“That’s you, isn’t it?” The girl next to her nudged her with an elbow. “You’d better go up there and get your assignment.”

Mary stood up so quickly she banged her hip into the desk. “I’m Mary Trask.” She hustled to where Mr. Honeycutt was waiting, clipboard in hand.

“There you are. You’re going to Beta-2. Your floor supervisor will assign you to your specific cubicle when you get there.”

“Will I always be at the same cubicle?”

“Yes. For the next six days, you’ll be on nights—the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift.”

“And after that?” She didn’t imagine she’d ever see Dr. Lindstrom on the graveyard shift.

“You’ll work a six-day week, then you’ll get one day off. When you come back, you’ll be on the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift, then one day off, then the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift.”

“Okay. Do I start that shift tonight?” After weeks in the bullpen, she was itching to get to work.

“Yes. I suggest you go home and get some sleep. It’s going to be a long night.”

Finally. “Thank you, sir.”

Once outside, Mary turned in a circle, trying to get her bearings. For a second, she could’ve sworn she saw Dr. Lindstrom in the distance, walking along with a man. She took several steps in that direction before stopping herself. What was she going to do if she caught up to her?

Forget about her, Mary Elizabeth. If you want to survive your first shift, you’d better go get some shuteye. She changed direction and headed instead toward the bus stop. Somehow, she thought it would be a while before she could sleep.

November – December, 1943

CHAPTER TWELVE

Nora, Dr. Lawrence, and General Groves stood behind Ruth Wixton, one of her best Alpha-1 cubicle operators, as she wrestled with the machine. No sooner had she gotten the needles in the optimal position, when the machine let out a loud “pop.”

Ruth addressed Nora. “It’s been doing this at least once or twice per shift.”

“May I?” Dr. Lawrence took Ruth’s place.

Nora wondered who Ruth thought these two men were. Per protocol, she’d never introduced them to her. She was grateful that Ruth was one of the most discreet of her girls. Not only would Ruth not ask anything inappropriate, but she also wouldn’t engage in speculation with her co-workers afterward about who the men were or what they might be doing there.