Muller was bored. Dead bored. Five hours of manning the monitors did that to you. And it's not like Alex was any consolation, not being the most talkative guy in the world. He
pushed his chair back from the desk.
"Where are you going?" Alex asked with his eyes shut, his legs propped up on the console.
"Gotta walk around. My feet are going numb." He paced around the room a couple of times, but that didn't help much, so he sat back down. "When is Noin-toisa going to send in the next shift?"
"Next shift?" Alex snorted. " After that stunt you pulled with Zechs-toisa, you'll be lucky if we get out of here before the week is over."
Muller put his hands on his hips. "Excuse me? The stunt I pulled? You were the one who dropped me on the Colonel's head!"
The door slid open behind them. Muller whirled around. A slender girl with long blond hair stood in the doorway. Oh, it's just Dorothy Catalonia.
"Hello, boys," she said in the silky-smooth voice Muller hated. "Having fun?"
"We were till you came in," Muller retorted.
Dorothy tossed her hair back behind her shoulders. "Oh, please. You're not a very good liar, Mr. Muller."
"What do you want?" Alex grunted.
"I thought perhaps we'd play a game."
Muller snorted. "Aren't you a bit old for games, Miss Catalonia?"
"Yeah," Alex said. "You're not in primary school anymore."
"Not that sort of game," she said. "More of a challenge."
That got Muller's attention. "What sort of challenge?"
Dorothy flashed her most charming smile. "Let's see which of us has the most gall. First I dare you, then you dare me, and so on."
Muller laughed. "You're on. Prepare to be schooled." Alex just nodded.
"Alright, then," Dorothy said. "I dare you two to sneak into Colonel Merquise's quarters tonight." She took a black Sharpie marker out of her purse.
"You're going to have us draw a mustache on Zechs-toisa?" Muller said, snickering. "Easy."
"I'm not finished yet, Mr. Muller. Not just a mustache. A full beard."
Muller grabbed the marker out of her hand. "Done," he said.