Disclaimers: None. If you're still reading my stuff at this point, you pretty well know what you're getting into.  If you don't have an open mind or if you find something you think needs disclaiming, you are still more than welcome to let me know.  It won’t change anything, but it may make you feel better.   Ugliness will earn you a smack to the back of your head.

Thanks: To Phil, Mac and Jeanne for reading through this for me to pick up Pink & Fluffy’s dropped letters and missed quotation marks.  Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better group of women to beta read for me. Their diligence is greatly valued as Pink and Fluffy tend to leave a trail of missing pieces. Their contribution to making this a better read is much appreciated.  All errors belong strictly to me.  

Author’s Notes: This is part four of what was supposed to be a trilogy – it was also supposed to be the final story in this series.  However, I’m pretty sure at this point there will be a part five... if only to keep this one from becoming another never-ending story.  Kind of like Valiant all over again.

The Storyteller’s Cardinal Rule is in effect.

                                             Favors of Fortune – Part Four
                                                                                 Beautiful Mess
                                                                                                              By D



Prologue

“Thank you all for coming.  I promised our minders I wouldn’t take very long, so let’s get to it, shall we?”  Eli looked around at the few dozen prospects left as part of the program.  They met her eyes and waited.  She smiled.

“It’s been brought to my attention that you’ve all been avoiding Arianna, and it needs to stop.”  A cacophony of sound broke out around the room and Eli held up her hand for silence.  After a moment, quiet fell once more and Eli nodded her thanks.  “Look, I know that she chose this path – that she’s the one who’s been pushing all of you away, and you’ve let her for whatever reason.”  She sighed.  “The reasons don’t actually matter; but it needs to stop now.  The fact is – she’s part of this team... an integral part.  Without her, none of the rest of us would be here, despite how brilliant we like to think we are.  All I’m asking is that, for the good of team dynamics, you search your heart and decide if she’s worth offering another chance to.”

“What about the asshat?” Jacob asked.  “We all know that he’s at least partly responsible for her change of attitude towards us... all of us.  Do you want us to make nice with him too?”

“Jake, if I had my way, we’d throw him from the roof of the building just to see how high he’d bounce on the return trip,” drawing chuckles from everyone in the room.  “However, I wouldn’t want to see anyone disqualified from the program for taking such drastic measures to get rid of the idiot.  He wouldn’t be worth the consequences that would follow.  And I don’t believe he will make it to the final cut no matter who he’s betrothed to.”  The last made her voice shake a little and she hesitated a moment and took a deep breath before speaking again.  “That being said – no.  I don’t expect anyone to make nice with the asshat.  The only reason I am asking for her is because we all know she *is* going to be selected for the Alpha team.  And to make the project work once we arrive on the asteroid, we need to be comfortable with one another.  That means no more excluding her.”

There was a pregnant pause, and the candidates looked at each other trying to decide if they really wanted to give voice to the questions they wanted to ask – namely whether Eli would be included in the mandate to make nice with Arianna, and if she knew more about who was and wasn’t going to be chosen for the project than she was telling.  Before the silence became too awkward, Jacob cleared his throat, but surprisingly, it was Eden who spoke with a casual shrug in her voice.

“I suppose I can try to be nice to the pipsqueak for you, Eli.  The only reason we let her push us all away so easy was because....”

“Thanks, Eden,” Eli cut in before Eden could finish her sentence.  She didn’t want reminders of her private pain... or public humiliation.  “All I’m asking is that you try,” looking around the room.  “All right,” she said after a moment.  “Let’s get back upstairs before the security team has a freak out.  We’re not really supposed to be sequestered together like this for any length of time.”

There was a general shuffle towards the doors... which halted when Titus spoke up  “Eli, is she okay?  Arianna, I mean.  We heard rumors this morning....”

“I spoke with Ms Wellesly earlier.  She’s all right; she’s just sleeping off a rough night.”

“You mean like...?”

“She wasn’t drunk, if that’s what you’re asking, Titus,” Eli informed him impatiently.  “She was unwell enough to require some attention.  I didn’t ask for details.  Ms Wellesly stayed up the night to facilitate the healing process.  She’s upstairs asleep as we speak.  Ms Wellesly assured me she’ll be back on schedule with the rest of us tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Eli,” Titus replied as movement shifted towards the doors again.  “We were concerned.”

She nodded, and they exited the room, splitting up to make their way back upstairs to their rooms to wait for the Committee to call them to begin the day’s interview process.


Chapter I

Eli was silently pensive as she hung at the back of the procession leaving the conference room, waiting for the rest to go ahead of her.  Her brow furrowed in a manner that caused the rest some concern, wondering what this meeting had cost her.  Jake exchanged a look with Eden who gave him a slight nod, before she stepped into the elevator.  Jake sidled up next to Eli and linked his arm in hers, smiling when she looked up at him... startled out of her preoccupation.  She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Something I can do for you, Jake?” giving him a small smile.

“Another time, another place maybe,” he replied with a teasing grin, waggling his eyebrows up and down for emphasis before coaxing his expression into something more serious.  “Are you okay, Eli?  You seem a little... lost in thought.”  He kept his eyes on her when she looked away and took a deep breath before returning her attention to him.

“I’m fine, Jake,” she replied, holding his eyes with her gaze.  He studied her for a long moment.  They all knew what had happened between her and Arianna – not the details of course, but enough.  Enough to know that one minute they had been a couple and the next Arianna was engaged to the asshat and Eli was no longer speaking to or about Arianna at all.  That more than anything else had caused them to choose sides... to stand by Eli while ostracizing Arianna.

Eli kept her eyes steady, willing Jake to believe her.  He finally nodded slowly, and he could almost feel the tension roll off her like water.  “If you’re sure,” he offered finally.  She nodded and smiled at him again, though it made him sad to see it.  It wasn’t the smile he’d fallen in love with so many months ago when they’d become a family.  But he knew it was the best he was going to get anymore.

“I’m sure, Jake – thanks for asking though,” she answered, patting his arm affectionately.  He covered her hand with his own, squeezing it lightly to convey his support.

“All right,” he drawled slowly, stepping into an empty lift and pulling her in with him and letting the doors close behind them before he spoke again.  “And we’ll make sure the Princess gets taken care of as well.  You know the only reason so many of us excluded her was because....” She clenched her hand around his forearm to halt his speech, than swiped her card and the elevator started its swift ascension back to their floor. 

“I know, and on one level it’s both flattering and humbling that you guys would do that for me.  But it’s not fair to her.”  She held up a hand before he could fire off a retort.  “What happened was my responsibility as much as hers, Jake.”

“Maybe,” he shrugged, leading them from the elevator as soon as the door opened.  “But you didn’t subject the rest of us to an asshat that has no business being part of the project.”  He turned towards her room, moving at a slow and steady pace.  “Can I ask you something?” he said as they reached her door, tilting his head at her thoughtfully.  Eli smirked.

“You can ask.  It doesn’t mean I have to answer.”

Jake grinned.  “Fair enough,” waiting for her to open her door.  She crossed the threshold and kicked off her shoes, turning to find Jacob leaning against the doorframe.  She arched an eyebrow at him.  “You didn’t invite me in, and I didn’t want to assume,” he said with a shrug.

“Get in here and close the door, Jake,” she commanded with a hint of irritation in her voice.  He did as he was bidden and took the seat she motioned him to even as she dropped onto the end of the bed.  “Now what did you want to ask?”

“Do you know something?”

“No... what?”

He looked at her like she was crazy then realized she had misunderstood his question.  He shook his head and waved his hands to erase the query.  “No... sorry.  Not what I meant,” reaching a hand back to scrub the back of his neck.  He blew out a breath and met her gaze.  “When we were downstairs just now – it sounded like you knew something... something the rest of us aren’t privy to.”

“Like what?”

Now Jake glared at her.  “Playing stupid doesn’t suit you, Eli,” he accused.  “Do you know who is and is not gonna be chosen as the Alpha team for this project?”

“Oh... that.”  It was her turn to look away.  “Not really.  I am completely confident she will be part of the Alpha team – since she developed the nuclear fuission process that is the basis for everything else we’re doing, it just makes sense.”  She brought her gaze back to his.

Jacob nodded.  “I agree.  But what about the asshat?  Why do you think he won’t make the cut?  After all, he’s made it this far on her merit.”

“True,” Eli agreed cautiously, not wanting to betray Mary’s confidence despite the fury the woman’s words had stirred in her belly.  “But you know and I know that his... relationship... with her,” keeping the wince out of her expression but unable to keep her voice from cracking slightly, “won’t matter in the grand scheme of things when the final selections are made.  Each of us has to contribute in a variety of areas to make this viable, and he is unable to participate in a single arena with any authority.”

He nodded slowly, mulling her words over in his head.  “That makes sense,” slapping his hands on his thighs and standing up.  “I hope you’re right.  I’d hate to have to put the guns to use burying the body once we arrived at the project site,” he said with a rakish smile as he flexed his strong biceps.  She chuckled and he waggled his eyebrows for good measure.  It was nice to see this side of Eli again... however briefly.

“It’d be worth it to see you trying to dig through solid rock,’ she teased him. 

“Maybe I’ll just shove him out an airlock,” he grumbled, causing a bubble of genuine laughter to flow from Eli’s lips.

“I’d put down some serious credit chits to see that,” she snarked.  Jacob smirked.

“Him I’d do for free,” walking to the door and resting a hand on the knob.  “You wanna come play Nuke ‘em Duke ‘em?”

“No, Jake, but thanks.  You go have some fun, because you know once the Committee is done it’s going to be back to work for us.”

His brow furrowed.  “Yeah – what’s up with that anyway?”

Eli shrugged.  “I got the same message you did, Jake.  I figure it’s just more political crap,” running her fingers through her hair.  She shrugged.  “I think it’s all mostly political crap at this point... even the interviews.”

“How do you figure?”

“C’mon, Jake – we’re supposed to be out of here by the first of the year.  That’s only about six weeks by this planet’s calendar, which just happens to be the timetable we’re using.  Keeping that in mind, a decision has to come down in the next week or so to give the Alpha team the time it needs to prepare for departure.  Therefore, the Committee has to have already pretty much made its choices.  What they are doing now is mostly posturing... showing consideration for all the candidates so they cannot be accused of bias when the time comes.”

“So you think...?”

“I think we’ll know by the end of next week if not sooner.  I would expect that those chosen will be allowed to go home for a final goodbye or that their families will be brought in prior to mission launch.  I believe it would be the latter, myself.”

“Why?”

“Because the security team is responsible for our safety until we depart for the asteroid to begin our actual work.  To send everyone back to their respective planets would be creating an unnecessary burden for them.  Keeping us here would be similar to how things are now.”

“Do you ever regret it?” Jacob asked unexpectedly.  “Leaving home to become part of this?”

She gazed at him thoughtfully.  “I will always be grateful for the opportunities being here has afforded me,” she replied.  He waited, but she didn’t add anything and he was unwilling to push further.  He could read between the lines, and he knew what was left unspoken was as important as what was being said.  Jacob nodded.

“I think that’s true for everyone... even those who’ve been washed from the program already.  It’s kinda cool to be part of making history.”  He shrugged.  “Thanks, Eli.”

She tilted her head at him and frowned in confusion.  “For what, Jake?”

“For confiding in me.  It’s nice to know I have your trust.”  Before she could reply, he opened the door and slipped into the hallway.  Eli sighed and closed her eyes, falling backwards until she was lying flat against the mattress.  She hoped Mary would be satisfied with her efforts.  As draining as that had been, she wasn’t sure she could do it again no matter *what* the reason.

************

Jacob wasn’t surprised to see Eden and the rest waiting for him when he walked out of Eli’s room.  He had seen Mary enter her room after their hallway confrontation over Arianna’s absence from breakfast and he hadn’t been the only one to notice.  They had held their own mini-meeting before Eli had called all the remaining candidates together, and decided to ensure Eli was all right.  Her announcement and request had thrown them all off-stride, so Jacob and Eden had nonverbally agreed that he would discover what was really going on, then share with the remainder of them.

Now the rest waited patiently for his report, and he motioned them towards his room without a word.  They filed in one after the other, not noticing when several members of the security team shifted to blanket the hallway a little more thickly.  They stood around the room and waited for Jacob to speak.

He shook his head.  “She’s fine,” noting the disbelieving looks a number of his fellows offered him.  “As fine as she’s been since....” breaking off when Eden waved her hand.  “She doesn’t seem to know anything about who’s gonna get selected, but she’s got some pretty clear cut ideas on why Arianna is going and why the asshat won’t be.”

“Yeah... about that – what’s up with that anyway?” Esther asked.  “Does she really want us to make nice with Arianna?  Girlfriend’s the one who’s been pushing us away for months now.  I thought we were just accommodating her.”  Her dark skin flushed nearly black in her anger.

“Yeah, Esther – she was serious.  And she was right.”  Jacob looked around the room.  He certainly didn’t plan to function as Eli’s second-in-command – that was normally Eden’s job.  But he’d been the one to talk to her, so....  “We all expect to make the final cut.  Even though there are still a number of candidates left for the Committee to choose from, everyone in the room expects to be chosen as part of the Alpha team.  We are each the strongest in our fields and everyone here has crossover knowledge in at least two areas outside their expertise.”  He waited for them all to nod their agreement.  “Right.  And we know without a doubt that Arianna will be chosen; they can’t not choose the one whose work everything else relies on.”

“Is there a point here, Jake?” Eden asked impatiently.  He glared at her.

“Surprisingly yes, if you’d let me get there,” he replied tartly.  Eden held her hands up in surrender.  Jacob sighed.  “We have about six weeks before the Alpha team is scheduled to leave this planet to begin its journey to the asteroid where the project is taking place.  If we can’t get along now, how can we expect to get along later?  We’re going to be stuck living with each other for a long time to come.  We don’t want to start out with issues.”

“What about Eli?” Deborah asked, arms crossed over her chest.

Jacob’s eyebrows shot into her hairline.  “What about Eli?”

Deborah shrugged. “Is she planning on following the mandate she issued to the rest of us?  *All* the rest of us... including the people not currently in this room?”

Jacob’s eyes darkened, but before he could speak, Eden stepped up beside him and put a hand on his arm.  He turned and looked at her, then nodded and gestured for her to answer Deborah’s query.  Eden put her hands on her hips and glowered.

“First of all, Eli made a request... not a demand.  It’s your choice whether or not to honor that request, but you might want to consider doing so for yourself, if no other reason.  As Jake pointed out, team dynamics are going to be important... especially once we arrive at our destination to being our real work.  And Arianna will be a crucial part of that team.  Secondly, Eli is the only one with a real excuse to totally disregard the pipsqueak, and yet she’s never been less than professional with Arianna when they’ve been forced into situations together since....”  She broke off and glanced around.  “Look, I think we all know what happened between them out there... enough to know that Arianna broke Eli’s heart.  But if Eli wants us to make nice, then I think we should.”

It was silent for a few minutes after that, until Luke finally clapped his hands together, startling everyone in the room.  “Sorry,” he muttered.  “So now what?”

“Now, unless you’re gaming, clear out of my room,” Jacob answered with laughter in his voice.  “I wanna go back to playing Nuke ‘em Duke ‘em.”

Eden and Esther rolled their eyes in tandem and headed for the door without further prodding.  The rest of the girls followed behind, while the boys spread out around the room and started gearing up for another round of gaming.

************

Eli blinked her eyes open, struggling to orient herself.  Her dream had been so real that it took her a minute to recognize the hotel room that had been her home in recent weeks.  She looked around slowly, trying to figure out what had awakened her... until a glance at the clock made her sit up straight in the bed.  Only then did she hear the knock on the door, then Eden’s voice calling her name.

“Eli?  Hey... you okay?”  Another knock, a little louder.  “Eli?”

Eli scrubbed a hand over her face and ran a hand through her hair as she rose and shuffled her way to the door.  She pulled the portal open just as Eden raised her hand to knock again.  Eden jerked her hand back even as Eli lifted her arm to catch the hand headed towards her face.

“Sorry,” Eden murmured, a light blush coloring her tanned cheeks.  “You all right?  I’ve been knocking for the past five minutes.”  Eli cocked an eyebrow at her, a smirk firmly planted on her lips despite the sleepy expression.  Eden shrugged.  “Okay,” she relented, “maybe not *quite* five minutes, but long enough to bring security a little closer,” she confided in a lower voice, jerking her head back towards the personnel who were scattered up and down the hallway.

Eli looked both ways, then covered her mouth to conceal the yawn she couldn’t stop, pulling the door open wider and inviting Eden inside.  Eden crossed the threshold and Eli shut the door firmly behind her even as she motioned the other woman towards the bed as she headed to the bathroom to grab a brush.  She returned immediately to find Eden standing at the window looking out and Eli walked over to join her as she continued to work the snarls out of her messy hair. 

Eden caught sight of her activities in the window and sighed greatly before turning from the vista spread out below them and removing the brush from Eli’s hand.  She pushed her back towards the bed, and Eli did as she was bidden, sitting and offering Eden her back.  Eden pulled the brush through tangled blonde hair, wincing as it caught more than once.  She eased it through each knot carefully, removing it before moving on to the next.

“How the hell did you make such a mess of your hair in the hour you’ve been in here alone?  If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was sex hair, but damn, Eli....”

Eli shook her head briefly, but stopped when Eden pulled it gently.  “I don’t know, Eden.  I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep until your knocking woke me up.”  She blinked.  “Was there something you needed?”

“I just wanted to let you know that Mary alerted us that the Committee is done with whatever emergency business they had this morning, and the interviews will resume shortly.”

Eli nodded, and Eden tugged again, forcing Eli to still her actions once more.  “Okay... thanks.”  She sighed.  “I’m so glad we don’t have much longer to have to do this.”

“Me too,” Eden agreed, brushing through the now smooth, silky hair.  “I’m ready to get to work... real work... not this audition crap we keep putting up with.  There so much more we could be doing besides sitting around here all day waiting for our turn to talk to people who don’t understand half of what we say to them.”

“It will be worth it, Eden.”

“Gods, I hope so.”  A beat.  “Do you really think the asshot’s gonna get booted from the project?”

“You talked to Jake?”

Eden huffed impatiently and raised an eyebrow.  “Of course I talked to Jake.  I’m your second – I need to be in the loop!”

Eli smiled.  “Yes, I suppose you do.  And yes – I expect to hear that he’s been cut from the selection list very soon.”

“Goodbye and good riddance,” Eden muttered as she stood.  She placed the brush on the table and extended her hand to Eli.  “C’mon.  Go change your clothes and grab your shoes and let’s go meet the rest to wait.  You’ve been holed up in here alone long enough.”

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

“Nope – if we’re gonna play nice with the pipsqueak again, then you’re gonna have to play nice with us too... at least when she’s not around.  We’ve missed you, Eli,” wrapping an arm around Eli’s waist.  Eli let her arm drop onto Eden’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before turning her attention to her clothing options.  Eden snatched a fresh pair of trousers and a blouse from their hangers and threw them in Eli’s direction.  Eli glared, but dutifully stripped off the wrinkled clothes and replaced them with the choices Eden had made.

“It’s good to be missed,” she said as she fastened the final button on her top.  She crooked an eyebrow at Eden.  “Better?”

Eden nodded.  “Yes.  And it’s better to be appreciated.  Now get a move on.  The girls were getting ready to have a dance contest when I came to get you.”

Eli laughed.  “That sounds like fortuitous timing if you ask me.”

Eden snorted.  “Absolutely impeccable,” and they closed the door behind them and headed towards the other end of the hallway and the rest of their friends.


Chapter II

Mary dropped into the bed with a sigh of relief.  Every joint in her body ached, but even that pain couldn’t dull the sense of satisfaction she felt with the morning’s events.  She’d suspected when she’d gotten the doctor’s preliminary report that she finally had a way to remove Malcolm, but it was gratifying to have that suspicion vindicated.  She knew her team already had Nick in custody – they were efficient like that.  She just hoped the Committee would wrap their part of things up soon.  Even though her research team was already vetting the family members she expected to be brought here to say goodbye, there was still a lot of work to be done before the kids chosen for the Alpha team would be ready, and there wasn’t a lot of time left if they were going to stick to the original timetable they’d been given.

She stretched beneath the covers, feeling her bones pop back into alignment.  She made a mental note to call her daughter later.  It would be nice to do something for these kids before they left for the asteroid, and she had a feeling Joy would love being part of the celebration.  Then Mary closed her eyes, confident that her team would look after the details – including Nick - for a while and hoping that the Committee would finish up now that they had less of an agenda.

************

The candidates were surprised by the instruction – they were to have lunch, then go to the interview room.  All of them. Together.  They hadn’t been to the interview room as a single entity since their very first meeting upon returning from the trial compound when the Committee had explained how the next round of elimination would be a series of interviews that would culminate in the Alpha team being chosen.  Since then, they’d met with the Committee singly or in small groups of two or three. 

So they could only look at one another in confusion, wondering what had happened that morning to change the standard operating procedure they’d grown accustomed to.  As soon as the announcement was made, they spilled out into the hallways, filling the space with the buzz of speculation.

Eli lagged behind the rest of the girls as they left Gay’s room, pondering what this could possibly be about.  Her eyes widened as realization struck, wondering what exactly Mary had done to have Malcolm eliminated from the program... because she didn’t doubt that was the case.  She had said he would be removed and Eli believed Mary could make it happen.  Then Eli sucked in a deep breath.  She wondered if Arianna was aware yet... or if she’d even care.  And she realized that someone would need to go wake her.  Arianna might have been excused from the day’s interviews, but she’d want to be there if something big was coming down the pipeline.  Her shoulders sagged and she looked around, not surprised to find Eden snuggled up under Jacob’s strong arms, talking excitedly about the possibilities.

Eli sighed, not wanting to take that pleasure away from her friend, but needing Eden to step up and be her second.  As if sensing her regard, Eden looked up and dark eyes met gray.  Eden patted Jacob on the chest and offered him a few words.  He released her, brushing a kiss across her temple and smiling when she blushed.  Then she shouldered her way through the excited throng, anxious to know what had put the pensive expression on Eli’s face when everyone else seemed enthusiastic about what the sudden change in procedure could mean.

“Isn’t this great, Eli?” Isaac asked as he stumbled into her.  She held out her arms to steady them both, and in a minute, he seemed to get his bearings again.  He released his grip on her arms, and not noticing her slight wince, gave her a goofy smile.  “I think it means they’re ready to make the announcement about who made the Alpha team cut.  I hope so, anyway.  Don’t you?  I mean....”

Eli sighed.  Of all the people she wanted to avoid at the moment, Isaac was probably at the top of her list.  It wasn’t that she hated him, but he had a tendency to grate on her nerves.  He was always so focused on his own work that he was oblivious to everything else going on around him.  And he was naturally clumsy, which made for some embarrassing accidents for almost everyone he interacted with.  His saving grace was that he was exceptionally mechanically inclined – there wasn’t a piece of machinery that he couldn’t coax into working.

Still it didn’t mean Eli wanted to be around him more than she had to be, and right now, she had other things on her mind.  Fortunately, Eden, with her impeccable timing, chose that exact moment to arrive.  She looked up at the tall young man, allowing her lip to curl just slightly before giving him a cordial expression, cutting off his monologue with an excuse before she dragged Eli away from him.

Eli gave Eden a grateful look as they left Isaac behind with his jaw hanging in surprise.  Eden’s facial muscles didn’t move, but her eyes twinkled in mischief.  “You’re welcome,” she said with a hint of snark before allowing her expression to harden in one of complete seriousness.  “What’s up?” she asked when they reached an alcove that offered them a modicum of privacy.

Eli sighed.  “I need you to go wake Arianna.  If she’s still... not well... let her go back to sleep.  But if she’s feeling better, give her the heads up on what’s going on out here.  Even if she’s exhausted, I doubt she’d want to miss this.”

“You think...?” leaning against the nearest wall and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Yes, I do.  Don’t you?”

Eden shrugged and nodded simultaneously.  “I suppose,” she agreed.  “Don’t worry, Eli.  I’ll take care of things.  I’ll get Danny to go with me.  He’s been the only one who was allowed to talk to her after... everything.”  She snorted.  “Probably because he’s the one person Malcolm didn’t see as some sort of threat against his personal property.”

“Eden, please....” Eli pled softly.  Eden looked up, startled.

“Sorry, Eli,” Eden apologized sheepishly and she pushed away from the wall.  “Let me go get Danny and we’ll take care of... her.  Do you want us to bring her to lunch with us?”

Eli was good, but even she wasn’t quick enough to hide the flash of pain that swept through her before she could school her features into something less revealing.  “Good idea, Eden,” her voice tight.  “The sooner everyone gets used to including her again, the better for all involved.”

Eden waited another moment, but when Eli didn’t say any more, she nodded again.  “All right.  We’ll see you shortly,” she replied as she started walking away, noting that Eli didn’t offer a reply of her own.  It made Eden sigh in frustration, but there was little she could do about it now.  She had her orders and she needed to find Danny first.

************

“Hey, Eden.  Everything okay?” the tall thin young man asked as she approached him with a frown.  It was decidedly out of place among all the smiles and excitement currently enveloping the hallway and its occupants.  Her eyes snapped to his and he held up his hands in surrender at the fierce expression on her face.

“Oh... hey, Kai.  Yeah... just – have you seen Danny anywhere?  I need his help, but he seems to have disappeared.”

“I think he and Luke went off to lunch together already,” Kai replied.  “Anything I can do?”

She scowled at his explanation and she forced herself to give him a small smile as she shook her head.  “No – I appreciate it, Kai, but I need Danny specifically.  Hopefully he’s got his comm unit with him so I don’t have to go hunting for him.  Thanks, though.”

“Sure.  Um... I know at least part of our group was planning to go to Nickel’s.  You want us to save you a spot?”

Eden growled, but gave him another smile that seemed more like a grimace.  “I’d like that,” she said through clenched teeth.  “Let Jake know will you?”

“Sure.  We’ll meet you down there in a few.”  Eden nodded and turned away even before Kai finished speaking, pulling her comm unit out and flicking through her contacts until she found the one she needed.  She didn’t even give him a chance to respond when he answered – she simply gave him a command.

“Get back here now.  I need you.”

************

Arianna felt like she was swimming through the thick swamps of her home planet – she had tried that once... unwillingly, and it was dark and cloying and almost suffocating.  Without warning, she shot upright, eyes wide and gasping for breath.  The brightness of the room caused her to slam her eyes closed again and she brought a hand to her chest trying to control her harsh breathing and the thundering beat of her heart.

When she was finally able to hear more than her pounding pulse in her ears, she blinked open her eyes again.  What she found wasn’t what she expected.

“Danny?”

“Hey, Sweetie.  You okay?”

She glanced around, recognizing that she was back in her room.  Danny was sitting on the edge of her bed with a hand lightly poised on her knee and Eden was standing just inside the door... arms crossed over her chest and legs crossed at the ankles.  Arianna frowned, more than a little confused and disoriented.  Closer inspection revealed that the things that Malcolm had deposited in her room the previous evening before she had stormed out after their fight – his shoes and jacket; his comm unit and timepiece – all these things were gone as if they had never been there in the first place.  Brown eyes met blue and his expression softened at the confusion in hers.

“Danny?” she said again.

“It’s all right, Sweetie.  Mary said to let you sleep after the night you had, but the Committee has called for all of us to go to the conference room after lunch. We,” gesturing between himself and Eden, “thought you might not want to miss it.  Especially if there’s a chance that they’ll be announcing the Alpha team.”

Her eyes widened and she looked at him, then Eden, then him again.  “Do you really think they will?”   Danny glanced at Eden and she pushed away from the wall so she could approach the bed.

“There’s every possibility,” Eden replied softly.  She and Danny had decided to keep Eli’s name out of things for now.  They didn’t want to put Arianna’s back up against her... not when Eli had asked everyone to be nice to her again.  “It’s what all the candidates think, anyway.  So c’mon... go get ready and we’ll go to lunch together before the announcement, all right?”

Arianna’s eyes narrowed.  “Why?  Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?”

Eden grit her teeth together loud enough for Arianna to hear the squeak. But before she could snap off a biting retort, Danny put a calming hand on her arm and shook his head minutely.  “We’ve been talking and realized if we want to be successful, you need to be a part of us,” Danny said. “But you have to meet us halfway, Sweetie.  You have to want to be part of us too.”

“I never stopped wanting to, Danny,” her voice so soft Eden had to strain to hear it.

“I know, Sweetie, but the rest didn’t.  They had no way of knowing how much was you and how much was Malcolm.”

“They still don’t.”

“Maybe, but they want to try again, Sweetie.  The question is will you let them?  Will you try too?”

“But why now?  What changed since last night??”

Eden cut in.  “We decided to present a unified front instead of allowing Malcolm to pick us off one at a time.  And if he continues to be an asshat, Jake will just push him out of an airlock.”

Arianna’s laughter was tinged with tears, but it was the first real emotion they had seen from her – aside from the despair that flooded her eyes when she looked at Eli – since her betrothal.  Eden grinned, pretty proud of herself for the accomplishment and Danny gave her a thumbs up, his lavender skin tone flushing a deeper purple in his happiness.  He squeezed the knee under his hand.

“However, we’re going to miss lunch if you don’t hurry things up, missy, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ravenous.  So go do whatever it is you need to do to get ready.”  Arianna nodded her head, her smile watery as the tears filling her eyes slid soundlessly down her face.  Danny gave her a sympathetic smile and wiped her cheeks dry, then she flipped the blankets off her body and slid from the bed.

“I won’t be but a few minutes.  Will you wait for me?”

“We’ll be right here, Sweetie.  The gang is saving us a spot at the table,” he answered, waving her towards the bathroom.

Arianna smiled.  “I’ll be right back.”

************

It wasn’t immediate – it was her first time being welcomed into the group in what felt like forever, and she wanted to look good.  Still, she made all haste to get ready – Eden was waiting and she was known to be one of the least tolerant of Arianna since the whole betrothal debacle.  It made sense of course.  She was Eli’s second and as such probably knew as much or more about the situation between them than they themselves did.

It was funny, Arianna mused.  She had been so jealous of the relationship Eli and Eden had formed... even though it had been borne of necessity and it wasn’t something she herself would have ever felt comfortable being part of.  Although she would also be proud to watch Eli’s back, so to speak, she didn’t have Eden’s physical strength and endurance – something granted her by virtue of the dual hearts beating in her chest.  But Arianna also didn’t have Eden’s dominating personality and thus her ability to get things done.  She had quickly learned that being taught to lead didn’t necessarily make you able to do so.  And being loud and pushy didn’t equate to leadership either.

So she showered and dressed as quickly as she could manage, thankful for the second chance she’d been granted... for whatever reason.  When she stepped out of the bathroom, she signaled her readiness to the other two.  They gave her the once over before both gave an approving nod.  Danny proffered his arm while Eden mock bowed and opened the door, gesturing for them to go ahead of her.

Danny nodded his head sharply while Arianna gave a slight curtsy, then the three of them burst into laughter at their silliness.  It made the security smile to hear the foreign sound again.  Maybe it had been a good day after all.  Mary just smiled in her sleep.

************

The sound of laughter faded as the elevator doors closed, and Adam sighed.  He knew it was his responsibility, but he sincerely did not want to be the one to wake Mary from the short nap she’d gained.  The woman was entitled to more than a couple hours sleep.  But he knew that she should at least be notified of the coming announcement gathering.  She could choose to skip it and return to sleep once she knew, but at least the decision would be hers to make.

There was only a bare bones contingent of security left upstairs to keep those out who didn’t belong on this floor.  Otherwise, it was astoundingly quiet – it was rare that all the candidates were gone at the same time.

Adam took a deep breath and headed down the short hallway to Mary’s room.  If he was going to do this, he was going to do it face to face where he could gently wake her.  She’d already been jerked out of a sound sleep once in the last twenty-four hours.

He knocked lightly, not expecting her to answer.  Even though she was a mom, she was a little out of practice at having to listen for every little sound.  So he was astonished when the door swung opened abruptly and Mary was standing in front of him with a scowl on her face.  She put her hands on her hips when he didn’t speak immediately, then sighed and waved him into her room.  “Come on in, Adam.  I know you had a reason for waking me up, and I am too damned tired to stand at the door while you try to remember what it is.”

“Sorry, Chief.  You kind of knocked it out of me when you actually opened the door.  I didn’t really expect you to,” he added as he crossed to the chair by the window.  Mary climbed back on the bed, but remained on top of the blankets.

“If you didn’t think I’d answer, why did you bother to knock?”

“Because it’s the polite thing to do.  You taught us that, remember?” chuckling at the memory.  Mary snorted.

“Yes... yes, I do remember.  That was a mighty steep learning curve,” giving him a smile.  “So what’s up?  I know it’s something pretty important for you to be waking me up.  But it’s not critical like it was last night.  It’s not Nick...?”

“No, not Nick.  You’d be right about it being important though.  A couple new developments, and at least one of you need to know about now so you can decide what action you want to take.”

“Do tell.”

“Well, Wonder and Flash went into Angel’s room and woke her up.”  Mary started and frowned hard, but refrained from commenting when Adam held up his hand.  “They were inviting her to lunch with the rest of the candidates.”  He paused.  “I’m almost certain Princess was behind it.  She and Wonder disappeared for a few minutes after the announcement was made, and the next thing we knew, Wonder and Flash were in Angel’s room.  When they came out, they were laughing and joking together and they headed downstairs to meet up with everyone else.”

“And why is everyone else downstairs?  What announcement?”

“That’s why I woke you up.  The Committee instructed the candidates to have lunch, then congregate in the conference room.  The speculation is that they’re ready to announce the Alpha team.”

“Even though they still have interviews left on the schedule.  I wonder....”

“Chief?”

“I wonder if they were waiting for Malcolm to be ejected from the program – hoping I would find a reason to get rid of him.”

“Chief?”

“He was still part of the program because Fernando had a contract, but he was never actually qualified to participate.”

“And you...?”

“I was able to dissolve the contract legally without breaking it.  Malcolm won’t be returning – he’s out of the program, off the project and no longer betrothed to Angel.”  She smiled fiendishly.  “Today was a good day for me.”  Adam laughed.

“I guess it was.  Glad you’re on our side.”

“Well, you know – I hate someone thinking they can play games like that with me and win.  Especially someone like him.”  She snorted.  “Malcolm’s lucky I was too tired to crucify him.  Fernando knows enough to realize I knew my business.  I didn’t share everything with him; he doesn’t know I know his business as well.”

“Like I said... glad you’re on our side.”  Adam slapped his hands on his knees and stood.  “So what do you want to do about the committee meeting? Are you going to go or...?”

“What I’d like to do is box their ears for doing this right now today.  I’m pretty sure this could have waited until the interviews were over.”  She wiped a hand over her face.  “What I’m going to do is take another shower and try to wake up long enough to stay awake without caffeine stimulation until the announcement is over.  Then I’m going to come back here and go back to bed until the next crisis or tomorrow morning... whichever comes first.”

Adam laughed.  “Got it, Chief.  The kids are still at lunch, so you have a little time.”  Mary shook her head.

“If I don’t get up and get moving now, I won’t make it.  Wait here for me, please.  I’ll only be a few minutes.”  Adam nodded his agreement and turned his attention to the window.  Mary disappeared into the bathroom once more.


Chapter III

“You all right?” Danny asked Arianna again as she hesitated outside the doors to the restaurant their friends were currently ensconced in and waiting for them.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, nodding her head jerkily.  Her eyes popped open when she felt the incredible warmth of Eden’s hand rest on her arm.  Arianna looked at her with surprise and more than a hint of confusion.

“Az,” smirking when Arianna rolled her eyes and frowned at the designation.  Most of them had given each other nicknames at the compound and Eden used Arianna’s initials – A and Z – because it drove the young woman crazy.  No one else but Eli had ever called Arianna anything besides her name, and none of them were willing to intrude on that moniker.  Eden let her disquiet show briefly.  “Hey... we don’t have to do this if you’re that uncomfortable with the idea.”

“You’d skip lunch...?”

Eden sighed.  “If that’s what it takes.  I’m sure Danny can get Luke to bring us something to the meeting.  But you know – the sooner you do this, the easier it will be.  Not as much time to build things up in your head, you know?  And wouldn’t you rather do it informally like this?”

Arianna drew in a deep breath, pondering Eden’s words thoughtfully.  For all their discord, Eden had never deliberately lied to Arianna or steered her wrong.  And she had always looked out for her when Eli had asked.  It occurred to Arianna that this might be the case this time as well, but she didn’t know how to bring it up without stirring up all kinds of anger and resentment on both their parts.

Arianna slowly released the breath she’d been holding and opened her eyes.  She looked first to Danny who was nodding encouragingly at her, then at Eden.  Her black eyes were mostly shuttered, but that wasn’t unusual.  Eden didn’t show much to the world that she didn’t want them to see.  Arianna blinked and Eden lowered her walls a little... enough that Arianna could still see the honest concern.  She straightened her spine and pasted on her best Princess smile.

“Let’s do this,” she said.

“You’re sure?”

“No, but I’m going to overthink the whole thing if we don’t move along with the program.”

“Fair enough,” Eden said, whipping open the door before Arianna could change her mind.  Danny caught her hand in his and tucked it into the crook of his arm.  Eden motioned them ahead of her, then took her place at Arianna’s other side, a gentle hand on the small of her back.

Their entrance startled most of the candidates into sudden stillness, but it lasted only a fleeting second before they began cheering – a sound that grew in volume as the blush covering Arianna’s face deepened in response to their accolades.  From her place in the back corner of the room, Eli smiled, then disappeared into the kitchen unnoticed by everyone except Eden... and Arianna.

************

Mary wasn’t sure how, but she managed to beat most of the candidates into the conference room.  Only a very few had gathered in the space so far, and a look at her timepiece told her it was getting dangerously close to time for the Committee to return from their own repast.  She yawned, wishing desperately to be back in her bed, but given the way the last twelve hours had gone, she was leery of voluntarily missing out on anything.

Her comm unit beeped in her ear and she touched a finger to the device to activate it.  “Wellesly.”

“Chief, this is Sarah.  I wanted to let you know that the candidates are headed your way en masse.”

“You’re staying with them, correct?  One agent per car until they’ve all arrived?”

“Yes, Chief.  We just wanted to update you on their status.”

“I appreciate that, Sarah.  Do you know *why* they’re coming up all together?  Surely they didn’t all finish lunch at the same time.”

“No, Chief... they didn’t.  But when Angel joined them, it caused a bit of chaos.”

Mary started again at the use of Arianna’s codename.  Just a few hours of addressing the young woman by her given name and hearing her called otherwise... especially by the name that Eli had chosen for her... was jarring.  “Excuse me?”

“Oh... nothing we couldn’t handle, Chief.  But everyone made it a point to speak to her since the Prick wasn’t around to hinder their ability to do so.  Of course some were more enthusiastic than others.”

“Everyone?”

Sarah sighed.  “Almost everyone.  Princess left when Angel and her escorts entered the restaurant.”

“Is someone with her?”

“Yes, Chief.  Reuben made sure she got back to her room all right, and as far as I know he’s still there with her.  I’m guessing she’ll be the last to arrive.”

“Not a bet I’d take,” Mary replied.  “I think the same thing.”  She paused as people started trickling into the room – project contenders and security personnel alike.  “All right – the candidates are starting to file in.  I’ll see you shortly.”

“Yes Chief,” Sarah replied then cut the connection.  Mary turned her attention to the people making their way into the room.  You could feel the excitement and curiosity crackling the air around them, and she smiled.  She was more than a little curious about this meeting herself.  She yawned again.  She just hoped the Committee would move things along fairly quickly.

************

“So was it what you expected?” Danny asked as they entered the lift.  His face was flushed purple in his excitement, and he couldn’t keep the twinkle out of his eyes or the lilt from his voice.

“No,” Arianna replied, shaking her head though her eyes remained firmly focused on the floor.  “I didn’t expect anyone to really notice... much less be happy to see me.  I mean... we all know I’m not the most popular person here.  It was... it was weird getting that kind of attention from everyone.”

Eden frowned.  “Bad weird?”  She really didn’t want to have to tell Eli that her request to include Arianna had backfired spectacularly because everyone had been so inclusive they had put Arianna off.  Arianna shook her head again.

“I don’t think so.  I just never thought people would try so hard to care.  I know some of them really don’t, but they still managed to say a kind word before they left the restaurant.  Why do you suppose that is?” jerking her head up and letting her eyes meet Eden’s squarely.  “We’re all still in competition with each other, so why would they bother?  Unless they were directed to do so.”

The elevator stopped moving and they felt Danny shift behind them, but Eden and Arianna never lost their stare.  “Tell me, Eden,” Arianna hissed in a harsh whisper, “did Eli issue orders for everyone to be nice to me?”

Eden moved her hand to signal to Danny but she never removed her gaze from Arianna’s.  “You know as well as I do that Eli doesn’t have the authority to issue orders to anyone here.  She was chosen to lead at the compound because she stepped up and took the task.  But here we’re all equals.”  Arianna blinked and let her eyes drop.  Eden cupped her chin and waited until brown eyes met hers again.  “This was the first opportunity we’ve had to talk to you without the ass... without Malcolm around since you came back to the facility betrothed to one another.  Maybe people figured out that their real problem with you was him.”

“We’re still betrothed.”

“Yes, but we don’t have to be nice to him,” Eden said with a smirk.  “Now c’mon.  Danny’s tired of being a doorstop and I don’t want to make an entrance because the Committee is waiting on us.”

Arianna jerked her eyes away from Eden’s to look around.  Sure enough, Danny was standing in the door of the elevator holding it open and people were exiting the remaining lifts and making their way towards the conference room in small groups.  She nodded and Danny took her hand again while Eden walked on her other side.

They weren’t the last ones in, but they were close and Arianna met Mary’s tired, smiling face.  She gave a small smile and a nod of her own, then followed Eden into a row of empty chairs and took a seat.  She didn’t see Eli slip in the back just before the doors closed.

************

Eli stayed in the restaurant long enough to know that her request was being honored before making her way into the kitchen and out to an elevator.  She didn’t even turn her head when she was joined by a member of the security team; she just entered the lift and leaned against the wall until they reached the correct floor.  Then she gave Reuben a nod and slid from the elevator, walking to her room and entering without hesitation.  If she figured right, she had about an hour or so to simply rest and recover from what had already been a rough, exhausting morning.

She lay down on the bed again, mindful of the clothing she wore.  Eli really had no desire to appear before the Committee and her fellow candidates in wrinkled clothes, but she was to the point of tired that all she wanted to do was rest for a few minutes.  Eli closed her eyes and immediately felt her body relax.  She never realized when she fell asleep.

************

“Ms Wellesly?”

Mary frowned when the unexpected voice of Chairman McMurtry sounded through her earpiece.  “Madame Chairman?” her confusion evident.

“I’m sorry to contact you this way; I do realize it is highly unorthodox.  But your man Stephen informed me that you had been notified of this meeting and I wanted to assure myself of your presence.”

“I am inside the conference room, Madame Chairman.  In my usual place.”

“Is everyone else gathered?”

Mary glanced around the room, meeting the eyes of each of her team members.  One by one they nodded their heads at her, assuring her that their charges were present and accounted for.  She was mentally tabulating the number of candidates in the room as well as calculating which security members were still missing.  Just as Mary opened her mouth to speak, she saw Reuben and Eli slip in and take a place in the corner opposite hers against the back wall.

“Ms Wellesly?” McMurtry’s voice came across the comm unit again.  There was the slightest hint of impatience in her tone.

“Beg pardon, Madame Chairman.  I was doing a head count and my team was checking in.”

“And the result?”

“All present and accounted for, Madame Chairman.”

“Thank you, Ms Wellesly.  The Committee will be there in approximately three minutes.”  Without further elucidation, there was a click and McMurtry’s voice went silent.  Another moment passed and Stephen was on the line.  “Sorry, Chief.  They got here and she demanded to speak to you – practically snatched my comm unit away from me.  Given the way the morning has gone around here, I thought it best to let her talk to you directly.”

“You know something?”

“Only that their lunch was a little intense.  They went into the private dining room and locked the door.   No one was happy when they went in, and no one was happy when they came out.  The Chairman was the only one to come to me directly, though.  The rest are still freshening up.”

Mary pinched the bridge of her nose and blew a breath of air between her lips.  “Fabulous.  Everyone keep an eye out,” watching her team nod in tandem. 

“Hail, hail the gangs all here,” Scott sing-songed.  “Looks like it’s show time, boys and girls,” Scott said as the Committee approached his desk.  He rose and walked to the door to open it.

“Thanks, Scott.”

“Wish I could have done more, Chief,” he replied apologetically.  Then he pulled the door wide and allowed the Committee to pass over the threshold before closing it firmly behind them and resuming his place at his desk.

************

The candidates didn’t stand when the Committee walked into the room, but they did still into a silence so complete the footsteps of the Committee Members sounded loud in the room.  Once they were all on the dais and seated behind their various placards, Chairman McMurtry cleared her throat to draw all eyes to her.

She looked out across the crowd of eager, expectant faces and sighed.  She knew what they believed – what they hoped – this gathering had been called for.  She felt a little guilty that the truth wasn’t anywhere close to that aspiration.  But she and her fellow Members had spent every moment since Mary Wellesly had left them sequestered in this very room debating the consequences of the revelation she had made.  It hadn’t been pleasant, and this wouldn’t be either.  But it was necessary.

“I know many of you believe that we’ve called you all together to announce the final choice of the Alpha team for this project.”  She took a deep breath and released it slowly, using the time to look around the room as some of the candidates caught on to what she hadn’t said yet.  “Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.  We do still have a number of closing interviews to conduct and we will be rescheduling the ones we missed today to take place sometime this weekend.  We will be making our definitive selection and the announcement of those chosen by the end of next week.”

Those words caused a cheer to go up from a majority of the candidates, but McMurtry was quick to notice that three of their top picks didn’t join in.  She wondered if they were that certain they would be chosen or if it was because they realized her words were simply a buffer for the announcement that was coming – the one she and the Committee were still dissatisfied with.

“Why are we here?”  The Chairman looked around to see who had spoken... not at all surprised to see Arianna stand to her feet.  “If you are not informing us of the composition of the Alpha team, why are we here?”

The candidates started murmuring amongst themselves as they recognized the validity of Arianna’s question.  Arianna herself didn’t look around – she held McMurtry’s eyes with intense brown ones... almost daring the older woman to look away.  A shrill whistle resounded throughout the room, causing silence to fall once more.  Mary stepped forward from her place against the wall as she removed the fingers from the corners of her mouth.

“Arianna has asked a legitimate question.  Perhaps if you all settle down, the Chairman will have the opportunity to address it.”

McMurtry removed her gaze from Arianna to give Mary a nod.  “Thank you, Ms Wellesly.  Candidate Zarita has indeed asked a fair question – though I promise you I was getting to the reason for having directed all of you to be here for this.”  She cleared her throat again.  Arianna took a seat.

“This morning, it was brought to our attention,” motioning towards her fellow Members, “that one of your number has acquired a disease we believed long eradicated from this planet.  We do not yet have specifics on where he came into contact with it or when – there are people working on obtaining that information as we speak.  Suffice it to say, however, that we will find out.”

“What disease?” one of the candidates at the front of the room asked.

McMurtry sighed.  “Something with the potential to wipe out the population of the planet.” 

“What disease?” another voice demanded.

She waited for several heartbeats before she replied.  “Aids.”

Again, there was an outbreak of sound as the postulants began talking amongst themselves, sharing what information they knew about the deadly infection.  McMurtry held up her hands before Mary could give another ear-splitting whistle.  “There is a cure for it, but it has some ghastly side effects.  Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine against it.  So before we can do anything else, each of you will need to be tested by the team physician.  Those of you who have been cleared by the assistant will by necessity be put at the front of the line.”

“Will having this disease eliminate us from the program?”

The Chairman pinched her lips.  Here was the heart of the controversy she and her colleagues had been arguing about for the better part of the morning.  “That has not been decided.  We have yet to reach a consensus.”

“So we’re just supposed to hang in limbo until....”

“No,” McMurtry replied forcefully.  “We won’t even know the outcomes of the tests until after we make the selection.  Ms Wellesly and her team will be responsible for collecting the results and administering the cure if necessary.”  The Chairman watched as Mary’s head jerked up, and she gave her a small nod.  Mary nodded back, understanding that this was her punishment for her disrespect of Arianna’s father earlier.

“The likelihood of one of you having contracted this disease is very slim.  This is mostly a precautionary measure for your safety as well as that of this planet.  One incident does not an outbreak make.  But it is enough to cause us to ensure that it *is* simply a single case and not the beginnings of an epidemic.”

“So who’s the idiot who managed to land us in this mess?” Jacob asked.  “I’d kind of like to thank him personally.”

McMurtry chuckled and felt the tension in the room break as the rest of the Committee snickered along with her.  “I’m sure you would, Candidate Aryoch.  But I’m not at liberty to discuss it.  Now,” she continued before he could protest further, “the team physician was kind enough to set up screening appointments for each of you.  The day and time has been sent to your Pads.  Please adhere to the schedule – he has a reason for placing each of you where he did in line.”

“How long before we get the results?” Hannah queried.  McMurtry looked at Mary.

“Ms Wellesly?  Do you know...?”

“I should have the results within a day of your testing.  I will contact each of you as I am alerted to your prognosis.  No one will be left wondering for longer than necessary.”

The candidates seemed to accept this and turned their attention back to McMurtry when she spoke again.  “That’s all we have for the moment.  As I said, today’s interviews will be rescheduled for this weekend and we will have a final decision on the Alpha team by the end of next week.”  With those words, the Committee rose and made its way out of the conference room.  The candidates sat silently for another minute before they rose and began chattering and moving towards the door.


Chapter IV

Mary remained in place against the far corner of the back wall watching as the candidates streamed out of the conference room.  They didn’t look pleased with the turn of events – not that she could blame them – but no one was panicking either.  From the bits of conversation she could pick up, a majority of them were mostly curious as to which of them had contracted the virus... and how they had done so.

She turned her eyes to the room, noting Arianna hadn’t moved from her seat.  Eden was turned towards her and Danny was crouched down beside her, both with frowns on their faces.  Mary watched as Arianna shook her head and Danny rose, leaning over to hug her gently before he slipped up the aisle to join Esther, Jacob and Luke.  Eden remained with Arianna another moment, then squeezed her hand and rose from her chair, sliding by Arianna and making her way to her waiting friends.  Without a word, they left the conference room, but Eden met Eli’s eyes for a moment and offered her a single nod.  Eli quirked a half-smile in her direction in acknowledgment.

Before Mary could push away from the wall and approach Arianna who hadn’t moved, Eli shifted so they were standing side by side.  “Thank you for the cookies,” she said without turning to meet Mary’s gaze.  “You didn’t have to do that – since it was entirely my fault I missed lunch - but I appreciated it.  Please tell your daughter she’s in the wrong line of work.”

Mary smirked, but kept her stare on Arianna’s bowed head, figuring this was as close to an apology or forgiveness she would ever achieve with Eli.  “I’ve told her that on more than one occasion.  She just gives me her father’s smirk and laughs.  It’s a little unnerving.”  She glanced at Eli briefly before returning her focus to Arianna, noting Eli was looking at the same image.  “Did Reuben have to get you some milk to wash them down?”

Eli chuckled, and Arianna’s head jerked up.  Eli froze and her words were suddenly as cold as her demeanor.  “He did.  If you’ll excuse me....”  And she was gone before Mary could respond.  Mary looked at Arianna who had risen and turned at the sound.  Arianna’s shoulders slumped for a brief moment, then she gave Mary a heartbreaking smile and stepped towards her.  Mary leaned back into the wall... and waited.

************

“Hey,” Eden said as they remained seated while their compatriots filed out of the room around them.  She placed a hand on Arianna’s wrist.  “You all right?” she asked quietly.  Arianna’s reaction to the Chairman’s announcement would have gone unnoticed if Eden hadn’t been paying close attention to her.  As it was, she was still confused by it.  Arianna had stiffened slightly, then become completely motionless.  Eden hadn’t been sure she was breathing until she rested a hand on her pulse and felt the rapid heartbeat beneath the smooth skin.

Arianna took a deep breath and nodded her head once, not lifting her eyes from the hands in her lap.  “I’m fine, Eden.”

“You sure?” feeling Danny move from her side to kneel down next to Arianna.  “You seem to be taking this announcement pretty hard.”  She felt Arianna take another breath before she looked up and met Eden’s black eyes.  She gave her a small smile.

“I’m sure, Eden.  But you don’t know what it means to me to have you ask.  I just need a minute to catch my breath.  Why don’t you and Danny go meet the rest who are waiting for you, and I’ll catch up later?”

“We’d rather not leave you alone, Sweetie,” Danny confessed, saving Eden the embarrassment of admitting such a thing.  She gave him a grateful look that Arianna didn’t see, because she was giving him the same expression.

“I appreciate that, Danny... really.  But I need a moment to myself.”

“We’ll be right outside,” he assured her before he rose and hugged her.  He slipped away without another word.  Eden slid her fingers down to curl into Arianna’s clasp.

“You sure you’ll be all right alone?”  Arianna smiled again... this one a little bigger.

“I’m sure.”

Eden nodded.  “All right then,” she said gruffly, squeezing the fingers holding hers.  Then she stood and made her way up the aisle towards the friends that were waiting for her.  She met Eli’s eyes and gave her a nod, assuring her that Arianna was okay.  Eli’s half-smile was expected, but Eden cringed at the pain she witnessed in those flat gray eyes.  She wondered if they would ever return to their natural color, and then they were out the door and waiting for Arianna to join them.

Arianna sat motionless for a few moments longer – until she heard light laughter that was so familiar, but that she hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime.  Her head jerked up instinctively and she rose and turned towards it, only to have the sound cut off immediately.

The look in Eli’s eyes was so cold... so lifeless, and Arianna felt herself crumble under the weight of responsibility she felt.  Her feet refused to move and her lips were unable to call out, and Eli left without offering Arianna the first hint of recognition.

Her shoulders sagged and she met Mary’s understanding gaze.  It was all she could do to smile, then she straightened and headed to where Mary stood waiting.  It was time to get a few answers.

************

“Is everything all right, Arianna?” Mary asked, concern filling her tone even though her eyes reflected her exhaustion.

“I don’t think so,” Arianna replied honestly.  “And you look like you could use a little sleep.”

Mary laughed heartily, causing Arianna to give her a big, genuine smile.  “Ah… the mark of a true politician,” Mary said with a grin.  “That’s the understatement of the century, my dear.  The Fates are conspiring against me today in that regard, though.”  She met Arianna’s gaze and felt her demeanor sober.  “How can I help you, Arianna?”

“I’m sorry for putting you into this position, but I really need to know – the candidate who contracted this virus the Committee seems to be genuinely in fear of... it’s Malcolm isn’t it?”

Mary arched an eyebrow, but her eyes never left Arianna’s.  “What makes you think that?”

“Other than the fact that he wasn’t present at this meeting and that the few belongings he brought with him into my room last night are gone as if they were never there?”  She waited for Mary to nod.  “Just call it a hunch.”

“Is your hunch based on anything other than a gut feeling?”

“Yes, but there is a big portion of instinct in use here too.”

“Like what, if I may ask.”

Arianna sighed and closed her eyes, lifting one hand so she could tick her points of on it to prevent herself from forgetting anything.  “Like the fact that he hasn’t been seen since he was removed from this property last night; like the fact that all his belongings are gone from my room; like the fact that he was only ever examined by the assistant physician – never by the team doctor; like the fact that you were confident you could have him removed from the program without jeopardizing my place.”  Mary’s eyes widened, and she was thankful Arianna’s were still closed.  It gave her a moment to school her features before brown eyes blinked open again and Arianna leveled a stare in her direction.  “Is that enough?”

“It is,” Mary admitted.  “If you weren’t so brilliant otherwise, I’d recruit you for my team.  Your observational skills are to be commended.”

“So he is the idiot behind the not-quite panic the Committee seems to have going on, isn’t he?”

“He is,” Mary nodded.  “But please don’t share that around.  You have the right to know because of your previous betrothal to him, but it will only cause issues for you and for us if you tell people.”  She saw the disbelief in Arianna’s eyes, and she reached for her hands.  Arianna clasped them together tightly, studying the truth in Mary’s eyes.

“Previous?”

“Yes.  I’m sure you’ll get official notice from your father,” trying not to curl her lip in distaste, “and I’ll be happy to share the whole story with you later, but trust me when I tell you that Malcolm is out of your life for good.”

“So what issues would it cause for people to know he’s gone?  People are going to start noticing on their own if they haven’t already, and I’m pretty sure a number of candidates would be thrilled to celebrate that fact.”

“If you give them the official version of why he left – the one that says he relinquished his place and your betrothal so you could stay with the program – it wouldn’t be a problem,” smirking at the disgusted face Arianna made at that suggestion.  “But to let them know the truth – that he was the one that caught a deadly disease whose only cure is sterilization – they will go back to shunning you, Arianna... for fear of being exposed to the virus because of your acknowledged relationship with him.”

“But we’ve never....”

“I know that and you know that.  But most here won’t understand it... even though it is an acknowledged law and custom of your people.  That’s not how it works in most societies.”

“So to protect myself....”

“... you have to protect him... at least until we know all the facts.  We’re still working on putting them all together, but when we have them, so will you.”

Arianna closed her eyes again and smiled.  “Thank you, Mary.  I know that doesn’t sound like much, but I mean those words.  I wish there was more I could say to convey to you just how grateful I am for what you’ve done.”  She squeezed the hands she held and opened her eyes.  “If there is anything I can do....”

Mary smiled gently and shook her head.  “We both need more rest than we’ve had so far today, so I’ll tell you what,” releasing Arianna’s hands and motioning towards the door.  “You take it easy for the remainder of the day – I’m not saying you have to sleep right now, but try to do something low impact and go to bed early tonight, all right?   I’ll go try to actually get some sleep so I have more than two functioning brain cells – and when I get up, I’ll tell you the whole story.  Then you can decide what you want to do from there, okay?”

Arianna nodded.  “Okay.  Thank you, Mary... sincerely,” opening the door to find her colleagues... her friends... waiting patiently.  Only Stephen and Mary remained of the security team, and he shrugged when she cocked her eye at him.  She just shook her head.

“All right, boys and girls – looks like you’re stuck with me until we get to back to our floor, so let’s go.”  Luke and Daniel walked to the elevator immediately and stood waiting for Mary to key the door open.  Jacob and Eden looked at one another, then between Arianna and Mary before allowing their eyes to settle on Arianna.

“You okay, Az?” Eden asked.  Arianna nodded.

“Yes, Eden... thank you.  I’m still tired from last night.”

“How about you, Ms W?” Jacob asked with a rakish grin, though there was serious concern in his eyes.  “You look like....”  Eden slapped a hand over his mouth and he scowled at her.  She smirked and shook her head.

“Never tell a woman how she looks unless you’re complimenting her, Jake.  You’ll live a much longer, happier life.”  His eyes widened and he turned a sheepish expression in Mary’s direction even as he removed Eden’s hand from his mouth.

“Sorry, Mary,” he mumbled.  “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Mary chuckled.  “I know, Jacob.  And I appreciate the concern,” wiping a hand over her burning eyes.  “It’s nothing a few hours of sleep won’t cure, so can we go upstairs?  I’d like to try and catch a few more winks before the next crisis arises.”

“I’d like to have no more crises if they’re gonna be like this one,” Luke replied as the rest approached the lift.  “I mean, the Aids virus was part of my studies when I was working on my inter-species medical degree.  Do you realize how badly...?”  Mary gave him a look and he changed directions.  “I’m just glad it was caught so quickly.”  He clapped his hands together and blew out a breath when he realized everyone was looking at him.  “Right... I’m just gonna shut up now.”

At that moment the elevator dinged and the doors opened onto their floor.  Members of the security turned their heads and shifted to protect the last group and Mary made her way out of the lift and headed down the hall towards her room without a backwards glance.  They all turned to Arianna who was watching her go with a frown.

“Everything all right?” Jacob asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.  She nodded and turned her attention back to him and the others.

“Yes.  I just hope she gets some rest.  She’s been going pretty hard for a while now thanks to me.  I’d hate for it to be my fault that something happened to her.”

Jacob grinned debonairly.  “Nothing can stop Mary, Arianna.  She’s a tough old broad.”

Eden snorted.  “She hears you calling her old, you might not make it to tomorrow, Jake.”  She turned to Arianna.  “C’mon, Az.  I think the girls are in Gay’s room.  She said something about Dancing Like a Rock Star... whatever that means.”

Arianna blinked at her.  It had been a long time since she been included as part of the group, and Eden had never been the one to invite her.  She was a little bit stunned.

Jake smirked.  “I think you broke her, Eden.”  Danny just gave him a withering stare and put a hand on Arianna’s arm.  She glanced down at it after a moment, then looked up to meet his eyes.  He just cocked an eyebrow at her and smiled before nodding in Eden’s direction.  She had her arms crossed over her chest and an impatient frown on her face, though the twinkle in her eyes belied her true exasperation at Arianna.

“You back with us, Az?  Or do you need a little longer?  I’m sure we have time for a three hour tour,” said with a smile and more than a hint of sarcasm. Arianna narrowed her eyes and gave Eden a contemptuous stare, but that only caused Eden to smirk.  Arianna huffed.  Eden chuckled aloud.  “So you coming with me, Az or you gonna go back to your room and rest a while?”

“You really sure *you* want me there, Eden?”

Eden frowned.  “What the hell kind of question is that, Az?  I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t, and if we don’t get down there soon, they’re liable to come looking for us.  They’re expecting us – all of them are expecting both of us.”

Daniel stepped up and wrapped an arm around Arianna’s shoulders.  “Accept it, honey.  You were never the one we had an issue with... not after we really got to know you.  And since the asshat’s not here at the moment to interfere, we want to take advantage while we can.”

Arianna teared up, but her smile was bright.  “I’ve missed you guys... so much.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eden mocked, though her eyes were suspiciously tender.  “Now c’mon... before Gay decides we need to do some dance called the Funky Chicken.”

Arianna frowned.  “You mean like the farm animal on this planet?” watching Eden nod briskly.  She arched an eyebrow.  “You’re making that up.”

“Swear to the Holy Heavens she’s not,” Daniel assured her.  “We saw the list.”

“So we’re square now?” Jacob asked impatiently.  “Cause I need to get back to Nuke ‘em Duke ‘em before Titus or Simon beats my high score.  What??” he whined when Eden and Daniel rolled their eyes simultaneously.  “You know what – never mind.”  He looked at Luke.  “You with me, man or you going with them?”

Luke gave Daniel an apologetic glance, and Daniel just shrugged.  Luke turned to Jacob.  “Let’s go kick some alien ass!”  Jacob whooped and headed down the hallway, only to turn and walk backwards for a few steps to blow kisses.  Then he and Luke disappeared into his room, only to be greeted by a muted cheer.  Eden chuckled and shook her head.

“C’mon you two.  Let’s not waste any more of this unexpected day off.”  She took Arianna by the elbow, knowing Daniel would do the same on the other side.  And they waltzed down the hall until they reached the room some of the girls were gathered in.  It was time for a little fun.

************

Mary paused when she reached her door.  Eli stood in the doorway leaning against the doorjamb, conveniently out of sight.  Mary gestured her away from the lock, then opened the door and ushered the younger woman in ahead of her.  Without a word, she motioned Eli towards the bed, stopping at the closet to kick off her shoes and hang up her jacket.  Then she walked to the small refrigerator and pulled the door open, reaching inside and pulling out the milk.  She held it up and Eli nodded.  Mary poured out two glasses and handed one to Eli, then took a seat beside her.

“So what can I do for you, Eli?” she asked quietly.

“I owe you an apology.  I was rude this morning, and it was uncalled for.  I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right,” Mary assured her with a smile.  “I was pushy.  People get angry when they get pushed, and I obviously pushed too far.  So I’m sorry too.”

Eli nodded, but otherwise didn’t respond, and they sat in companionable silence as they drank their milk.  When Eli finished, she sighed deeply.  “That hit the spot,” she commented softly with a chuckle.  “Reuben didn’t give me quite enough to wash down those cookies.”

Mary winced. “I’m so sorry.  Would you like some more?”

“Oh... no thank you.  This was perfect.”  She nodded towards the refrigerator.  “Nice perk, by the way.”

“There’s gotta be some benefit for being the Head Idiot in Charge, right?”

Eli laughed, startling herself and Mary alike.  “I guess there does.”  She stood.  “Let me get out of here so you can get some sleep.  I’m pretty sure you’ve waited long enough for that.  And besides, I’ve got a couple things to take care as well.  I can show myself out,” she added when Mary made a move to rise from the bed.

“Eli?” Mary said as Eli reached the door.  Eli stopped and turned, waiting for Mary to continue.  “Malcolm’s out.”  Eli’s eyes widened briefly before she shuttered her gaze.  Then she gave Mary a curt nod and exited the room, closing the door quietly behind her.  Mary just shook her head.  She stripped out of her clothes, letting them fall where they lay, and crawled under the blankets.  With any luck, the world would be able to go on without her for just a little while.


Chapter V

“Are you certain you’re well, ДОЧЬ?” Eli’s mother asked with concern.  “You seem... not yourself, and your coloring disturbs me.  There is something... off, though perhaps….”

“I’m fine, MaTb,” Eli cut into Eve’s rambling before it could become a full-blown rant.  “I’m just a little tired.  You know how wearing I find politics,” rolling her eyes and chuckling deprecatingly.  Her mother smirked and nodded.

“I do indeed.  I’m more than a little surprised you’ve lasted as long as you have,” she offered honestly.  “Oh, not in the program,” she hastened to add when Eli’s brow furrowed at her perceived criticism.  “I fully expect you’ll be chosen, ДОЧЬ.  You have very few peers in that regard.  But this is the first I’ve heard you complain about the political game necessary to achieve that.”

“It’s only recently gotten tiring, MaTb.  We’re into the grandstanding and posturing stage.”  She blew out a breath forcefully, causing her bangs to fly up before they settled over her eyes once more.  “I just want to get on with it, you know?”

“I know, Elizabeth.  At least it shouldn’t be much longer.”

“I hope not.  Limbo sucks.”

Her mother laughed.  “You always were impatient, ДОЧЬ.  Enjoy the relative peace – once you leave to begin the project in earnest, it will be chaos and hard work for quite a while before you get settled in and can take a break.”

“Yes, MaTb.  Will you and OTeU be coming to see me off?”

“Of course,” grinning at the confidence Eli showed about being chosen.  “We are simply waiting for notification and clearance.  We’ve already been through the preliminary and secondary processes.”

“Excuse me?”

Eve frowned.  “For what, ДОЧЬ?”

“What preliminary and secondary processes?”

“Security clearance.  When you were selected for the program we all went through a security check and when you made it to the interview procedure, your OTeU and I were visited again.  The young woman we spoke to was lovely – she told us her boss was taking the initiative with the families of the candidates she expected to be chosen as part of the Alpha team.”  Eve frowned.  “Surely we’ve talked about this, Elizabeth.”

“No, MaTb – we haven’t,” Eli said drolly.  “Trust me... I’d have remembered that conversation.”

“I am sorry, ДОЧЬ.  I thought I had told you before – it might have provided you with a measure of peace about your place in the program.”

Eli smiled and shook her head.  “Not then.  I’ve only just learned how thorough the Chief, as the security team calls her, is... and has been throughout this entire project.  She knows things about me I had forgotten – things that happened in my fifth year.”

Eve’s brows went into her hairline.  “She sounds very... efficient.”

“She is, MaTb.  I will introduce you when you come.  You’ll like her.”

“I’ll look forward to it, Elizabeth.  Now are you certain everything is all right otherwise?  You seem somewhat pale.”

Eli smiled.  “I’m sure, MaTb.  Just ready to get to work.” Before Eve could pursue that line of thought further, Eli pressed on.  “Tell me about the rest of the family – how is Sarah?  And Samuel and the twins?”

Eve let it go, caught up in her daughter’s enthusiasm and questions about the rest of the family, and they spent the next hour catching up.  Finally, though, a chime sounded on Eve’s end, and she turned her head from the monitor briefly before looking back at Eli remorsefully.  Eli smiled and shook her head.

“It’s all right, MaTb – I understand.  Go take care of it and we’ll talk again soon.”

Even nodded.  “I’m glad you called, ДОЧЬ... however unexpectedly.  It was wonderful to have so much uninterrupted time just to talk.”  The bell rang again, and Eve scowled.  “Impatient little....” causing Eli to smirk and herself to snort.  “I need to go.  We’ll talk soon?”

“Yes, MaTb.  Love to you and the family.”

“Love back, Elizabeth... always.  All right, I’m coming,” she shouted as she turned away from the screen when the tone pealed across the airwaves again.  She raised a hand in farewell and cut the connection before Eli could respond. Eli sat staring at the darkened screen for another minute, shoulders shaking in mirth in a way they hadn’t for far too long.  When she had herself under control, save for the occasional grin, she rose from the chair and moved to the closet. 

A quick change of clothes later, she grabbed her gaming gear and headed to the door.  She hoped Jacob’s invitation was still open.

************

The hallway was empty save for the security personnel scattered up and down the corridor.  Eli chanced to wonder if everyone was sequestered in their own rooms or if they had gathered in larger groups in a few rooms.  Judging by the way the security team was placed, she was betting on the latter. 

She was almost to Jacob’s room when the door closest to her opened and Esther stepped out.  She stopped abruptly upon seeing Eli, then grinned and closed the door soundly behind her.

“Hey, Girlfriend!” she greeted with a drawl.  “We missed you at lunch.  Come dance with us.”

Eli smiled and shook her head.  “Not this time, Esther.  I’m going gaming,” motioning to her gear.  “Besides, I tried that this morning, and I’m not sure that practice makes perfect in this case.  Have you seen me dance?”

Esther laughed and nodded.  For all the grace Eli had when it came to doing almost anything else, dancing was just not something she was very good at.  Esther had her suspicions on why that was, of course, but she wasn’t about to bring them up now.  “Yeah, I have.  You’re not that bad.”

Eli snorted.  “I’m not that good either.  At least I can hold my own in Nuke ‘em Duke ‘em.”  She frowned.  “Why are you out here instead of dancing with the others?  You *are* really good at it.”

“Yeah,” Esther agreed nonchalantly.  “But not everyone else is, and I needed to get the red stain out before it set.  I don’t care how technologically advanced we seem to get, red will always stain white if you don’t take care of it immediately.”

Eli nodded.  She knew Esther’s words for truth.  Before the silence could drag on into awkward territory, she spoke... not realizing Esther was doing the same.  They broke off together, then exchanged glances and laughed.  Eli motioned for Esther to speak first.

“Since we’re off tonight, we’re gonna all get together at Nickel’s and party a little later. Make sure you’re there. All right?”

Eli didn’t answer.  Instead she shifted the conversation.  “I need to go if I’m going to have any chance of beating Jacob’s high score.  I’ll see you later?”

“You better,” Esther instructed with a grin, then turned and headed back to Gay’s room where her girls were waiting.  Eli watched her go until she knocked on the door, then turned to do the same to Jacob’s door.  It only took a moment before Kai opened the portal, and a round of cheers went up as she was welcomed into their midst.

Eli smiled.  She had missed this.

************

It had been a good night... mostly, Eli mused some hours later as she dropped tiredly on the end of her bed, flopping back gracelessly with a moan.  The guys had been great about letting her barge into their gaming session, though Isaac and Jacob had pouted a little when she and Kai had wiped the floor with them... metaphorically speaking, of course.  It hadn’t helped that the rest of the guys were cheering her on while jeering at the boys.  Still, it was all in good fun, and they had been gracious losers. 

Eli chuckled at the memory – it had been fun.  She’d missed gaming with the boys; she made a mental note to do it again soon.  It had been fun and relaxing, and when they’d mentioned the party as she was leaving, she’d agreed to go for a little while at least.  She knew she’d been shutting herself off from them more than was necessary, and resolved not to do that anymore.  She’d meant what she’d said earlier – if they were going to be a cohesive team, they were going to need to start forging those bonds now.  She realized that meant she was also going to have to start dealing with Arianna again sooner or later, and figured she may as well do it while she was still feeling good.  It helped that she had the silent support of her teammates.

The party hadn’t really been a party at all.  Instead, a group of them had taken over the small dining room at the back of Nickels.  The group of them had been her team – the people she would choose to be part of the Alpha team if it was her choice to make.  They were the men and women she considered to be her peers... and her friends.  And all of them were present... with one notable exception.

Eden had noticed her looking around even as Eli chatted and mingled with everyone.  When she got to Eden, Eli just arched a brow, and Eden tucked a hand into the crook of her elbow and guided her out of the reserved room and towards the restrooms.  Eli had gone along without complaint, knowing Eden was securing privacy for them.  A security member nodded an ‘all-clear’ and stepped outside the door to wait.  Eli leaned on the sink counter and crossed her arms.

Eden shrugged.  “I sent her to bed.  She was dragging, Eli – fighting to stay awake because she was so excited to be included again.  But since we weren’t sure you’d be here or if you’d want to see her even if you were, I sent her to bed.”  She shrugged again.  “She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.  Danny and I barely got her to her room in time.”

Eli nodded her acceptance.  “Thank you for looking out for her, Eden,” she offered quietly.  “I think it will go a long way towards getting the rest to make her part of the group again.”

Eden looked as though she wanted to comment, but she bit her lip instead.  Eli lifted her hands in question, and Eden sighed loudly.  “It’d go a lot farther if it was you instead of me.  Everyone is real curious to see if you’re going to follow your own mandate – if you’re going to include Arianna again.”

“I’ve never excluded her, Eden.”

“Professionally, no.  But personally – you slammed the door so hard we all got bruises from it.  What she did was wrong, but what you did was harsh.”

“I’m not going to discuss my private life with you, Eden.”

“Well, you need to find someone to talk to about it then.  Because when we leave here, we’re not going to have private lives anymore again.  It’s gonna be just like it was in the desert... only worse.  Everybody’s gonna know everybody else’s business.  Because we’re gonna be stuck living in each other’s hip pockets for years without any hope of relief.  It doesn’t get much more ‘in your face’ than that.”

“Look, Eden....”

“Save it, Eli,” Eden cut her off impatiently.  “We’re not gonna do this here and we’re not gonna do this tonight.  I don’t care if you don’t wanna talk to me,” though the hurt in her eyes told a different story.  “But you need to find someone.  Az would be the best choice, but since I don’t see that happening....”  She blew out a frustrated breath.  “I’m not trying to get all up in your business, Eli.  I’m just....”

Eli sighed.  “I know what you’re doing, Eden.  And you’re right.  I’ll see what I can do.”

Eden nodded once sharply, then took Eli by the elbow.  “That’s all I’m asking, Eli.  C’mon.  I need a drink and so do you.  And you know security is gonna chase us upstairs sooner rather than later.”  They walked out of the restroom and picked up their shadow, and Eden rolled her eyes.  “You think they’re as tired of this merry-go-round as we are?”

Eli blinked at the reference for a moment, then smiled as she nodded.  “Considering how much longer they’ve been at this than we have, I can only imagine it’s much, much worse.”

Eden had looked surprised by her reply, but she had accepted it for the olive branch it was, and their conversation flowed easily from there.  Eli made sure she spoke to everyone before she left, and she was quite satisfied with the evening on the whole.  Now she looked forward to some real sleep, confident the exhaustion she felt to her bones combined with the alcohol she’d consumed would help contribute to the first solid night’s sleep she’d had in months.

She stood with a groan and stripped off her clothes, leaving them in a pile by the bed where they fell.  She stumbled to the bathroom, managing to clean her teeth and wash her face before falling into bed.  She never realized when she fell asleep, but after a few minutes of stillness, the lights dimmed and the room fell into dark silence, with only the sound of her breathing to break the stillness.

************

Mary frowned when she woke suddenly, wondering what had brought her out of a sound sleep.  A glance at her nightstand showed her she’d been sleeping for almost fourteen hours, and she realized the pain of being in one position too long was most likely the cause of her wakeful state.

She moved slowly, stretching each individual muscle group until she felt everything relax, then she turned her attention to popping her joints back into place.  Once that task was complete, she rose and moved to shower, finally ready to begin her day.

Caleb was waiting for her with a hot cup of coffee when she stepped from her room, and she accepted it with a smirk and a nod.  He grinned.

“Been a quiet night, Chief.  Malcolm hasn’t spoken since he was put into quarantine and Nick swears he’s done nothing wrong.  We kept him up all night – nothing unusually cruel,” he assured her.  “We just didn’t let him sleep.  So he should be more than ready to spill his guts when you go to talk to him – just so you’ll let him get some sleep.”

“I can sympathize,” Mary commented.  “It was wonderful to finally be able to sleep, but it was even better when I could finally move enough to actually roll out of the bed this morning.”  Caleb winced and Mary nodded.  “Yeah... I had forgotten about stiffening up like that.  It made for quite the stretching routine this morning.”  She took another swallow of coffee, sighing in relief as she felt the caffeine actually working its way into her bloodstream.  “Anything else happen?”

Caleb snorted.  “Compared to last night – no.  Wonder and Flash tucked Angel into bed pretty early; she stayed in Bright’s room until the rest left to get ready for dinner, but she was so tired she didn’t really argue with them when they were escorting her down the hall.  She just let them put her to bed.  The Alpha team – the ones we expect....”  Mary nodded and waved her hand; Caleb dipped his head.  “Right... anyway, they met up in the private dining room in Nickels – had dinner and socialized for a while.  Wonder and Princess had words in the bathroom.  I don’t know what was said, but neither of them appeared too happy when they exited.”

“Who was watching them?”

“Carmel.”

“All right.  I’ll talk to her later.  Maybe she overheard something.”  She raised her cup to her lips and savored the coffee flavor as it swept over her tongue.  “Anything else?”

“Princess actually spent time with both the male and the female portion of her teammates – separately, but still.  She was with the females while Angel was still sleeping; she was with the guys when Angel was with the girls.”

“Was that deliberate?”

“I don’t know, Chief.  I don’t think so.  According to Ben, she spent almost an hour in her room after she spoke to you.  Logs show she was talking to her mother.  When she came out of her room, she was dressed for gaming – she went straight to Jacob’s room.”  Caleb smiled.  “They cheered when they saw her come in ready to play.”

“Good.  She needs to be more involved if she’s going to lead these people on a successful mission.  Are the interviews on schedule for today?”

Caleb deliberately glanced at his timepiece before crooking an eyebrow at Mary.  “Chief... it’s still oh-dark-thirty in the morning.  Nothing’s on schedule yet.”  He smiled gently, but the twinkle in his eye was nothing short of mischievous.  Mary narrowed her eyes.

“Allow me to rephrase – have the interviews with the Committee and the physical appointments with Dr. Morris been scheduled?”

“Oh yes, Chief.  We went over them to make sure there were no conflicts before we sent them out a little while ago.  It should be on your Pad.”

“Thank you.  I think I’ll go have a little breakfast and look things over before I go down to talk to Nick.”  She held out her cup when he lifted the pot.  Caleb filled hers, then his before reseating the pot on the heat.  “Has he said anything?” she asked after her first swallow.  “Aside from protesting his innocence, I mean?”

“Not really.  He whined until I had to threaten him with that silver tape you’re so fond of – you know the one I mean.  Quacked tape?”

Mary hastened to swallow the mouthful of coffee she had to keep it from squirting out her nose.  Then she gave him a dirty look.  “DUCT tape, Caleb.  DucT tape.  No feathers or quacking ducks involved.”

He smirked.  It wasn’t often he got her... not like she got him anyway.  “Well anyway,” he continued, “he stopped talking after he saw that.  Apparently he didn’t appreciate the thought of losing his beard in chunks.”

Mary winced.  “Can’t say I blame him.  But he can wait a little while longer.  Make sure... who’s with him?”

“Del and Jed.”

“Make sure they keep a close eye on him, and let them know I’ll be there in an hour or so.  Have we heard anymore about the other?”

“No, but the very silence is telling.  When are we going to move them?”

“We need to wait as long as we can, but soon.  I was hoping the Committee would decide to wrap things up this weekend since Malcolm is no longer a liability, but it looks like they’re going to drag it out til the bitter end.”

“Can’t you tell them...?”

“Since I suspect it is one or more of them, I don’t think that would be in anyone’s best interests.  I need to meet with you and Ben and Adam this evening.  Can you be available for a late dinner... or in your case, an early breakfast?”

“Give me a time, Chief.   I’ll be there.”

Mary nodded.  “You’ll know before you get off this morning.  Thanks, Caleb.”  And she walked to the elevator to head downstairs.


Chapter VI

“Please... I just want to go to sleep,” the man whined as Mary entered the small conference room some time later.  There wasn’t much in it – a table with two chairs and two other chairs strategically placed on either side of the only exit.  She pulled the single empty chair away from the table and seated herself, looking at him with compassion.

“As soon as you tell me what I need to know, Nick, you can go to sleep.”

“I don’t know anything – I already told them that,” motioning to the two security agents guarding the door.

“Yes, I know.  The problem is that I don’t believe you.  I think you do know something, and we’re going to stay right here until you tell me what that is.”

“You can’t do that!!  I have rights.”

“You do have rights,” Mary agreed calmly. “However, I can do that.  Your actions have threatened the existence of an entire planet... quite possibly several of them, depending on who has been exposed.  So let me assure you that your rights are the least of my concerns at the moment.”

“Wait... what?  I haven’t done anything!!”

“I know – that’s part of the problem,” Mary snapped.  “You didn’t inform anyone when you discovered the virus.  You didn’t treat the virus as soon as it was detected.”

“Now hold on a minute....”

“No, Nick!  This is serious.  You are going to be charged with treason; use of a deadly biological warfare agent; and deliberate disregard for the lives of your fellowman.  It’s documented, and each of those crimes is a capital offence on most of the planets that could have possibly been exposed to the virus.  All of them combined carry a death sentence.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong!  I was trying to obtain the cure as quickly as possible.”

“That doesn’t negate the fact that you deliberately withheld the information from the authorities that should have been made aware of the issue immediately upon discovery.”

“And been responsible for the mass panic that would have followed??  I didn’t ask for that obligation!”

“That wasn’t your decision to make.  Your responsibility was to report it.  The Council would have assumed accountability after that.”

“So why would I want to help you?” Nick asked sullenly when the silence became pensive and awkward, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.  “What’s in it for me?  If I’m going to die anyway, I mean... what’s the point?”

“Nothing says you will be put to death, Nick, but you need to recognize the fact that there will be consequences for your actions or your lack thereof.  There’s no getting around that.  The Alliance is going to demand some kind of retribution and you are the most obvious target for that at the moment.  I’ll see what I can do about allowing you to be imprisoned if you think you’d rather endure an extended period of hard labor.  Or I will do what I can to make sure you can choose the method of execution you’d prefer if it comes to that.  Because there are many, many ways to die and some much more brutal and horrific than others.”

“You’re so certain I’ll be convicted.”

“You believe there are mitigating circumstances?  I have all the evidence I need that says you will.  You haven’t given me a reason to believe otherwise.”

“And if I provide proof in my favor?”

“Let me hear what you’ve got, Nick.  Then we’ll see if there’s anything we can do for you.”

Nick met Mary’s eyes, holding her gaze while he judged her worth.  After a moment, he jerked his head in agreement.  “All right,” he said, blowing out a nervous breath, “but I want you to represent me.”  Her brows climbed into her hairline, but before she could question further, he continued.  “When it comes up in front of the Council, I want you to stand and speak for me.”

“You tell me the truth, Nick, and I’ll stand for you at your hearing.”

He nodded sharply.  “Fair enough.”

************

“I want you to understand that this wasn’t deliberate – not really, at any rate.  I want to be perfectly clear about something first - I don’t actually know when or how Malcolm was infected.   It wasn’t anything I did.  He already had the virus when I tested him.”  Nick closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands for a moment, before taking a deep breath and meeting Mary’s eyes once more. 

“Dr. Morris asked me to take charge of part of the candidates – he gave me a list.  I now know they were some of the candidates he believed would eventually be cut from the program.”  Mary nodded.  She and Dr. Morris had discussed this very subject just after everyone had arrived back from the experimental compound.  Morris had asked her for a list of the most viable postulants and she’d given him the list she’d made for the Committee.  He had personally taken charge of them as well as some of the secondary candidates.  The rest had been assigned to Nick.

He shrugged.  “I didn’t mind.  I know the Doc is responsible for everyone’s health, but it was nice to be given some responsibility that allowed me to be a part of the whole effort, you know?”

“I do.  That’s why I don’t understand....”

Nick held up his hand.  “I always spent a little time talking to each individual that came through the doors.  A lot of them were confident they wouldn’t be chosen, but it didn’t make them less enthusiastic about the whole idea.  The fact that they’d made it this far gave them confidence to look towards the future and one of the other teams if they were right about being dismissed from the Alpha team.”  He chuckled.  “A number of them found new inspiration to work with that they took back with them after this whole experience.”

Mary’s eyebrows rose.  “You got all that from the short amount of time you spent with them?”

Nick nodded.  “People tend to over share when they’re nervous and physical examinations make most people nervous.  So yeah – I heard all kinds of things... most of it good.”

She cocked her head.  “Anything about this virus?”

Nick shook his head.  “No.  I have to believe that if Malcolm encountered this disease within the confines of this project, he did so unwittingly.  I don’t believe the carrier would even be aware.”

“Do you know who the carrier is?”

“No, because I don’t believe the carrier is part of the project.  I am inclined to think that Malcolm picked it up from somewhere not on this planet.”

Mary pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.  That thought had occurred to her, but it certainly didn’t make it a happy one.  It just made her workload impossibly heavier.

“Any ideas where that might be?  Did he say anything to you?”

Nick shook his head again.  “No.  He didn’t talk much about anything... except to complain a lot.  He was horrified when he found out.”

“So what happened?”

Nick sighed.  “I was doing my scheduled tests – you know how they go,” waiting for Mary to nod her head.  “Right.  So I was doing his blood work and he was telling me about his engagement... his betrothal... and I have to tell you, Ms Wellesly – he was kind of a jerk about it.  Said the only reason he hadn’t fought the betrothal was because it put him in a position of power.”

Mary curled her lip in distaste.  She really didn’t like Malcolm, but her disdain for him grew the more she found out about him.

“So he didn’t like An... Arianna?”

Nick shrugged.  “I don’t think he disliked her.  I just think he was in it for what he could get out of it himself.  He was willing to endure her – his words – for the seat of power he would gain by marrying the throne.”

Mary clenched her jaw and took a deep breath. “So you were doing his blood work and....”

“And nothing... not then, anyway.  I finished doing his tests and moved on to the next candidate on my list.  It wasn’t until the following day when I was analyzing the test samples that I noticed the anomaly.”

“Why didn’t you call Dr. Morris immediately?”

“I wanted to be sure of my findings first.  You know – no reason to stir the pot until you know the fire’s hot.  So I called Malcolm back to acquire another sample – something larger for me to get solid results with.”

“He didn’t wonder?”

“He did, but I put him off.  I told him the tube had gone missing, and I didn’t want to delay his results any longer than necessary.  That we needed the upshots as soon as possible to keep him eligible for the program.  He went on to tell me that he couldn’t be washed from the project – that his betrothal to Arianna ensured his participation.”

“So once you found out....”

“As soon as I knew, I called Malcolm.  He had the right to know first.  But when I went to call Dr. Morris, he begged me not to.  Said he would lose everything if he was found out.  When I balked at keeping it secret, he threatened my family.”

“So why didn’t you come to me?”

“Did you miss the part where he threatened my family, Ms Wellesly?  Besides, he promised to make it worth my while if I kept it off the radar.  I thought if I could get him the cure and be done with him with no one the wiser, it was all to the good.  I didn’t know I was going to have such an impossible task trying to obtain it.  Otherwise....”

“Otherwise, you’d still have been found out when you reported him infertile.  And you’d still be in trouble for not reporting this to the authorities.”  Mary sighed.  “Nick, I don’t think you appreciate the magnitude of your crime... just how serious this really is.”  She held up a hand when he would have interrupted her.  “Don’t get me wrong, Nick – I don’t think you’re guilty of treason.  I don’t think you maliciously exposed Malcolm or anyone else to the virus.  But that doesn’t change the fact that your failure to report his exposure to the proper authorities could still result in catastrophic consequences for everyone on this planet and several others as well.”

She straightened in her seat and leaned forward, clasping her hands on the table and meeting his gaze.  “You said you were inclined to believe Malcolm contracted the virus off-world.  Do you have any evidence to back up your theory?”

“Only the fact that no one else – not even his betrothed – has been infected.  Since they have all been together and exposed to the same elements and conditions, surely it follows that he incubated the disease somewhere other than where they have been as a team.”

Mary stared at him for several tense moments before nodding her head and standing.  “Thank you for your cooperation, Nick.”

“So what happens now, Ms Wellesly?”

“What happens now is you’ll be escorted to a holding area where you can take a shower and get some sleep.  After that...?  You’ll stand before the Council when they call you and I’ll stand with you… so they know the whole truth.”

“Do you think they’ll convict me?”

“I think you’re going to have a long time to decide if Malcolm could have ever made it worth your while,” she said as she moved to the door.

“Ms Wellesly.... What about my family?”

“They won’t be charged with your crimes, Nick.  And no one but those in this room and the Council will ever know there was a crime committed.  They won’t suffer for your poor judgment.”

He nodded his acceptance of her speech, and Mary exited the room without another word.

************

“What do you want?” Malcolm ground out when Mary stepped into the quarantine area that had been hastily erected when they realized what they were dealing with.  She could tell he wanted to add some kind of derogatory address, but for now his manners held his anger back.

“I want any number of things, Malcolm, but I’ll settle for knowing where you picked up the virus.”

He frowned at her, his face so pinched Mary could see creases forming.  “You really think if I knew where I got it, I wouldn’t have done something about it already?  The first I heard about it was when Nick told me I was infected.”

“And you have no idea where you could have contracted it?”

“Look!” slamming his hands on the bed he was currently ensconced in.  “I don’t know where this came from or who gave it to me.  But if you find out, I’d love to thank them personally for RUINING. MY. LIFE!!!!”

Mary nodded slowly as she regarded him.  “Can I ask you something?”  Malcolm stared at her like she’d grown a second head, but nodded, curious to know what she was thinking.  “How do you feel about Arianna... really?”

He shrugged.  “One bitch is as good as the next, I suppose.  And at least she had the clout of the throne behind her.  I would have been set for life.”

“So you really don’t care about her.  Do you even like her?”

“I don’t dislike her.  But she wouldn’t have even been on the list of possibilities if she hadn’t come with the dowry she did.”

“So why agree?”

“It wasn’t my choice, remember?  My parents made this arrangement.”  He leaned back and closed his eyes.  “It’s one of the worst things about our society, if you ask me.”

“So there was someone else...?”  Malcolm nodded but didn’t elaborate, and Mary let the line of questioning lapse.  “I need you to do something,” not flinching when Malcolm whipped his head around to glare at her with hatred.  “I know you don’t like me, but this is important.  It could even be important to whoever it is that *is* important to you.”

“What?” Malcolm growled.  “What could possibly be so important that’d I’d be willing to help you with anything?”

“I need to know where you’ve been in the five years before you were chosen to be part of the project.  And I need to know who you’ve had contact with – every single person you can remember... especially those encounters of a sexual nature.”

“You’re kidding me right??  Do you know how many...?  Why?”

“We need to find who did this – to stop an epidemic before it starts.  And we need to treat anyone who has been exposed to it.”

Malcolm held Mary’s gaze for a long moment, then simply nodded his head.  He pulled his Pad towards him and started writing.

************

“Gideon, I need you and Ruth to take the list I’ve sent to your Pads and start checking the health statuses of everyone on it.  I know it’s a lot,” Mary continued before either could voice an opinion.  “Pull whatever resources you need from research – just don’t leave me short here.  Try to be discreet, but be as quick as you can.”

“These are...?”

“... all the people Malcolm has had contact with in the last five years – those he can remember anyway.  The ones marked with asterisks are sexual encounters, so start with them first.  Most of them should be on his home planet, so we need a small contingent to go and stay there until it’s complete.  The rest will need to be divided into one or two person units to cover the most areas as quickly as possible.  This is going to be our problem until we solve it.  And we need to solve it fast.”

“We’re on it, Chief.”

“Let me know if you find anything familiar on the list... or if there is a pattern or repetition.  I haven’t had a chance to study it myself yet, but I’ll be looking as well.  If I find something I’ll let you know.  Otherwise, keep me in the loop.”

“You got it, Chief.”

“Chief?  He does know he’s gonna be persona non grata for the rest of his life no matter where he goes, right?  Especially when the truth comes out?”

“The whole truth may not need to go public – it depends on how quickly we can contain this.  As for the other, I don’t know,” Mary said honestly.  “It wasn’t something we talked about.”

“All right.  We’re outta here – we got a lot to do.  See ya, Chief.”

Mary waved and nodded her appreciation and her agents headed out to begin the daunting job of taking care of an epidemic before it could become one.  Mary turned back to the rest of the reports, wondering just what the next crisis would be... and when it would hit.


Chapter VII

Arianna woke up refreshed and enthusiastic, something she couldn’t remember happening in longer than she cared to acknowledge... especially since she could pinpoint the exact moment it had ceased to be true in her life.  She yawned and stretched, noting she was still in yesterday’s clothes.  The rumbling in her belly served to remind her that she’d missed dinner the night before and she jumped from the bed, ready to correct both oversights.

It didn’t take long, relatively speaking, until she was showered and dressed and ready to face the day.  She did chance to wonder if yesterday had been an incongruity in what had become her new normal, or if it was in fact the start of what would become normal again.  Before she could ponder the thought too long, a knock sounded on her door, and she heard Danny’s voice coming through the closed portal.

“Sweetie, you up?”

Arianna walked swiftly to the door, smiling widely when she opened it to find not only Danny, but also Luke on the other side.  “Good morning, gentlemen,” she offered by way of greeting.

“Good morning, lovely lady,” Luke replied with a smile of his own.  “Could we perhaps escort you to breakfast?” extending his elbow on one side while Danny performed the same courtesy on the other. 

“That sounds wonderful,” she said, tucking a hand into the crook of each elbow and stepping from her room.  “I’m starving.”

“Yes, we missed you at dinner last night, but I think the rest did you good, Arianna.  You haven’t been this bright-eyed and sparkling in a while.  Nice to see that twinkle back in your eyes.”  Luke stepped forward and pressed the lift button, not at all surprised to see it open immediately.  They entered together and Danny pushed the restaurant floor and they were off.

“I feel good,” Arianna answered when the doors shut.  “I feel like I’ve been given a second chance, and today is a new opportunity to get things right.”

“Well, I don’t know where you got this newfound optimism, but I like it.  It looks good on you, Sweetie.  It looks a lot like happiness.”

“It feels a lot like happiness, Danny.  Thank you for sticking with me.”

“I’m glad I was allowed to,” he replied with a smile.  “I’m confident everyone else is glad you’re back among us again - for however long the as... Malcolm allows it.”

“He no longer has a say in my life,” Arianna said quietly.  “Our betrothal has been dissolved.”

The lift stopped and the doors opened, but no one moved – the two men were stunned into immobility and Arianna was embarrassed by her outburst, quiet though it was.  It wasn’t like it was even official yet.  Mary had told her Malcolm was out of her life, but she had yet to hear that from him or her father and if she was wrong….  She closed her eyes and prayed to the Holy Father that they hadn’t heard her whispered words, but a glance at their gobsmacked faces was simply proof that her words had been received loud and clear.

“That’s wonderful news, Sweetie!  Simply outstanding,” Danny gushed when his stupor broke, only to notice the distraught look on Arianna’s face.  His eyes met Luke’s and Luke shook his head in confusion.  He didn’t understand her reaction either.  Danny put his hands on either side of Arianna’s face and raised it gently until blue eyes met brown.  “Isn’t it wonderful news?”

“It will be if it’s true.  So far I’ve only heard it from Mary.  My father has yet to inform me.”

Danny laughed and brushed a kiss over her forehead, flushing a rich plum color.  “Oh, Honey.  If Mary told you, you can take it to the bank.  I don’t think that woman does anything without being certain of the outcome first.  She’d be a horrible scientist.”

“But a wonderful friend,” Luke added before Arianna could open her mouth to reply.  “However, we won’t say anything about your betrothal.  That’s your news to share or not, Arianna.  I personally don’t blame you for wanting to hear it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.  So we’ll keep this to ourselves and you can announce it in your own time and your own way.”

Arianna smiled.  “Thanks, Luke.  It’s not that I don’t want to shout it from the mountaintops.  I just want to be sure it’s not going to be yanked out from under me.”

“Totally understand, Sweetie.  Now can we get off this elevator and go eat?  I’m hungry and if your belly growls any louder, security is going to come looking for us for disturbing the peace.  Besides, it’s stuffed French toast today, and I happen to know that’s your favorite.”

Arianna’s eyes widened and she smiled before taking them both by the elbows.  “What are we waiting for??  Let’s go to breakfast!”

************

“You all right?” Eden asked as she took a seat next to Eli.  She’d been more than a little surprised to find her in the room at all after their discussion the previous evening.  Surely she knew Arianna would be joining them.  Then again, Eli had never been one to follow anyone else’s prescribed expectations on her behavior.  It was one of the things that had made her such an outstanding leader at the compound.

“Of course,” she replied in a tone that gave nothing away.  “Why wouldn’t I be?” cutting off another piece of French toast and consuming it.  She met Eden’s eyes and it was all Eden could do not to flinch at the deadness apparent even with the shutters locked in place.

“Hey, Eli!” Jacob welcomed as he took a seat on Eden’s other side.  “When are you gonna give me a rematch?  I can’t believe you came in and kicked my ass like that yesterday.”

Eli chuckled and shook her head, but kept her attention on the plate of food she was steadily consuming.  Eden gave him a look, but he shrugged and mouthed ‘What?’ at her, not understanding her upset.  All he wanted was for things to go back to the way they had been, and Eli gaming with them was part of that.  Eden shook her head and focused on her own breakfast.

“Hey,” Hannah said as she took a seat next to Jacob.  “Have you guys heard?  Rumor has it that the asshat is no longer one of our number.”

All eyes went to Eli, but she maintained her façade perfectly, continuing to consume her food with methodical precision.  After a brief moment, Eden turned her gaze back to Hannah  “Where did you hear this?  You have details?”

“I overheard a couple of the security people talking last night when we came back upstairs after dinner.”  She tapped her ears.  “I have sensitive hearing, you know?”

“Uh huh.  And what did they say?” cutting her eyes in Eli’s direction.  Hannah’s flush was obvious even on her brown skin and cleared her throat cautiously as she shrugged.

“They were just talking about how Mary managed to get him removed without screwing up Arianna’s chances to stay on the project.”  She sighed.  “Sorry, Eli.”

Eli swallowed the last of her milk and wiped her lips on her napkin before meeting Hannah’s eyes.  “Why?  I fully expect her to be chosen for the Alpha team.  Ms Wellesly knows we need her and that the asshat didn’t really contribute much of anything besides disharmony to the group dynamics.”  She shrugged.  “Seems like a no-brainer to me.”  Eli dropped her napkin on her plate and stood.  “A word though,” holding Hannah’s gaze a long moment before letting her eyes sweep around the table.  “It’s her news to share – let Arianna do so or not as she feels comfortable.  We’re not even supposed to know,” waiting for them to nod the acceptance of her words.  “Now if you’ll excuse me....”

Eli moved towards the door, stopping short when it opened of its own volition... only to note Luke’s face a bare instant before Arianna’s visage came into her view.  She stood her ground and waited for the three to enter the restaurant.

“Good morning, Luke... Danny.  Nice of you to join everyone for breakfast, Arianna; you’ve been missed,” said without actually looking at Arianna directly.  Eli took a step towards the door, only to halt when Arianna reached out a hand.  Eli flinched away before they could make contact, jerking her hand back as if it had been burned.  Arianna let her hand fall though she kept her eyes locked on Eli’s face.  “Now if you’ll excuse me....” Eli said, giving them a slight tweak of her head in acknowledgement as she turned to the door again.

“You’re leaving?” Arianna asked.

“I’ve already had breakfast and I have a few things to take care of before my interviews begin this morning,” she replied while still avoiding Arianna’s gaze.  Then she exited the restaurant before another word could be spoken.

“That could have gone better,” Danny commented to Luke sotto voce.  Not quietly enough that Arianna missed his words.  She blinked the tears from her eyes and shook her head.

“It could have gone much, much worse,” she answered.  She took a deep breath and pasted on a Princess smile.  “Now let’s have some breakfast.  I’ve got an appointment to get to this morning, and I’m sure you boys do as well.  Besides, that French toast smells divine.”

With a flourish, they turned towards the table to be welcomed by those still seated... all of them ignoring the pink elephant that had sauntered into the room with Eli’s departure.

************

Eli leaned against the wall out of sight as soon as the door closed behind her.  She took a moment to simply breathe, trying to rid herself of the feeling of having her guts kicked out by a dragon.  Having experienced that once in her youth, it wasn’t an experience she wished to repeat; nor did she like having something just as painful to compare it to. 

Resolutely, she forced herself to focus on her breathing – in, out, in, out – until that was the only thought in her mind.  Once that was true, she was able to push her encounter with Arianna into a locked box and tuck it away in her mind’s vault where she dropped unpleasant experiences.  Satisfied, she pushed off the wall and continued her journey upstairs.  She really did have things to take care of.

************

“So, what’s this we hear about Malcolm being removed as a candidate?” Deborah asked when Arianna was seated, drawing looks of consternation from all comers and bewilderment from Arianna.  Deborah looked around the table.  “What??  Don’t sit there and act like you didn’t want to know.  He’s been nothing but an ass to everyone – personally, I’d be thrilled to know he was really gone.  So how about it, Ari?  Is it true?  Is he out?”

Arianna frowned, curious as to where Deborah had gotten her intel.  “Why do you ask?”

“So it *is* true!” Deborah exclaimed in satisfaction.

“My father has not informed me of such,” she replied truthfully, cutting into her breakfast and savoring it as the flavors hit her tongue.  She chewed slowly then redirected her attention to Deborah.  “Have you been told something about it, Deb?”

“Not directly, but that seems to be the rumor.”  She shrugged.  “Not that I care really, except it would mean no more putting up with his crap.  I don’t know how you got stuck with him, Ari, but he kinda sucks.  He needs to go.”

Arianna looked around the table to see everyone’s heads nodding in agreement.  “You all feel that way?” meeting each pair of eyes, but leaving Eden til last.

“We do, Az... sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Arianna replied.  “I prefer the truth... even when it’s unpleasant.  This, however, is not unpleasant.  It’s nice to know I’m not the only one.”

Eden blinked, knowing her shock was reflected in the faces of the rest.  But before she could recover her wits to speak, Abigail spoke up.  “If you feel that way about him, why are you betrothed to him, Arianna?  He’s done nothing but cause problems since he was brought on board as a candidate.”

“Because, Gay... I didn’t have a choice.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Jacob stated flatly.  Arianna gave a sardonic snort.

“Why would I kid about something like this, Jake?  I know I’m socially awkward, but I’ve never been stupid.  I wouldn’t make something like this up.”

“So would you like to back up and explain that statement?” Eden asked.  “Because I think it’s safe to say that everyone at this table is completely confused now.  Betrothal usually indicates a willingness to be together on at least some level.”

Arianna sighed.  It wasn’t really something she wanted to get into, yet at the same time she felt as if she owed these people at least a small explanation.  “In my culture, betrothal is arranged by the parents of the parties involved.  It is done as a business arrangement, but it is hoped that the parties involved will find enough common ground to love one another eventually.  Most couples are friends before a betrothal takes place and their liking does ultimately become love; it has been a successful practice on my planet for as long as we have kept records of such things.  In my case, however, none of that was accurate.  I didn’t really know Malcolm before he was pushed into this project; I never liked him; and the betrothal was done to benefit his parents and mine... not us.”

“That’s a crap system,” Deborah commented into the silence that fell after Arianna’s explanation.

Arianna shrugged.  “I can’t argue... not in my case at any rate.”

“So what now, Girlfriend?” Esther asked.  “If you’re not tied to him anymore....” letting the thought lay.

“I don’t know.  I’m still not certain it’s true.  I mean, until I hear it from my father....”  She shrugged.  “But right now, I’ve got to get going.  I have the first appointment this morning, and I don’t want to be late,” she said, dropping her napkin on the table and rising.  “I would like for this all to be over though,” she added with a tired voice, seeing everyone nod in agreement again.  “I’ll see you all later?” she asked, smiling when they all smiled.  “Bye, guys.”

They waited until the door was closed behind her and Eden had counted to thirty before they all turned and looked at Deborah with anger and animosity bristling out of their eyes.  Her eyes widened and she held up her hands defensively.

“What??”

“What the hell was that?” Eden demanded.  “Did you miss Eli’s instructions...?”

“Eli is not the boss of me... or anyone else at this table.  You might want to clue into that.” 

Eden stood until she was leaning into Deborah’s space, their size difference not withstanding.  “You want a clue?” she ground out.  “I’ll give you a clue.  Eli was our leader in the compound by choice... hers and ours.  And she will be again once we get to the asteroid to begin our work.  If you can’t deal with that, you need to recuse yourself from participating.  Because we don’t need you stirring up crap.”

Deborah folded her arms over her chest defensively.  “I don’t understand why you’re getting your shorts in a twist, Eden.  We got some important information from Arianna directly.”

“She’s got a point, babe,” Jacob commented, only to be met with a death glare.  He held up his hands in surrender.

“That isn’t the point.  The point is your lack of respect, Deb.  Find some, or I’ll be more than willing to beat it into you myself.”

Deborah’s skin flushed an unhealthy shade of purple and she rose to her feet to glare down at Eden.  “You and what army?” she asked with a sneer.

“I won’t need an army, Deb.  I suggest you not test me.”  Eden held Deborah’s eyes, not flinching when Deborah lunged at her.  Deborah halted her movement, surprised that her intimidation of Eden was unsuccessful.  Most people were immediately put off by her large size, and tended to balk at going up against her.  She nodded respectfully.

“All right,” she agreed.  “I’ll try to treat Eli as a leader.  Still, it was interesting to get that much knowledge on her culture directly from the source as it were.  It explains a little anyway.”

“It does,” Eden agreed grudgingly.  “There are still a lot of pieces missing though.”  She shrugged.  “I imagine we’ll have time to get them all eventually, but right now, we’re gonna be running late if we don’t get out of here.”

Her words caused them to move as a single body, rising from their seats and exiting swiftly.  It was time to start another day.

************

Eli didn’t even glance at her escort as she left the elevator, knowing she would be returning to the restaurant as soon as Eli stepped foot onto the residence floor.  She made her way down the hallway, stopping in front of a familiar door before knocking sharply.  A bare minute passed before Mary opened the door and wordlessly invited her in.  Once the door was firmly closed, Eli whirled on Mary, who simply waited for her to speak.

“You need to do something with your gossipy security detail,” Eli hissed, causing Mary’s eyebrows to shoot into her hairline.

“Would you like to take a seat and tell me what this is all about?” she asked calmly.  Eli took a deep breath and composedly took the seat Mary proffered.  Mary took a seat as well and set her Pad aside, giving Eli her full attention.

“Apparently, you’ve got some gossipy team members.  They were overheard last night talking about Malcolm’s dismissal from the project.”  Mary frowned, and Eli continued.  “Hannah heard them,” explaining how they had been overheard.  “But the fact remains that they were caught talking about something that is none of their business.”

“Actually, it is, but I will reprimand them for speaking out of turn.  There’s a reason all of our discussions take place away from you kids.  Do you know who the guilty parties are?”

“No.  I didn’t ask.  It was bad enough Hannah felt the need to share this with everyone at breakfast this morning.”

“And how did Arianna respond?”

“She wasn’t there.  But now all the remaining candidates are aware of his dismissal.  It’s only a matter of time before they put things together, Ms Wellesly.  They’re going to figure out that he’s the one who’s infected.”

Mary’s countenance remained stoic and she shook her head.  “Perhaps not.  The official story is that he left to ensure Arianna’s place on the Alpha team.  A betrothal in their culture is like marriage without sex – and the rules clearly state no married persons shall be allowed to participate.”

Eli blinked.  That was news... and unexpected.  She hadn’t realized....  She shook her head.  It didn’t matter.  What was done was done.  “Be that as it may....”

“Not to worry, Eli.  I’ll take care of it.”

Eli rose and nodded.  “Thank you, Ms Wellesly.  If you’ll excuse me?”

“Of course, Eli.”

Eli was out the door before Mary could stand.  She watched the door close silently, then turned her attention back to the reports she’d been studying.  They were going to have to move sooner than they’d planned.


Chapter VIII

“So how does everything look, Dr. Morris?” Arianna asked as she gingerly sat up.  The team doctor had done a complete physical workup on her, just to be safe.  After all, she was Malcolm’s betrothed and she would be the greatest loss to the program if she was no longer an active participant.  Dr. Morris shifted the privacy screen so she could stand and redress, then stripped off the gloves he insisted on in addition to the force field barrier that was normally utilized.  He stepped to the sink and began washing his hands before he started speaking.

“Everything looks good, your highness,” addressing her by title.  He was an old-fashioned man with old-fashioned manners and sensibilities, and no amount of assertion by Arianna or anyone else could convince him otherwise.  So Arianna accepted it as the respect it was intended and let it go.  “Of course, it will be tomorrow before I have your lab results, but everything points to your being a strong and healthy young woman.  How do you feel?”

Arianna let the shirt drape across her body and cinched it with a belt before she deigned to respond.  “I feel good,” she said honestly.  “Except for being tired by this whole process and just wishing it was over with....”

Morris chuckled.  “I can understand the sentiment.  It does seem like the Committee has been going over the same ground for a while now, doesn’t it?”

“I’m fairly certain we’ve created a rut at this point,” Arianna responded wryly, then slipped out from behind the screen.  “Am I all done, Dr. Morris?”

“You are indeed, your highness.  Ms Wellesly will have your test results as soon as they are available to me, and she will notify you immediately of any problems.  Not that I expect to find anything....”

Arianna smiled and placed a light hand on his arm, causing Morris to stop talking immediately.  “It’s all right, Doctor.   I understood what you meant.”

He patted her hand lightly.  “Thank you, your highness.  You have a good day now, and don’t hesitate to come see me if you have any issues, all right?”

She nodded and squeezed his arm gently before slipping her hand from beneath his and heading out the door.  The worst part of her day was over.  Now it was simply a matter of waiting for the fallout.

************

Eli was waiting to speak to the doctor when Arianna stepped from the examination room, and she cursed every deity known to man and alien alike when she realized she had every reason to stay and nowhere to go besides.  She took a deep breath and stiffened her spine, keeping her eyes away from Arianna’s.  She couldn’t bear the pity she knew she’d find in those telling brown eyes.

She prayed for Arianna to bypass her and continue to the door, but she wasn’t at all surprised when small, fashionable footwear stood unmoving in front of her.  Eli took another breath and raised her head, careful to keep her eyes focused beyond Arianna.

“Is there a reason you are standing speechless in the middle of the waiting room?” Eli asked with cutting precision.

Arianna wanted to stomp her foot in sheer frustration, but instead she clenched her hands at her sides and gritted her teeth until her jaw ached.  After a moment, she regained control of her faculties and relaxed enough to speak.  “I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for this morning - for acknowledging me, especially in front of the others.   You don’t know what that meant....”

“What it meant,” Eli interrupted bitingly, “is that I won’t do less than I asked everyone else to do.  But don’t expect anything more from me.  Nothing has changed between us.  And nothing will.”

Arianna’s brow furrowed.  “Wait....  What did you ask everyone else to do?”

Eli ignored her and stood, carefully stepping around Arianna so as not to come into contact with her in any way.  “If you’ll excuse me....”

Arianna reached for Eli, only to have her jerk away again.  This time, with no audience around, Arianna pursued the touch and Eli whirled on her the moment their hands made contact.  Eli ripped her hand away and moved swiftly out of touching range.  Arianna respected the motion this time and remained still.  But she couldn’t let things go completely.

“What did you tell the others, Eli?  And why won’t you look at me??”

“It doesn’t matter, Arianna,” not seeing the heartbreak that crossed Arianna’s face at the soulless intonation of her name from those lips.  “Just accept it for what it is and leave it alone.”

Before Arianna could demand answers, Eli opened the door to the examination room and crossed the threshold.  She turned her back to Arianna and shut the door firmly, closing off any avenues of further conversation.

Arianna stared at the closed door with a sense a fury sweeping through her.  She had half a mind to stay put until Eli left the room, but even as she entertained the thought, she dismissed it.  She had her own business to oversee and responsibilities to take care of.  Huffing, she clenched her hands into fists again, and stomped out of the small medical wing.  If she couldn’t get answers from Eli, she would damn well get them from someone else – or several someones, as the case may be.

In her anger, Arianna didn’t notice the exam room door crack open, or gray eyes track her progress down the hallway and out of sight.  And she never heard the sigh of relief Eli gave before she turned around to face the doctor who was regarding her with a raised eyebrow and arms crossed over his chest.

“Do I even want to ask?” he said kindly.  Eli shook her head. 

“Probably not, Doc.  Have you got a minute?”

Dr. Morris nodded.  “Of course,” gesturing her out of the exam room and across the hall to his office.  They entered and he closed the door behind them, then he waited for her to take a seat before crossing to sit on the other side of the table that substituted for a desk.  “What can I do for you, Eli?”

“I need you to add me to your list.”  Morris blinked and Eli sighed.  “The list of candidates you are rescreening because of Malcolm and Nick.”

Dr. Morris cocked his head.  “May I ask why?  You’ve been under my care since you arrived back from the compound.”

“So has Arianna, and yet she was at the top of your list.”

“Because of her proximity to Malcolm.  It’s precautionary, I assure you.”

Eli met his eyes and he felt the pain in her gaze, but held his tongue and waited for her to speak.  “Everything we say is confidential?”  Morris nodded.  “You need to test me because of my proximity to Arianna.  We were... intimate... for a brief period during our stay in the compound.”

Dr. Morris cleared his throat, but otherwise gave no reaction.  “I see,” he finally replied.  “Very well.  I will add you to the roster.  Ms Wellesly will need to be notified, of course, but otherwise I believe we can keep it between the two of us.”

Eli nodded and stood.  “Thank you, Dr. Morris.”

“Of course, Eli.  Thank you for your foresight.  I’ll send you a note with your time.”

“I’ll be here,” she assured him, and slipped out of his office without another word.  Morris closed his eyes and sighed.  This was becoming one fine pickle of a mess.

************

“You LIED to me!!” Arianna accused as she burst into the common room where Eden was currently waiting with a few of the others.  Arianna marched right up to her and thrust a small finger into Eden’s face.  “You LIED!!”

Eden took a deep breath to keep from breaking the finger Arianna had shoved at her. Then she grabbed Arianna by the wrist and dragged her into a private corner, smiling darkly when the rest scattered to the other side of the room to give them whatever privacy they could manage.

“First of all, you need to watch where you point your fingers – they could get broken if you’re not careful.  Secondly, you better watch your tone and your volume when you speak to me.  And lastly, you should be more prudent about throwing accusations around.  It could get you into a lot of trouble if you speak without knowing what you’re talking about.”

“I know what I’m talking about.   You lied to me!”

“About...?”

“Really?  You’re going to make me do this??  Fine!” Arianna continued without giving Eden an opportunity to respond.  “You told me Eli didn’t order all of you to be nice to me, but she did, didn’t she?  For whatever reason, she gave an order and the rest of you followed it blindly, didn’t you?”

Eden sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly.  When she felt her heartbeats slow, she returned her focus to Arianna.  “You need to lower your voice and take a deep breath, Az.  No!” she instructed when Arianna opened her mouth to cut in.  “You had your say; now I get mine.”  Black eyes held brown until Arianna acquiesced.  “Thank you.  Eli didn’t *order* anything.  She asked that we reconsider our treatment of you, aptly pointing out that we needed to be a team – all of us together – if we were going to make this project a success.  We all know that you’re going to be chosen, and even though you are equally culpable in separating yourself from us, Eli reminded us that we should be making an effort to create a team and not let you become isolated... whether by your choice or our actions.  Malcolm’s absence made it easier for us to try,” adding the last with a diffident shrug.

“Oh.”

Eden rolled her eyes at the short, flat response.  “Yeah, oh.  Make sure you get all the facts next time.”  She scrunched up her eyebrows in thought.  “What the hell made you start throwing around accusations like that anyway?”

“Eli,” said on a shaky breath.  Arianna sucked in air and released it slowly, willing herself to steadiness.  “I was so happy she actually acknowledged me today – speaking directly to me even if she refused to look at me – that I wanted to thank her.  I thought we could start having real dialogue again if she knew just how much....”  She took another shuddering breath and blinked her eyes to clear them.  “She said she couldn’t do less herself than she’d asked of the rest of you - but it didn’t mean anything... it didn’t change anything between us.”  Arianna swiped a savage hand across her face, angry that she still had tears to shed.  “I miss her, Eden; I miss her so much.”

“Then why didn’t you tell her the truth about the betrothal?  Why didn’t you tell her what you told us this morning?”

“When??  When was I supposed to tell her, Eden?  She shoved me out of her life when Malcolm and I returned to the compound bound to one another.  Until today, the only interaction I’ve had with her since that day has been in a professional capacity surrounded by other people.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem sharing the story with us at breakfast earlier.  So you can’t tell me you were worried about sharing with her in front of other candidates.  C’mon, Az... we all knew you were a couple for a while there in the compound – it was impossible not to.  You brought out the best in one another – we all benefited.  So don’t tell me you were too embarrassed to tell Eli the truth in front of the rest of us because that’s crap!”

“I shared with the rest of you this morning because you asked – you and Gay and Deb.  You actually asked and were interested enough to listen to the answer.  You cared enough to try and understand the situation I was put into.  Eli never gave me that chance.”

Eden quietly regarded Arianna for a long moment, holding her gaze despite Arianna’s desire to drop her eyes.  After a moment, Eden spoke and Arianna’s brow furrowed in confusion as her mind endeavored to decipher the words Eden had spoken.

“Excuse me?”

Eden huffed a little impatiently.  She still wasn’t sure how she’d ended up in the middle of this whole debacle, and having to repeat herself....  She closed her eyes briefly, then met Arianna’s, keeping a firm hand on Arianna’s chin to ensure Eden didn’t lose her attention.

“What exactly did you and Eli talk about?”

“I don’t... when?”

Eden glared.  “When do you think?  At the compound.  I know you two spent a crap load of time talking when we first got there.  We all did – trying to get to know one another while we were settling in.  Besides, Eli shared that much with me.” She shrugged.  “But she never gave me any details.  So what the hell did you two talk about?  Because obviously sharing your backgrounds and cultures wasn’t high on the list of discussion topics.”

“That’s not completely true,” Arianna protested.  “We did talk a little about our cultures – it’s how I discovered that she was a meat eater trying to adjust to being forced into a vegetarian diet.  I did all the cooking for a while,” she added with a sad smile.  “But most of our talks were about important things – things that interested us.”

Eden tilted her head.  “Like what?  I’m curious.  Because I know most of the rest of us talked about home as part of getting acquainted.”

“Oh we talked about home – she told me about her family members; about her brother’s death; about how her mama would laugh to know that Eli had become the de facto leader of our little colony.”

“Why’s that?”

Arianna smiled again... a little happier.  “Because Eli refused a leadership role in her clan to be part of this project.  Apparently it was a really big deal.”

“What else?  What did you share?”

“I shared about being a princess and an only child; about my friend Kip who made my last year of school something I remember fondly; about working in the lab since I was eight.”

“Wait... what??  Isn’t that like illegal or something??”

“Normally, yes.  But I actually didn’t mind it.  It gave me the chance to do work I was interested in – something I found challenging.  I was only in school for the socialization aspect.  I wasn’t there to learn – children my age were too far behind my intellectual level.”

Eden grimaced.  It sounded like growing up had been more than a little unpleasant for Arianna on several levels.  “But why did you start working so early?  Surely you deserved the chance to be a child for a little while.”

Arianna snorted.  “I was never allowed to be a child, Eden.  I began my royal training at the age of five.  I wrote down my first theories on the possibilities of fuission when I was eight.  As soon as my father figured out what they were and the possibilities they presented, I was sent to the lab to begin developing the prototypes.”

No wonder she had such a hard time relating to anyone, and Eli had managed to not only tap into that, but caused Arianna to blossom under her tutelage and caring.  Now it fell to Eden to see if there was anything she could do to help bring the two back together.  “You know,” Eden stated conversationally, “your old man sounds like a real prick.  It kinda explains Malcolm, actually,” she added with a smirk, grinning when Arianna choked out a laugh.  “So you didn’t really discuss your home worlds or the cultures you came from?”

Arianna shook her head.  “Not like you mean.  Like I said – we talked about our families, our childhoods; even described where we came from – mine was ore tropical; hers more mountainous.  But mostly we talked about important things... things that mattered to us,” she reiterated.

“Such as?”

“Such as music and art and philosophy.  Dreams and hopes for the future.  Things we wanted to accomplish outside the scope of the program.  Favorite food.  Hobbies.  Good literature and trashy media.  Real conversation about anything and everything we could think to talk about.”

“So how in all of this exchange of information did you both,” emphasizing the word so Arianna would understand that Eden found them equally culpable, “manage to neglect to share pertinent information about your society’s mating customs.  You don’t think that might have held a tiny bit of significance in the development of your burgeoning relationship?”

Arianna scowled.  “I don’t understand what you mean.”

Eden gritted her teeth and sucked in a deep breath through her nose before she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.   The frustration was causing her hearts to pound uncomfortably, so she needed to find a calm center soon.  Still, this needed to be dealt with first.  She released the breath slowly and opened her eyes, staring until Arianna cocked her head in question.  Eden held up a hand before she could voice it.

“Az, we come from different planets,” seeing Arianna huff and roll her eyes.  Eden glared.  “I’m not finished.  Each of us has been raised in different cultures and with different rules and expectations.  Luke’s society, for instance – it is extremely laid back compared to my own upbringing.  In my culture, fighting is as much a part of life as breathing; in Luke’s, fighting is an offense punishable by death.”

Arianna’s eyes widened.  “I didn’t realize.”

Eden nodded, but continued speaking.  “In Gay’s culture, she is only allowed to mate with someone in a specific sect.  Simon’s people do not engage in sexual activity at all – their species is propagated by science.  They choose the attributes they want in a prodigy and then their scientists go to work to create the child they seek.  Gabriel and Naomi have to find release once a month like clockwork – not necessarily with one another, but....”  She stopped speaking when Arianna held up her hand.

“I get the picture, Eden, but not the point.”

“Did you and Eli ever talk about the sexual or mating customs on your planets before you became intimate with one another,” sighing when Arianna’s eyes got impossibly wide.  Eden shook her head.  “Maybe you should have,” she commented softly, then moved out of the corner and back to the other side of the room with the rest of the candidates.  Arianna stayed motionless for several minutes, then turned and left the room without a word to anyone or a backwards glance.

“Well,” Eden muttered to herself.  “I don’t know what good that did, but here’s hoping.”  Then her name was called, and she moved into the interview room to begin answering another round of questions.


Chapter IX

“So, Candidate Vasya – how are you today?” Chairman McMurtry asked with a smile as Eli stood behind the lone chair at the candidates’ table.  “Are you excited to get to work again after yesterday’s unexpected time off?” gesturing for Eli to take a seat.  Eli remained standing.

“If I was actually getting to work, I would be thrilled,” Eli commented dryly, smirking when the smiles slipped from Committee Members’ faces.  She was still disturbed by her earlier encounter with Arianna, and that made her reckless... and outspoken.  “As it is,” she continued without missing a beat, “I am tired.  We’ve been treading the same ground for weeks on end, and we’re accomplishing very little.  I will be glad when you are done with your grandstanding, so we can actually return to doing real scientific work.”

As a single body their postures stiffened and their faces hardened at her bold accusation.  The Committee Members looked at one another before turning back to Eli, who remained standing casually at the table unaffected by their anger.  McMurtry cleared her throat.

“So you feel this is all a waste is time.”

“It is now, and we all know it – not just those of us in this room.”  Eli let her eyes run the length of the dais, meeting each Member’s eyes before moving on to the next.  “You know and I know – as does every candidate outside this room – that your decision has already been made... it has been for a while.  All you’re doing at this juncture is wasting our time and yours to make a point.”

“And what would that point be?” Member Lafferty asked.

“To ensure that it appears that everyone is given a fair chance so none of you will be accused of favoritism or bias when the Alpha team is announced.”

“And you don’t think that’s important?  You don’t think it’s important that we not show bias or favoritism?”

“That’s not what I said,” Eli bit off impatiently.  “What I said was that you’re wasting time by continuing to do interviews that ask the same questions and rehash the same scenarios when you have already reached your decision on the members of the Alpha team.  That has nothing to do with avoiding bias or prejudice – that is strictly showboating for the purpose of making a point.”

“You’re quite vocal in your opinion today, Candidate Vasya. Are you so confident in being chosen that you feel you can disrespect the Committee in such a manner?”

“I don’t see it as disrespect, Member Mein.  I was asked a question; I am simply making an honest statement in answer.  The sentiment is true throughout the list of candidates, though most will not risk expulsion by speaking up.  It is, however, something you need to be aware of – because it is causing the candidates to become dissatisfied with not only the process, but also the program itself.”

“So why did you?  Risk expulsion from the project I mean.  Even if we have already made our choices for the Alpha team, as you seem to believe, nothing is set in stone.  Certainly things can change until the formal announcement is made.”

“Chairman McMurtry, allow me to be candid.”

McMurtry cocked an eyebrow at Eli and smirked.  “Candidate Vasya, honesty doesn’t seem to be a problem for you.  Since we asked the question, the floor is yours.  Speak your mind.”

“Thank you, Madame Chairman,” Eli replied with a gracious nod of her head.  She looked at the Committee again.  “I want each of you to understand something first.  I would love to be chosen to be part of the Alpha team – I’m not going to lie.  It would be quite the honor and I feel I bring a lot to the project; I fit well with the other candidates and we work well together... we’ve proven that.  That being said... I don’t need this to validate who I am or what I can accomplish.  I have already been part of several scientific breakthroughs that have been made since I was tapped to be part of this program.  If I was sent home tomorrow, I would be welcomed like a conquering hero.  My life and my work will continue – whether it be as part of the Alpha team or at home.

So I’m not actually risking anything by calling you out on your crap.  I have nothing to lose.  And you need to know the problems it’s causing within the ranks.  The candidates are losing respect and tolerance for both you and the whole process.  They deserve better than that.  You want them to respect you?  Then you need to give them respect in return.  Even those who don’t make the cut for the Alpha team are valuable, and many of them will be excited to come back as participants on the Beta or Gamma teams.  But not if you don’t treat them right now.”

“And you feel we are mistreating them?” Member BraveHeart asked.

“I believe you are disrespecting them – you are taking advantage of them by drawing this process out longer than is warranted.”

Chairman McMurtry cleared her throat.  “Have you discussed this with the others?”

“No, Madame Chairman.  All I have done is listened to what is being said by them.”

“Do the rest know you were planning on speaking to us about this matter today?”

“No, Madame Chairman.  A good leader takes responsibility for those under her care without bringing attention to the fact that she is doing so.  I like to think I’m a good leader.”

McMurtry looked down the table in both directions before she returned her attention to Eli.  “We like to think so too.  Thank you, Candidate Vasya.  It’s been... enlightening.”

Eli bowed her head in the direction of the dais, then spun on her heel and left the conference room without a backwards glance.  The Committee waited until the door was completely closed before releasing a simultaneous sigh, which in turn caused them to titter with laughter.  When that had died down, McMurtry met each of their eyes again, settling them back into the seriousness required.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, it appears we have some things to discuss and some decisions to make.”

************

Arianna knocked on Danny’s door, pushing past him the moment it opened.  “Tell me about your mating habits,” she demanded, watching his jaw drop open in shock as his skin flushed purple.

“Excuse me?!?” he sputtered out, looking at his other guests in bewilderment.  “Seriously, Arianna... what the holy heavens are you thinking?”  Luke, Gay and Esther remained silent, wondering what could possibly have brought on this particular conversation.

“It has been brought to my attention that I have been remiss in learning the mating habits of those around me and that doing so is at the basis of my socialization issues.  So I decided to correct that oversight immediately and have chosen to begin my quest for knowledge with my best friend.”

Danny blinked.  “Honey, I don’t think I got one word in ten.”

Arianna scowled at him and pouted just the smallest amount.  “I was speaking the common language, was I not?  What did you not understand?”

Before Danny could summon the breath to answer, Esther spoke up from where the rest were sitting at the table.  “Someone told Girlfriend there that her problems with Eli are due to the fact that they didn’t talk about the sexual expectations and mating rituals their planets abide by.  So she’s decided to learn about everyone’s in an effort to understand us all better... starting with you.”

Both Danny and Arianna turned their heads in the direction of the table, eyes wide and mouths open in surprise.  Realizing she and Danny were not alone, Arianna simply said, “Oh,” and dropped her gaze to the floor.  Danny was a bit more vocal in his response.

“How did you get all that, Esther?”

Esther laugher, a full-bodied sound that caused her eyes to crinkle at the corners and her teeth to sparkle brightly against her dark skin.  “Easy, Danny.  I wasn’t stunned by the demand because it wasn’t directed at me.  There was less trauma for me to overcome to recognize what was said... and what wasn’t.”

Danny looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded his head in agreement before turning to Arianna.  “Is she right, Sweetie?  Is that what this is all about?”

Arianna blinked and took a deep breath.  “I need to go,” she insisted, spinning on her heel and walking briskly towards the door.  She’d forgotten Danny was still standing in front of the portal and was now barring her way.  “Please let me out, Danny,” she begged softly.

“No, Honey.  We’re all friends here.  We can talk about this.  A little more warning to prepare might have been nice, but we don’t have anything to be ashamed of... none of us.  Now come on,” he offered, gesturing towards the rest.  “I’ll even go first.  Who knows what we’ll learn about each other?”

Arianna sighed and let him lead her back towards the small group.  She didn’t see the look he gave them nor the agreement they imparted with only the subtlest nod of the head.  Then he ushered her to a seat and cleared his throat.  “Is there anything you’d like to know particularly?”

Arianna shook her head, but her eyes never left the table.  Danny held up his hand to prevent the rest from saying anything and simply waited.  It took a few minutes, but finally Arianna raised her head and met his eyes with a frown on her countenance and confusion in her expression.  He tilted his head at her and studied her for a long moment.

“There’s more to it than this, isn’t it?” he asked.  “Oh, I think you absolutely want to know about the different sexual mandates that exist within our different cultures, but there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”

“How did you know?” she queried quietly, causing the other three to exchange glances but not disrupt the tableau that was taking place in front of them.  Danny leaned forward and took one of her hands in both of his.

“Because I know you,” he answered simply.  “I’ve been allowed the privilege that no one else has yet,” ignoring her tie to Eli.  “To know the person behind the princess and the scientist.  I know your mind, Arianna, and it’s as beautiful as it is complex.   It’s time for you to share with everyone so they can appreciate you for all that you are.”

“I’m not certain it’s all that attractive, Danny.”

“How about you let us be the judge of that?” Luke offered softly.  “We promise to share equally.”

“Why?” Arianna asked.  “Why would you do this for me?”

Abigail smiled.  “We’ve all done it, Arianna.  We’re just trying to catch you up to the rest of us.  After all, we’re going to all be family soon, right?”

“Do you really think so, Gay?”

Abigail nodded.  “I do.  Even if I wasn’t an empath, I’d still think that.  Everyone in this room will be part of the Alpha team.”

“You’re an empath?” more surprised by Abigail’s revelation than her belief about them all being chosen as part of the Alpha team.  Arianna noted the rest didn’t seem at all surprised by Abigail’s statement... either of them.

“I am,” Abigail replied.  “It only happens to a small percentage of my people; I am one of the chosen,” screwing up her face in distaste at the description.  “It’s kind of crappy actually... at least until the blocks are in place.  But as a kid, being forced away from friends and family until I learned to maintain distance emotionally....”  She shook her head.

“Was it hard?  Did it take long?”

Abigail looked at her intently for a long moment.  “It was hard at first.  Even now it can be hard because people tend to project when things upset them or something unexpected throws off their routine; it always takes me off guard for a few minutes until I can adjust my barriers.  But mostly?  No, it wasn’t hard, and it really didn’t take long once I got the hang of it.”

“So how does it work?” Arianna asked, her scientific curiosity engaged.  She had never encountered an empath before to her knowledge, and she really wanted to understand the phenomenon that it was.  “Can you feel what we feel right now?”

Abigail smiled.  “Not exactly.  I felt your confusion when you arrived because you were broadcasting loud and clear.  So I strengthened my barriers to give you some privacy.  Now there is just a trickle of awareness running through the back of my mind – I have to actually focus on it to feel it.”

“Can you read people?” Luke asked, then looked abashed for speaking out.  “I don’t mean to be nosy, but I’ve never met an empath before.”

“I can,” Abigail answered, “but I try not to without their permission.  The only time I have blatantly ignored that obligation is if it’s an emergency.”

“Like what, Gay?” Esther asked.

“Like a situation where the person I’m reading is unable to respond otherwise – a medical trauma or a nightmare... something of that nature.  It’s not something I am comfortable doing.”

“Do you ever regret being one of the chosen?” Arianna asked.  Blue eyes met brown before Abigail nodded slowly.

“Sometimes, yes.  Not as much now as when I was a kid, but I do still have those days.  Especially when my máthair starts asking about grandchildren.”

Everyone frowned in confusion, but it was Danny who spoke.  “Having children affects your abilities as an empath?”  Abigail shook her head.

“Would to God,” she muttered.  “No.  On my planet, empaths can only mate with a certain sect of the population.  It’s believed to help strengthen the possibility of passing on the ability to one’s children.”

“So other empaths then?”

“Nothing nearly so easy,” Abigail replied. “The religious order,” nodding when everyone winced.  “Yes, that has been my reaction to date as well.  I’m not particularly enamored of the religious sect on my planet.  There is a snobbery aspect to them that makes me cringe – like they’re entitled to something because of their calling.”

“What if you chose not to have children?  Does it matter then?  Or what if you find someone who isn’t part of the religious sect?  Can they join so you can be together?”

“No, to the second.  You have to be born into the religious sect.  As for the first, I don’t know.  I don’t know if I would survive telling my máthair she was never going to be a seanmháthair because I refused to find a mate from the religious sect.”

“Surely she would want you to be happy, Gay,” Arianna reasoned, even knowing the truth of her own mama’s proclivities.  There had to be more mothers like Mary in the galaxy, right?

“I suppose she would.  I’m just not sure how well she would tolerate me bucking tradition for my own happiness... especially if it meant she never had grandchildren to dote on.”

“She may not anyway,” Luke interposed.  “After all, we’re going to be gone a while.”

“Yes, but at least she has hope.”

“And don’t we all live on it?” Danny asked with a hint of snark in his tone. 

“Lately especially,” Luke commented.  “What do you suppose is up with that anyway?”

“You mean the fact that the Committee is dragging it out to the bitter end?” Esther jumped in.  “Maybe they figure the ones of us who survive without having gone crazy will be the ones best suited to survive on an asteroid with no viable means of support.  After all, it’s basically going to be us on our own out there once we set the ship down.  We won’t be able to pick up and leave and there won’t be any neighbors to borrow from.”

“Maybe, but I’m actually looking forward to it... even the challenging parts,” Arianna confessed.  “It will be nice to get back into the labs and start working again.”  She sighed.  “I think that is the worst part of this whole process – the fact that we’re not doing anything.  It feels like so much wasted time because there’s no lab here, and no way to do anything constructive.”

Esther nodded.  “I think it’s even bothering Jake and gods know that boy loves playing those games of his.  But there’s only so much of that a person can tolerate.”  Heads nodded in agreement.

“I know,” Abigail commented.  “I love to dance, but I’m going to have to start inventing my own at the rate we’re going.  I’m not sure the universe is ready for that,” she added with a smirk.

“Well, hopefully, this will be done soon,” Luke said.  “There’s still so much that needs to be accomplished before we can leave and I’d like the chance to say goodbye to my family.”

“You think they’ll give us the chance to do that?” Arianna asked.

“You think they won’t?” Danny replied.

“I almost hope not... in my case anyway.  I believe it would be a monumental cluster if my parents were to make an appearance here – for me and everyone else.  My papa is not going to be at all gracious about my betrothal having been broken.”

“Even though it was done for you?”

“Especially because it was done for me.”  Arianna sighed, debating how much to share with these people she called friends.  “Papa would like to believe he can function above the law because of his position.  In this instance, he wanted my betrothal to Malcolm to be overlooked by the Committee while we were both chosen to be part of the Alpha team.  He believed my discovery of fuission would ensure my inclusion in the project and that if the Committee wanted to maintain that right, they would give special consideration to his demands.”

“That’s pretty ballsy,” Danny commented.  “Not that you should be included because of your discovery of fuission – we all believe that.  After all, the rest of our work rests on your breakthrough.  But that’s just it – it’s your work... your discovery.  That doesn’t entitle him to anything.”

Arianna smiled.  “I know.  But it doesn’t keep him from thinking it should.  Is it wrong that I want to be part of this project just so I’ll be out of reach for a little while?”

Esther snorted.  “Girlfriend, given what little you’ve just told us about your papa, I have to admire you for not having run away long before now.  I’d have probably slapped him.”  Arianna’s eyes went wide, and Esther chuckled and shrugged.  “What can I say?  Everybody needs a good smack in the head now and then to keep them honest.”

Danny noticed Arianna’s discomfort and cleared his throat.  “How did we get so far afield of mating rituals and customs?” he asked.  “Who’s next?” not surprised when three fingers went in his direction.  His lavender complexion flushed a little darker, but he nodded his head gamely and turned his attention to Arianna.  “So what do you want to know?”  And the conversation was off and running again.


Chapter X

“So did you hear the news?” Adam quietly asked his compatriots as they seated themselves at the table Mary had reserved for them in the restaurant.  It was rare that they were all together in the same place and time; usually such action preceded a major change for one if not all of them.  The fact that they weren’t sequestered upstairs was even stranger – normally, this type of meeting was held in privacy so they could voice questions, arguments and objections without fear of censure. They couldn’t help but wonder at the change.

Before either Ben or Caleb could respond to Adam’s query, Mary strode through the doors and headed directly towards their table.  They rose as a matter of courtesy, and she nodded her acknowledgement even as she motioned for them to resume their seats.  She held up her hand, gesturing for the server and indicating that she wanted her agents to remain quiet for a few moments.

The server hastened over and took their orders, scrambling to take care of their drinks, then backing a safe distance away from the table.  Only when Mary was sure the woman was out of hearing did she look around the table and meet the eyes of each of her shift leaders.

“Good evening, gentlemen.  Adam, would you like to continue sharing the news you had started revealing to Caleb and Ben before I arrived?”

Adam’s eyes widened, but he nodded.  He’d try to figure out how she knew that later.  For now....  “Apparently, Eli ripped the Committee a new one in her interview today – basically called them out on their crap.”

Ben and Caleb looked between Adam and Mary.  “Dude,” Ben said after a moment of shocked silence.  “Seriously?”

“Oh yes,” Adam confirmed.  “Stephen was monitoring the session.  Said she was polite and respectful about it, but basically told them to stop dicking everyone around.  That all the candidates believed the Alpha team had already been chosen and they knew the Committee was screwing around so it would look like everyone was getting a fair shake before the announcement was made.”

Their server chose that moment to return to the table with their food, and conversation ceased while she set plates in front of everyone and refilled drinks.  When everyone was satisfied, she moved away again, leaving them to their discussion.

“Wow,” Caleb said after the first few minutes were spent in satisfying their initial hunger pangs.  “I’m trying to figure out if that was incredibly brave or exceptionally stupid.”  They all looked at Mary and waited for her to weigh in.

She swallowed the food she had been chewing and lifted her glass, washing it down carefully before leaning back in her chair.  “In this case it was incredibly brave – because she was absolutely right, but it was still a risk.  However, what was even better was the fact that she pointed out that it was her duty as the de facto leader of the candidates that compelled her to speak out on their behalf, and they couldn’t argue with her logic.”

“And she wasn’t afraid of being dismissed?” from Ben.

Mary shrugged.  “If she was, she hid it well.  She told the Committee that as much as she’d like to be part of the Alpha team, she didn’t need it.  I’d have loved to have seen their faces when she made that particular announcement.”

“So what happened?” Caleb asked curiously.

“Well, even though I haven’t heard anything officially yet, I’m fairly confident the Committee will call another meeting before Monday rolls around.  So at least Eli got things moving.  The problem with that is it changes our timetable more than it already was.”

“The timetable changed?” Adam asked.  “When?” glancing at Ben and Caleb and realizing none of them had been aware of the alteration.  Mary cocked an eyebrow at them.

“It’s why I called this meeting gentlemen – to make you aware of the changes I’ve made to our original schedule.  For the record, I have already reworked the schedule a second time to allow for an earlier announcement of the Alpha team, but it means we’ll be in motion starting tonight.”

“Damn!” Ben muttered.  “Didn’t see that coming.  Can I ask what changed... aside from the Committee stepping up their timetable, Chief?”

“Malcolm,” Caleb answered succinctly before Mary could respond.  Then he looked at her and she nodded and gestured for him to continue.  “As much as everyone despised the Prick, the fact that he’s been discovered to have a disease we thought had been wiped out on this planet is cause enough to step up our security measures.”  Caleb turned back to Mary.  “So I’m guessing we’ll be sleeping in short shifts for a while?”

“Yes, unfortunately, but it’s necessary.  I’ve got the schedule all worked out – you three need to ensure that it is adhered to.  We’ll be moving the candidates tonight in increments.  Each of you will be in charge of a different group at a different location – we’ve already secured the new facilities.  It won’t be as plush as staying here has been, but we need them out of here before morning.  I’ve already mapped out the routes you’ll need to take – one route per vehicle regardless of the destination.  It will be harder for anyone to spot you that way.”

“What about the announcement?  What are you going to tell the Committee?  They haven’t actually canceled the rest of the interviews or indicated they’re going to move up the Alpha team notification.”

“The Committee will be informed of the change of venue for the candidates once they have all been secured in the new locations.  Any communication they need to do with the remaining contenders will be done through secure channels.”

“And when the Committee objects?”

“I will have a much clearer idea as to who the perpetrator is.”

“So you still don’t know, Chief?”

“No,” Mary ground out in frustration.  “I’m convinced at least one of the Committee is part of the effort to sabotage this project before it gets off the ground.  But I don’t have anything concrete I can base an accusation on.”

“I’d like to know why,” Adam said.  When he caught a glimpse of everyone else’s confusion, he elaborated.  “Why go to all the trouble to become a Committee Member just to destroy what you’re supposed to be helping create?”

“One of two things,” Mary said, pushing her plate away and leaning back in her chair.  “Either they became a Committee Member for the sole purpose of obliterating the program.  Or someone got to them – using money or a family member as leverage to accomplish the same thing.”

“But why?” Adam repeated.  “If you hate the idea so much, why not just refuse to be a part of it?  Or why not tell someone if you’re being blackmailed?”

“We’ll ask when we discover who the guilty party is.  But my theory on the first is that they are trying to make a point.  As for the second....”  Mary shrugged.  “If money is involved, I doubt it is blackmail as much as it is bribery.  If it’s a family thing, they may believe they are just protecting their own.”

“At the cost of everyone else’s?  What a selfish bastard!”

“No one said we were evolving for the better,” Mary said with a derisive smirk.  “Now gentleman,” pulling out her Pad and waiting for them to do the same, “let’s get down to business, shall we?”

************

Eden bumped Eli’s elbow, almost causing her to spill her drink and earning her a glare.  She struggled to appear appropriately apologetic, but she couldn’t keep the smirk from forming.  “Sorry,” she mumbled.  “But what do you think is going on over there?” jerking her head towards the table where Mary and her security guys were sitting having some intense discussion as they poured over their Pads.

Eli shrugged.  “I have no idea.  I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen them eat in the restaurant before.”

Eden sighed.  She really wanted to know what was going on at that table.  She had the distinct impression it was far more interesting than the awkwardness that was happening at her own.  Eli was sitting next to her as she usually did when they ate together as a group, but she was mostly lost in another world.  Eden had to wonder if something had happened in her interview to make her so pensive or if it was something closer to home.

Because then there was Arianna - sitting at the other end of the table actually laughing and carrying on with those around her – something that hadn’t happened since she’d been betrothed to Malcolm.  Even before, when it had been her and Eli, much of her personality was focused on Eli first and everyone else second.  Now she appeared to be trying to make up for lost time.

Eden couldn’t decide if Arianna’s sudden brashness was affecting Eli, but it was unnerving the hell out of her.  Topped by the fact that Mary Wellesly was sitting in a relatively private corner of the room with her three top aides, and it was enough to make Eden antsy.  She turned to Hannah, who had somehow ended up across the long table from her.  She tapped the brown hand and waited for brown eyes to meet hers.  Hannah arched a brow at her in response.

“Can you hear them?” Eden asked, jerking her head in the direction of Mary’s table.

Hannah’s second brow shot up to join the first in reaction as she eased her head around in the direction Eden had indicated.  Then her eyes widened in surprise.  Whatever she’d expected Eden to say, she obviously hadn’t considered that to be an option. 

“Are you kidding me?”

“No.  C’mon, Hannah.  You’re the one with sensitive hearing.  I just wanna know what they’re talking about.  I didn’t think they even ate, considering we’ve never seen them do so.”

Hanna gave Eden a look.  “Eden, even if I could hear them over all the noise and confusion in the room – not to mention the distance – I’d never disrespect Mary like that.  She’s been above reproach in respecting our privacy whenever she can.”

“How can you possibly know that?” Eden demanded.

“Because common sense says she’s been witness to a lot of our behavior, but the Committee has yet to bring up anything that only she could have told them.”

Eden glared.  “I hate you sometimes,” she grumbled.  Hannah just smirked.

“She’s right,” Eli said unexpectedly, causing those in hearing range to turn towards Eli.  Mostly she listened during meals, so when she spoke, she captured attention.  Eden tilted her head in question.

“She’s right about what, Eli?”

“Mary respecting our privacy.  She and her crew have been watching over us for a long time, so you know she’s had to have seen any number of embarrassing events that have occurred in our lives.  And yet not only has the Committee failed to mention them, Mary and her team have never brought attention to them.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eden grouchily agreed.  “But that doesn’t make me want to know what’s going on over there any less.”

“Did you ever think it might be another test?” Naomi asked, causing Eden to whip her head around and glare.  Naomi held up a placating hand.  She and Eden had gotten off on the wrong foot and everything Naomi did now tended to rub Eden the wrong way.  However, they were both trying for the sake of team dynamics.  Eden sucked in a deep breath and nodded for Naomi to continue.  Naomi shrugged.  “I just wondered if it was possibly another test.”

“How so?” Eli asked quietly.

“I don’t know.  It just seems like that’s all we’ve done for a while, so why not one more?”

The others nearby chuckled wryly and Eden snorted.  “She’s got a point.”  Then she shrugged.  “Whatever.  I’m just ready for this to be over with,” she sighed, scrubbing her eyes with the balls of her hands.  Eli wrapped an arm around her shoulders and Eden leaned into the comforting touch.

“I think we all are, Eden,” Eli said with a light squeeze before releasing her hold.  Everyone nearby nodded their agreement to Eli’s words.  Eli smirked.  “Who knows?  Maybe Mary is planning a way to spring all of us from here.  I imagine she’s as tired of this as we are.”

“Do you think that’s possible?” Eden retorted with a snort.

“Of them being as tired of this as we are – yes.  Of them plotting our escape - not so much; but I like the idea... especially if it means we get to start this mission soon.  In the meantime, I’m done here.  I’ll see you all later,” she added as she rose from her seat.  “Goodnight.”

“You’re not going to wait for dessert, Eli?” Eden asked.

“I’ve had enough, Eden,” her eyes conveying more than her words said.  Eden nodded, but didn’t drop Eli’s gaze until Eli turned her back and strode from the room.   Then Eden let her attention drift to the other end of the table where Arianna was still staring at the now closed door.  When Arianna noticed Eden’s scrutiny, she gave her a tentative smile before turning her focus back to her closest tablemates, though her antics were greatly toned down.

“You know,” Hannah said softly as the door closed behind Eli and her escort, “if they don’t find a way to get along before we leave, it’s gonna make this project a hell of a bumpy ride.”

Eden sighed.  “Eli’s trying to abide by her own request – you know, to include Arianna as part of the group.  But that seems to be mucking things up for both of them.  Personally, I think it would probably be better if they just stuck to the professional thing.  At least they both know what to expect from that kind of relationship.”

“Maybe you should talk to Eli about it,” Jacob offered, speaking up for the first time since dinner began. “The rest of us can make Arianna part of the family again without excluding Eli when she wants to be included as part of us.  It should be her choice – not something she should have to suffer with trying to be a good example for the rest of us.  We’re all adults here.”

“And you think someone like Deb would let her get away with a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ mentality?”

Jacob shrugged.  “I’ll talk to Deb.”

Eden snorted.  “Yeah... good luck with that.”

He smirked.  “Thanks.  I think I can get her to understand.  I mean... we all want what’s best for the team, right?  If I get her to agree, though, you have to talk to Eli.”

Eden raised an eyebrow at him, but returned his leer.  “Don’t I always?” she asked with a hint of snark, then turned her attention back to the table where Mary and her team had been ensconced only moments before.  Somehow, however, Eden and the rest had managed to miss their exit and Eden sighed.  “Damn!  I really wanted to know what they were talking about.”

“Maybe they’re gonna get the Committee to post the Alpha list early.  If anyone could do it, Mary could,” Jacob said with a shrug, leaning back to allow the server to set his dessert in front of him.  He shoveled a huge bite of pie into his mouth and grinned.  Eden gave him a look of disgust, but he simply kept chewing and grinning.

************

“Is everything all right, Caleb?” Mary asked when she’d sent the specs on moving the candidates to her team leaders.  He looked at Ben and Adam, but they studiously kept their eyes glued to their Pads.  Caleb met Mary’s eyes and breathed slowly, then opened his mouth to reply.

“Well, Chief – honestly?  I’m trying to decide if you’re a brilliant tactician or absolutely insane.”

Mary snickered and gave him a smile.  “I see.  And have you come to any conclusions?”

“Not exactly,” he admitted, “though I am leaning towards the brilliant side.  Because no one would ever think to look for them in plain sight – not like this.  They’ll expect us to move them to underground military facilities to keep them secure.”

Mary chuckled and nodded.  “Any questions, gentlemen? All the information is there,” jerking her head in the direction of the Pads they all held, “but if something is unclear you need to ask now.  There won’t be time once we get underway.  Communication will be limited to code and only under extreme duress in an emergency.”

The men turned the focus back to their Pads, carefully studying all the information Mary had shared with them.  One by one they purged the files and collapsed the Pad back into its carry size, slipping it into a pocket before resting folded hands on the table.

Mary regarded each of them for a long moment – these were men she trusted with her life... that she had entrusted her daughter’s safety to once upon a time. They had been through a lot together... both for her and with her.  Now, once more, she was putting her ultimate faith in them – only this time it wasn’t her daughter’s life, but the lives of kids who held the future in their hands.

“I do have one question,” Ben said finally, drawing their attention to him.  Mary motioned for him to continue.  “Are you sure about the way you’ve broken the candidates down?” holding up his hands in an effort to ask for forbearance from his compatriots.  Mary just waited.  “I mean... the awkwardness that’s between Princess and Angel is going to make it a nightmare for whoever gets stuck with them.”

“Good thing I’m the one in charge of that group then, isn’t it?”  She glanced at her watch.  “Ian, Nathaniel and Joseph will be here within the hour.  They have already been briefed - each of them, like you, will be taking charge of a group of ten candidates.  Five candidates to a vehicle with four agents to cover them.  We’ll leave incrementally in three-minute intervals – I will randomly choose the order that you leave in so make sure you and your team and candidates are ready to go when zero hour arrives.”

“What are you going to tell the candidates?”

“The truth... but as little as possible.  You three need to get upstairs and start prepping your teams.  Caleb, your team will need to be quick and relieve Ben’s as soon as you’re ready, so they can prepare as well.  As soon as each member of your shift has checked in as ready to proceed, notify me and I’ll give you our go time.  The sooner the better.”

Mary rose and the men stood as a matter of course, then they followed her from the restaurant and headed upstairs. There was a lot of work to be done, and a very short amount of time to do it in.

Part 2