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The place reeked of stale coffee, dust baked onto warm plastic and metal, old wood polish, paper going brittle in the desert air, and the metallic tang of blood congealing on Spanish tile. The silence of the small crowd huddled behind me made the smell hit harder. Like walking into a wall of bad news. Silence beat the hell out of the circus act from an hour ago. Give credit where it’s due—the world-class scientists of this venerable institution knew how to panic with dignity. Couldn’t say the same for the administrator who’d stumbled onto this mess. When I rolled