The room was completely silent, it had to have some kind of sound canceling technology or something because the only thing I could hear was the sound of my breath and the faint beat of my heart. When the video screen in front of me flicked on it was jarring and I jumped. My heart jumped into my throat as well. I guess you could say we're all a bit jumpy. I suppressed the startled snicker that tried to come out. Don't want to look crazy when you're trying to assure the media you're all good.

The swirling script counted down on the screen, and oddly it looked just like I expected their lilting language to look. It was oddly beautiful and intricate. The numbers began at 5 and counted down slowly, warning me of the incoming transmission. I found myself wiping my sweaty palms on the soft trousers the ship had given me.

When the video feed changed from the grey countdown to the image of a pristine looking man in a tailored suit, we both looked a little surprised. I mean he definitely looked surprised and I felt surprised so I was guessing I looked like it too.

"Addison Kane?"

"Yes, that's me." My voice didn't shake thank god.

"Can you verify you are who you say you are?"

I patted the pants I had on despite the fact that I had no pockets and also the innate knowledge that I didn't have my driver's license on me, "Uh. I don't have my license. It's down in my apartment. I can tell you a little about me, though. I'm 23. My parents passed when I was young and I was raised in a girls home run by a local church in Saint Petersburg, Florida along with one of my roommates, Gabriella Ginsberg." Belatedly, I realized I probably shouldn't name off my friends if this were going to be aired on television.

The man pressed a hand to his ear and looked as if he were listening to someone.

Someone's probably speaking to him via an earpiece.

"Good good," he whispered before returning his attention to me, "We're happy to see you well Addison. How are you faring on the Val'Dornn homeship? Have you been treated well?"

"I'm happy to be well." I cringed inwardly at the awkward comment, but that's just y'know what comes out of your mouth when you don't really know what you're doing. "I'm doing really well actually."

"Actually? It sounds like you weren't so certain about that."

"Actually in the sense that, like a lot of the women that entered the lottery I wasn't completely informed about what it would actually entail. Even more so for me, I actually entered after a night of drinking with some friends, so for a while, I wasn't even certain I had entered. When I first got called up here I didn't know what was going to happen," I ran my hand through my hair remembering how confrontational I had been once I realized what was really going on, "I wasn't very kind. I was downright rude, actually, because I was scared. But, I've actually been treated extremely well."

The man's eyes seemed to catch on me for a moment while I fidgeted in front of the camera.

"Well, that's good to hear. There's been quite a commotion down here worrying about what had been done with you after you'd been pictured dragged crying into the Tampa Genetics Lab."

"Ah," I laughed, "Yeah. I was very scared since I didn't know what was happening after we'd been left in the dark with only that vague packet." I stifled the urge to say 'I'm better now' because for whatever reason it sounded like the wrong thing to say. I didn't want to downplay the position our government had put me in by purposely avoiding important details about their agreement with the Val'Dornn.

"That is a very interesting point and it actually brings me to this question I wanted to ask you. I noticed just now that you are no longer wearing your fertility bracelet. Why is that?" The man didn't quite sound hostile, but he did sound disapproving.

I bristled at the tone, "Well, as you know now, one of the aspects outlined in that legal packet was that if a woman were to be found to be a 100% genetic match they would relinquish their earthly citizenship wherever that was and would be considered a Val'Kier woman --"

"Val'Kier?"

"It's the name for females of the Val' species. Val'Dornn means males of the Val' species."

"Interesting. Interesting." He didn't quite sound interested, but I continued on.

"And, since I'm technically no longer considered an American woman we realized I was actually under no obligation to continue to wear the bracelet, so I had it removed." I brandished my pale wrist like a weapon.

"So you consider yourself a Val'Kier, then? If you've taken off that bracelet?"

"By both Val'Dornn and American law I am. So, why wouldn't I consider myself Val'Kier?"

"That's certainly a point." The man --reporter-- was evasive and never quite agreed with me. I got the distinct impression he might actually be mildly disgusted with me, but he had to remain professional so he couldn't show it too much. "You seem remarkably knowledgeable about the Val'Dornn would you consider yourself close with them?"

"I haven't been here long, but it has certainly been an eye-opening experience. They are very honest and forthcoming with allowing me to understand the culture that I'm now a part of." I can be vague too, you asshole.

"Fascinating, well planetside we've recently received a more complete idea of what the Genetic Lottery, this Tema Bercard --" it irked me that he mispronounced the name, but I held back the correction for now" and we'd like to hear first-hand accounts from you whether or not they're factual."

"Of course. I'm here at any moment to help American women, or any women, understand exactly what the Temani Bercari entails. Who better than the girl who got thrown face first into it am I right?" I smiled sweetly at the joke to take the sting out of my obvious correction of his pronunciation.

"Is it true that the Val'Dornn have come hunting for sexually compatible human women to force into marriage?"

There was a faint sound from outside the room despite its apparent soundproofing. It took everything to keep from glancing toward the door. "Actually, no. That's incorrect. The Temani Bercari has roots in the earliest traditions in their race. The Val'Dornn believe that each person is born with a soul that's bound to another. When our souls were created they were originally one soul, but were for one reason or another, separated before birth and sent to different parts of the galaxy. They've come to Earth, following the guidance of their God's to find their other halves. I'm no scientist, but I'm sure you could discuss the finer aspects of the genetic code that hint at these connections."

"So you were taken up to the ship because one of these Val'Dornn believes you're his soulmate?"

"For lack of a better description, yes."

"Have they mistreated you? Or forced you in any way?"

"No, not at all. I have been offered every comfort here and I have not been mistreated or forced to do anything I haven't wanted to do."

"So this male has called you up to the ship to be what amounts to a wife?"

"It's a little more complicated than that--"

"How can it be more complicated? The point of this lottery was to find the women that are bound to them and call them up to the ship to be claimed is it not?"

"To put it bluntly, yes, but--"

"And it would be reasonable to assume that relationship would expect some kind of intimacy between both partners wouldn't it."

"Every relationship is different."

"So you admit it's a relationship? You've been taken to the ship to form a relationship with this male?"

"Per my last explanation, I am considered to be the soulmate of a male on this ship, who has waited for me anxiously since the day he could understand that I was out there somewhere in the stars. I find your insinuations disgusting, but to answer you in no uncertain terms, he has not ever pushed me farther than I was willing to go and respects any boundaries I happen to make. Does the relationship require intimacy? No, not necessarily, but it can be there just like any other relationship two humans would have."

"What is the name of the male that you matched with."

I debated the option of not revealing his name to the public for only a moment. If he's happy to call me his, I'll give him that same respect, "His name is Esayr." I conveniently left out any mention of him being an Empath, I'd be lucky if humanity accepted the concept of a soulmate bond, much less them having superpowers.

"Do you love him?"

I stuttered, surprised by the question. It took too long for me to answer and the reporter jumped on my indecision.

"You don't love him and yet he's still taken you up to the ship to be his wife? If I were in your position I would consider that pushing boundaries."

The offer that Roan had given to me when I first came aboard the ship was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it. I was angry, but I managed to keep from throwing it in the reporter's face and thereby betraying Roan's confidence in me, "I could have loved him. Had I been given all the information about what the lottery meant and been prepared for the outcome, I could easily have loved him."

"Would you have entered the lottery if you knew all of that information, Addison Kane?"

I was angry because I knew he was right, "No. I wouldn't have," the reporter smiled a smug smile, "but I'm happy I did." And, I realized I was right.

*****A/N*****

There may not be an update tomorrow. I have a late shift and then an opening shift the next day, so I don't know if I'll be able to write. Luckily, however, I'm off this weekend, so I'm hoping to make up for it then :)

Thank you for your patience,

Layla