I hadn't been sleeping well. The voices were growing stronger every day, and didn't know how to deal with them. Thinking about the imaginary saviors I concocted with my creativity, absentmindedly, I opened Nate's office door and said, "Nate, I must speak with you—"

I stopped mid-sentence and mid-stride. Nate wasn't alone, and I felt rude for not knocking, but I rarely did. We often shared the space while pouring over stats and brainstorming ideas.

"It's okay, Waheeb," Nate said before I could retrace my steps.

I closed the door and strode toward the sitting area. The woman's back was to me, and she hadn't bothered to turn and look. I thought that weird because, for most people, that would be their first instinct. "My apologies. I didn't realize were busy. I'll come by later," I said, undecided whether to continue or just turn back.

And that was when the woman turned to glance at me, and I paused, staring at her. She sat on the sofa next to Nate. Her dark hair cascaded down in perfectly styled waves, and her expressive eyes scrutinized me. Though I found her beauty blinding, that wasn't what gave me pause. It was the realization that I knew her. That I had seen her before, in my dreams. As unbelievable as it sounded, she was the same woman who had been haunting my sleeping hours for quite some time; the alien.

"This is Fatim," Nate said bringing me out of my stupor, "an old friend. Fatim, this is Waheeb, my closest friend and colleague. The man I respect and love the most in this world."

The last sentence made me look at him. Why he would say something sentimental like that while introducing me to a friend was something I didn't quite understand. Yet, it wasn't the most important thing on my mind right then. I was reeling with the fact that I had been dreaming about someone without knowing them, and before meeting them. I wondered if her robot assistant was real too. And the thought made me smile.

She raised her brows as if asking what was there to smile about. Embarrassed, I extended my hand toward her and said, "Nice to meet you." She shook my hand, and I tried hard not to show my discomfort. I had a nagging feeling that my life would never be the same after meeting the apparition of a girl I dreamt of. She was a little older than my dream girl, but I was sure it was her.

"Same here," she said, unaware of my inner turmoil.

"What did you want to discuss?" Nate asked me, gesturing for me to join them.

"That report you wanted me to look over. I just did that, and there is something wrong," I replied.

"What's the problem?"

"You never signed it, and that's why it was not processed." The mistake was such an out-of-ordinary thing for him that I thought he did it on purpose. But why would he? Maybe I was letting my imagination get ahead of me, but nothing seemed as it should be. Not me; not Nate; and not even the woman sitting there, observing me openly as if I were an animal in the zoo. It was the oddest feeling and had me thinking they were talking about me when I rudely interrupted them.

"Oh, how did I miss that?" His startled admission disabused me of my earlier doubt. "No problem I'll sign now."

I handed him the file, and he signed it. He was on edge, but I couldn't figure out why. I could feel the undercurrent between him and Fatim. But I didn't know who the woman was to him. More than a friend, perhaps? But no, Nate didn't look at her like that. She, though, was a different story. I could read the admiration she had for Nate in her eyes. But he was an admirable guy. Besides, that didn't prove she loved him or anything. And why did that thought make me so uncomfortable?

As pretty as she was, the striking thing about her was that she looked unreal, somehow. I couldn't understand why, but I felt like I was looking at a doll rather than a living person. That didn't dim the brightness of her soul. She was someone who captivated me since the moment I first saw her. Not because of her looks, because I didn't much care for that kind of thing, but because of the peaceful demeanor, the intelligence that peeked from behind her long lashes, and the radiance of her half-smile.

"There, all done." Nate handed me the file. And I know I was dismissed.

"I'll see you later. And nice to meet you, Fatim." With another thoughtful glance toward her, I left.

#

"Where were we?" Nate said, giving Fatim his full attention.

"I think we have discussed everything we needed to." She shrugged. She didn't seem to be in the mood to continue their conversation. Standing up, she said, "I was about to leave."

"Wait," he gestured for her to sit, "I want to say something."

"What is it now, Nate?" She glared at him. "I won't date your friend just to keep an eye on him. Okay?"

"It's not that," he bent forward with arms on his knees, "I want you to move to the city."

"Why?" She looked at him in confusion.

"It's been centuries, Fatim." He kept his voice soft. It wasn't a criticism of her choices, but she needed to start trusting humans. "I think it would be better for you to have human neighbors. Maybe then you wouldn't be so quick to mistrust them."

"As much as I respect you, and your opinion," she sighed, "I can't in this. I watch the news, Nate. I know what these people are doing to each other. I don't want to become the victim of human cruelty."

"It wasn't your fault," he said, and the look she gave him pierced his heart. He saw tears well up in her eyes and knew he crossed the line. But she needed a reality check, and he wouldn't stop there. "What happened to Noah was an accident. These things happen everywhere. No place in the universe is perfect. No planet and no race is free of greed or hate. You might have forgotten what it was like back home, but our home didn't disappear in a day or two. We have the same capacity for cruelty. The only difference is that we live longer and have more chances to evolve."

Pressing her lips together, she stared at the floor. She had to know he was right, but she didn't admit it. After minutes, when she spoke it was to tell him goodbye. "I'll keep an eye on Waheeb and look out for the two aliens you spoke of. But I'm not moving to the city. My home is in the mountains, so that's where I will stay."

She paused at the door. "And Nate, remember you'll have to leave this place soon. How long do you have? Another decade before people notice your lack of aging? Maybe this time you can move to a place where you can stay for longer than a few decades. How long will you hop from one city to the other, and one country to the next? There are other reasons why some of us like to live in isolation. For once, you can try to be more understanding. Not everything is about your precious humans."

After she left, Nate thought about what she said. She worried too much and was scared of everything. Not like Waheeb, but not unlike him either. They were two of a kind. His suggestion about her dating him wasn't because of the Havocs. He genuinely thought they would like each other and maybe even love in time. And nothing would make him happier than his two favorite people finding happiness together.

Nate sighed and wondered if he had gone too far. He should leave the matchmaking to those who at least knew what love felt like. Reminding her of Noah was also not his best moment. Even if his heart was in the right place and he wanted her to be happy, he shouldn't have talked about her first love. He knew how sensitive she was about that subject.

Noah was his best friend too. He was killed during a protest in the 1800s when he joined humans in their struggle for freedom. Fatim was devastated. But she concluded all the wrong things from the incident. Even then, she preferred living away from big cities and close-knitted human societies, but Noah was different. He wanted to be in the center of things. Feeling sorry for the people colonized by more powerful nations, he joined the rebellion. And things went sideways.

He was restless and dissatisfied with the way things were. Something needed to change, and if Fatim wouldn't change herself, maybe he should change himself. And be the leader that he was born to be. Controllers weren't the solution. They kept order among Enterers and reported to him periodically. But it was time he took his seat at the head of the table once again.