chair and started toward Blythe. “Why don’t you go . . .”
“Grace, settle down!” Lucas yelled.
She stopped and turned to Lucas. “Sorry, sir. I’m just concerned.”
“That wasn’t part of this mission. Maybe it was programmed in there as a distraction, which obviously worked. And if there really are people in the actual emerald thing, whatever it’s called—if it really exists—someone would’ve seen activity by now. Your mother would know for sure. Same with your father.”
“Please don’t bring them into this,” she said.
“I’m just saying that it’s a non-issue. We’re supposed to be focusing on our drills and working together. You were out of line, and your mishap will reflect against the entire team. Your blatant disregard for chain of command was disrespectful and unacceptable.”
He was right. “My apologies, sir,” she said. “I’ll do better next time.”
“You screw this up for me, pansy-ass, and you’re toast.” Blythe got up and stormed out of the room. Missakian followed, leaving Lucas and Grace alone.
“I know there’s a lot pressure on you. People are expecting you to do well. Mega-mainframe mother and the General’s daughter.”
“This has nothing to do with them.” Grace didn’t understand why he wasn’t getting her point. She just wanted to do the right thing. She needed to figure out the deal with Emerald Mountain. “I gotta go,” she said, walking toward the door.
“We’re not finished here.”
Grace was now getting irritated with the whole chain of command thing.
He continued. “There’s an old cliché: there’s no I in team. And we’re a team. I know you think your personal goals are more important, but we need cooperation for the team to survive. We only have one month to prove our salt. And it’s my responsibility to ensure you know that.”
“I’ve been a little distracted these last couple of days. Nobody’s ever kissed me.” She immediately regretted her display of vulnerability.
He stared at her for a few moments, thinking. “I think it’s best if we keep things professional,” he finally said.
The blow knocked the air right out of her chest. She came forward without knowing where he stood, and now he had the upper hand. Like any sword fight, she held her stance—not backing down from her opponent.
She held out her hand and smiled. “Nothing but professional, sir.”
“We good?” he asked.
She nodded.
“All right, Strader, dismissed.”
She left the Delta training room and continued speed walking down the hall until she was able to force down a complete breath. She hadn’t expected Lucas to snub her with such confidence. Why did she even care? He was just another know-it-all Insider, and she was an idiot for thinking it was anything more. She needed to forget about the whole thing and refocus. First, she needed to find out if there was a city center in Seattle that may or may not contain human life. The best person to talk to would be her mother. She braced herself and took a transporter to the lab.
When she chimed the lab, Sam came to the entrance and stood there, blocking her from getting inside.
“Is my mother around?” She looked over his shoulder, not sure why he was keeping her out.
“Not at the moment. She’s with Director Faraday.”
“I need to talk to her.”
“What do you need?”
Grace noticed one of the old journals in Sam’s lab coat pocket.
“What are you doing with that?” she asked, reaching for the journal.
He knocked her hand away and stepped back a few inches, tucking the journal deeper down. “I’m doing some research.”
“On what?” Grace started to get an itch in the back of her throat, sensing something wasn’t right.
Sam asked again, “What do you need?”
She was bordering on desperation and wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery about the Seattle City Center, so she blurted, “Do you know about Emerald Mountain?”
He looked confounded, or confused, or
“Grace, settle down!” Lucas yelled.
She stopped and turned to Lucas. “Sorry, sir. I’m just concerned.”
“That wasn’t part of this mission. Maybe it was programmed in there as a distraction, which obviously worked. And if there really are people in the actual emerald thing, whatever it’s called—if it really exists—someone would’ve seen activity by now. Your mother would know for sure. Same with your father.”
“Please don’t bring them into this,” she said.
“I’m just saying that it’s a non-issue. We’re supposed to be focusing on our drills and working together. You were out of line, and your mishap will reflect against the entire team. Your blatant disregard for chain of command was disrespectful and unacceptable.”
He was right. “My apologies, sir,” she said. “I’ll do better next time.”
“You screw this up for me, pansy-ass, and you’re toast.” Blythe got up and stormed out of the room. Missakian followed, leaving Lucas and Grace alone.
“I know there’s a lot pressure on you. People are expecting you to do well. Mega-mainframe mother and the General’s daughter.”
“This has nothing to do with them.” Grace didn’t understand why he wasn’t getting her point. She just wanted to do the right thing. She needed to figure out the deal with Emerald Mountain. “I gotta go,” she said, walking toward the door.
“We’re not finished here.”
Grace was now getting irritated with the whole chain of command thing.
He continued. “There’s an old cliché: there’s no I in team. And we’re a team. I know you think your personal goals are more important, but we need cooperation for the team to survive. We only have one month to prove our salt. And it’s my responsibility to ensure you know that.”
“I’ve been a little distracted these last couple of days. Nobody’s ever kissed me.” She immediately regretted her display of vulnerability.
He stared at her for a few moments, thinking. “I think it’s best if we keep things professional,” he finally said.
The blow knocked the air right out of her chest. She came forward without knowing where he stood, and now he had the upper hand. Like any sword fight, she held her stance—not backing down from her opponent.
She held out her hand and smiled. “Nothing but professional, sir.”
“We good?” he asked.
She nodded.
“All right, Strader, dismissed.”
She left the Delta training room and continued speed walking down the hall until she was able to force down a complete breath. She hadn’t expected Lucas to snub her with such confidence. Why did she even care? He was just another know-it-all Insider, and she was an idiot for thinking it was anything more. She needed to forget about the whole thing and refocus. First, she needed to find out if there was a city center in Seattle that may or may not contain human life. The best person to talk to would be her mother. She braced herself and took a transporter to the lab.
When she chimed the lab, Sam came to the entrance and stood there, blocking her from getting inside.
“Is my mother around?” She looked over his shoulder, not sure why he was keeping her out.
“Not at the moment. She’s with Director Faraday.”
“I need to talk to her.”
“What do you need?”
Grace noticed one of the old journals in Sam’s lab coat pocket.
“What are you doing with that?” she asked, reaching for the journal.
He knocked her hand away and stepped back a few inches, tucking the journal deeper down. “I’m doing some research.”
“On what?” Grace started to get an itch in the back of her throat, sensing something wasn’t right.
Sam asked again, “What do you need?”
She was bordering on desperation and wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery about the Seattle City Center, so she blurted, “Do you know about Emerald Mountain?”
He looked confounded, or confused, or
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