I have to get some lunch, unless you have anything else to add, or something else that." He hummed, and thought about the next thought that popped into his mind. "Do you want to come with me for lunch? Or are you busy?" Not that he cared; he just wanted to know whom this person was, and why he was so damn happy about all of this.