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clenching tighter around the handle of the briefcase he was carrying. For a moment, he wondered if somebody had spotted him earlier, transferring files from the computer in the main office to a USB stick now stored in his case. He dismissed the thought.
    “Can I help you?” Bao asked, looking up from halfway down the stairs to the small landing where the technician had stopped and was clutching the banister, wheezing and red in the face.
    “The boss... he wants to see you... in the main conference suite...” The man, who was really not much more than a boy, stuttered out his message between deep gulping breaths. He had obviously run straight down from the main office at the top of the building. With a sigh, Bao turned and headed back up the stairs.
    As he drew level with the landing of the floor which the conference suite was on, he saw that others were already there and were making their way inside. It seemed that the whole team of senior personnel had been called to attend. Some of them had obviously been pulled back from their homes after having already left, judging from their casual attire. Bao made his way down the short hall and into the conference room. The room had not been prepared for use. The desks which were usually arranged into a rough circle, were piled against the walls. People were just stood around waiting to find out what was going on. This told Bao plenty. If the meeting had not been planned or anticipated, then it meant that something had happened. He’d known in his gut all day that it was headed to this point, but he hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself. If he had, then maybe he would have stopped Xin from heading straight into the heart of it, all by herself.
    “Good Evening esteemed colleagues,” Dr Hitsu called out over the gentle chatter of his ruffled employees. Everyone turned to face the man who was now stood at the front of the room in front of a large projection screen. “I offer my deepest apologies for this inconvenience; authorities higher than myself have ordered that we gather. They have insisted that all of our high-ranking staff members be present for a live broadcast from the Chief Executive Officer at the global head office. It is not only our department being called in like this, but international research offices also. I’m sure I do not need to press upon you all, how serious this matter is. I therefore ask that you listen carefully and save any questions until such a time as we are equipped to deal with them.”
    Bao disliked Dr Hitsu. Mainly for his way of speaking as though he was superior to anyone else who occupied the same building as him. The brief speech he gave, dripped with self-importance and delusions of grandeur. This man may be the head of the facility but in Bao’s eyes the rest of the people gathered in this room were the ones doing the real work. Whatever was said in the broadcast, Bao could guarantee that it meant more work for them than for Dr Hitsu, who’s only job seemed to be keeping head office in the loop and feigning stress when he had to report anything that was less than perfect.
    Turning his attention to the screen which was now set up with the projector and displaying a live webcam feed, Bao watched the sombre, tired looking face deliver a grim message indeed.
    “I would like, first, to thank our offices in France, Russia, Italy, China and Britain for convening at such short notice. Before I proceed I must remind you that, as written in all employees’ contracts; clause 16 paragraph C: ‘The Corporation has the right to demand complete discretion and secrecy in reference to any of the projects or work being carried out throughout the course of its research.’ At this point we are obliged to enforce that right. Put bluntly, what I am about to tell you must remain confidential. Anyone caught breaking the trust of this agreement will find themselves facing more than just disciplinary action. This is now a matter of global security.
    “Now,