Ian’s discomfort at hearing what it sounded like Kyle seemed to be saying, allowed only a moment’s silence on his part before pressing for more clarity, “So, you’re saying that we could grab any one of these brats, and turn them into a medical genius, overnight?”

“No, I’ve got it narrowed down to six.”

Ian let out another chuckle of disbelief, “And what brought you to that number in all of the five seconds we’ve been talking about it?”

“The E-children have been tested every year since the ship took off, which you know, considering you are in the pre-ship tier of the group,” he then paused only a moment before continuing, “And the tests always came back as saying that the first tier, the ones born on earth, test in the normal range, the same as all the children born on Earth. But the ones born onboard, they all tested above average, until puberty,” only another small breath, “Then, their tests, they were off the charts, to put it mildly.”

“So, how come all you little geniuses aren’t in on this meeting then?” Ian added, only allowing another moment’s pause.

“All of us?” Kyle repeated with a slight tinge of sarcasm, “There’s only seven of us that fall into the post-pubescent category, myself included. And once they saw our tests, they got real tight-lipped about the results. The other six, they know they’re different, they just don’t know how different.”

“I thought they were geniuses,” Ian had to retort.

“They know they learn things fast and catch on easily, but I’m the only lucky one who knows that there’s a lot more to that story,” he then allowed another pause, “Well, maybe Jared suspects part of it too, since he is assisting eight of the only other ten people who know about the stuff I just told you. Though, it’s pretty easy to believe that even his own father, and his own co-workers kept being tight-lipped around him, considering, he is one of us.”

Ian let out another long, thoughtful breath before continuing, “So, does that make Jared your first choice?”

“It would make sense. I mean, he was the second child born here, making him one of the only two actual adults who have the brain power we need.”

“He and Serena, right?” Ian asked, referring to the first ever child born aboard the ship.

“Yeah, and I’m thinking one should take my place on board while I’m out there, and the other should be our medical expert.”

“Wait, are you insinuating that you could ever be replaced?” Ian let out an overly dramatic gasp.

“Temporarily,” Kyle reminded with a bit of his own bite to his tone.

Ian let out another thoughtful breath, too busy taking in the whole of this new situation to place much continued effort in exchanging the usual jabs with Kyle, “So you really have narrowed it down to two then, haven’t you?”

“Well, even though they’re geniuses waiting to happen, do you really want a thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen year-old being responsible for our health down there? I know how much you already love having a sixteen year old responsible for the technology that will be keeping us alive,” Kyle called Ian out wryly.

“So which is it then, Dr. Serena or Dr. Jared?” Ian asked after wrinkling his nose at the prospect Kyle had just put into words, before continuing on with their selection process.

Kyle thought only a moment before allowing an answer, “Personality-wise, Serena’s a cold bitch. Even if she learned all there is to know about medicine, she really doesn’t seem to think much at all about anyone else, she has no people skills, whatsoever.”

“Wow, she really is the right person to replace you.” Ian just had to allow another taunt.

“Hardy har har,” Kyle returned flatly.

“So, I guess we’ll be making our own little Dr. Jared after all? Cause his people skills, they’re astounding,” Ian returned sarcastically.

“He’s shy, not cold. Just because he’s uncomfortable around loads of people, doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about making sure they’re healthy and safe,” Kyle stated, though spoke with more calculation than concern, as was usual for him.

“Wow, do I sense a boy-crush?” Ian had to tease.

“Not hardly,” Kyle scoffed, “I just know he’d be a lot easier to work with in stressful situations than Serena would ever be,” he then just had to add, “Besides, I’m not the one I thought you’d be worrying about having a crush on Jared dear.”

Ian just shook his head, a bit taken aback by that comment, “Lost me.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Kyle mumbled through his own smirk, “Oh come on, you’re a walking hard on every time Lili moves past ya. Doesn’t take a genius to see that,” he had to add.

“Yeah, well being a genius, you should already know she’s hot,” Ian shook his head again, “And what does Lili even have to do with us talking about the good doctor-to-be?”

Kyle raised a brow as he offered Ian his hand-held computer link up to the mainframe, “Check the visitor’s logs lately?” he asked Ian smugly as the older man looked down upon the screen as he took the tiny computer from him

Ian glanced up at him with another furrow of his brow before looking back down at the screen and giving into the insinuation that he should check on their future teammate. After a moment, he looked back up, “There’s no one in Jared’s quarters,” Ian pointed out.

“Including Jared,” Kyle returned with a knowing nod, “Maybe you should try doing a search for his badge ID”

Ian sighed in annoyance before calling up Jared’s name and then doing the suggested search, his expression easily changing for the slightest split second as he read the answer the computer fed back to him.

“I guess I shouldn’t tell you to check on how long he’s been there,” Kyle couldn’t help answering wryly as he simply began whistling innocently as he leafed through the papers before him once more. Of course, he allowed another sly smile when Ian took the bait, and that crack appeared in his demeanor once more.

“Why are you even keeping tabs on Jared, anyway?” Ian allowed as he gave the handheld computer back to its owner.

“Remember, he’s the one who handed me the readout. I was about to page him and give it back right when our lovely visit began.”

“So, the fourth person?” Ian began a little more loudly than necessary.

“Nice segué,” Kyle smirked again.

Not allowing himself to show any more reaction to Kyle so easily baiting him into allowing a few cracks in his thick walls, Ian continued, “Well, tech guy, security guy, medical guy,” he added, his voice dropping the slightest on the last choice, “Who else should be included?”

Kyle just shook his head with another knowing smile before allowing Ian to redirect the conversation once more, “Well, I would say science guy, but Jared’s already halfway to being an expert there too,” he added.

“Yeah, he’s just a great guy all around, ain’t he?” Ian scoffed.

Kyle just shook his head once more before adding, “So, I’m thinking we need a little insurance along for the trip, too.”

“I thought that was me,” Ian returned.

“Different kind of insurance,” Kyle returned, causing another furrow to crease Ian’s brow.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning,” Kyle began with another deep breath, “we have to try and predict all possible situations that may arise once we leave the ship, and make sure that those left in control of the ship will do everything they can to get us safely back here, no matter what might happen down there.”

“That’s protocol: The team’s safe return.”

“Yeah, but in any life or death situation, do we really only want protocol keeping us alive?”

Ian narrowed his eyes once more at Kyle’s words, “So, what are you suggesting, then?”

“We need more of a reason than just protocol to have the people up here do everything in their power to get us back to the ship safely, if anything did go wrong.”

“Like, what reason?” Ian dared to ask.

“I think the fourth should be someone who is way too valuable for the ship’s crew to consider expendable, in any way.”

“Someone more valuable than a computer genius, a security expert, and a medical-slash-science expert?” Ian scoffed.

“Someone who can’t be replaced by Serena, Charles, Hamil, or our head scientist.”

Ian continued to narrow his eyes as he looked over at the younger man, “And I suppose your big brain has already figured out who that could possibly be?”

“Someone who’s more valuable to Miranda than all of us, combined,” Kyle answered, though quietly, eyes turned down as he allowed Ian to process his statement.

“You mean…”

“We can always argue that she is an expert on all the cultures known to the old world, so if we found any traces of civilization at all, we’d need her there to help make sense of it,” Kyle answered with a slight shrug.

Ian shook his head once more, “And you think that would be enough of an argument to convince Miranda to approve of her only child being in the kind of danger that we could all be in out there? That wouldn’t happen, even if she is a fraction as valuable to her mother as we’re assuming,”

“I’m thinking that we might not be the ones to have to convince Miranda, at all. Not if Lili is the kind of person she seems to be.”

“You think Lili would want to go? And that she’d be able to convince Miranda to approve of it?”

“I think Lili would have more than a few reasons for wanting to come along. And, I think she’s the only person who would ever be able to convince Miranda of anything.”

Ian sighed heavily as he stood, looking away in thought, “So you basically want to use Lili?”

“Aren’t you one to talk?” Kyle couldn’t help smirking at the easily inferred double meaning when the words came from Ian.

“Not what I mean,” Ian scoffed again.

Kyle let out another sigh before returning, “One, I truly think Lili would want to do this, and two, I’m talking about ‘using’ her to insure as much of our own safety as possible. Isn’t that supposed to be your only real concern on this entire trip, anyway?” Kyle reminded him pointedly.

Ian shook his head, once more annoyed at the genius that was truly behind Kyle’s otherwise seemingly cool calculation of all of their futures, “I guess we have a team for them to approve then, don’t we?”

“I guess we do,” Kyle nodded somberly.

“Fine, you can be the one to tell Miranda who our choices are,” another shake of his head as Ian moved back toward the door, “I’m sure you’ll be able to find me when you get their answers,” he stated simply before heading back out of the lab, leaving Kyle to the task at hand. The younger of the two then took one more long, deep breath after Ian had made his departure, before finally reaching for the intercom.

It was already past midnight when Lili and Jared found themselves sitting close together, facing one another upon the couch inside her quarters. Jared’s hands were gently cupping hers as the two of them watched as he moved a circle of cups in a near dance circling several inches above where they sat , both smiling up at the amazement of seeing such a thing at all.

Though the thankfully non-glass cups came quickly tumbling down to the cushions around them, as they heard the door to her quarters buzz to announce the arrival of one of the only other people on board who could actually enter her cabin without Lili having to first activate her own approval of the visitor. Jared quickly pulled his hands from hers as they both turned toward the door moments before Miranda appeared behind it as it slid open.

“Mom?” Lili greeted the still youthful looking fifty year old with short cropped blonde locks as she stepped inside with a deep breath.

“Isn’t it a little late for visitors?” was Miranda’s obviously distracted reaction to seeing Jared there atop the couch with her daughter at that hour.

“Um, yeah, I was just uh, going,” he returned awkwardly as he moved to retrieve his lab coat and offered a nervous smile back toward Lili before heading quickly back out into the hallway through the door Miranda had just entered.

“Didn’t know I still had a curfew, mom,” Lili returned uneasily as she stood to gather the cups that had fallen to the cushions around she and Jared only moments earlier.

“When did you become such good friends with Jared?” her mother asked, obviously not yet speaking the reasons behind her apparent worry as she glanced back toward the door which slid tightly closed behind the young man.

Lili took her own nervous breath as she moved to put the cups away once more before finding a response, “Like you said, it’s a little late. What brings you to my cabin at this hour, anyway? Is something wrong?” she asked softly.

Miranda took another ragged breath as she claimed Jared’s previous seat, moving her own hand through her light locks stressfully as she did so.

“Something is wrong, isn’t it?” Lili asked her mother perceptively as she moved closer.

“Depends on your definition,” Miranda returned with a forced half smile to hide her own worry, though not very successfully.

“Mom,” Lili pressed gently, moving to take her previous seat once more.

“We finally found something out there,” Miranda admitted, trying to force hope into her tone.

“That’s great, mom! So, why do you seem so upset about it? This is what we’ve all been hoping for, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, well, now I have to decide, once and for all, who’s going to have to go out there and find out what, if anything, is really waiting for us.”

“Not like you haven’t had twenty years to think about it,” Lili offered a small smile.

“Yeah, but I don’t really get to choose the team who might…die some horrible death out there,” her voice seemed to break a bit towards the end of the sentence, before forcing herself on, “I just have to be the one who approves of sending someone else’s choices off into that unknown world out there.”

“I’m sure you’ll make the right call, mom. I mean they picked you for a reason,” Lili attempted to assure her.

It was then that Miranda buried her face in her hands, seeming to stifle a sob, and showing a weakness no one else aboard the ship had ever seen her show, “What if I don’t want to make the right call?” was her tearful explanation as Lili moved to place an arm around her mother.

“Mom, what is it? Why are you so upset about this? You always knew it would be up to you to decide who would have to go out there when the time came.”

“Yeah,” she swallowed again, still not able to look up at the worry in Lili’s beautiful eyes, “but I didn’t always know that you would be one of the people that I’d be expected to send out into that new world.”