In the security office things were calmer, and she went directly to the counter. After the conversation with Jason, she thought there was a good chance that she was going to have trouble. Pia did not recognize the woman staffing the counter. Her name tag read HARRIET PIERSON. An imposing woman of color, she wore a military-style uniform like all the other security staff. Pia had her ID in her hand, which Harriet took without comment. She was obviously expecting Pia. She tried to swipe it into the computer, but as had happened at the gate, it apparently didn’t work, because she then disappeared into the back room.

Pia waited. To pass the time she looked back into the main foyer of the building. People were arriving in greater numbers, so a short line was starting to form in front of the iris scanner.

Harriet returned to the counter and handed Pia her ID. “Okay, Dr. Grazdani,” she said, “I guess you haven’t been here for a number of weeks.”

Pia nodded and raised her left arm, which was still in a sling with a forearm cast. She knew she looked slightly bedraggled with the sling, cast, and baseball cap to conceal her uneven hair. She was wearing jeans and a plaid flannel shirt.

“Anyway,” Harriet continued. “I’ve updated your ID. You shouldn’t have any more trouble with it at the gate.”

Pia thanked the woman. She left the security office and headed out toward the short line waiting to go through the iris scanner. She was more sanguine now about getting up to her lab since the visit to the security office had been so easy. As she waited, she recognized the guard standing off to the side, monitoring the people as they passed through the checkpoint. It was Milloy, the particularly officious guard she’d had a mild run-in with before.

When it was her turn, Pia stepped up to the scanner and faced it. She waited but there was no expected beep. Instead it flashed red for fail.

Pia was trying for the third time when Milloy approached her.

“Miss, please step aside. May I see your ID?”

“Of course,” Pia said, not bothering to conceal her frustration. At least she was confident the ID was going to work.

“One second, miss.” Milloy took the ID with him to a nearby computer station. To Pia’s chagrin, he spent a good three minutes two-finger tapping at the computer and reading the screen. He looked over at Pia, who rolled her eyes and shifted her weight in her frustration at the delay. Finally he walked back to her.

“I’m sorry, miss, your general clearance has been suspended pending medical reinstatement.”

“Well, can you let me in so I can go to HR and try to get my clearance restored?

“Can’t do that.”

“What do you suggest?”

Milloy pointed. “I suggest you go into security and see what they can do.”