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  “So?” Cadence pressed.

  “Thanks for the help!” Angela said as she walked past her to go to class.

  Weird. Cadence shrugged and took her seat. She got her things organized so she could take notes. Not like she needed to, given all of the knowledge she had stored in her head, but it did give her something to do in class. Being in school felt like an immense waste of her time. She didn't learn anything new, and she certainly didn't feel challenged. The temptation to drop out or test out was great. Cadence could do it and try to attend a college. The problem was, given her past reputation of being a poor student, meant that a lot of the school's staff probably wouldn't take her seriously if she asked to test out. For the time being, she had to suck it up.

  Her mind wouldn't stay focused on her teacher. Thankfully, World Literature wasn't a complicated class to begin with. Her notes were mostly on dates that she already had memorized, and personal details about the authors. The class was getting ready to do a unit on controversial books. Cadence was excited to pick her next novel.

  Reading was something that was becoming increasingly more fun for her. Before Alan came and gave her the gift of knowledge, it was a chore. She'd have to read sentences repeatedly and hope she understood what the words meant. Now she could devour any book and simply get lost in the story. It made for a nice escape after long nights in The Apartment going over equations and coming up with lab ideas with Alan. There was still a lot of work to do, and Cadence was behind on all of it. The pressure on her to find answers was great. Pressure that was no doubt the result of his superior’s lack of interest on her current findings. She knew how badly Alan wanted to be useful to his ship.

  I'd rather be working on those anyway, then at least I'd be doing something hard and learning something new. Cadence began to work on some theories for her project with Alan, deciding that was a productive thing for her to do during class time. Her mind kept getting distracted, and if she let herself start thinking on it, she'd get jealous all over again about JD and Marcella.

  “Cadence,” Mrs. Pelican said, “can you please see me at my desk?”

  “Sure.” She nodded and noticed the lecture was over and that the class was now working on individual work. Most of the students were chatting and blowing off the assignment of course. Cadence got up and walked over to Mrs. Pelican's desk. “What's going on?”

  Mrs. Pelican patted a chair next to her. “Sit down. I want to talk to you about your last test.”

  “Okay...” Cadence wasn't quite sure what her teacher wanted to talk about. The tests were handed back a week ago. Cadence had aced it, something she was doing in a lot of her classes lately.

  “I just want to compliment you. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I'm so impressed. You struggled through all of your tests last semester, and it seems like you're getting involved in all of the assignments too. I wanted to know what you were doing differently. Your other teachers have noticed it as well.”

  Cadence couldn't help but smile because she had been trying so hard to bring her grades up. “I've been studying really hard, cutting back on after school stuff, and I got a friend to tutor me. He's brilliant.”

  She was lying, but spinning enough of the truth into the story to make it believable all the same. Alan was brilliant and gave her all kinds of encouragement to stretch the limits of her mind. Because of all the work she'd been doing for the Alturan war, she didn't get to do many fun activities. She did her homework, did her work for Alan, and then went to bed. Sometimes she and JD went out to do something, but more often than not they'd been spending all their free time at her place. The more time she spent at home, the more she could keep herself prioritized. Even when he was around, Cadence could focus on working.

  “I'm proud of you, and I wanted to make sure I got to tell you.”

  “Thank you Mrs. Pelican, it means a lot to me.” And it did because now Cadence had hope. Full of a new sense of motivation, she returned to her desk to look over her notes for the latest project Alan had given her.

  * * * * *

  After school seemed like as good of a time as any to tackle the notes Cadence had taken on her homework from Alan. She'd finished all of her necessary assignments for school during study hall earlier in the day. The only other thing she had to do was a long term project that she could easily get done at a later time. Alan's work was much more important, and the sooner she got it done, the better. She craved more action, and she couldn't help but wonder if Alan was holding back because he was waiting for her to finish with the work he'd given her first.

  The task was to figure out how the drug The Doctor created, worked. It was the drug that was being forcefully injected into teens throughout the city, and either giving super powers to them, or killing them. If the subject wasn't compatible, their bodies began to shut down. It was a disgusting process. She'd seen firsthand what it did to people. A teenage boy she and JD had found was already decomposing before he even died. Something she hoped to never see again, and if she could find a way to stop it from happening on top of that, even better.

  “You're thinking again,” JD said as he rubbed her shoulders. The two were sitting on the couch, watching a movie, killing time. Cadence didn't mind the back rub, but he was also distracting her, and she was pretty sure he was doing it on purpose.

  Cadence closed her eyes and let out a heavy, relaxed, sigh. “I'm always thinking.”

  “But you're thinking hard,” he said, and then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek ever so gently, sending tingles down her spine. She loved when he was tender with her. It was a special side of him he didn't show anyone else. At least, she didn't think he let others see it. What had he done with his past love affairs? Similar things? Everything about his body language was different now that they were dating, everything about him in general was different. He got on her all of the time about changing, and yet he couldn't see that he was doing it too.

  She nodded slowly. “Yes, I do that too. A lot.”

  He laughed. “It's sexy. Just had to mention it.”

  “And to think, two months ago you wanted me to go back to being brainless,” she teased. She hoped he knew she was teasing. There was still a smile on his face, so he must have caught the humor.

  “Cause it freaked me out at first. I thought I was going to lose you. This new Cadence is pretty amazing, though, so I'm glad I didn't let that get in the way of anything.” He kissed her cheek again, then her other, and finally his lips settled against hers.

  With a small moan, she kissed him back. When their lips parted, she couldn't help but smile. “Tell me how you feel about us. Please?”

  “You already know,” he insisted.

  He loves me, she thought dreamily. “I love you.” The words slipped out without her realizing it.

  “Mmm,” he purred and nuzzled his nose against hers. He trailed one of his hands down her side.

  “Mmm, yes, but I have work I still need to do.” Cadence shifted her body forward so he couldn't touch and try to tease her anymore. Not quite the response she'd been hoping he'd give her, but he didn't get nervous. That had to mean something.

  With a dramatic sigh, JD lay on the couch. “I know. Any breakthroughs?”

  “I wish. The assignment is getting old.” While Cadence liked having a sense of purpose, especially in the group where she couldn't do anything too assertive on the field, she wanted to put more of her findings into practice. She needed to get supplies to run tests and experiments of her own. Every time she asked Alan to get those, he dodged the request. How could she progress without equipment?

  “I promise I won't distract you anymore. Because as soon as you're done, we're going to go out and do something special,” JD said.

  “Deal.” She glanced back at him on the couch. The two made eye contact before she returned her gaze to her notebook.

  I have three samples to unlock. Three samples that I haven't even been able to touch yet, and it's been two months. Alan's people finally
decided I was worthy enough to start working on figuring out how they work. But how? I need more resources if I'm going to test the contents. What doesn't make sense is that the labs on Alan's ship should have been more than capable of figuring this out a long time ago, which means they either put it off, or they're testing me and already know the answer. Either one I don't appreciate. Then of course there's the matter of the upgrade. I'm especially curious about what it will do to someone who's already had the drug. Angela took it. Logically speaking, it would make sense to use her again as a test subject, ethically, not so much. Cadence shook her head. I can't believe I even contemplated using her like that.

  JD was right. She was changing, and maybe not all for the best.

  Chapter Six

  Alan stared out the window in his room, taking in the sight of Earth at its fullest. The view before him was beautiful, and something he would most likely never tire of. The planet was a mass of blue water and swirling white clouds mixed with some land. Alan was positive that Earth had a great deal more water than Altura. Then again, he had yet to see much of Altura from space. When it came time to travel to his station in Earth's orbit, they had traveled at incredible speeds to get there. All he did was blink, and his home planet was gone from sight.

  He exhaled slowly, trying to process his thoughts in a coherent way. Soon he'd be meeting with his superiors, and he would have to explain to them what he believed to be the next best course of action. The problem was his boss didn't think much of his opinions. Hearing what Alan thought was most likely a formality.

  Sir Tuliy, Alan's roommate and friend, knocked on the open door to Alan's bedroom. “It's time,” he said.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Alan gave the man a slight nod before returning his gaze to Earth. They will understand why I believe the way I do. I'll be respected. My people are not heartless. He had to keep repeating these three things in his head, or else he was afraid he might lose his nerve. After taking in another deep breath, Alan walked out the door with more confidence than he felt. If he could put power into his steps however, then he could gain more courage.

  The two walked through the apartment quietly. It was a large space with four bedrooms, only two of which were occupied. Alan and Sir Tuliy were the only people who lived there. In fact, Tuliy had been given the space to stay in alone for the duration of the ship's mission to Earth. He was the prodigy after all and had the most respect of anyone on the ship. When he'd found out Alan was living with female soldiers, he petitioned for his comrade to be his new roommate. Alan was grateful for the move, but he didn't feel worthy to live in such a fancy arrangement, when the rest of his equals were crammed into smaller rooms. It worked as good motivation to be more efficient. Alan wanted to be worthy.

  “You seem nervous,” Tuliy said.

  “I was hoping it wouldn't be that obvious,” Alan muttered.

  “It's only because I know you and your mannerisms well. I don't think anyone else will notice. You're never one to take such firm steps when you walk. Naturally, I can't help but wonder if something is wrong.”

  Alan slowed his pace and relaxed his body. His friend was right. Maybe his superiors wouldn't see the same things Tuliy had, but it was best to go in as much like himself as he could. Then he'd be the most comfortable. If Tuliy was planning to sit in on the meeting, that would help matters as well. The young man had a way of making everyone calm as well as more willing to listen.

  Together, they made their way through the ship hallways. They passed by several of their peers, young, fellow twenty-something-year-old soldiers, who watched Alan and Tuliy with awe and admiration. Alan had never been on the receiving end of such a gaze before. For the most part, everyone on the ship liked to pretend he didn't exist. A small murmur could be heard amongst the soldiers as he and Tuliy opened the door to their superior's office.

  “Go ahead and sit,” Sir Oriol said. He was the commanding officer of the ship.

  Not surprisingly, he was alone in the room. While Alan had been expecting the meeting to be private, he'd been hoping to state his case in front of more than just Sir Oriol. It seemed his commander still didn't think Alan had earned the privilege to work anywhere except under the radar. No wonder his shipmates treated him like he was worthless. I wouldn't be surprised if they think my new job is to be Sir Tuliy's maid, he thought with a scowl.

  Alan made sure the door was shut tight before taking a seat in front of Sir Oriol's desk. “You wished to see me sir?” He said it as more of a formality than anything else.

  “As you know, most of our work has been done in a different city for the past month or so. I'm sure you and your charges have grown tired with the lack of field assignments, yes?” Sir Oriol asked.

  “Yes, I've noticed a bit of a lag in the action, so to speak.”

  “You aren't the only one who has not been getting assignments,” Sir Tuliy said. “Most of this is due in part to The Doctor being quieter about his experiments. My double agent told me he has essentially 'dropped off the face of the planet' which is an Earth phrase for disappearing. The disturbance at the warehouse on our last mission has rattled his confidence. He must be regrouping and reorganizing. I'm sure he has a new base of operations as well.”

  “I'm sure,” Sir Oriol mused.

  Alan scratched his chin for a moment, while he weighed his options. Did he dare make a suggestion? “We know who Bean and Sprout are.”

  “And we've been watching them. Around every other week they sneak out of the house to meet with your betrothed, but we don't dare get closer because of the one they call Sensor. His gifts would make it obvious we were spying, since he can read our DNA from a great distance now. Since we're Alturans, we can't genetically blend in with humans even though we do physically,” Tuliy explained. “Unfortunately my agent isn't able to get in on these meetings, but he's working on gaining their trust. Naturally, they're slow to trust given everything that happened.”

  “Makes sense logically. So they meet in places where they can't be interrupted. What I am saying, however, is that since we know their identities, perhaps we should get more aggressive.” Alan glanced between his superior officer, and the man who was fast becoming his best friend. “We might be able to extract a great deal of information from them.”

  Sir Oriol's eyes narrowed. “You want to capture these two teens? Surely such a thing would be noticed. I doubt we'd be holding them for only a handful of hours.” He paused and ran a hand over his face. “If you would like to take this on as one of your side projects, Alanmendiquixanimackle, you may. Just know the repercussions of such an action will be solely on your head.”

  Alan nodded. “Yes sir. I understand.” And it wasn't a task he felt ready to volunteer for. He'd re-propose the idea at a later date. Instead he asked about his other private project in an effort to show his desire to be involved. If he could show his personal investment in ending the war, then Sir Oriol might consider him for tasks otherwise not appropriate for officers of Alan's level. “Has there been any progress on the analysis of The Doctor's drug?”

  “That isn't one of our priorities. You know this.”

  “Yes, I do. I was just curious.” And it was a stance he didn't quite agree with. So much could be understood about the green and blue tribe’s motivations by uncovering the secret of the drug. It was why he kept pressing Cadence to figure out how it functioned. She didn't seem as interested in it as him, but she was at least still working on it. He wished he could provide her with the resources she needed to be successful.

  Sir Oriol peered across his desk at Alan. “And that is why it is another of your side projects.”

  “I'm curious about the progress as well,” Sir Tuliy added. “Maybe I should sit in on the research Alanmendiquixanimackle's charges are doing and aide in the process? Two heads are better than one, after all.”

  “So I'm told,” Sir Oriol said. His gaze darted back and forth between the two comrades. “I will allow it on your own time Sir Tuliyogljaes. You are not
to ignore your other duties for this.”

  “Of course not. I wouldn't dream of it.”

  Alan glanced over at Sir Tuliy with skepticism; a trait he was trying to get past, but it was difficult at times. Trust was not something that came easily for Alan. Most of his life back home was spent with peers who constantly wanted to use him because of all the natural abilities he contained. Sir Tuliy's one natural ability was the power to copy the special powers of others and keep them for himself in exchange for providing a boost in the original user's power. It put Alan even more on edge than usual. However, Sir Tuliy was also unable to lie, an ability he gained from a comrade. So when the young man claimed to have no interest in everything Alan could do, he was believed. But Sir Tuliy had also confessed to an attraction to Cadence. Alan would have to ask up front if this was simply a ploy to get closer to her.

  Sir Oriol relaxed in his chair. “So, I take it you have no interest in the field work I was going to assign to your charges? Do you have enough side projects to keep occupied?”

  Perhaps too eagerly, Alan shook his head. “I would much like to know.”

  “We are going to be doing another collaborative mission with the Yumsaltanz. They seem to be more interested in doing more aggressive work. A nice change since they are usually so passive in nature. I think they have finally come to understand the unforgivable actions of the Gelandrosimbol especially. Their charges are well trained and motivated, as we witnessed that night at the warehouse.”

  “Yes, but they were a bit over dramatic in execution. I nearly lost one of the charges trusted in my care,” Sir Tuliy said casually. If anyone else had given the criticism, they probably would have been reprimanded for it. He was not however, and continued on. “So what will you be having us do with them?” Sir Tuliy asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Sir Oriol gave them both a smile. “We're going to do some traveling.”