Pioneer I

Konako sighed to herself as she balanced her lemon water carefully on her tray, ignoring the rest of the cafeteria. She had slipped in unnoticed, at least as far as she could tell, and let out a sigh of relief on that. There was no point in getting her hopes up on immediate friends, and she knew it. "You got what you wanted, though, Konako, and I couldn't be more proud of you," she whispered to herself as she looked around, hoping for an inviting face somewhere in the crowd. Even with the people thinning out, she figured it would be unwise to gallavanting like a ridiculous child and drop at anyone's table. So, instead, she seated herself in a far corner, ignoring the lights out time to enjoy the last of her meal and ignore the view of the disappearing planets. What did it matter? She had never truly needed Earth for anything.

Even the hum of silence as the lights clicked off was not enough to cause her to stir. Though, she slowly moved round, not bothering for a light, to set her tray in the proper place and gather up her glass. Even if it was supposed to stay in the cafeteria, she figured it would be better to carry around. Konako had, afterall, spent a good part of the day memorizing what she could of the ship so there was no chance of a spill unless someone ran right into her. It was a good distraction from anything that could weigh on her mind. Time and again when her mind was free from thoughts, she would wonder if she was good enough. Could she really live up to the standards brought on by the others on the ships?

Raven locks pulled up into a ponytail and a smile on her lips, it was at least proved that Konako had taken pleasure in being on the ship as well as the rest. Though, she almost wished for the regret that the others felt at having realized what they were leaving behind. To her, all she left were her parents, who would have more money for themselves with her gone, and a world that hadn't cared to notice. It was of no consequence, but what was would be finishing her pet project that had been her fascination for the longest time.

After quietly slipping into her room, her toolkit and journal were gathered up, tucked into pockets and under an arm before tiptoe-ing back out. It took a bit of wandering, though, before she could say she had found a good room with good light to work in. Though, she hadn't expected it to be the gym. Slipping in and shutting the door with a quiet thunk, she only thought to look around afterward. "What're you doing up so late? I thought everyone was asleep." Despite the aggressive tone of her questioning, a friendly smile plastered on her lips as she waltzed forward. Tools were set on a nearby bench before she settled onto the floor beside it, only daring raise a peek back up at Nick Mechling. "I'm Konako Kuziki, by the way. Sorry if I startled you." With that, her voice had hushed to a quieter pitch and screwdrivers were brought out.

At the sound of the door creaking open, Sophie turned around to see Valkyn enter the room as if on cue. Before he said a word, she realized with dismay that he had heard everything. At least that saved her the trouble of having to break the news to him. On the surface, he seemed to be handling the situation quite well, but Sophie could see panic in his eyes. His cool, calculating facade crumbled bit by bit with every word he spoke. And then, she heard exactly what she had been dreading...he started blaming himself.

In all the time Sophie had known Valkyn, he had always forced himself to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. If something bad happened within a hundred miles of him, he immediately took responsibility for it. Each time he said "I'm sorry" was increasingly irritating, like a bug she couldn't swat away. As she listened to him say he "failed" her and that he was "deserving of her wrath," she wanted to leap from her seat and throttle him. Why did he feel the need to apologize when she had quite obviously seduced him?

From the moment she woke up on the morning of Valkyn's birthday, she knew how the day would end. They had a nice lunch, followed by a birthday bash and a romantic walk under the night sky. During their stroll, a brief rainstorm hit, conveniently soaking them both and allowing them to return to Valkyn's empty home to dry off. From there, one thing led to another...and the events had culminated just as Sophie had predicted. She had planned the entire thing...minus the part where she carried his child for the next nine months. The whole mess was completely her fault, and she knew it.

She jumped out of her seat and snatched her hands away from Valkyn, her face twisted with frustration. "Valkyn, stop it! This is not your fault and it's not your business. I've got everything under control, so don't you go trying to be a martyr. Just stay out of it - for your sake and mine."

Valkyn's suddenly romantic gestures not only angered Sophie at the moment, but they also made her a little uncomfortable. What was he doing, kissing her hands right in front of the Head Supervisor? Face flushed, she turned to Dr. Lockhart, taking in a breath to calm herself.

"Please excuse me, Madame. I think I should go now."

With a final glare in Valkyn's direction, she whirled and headed out the door, slamming it shut with more force than she had intended. As soon as she was out of sight of Valkyn and Dr. Lockhart, she flung herself on the nearest sofa, pressed her hands to her face, and let out a cry of frustration through clenched teeth. For once in her life, she just wanted Valkyn to leave her alone.

"Not my business?! That's my child you're carrying and don't forget it! I'm not trying to be a martyr. No matter who came onto the other, I still should've had protection for your sake." The ending sentences had nearly turned into a growl of mutual frustration. Though, de did manage to slide back a step or two, brows knit and a scowl overtaking the once panicked exterior. "Sophie --" He cut off with her dismissal, slowly getting back to his feet and glancing at the head supervisor. He was certainly in a pickle if he'd ever been in one. With a nod to Dr. Lockheart, he followed Sophie out, of course after giving her a few minutes' head start.

Sure, he knew better. He knew to just disappear and do what he normally did: wait it out. Valkyn didn't want to push anymore wrong sequences of buttons than he already had, but was it worth it to wait? He already knew it had been boiling under the surface for some time, and it might as well all be gotten over with in one go. He almost didn't care whose fault it was, but he had to take some responsibility. Even if she had been the one to seduce him, it still was his own fault for giving in. Where was that fortitude and standing by the morals when it had happened? Nonexistant, apparently.

After shutting the door behind him, he waited a few minutes until catching the cry of frustration and tailing it. He only slowed when he got closer, quieting from the fast pace to slower than a snail. He hated to bother, and he really didn't want to. He could already feel himself cringing away, willing that small walk back to his room and a long night of thinking, but feet stayed fast to the place he had stopped at. "I didn't mean to start that again. I won't apologize anymore, but Sophie, you did go off on me less than ten minutes before I walked in that door. What'd you expect me to say? This is my business, whether it was my fault or not. If you're keeping... it, I hate saying it for a life, I do have a right to be around too."

Arms folded, his expression had stayed true to the scowl from before except a momentary softening at the interjection about hating the word it. Feet urged onward, fingers pulled free to clench and unclench with each step. For someone who loved throwing himself into danger, he was awful slow on this factor. Sophie could scare the living daylights out of him when she tried hard enough. "Why don't you want someone to go through this with? I'm still going to have to go through it with or without you and worry even more if you don't let me around. We both know that's not going to work. We can argue about it all you like, but I refuse to be a stranger to my -- our child's life." With a hum of hesitancy, he stopped at the edge of the couch. "I did miss you, though, if that's worth anything to you, and I may not know what you're going through. But I'll still be there. Whenever you want me. Even if you don't, you know where to find me."

As Valkyn's words carried through the hall and reached Sophie's ears, she felt her face burn even brighter red. Did he realize he was shouting some very personal information about both of them right in front of Sylvia Lockhart? Perhaps next he could find the intercom and present all the details to the entire Pioneer I. She thanked the heavens that the lounge was empty; otherwise, she would have had to pummel Valkyn. As it was, she sat up on the sofa and threw him a glare that could pierce the toughest skin.

"Don't say another word," she snarled. "This is humiliating."

With that, Sophie threw herself back on the cushions, pressed a pillow to her face, and tried to pretend Valkyn wasn't there. As childish as it was, it was her only defense against him. No matter what she did, he was going to have his say one way or another, but she didn't have to listen. As far as she was concerned, he had no rights. She was the one who had to carry the damned kid and suffer all the complications that came with it. Valkyn's presence would do no more than remind her of the mistake she had made. She hoped that if she just let him talk, he would go away when he was done, because he certainly wasn't going to change her mind.

However, he did manage to weaken her defenses. Finally, she moved the pillow away and looked up at him, her gaze suddenly soft.

"I missed you too," she murmured, a grudging tone underlying her words. She rushed quickly over the words, as though she wanted to say them before she changed her mind. "And that's exactly why you can't be around. You can see the baby once he's born, but just...stay away from me. I've got to be ready to take care of him when he's born, and I don't have time to be falling in..."

Love. A month ago, Sophie had told Valkyn she loved him without thinking about it. Now, she hesitated to say the word. Had she really loved him? True love didn't die in the face of adversity...at least, that's what the fairy tales told her. But that sense of pure joy she used to feel whenever she saw Valkyn's smile or heard his voice...that feeling was gone. In its place was a sickening knot in the pit of her stomach. Whether or not she had loved him in the first place, she could not imagine that feeling returning.

Sophie shook herself and stood up, her face like stone. "I've got to do this on my own. Good night, Valkyn."

She turned her back to Valkyn and made a beeline for Room Ten. Deep down, she wanted to throw herself into Valkyn's arms and let him carry her through the storm, but her pride wouldn't let her. Whether or not she would regret her decision in the future, she had no clue. She didn't know what her future held in store for her. As soon as the bedroom door clicked shut behind her, Sophie leaned against the wall, slumped to the floor, and cried.

At the end of his monologue, Valkyn had been ready to walk, but he had ended up stopping a few steps short of making any headway on leaving when he realized she'd looked up -- and started talking. "I never knew that missing a person meant you want them to disappear. Too bad I can't transfer ships and let you get away from me, huh? Sorry to be such a plague to your life, Sophie. I can help you get ready to take care of him or her. It doesn't have to be like that. What's love got to do with it?" Valkyn knew he was coming down harsh in his tone of voice, but he couldn't break it. The least he could do was help her, even if that meant only doing things for the sake of the child and disappearing otherwise alltogether.

He knew he could stay away from her and pull through it, but would he really want to? Of course not. Valkyn could remember well the mistaken I love you's from a month past, and he cringed at the thought of them. "I'm trying to make things work here. You know that. I told you I'd do whatever it takes to help with this. You don't have to do it alone, and I know damn well it's not easy." Still, he didn't make a move to stop her from going. How could he? Brute force was definitely not in his nature, and he figured it would only warrant bad blood sent his way than anything else.

A sigh only broke his silent stance once she was out of sight, head ducking for a hand to cover his face and rake back dark locks. "Goodnight, Sophie," was muttered to the flooring, head shaking as if to snap himself out of whatever thoughts were running through his mind. He couldn't even tell anymore; it was a fast-motion blur; a dulled buzzing in the back of his brain. Only one day on the ship, and he could already tell he was going to hate it here. The sign should've read "Welcome to fuckin' Hell." And that was enough to spurr him onward to his room to drop on the hard stone of a bed, finger his cross, and stare at the ceiling. Maybe he could wish himself dead until things changed for the better.

As alarms began to sound and the intercom signaled time for breakfast, Sophie woke up with her face pressed against the toilet seat. At first, she couldn't remember how she got there, but as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, her memories slowly began to return to her. She had jumped from her bed and bolted for the bathroom at 4:45 that morning, overcome by a wave of nausea. After twenty agonizing minutes, the spell had passed, and she must have fallen asleep afterward. This is my life for the next eight months, she thought miserably, letting her head fall back with a thud onto the rim of the toilet. And it's only going to get worse from here.

For now, Sophie had to endure nothing more than morning sickness and seemingly insatiable hunger, and she was already in agony. What would she do in the months to come? She still had the weight gain, fatigue, constant trips to the bathroom, and of course, labor to look forward to. She thought back to the night before - her meeting with Dr. Lockhart. "Of course I want to keep the baby," she remembered saying without even thinking about it. What was she thinking?

After a few more moments of self-pity, Sophie picked herself up off the floor, locked the bathroom door, and turned on the shower water. She had already told Dr. Lockhart that she planned to keep the baby, and changing her mind now would only leave her trapped in indecision; she would just continue to change her mind with each up and down of her pregnancy. For the time being, it was best if she just didn't think about it at all. The best thing she could do was get on with her life.

Once she had showered and pulled on her suit, she pulled her wet hair back into a bun, brushed her teeth, and opened the door to the bathroom. She made her way to venture out into the lounge, but she hesitated with her hand on the doorknob. She could handle the discomforts of her situation, but not the social complications. No matter what she did, she was going to have to face Valkyn sooner or later. Even with that thought in mind, though, she couldn't bring herself to open the door.

With an exasperated groan, Sophie flung herself onto her bed and curled up under a blanket. She could wait for Nick to wake up and go to breakfast with him.

By the time daylight had come - or at least the sunrise in his mind, Valkyn had gained an hour's sleep. Even when he had slept, it had been fitful and plagued by nightmares. The twisted past and present fixed together in such a way that even Valkyn couldn't decipher. Was it a mere memory of the past events of years ago and the last day? Or was it a prediction of events? Much as he wanted an analogy or running metaphor on what it all meant, Valkyn couldn't find the time in his mind to run through it for the trillionth time. Still, he was out of bed five minutes before the alarm had went off, smoothing and ruffling dark locks while the other hand searched tirelessly in his duffel bag for the pre-ordained outfit.

With that, he was on to marching for the bathrooms, taking the longer route and running into none other than Konako Kuziki. Or, rather, coming close to. Konako had been coming from going the same route, a pack of medicine clutched in her grip and fingered worriedly for the girl she suspected would need it, but she had the reflexes to jump back with a squeal before they could run head-to-head. "OH! Sorry, guess I'm a bit distracted. Didn't expect anyone up this early. I'm Konako," she chirped, a hand freed to be thrust out. Though, Valkyn made only to eye it with a tired gaze a few moments before gripping it for a quick squeeze. "Valkyn. No problem." Before another word could be uttered by the pixie of a girl, though, she was sidestepped for him to continue his route to the bathroom.

"Oh," she hmphed with a shrug, heading back onto the trail of the girl she'd seen a bit earlier. Sophie Delcambre, wasn't it? On she marched until, at last, she was sure she had the right room, knocking lightly before sneaking in and tapping a shoulder. "Psst. I noticed you seemed.. sick? I thought maybe these anti-nauseau tablets would help. I know how it is and all. I had food poisoning for what felt like two weeks once." With a cheery smile and wave of the small pack, Konako shrugged. Meanwhile, Valkyn had merely changed, brushed his teeth and doubled back for the cafeteria to drop at a corner table and wait, pathetically blind to whatever dared surround him.

Unaware that she had left the door to her bedroom open, Sophie jumped as a hand touched her shoulder. She sat bolt upright on her bed and came face-to-face with a cute, smiling little girl. At first, she wanted to yell at the little weasel for sneaking in and scaring the daylights out of her, but then she noticed the bottle of pills in her hand. Anti-nausea tablets. Suddenly, the mystery girl's surprise entrance was all but forgotten. Sophie snatched the plastic case and looked at it like it contained the elixir of life.

"Thanks so much!" she exclaimed, tapping a pill into the palm of her hand and greedily swallowing it. As soon as she did, a red light went off in her head. She wasn't supposed to take any over-the-counter drugs without consulting a doctor first. For the time being, she shrugged it off. As stupid as she knew she was being, she needed the relief. She made a mental promise that she would go talk to Dr. Lockhart or a Caretaker sometime before orientation.

Sophie swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Well, I guess you've noticed me around, but I don't think I've seen you," she said with a good-natured smile. "So, what's your name? What do you do?"

Across the hall in Room 4, Wes was opening the door to make his way to the Dining Hall. Walking around in his new suit proved to be a little uncomfortable, but all he could do was hope he would get used to it. Before he even had both feet out the door, he was scanning the lounge for the model Recorder who had sat with them at dinner - Nuri Sabine. If he was lucky, maybe they could sit together at breakfast...and lunch...and every meal for a while.

"No problem. What're friends -- Well, shipmates -- for? Afterall, getting sick is the pits." Baby blues rolled in a circle at the thought, a soft groan breaking her silence. This was one sixteen year old that absolutely hated being sick. It put her off from taking care of herself, and learning was a prime thing if she was ever going to be good enough to survive on the ship. "Konako. Konako Kuziki. I'm a navigator. Well, hoping to be. You're a runner, aren't you? You sure look like one."

Every ounce of Konako's speech was peppered as if to be cheerful, a bright smile glued onto her face as if she had just made the best friend of her life in the first few seconds of meeting. A hand was thrust out, though, for the sake of politeness, a slight shrug following. Maybe so, though. Friends were possible in just about any place, and maybe that way, there could be an edge. There was no way Konako could be outcasted if she was best friends with one of the head runners, and they could always help each other out since Konako was far more than proficient with guidance and maps.

"Are you going to breakfast? We could go together. I mean, you should probably down some water with the pills. Otherwise, it might threaten - without effect, of course - to do some havoc wreaking of its own. Plus, wouldn't that dissolve it faster?" With a shrug and a swivel, her head tilted for the door. "Sorry I popped in on you unexpected-like, still. Just looked like those would help, especially since I know how worshipping porcelain gods are. Not fun in the least."

Nick was surprised, to say the least, to see the rail-thin girl enter the gym. He'd expected some other athlete or perhaps another Runner to be curious enough to enter, but Konako looked like she was perhaps a victim of poor childhood diet. If it hadn't been for her voice, Nick would have mistaken her for a teenage boy. Despite the mounting surprises, Nick answered without breaking his exercise, a relentless assault of roundhouse kicks to the side of a punching bag. "Nick... Mechling... Nice... ta meetcha!" He finished with a swift backhand at the bag, making a sizable indent in the stuffing.

He hadn't even broken a sweat yet, despite having done this exercise six times for five minutes each already and a high intensity striking exercise as well. Nick considered answering her question for a moment, but he hated stating the obvious. He had been exercising of course! But a yawn cut off any excuse to keep up the regimen. 'Just tonight, I'll take it a little easy,' he thought, gathering his things and heading for the door. "Good night Miss Kuziki," he gave her a small bow while passing, a typical Japanese custom if her name was any indication. He returned to the now silent Room 10, entering quietly. The other occupied beds were unmoving, fast asleep, though Nick could've sworn he heard sniffling. Another bit of white noise to help him sleep.

* * *

An alarm was going off somewhere, the intercom saying something about breakfast. Nick's stomach rumbled at the thought, but he was far too reluctant to get out of his warm bed and pulled the sheets over his head, trying to doze off. He heard the sound of the bathroom shower running, someone getting ready for the day.

Nick's half-awake mind started warming up, 'Was it day? Could you really call a few hours of artificial light daytime? It could be the middle of the night back home and we wouldn't even know the difference... Damn I stink, I hope whoever is using that shower goes fast. Who is in the shower anyway?' Nick looked up, both beds were empty, 'Wait, what? No, no way... hah, yeah right. Whoever is the third is probably already out, chowing down. Mmmm... breakfast... maybe I should get up?' Nick's mental images of a full plate of eggs and toast were replaced by memories from last night. 'Ick, maybe not...' Nick eventually dozed off, until he was awoken by a yell:

"Thank you so much!"

Nick snapped up, more from the sudden volume than from the words, not comprehending what they meant but wide awake in a split second. A pair of girls, Sophie and another girl were chatting away at the other end of the room. Blindly, Nick stumbled to the bathroom to take a quick shower. There was a strong smell of vomit in the chamber, he noted. Unsure of it's origin and not too keen on getting closer to the toilet, right next to the shower, Nick settled for a splash of cold water and a towel instead of a full shower and began to shave the night's stubble.

From the partially open door, Nick could hear snippets of the girl's conversation. "Whats this about breakfast?" he asked loudly through the door, centered on the bathroom mirror, shaving his face. "Is this a girls only brunch, or is the uglier sex invited too?"

(deleted)

Sophie grinned and reflexively put a hand to her stomach. She could feel only the slightest changes, but obviously they weren't noticeable to Konako. For the time being, Sophie still had the body of a Runner, so she'd take any compliments while she still could. In her mind's eye, she could see a big, puffy version of Sophie Delcambre waddling around the Pioneer IV. The days of people watching her with envious eyes were slowly drawing to an end. Talking to Konako proved to be a bit of a confidence-booster, even though her peppy attitude seemed forced. She wasn't sure whether or not the little Navigator was being genuine, but only time would tell. Sophie took Konako's hand to shake.

"Yeah, I'm a Runner," she said with a nod. "Sophie Delcambre. You know, with that medicine you gave me and everything, I'd have thought-"

The conversation was abruptly interrupted as Nick practically fell out of his bed, dragging himself to the bathroom like a drunken somnambulist. Sophie silently followed his progress with her eyes until the door clicked shut, and once she heard the water turn on she allowed herself to laugh. Turning to Konako, she explained, "That's my roommate, Nick. Anyway, we should definitely go to breakfast. I'm starving."

As she stood up and readjusted her hair, Nick interrupted her once again from the bathroom. "Come with us!" she called back. "I was waiting for you to get up, anyway." Then, out of courtesy, she turned to Konako. "You don't mind if Nick comes along, right?"

For the time being, Sophie couldn't help but smile. It seemed like she had already found a group of friends, and she was quite content with them - even if one of them had sneaked into her room...and somehow knew which room she was staying in...and knew she had looked sick. But Konako seemed nice enough. And Sophie knew from the day before that she and Nick would get along quite well. Suddenly, she felt a little less worried about her future.

[Backposting...]

"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?"

Nuri ducked her head and blushed at his choice of words. She was used to being flirted with - enough that she could recognize it, anyway - but she always felt awkward and never really sure how to respond. She was slightly more comfortable speaking to women and girls, although occasionally they flirted with her as well. It always left her feeling flustered and lacking. Everyone else seemed so comfortable with it, and with kids their own age. Nuri was more at home speaking to adults twice her age, or not speaking at all.

She glanced at Wes from the corner of her eyes. "Nuri. I'm Nuri Sabine." Both of her tablemates were from the US, so she consciously modulated her voice to take on more of a yankee accent. She had spent some time in DC, so it was pretty easy for her, although she retained a unique lilt that came from living in so many different places. Remembering that Americans preferred handshakes, she tentatively reached across and offered her hand to Wes. "How very propitious that I should sit right next to the Pioneer's other recorder. I had hoped to meet you this evening. Tell me, what have you written? I might be familiar with your works."

***

Adelaide's eyes lit up at Wes's words. "Virginia? Hey, I'm from Virginia too!" Her voice appeared to be lost... She was used to it around here, though. Even in training, no one had paid little Adelaide very much attention. Usually that worked to her benefit, at least on the job, if not with socialization.

She was pretty smart, though. She recognized the slight deepening in Wes's timbre, the quick flash of his smile. He looked besotted already. Judging by Nuri's blushing, she recognized it too. Adelaide sat back an watched, figuring she might as well take notes from a model on how to handle boys.

"That I was a caretaker? Not at all. I just know how those things are. What you learn when you have to take care of yourself growing up, huh?" She brought on a smile with the shrug to accentuate the end of the sentence, not really caring how it sounded. "I'm better with maps than I am with anything else, to be honest." Konako could already imagine it now. Her childhood self, a mere ten years old, sitting on the floor with maps splayed all about her. It was good time, even if it had also been a bad time that taught her more self-dependence than co-dependence.

Her train of thought was choked off to look to Nick, features brightening slightly. Of course, she remembered him from the night before and the imagery lingered on in her mind a few moments longer. "I met him before. Last night, in fact. I know the feeling, though. My stomach's practically rumbling in protest on anymore delays." Patting it in a consoling manner, she sighed quietly. Food definitely was on her list of to-do's. Without a good breakfast, it would probably be a long, tiring day, and she didn't feel the need to dance with her stomach more than necessary.

"Of course not! The more the merrier, but I highly doubt Nick's the uglier sex. He's pretty cute, if you ask me." Giggling conspirationally, a finger was pressed to her own lips before a lid closed in a wink. Sure, Konako could play around and comment on things, but she doubted she'd ever admit anything of the sort to any guy's face. For her blunt attitude, flirting would never be a strong point. "I'm glad I met you guys, though. I was starting to think everyone on here already had their groups together and there'd be no room for little ol' me."

Of course not! The more the merrier...

The other girl's voice faded to a low murmur over the sound of the running faucet, Nick couldn't make out the rest of what she said though. He looked back in the mirror, his stubble had been reduced to a very thin goatee. 'Bah, whatever, the girls are waiting on me,' he splashed a final handful of water in his face and dried off, towel still rubbing on his face as he exited the bathroom. There talking to Sophie was the girl from last night, "Oh, hi Konako, didn't expect you were the one in here." Tossing the towel into the bathroom and through a laundry chute, Nick noticed that his arm was bare. His whole torso in fact.

Nick stooped down behind his bed to retrieve a fresh shirt from his bag and tug it on. He asked, "So Sophie, have you seen who our third roommate is yet?"

As though to confirm Konako's comment on Nick's looks, the Runner returned from the bathroom bare-chested. Sophie threw a surreptitious glance Konako's way, trying to conceal a smile. Then, she changed the subject in hopes that Nick wouldn't notice the silent exchange. "Yeah, I was surprised at how quickly everyone seemed to be making friends. But I'll bet we'll all grow to like each other with time."

At least, she hoped so. The kids aboard the Pioneer I were practically spending the rest of their lives together; Sophie would be an old lady by the time she returned to Earth, and as an only child she would probably have no family on her home planet by that time. She only had herself, the twenty-nine Pioneers around her, and the baby slowly growing inside her. For a fleeting moment, she thought of the parents she would never see again, and then she reminded herself not to be so melodramatic. The handbook clearly stated that they would make annual trips back to Earth. Her isolation wasn't as stark as she made it out to be.

Sophie glanced at the third bed, where she saw a slightly rustled bed and some signs of a person's occupation there. Whoever had taken the third bed was obviously a sneaky one. "I actually don't know," she replied, cocking her head in confusion. "Some Caretaker, maybe? I've only seem them maybe once. Whoever it is will have to show themselves eventually."

As soon as Nick was fully dressed, Sophie stood up and opened the door to the bedroom. "Come on, we've only got twenty minutes to eat."

As she crossed the oval-shaped lounge, Sophie's gaze landed on the gym, where she assumed the Runners would be training for orientation. She hadn't been inside yet, but she had heard some people working out and trying the simulators the night before. From the sound of it, it was better than any gym Sophie had seen back home. The DPE had put quite a lot of work into a gym for only four people, but Sophie wasn't complaining.

[Backposting]

"What have I written...?" Wes echoed, rubbing his chin and rolling his eyes to the ceiling as though in deep thought. "Hm, where to start?"

Actually, Wes was debating whether he wanted to tell Nuri anything at all. He wasn't exactly sure what the repertoire of a Recorder was supposed to look like, but he felt that his was particularly lacking. Sure, he had been published in a couple literary magazines and short story books, but his scope didn't extend beyond the East Coast. Still, if it had been enough to make the DPE come to him...just to be safe, he downplayed and hoped Nuri would assume he was being modest.

"Well, my best-known work is my poem "A Summer in White." But I mostly get essays published, like "Science and Progress: the Nature of the Beast," he offered, praying that Nuri might know one of these titles. The fact that she wasn't even from the States didn't help him much. "I even wrote a critique on the Pioneer Program my freshman year. I wonder if they ever saw that one, because they still took me."

He smiled and quickly shifted the focus away from him. "Anyway, what about you? What have you written? Or do you draw, or paint?"

The fact that Nuri had asked about his writings was a little presumptuous. The Pioneer Program also needed Recorder who could draw, but maybe Nuri had somehow caught a glance into one of his sketchbooks. One look into the pages of stick figures and two-dimensional automobiles, and it was obvious that Wes Blakely didn't get into the program for his artistic ability.

[Backpost...]

"Well, my best-known work is my poem "A Summer in White." But I mostly get essays published, like "Science and Progress: the Nature of the Beast," he offered, praying that Nuri might know one of these titles. The fact that she wasn't even from the States didn't help him much. "I even wrote a critique on the Pioneer Program my freshman year. I wonder if they ever saw that one, because they still took me."

Nuri wasn't overly familiar with poetry of any type, so she was disappointed that she'd never heard of his best-known work. She felt embarrassed, and more than a little awkward, until he mentioned his essays. Her eyes lit up, and she actually found herself forgetting that he was a handsome boy and was able to look him straight in the eye. "I read 'Science and Progress'! That was amazing. I think I must have seen a reprint, since I found it in The Scientific Empire, but I was so excited to see that it had been written by a young teen. That was actually what made me think I had a chance at submitting to Empire." She blushed again, then looked away, her eyes flitting slightly from side-to-side as she racked her memory for his name. "Your critique...was that something like...'Pioneers: Progress or Pogrom?' I'd say they definitely read it. Some of the concerns brought up in that paper are what caused them to reevaluate the facilities, age requirements, and compensation."

Nuri stopped, both because she didn't want to gush too much - although she was surprised to learn that a kid had written it - and also because she didn't want people realizing how closely her family was affiliated with the program. The Sabines had been major sponsors of the program, at least those from the French Empire, and the last thing Nuri wanted was her colleagues believing that she'd been chosen for her connections and not her skills. Still, she had been old enough that her parents had included her in discussions about the potential flaws in the program and how to handle the resulting publicity. She still suspected they'd been trying to talk her out of applying.

Luckily for her, he smiled and quickly shifted the focus away from him.

"Anyway, what about you? What have you written? Or do you draw, or paint?"

She bit her lip, wondering how much to say. She was rightfully proud of her work, but no one outside of her recruiters and mentor knew about the fiction she wrote under her nom de plume. Her parents didn't even know about her work as Elise DuBarde. They would be appalled to know that she had been writing soft science fiction of all things. Her father would have been disgusted that it wasn't scientifically sound, and her mother would have been heartbroken to know she wrote the kind of sex and violence scenes that she did. Nuri decided that it might be best to stick to her work with hard science.

"Oh, I dabble in a little of all of it. Perhaps, since you are an essayist yourself, you might have read some of my works for various trade journals. I was first published in local papers...or local where we were. Belgium was my very first publication, just a children's magazine, and then some local mags in China, Indonesia, and the Empire. My first big byline was for World Science. I wrote about the connection between smog in Indonesia and the increase in asthma and learning disabilities in children. So many people were worrying with China that the lesser countries were often overlooked. It was a small article, but it got me a regular column with Teen Technical. More recently, I won an award for 'Geiger Culpability' an expose I wrote on the illegal testing practices of Geiger Pharmaceuticals." Nuri rarely spoke so much at one time, but she was excited to be able to discuss one of her biggest passions, writing.

[Deleted. Sorry! Connection timed out, and apparently it just kept submitting. :/]

[Deleted. Sorry! Connection timed out, and apparently it just kept submitting. :/]

[Backpost]

Wes felt his smile falter just a little when he realized his poem didn't register with Nuri. "A Summer in White" was by far his most popular piece of work - it had even gotten published in Corine Bott's Earth - and his love for poetry far superseded his interest in magazine articles. However, he was simply happy to have a fan, and he watched contentedly as she raved about his work. He was a prolific essayist, at least in the adolescent world, and he could talk up a storm about science.

"That's my article," he confirmed with a nod. "I actually wrote it before I had any interest in joining the program. We had just been talking about it in my chemistry class, so I decided to do some research of my own. The basic outlines were surprisingly easy to find online, and then I scrounged up what I could from DPE. Some of the stuff I found...well, you read the article. The original blueprints for the bedroom floor plans had dimensions of about five by six feet, which is about the size of an elevator shaft. And they expected all of us to share one community bathroom."

As he looked around the refined Pioneer I, the impact of his article really struck him for the first time. Had he and other progressives not spoken up, he would have been flying off into space in a portable dungeon. Wes could go on for ages about the Pioneer Program, but he sensed he was rambling already. "Anyway, long story short, I smelled greedy corporate penny-pinching afoot," he wrapped up, and then he turned his attention to her.

As soon as Nuri began to rattle off names of her works, Wes felt like he wanted to sink into his chair more and more. He had never heard of any of her essays, and she had easily beaten him in his game of modesty; her sphere of influence was considerably larger than his, and she made it sound like nothing. Finally, she named an article that rang in his head like an old, familiar song.

"The Geiger Scandal!" he exclaimed, suddenly reverent. "That was you? Nuri, that piece was brutal. It's been a while since I've looked at it, but I remember you touched on some of the same themes I did in 'Science and Progress.' In essence, the idea that with scientific advancement comes moral responsibility. The line between what we can do and what we should do seems to lose distinction every day."

Wes finally felt in his element. Sure, the advent of new technology and the coverage of the latest political blunder interested him, but he was much more fascinated by the implications behind it all. He liked to use the issues of today's world to guess where it was headed tomorrow.

[Backpost...]

"The Geiger Scandal!" he exclaimed, suddenly reverent. "That was you? Nuri, that piece was brutal. It's been a while since I've looked at it, but I remember you touched on some of the same themes I did in 'Science and Progress.' In essence, the idea that with scientific advancement comes moral responsibility. The line between what we can do and what we should do seems to lose distinction every day."

Nuri smiled widely, forgetting for a moment to blush. "Exactly! Science has been both misrepresented and put on a pedestal. Companies - or politicians - can claim they are doing anything in the name of science, and everyone rallies for them, expecting the next technology or the next advancement to fix everything. Geiger pissed me off because they used my own article, the one about learning disabilities in poorer nations, in citing how wonderful their cures were. But then come to find out, they were the so-called 'private benefactor' who bought out Aceso Insurance. They were actively hiding the fact that they were denying claims in target nations so that the people had no choice but to turn to Geiger clinical trials. There's no morality in that at all, even if they did come up with a cure or two. Thousands of people died in the trials that didn't work! To claim it's for the good of science makes a mockery of science."

She shook her head. She was flushed now, but not with shyness. Nuri was completely in her element, and her eyes sparkled as they hadn't done yet, her breath came faster. "And I'll tell you what, I can't thank you enough for the wake-up call you gave the Pioneer Program. I wanted to be a part of something great, but upon closer examination, it didn't seem so great. Again, the ends didn't justify the means...and, again, children were targeted because they have less recourse. I fought hard with mother to see some of your suggestions backed by the Empire. Even still, I worry if we'll be allowed enough leisure time. At least it's less sweat-shoppy. I would likely never have applied for the program if some of your changes hadn't come about. It's so refreshing to know that the next generation is not only trying to fix the problems of our forebears, but doing so in a responsible, informed way. When we find a suitable planet, we won't be making the same mistakes. We're demanding informed consent, and, yes, a bit of compassion. It's the only way to truly advance scientific discovery, in my opinion."

All thought shut down at the sight of the runner, mouth left agape only a matter of seconds before a hand was swept up to fan herself and gaze averted, only after trading a knowing look with Sophie. "Well, you know me, or maybe you don't. Just trying to help. I did kind of ignore everyone yesterday, whether intentional or not, to map out the ship in my head." With a shrug, she passed off the looking she had done, fanning herself a few moments extra as if she'd merely gotten hot. Though, finally, it was dropped to hit back on a thigh with a quiet flop. "I hope so. If not, we're all doomed to fake niceties so we're not to fighting. Maybe if we all took up Kung Fu, things would be better. You know, fighting to promote peace, not defeating enemies."

"Twenty minutes? How in the world do they expect us to chow down and really enjoy ourselves in that little amount of time?" Konako shifted her eyes with a sigh. She was a slow eater, but maybe it was because she was too busy sharing her opinions and talking than actually putting her fork to the plate. "I hope we eventually find everyone. It'd be really confusing otherwise." She shrugged and mussed her bangs with a sigh, following after Sophie with a happy smile. "The gym is so amazing. I really wish I could actually use half the things in there. I'd just end up killing myself in the process." As if in proof, almost nonexistant muscles were flexed for the showing. Konako definitely wasn't going on to win the next bodybuilding contest -- or any, for that matter.

She didn't want to think about not going home again, even if it didn't bother her. Maybe she should have taken more time out to spend time with her parents, but she knew there was no way they could get much time off with her around. And when they did, they were too exhausted to even bother with family time. When was the last time she had even played a game with her parents? She couldn't remember, but she knew she had played quite a few by herself. Rubix cubes were definitely a favorite for her spare time, and she patted her pockets in search of one at the thought. Producing it with a smile, it was twisted up before fingers went to work on setting it back to rights, occasional glances spared both down to it and to her present company.

[Backpost...]

Adelaide watched the interaction for all of two minutes before getting bored. They were, as her papa put it, so far up each others' asses that they wouldn't notice if the sun fell out of the sky. Of course, papa was never this far away from the sun. Adelaide likely wouldn't notice either, but for entirely different reasons.

It suddenly occurred to her that maybe she ought to find a good view to watch as the Earth and sun dwindled away. Who was she kidding? She'd never had any intention on eating her salad anyway. "Uh, I'll catch you later," she said, though neither Wes nor Nuri looked like they'd heard her. She took her tray away, snagged a chicken sandwich and about half a dozen cookies, then skipped off down the hall. She kept her eyes open, but she still hadn't found anyone that looked her age. Adelaide knew what that meant. She'd either remain ignored, or worse, she'd become some sort of mascot. "Pbbbtttttt!" she blew a raspberry at the thought. She'd just have to do an awesome job on her first run. Adelaide wasn't the type who enjoyed being ignored, nor patronized. She'd find her niche here, even if she had to blow up a few things to find it.

"The gym!" In all the drama of the previous night, Sophie had completely forgotten to look at the gym like she had wanted. Walking in between Konako and Nick, she turned to the Runner on one side of her. "Nick, did you see the gym last night? Was it amazing? The handbook said there would be virtual simulators, magnetic weights..."

Sophie trailed off. She didn't understand a lot of the science mumbo-jumbo behind the equipment she would be using; what interested her were the results. The state-of-the-art facilities were designed specifically to train Runners, and the book stated that the custom-designed gym would put them on the fast track to the physical fitness of an Olympic athlete. Obviously, Sophie wasn't going to be in Olympian shape for quite a while, but the thought still brought a smile to her face. For now, she still had the body of an average teen girl and, for the most part, the health. She still felt like a normal teenage girl. Motherhood would certainly change that.

Shaking the images of baby bottles and diapers out of her head, Sophie strolled through the doors of the Dining Hall and glanced over her shoulder to see if Nick and Konako were following. She promised herself she would be ready to raise a child when the time came, but she wanted to live her last months as a kid to the fullest. As long as her feet weren't swollen and her belly wasn't huge, there was no reason not to smile.

Except for Valkyn, of course.