Present...

Ian's body cried out. Distant voices brought him back from the dead.

"Oh, you need not be so formal, Mrs. Broderick. Please call me Met."

Rinn's voice shook. "Met. Me? Addressing a High ELETE by a nickname? I don't know if I've got that sort of boldness."

Two blue eyes watched her. "Not many people know I'm actually High ELETE." Met smiled but it held a warning. "Usually only crooks. I doubt you'd run with such a crowd."

When Ian rose to his feet, they took notice of him.

"Tellman, hallo," Met drawled.

The woman at his back, Valentina, his daughter, gave a wave. "Hey, hosh."

Ian looked from them to Rinn's uneasy smile and thought he'd died and gone to hell after all—Rinn, his would-be killer and his two least favorite people in the Colony, practically having tea.

"Oh darling," Rinn sooth through gritted teeth, "you're okay."

"No thanks to you," Ian grumbled under his breath.

Her personality change concerned him, but Met was a bigger threat as of now. Valentina's long red hair bounced past her waste as she hefted a machine on her shoulder. She was the only ELETE Ian'd ever seen wear a long skirt and sleeveless shirt for her uniform. It was so long that it boxed against her dainty boots with each step.

"How can I help you?" Ian asked. "You lot's already gone ahead and let yourself into my property." He grumbled under his breath. "Despite my security system—"

"Yeah. That only works if you're breathing, hosh," Val mused. "Once it's lights out, it's lights out literally, too. This place loses power and locks from the inside. Unless you honestly wanted it for a tomb that is. Because without ELETEs to open this place up, nobody's getting in or out if you drop."

Once crouched down talking to Rinn, Met rose to his feet. His usual inhospitable expression returned.

"Multiple raw protocols were accessed from this structure. As these are old commands built into the Colony over a hundred years ago, defenses concluded it was either criminal activity or a distress call. As crooks aren't foolish enough to use this many protocols as it would alert the guards, we concluded it was the latter."

Ian shrunk away. His eyes fell to Rinn. She was smart enough to keep her mouth shut.

"So where are those guards then?" Ian challenged. "This seems below your paygrade."

Met gave him a long hard stare. "The wife made me come."

The sentiment had Ian cracking a smile. He was grateful; guards would ask too many questions.

"Besides," Met said, "I was actually on my way here."

Fewer words could put Ian on this much alert. "Oh?" Nervous, Ian shrugged. "So...what can I do for you this morning, Met?"

A blond eyebrow rose. "It's three o'clock in the afternoon."

Ian expected Met's monotone voice, but he could usually get more than one sentence out of the man.

Met stood in his house uninvited. That made Ian uneasy. Whenever Met decided to enter someone's home, it was never to deliver good news. Security system or no, Ian was certain the man could go wherever he wanted.

"Yeah, I know. I'm still not good at telling the time by looking at the lights. I'm getting better, though."

"After five years...." Val scoffed.

Wordless, Met raised an eyebrow at Ian, agreeing with his daughter.

"I just—I've been having a rough week." Ian shrunk under Met's steady gaze. In an effort to shift their conversation, Ian called to the woman at Met's back. "Hey, Val. How's defenses?"

Val's casual posture didn't change. "Like me: still defensive," she challenged.

Rethinking his original plan, Ian cleared his throat and rubbed his hands on his sides. "So, um, what can I do for you, Met?"

All thoughts fell to Rinn and what she might say or do. Heart pounding out of his chest, Ian glanced at her; she didn't move.

As usual, Met was dressed in his guards' uniform: black shirt and gray pants, the ankles of which were tucked into tightly laced boots. He was no average guard, but he usually played the part. His pale blue eyes settled on Rinn.

Ian expected Rinn to sing like a canary, but she looked meek. Hell, she'd just been making small talk. Good. Keep quiet for both our sake.

"Listen. I haven't seen Red—" Ian began.

"I am not here to intimidate you." Despite Met's youthful looks, his formal manner of speech and level tone betrayed his advanced years. "Though it seems I might have to."

As Met waited, Ian wondered just what the man expected from him. Met looked at Rinn again, and Ian cleared his throat.

"I...I meant to...to tell the Colony that she was awake. That she needed food and—"

"You have not asked for extra rations in three years."

When annoyed, a faint German accent tinged Met's monotonous voice. Ian swore he heard that accent now, and he took it as a bad sign.

"It is unlikely that you'd request it suddenly."

"That's not true." Ian paused, amending his statement to himself: Not entirely.

"Personally, I made a bet you'd sold some memories to afford food for her all this time. Some memories and a kidney," Val scoffed. "But you've still got all your cognitive abilities and your evaluation was off the charts. Guess I lost. But you do still have both kidneys, right? Not with how broke you are. Surprised half your debtors haven't fed you to the imps yet."

Met raised his right hand and Val quieted. "Yesterday, the System detected a full reactivation of a gui-ren's receptors."

"What? I...I didn't—obviously, that's got nothing to do with me. I'm still alive and kicking."

Met frowned. "Sadly, I can see that. But once your receptors become visible, that means they are fully charged and are about to release. So I'm wondering how you got yourself into a situation like that when you've gone three years without incident. Then I'm wondering why you haven't informed me that the receptors have been coming out. And finally, I'm wondering why you felt the need to go into a populated area where someone might see you. You've also been missing from your job for three days. There was a complaint filed against you by your employer, Carlos."

Ian gritted his teeth and swore under his breath. After he glanced back at Rinn, he asked, "Can we talk about this somewhere else?"

Met followed his gaze to Rinn but answered him. "No. Let's get to the business at hand: the receptors."

"The receptors," Ian mumbled, filled with so much shame he could barely think.

"So how do we do this? Do I give you a time frame to get the receptors back under control?" Met asked

Eyes fixed on the floor, Ian shook his head. "I can't get them under control no more," he admitted, attempting to ignore Met's groan. "I've been trying."

"Very well. You've qualified for ELETE—astonishingly. Once you have registered, they will reset the receptors, and the nanos will help regulate them. It might still be uncomfortable, but it will not have the unfavorable side effect of killing you."

"Right." Ian kept his gaze low, desperate to hide his eagerness. "I'd be much obliged." He risked meeting eyes with Met, finally. "It's a long walk since...since I still ain't got portal access."

Met squinted at him. "You talk as if I wasn't the one to take said access."

Ian was hinting.

Thankfully, Met saw through him. "Access to portals will be reinstated upon your entry into the division."

Eyes closed, Ian kept his head hung. He said a silent thank you and exhaled, relieved.

"Val," Met called over his shoulder, "the machine."

But Valentina didn't budge. Her gaze stayed steadily on Rinn who eyed her in return.

Though watching Rinn, Val asked Ian, "So this is your wife?"

The gravel in her voice took Ian aback. "Yeah?"

Val focused on him and asked, "Whose face she wearing?"

"What?"

Met took the time to study Rinn. Finally, he muttered to his daughter, "Leave it. Let us see to the business at hand."

But Val didn't break her gaze with Ian; she expected an answer. "I asked you a question."

Ian's pulse went into overdrive, his heart hammering against his ribcage. From Rinn's unpleasant awakening to this—he couldn't take much more drama and disappointment. "You—You're mistaken. We've been together for five years straight—she's never been outta my sight. My house is a fortress. It's a fortress. You two are literally the first and only people've ever been in here. You're...you're mistaken. That's her face. Of course, that's her face."

Val cocked her head. "Hmph. Let's see."

"Leave it, Valentina," Met warned.

"Can't." The machine made a gentle thud when she lowered it. "I can practically smell the deception. That's why I've got my ranking—seeking out lies is my forte." She started for Rinn but paused and turned her attention to Ian. "Like yours, hosh. Is this woman actually your wife?" She winced.

She buckled, one knee giving out.

Met rushed her. "Valentina."

Blood collected at her nose and Met looked up. "System?" He waited but received no response. Despite that, he kept on. "System, Valentina's merely here to observe. Please rescind anti-Elemental measures."

A whomp sound erupted but Val's reaction spoke less of relief and more of serious pain.

"The protocols. Dad, it's the protocols. Was there one for delousing?"

"Yes." Ian hurried to say, "These bugs came out of the walls."

Met held his daughter's shoulders but continued to look up. "This...this is a misunderstanding. Valentina's only here to observe. She will only observe," Met assured whomever he spoke to. "System, rescind all Elemental suppression protocols immediately."

One drop of blood on the floor had Val using both hands to brace herself. Ian watched them at a loss—debating whether or not he should call for Norman. But Norman was never a guarantee.

"Verbal confirmation requested," the System said. The edge on the System's words was new.

Ian opened his mouth to answer but Val spoke instead as Met whispered by her ear.

"My objective is observation."

Met whispered yet again and Val parroted him.

"And only observation. Security system, please disengage."

A hum sounded and then silence. Val's long red hair dragged on the floor as she gasped in relief. "Damn. What kind of security system is that? System, run a self-diagnostic—"

"Belay that." Met helped her up.

"But—"

Met reminded her, "This is an old room. It was built during the height of Elemental research. It's doing its original function, subduing Elementals strong enough to be good specimens. Do us both a favor and simply let us finish our task."

Val's staggered to her feet. She arched back, annoyed.

"Sure, it takes measures to suppress me. But never mind this unknown entity in front of us."

She meant Rinn. Ian looked between his disgruntled, homicidal so-called wife who eyed Val with interest, and the pissed off Elemental with a freshly bruised ego. He did a foolish thing; he stepped between them, guarding Rinn from view.

"Don't call her a thing," Ian challenged. "I wouldn't call your chosen spouse a thing. You want an anomaly, look at your own so-called relationship."

Val stared at him. She cut him a sharp glance before stooping down to check the machine over. "I think I'm about done with you now, Tell. So let me hurry so I can make it outta here."

Ian had to wet his lips three times before he could speak, his voice barely a small whisper. The unpleasant encounter with the medic put him on edge.

"Yeah...um, I...I didn't really get the results. So—"

"Yup. You peeled outta there pretty fast," Val said. "But guess what? You passed."

Stunned, Ian tried to play it off. "What? I—what?" Relief rushed through him but once the shock wore off, dread settled instead. "Wait, what does that mean?" He looked up and around at his humble home. "I'm getting outta here. We can get outta here?"

Val eased aside, showing the silver device she'd hefted. "Yup. Brought this branding unit and everything. Won't take a bit to set it up."

Finally, the shaky start took a positive turn. The machine to give him a Colony branding tattoo was portable. It was luck. Rinn woke up, he made ELETE, and now this job was delivered on a silver platter. This was luck. They could regulate the receptors. Eyes closed, Ian said a silent thank you. The pessimist in him began to rare its ugly head and he pushed it back down. This was luck. There was no need to doubt it.

Bringing hands to his face, Ian let out a weak exhale. "Bloody hell."

"We had a similar reaction in the division," Met grumbled.

Val was still visibly shaken but she regarded him with genuine pride. "Congrats, hosh."

Ian risked glancing at Rinn. Her gaze no longer held fear but confusion. Rinn. The sight of her sobered him up. She was awake—awake and unbranded. He could get her out of here. That required money, and ELETEs were the top on the Colony food chain.

"Can—how fast can I request an early pay?" Ian asked them. "I saw guards can do it in two days."

"Pay?" Val stood to her full height. "What pay?" She waited and laughed. "Don't worry. Whatever you need, the Colony will provide."

"What I need is for it to provide me with pay."

Val reached a freckled hand behind herself and plucked a diskette, a paper-thin five-by-seven-inch datatablet, from under the back of her shirt. Her posture stoic, she glanced to Ian out of the corner of her eye and said, "Oh, that was a joke. Right?"

Unlike Red, Val wore the uniform of all E's: a black close-fitting, sleeveless shirt. Despite standing six-foot-three, slender with a toned physique and her pale skin dusted with freckles, Valentina didn't look menacing. Her ranking in Colony defenses was, however.

Val drawled, "Keep in mind, hosh: being my mother's pupil doesn't make us friends by proxy or something. I won't put up with you. I'm here as a favor."

They didn't share any real bad blood, but it was no secret that Val merely tolerated him. With that in mind, Ian was curious as to why she had come.

"Thanks.... ELETEs are as high on the dog as you can get, right? So there's no...no perks? I nearly died on that course. Only twenty people of two hundred get in, right?" Ian asked, parroting the medic—he'd thought it was far less.

Val's green eyes widened. "Hog. Oh, hell yeah. But ELETEs don't work on credits."

Ian frowned. That sinking feeling came back and threatened to drag him lower. "They don't?"

"No way. You'll be a part of the establishment, so everything's provided for. No credits in or out. But it's good; debts can't be collected from the Colony, so that means technically you're not poor anymore. You're not anything."

"Yeah...but, I mean, guards get a pretty good salary."

"ELETEs are beyond the guards."

"But I—I need money. I can't take care of Rinn without it."

"Oh, no worries. The Colony'll take care of that for you, too. That is actually what I'd like to talk about," Val assured him, but Ian began to sweat.

"You don't get it. I need credits. Actual monetary credits," Ian insisted.

"And like I said, ELETEs are beyond credits. The Colony'll provide everything you need." Val wrinkled her brow. "You're lucky. Living on a salary is risky if your credits get too low. Hell, you're a prime example of why credits should be done away with, 'cause man, are you ever in the negative. I'm surprised you're still walking around with both kidneys. Because seriously, you do still have both, right? I refuse to believe you haven't sold one yet."

Val handed the thin electronic tablet over. "As informed as you obviously are about the position, I'll bet my left ear you didn't memorize that oath. So here—a gift. You can keep the diskette."

Ian took it wordlessly.

"And if you're waiting for Ma," Val crouched down by the door and started separating the machine. "She's not coming Made me swear high and low to come in here and make sure you actually registered and didn't do something stupid."

Ian stared at her, trying to figure out Val's angle. "What? She's not coming?" A glance at Met had Ian shutting up.

Val cleared her throat but didn't otherwise respond. Her emerald-green eyes stayed on Ian.

Finally, Ian snapped. "What?"

"What is wrong with you?" Val exclaimed. "Even you talking about it gives you a creepy vibe. Tell me I'm sensing your emotions wrong." Val shuddered. "Ew. She's married. And she's your trainer. And she's married."

Ian grumbled, "It was just a harmless crush."

Val gagged. "Ag. For the Colony's sake, it's not like you have an imp's chance in hell. You do see that my dad is still very much alive. Physically touching an E you can't link with will injure you."

Met raised his right hand again and Ian shrunk away.

"A—about that," Ian began.

Finally, Met said, "We will prepare. I've accompanied Valentina to serve as a witness for when you take that oath."

"Right." Ian pulled the diskette close. There was no money in ELETE. Red never mentioned that part—of course she wouldn't. She knew damn well he'd never have wasted a minute training for a penniless job. But there had to be other advantages. Ian glanced at Rinn's curious expression and turned with his back to her. There had to be an upside. He risked not only his life but hers just by trying out. Everyone else waited on their scores, he slipped away for fear someone would recognize him and tell either his current boss or others he'd worked with. There was more to it. This was the most coveted position in the entire Colony. At first feigning interest in the diskette with the oath, Ian made the mistake of focusing on it. "All that I am, render to the Colony. All that I own, render to the Colony. My body, my mind, my blood, my life, my loves, my faith, my seed, and my Colony are one. Any and all that threaten my home, let it be no more, let it end at the Colony's threshold. Let me and mine end in my Colony's service."

Bile threatened to rise up with each word, each breath.

"Wait, my loves? My seed? My...faith?"

Val stood, taking a hold of the top of two levers. Once she yanked them, the metal unfolded and rose up. "Loved ones. Offspring and so on," she muttered, barely paying attention.

A shiver of disgust rushed through Ian. Body and mind he could part with, but promising the Colony his family and children was unexpected.

Met said, curious, "Faith might give you problems as most Outsiders adhere to strict rules on archaic beliefs. That conflicts with the Colony. No deity provides; the Colony does."

"Tell," Val said, flashing him a confident smile, "it's just tradition. The System doesn't allow for information to be deleted, just tacked on in places. That oath's left over from the original the enforcers used to take when this place was just a research center."

"So it's just for show?"

"Well, no. I dunno. An oath is an oath, but back then, entire families were brought here. If an E was born into a family with potential, the Colony wanted it. But times have changed. No one's going to demand anything from you. Anyway, it's not like you've got a supernatural loved one stashed away. Right?" She almost cast Rinn a glance but countered that action and managed to give Ian what amounted for a smile. "Don't fret so much."

That grimace left Ian feeling uneasy. Even if Val wasn't so sickly fascinated with Rinn, something else took up his attention. He stared at the diskette long and hard. "Yeah. Right. And offspring?"

"Just means the Colony expects you to one day bring forth a child. That's all. Gotta keep our numbers up." Val folded her arms, her tone bitter. "Any other questions?"

"No, that's enough. It's all right."

Val said, "Good. Just go ahead and put your thumbprint at the bottom there to indicate you agree that you and the Colony are one."