For a good while after Genzken left, Klaus remained in his office, fighting the old urge to repeatedly bang his head against a hard surface. He was badly shaken by the General’s visit, compounded by the lunchtime fiasco with Ros. His neurotransmitters were going haywire; his head ached with the reception of chronic pain signals, and he had to cling tightly to the side of his desk to stop himself from slamming his forehead down.
As if reacting to his anxiety, the papers before him began swirling in the air.
Social interactions were difficult for Klaus- this he was used to- but the Gruppenführer made things especially hard. General Genzken not only reveled in making Klaus feel like a five year old, he also enjoyed speaking in euphemisms and metaphors- linguistic tools that, though clear enough for other people, were impossible for Klaus to navigate.
It was a while before he was calm enough to leave his office.
As Klaus walked into the laboratory, Mat stepped out of the broom closet. He must have been hiding since Genzken went into Aaron’s office, because Mat never did the sweeping.
“Not good, then?” he asked, taking in Klaus’s and Aaron’s expressions. “Worse than usual?”
“I don’t know what he wants,” Klaus snapped. “The hurensohn just comes into my office- moves all my things around, mind you- and just says vague things, makes vague threats, then leaves. Research directives, that I can work with, but this man doesn’t know anything about physics. Son of bitch needs to stay out of my way and let me do my work.”
Mat took Klaus’s misdirected anger in stride with the air of someone who was used to it. “What did he say?”
“He wants results. Things the military can use,” Klaus repeated flatly, leaning back against a lab table. A measuring cylinder began to float near his hand; he grabbed it and shoved it back down. “They think our research is too exploratory. What does that mean? What the hell am I supposed to do with that?”
Mat shrugged. “Sounds to me like he wants weapons.”
Klaus gaped at Mat. “Weapons? We don’t even know what the black hole is. How on earth-“
“I’m just saying, I think that’s why he’s upset.” Mat raised his arms in a pacifying gesture. “Calm down, Foerster. We know you’re doing good work. I’m sure Genzken’s just feeling pressure from the higher ups- they are fighting a war, they need all the help they can get.”
“I am not in the business of designing weapons,” Klaus said stiffly. “I am a physicist, and I will do my job properly, or not at all. Józef, can you lend me a hand? I’m going to take another crack at Adelheid.”
