Above My Paygrade

“Mr. Jack Allison was it?” asked a lithe-looking black man wearing wire-rimmed frames and a long white Doctors lab coat. “Ayup.” Said Jack. “Follow. I’ll give you a tour of the facilities.” The Doctor said and they were off, through the entryway and out into the main lab which was abuzz with activity. Various lab-coated individuals flitted about the space, wearing safety goggles and testing things: some with tubes and vials, others with a dropper, slides, and a microscope, in all cases accompanied by another technician with a clipboard. “Welcome to ADPP industries Mr. Allison. I hear you’re interested in my serum.” “Interested?” Said Jack, speeding up to walk side-by-side with the Doctor. “Hell, more than interested Doc. We need this for our men in the field, yesterday. It’d give us a real leg up over the other merc outfits in the market right now.” “Ah yes, for your... Slurpee Group.” The Doctor mused. “Slurp Squad Security Inc.” Jack said, maybe too forcefully, as the Doctor abruptly stopped walking for a moment and shot him a look. “Respectfully,” Jack added with his hands up in a placating gesture. The Doctor made an audible harrumph but they continued walking, silence as their new companion. Once they reached the elevator, Jack watched the Doctor undergo a brief retinal scan and fingerprint scan, then he watched him input a special code. Once done the elevator hummed to life. Jack didn’t know how many floors raced past them as they shot up the transparent tube, but he knew they exited on the top floor. The Doctor then led him to his office door, where a similar biometrics and keypad tango played out to gain access. With the door unlocked and the two of them inside, the doctor motioned Jack to sit down in either of the twin leather seats, before taking his place behind a massive, brushed aluminum and glass desk. When both were seated, the Doctor leaned down on his right to input a code into a panel Jack couldn’t see. It must have been a safe because after the keypad beeps, Jack heard something hiss