Page 12 of Honor Code

She didn’t get a beverage, nor did she look up. She simply sat there, staring out of the smudgy window in front of her at the blurry expanse of blue ocean, a confused expression on her face.

Wondering if he was doing the right thing, Phoenix rose and went over. She glanced up as he eased his frame into the vacant armchair beside her. “Something wrong?”

“Oh, hi. I didn’t realize you were here.”

“I know. You were miles away.”

A self-conscious laugh. “Yeah, I’m trying to figure something out, and to be honest, I’m finding it pretty tough.”

“Anything I can help with?”

A wry smile played at her lips. “That’s kind of you, but I don’t think so.”

“Why? Because I wouldn’t understand?” He bit out the words without thinking. Damn it. He hadn’t meant to sound so cutting, especially not when he was trying to help.

Her eyebrows rose. “Are you a chemist?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to help in some other way.”

She stared at him a long moment, then gave a nod. “Okay, fine.”

He held up a finger. “Wait. Let me get you some coffee first, then you can tell me, and I’ll see if I can offer any assistance.”

She laughed, her shoulders relaxing. “Okay, deal.”

He went over to the machine, fixed her a cup just how he figured she'd like it—no sugar, straightforward, like her. Handing her the cup, he watched as she took an absentminded sip. It must be okay, as she didn’t complain, simply nodded her thanks.

“Okay, what’s up?” he prodded, sitting down again.

She wrapped her hands around the mug, as if she needed the comfort it gave her. Those small hands, elegant and ladylike. “I’ve now analyzed the samples from all three test sites, and there is no evidence of hydrocarbons. Nothing. But according to the geological reports, there should be.”

She was right. He knew nothing about oil reservoirs, but it might help her to talk it out. “These are the geological reports you were looking at the other day?”

She nodded.

“What are the reports based on?”

“Seismic reflection imaging, mostly.”

Was his expression as blank as his mind at that moment? Must have been, as she offered a brief smile with an explanation.

“The geological survey company bounces sound waves through the rock surface and captures the echoes with sensors. The different angles provide a picture from beneath the surface of the site being surveying.”

“And that pinpoints where the oil is?”

“Sort of. We then run the data through high-performance computers using complicated algorithms to produce a geological map. That gives us images we can interpret and analyze.” She smiled self-consciously. “I sound like a complete geek, huh?”

“No. I actually understood that,” he said with a self-conscious chuckle. He must be nuts if he thought he had anything in common with this woman. She was smart, sassy, and driven. She solved the earth’s deepest mysteries while he… he was built for battle, not brains.

“Suzi’s looked at them too,” she continued, oblivious to his self-deprecating thoughts, “and we’re in agreement. The reservoirs are beneath us, but we’re not finding anything but rock, sand, and seawater.”

Phoenix thought about this. “What does Henderson say?”

“That’s the strange thing. He doesn’t seem concerned. I told him we should have found evidence of oil by now, but he just told me to keep trying. That we’ll find it in one of the samples.”

“Maybe he’s right. Could be you’re worrying for nothing.”

She frowned. “Maybe. But one of the samples isn’t enough. It won’t be economically viable. I was expecting to get results from all the test samples. I’ll try again tomorrow. The company is employing me to get results. I’ll just have to keep digging until I find something.”

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