Pioneer I

Wes tried to fight back a cringe; that was exactly the question he hadn't wanted to hear. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Adelaide was going to ask sooner or later, but he had not joined the Pioneer Program with the intention of sharing a room with an eleven-year old. The teen boy in him had hoped to find some Scientist girl who just happened to look really sexy in a lab coat...or something along those lines.

Still, how could he say no to her? He knew that she was going to struggle with finding a roommate if he didn't extend a hand to her. After all, it was obvious that no one else had tried to reach out on her behalf.

After a brief moment's hesitation, Wes flashed a white-toothed smile and shrugged. "Sure, I want to. I'll put my stuff in there and see you in the Dining Hall. Thanks for the offer."

As Wes turned his back to her, he groaned silently. He couldn't even imagine what he had just gotten himself into for the next year. Still, as he opened the door to a previously empty Room four, he felt proud of himself deep down. Even if he had to babysit for a little while, Wes knew he had done the right thing.

Adelaide noticed his hesitation, and it caused her to gulp about as noticeably as his hesitation was. She hoped he didn't feel obligated. That was why she'd said she wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to. What sixteen year old boy would want to room with an eleven year old girl? Why did they have to make the dorms coed, anyway? Still, when he mentioned not having a room, she'd felt compelled to offer. She knew how awkward it was to not have an offer from anybody. Now she felt the urge to yell out something reassuring, like I don't mind if you bring girls home at night or Don't be embarrassed; you ain't got nothing I haven't seen before. Something told her that those things would not exactly be reassuring, so she just kept avoiding his gaze and hoped her new friend wouldn't come to resent her. Would showing him her guns help or hinder? She'd wait to know him better first.

As he left, she blew out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. At least she'd have some company, and he was nice. And cute. And he had really, really cool hair. She'd have to contain herself and not ask if she could play with it. He'd surely move out in a heartbeat. Adelaide couldn't help but wonder what they felt like though.

She made her way down to the mess hall, smiling at anyone who looked her way. The food didn't look too appetizing, but at least it was real food. She knew that wouldn't last very long, though. They'd be pampered until they were well into space. She filled her tray and hurried to an empty table, looking around surreptitiously. So far she still didn't see anyone her age. She wondered if they'd all been put on other ships. Something was seriously wrong with the percentages around here. And she didn't even look tall for her age. Great.

Nick said, half to himself, "Bah! They made the movies look like old corvettes, well used, stylish, a bit foreign, but not roomy or accomidating. Thats... kinda what we've got here..." He looked around the room. Honestly, the dividing spaces was a bit on the luxurious side, and the beds, did they really need to give us full sized beds? Nick had expected to be sleepig in an arrangement similar to navy vessels, hot bunking in tight corners with two or more shifts with little to no privacy. Not even enough to rub one out.

But then politicias raised concern about the social effects of such small spaces. They ended up lengthening the build time for the ships by almost another year and sacraficing a significant amount of storage space for bigger rooms. And why the rooms were co-ed, Nick would never know.

Sophie opened the bag in her lap and pulled out a piece of her old life - a tattered blue teddy bear. Holding it to her chest, she looked up at Nick and smiled sheepishly. "I just had to bring him with me. I've had him since I was a baby."

Nick grinned a bit and was tempted to say the bear was cute, but that was a little edgy. He'd almost brought a similar comfort of his own, a wooden sculpture he had made as a kid of a hawk at rest. "I almost brought something myself, though I decided against it..." Now that he thought about it, having the scuplture had always been reassuring to him, the crude bird would always protect him. But, Nick was leaving his rocky home behind, going where a bird couldn't follow.

He walked over to sit next to Sophie on her bed and asked, "Whats his name?" Genuinely interested. The names someone gives their comforts say alot more of who they are than what you can see on the surface, but he also just wanted to get a little closer to her.

"I named him Minuit," Sophie replied, stroking the soft stuffed animal with one finger, "for obvious reasons. His color looks like the sky at night, and if you look at his fur just right, you can see sparkles in it - like stars."

Sophie laughed and shook her head. Usually she kept her childhood memorabilia locked away in a drawer where no one had to see it; as fond as she was of Minuit and her baby blanket and other things, she wasn't four years old anymore. Nick had to find it ridiculous to see her - a Runner in the biggest organization in the world - clinging to an old teddy bear.

He seemed legitimately interested, though. For whatever reason, looking at him made Sophie lose all sense of self-consciousness. She set the bear down as Nick sat down next to her, and she made a subtle move toward him so their shoulders barely touched. Craning her neck upward to smile at him, she asked, "What about you? Did you bring anything from back home?"

Talking to Nick put Sophie at ease, and she was even having fun flirting with him a little bit. But even though he seemed nice and smart and very attractive, something tugged at the back of her mind. I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be doing this...

Her mind wandered for a moment back to training camp, where she had met another fellow Runner. She couldn't stop thinking about that young man, and every time she remembered him her stomach tightened into a knot. What if he was on the Pioneer I? The chances were slim, but if he was...she didn't want to have to face him. She didn't want to have to think about him at all, but she knew that, because of him, talking to Nick could potentially end very badly.

Suddenly, she remembered the voice over the speaker she had heard earlier. Her grumbling stomach served as a further reminder.

"Dinner is being served in the Dining Hall. Dinner in the Dining Hall."

"Oh! Nick, they're serving dinner right now! We should probably go get something to eat before they close the hall."

'Minuit, midnight.' Nick grinned at the inspiration, a child's observation. The fact that she held onto it didn't mean all that much psychologically, perhaps that she hid parts of herself under a confident demeanor, but she'd shown the stuffed animal so easily that was improbable. Unless, it meant that she was already very trusting of Nick. He mentally scoffed at the idea, the two had only just met.

"A good name though, Minooet," he stumbled and pronounced the name in English before correcting himself, "I mean, Minuit. Heh, still not all that perfect..." Five months of rushed courses in two languages in addition to all of the Runner training still left much to be asked for. A work in progress, as was everything.

Nicks idle thoughts were interrupted by the touch of her shoulder to his. Sophie had put down the bear and moved closer, looking up into Nick's face, revealing a dazzling smile and exposing a beautifully smooth neck and shoulders. Nick resisted the attempt to look further down her body and focused on her face. 'Smooth skin, deep green eyes, lips that seemed more like a target than a mouthpiece-' Nick stopped himself. He knew he shouldn't be getting involved with women, not so early in the game. He kept on smiling down to her though.

"Well, I almost did. A sculpture from when I was a kid, but it feels kindof weird to bring it off-world." 'Perhaps I could make another one for each habitable world we visit, and leave it there for my return?' He shook his head, "Other than that, I brought my martial arts uniform, that's about the only thing sentimental I have."

Sophie's eyes had glazed over a bit, a somber look came to her face. Nick was unsure what to make of it. Then she suddenly became active again.

"Oh! Nick, they're serving dinner right now! We should probably go get something to eat before they close the hall."

He jumped at the chance and got up, suddenly aware of himself, how close they were. "Yeah, lets go!"

"Well, I almost did. A sculpture from when I was a kid, but if feels kindof weird to bring it off-world. Other than that, I brought my martial arts uniform, that's about the only thing sentimental I have."

That statement in itself triggered a bunch of questions in Sophie's mind. What kind of sculpture? He was a martial artist? And why was it so strange to carry around sentimental items? Sophie had never understood it, and maybe she was generalizing, but boys never seemed to become attached to their possessions. Nick's side of the room was peppered with a few of his belongings, while Sophie had bag after bag of stuff crammed behind her bed. However, she valued a lot of what she had brought beyond its material worth.

"Yeah, let's go!"

Nick sprang from the bed, seemingly all to eager to put some distance between them. Just another thing to confuse her. After offering to share a room with her and sitting on her bed beside her, was he really not attracted to her? Sophie found that hard to believe. Had she just made him nervous by moving too quickly? He had seemed fine just a moment ago...

Sophie sighed. She had given up on trying to fully understand the opposite sex a long time ago.. Guys and girls had their differences, and dwelling on them, she learned, only caused grief. Besides, she was much more curious about this martial arts uniform Nick had stowed away. She could only imagine how good he looked in it.

"You said something about martial arts?" she inquired as she followed behind him to the Dining Hall. "I used to take Tae Kwon Do myself. How long have to done it?"

Nick breathed a sigh of relief, his thinking cleared after putting some distance between him and Sophie. A wonderful girl and a self-tormenting man-child, Nick wondered if something terribly good, or terribly bad would come of it. She was forward enough, but was that just in reaction to Nick's own friendliness? He had no idea.

"You said something about martial arts?" she inquired as she followed behind him to the Dining Hall. "I used to take Tae Kwon Do myself. How long have to done it?"

Nick paused and turned back to her, allowing her to catch up before matching stride. He'd been so lost thinking of the two of them that he forgot to think of just her, and how rude it was to just leave her in the dust. "Well, all my life really. Started around five I think, so thats fourteen years? My parents are both masters of their styles, so it was just the kind of family I was brought up in. Like, a military brat or a grease monkey kid, you know?" There was no clear French translation of the terms, so Nick just said them in English.

'What kind of family was she raised up in I wonder?' But Nick was too shy to pose the question.

They rounded the corner into the dining hall, a cramped room with several tables and a cafeteria-like bar taking up most of one end of the room. Nick grabbed a tray and got in the crowd of Pioneers jostling for position in line.

"Well, all my life, really. Started around five I think, so that's fourteen years?"

Sophie did the simple math - nineteen years old. So he was a bit of an older guy. She was almost seventeen, but the gap in their ages didn't matter to her. Hopefully, that wasn't what was bothering him. Once, back at home, she had dated a guy five years her senior. Admittedly, things between them did not go very well...but that guy was an oaf. Just by looking at Nick, Sophie could tell he was light-years ahead of the boys back at home - intellectually and, now that she thought about it, probably literally. She subconsciously glanced out one of the windows, and an expanse of nothing greeted her.

Shaking herself, Sophie turned her wandering attention back to Nick. She had only half-heard his words...his parents were martial artists and some English words she didn't understand. Still, she got the idea.

"That makes sense." She nodded. As they approached the chaotic line, Sophie took a stance hiding behind Nick to avoid getting pushed by someone. Looking at the food, she thought to herself that it certainly wasn't anything special. She saw some familiar foods - fresh fruits, ham, lettuce - but also some dried stuff that had almost certainly come out of packets. Space food.

Initially, Sophie reached for the stuff she recognized, but as she held a bright red apple in her hand, she sighed heavily in realization. The apples and oranges and chicken weren't going to last very long on the ship. The Caretakers were probably using it to facilitate the transition to what they would be eating for the rest of their lives. Sophie eyed a tray full of colorless meal in front of her, and reluctantly she scooped some of it on to her plate. Might as well start getting used to it now.

After filling up her tray, Sophie turned to Nick. "So, where should we sit?"

As she asked, her eyes darted around the tiny room, obviously looking for someone. She still wasn't sure if he - the guy from the training program - was on the Pioneer I with her...

Once Wes had settled all his belongings in his new room, he made his way to the little Dining Hall to get a bite to eat before bed. For some reason, he had expected a large cafeteria like the one at his high school, but he stepped across the threshold to find a room a little smaller than the main lobby. He counted ten tables, which gave the trainees and the mentors just a little elbow room. Across the Hall (which he decided wasn't really a hall at all), he caught sight of Adelaide's bright red curls. Of course, she was sitting by herself.

Initially, Wes ignored her and searched for a table where he could potentially make friends, but he kept glancing back at Adelaide. He didn't want to feel obligated to be the role of a big brother, but now that they were roommates, he didn't have much of a choice. He groaned to himself. The transition from child to adult brought with it too much internal conflict. The child in him still wanted to look "cool" in front of people his own age, but the adult in him nagged at him to do what he knew was right. He might as well get a head-start on being an adult.

Wes piled up his plate with a few sandwiches and a lot of fruit, and then he weaved in and out of the tables until he reached Adelaide's. "Is this seat taken?" he asked, waiting to set his tray down until she gave him the O.K. Not that he thought she would turn him away.

It seemed like most of the fresh foods had already been taken when Nick finally got to the bar. Some of the crew was starting to realize they wouldn't be enjoying that kind of luxury for long, so they took advantage of it, like scavenger birds attacking a carcass. Sophie didn't seem much bothered by it, she kind of hid behind Nick while he parted the crowd ahead of them like a kayak through water, merely giving the noisier and more pushy carrion birds a significant look. Some of them irked and calmed down to quietly wait in line. But one guy held his gaze for a moment, smirked, and turned away, going to sit down at one of the tables.

Nick ignored him and got some food; a fresh apple and some high carbohydrate and vitamin slop. Unappetizing to look at, but a bit of spices made it smell somewhat attractive. He hoped that the kitchen would still be open later, but knew it wouldn't be. So he pocketed a palm-sized bag of nuts and a banana, they would be good after exercising.

"So, where should we sit?"

Her eyes were searching for something, someone. Anything she might have been looking for were either friends or a place to sit, but her expression was worried. Pained almost. 'What to do...' Nick wondered.

Nick said casually, with a bit of flair, "Well, since we have such a fine dinner here, why don't we top it off with the best view in the world?"

He lead the way to an unoccupied table facing one of the windows to the outside. The view was a slow cartwheel of stars, planets and motes of light. Soon, they would pass near Saturn, Nick remembered, checking his watch. Only a few more minutes before the great ringed gas giant would come into view for a moment, whizzing by while the ship accelerated out of the solar system. They might even be able to see some of the space ports on it's rings and moons.

The was a quiet silence after Nick sat down, he looked over to Sophie inquisitively. "So," he ventured, "Got any projects during our odessy?" It was a pun on what the media had been saying, that this was Man's first great odessy of the century, millenia even. 'The stuff of legends', he thought, 'Steered by a bunch of snot-nosed kids and punks.' He thought back to some of the other Runner candidates he had met in training. Not the best the world had to offer by far, in terms of skills or maturity. Only one other candidate he remembered meeting had been worth anything, the guy had been a god among men.

Adelaide was absently pushing salad around her plate when her new roommate appeared.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked.

Adelaide gave him a grateful smile. "Not at all. Get settled okay?" She was half-expecting him to tell her that he'd had a better offer.

Before he was able to answer, however, another girl walked up. She was striking, really, despite the fact that she was pretty short too. She had the most lovely green eyes that Adelaide had ever seen, as well as a very sweet smile, which she was kind enough to share with both Addie and Wes. "Hey. Mind if I sit here too?" She had what sounded kind of like a French accent, though it wasn't quite so heavy as others Adelaide had met.

Adelaide cast a questioning glance at Wes before answering. "Sure."

Rather than introduce herself, the girl, who also seemed older, sat beside Wes and started questioning Adelaide. "Say, are you a model?"

Addie laughed. "Me? No. How come?" She found it hard to believe that someone would mistake her for a model.

"You look like this girl I worked with once. She had this amazingly bright, curly hair just like yours, and her face was shaped the same. It was years ago, though. I thought you might be her. Gemma, I think her name was."

"No, I'm Adelaide. Adelaide Jenkins. You're a model?"

"Sometimes."

Addie waited, but the girl still didn't introduce herself. She cleared her throat. "This is my roommate, Wes." I think, anyway, she still didn't say aloud. Hopefully he hadn't had a better offer.

The girl raised her eyebrows, as if she only just realized that she ought to introduce herself. "Oh, pleased to meet you both! I'm Nuri Sabine." She glanced at Wes, but seemed unable to look at him for too long. She almost seemed shy, but she was so pretty and forthright that Adelaide had a hard time believing that was the case. "Isn't it great to have real food again? I mean, look at this salad!" She drizzled a little oil and vinegar from a small cup.

"I only got one because it reminded me of my mom telling me to eat some vegetables," Adelaide admitted.

"Smart woman. I doubt we'll have any real vegetables left after a week or two." They sat in awkward silence for a moment, before the girl, Nuri, spoke up again. "So...I'm a recorder. From France, mostly. What do you guys do?"

"I'm a runner," Addie said quietly, still only just picking. "From the US." They both looked expectantly at Wes. She knew he was also from the states, but she still didn't know what he did.

Slate watched the others on his ship with an air of nervousness about him. With the big jump, and all his training finally coming to use, he was rather excited and scared at the same time. Slate chuckled dryly to himself as he saw the other pioneers; so much more relaxed and prepared by now, they obviously didn't feel the same amount of weight in responsibility that landed on their shoulders when the ships touched off. Their ease irked him somewhat, how everyone could laugh it all off and have the gall to think of dinner at a time like this.
Though this was his state of mind in passing glances; it flitted, back and forth, more in nervousness than in derision of his fellows. And the words of his mentor echoed in his mind, "They will all be children, whether at the level of children or not; so remember this always. They won't always be fully aware of the importance, the significance of what they're doing; you mustn't judge them." He drolly played with his salad while watching the others until he grew bored of observing, then stomached the rest of the bowl of greens and started walking back to Room 9, where he'd set his bags down. he wanted to take time to get settled properly.

As the two girls at the table chatted happily, Wes was silently thanking whatever invisible power had decided to bless him. His good deeds had somehow paid off! Out of nowhere, this beauty - a model, no less - had taken a seat right next to him. He let the girls talk, silently taking in as much information as possible about this new girl.

She had a pixie-like frame, her slender limbs lending her an air of grace with every movement. Her dark hair tumbled gracefully down her back, swept out of her face enough to reveal a pair of radiant green eyes. And when she smiled...she channeled a surge of excitement through Wes with the least of effort. He had no doubt that she was a model; she would even make those bland white spacesuits look incredible.

While one half of Wes's mind was fixed on the girl, the other half tuned in to the conversation. Not only was she a model, she was a French Recorder model. Which meant she wasn't just a pretty face, but an attractive, intelligent girl with whom he would be spending a lot more time. And she was French! He couldn't help but wonder why she had decided to sit with him and Adelaide. Surely she had captured the attention of every other boy on the ship.

Te girl's bright green gaze pulled Wes out of his trance as he realized she had asked him a question. He shook himself and grinned at Nuri. "Well, I happen to be a Recorder, too. I'm from Virginia." He held out his hand to shake. "Wes Blakely. It's nice to meet my other half. What did you say your name was?"

Why had nobody else decided to take the seat directly by the window? Sophie sat down on the bench and took in the view; off in the distance, she could still just barely see the tiny blue dot that had been her home. Perhaps the other kids had subconsciously avoided the window because they didn't want to see what awaited them. Sophie had already seen a few people crying as reality weighed down on them, and it hadn't even been a full day. For her, excitement and nervousness temporarily buried the nostalgia. She would have the rest of her life to miss her family, but at the moment, she had a few other problems to sort out for the time being.

But Sophie was trying her hardest to avoid those problems, fighting tooth and nail against the inevitable. She had been selected for the Pioneer Program for her athletic potential, but not necessarily for her ability to cope. Suddenly, when she looked out the window next to her, she didn't feel so good. She was trying so hard to ignore the problems in her life by focusing on Nick Mechling.

"So, got any projects during our odyssey?"

"Projects?" Sophie swallowed a bite of her apple in one large gulp, suddenly uneasy. For whatever reason, she suddenly felt like he was reading her mind...like he knew something she didn't want him to know. Why was he asking about her plans for the Pioneer Program, anyway? She had the same plans he did...they had the same job. Why did he have to be so nosy?

She wanted to punch something. With every second that passed, she was growing more and more paranoid. She had to stop kidding herself. No matter how attractive Nick was, he could not take her mind off of the crisis at hand. She needed to get away. She needed to speak to the Head Supervisor - now.

"I don't...Um, I don't know. Look, I've got to -"

The intercom came to her rescue.

"Lights out in thirty minutes. Lights out in thirty minutes."

Sophie leaped from her seat, armed with an excuse. "I should go get ready for bed. See you there, I guess!"

Without waiting for an answer, she whirled and headed for her bedroom, taking her food tray with her. She had no clue where to find the Head Supervisor, or even what his name was, but she had to find him before the pressure positively crushed her.

Nick was taken aback by her nervousness and sudden excusal. Her tray had hardly been touched, Nick noticed. It had started from his question about projects, innocent enough. Several other Runners Nick had met in training had told him about projects they had, things they wanted to work on besides just learning and keeping fit for exploration; Jackson had wanted to write a book, Michele Holland was going to compose music, Ryan Peirce had said he'd be borrowing the labs on occasion to run his own tests. However, none of them made the cut. Maybe it was because of their split objectives, the Board had weeded out the ones that would've been distracted or moody, preferring hardasses over intellectuals. They thought they would get the job done better apparently. Nick didn't much look forward to working with the other Runner Teams in other ships.

Somehow though, people like him and Sophie had fallen through the cracks, which gave Nick a spark of hope that the rest of the Corps might be bareable. If, they didn't all suffer from disorders, which Nick was beginning to suspect Sophie might have. He was unsure of the nature, but her actions were hardly normal. 'Or maybe she just has a lot of things on her mind,' he thought.

Some of the crew seemed distraught, suddenly realizing they were in space and then caught under the enormity of our mission. Some visibly, others not so much. 'Perhaps that's what is bothering Sophie,' Nick thought. 'Why am I not affected the same way I wonder...' His mentors would point to a strong fortitude, enemies would say he was devoid of feeling, apathetic. At that point, watching Sophie's back retreating out the door, Nick was prone to believe the latter.

He sighed. If Sophie wanted her space he'd let her have it. Obviously Nick had been the cause of some of her stress, so chasing after her, asking what was wrong, would do no good. Not that he considered it. The choice had already been made without him really thinking about it. Instead, Nick gazed out the window at the passing gas giant Saturn, appearing no bigger than a basketball.

And then it quickly disappeared behind the ship, the last of the major planets they would pass on their way out of the Sol system.

Nick quietly finished his meal and remained sitting at the window, gazing out into the vacuum, where far more stars were visible than any had been from Earth, filling the darkness like nothing Nick could compare them to. Silently he sat, ignoring the departure of the other crewmen, the gradual quiet that took over the dinning hall. The purring of machinery and humming of the ship's STR-Lite engines echoing through the stillness.

He eventually used a penlight to navigate back to Room 10 and roll into bed for a troubled sleep, but on a whim, decided to check the door to the gym. It was open. Inside, the lights flicked on. "Strange," he muttered, "A bug perhaps?" It didn't matter, Nick was elated that the gym was open. He quietly retrieved his bag, cautious not to disturb anyone inside, and slipped into the gym to exercise.

[DELETE]

"This is it," Valkyn had muttered to himself that morning while boarding the Pioneer I, ignoring the cluster to hang back, with a sigh. It was an honor to go on the trip and spend his life running, but he couldn't help the nagging for the past in the pit of his stomach. His family and the world were being left behind, and a wistful sigh couldn't helpbut escape him. 'Should've visited her grave one last time,' he thought to himself of his sister, the image of her bright eyed self (a mere two years at the time) looking up to him still fresh in his mind.

Valkyn was only snapped from his reverie by the direction to find rooms. Though, he hung back until everyone had chosen for the most part before he ventured forth into the first vacant room to claim his domain. Merely the cross of lorraine that hung about his neck was pulled free to drop onto the pillow of his bed, initials engraved on the back as a sure sign to prove it was his and his alone. Only a soft smile was spared as he smoothed it out to stretch the full span of the pillow, a soft hmmm rumbling in his lungs. The trip was nothing, so long as he had at least the one trinket to remind him of who he was.

Though, he was soon to abandon it in favor of wandering. He avoided the others as best he could, taking the time to observe from afar and sneak into the cafeteria. Grabbing a green apple on passing through, he gnawed tirelessly as he stalked the halls of the Pioneer. It was pointless to converse, he figured, embers ever trailing to take everything - and one - in without ceasing. He would avoid the one female he dared not name so long as he could, if only in hopes of figuring things out beforehand, though the images of their past few meetings burned still in his mind.

Finally, it happened. Having shaken dark locks free from the ponytail and discarded the apple core long since, Valkyn had doubled back at the loudspeakers' buzzing about lights out soon. Hands tucked into the pockets of his suit with a sigh, head bowing as he walked, ear only attuned to his footsteps until the bustling sound of another's caught them. With a glance upward, it was assured. Sophie DeAlcambre. "Sophie?" Before the thought had even finished in his mind, the question was uttered, a deep inhale preluding a clearing of his throat. Of course, he ground to a halt on moving, struggling between a grin and scowl before settling on apathy and casually, at best, striding over. "How... How are you? It's been a while, hasn't it? Seems like a dream that we'd be on the same ship. Or maybe a nightmare?"

An all-too familiar voice stopped Sophie in her tracks. She had been walking with her head down, avoiding everyone who walked past her, but she couldn't escape this one. Just when she thought she was in the clear, he swooped in to prove her wrong. She looked up from the floor and met his face. Her worst fears had come true.

"How... How are you? It's been a while, hasn't it? Seems like a dream that we'd be on the same ship. Or maybe a nightmare?"

For a brief moment, all she could do was look at him, eyes wide. She had anticipated running into him sometime, but he had appeared, as if by magic, just as she was thinking about him. She remembered the way he could sneak up behind her without making a sound, or how he seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. Just a few months ago, his air of mystery had filled her with childlike wonder, but now she felt like a giant hand constricted her heart when she looked at him. She didn't even want to think of his name.

Valkyn. Everything about him, even his name, seemed different to Sophie as she looked up at him. Once, she had perceived him as godlike, with glowing skin, long, luscious hair, and the most radiant eyes. Now, when she looked at him, she saw a pallid face, a hairstyle more suited for the 1600s, and an unnerving gaze. When he attempted to smile at her, he revealed unnaturally sharp teeth. Suddenly, he seemed...vampiric.

Underneath her uneasiness, she felt anger slowly rising to the surface. For the last year, Valkyn had been the most important part of Sophie's life, and then, about a month ago, he had all but disappeared. She could handle his absence, but not the world of trouble in which he had left her. With no regard to the fact that she was standing in the middle of the lounge, she lit into Valkyn. This was definitely a nightmare! She told him she had no desire to see him, that he needed to walk away before she delivered a punch right to his creepy face.

When she received no response from him, she immediately remembered the translator in her ear - still off. She had been yelling at him in French the whole time. She turned the translator back on, but her anger had, for the most part, dissipated. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a door labeled, "Head Supervisor: Sylvia Lockhart." Now that her head was clear, she had a better idea.

"We need to talk," Sohpie growled, latching on to his upper arm with a deadly grip. If she was going down, she was taking Valkyn with her.

With a discreet shudder at the sight, fingers curled into fists in his pockets. So, it had to come to this. The awkward stances from a few feet apart. Even without the translator having been on, he could get the jist of her yelling, and he wished he could cringe from it. No, though. That wasn't the way he did things. Instead, he would just stand there and take the brunt of her French -- The language that mere months ago had brought a smile of joy to his face when it slipped from her lips -- that dreadful language he was fast growing to hate.

"You know I never stopped caring about you. You stopped returning my calls," was shouted right back, thrown out in English before quieter mutterings delved into fluent Russian. He didn't need or care to translate the rest, for the meaning was laid bare by the knit brows and scowl on his face. It was obvious that he didn't even want to look at her, but the iced stare only remained so long as she remained yelling. It was at least vital to say he was paying attention while the cogs of his mind turned on the exact meanings of words and translations; only thanks to Latin and Greek that he could partially guess.

"Почему мы делаем это сейчас?" A brow raised, feet far from prone to moving at her request. Valkyn didn't care to bother with his own translator. 'English be damned,' he thought with a huff, lids narrowing to turn his gaze into near slits while he studied her a moment. The only movement he finally made was to pry with his free hand at her fingers one by one, only to loosen her grip, head tipping for the hall. "Where?"

Valkyn could only hope there was a semblance of control on his face; smile dissipated and slate gone blank as best he could manage. In truth, the sight of the infamous Sophie had sent his heart into a rage. Did it want to break his chest? He wasn't sure, but it sure felt like it. He had assumed it a mutual fault that they had lost contact over the past month. With all of the preparations to board the Pioneer and say goodbye to everything, he had imagined them both being busy, and perhaps didn't think to discount his calls as at inopportune times, if ever. Now that his mind raged on it, not leaving a message wasn't the best way of notifying a person, but it had always been his way. Weren't playfully coded things enough to prove he'd still considered her a goddess?

"Guess not," he muttered, a mere accident of thought slipping into words. It seemed to happen around the girl more often than not, as if some note of subconscious intended on letting her in. Of course, he had for the past year. And this was the thanks he got? Still, he couldn't force the knot that was forming away or tear his gaze from her. In a sense, it was Valkyn's turn to stare, fingers coming over by their own volition to grasp her chin. "You look as beautiful as ever, especially when you let your temper through. Didn't expect that, now did you? Could very well be acting like a princess scolding the knight who left too long. Righteous wrath and indignation only color you a more vibrant shade."

Hmm.. No, best not to let it go too far. Sylvia clicked her tongue to herself, and, walking from her original spot--leaning around the hallway corner, into the lounge--and intercepted Sophie and Valkyn. With a deft twist, the Head Supervisor managed to break the two apart, and, with the fluid movement of one well-trained in hand-to-hand, she pushed Valkyn aside while simultaneously opening the office door and dragging Sophie in with her. The sudden gesture had not been rough or forceful, though Sylvia was aware that she had hardly been polite about it. "One moment, dear, I'm afraid this can't wait," she said to both, though mostly to a likely somewhat baffled Valkyn. The office closed with a very decisive airlock sound; the sound of a door that is heavy, stalwart, and meant to be shut.

"Truly sorry about that," Sylvia purred melodiously in French. "You see, I was planning to catch you at lunch, though you were with new friends; I don't like to intrude." Every word she spoke was carefully picked, one could tell; strung together punctually and gracefully, meanings were both obvious and subtle. Her last comment, 'I don't like to intrude', for example, seemed to suggest that Sylvia would give her students space and freedom; at the same time, it seemed to linger like a threat in the dark, silent room. Here, the Head Supervisor's word choice in "catch" suddenly seemed to take a disturbing life of its own, as it bounced from a silver tongue and echoed in lively, attentive amber eyes; though the office seemed like a vault more than a trap.

Sylvia let Sophie take in the sight of her grand view; just as they walked in, Saturn could plainly be seen, flying softly across the large wall of windows like a swift, spectacular harvest moon. Her heels clicked as she walked to sit down in an armchair--the office, being rather spacious, had a circle of couches, as well as a long meeting table and a desk with a number of monitors off to the side. Offering Sophie a seat on sofa nearby, Sylvia continued:

"I may assume he is the father, then?" The look that briefly glimmered in Sophie's face was more than enough response, so she continued, calm and stately all the while, though kindness still remained visible in her intent. "I will be direct. How you wish to handle the life you carry inside you is of little importance to me. If you do not wish to carry the child, a removal can be arranged; if you wish to keep the child, you may birth it.

"You should know, by the way, that I'm not angry with you, though I do wish you would not try to keep matters of such importance a secret from me again. Chances are high, frankly, that you will fail regardless, and trust is something I would like to cultivate in our new community here. This... complication of yours, I see, will throw a wrench into your early training, but it does provide for our care-taker's early training as well," she said with a small smile.

After a short pause, however, her tone and expression changed. "If I may offer my preferred solution, however... You see, I have reached a dilemma. You and Master Desrose... Very promising genetics; the child would be healthy. I wouldn't dream of pressuring you to bear it... but I would ask that you would at least allow it to live. The embryo can be taken out of you and... kept safe, for a time, even placed within a different mother. I have a unique position here, you see; I must choose who may give birth and who may not. Unfortunately, I am aware that good genetics and the proper preparedness for parenthood do not always come in the same package... I must look out both for the mental health of my protegees and the physical health of our future generations in colonies to come.

"This is why I bring this all to you. It is your child, your responsibility, and your decision; as your Head Supervisor, my first loyalty is to you, and I will support your choice. I only ask that you take time to think things through, let it settle... You must be comfortable with all that is to come." The silence was thick; the walls of the office contained sound very effectively. Sylvia shifted in her chair, leaning closer to Sophie while saying, more softly, "On that note... This decision is an important one for you, and most likely you alone, as I understand it; this is why I did not bring Valkyn here with us, though if you wish to include him, this too is acceptable to me. Should I let him in?"

Sophie shuddered ever so slightly. The touch of Valkyn's gentle fingers to her face still made her heart stop cold. As hard as she tried to hate him, as much as the sight of him gripped her with panic...she could still see what she had seen in him a year ago. They had gone through every stage of training together, and from the very first day he had stood out to her among the other Runners. While they went out and partied, he hung back to squeeze in an extra hour of training. Where the others hurled themselves into the spotlight to gain attention, Valkyn didn't have to. From a cursory glance, Sophie knew he would make it into the Pioneer Program. She used him as an unspoken opponent, but at the same time she admired him from afar, and she sensed he had done the same.

Only after they had made it into the Pioneer Program did the two finally speak to each other. Their relationship skyrocketed from there, expedited by six months of silent infatuation on both their parts. But even as Valkyn brushed his fingers under her chin, Sophie still felt like the contents of his mind were just out of arm's reach - like there would always be something about him she didn't know. This time, though, the tables were turned.

The chill of Valkyn's touch seemed to weaken Sophie's entire body for a split second, and she relinquished her grip on his arm. However, at the same time, she slapped his hand away from her face.

"I don't care about the phone calls," she snapped. "And don't call me beautiful. We need-"

Before she could continue, the door to the Head Supervisor's office swung open, and Sylvia Lockhart was serving as a divider between Sophie and Valkyn. In the next moment, she had been ushered into the woman's office, the door clicking shut behind her. She sat down in one of the chairs and took in the view of the ringed planet as they flew past, but her eyes seemed unfocused; her mind was still out in the lounge with Valkyn.

"I may assume he is the father, then?"

Saturn wasn't enough to catch Sophie's attention, but that comment was. She blinked and turned to really look at Sylvia Lockhart. She looked like a Head Supervisor - a woman of authority and mystery who had eyes in every dark corner of the Pioneer I. Of course she had known. She didn't even take the time to wait for Sophie's shocked nod of confirmation. She already knew everything she wanted to say, and all Sophie could do was listen.

Immediately, Lockhart managed to put her mind at ease. She was still allowed in the Pioneer Program; in fact, the Head Supervisor herself was encouraging her to go through with the pregnancy. At the same time, her relief was laced with uneasiness. Promising genetics? Removing the embryo? Sophie knew that technology had rapidly advanced, but what Lockhart suggested seemed...unnatural. "Of course I want to keep the baby," she felt herself say.

Instinctively, her hands traveled to her stomach. The pregnancy was hardly noticeable on the surface, but she could already feel the changes her body had made to accommodate a baby. Her baby. She turned to look at the door, wondering if Valkyn still stood on the other side. Then, she set her jaw and turned her attention back to the Head Supervisor.

"Don't let him in. I'll have to tell him sometime, but...this isn't his business. I don't want him involved."

Part of her mind was in panic. How was she going to endure nine months of torture on her own? How could she raise a child without someone by her side. Of course, the Caretakers would do most of that work for her, but they weren't parents. Still, she knew in the back of her mind that she had made the right decision. Her focus lay on two things only; her baby and her job as a Runner. Drama with a boy - any boy - simply didn't fit into the mix.

Sophie opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, and then tried again. "If I may ask, though, Madame...how did you know? About me being pregnant, I mean?"

"What do you care about then?" The question had been ushered in until he was snapped away - both by Sophie's hand the Head Supervisor's division of their stance. It was enough to catch him off guard for a moment, eyes grown wide and mouth agape for a comment he bit off. It wasn't that he was going to throw something rude, but it had been a reply to Sophie and something more demanding of an explanation. They hadn't been carousing in a lewd manner, had they? A mere touch to the chin was all. Though, the thought was nudged off for him to nod at Miss Lockhart's statement, lips pressed into a grin line.

It would be only after the door was closed that he spared time to comment, more to himself than anything while he let the last flicker of a jovial hum drain from his heart. "But you are beautiful." He didn't expect the comment to be heard, but it was a prize unto himself to at least speak the truth to the dead air that was left with him. Valkyn, of course, couldn't help but wonder at what the content of the conversation was, and he hated even more that he had not been invited. It had to do with him if Sophie had been swept away on the eve of their need for discussion. "It wasn't the phone calls... Then, what was it? Oh, Sophie, what have you gotten me into." Head shaking while shoulders rose and fell with a sigh, his form was leaned back to rest against the wall beside the door, quiet and waiting. There was nothing else he could do but wait, and wait he would.

It didn't take long for his thoughts to trail into memories. Ah, him and Sophie had had a great and yet sordid past. Who was to tell what portion of it was the cause for the current trouble? Finally, the lightbulb clicked on. 'No. No, it can't be that. We... Didn't use anything. Stupid, stupid heats of passion. The death of me and our dreams.' Worry welled up inside of him at the thought, hues glazed with the fond splay of memories in his mind. Though, it was tainted with a sour undertone and urged him to his feet. Before he even knew what he was doing, a fist had raised, going to rap at the door gently though insistently. At the least, they could weather whatever trial together, and he would gladly take the blame for it. If it meant surrendering his own dream, he refused to remove another great runner from their's all because of a passionate mistake.

Sophie's quick and direct answer troubled Sylvia slightly; she wanted to make sure that Sophie didn't regret her decision later, though seeing the resolve in her eyes, Sylvia could tell that the answer was heart-felt, and was content for now. Laughing, she replied, "Ah.. it's good to have that taken care of. I'm sorry if I'm made you uncomfortable; this is one of the topics I was hoping I could avoid for at least a few months after launch, between you and me. Very... strange. Awkward and strange."

She nodded at Sophie's decision to leave Valkyn outside, and decided she would reply to the question about how she had known. "An interesting but understandable question, with another somewhat awkward but perhaps necessary explanation. By now, you have... relieved yourself, at some point, and sensors in the bathroom track the health of the ship's occupants. The... sample taken, has DNA, signs of infection or illness, and hormones like hCG, one that women release when they're pregnant, amount other things. It's the sort of technology that we need to utilize in preventing the spread of illness, that being so crucial for small communities. Many smaller details like that and my... matchmaker role, while more awkward in nature, are necessary to make sure this community not only survives but lives in comfort and without fear."

With that, she perked up, though, as though someone had called her name far away. "Could that be..." She mumbled to herself. Excusing herself, she strolled over to the monitors at her desk. Two separate monitors came up, displaying the hallways in the green glow of a night camera; one, she dismissed with a smile, thinking, I'll allow a late-night trip to the gym, for today.... The second, she called Sophie over for. "Valkyn here looks... aware, don't you think? That looks like panic to me, anyway. I won't say a word if you don't want me to, but I really should let him in and hear him out. You can stay to see him, or I can let you out through one of the other doors to your room; it's probably a Sophie-themed issue, of course, but it's your choice," glancing at the screen again, she added, "I'd hurry, though; he's rather fast." Sylvia watched Sophie with a stone-faced expression as the girl looked at the screen.

Sophie stared at Dr. Lockhart, uncertain of how to feel about what she had just heard. Awkward didn't even begin to describe it. They placed trackers in the toilets? The people in charge weren't going to let her get away with anything. She had to wonder what other resources they used to keep an eye on the students. While the idea eliminated any illusion of privacy she would have had on the Pioneer I, she understood the logic behind all of it. If they were going to put thirty kids in charge of a space ship, they needed a way to keep an eye on them. But something else piqued Sophie's interest.

"Matchmaker...?" she echoed, but Dr. Lockhart had turned her attention to the cameras - more sets of eyes for the Head Supervisor.

On one of the screens, Sophie saw Valkyn standing outside the door. It was true; she could see fear in his eyes. Her heart began to beat furiously in her chest. All she had to do was look at him, and she knew he had figured it out. Valkyn was smart. He didn't let things slip by him so easily. Sophie remembered the countless times that she had gotten discouraged in training for the Pioneer Program. While she was never one to show it, Valkyn always knew, and he always said just what she needed to hear. She wondered if he would know the right thing to say this time.

Part of Sophie wanted to stay and see if Valkyn could pull a few comforting words from under his sleeve. As much as she hated to admit it, sometimes she needed that support from someone. But part of her wanted to make a run for it. The longer she could put off an encounter with him, the better. Somewhere deep, down, though, she realized that avoiding him wasn't going to make the problem disappear. With a defeated sigh, Sophie slumped onto the couch.

"Let him in," she groaned. "I'll stay. He's got to find out sometime. But I really don't want him sticking his nose in this."

As if magic had gifted Valkyn with a bat ear (superb hearing, of course), the door creaked open just after the end of the sentence. His head poked in almost tediously, a hint of a wry smile on his lips before he straightened to outright step in. It was better than looking like a peeping tom. At least, once he had crossed the threshhold, a pause was made to clear his throat and regain his composure, a nod of the head going to both of the women. "I'm sorry for intruding. I assume that what involves Sophie here has also to do with me, though." With a glance cast in Sophie's direction, it was obvious that the glint of knowledge - or perhaps worry - was still there, lips reeled once more to reproduce the grim line.

With that, it was his turn to swivel to Sophie with a good questioning in mind. Fingers tented themselves while a sigh was mustered, head dropping a moment in resignation. "Is it true?" The question felt forced to his own ears, but he knew it flowed smoothly. It was more that his tone had almost dipped to silence, cold and starving for a haunting lilt as if fear had struck once again. "That would mean you're a month in, would it not? Surely, no girl... Oh, correct, that time of every month missing would be a sure indicator on something of that sort." With a hint of a laugh, embers dared raise to peek at her, hands drooping into his pockets. "This is why you're upset with me, is it not?"

Valkyn could be cool and calculating if he wanted, but he couldn't seem to pull it off too well for the time being. There was too much roving in his mind. 'What night had it been? My own birthday. What a return gift. How do I explain this? ...' Thoughts were going much too fast to grasp, and for once, it showed. His features had twisted, half apathetic, half confused. What in the Hell were they supposed to do about it? It wasn't her fault, in any case, that he hadn't been able to keep his hands off, but it also took two to tango. That, he knew all too well. "Are you still allowed to be a runner? If not, I'll gladly take your place in being sent home. It was my... responsibility to take care of you with the circumstances, and I failed you."

He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be angry with her on that front. Wasn't it the man's job? He was supposed to be the protector. The thought on that was enough to sting with thoughts of the long-dead sibling as well. He had been amazing at protecting her, hadn't he? Again, a problem had arisen, but at the very least, it was less deadly... for the moment. "Sophie, I'm sorry. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right again," As he spoke, feet stirred to bring him closer to her until he had ended up on his knees before her. Hands sought out hers to clasp gently, head bowed almost to rest on her lap, though his gaze hadn't wavered. For a fact, Valkyn knew that he wouldn't break a promise so long as he didn't break a gaze. "I'll be by your side no matter what the consequence, but I am rightly deserving of your wrath. If only I'd known sooner..." The thought was left unfinished for a pair of kisses to be pressed, cool and delicate, to the backs of her hands, head bowed once again with a sigh.